Sunday, December 14, 2014

The Black and White Book

The Black and White Book by R.P. Moore
2001
Weight: 9.6 oz
Method of Disposal: Donating to AKS


I wanted to write: "This book was awful.  Nuff said."  But, I happened to see that 4 out of 5 people on Amazon gave it 5 stars.  Two people described the book as having blown them away.  Shocking really.  I open it at random now.  On the left there is a black page with white writing that says "End Racism!"  On the left, "See just how racism is ending."  This on a white page with black writing.  Another couplet says "Fear" on the black page and "love" on the white page.  Black:  "I went from Corporate Account Executive to selling flowers from a cart in the mall."  White: "I went from being stressed out, miserable, and tied down to being creative, content, and free."  Too each their own.

I have lost my wedding band,, and I have not even been married a full year.

I held onto my wedding band for 8 months and now I can pick out another one!

No, but seriously, I want the original back.  Now.

North and South

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
1996
Weight: 15.2 oz
Method of Disposal: Donating to AKS


This was a gift from Harriet's mother on a recent trip to the states and so I, of course, started reading it the day she left for England.  True to what I have read by other classic British women authors there was a love story between two people who absolutely misunderstood each other, talked past each other, made mistake after mistake, and the tension just grew and grew until you were about to throw the book across the room if they didn't just admit that they loved each other!  It was much more than that though.  There was an examination of class, business, labor struggle, management, strong women, human weakness, compassion, and friendship.  I found myself deeply invested and having empathy to all the characters, even the ones I initially had disdain for.  Also interesting to think about the North and South divide then and now.  I hope someone else enjoys this book as much as I did!  Thank you, Sarah!

Boy's Life

Boy's Life by Robert McCammon
1992
Weight: 9 oz
Method of Disposal: Donating to the AKS


This book was recommended to me almost ten years ago.  I was working at Barnes and Noble and a woman that I absolutely respected, who had very different taste than me, highly recommended this book.  I bought it right away, but it took me a long time to actually read it.  I finally did this summer, and I really enjoyed it--despite the fact that it is not my usual style at all.  It will sound ridiculous, but it had everything from murder to streaking to dogs to camping to lust to racism to ghosts to magic to teenage boys to hunting to loss to family to underwater monsters...to on and on.  It is hard to imagine that he packed it all in there, but he did.  It is almost like someone challenged him.  Write a novel...and include all this crazy shit...and make it readable.  Like magic, you get Boy's Life.

Loyalty Unleashed

Loyalty Unleashed: Pit Bulls and the People Who Love Them  by Sue Torres
2014
Weight: 1.2 lbs
Method of Disposal: Donating to the AKS

This beautiful beast is named Pongo, and he is available for adoption!  He is around 1 year old, and he loves dogs, cats, and people of all ages.  Let me know if you are interested!

It has been 6 months since I last wrote on this blog.  So much has changed since my promotion to shelter manager and since I got married.  The number one change is that I am at work all day and night.   I get home very late and then want to spend my last hour or two with my wife.  Hence, the drastic drop in my reading and blogging.  Besides, with her in the U.S. how many people left are out there are reading this thing?

It has been a very difficult year at the shelter and very stressful for me, but it has also been wonderful.  Adoptions are up, and we have adopted out every single dog that had been there for a year or longer.  We adopt out many more pit bulls now, which is my main goal in life.  There is a lot to be proud of.  We have taken in 640 animals, and we have adopted out 585!  That is over 100 more than last year.  I have met a lot of wonderful new volunteers and staff.  I have learned a lot about the people I have worked with for years.  And I have learned a lot about myself as a leader.  Here's to hoping 2015 is even better and that I am able to improve on my weaknesses and those of the shelter to save even more lives.