Tuesday

It's Tuesday, what else can I say?
OT last night, a nice bonus, when I can get it.
Still doing the multiple-career balancing act.
One cannot do everything well, long accepted by me, though the transition remains on the tricky side. How to stay on top of things when I am not fully engaged isn't my fortay (sp?), but I keep experimenting. Biggest challenge perhaps is communication. I live by honest, timely and clear communication... no, I should say that's what I value - and when I don't get that, it really throws me for a loop. Especially when I am aware of the environment, and on the balance, I choose to stay with something that is going to let me down, surely, in the future. What can I say, if I have chosen with my eyes wide open? To negotiate or reason is futile, so the challenge for me is how to process it when it happens. I can't let others get my goat.


LET GO OF MY GOAT!!!!!


Now there is a doodle idea...

Randomness

So much for blogging before work... it seems that the tired-er I get, the later I leave, and the less time I have before work. But a good reminder as to how much I prefer arriving super early.


Last week was a heavenly break from routine. Last Monday I 'finally' qualified to be able to take unpaid vacation at my new work, without impacting my status (it has been a long slog, but I made it!). They were kind enough to grant me my request to take the rest of the week off. I requested this only partly because I was burnt out and needed a break, but primarily due the extraordinary timing: my niece was in town, so she and my sister were out every day with the van (I had been planning to bus it all week). So......... this meant that if I was home, and they were out, I would - finally - get some stretches of time alone. So that's actually what I did.


After 30 years of living alone, it is still an enormous adjustment to have spent the last 9 years living with other people. Especially when there has been no ability to get away from each other.
I had a HEAVENLY week... perhaps made so much so because I hadn't been expecting it or even hoping for it. Suddenly, pow, there it was. What a relief!


Not that I did much (although that was the point).


I did create a new reading spot in my bedroom, so that I can be alone and not just lounge on my bed, or sit at a desk. It's a spot where I have been reading, journaling, drawing, and propping up my dinner to eat in solitude while doing puzzles. With my headphones on, listening to a podcast or book, I am in another world. It's made a world of difference.

Review: Aliens of Extraordinary Ability

Aliens of Extraordinary Ability by Maeve Higgins, Shaina Feinberg, Cristela Alonzo, Alysia Reiner, Cole Escola, Karim Nematt, Carlos Ib
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Transported me
What a lovely little audio drama. It felt like a docu drama. At first, it was simply entertaining, then I became aware of how the lives of these 'illegal immigrants' parallel the lives of people today. The ups and downs, the joys and the fears. Always the fears. Although set in New York City, and our treatment of immigrants is different in Canada, it gave me new compassion for those establishing new lives here. And empathy for refugees and immigrants everywhere. Listen and let Aliens of Extraordinary Abilities transport you...

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The genius of VocalID

How this escaped my radar, I'll never know, but it's brilliant.

FIRST: take a moment to think of Stephen Hawking's voice

THEN: read on...

Just after I first arrived in Korea, I was listening to NPR TED Radio Hour when I heard Rupal Patel being interviewed about her big new idea for synthetic voices. I was so inspired by the story, and I remember tearing up when I heard some of the voices that were created for people with speech disorders. The new technology blends together the speech sounds of a person who is unable to speak with sounds from a voice donor and creates a brand new, unique computerized voice for the individual... [read more on the Life in Limbo blog].

Many of those with severe speech disorders use a computerized device to communicate. Yet they choose between only a few voice options. That's why Stephen Hawking has an American accent, and why many people end up with the same voice, often to incongruous effect. Speech scientist Rupal Patel wanted to do something about this... [watch the TED Talk].

UVic linguistics associate professor Sonya Bird was listening to the CBC Radio “Spark” program in early 2014 when she first heard the voice of Rupal Patel, a Canadian researcher based in Boston who launched the VocaliD Human Voicebank in May 2014. The interview ignited Bird’s immediate interest in contributing to Patel’s mission to connect those living with a severe speech disorder (or limited speech) to their own unique vocal identities. Now, as a result of an eight-month volunteer effort by the Voice Drive Victoria group in collaboration with local speech language pathologist Gail Poole, more than 100 people in our region have donated their voices to this global effort ... [read more about UVIC's contribution].

VocalID links
About VocalID
About the VoiceBank

Related resources
Synthetic voices, as unique as fingerprints - TED Tallk by Rupal Patel
Everything you need to know about donating your voice: Why you should help The Human Voicebank Initiative - TED Blog
Lending voice to an international initiative - UVIC
Speech Donors - CBC Spark Podcast
Vocal ID: Donate Your Voice - Life in Limbo blog

T.G.I.Th.

An earlier version of TGIF.... is it really Thursday already? I'm tired this week, Tour de France time, so getting as much as I can before I leave in the morning, and try to watch the rest at night, hopefully not falling asleep before the final sprint.
Still remember seeing the Tour de France in person when I was in Barcelona. Lucky duck.
I am a little fazed to realize recently that it has been 10 years since my big Europe trip. It had been so life changing for me. But how has 10 years passed?

Blackberries

I almost missed my bus this morning because I stopped to pick a few blackberries near where I park.
I hadn't noticed them before, but the previous morning I saw someone at the bushes and it dawned on me... and sure enough, when I stopped there on my way home, I had a nice little feast. This is on relatively busy little street, so I was surprised that they weren't picked over more.
It brought memories of picking blackberries at mom's place... they were so plentiful, and I had to go out in jeans and long sleeves, with gardening gloves and clippers, to cut them back, and get to the best berries just a stretch too far away. I hope I don't get silly enough to lean too far with these blackberry bushes on my commute.
It's a sign of how I am still trying to get my head above water that I didn't notice them before this week... I think blackberry season has been going for awhile now?
A good sign to slow down and take a look around me.
Happy to be downtown early, but on the sleepy side. More coffee soon, then looking forward to a good day. Love the environment here... very upbeat and free of drama. It's not so much that it feeds my soul, but it doesn't suck the life out of me. And a positive environment is something I can feed off of.
Interestingly, I'm enjoying not having to think about work after I leave work for the day. It's not the kind of work I've had before, and I am appreciating this aspect of it.
This is all post training, of course, and I am still learning.
In the lunchroom at work, and a lady behind me is pregnant and talking about her fear of delivery... yikes. TMI, but she's talking to a friend, so that's ok. The friend is reassuring her with tales of her own delivery. Gack. So totally not my world or experience. And it's thrown my train of thought. LOL.
Feels good to have my fingers on the keyboard.

Morning reflections

Goodness, how I have missed the habit of blogging. As in writing, not just posting book reviews (!). Though I no longer get frustrated or doubt myself if I am not blogging... it's just something that comes in waves in my life, something I can always come back to.
There are workstations in the lunchroom where I work. While I don't have time or the inclination to be on them during breaks, they are sitting idle first thing in the morning, and when I'm early, why not?
I leave home at 6:30 when I have an 8:00am shift, so get here around 7:20-7:30. I'm not one to relax coming in later, so this is like a bit of me time before I head to my desk. I'm usually there 20 minutes before my shift starts - to settle in and log in, to be ready to take my first call on the dot of 8:00.
Loving call centre work more than I might have imagined, and I kind of stumbled into it, and that realization. I'm good at it, and I can leave it behind when I go home.
More on that another time...
Deep into the Tour de France at the moment, watching until 6:20, noting the km left when I stop (today at 120k to go), then I pick it up at the same spot when I get home. I'm tired, but not as tired as those guys. Great race this year, interesting stuff.
OK, that's it for now.

Review: The Secret Cyclist

The Secret Cyclist: Real Life as a Rider in the Professional Peloton by The Secret Cyclist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Secrets without a lot of drama
A great listen, and easy to digest over a day or two of the TDF. Lots of recent relevant observations, including happenings in the 2018 Tour de France. Having read several books about professional cycling, and having followed the ups and downs of doping and scandals, not much would surprise me, and nothing here did. Instead, I got a refreshingly positive inside look at the life of a professional cyclist, one who has stayed grounded and clean over the years. But it's not bland. Our secret cyclist has strong opinions and shares them with conviction. Insights on other riders relate mainly to the stories behind and around crashes and controversies, but are respectful of others privacy. It's not a tell-all, it's a tell-some. Good choice of narrator, it sounded like it was the rider himself.

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Review: The Silent Patient

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book, but I didn't love it.
The premise was interesting, and it was well written. But it didn't draw me in. I even enjoyed an interview with the author so much I wish I'd liked it more. I realize I couldn't relate to, or feel compassion for, any of the characters. Yes, everyone has a dark side that challenges you to still accept someone, despite their flaws. But I never got to the point of really liking anyone. Perhaps that's beneficial, as there wasn't a pedestal to fall off of.... otherwise I can imagine if you could relate, this could be a real roller coaster ride.

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Review: The President Is Missing

The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A bubble escape story...
I wanted to read this book simply because I thought it was so interesting that a former President of the United States had written a mystery with one of the best authors of the day....

Spoiler alert.... to read the rest of this review, click here.

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Review: Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison

Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison—Solitary Confinement, a Sham Trial, High-Stakes Diplomacy, and the Extraordinary Efforts It Took to Get Me Out by Jason Rezaian
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An incredible tale
Jason Rezaian had a story to tell, but it's not the one he expected. The man was, and is, a journalist, and he was held without cause in an Iranian prison. At first his wife, also a journalist, was also held, but she was released after a relatively short period of time. Telling his story in his own voice, Jason shares the long stretches of solitude he experienced, the surprising (to me) stretches held in a prison house of sorts with another prisoner, the hope, the dashed hopes, and all the false starts before he was eventually released. It's a compelling story.

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Review: I'm Feeling Lucky - Confessions of Google Employee Number 59

I'm Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59 by Douglas Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The early days of Google, from an insider
I enjoyed this account of the early days of Google, from one of the earliest hired employees. It was a stage of the company's history that could only be told by someone who worked there at the time. Douglas Edwards was well suited to the task, as he is both a writer and a non-engineer, enabling him to give the rest of us non-engineer types a sense of the happenings. As one of those set up for life from IPO, I appreciated the time he took to tell the story. I have a feeling the history post his departure won't be quite as fascinating.

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Review: Room 23: Surviving a Brain Hemorrhage

Room 23: Surviving a Brain Hemorrhage by Kavita Basi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A brave account
Until now I had not thought about what indicators someone might have of a brain hemorrhage, as the person experiencing it. Kavita Basi took me there, inside her head, as she underwent an assault of excruciating headaches, and her world fell apart. This is an amazing story of recovery, and lessons on the fragility of life.

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Review: The Mueller Report

The Mueller Report by The Washington Post
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dry at times, but fascinating
Of course I listened to The Mueller Report, why wouldn't I? It's a looong listen, but very complete. In addition to a verbatim reading of the report itself (complete with many 'redacted, conflict with ongoing matter' hiccups), The Washington Post provides context and a timeline. They also provide some analysis, but this is clearly separated. Some interesting background on Mueller vs Trump towards the end too. The multiple voices was interesting, presumably used in order to get the darn thing read and produced in a timely manner.

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Review: The Quintland Sisters

The Quintland Sisters: A Novel by Shelley Wood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A brilliant approach to this story
As a Canadian, I have long known about the Dionne quintuplets, and have thought it a sad and disturbing story. In recent years I have heard bit of news about the surviving sisters and their difficulties later in life. So, I wanted to read an account, to understand more. I was initially hesitant about a fictional account but Shelley Wood has done the story justice ~ and it really works. The history of what actually happened has been woven into the fictional story of a young nurse who was with the girls from birth to girlhood. It's rather clever, and a great listen.

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Review: Escape from Jonestown (the Laurence Bouvard story)

Escape From Jonestown by Laurence Bouvard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great telling of a tragic story
This was a very well done series, although I listened to it all one go. I particularly liked the approach taken to tell the story: through the story (eyes/heart/words) of one of the (very few) survivors, supplemented with words from the others. These perspectives were balanced with those of a woman who lost two sisters in the tragedy. There is much that is so very disturbing in this story, but it is told in a way that was listenable, calmly and without hysterics. If you don't know the Jonestown story, it's worth a listen.

Note: these is another book with the same name, make sure you pick the right one.

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Review: Together: A Memoir of a Marriage and a Medical Mishap

Together: A Memoir of a Marriage and a Medical Mishap by Judy Goldman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Adapting when things go wrong
This wasn't my normal type of book, as it was really about marriage. But the calamity that was at the heart of the story ~ a 'quack' medical procedure gone wrong ~ was interesting to me: how they got into doing the procedure in the first place, what did (and didn't) happen, and the aftermath ~ was what drew me. That part of the story was well told. The rest of the book was still interesting enough to keep me listening.

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Review: Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow

Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow by Anthony Del Col
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Meh
I was aware that this was fiction, but thought I'd give it a try, but it just didn't grip me. Perhaps it was the set up ~ like a multi-episode podcast investigating a crime ~ was just too contrived for me. On the other hand, I did admire the creativity, and applaud pushing the boundaries of what is expected.

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Review: Ayita

Ayiti by Roxane Gay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A loosely connected collection of short stories.
Is there a name for this type of literature? It is a collection of short stories that at first seem unrelated, but they are all from one woman's life. Her life is set in Haiti and the USA. Over time, questions from one story are answered in another, filling in the blanks and curiosities. It has opened me to more short story collections in the future.

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Review: In Plain Sight (the Elizabeth Smart story)

In Plain Sight: The Startling Truth Behind the Elizabeth Smart Investigation by Tom Smart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The other side of the story
After listening to Elizabeth Smart's own story of her abduction, captivity and rescue (My Story, by Elizabeth Smart), I was curious about the investigation into her disappearance. In Plain Sight was written by Elizabeth's uncle, the sometimes family spokesperson who played an active role in the efforts to find his niece. Aside of a little TMI on his own issues, it is quite an interesting story. The efforts to find Elizabeth were remarkable and, it seems, were instrumental in her discovery and rescue. If not for this, she could well have continued to remain hidden in plain sight, if she had survived. Thankfully that is not the case. I might prefer a telling of what happened from someone less involved, but this was a good listen nonetheless. It should definitely be read by anyone else seeking a missing loved one.

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Review: My Story (Elizabeth Smart's story)

My Story by Elizabeth Smart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Simply inspiring
I remember Elizabeth Smart's abduction when it happened, as well as the startling revelations when she was rescued, that she had spent time on the streets in her home town, behind a veil, controlled by her captors. Elizabeth tells the story of her kidnapping, her captivity and rescue with courage and unapologetic honesty. Its a compelling story, made especially meaningful by the telling in her own voice. How one moves on after such incredible trauma is fascinating to me. I am endlessly curious about why some crumble and stay in the grips of their trauma, while others ultimately emerge strong, resolute and determined to embrace their second chance at life. The latter certainly describes Elizabeth, and she tells it well.

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Review: The Power of Habit

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Crack the code behind what triggers habits
This book surprised me in that it wasn't what I was seeking, but the sample audio clip was so compelling that I had to know the rest of the story. That need was satisfied, but then the book got into research and case studies about habits. It was starting to feel a little bit too textbooky for me (especially the corporate examples), but I'm glad I hung in there, as it got better again. The components of a habit ~ the trigger, the habitual action and the reward ~ were well explained. Don't skip the epilogue, as it has the best example of how to change a habit (very detailed and practical, based on the author cracking the code behind his afternoon cookie habit). I like the suggestion to study the habits you want to change as an observer, not expecting to overcome them right away. I will probably listen to this book again.

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Review: Duped

Duped: Double Lives, False Identities, and the Con Man I Almost Married by Abby Ellin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

How can a woman be duped?
I've always wondered how a woman could be duped by a man living a double life with another spouse/finance/family/life. Could I be duped? Of course, I think I couldn't, but that's what the duped women say too. So, this book satisfied some of that curiosity. Not completely, as the things that swept her off her feet probably wouldn't appeal to me, but that's not the point. The slimebucket figured her out and lied his way into her mind and her heart. I was more interested in her reflections later, when she got out of the relationship, and reflected on the warning signs she ignored. Fascinating stuff.

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Review: Looking for Madeleine

Looking For Madeleine by Anthony Summers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A tragic story, still a mystery
What happened to little Madeleine McCann remains a mystery after all these years. Snatched from bed in the Portugal resort bedroom she shared with her siblings (who slept through the whole thing) while her parents were out for dinner nearby (checking on the children at intervals), Madeleine's disappearance captured the world's attention. I was always curious about aspects of the case, especially after the many bizarre suspicions, sightings and suspects in the news. Without knowing what is or isn't true, I felt this telling of the story was balanced and largely neutral, and put things into perspective. Having said that, there are many more questions than answers, leaving me to wonder if the truth will ever be known.

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Review: Pictures at an Exhibition

Pictures at an Exhibition by Sara Houghteling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The art world post WWII
I really enjoyed this book, and my only complaint was that it wasn't longer. Set in Paris on the heels of World War II, the story provides unique insights on what the city was like at the time when concentration camp horrors were just coming to light, and those who had gone underground for years were reemerging. Who had survived and who hadn't was still unknown. Owners were returning to the homes they fled only to find them occupied, abandoned after serving as Nazi facilities, or destroyed. I haven't encountered many books that captured this time so well. It is against this setting that the story is set. The son of an art dealer scours the city, looking for works that had belonged to his family, unearthing forgeries and family secrets as he goes. And, yes, re-finding his lost love and slowly learning of the lengths she went to save great works of art, disguised as an obedient clerk in the Louvre. A great listen for art and history fans.

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Why so many book reviews?

Even casual readers of my blog will have noticed that I am posting tons of book reviews, and not much else these days.

The first big reason is that I have been listening to audiobooks, and Audible asks me to review each book when I finish it. This serves to remind me.

I'm also satisfying my curiosity, to see how many books I end up "reading" since I began listening, versus physical books. Not sure proportionately, but it is a LOT more.

I've also started commuting by bus, so I'm getting extra audiobook time. I enjoy the interlude and the bus ride passes quickly.

I'm aware I post the reviews in clusters... essentially I catch up when I can, so its a bit of a storm as these get posted. Then a lull again.

Its not easy to say why I'm not blogging about much else... just busy with life, that's all.

Review: The Au Pair

The Au Pair by Emma Rous
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great distraction
The Au Pair proved to be great distraction. Told from two perspectives: a family's au pair at the time twins were born, and the quest one of those twins to untangle the truth as an adult. What were the family secrets behind this twin's story? Her father had a recent fatal accident... or was it? Her mother committed suicide on the day she was born... why? The only photo of her parents on the day she was born showed only one baby... where was the other twin? There are more twists and possibilities than one can imagine, so this novel kept my attention through to the end.

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Review: Tokyo Rose (the Iva Toguri story)

Tokyo Rose: The History and Legacy of Iva Toguri and Japan’s Most Famous Propaganda Campaign during World War II by Charles River Editors
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A hero and a scapegoat
Iva Toguri was an innocent Japanese-American who got stuck in Japan in World War II. Having arrived for vacation on the last ship to sail, when she was unable to return home, she had to fend for herself for the duration of the war. Unwelcome as an American, she did her best to stay of the radar and blend in. She eventually fell into broadcasting, one of several women broadcasting in English, and all loosely referred to as "Tokyo Rose". But Toguri's broadcasts were unique: American soldiers listening to her broadcasts would hear news of attacks and anti-propaganda slipped in between the music she played and the official propaganda. Anything she could do to support the Allies and undermine the Japanese, she did. Despite these courageous acts, she was dismissed as a disloyal Japanese-American, sadly not surprising given the roundup and detention of Japanese in the USA during the war. She was furthermore treated as a scapegoat and prosecuted. Her brave efforts to support her country were lost in the process. In the end, it's a pretty sad story, and it is too bad she wasn't celebrated as a hero. I'm glad this book was written so that her story is not swept under the rug and forgotten.

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Review: Lost in My Mind

Lost in My Mind: Recovering From Traumatic Brain Injury by Kelly Bouldin Darmofal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Courageous insights into living with a brain injury
I admire Kelly's courage and openness in telling her story. Her thoughtful and articulate account of the accident that resulted in her brain injury, her long road to recovery, and the lasting impacts on her life is told with both brutal honesty and humour. I learned so much about Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI); it was a real eye opener. What stayed with me most is how tenacious Kelly was in reaching her academic goals; she had to work SO hard! Today Kelly is a speaker and advocate for TBI, and is already making a difference in this world. Listen and be inspired.

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Review: The Threat (the McCabe book)

The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump by Andrew G. McCabe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

More FBI insights in the age of Trump
A worthwhile listen, although I confess to tiring of reading more on Trump's antics. I chose this book, as it essentially picks up where James Comey's account left off. With Comey fired, McCabe began the acting director of the FBI, but not for long. Cruelly and vindictively fired just hours before he would have received his pension, Americans have McCabe to thank for getting Robert Meuller installed as special investigator - and ensuring he couldn't be axed. Bit of a nail biter on that front. Lots of FBI and White House insights.

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