Creme de Menthe

I have been brainstorming names for cats, since I plan to have one adopt me soon (wonder what she will name me?). Mostly I imagine getting a pure sleek black cat and focus on dark names like Raven and Nyxie and Nori (as in Noir, not seaweed), though there may not be a black cat available when I go to the shelter, so I need alternatives. I see that at the moment on their website there are female brown/ white/ orange kitties in the age range I would like, so I am gathering potential names for them. 

I like the name Confetti or Cupcake for a mixed color cat (AI suggestions), and I also thought of Sundae or Parfait, the latter of which reminds me of the creme de menthe parfaits I loved as a kid. Back in those days, it was no biggie for a child to have alcohol in a restaurant with their parents. These days, you can buy your kid a gun but not a beer, not that I want to get into politics here. The bigger question is why the heck did I like creme de menthe? It’s hideous! It tastes like melted toothpaste. If I had some now, I would barf. Well, most alcohol makes me barf, sadly, along with triggering a migraine. Ah, the days of wine and… more wine and fireballs and margaritas and mojitos and Bailey’s. You can keep the roses.

Anyway, I’m going to find my next soulmate kitty at the same place I met Gatsby (Orange County Animal Shelter). Whichever sweetie is there and connects with me next Friday will be The One. No more sketchy stuff with posts on forums about demented neighbors, powers of attorney, dead nephews, etc. I don’t want the adoption to be questioned.

I still miss Gatsby terribly; sometimes when I’m about to fall asleep I feel a little bump like he just jumped on the bed for a snuggle. I loved him so much.

*

The Reunion Dinner by Jesse Sutanto was a fun short story with a nice twist at the end, and I gave it four stars. I created a challenge category for it: takes place in one day. It’s fun to create my own categories after the fact, knowing that my reads are not “going to waste” but instead will help me get to 100 books faster. Well, actually I am already over 100 books for the year, but I didn’t think of adapting the challenge to the books (like a Procrustean bed) until this week.

Slow Burner by Laura Lippman had a similar ending, but the twist was so much fun that I had to give it the full five stars. It was also a short, quick read. For this, I created another challenge category: involves a Greek myth. How the peacock’s tail feathers got their “eyes” is one of my favorites.

Next up is Ushers by Joe Hill, a fun short story, though a bit predictable at the end as horror often is. Four stars for the clever interview format and for keeping my interest throughout. My self-created challenge category for this one is: author’s parent is a famous writer. Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King. (I enjoyed Joe’s debut novel Heart-Shaped Box years ago.)

Another recent shorty was A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews ~ this one was a romance novella. The romance was meh, but the historical aspects were very interesting (and I dived into them further after finishing the book), so I awarded this book three stars. The title refers to the actual history of gas lighting in England, not to the psychological tactic of “gaslighting.” I didn’t have to create a category here, since it fit into the requirement of taking place during the holidays.

* 

I finished Sirens on Netflix ~ only five episodes total. It became more enjoyable as it went on, which had a lot to do with the increased screen time of Kevin Bacon, and I recommend it.

I also rewatched The Hating Game just because. It’s on Hulu. Speaking of Hulu and romance, I am completely over the Bachelor franchise. The last couple I rooted for broke up recently, as most of them do, and it’s starting to feel like a scam. Contestants audition for Bachelor Nation shows to become famous and get exposure for their Instagram accounts, it seems, not to find true love. The whole concept of “influencing” makes me gag. Get a real job!