It's a major award! I won it!

I've been given one of those award/tag types of things by Cooper. Who had GREAT books on his list and also tagged Lime, and she had some of my favorite books on her list too.

Also, neither of them followed the rules (list 5 books) so I feel better about my inability to do so.

Here is my first choice.

 It is, um, a multi-volume poetry anthology, yeah, that's the ticket.

I still need to add a couple books to the set, but I am still pretty happy with it.That is book #1. 

Book #2 The Scarlet Pimpernel.

 This is a book my mom read to us at bedtime over the course of a month or so and it carried me away completely in a way that is hard to describe. I  was about 13 at the time, and loved this story beyond any comprehension.

Book #3 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

 Strictly speaking, I am referring to the first of the 5 books in the trilogy, but I find the entire set transporting. 

A non-fiction collection of essays might seem an odd inclusion on a list of books for people who refuse to live in the real world, but if anyone could write essays that transport me from the real world, it's David Foster Wallace.

# 4 Consider the Lobster

Lastly,

#5 The Baroque Cycle

Although this is classified as sci-fi it is some of the best historical fiction ever, and it is total geeknip (like catnip, but for geeks). If you are looking to be transported for a couple weeks, this is a great way to do it (each book is approximately 1,000 pages). Stephenson definitely creates a world for his readers, in all his books, and by the way, I really sort of wanted to include a couple others in this list, but decided to just go with this. Alternately, if this is just too geeky for you, you can get your transportation away from the real world time-travel-y style via Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.

I am not super into the tagging thing, but

Actonbell, Grunt, and Jocelyn,

if you want in on this action, consider yourselves invited.

The news

Mr. Logo has a new job, w00t!
He starts at the beginning of next month and will be doing the same  sort of work (process improvement).
This is a good thing because we need a new dishwasher, and new struts on his car, and a cord of firewood.

Thing Two and Mr. Logo are in a community play scheduled for November performances, it has a Thanksgiving theme. Thing One has been the most active actor in the family of late but with his 4 AP classes just getting started he figured he better allot plenty of time for his studies. 

He half-assed his summer AP English assignment thinking he was going to have the same teacher he had last year and could get away with it. HOWEVER, she moved. His teacher this year has a very sensitive bullshit meter and I am impressed with him. Thing One is regretting the lame effort he put forth this summer and feeling some  pressure to do well on his first paper. Mama like.

I am preparing to teach a class based on the book Mini-weapons of Mass Destruction 2. We will do a little discussing of the physics behind the weaponry but really, it is going to be a lot of building cool stuff. :D should be awesome.

I am also teaching a current events class... which should be interesting. If the parents come after me with pitchforks and torches I will have Mr. Logo post a nice eulogy. We are going to start out with a conversation about poverty and illiteracy around the world and especially here in the US.

I am also teaching an online literature and writing class with a friend. This will be our first foray into online instruction and this class is serving as our little lab rats. Not sure how it will go but I have high hopes.

ALSO, since the grand plan calls for Thing Two to head off to high school next year so I am starting the application process for the University of Washington Library Science program. I really hope they want me, I hope, I hope, I hope...