The Last Day of 2009

It is 11:55pm; five more minutes and 2009 will be over. I feel this year went by in a flash. I hope 2010 will be a good year in every sense of the word. Wow, I can't believe we're starting a new decade. God Bless :)

Oct - Dec 2009 Reading List

Here are my ratings of the books read between Oct - Dec 2009. My rating is from 1 (excellent) to 6 (horrible).

1. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - Thriller, Historical: 1
2. Saving Zoe by Alyson Noel - Young Adult: 2
3. Cruel Summer by Alyson Noel - Young Adult: 4
4. The Twelfth Card by Jeffery Deaver - Thriller: 3
5. Stargazer by Claudia Gray - Young Adult Fantasy - vampires: 2
6. Southern Lights by Danielle Steel - Adult Fiction: 3
7. Tempted by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast - Young Adult Fantasy - vampires: 1
8. The Magicians by Lev Grossman - Fantasy - magicians: 3
9. Shadowland by Alyson Noel - Young Adult: 2
10. Fly Me to the Moon by Alyson Noel - Adult Fiction: 1
11. Willow by Julia Hoban - Young Adult: 4

Angels + the Day after Christmas

I don't know why Christmas reminds me of guardian angels floating above us; I guess it's the magical feel in the cold air, the carols, and the very many lights hanging on trees, houses, and windows.

I found several beautiful angels making their appearances at the Rockefeller Center, and couldn't help but take a picture. Don't they bring a spiritual feel to the city?

On to other items, it was raining heavily on Saturday (the day after Christmas), and I decided to spend a good 1.5 hours in the kitchen, and try my hand at making pad thai. Only, I was unable to find the noodles used for pad thai at the grocery store.

So instead, I used a Japanese-style packet of noodles called Udon (I think that's how you spell it), and using the following ingredients*, I made Asian Style Noodle Stir Fry. Below is the end result. It tasted good, except the eggs appeared blended in the noodles, rather than in pieces (like in the restaurants)....Oh well. Next time, I think I will fry the eggs separately like in omelette mode, and then cut it in small pieces and mix it in the noodles.

* Ingredients used:

-one large red onion;

-five pieces of garlic & one green chilly blended;

- one carrot - shredded;

- one tomato - cut in small pieces;

- three mini packets of soya sauce;

- one lime;

- one tablespoon of hot sauce;

- one green paprika - cut in small pieces;

- one bowl of brussel sprouts;

- two eggs, and of course,

- the Japanese-style noodles.

Candlelight Carol Service

It's 10:30pm (Christmas Eve), and I just got back from a Candlelight Carol service. It was a lot of fun, singing carols with a group, and I didn't have to worry about singing off-key, because seriously, I am off-key. The only place, I will sing freely is in the shower. You will never find me performing on American Idol. Thankfully, the people in the group were not professional singers, and sang in a similar mode as moi, so I was able to relax and enjoy the moment. After that, we had cookies and egg nog....yummy. I got my Calcium intake for the day. Less than two hours to go before it's Christmas :)

Home-Made Truffles

When I woke up on Sunday, it was freezing outside, and the city was covered in a cozy blanket of white snow...not sure how long that will last, as snow in this part of the world quickly turns to a nasty grey shade of slush :)

Anyway, this weather + the upcoming Christmas holidays bring out the chef in many...including yours truly. I decided to try my hand in making home-made truffles. A recipe had been given to me about two weeks ago, requiring only two ingredients - baking chocolate and cream cheese. In terms of non-food items, I needed mini-paper truffle holders and a spoon measurement scooper (1/2 teaspoon for shaping the chocolate into truffle size shapes).

So, the day before my big chef event, I went to the supermarket and purchased a packet of eight squares of Baker's Semi-Sweet chocolate, and a packet of 1/3 less fat cream cheese. The recipe was based on making a total of 36 truffles. However, based on the amount of ingredients I purchased, I would be able to make approximately 16 truffles (a little less than half). My mathematical skills sure came in handy, as I would be using only 40% of the quantities quoted in the recipe.

Now on to my process of making this delectable treat:

Step 1: I melted four squares of chocolate in a pan. Here, I sporadically mixed the concoction, occasionally licking the spoon....hehehe.

Step 2: I placed about half a packet of cream cheese (~4oz.) in a blender.

Step 3: I poured the melted chocolate into the blender.

Step 4: I first hit the Blend, then the Mix, and ultimately the Whip button on the blender, thinking that at least one will do the trick of making it nice and smooth. Oh, and I made sure I held the cap/top of the blender to prevent a disasterous mess :)

Step 5: I scooped out the result in Step 4 in a bowl. Here again, I took the liberty of tasting the concoction. I must say, this is a very, very messy process, because the combination of melted chocolate + cream cheese is soooooo sticky. Tried to scrape away as much as I could, but it's virtually impossible to get it all. I really felt like I was wasting a bunch of chocolate. Sigh.

Step 6: Placed the bowl in the fridge for about 45 minutes so that it could harden.

Step 7: Took bowl out of fridge, and used a measuring spoon/scoop (1/2 teaspoon size), and began to shape the concoction into 16 small balls. Placed them on aluminum foil, as I conveniently forgot to buy wax paper. Oh well, it still works.

Step 8: Melted remaining four chocolate squares in a pan. Then with a spoon, dipped each ball into the melted chocolate, and placed it back on the aluminum foil. For some of them, I placed a tiny piece of a walnut on the top of the chocolate ball.

Step 9: Refrigerated my handiwork for one hour.

Step 10: Placed the little truffles in a box, minus four, which were eaten shortly after...why you ask weren't the four placed in the box as well? Well, the box could hold only twelve.

Step 11: I am now really tired, and don't think I will be making home-made truffles any time soon. It is a messy business....but at least they came out okay. Plus, I didn't have to do the dishes...hahaha. Anyway, to view my masterpiece (Godiva worthy), see picture below. They taste pretty good, too...not too sweet, but sure quite fattening.

Christmas Tree Sightings

These are the following Christmas tree sightings I captured in NYC. Enjoy!!!!

-> Tree at Lincoln Square

-> Tree at Seaport

-> Tree by Wallstreet

-> Tree at Rockefeller Center

Tree Lighting Ceremony on Wall Street

Today, I watched part of the Tree Lighting Ceremony held on Wall Street. It was freezing cold, but I was keen to see a Christmas tree be lit, since unfortunately it had been too crowded last week to watch the one held at Rockefeller Center. But that is what you can expect when major artists like Alicia Keys perform.

Thankfully, the ceremony on Wall Street had a much smaller crowd. It was organized by the NYSE Euronext, and it was their 86th tree lighting ceremony. When I got there, it was freezing. Of course, I had not worn my heavy overcoat, nor did I have a cap. Being as smart as I am, I had worn ordinary shoes rather than boots, and had a very, very thin pair of gloves, which really did nothing for me. I stood in the cold, feeling a bit like an idiot, because temperatures were really low...like 20 degrees or so...brrrr.

Anyway, some of the performances were worth watching, before the tree lighting actually took place. I am not familiar with most of the performers, but found one group quite fun - the Manhattan Transfers. One of their tunes was very engaging. It's called "Spain (I Can Recall)".

Most delightful was the countdown to the tree lighting. Do enjoy the clip. After the tree lighting, I stayed on for another 15 minutes to catch Billy Ray Cyrus perform. Personally, his music is not my cup of tea (i.e., country music), but a lot of the girls were screaming like crazy....I think it's because he's the dad of a famous singer/actress called Miley Cyrus (of Hannah Montana fame). I am not familiar with her stuff, and personally, I don't really want to get familiar with it....too "tweenybopper" for me. After watching his performance I left, because my toes had turned into frozen ice cubes so to speak. And I really didn't want to get to the point where frostbite sets in. Just not worth it, you know?

Hidden Meaning of a Christmas Carol

For the past three weeks or so, I have been pretty much listening every evening to Christmas carols on the radio. My two favorite tunes are "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" composed by Robert Meredith Willson, and "Christmas Canon Rock" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

So, you ask what about tunes that I don't like or may find a bit unsettling? Well, there is one. While listening to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", I suddenly realized something. Something that disturbed me. Those other eight reindeers mentioned in the song were really cruel. They were a clique; a mean, bullying clique. Shame on Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitzen. And I mean Shame on you!!!.

Making fun of poor Rudolph, and refusing to let him play with them; that's just wrong. And come one, eight-to-one is not a fair match-up. I mean, I'm not sure what kind of reindeer games Rudolph was left out from; but, no matter how dumb it may seem, Rudolph should not have been excluded. It's just not right...I thought animals had a better sense than humans to be less psychologically cruel, but it seems animals have their own form of junior high. Rudolph was probably a kind, soft-spoken and sensitive reindeer, who was very lonely, and wished that he had been born of another species...like a bird maybe.

But what I really can't believe is that I used to sing this song when I was in kindergarten...it was in one of my nursery rhyme tapes. And only today I realized the hidden meaning.

Oh, and those eight reindeers being all nice to Rudolph after Santa Claus asked him to guide his sleigh is totally FAKE. I hope Rudolph saw through their false claims. They just wanted to be invited to guide the sleigh with Rudolph. I am sure at the first opportunity, they would push Rudolph off a roof, the moment Santa Claus turned his back or went down a chimney. Anyway, so that's my interpretation of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square

This evening, I took a walk along Broadway from Columbus Circle up to 68th Street, as a festival called Winter's Eve was taking place. There was live music, food tastings (costing anywhere from $1 - $4 each), wonderfully hot beverages like cocoa and apple cider, and of course a lit Christmas tree. The food was from some expensive restaurants, and really smelled good in the cold air that still had a linger of rain from earlier today. Here are a few pictures I snapped, which show that the Holiday Spirit has indeed arrived :)

-> Ice sculpture of a reindeer (front).


-> A Mexican band performing amid much holiday cheer.


-> Magical creatures on stilts.


-> And last, but certainly not least - the Christmas tree. Isn't it hauntingly beautiful?

Black Friday

The day after Thanksgiving is an auspicious day for many - i.e., it is the day when many retail stores slash their prices and offer huge promotional discounts, and there is a mad rush to grab the best bargains possible. This day is called Black Friday. Why is it called that? Well, Black Friday always falls on a Friday....duh (since Thanksgiving is always on the last Thursday of November). The term "black" refers to when many retailers go from being in the red (i.e., a loss on the books) to being in the black (i.e., a profit on the books), because their sales jump dramatically.

Most retail stores will open super early on Black Friday - like at midnight (Toys "R" Us....are they crazy?????) or 4am or 5am (JC Penney, Macy's, Best Buy, etc.). Additional discounts are offered if you dare to be sleep-deprived, and come in that early. The super discounts are offered until 1pm or earlier that day. So, of course, most people will do their shopping in the morning hours.

I woke up at 9am today. You will not catch me going shopping earlier than that....not for anything, unless there was some famous actor/writer making an appearance (e.g., Leonardo DiCaprio, Peter Reckell, Stephenie Meyer, JK Rowling, Jeffery Deaver...okay, you get the gist).

So, first stop, I headed to Filene's Basement. I got a card with a scratch off circle, stating I could save an additional 10% to 50%, and if one were really lucky, the whole purchase would be free.....there was only one catch. I wasn't allowed to scratch it off before deciding what to buy. No. What I had to do, was pick out what I wanted to buy, then go to the cash register, while the cashier punched in my purchases, and then the cashier would scratch off the card for me. Shucks. I wanted to know ahead of time. But I guess, Filene's wants to control their costs. And only one card per customer.....so forget that thought of grabbing five or six cards, and asking the cashier to scratch off each, and picking the one with the highest percentage discount....heheh...that is exactly what I would have done if it was allowed. But I guess Filene's Basement got wise since they started this scratch-card promotion I don't know how many years ago. So, of course I got the lowest percentage discount this time around - 10% off.

After Filene's Basement, I headed to JC Penney, because I had heard on the radio (yes, I still listen to that), that there was a promotion of $10 sweaters. $10 sweater....yikes. That I must see. So I practically ran there, especially, after seeing hundreds of people carrying those red JC Penney bags. Once I was there, I knew why. They had seriously, seriously slashed their prices, calling them "door busters". But this was only until 1pm. The place was packed. My heart was pounding like crazy, and I was so focused....all that adrenaline without any coffee. It was an awesome rush, but I wanted to be done ASAP, because after picking a bunch of clothes from the racks, my arms were seriously getting strained. I think I may have burned at least a hundred calories. I rushed to the fitting room, and tried on a bunch of sweaters. Then I rushed out, picked an additional bundle of clothes, ran back in, this time waited in line, and when I got a room, changed quickly and efficiently.

Then I went to the Price Check machine so that I could scan the clothing to double-check the prices, and see if there were any additional discounts. I really like this Price Check machine. It's so cool, with the red light (which looks like a swirl) hitting the 10-12 digit code attached to the clothing, making a beeping sound, and then the price flashing in front of you. Finally, I removed some items that I was on the fence about (e.g., a light brown sweater, which did absolutely nothing for me; sweat pants which looked great, but was made of a material that I couldn't stand), and then headed to the cash register to make my purchases.

After that, I called it a day in terms of shopping, even though Old Navy and Macy's were just around the corner. But the idea of facing another crowd was a no-no for me for today. So, I do hope you got the chance to take advantage of Black Friday's sales today. If not, well, there's always next year....which will fall on November 26th. Cheers :)

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Every year, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place going from 77th Street down to Herald Square. As usual, the event takes place in the morning hours starting from 9am at 77th Street (yawn). I decided to go, because there would be a Smurf balloon. Got to my desired location, somewhere in the middle of 34th Street and 77th Street at 9:30am, since I knew it would take at least 40-50 minutes for the parade to get down from 77th Street. It was packed, regardless. Anyway, I didn't really get to see the people dressed up walking in the parade, because there were too many people in front of me blocking my view - mostly tall people, and if not tall people, then people who put their kids on their shoulders. Shucks. Eventually, as the parade was nearing its end, people in front started to leave, so I managed to push may way 5-10 feet forward. Here are some pictures (not necessarily in chronological order). My two favorites are the Smurf and Mickey Mouse :)

-> A Band March














-> "Don't smile at me; don't cheer at me; don't even look at me. I know many of you plan on eating my family today."














-> An elf riding a horse














-> The Energizer Bunny....it keeps going, and going, and going.














-> The Statue of Liberty














-> Spiderman














-> Remember the '80s cartoon called The Smurfs? That was a really good show...I would still watch it, if TV Networks would just show some reruns :)














-> Here's a picture of Smurf Village, and Smurfette and a Smurf waving.














-> Jimmy Fallon, host of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon", here with The Roots. Note: Jimmy (far right), unfortunately, had his back turned to this side of the audience.














-> Snoopy in pilot mode


















->Sesame Street looking out the window....they just celebrated their 40th anniversary.














-> Pirates have anchored in Manhattan














-> Mickey Mouse in sailor attire


















-> Ronald McDonald going ice-skating....hmmm, I'm seriously craving fillet o'fish right about now.














-> Kermit, the Frog


















-> Horton, the Elephant














-> "Anyone need a couple of pumpkins for pie today?"














-> "Ahh, the spotlight is nice. Though I wish I could be with Blue and Yellow M&M, watching my soap opera, right about now."

New Moon released today

New Moon from the Twilight series was released in theaters today. I had purchased my ticket a week prior, because I just knew that it would be sold out if I waited until November 20th, no matter what time of day I went.

So, with great anticipation, I showed up 40 minutes before showtime at 1pm with my precious ticket, hoping to get a good seat. I had bought a soda and had popcorn with me (yeah, I refuse to pay theater prices for the popcorn....there's always the supermarket or local drugstore where you can get a smaller packet cheaper). I was greeted with a long, long line of people waiting to get admitted to the theater - most of them were teenagers...I'm like, are you kidding me? Shouldn't they be in school at about this time? Anyway, I made my way to the line, and we waited, and waited, and waited for them to let us into the theater. Finally, the time came (5 minutes to 1pm), and by then the number of people behind me was about 60 or so. One of the ladies, a woman in her 40s cut in front of me and a group of teens. We were not happy, and outwalked her, when the line started moving faster...ha, ha. Don't mess with me, when it comes to my goals :)

Anyway, was glad to see that the theater we were in was huge. I got a seat, almost smack center in the middle (yeah). And then the trailers started. I was like, oh hurry up already. I was very impatient. Finally, finally, the "Summit Entertainment" sign came on and a full moon was displayed. I was like, it's about time. Unfortunately, with all the waiting, and sipping soda, I was starting to get uncomfortable. I needed to use the bathroom, but held on for another 40 minutes. But, it was nagging. So finally, I got up real quick and excused myself. Thankfully, the ladies room was right outside. I've never gone that fast. I was back in under 2 minutes (and yes, I did wash my hands with soap....because I am not a gross person).

I loved the movie, The director really captured the essence of the book. It's hard to summarize a thick book into a 2 hour 10 minute movie, but Chris Weitz did a good job. The audience was quite vocal during the movie as well (let's just say there was a lot of giggling, oohing and aaahing).

The audience was mostly female in the "young adult" age group (13-19 year olds). While I am a bit older than that, I was pleased to see that the movie attracted a large number of people in my age group, as well as an older crowd. It's nice to see that there are other adults out there who enjoy these fantasy stories and are in essence either kids or teens at heart. Reality is sometimes just so boring or unbearable that fantasy is where you need to turn to find that pleasant state of mind.

Lastly, just wanted to say that the New York Times had a nice article and front/back full page poster of images of the New Moon movie last Sunday. I cut out the piece I liked best (i.e., Edward Cullen and Bella Swan), and removed images of the Volturi, as I don't want them to haunt me in my dreams, and pasted it on the back of a white sheet of paper, as the backside of the image appears to be of an ink make that leaves stains. Then I stuck it on the wall. Here's the image.

A Stuffed Animal from the Past

A few weeks ago, I decided (or rather was forced) to clean out my closet, and remove clothes and other items from my childhood that I had outgrown. I had wanted to save this task for next year, like in spring....hence, the word spring cleaning, but my words of wisdom fell flat on a certain family member's ears. So I sluggishly started this dreadfully boring task in a sleepy state of mind....yawn.

So after working a couple of hours, and filling bags with really faded T-shirts and other too tight outfits, I came across a pair of roller skates (mind you, I said skates not blades), and a stuffed teddy bear, that is at least a couple of decades old. The teddy bear was in tatters, had a hole in its neck, and had arms that looked so drab, it was rather pathetic. I, however, felt unhappy to part with this teddy bear, who I had christened Tommy back in the day when I was little. So to throw him out seemed almost sinful. My mom suggested that I put him in the washer so that Tommy could have a much needed bath, and also offered to stitch up the hole in the neck.

After Tommy went through the surgery of having his neck stitched up, and having the wash, he came back fresh, and while not looking like a newbie imported from China (i.e., he was imported from Taiwan, back when that was the most popular country from where toys came from), I accepted him graciously. He now inhabits a spot on my bed, with my other stuffed animal - a dog, named Benny, whom I adopted (i.e., he had once belonged to someone else, but I am not sure who....he had been on sale in a second-hand store). See picture - they make quite a pair.

USS New York

Today is Veteran's Day, and I decided to visit the USS New York, a navy ship that was built with steel from the rubble of the World Trade Center (WTC). When I had originally heard that the ship was built from the WTC steel, I had felt a deep sense of sadness, and thought that when I would see the ship, it would bring back those horrifying memories of 9/11 I wish I could forget, but never will. I had been at the WTC on that day eight years ago, and when you experience something so shocking and terrifying in your life firsthand, I don't think you can ever erase it from your mind.

However, when I arrived, and saw the positive energy of the people, and then laid eyes on the ship for the first time, I realized that the ship represents something positive, as had been the intention - a symbol of healing and strength. Below are a few pictures I wanted to share.

-> My first view of the USS New York

-> A closer view of the USS New York

-> Entrance of the USS New York

-> Once inside the USS New York, one was able to view the many military vehicles and machinery on display on the ground floor. This one is called Assault Amphibian Vehicle (AAV). There is a guy from the military sitting on the AAV.

-> Inside view of the front of the AAV

-> Military standing inside the USS New York - the ship sets sail tomorrow, Nov 12 2009 from Pier 88 (New York).

-> This is the symbol of the USS New York. I wanted to know what the symbol means, and looked it up. Here's the description, from the official website:

- Seven rays of sunlight signify the crown atop the Statue of Liberty and the seven seas.

- Central focus placed on the Twin Towers and the bow of the ship, forged from Twin Towers steel.

- Breastplate of the phoenix bears the colors of first responders from the New York Police Department, New York Fire Department, and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

- Blood drops represent the fallen.

- Three stars for those earned by the battleship USS New York (BB34) in World War II at Iwo Jima, Okinowa and North Africa.

Dream Destinations

Someone once asked me, "if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you like to go?" Here is my response, depending on how many answers you wanted:

1. Dublin, Ireland (always been drawn to what this place has to offer....the castles, the rolling hills, the wonderfully sounding Irish accent, the greenery, the history)

2. Washington, DC - thanks to reading "The Lost Symbol" a couple of months ago, I would like to check out this "Virgo" district :)

3. Austria - would like to see the "River Danube"...not sure in what Austrian cities this river flows through...would have to research.

4. Stockholm, Sweden - one of my favorite childhood authors, Astrid Lindgren, is from there, so I wouldn't mind visiting this place that plays so prominently in Astrid's books.

The Fall Season

My favorite season is fall...it's when the leaves change into beautiful shades of brown, green, red, and yellow.....the air feels more crisp, and it's time to put on that rain coat and wear a scarf. The gloves, I try to hold off wearing until it really drops in temperature. Fall is when I feel most connected to nature. Plus there's the added benefit of the clocks being turned back one hour (it occured last Sunday, Nov 1st). That extra hour of sleep sure helps.

Usually in late fall, people start putting on their heaters at home, and it gets real cozy, when you curl up on the sofa, and catch your must-see TV show or read a good book.

Enjoy the rest of this season, because winter is not too far off (brrrrr!!!!). And while winter does have its benefits (snow, holidays), my favorite season shall remain fall.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is one of my favorite days of the year....you are given the chance to dress up in a costume and prance around showing your stuff. While I haven't really celebrated Halloween the past few years with a costume....either due to laziness or just the fact that I was too busy to attend any Halloween bashes, I do enjoy seeing the streets filled with vampires, witches, ghosts, pirates, Disney characters, etc.

While Halloween isn't celebrated in all countries, some countries do have equivalents (e.g., carnival), where donning of costumes is popular.

Halloween also makes me nostalgic. It brings back memories of the various costumes I have worn throughout the years:

a) Kindergarden (2 years): clown, gypsy

b) 2nd Grade: clown. i.e., it was just a clown mask, but the overall outfit was just jeans and a sweater...sigh...I know, not too creative....I got a lot of teasing for that mask from my classmates

c) 4th Grade: magician...I loved this outfit; it was a long pointy hat and a cape with different colored stars...my favorite accessory was the wand

d) 5th Grade: magician...I know, you're thinking, "AGAIN?" Well, do realize, that I switched schools, so no one knew that I had worn this outfit the previous year.

e) 7th Grade: pirate...I had a sword and an eyepatch, and a fake tattoo of a scar. My family wasn't too happy about this outfit for some reason...hmmm.

f) 9th Grade: a witch....the black hat I wore didn't look like a witch's hat...it looked like something else, and a classmate (who I thought was my friend...and she still was, but I was furious), made a lot of fun of it, and called it something that is not worthy of mentioning in print.

g) 10th Grade: the uncle from the Addams' Family....this was supposed to be a group effort for a costume contest, but we didn't win. I had wanted to be the mother (i.e., the character played by Angelica Houston), but my friend was very insistent on being her. Oh well.

So there you have it. Perhaps I shall one day wear a costume again. I would be most interested in having one of those creatively designed masquerade masks with the glitter and all. Let's see. Maybe next year. Until then, have a Happy and Safe Halloween.

Dog Day Masquerade

If you are a dog lover, then attending the Dog Day Masquerade on October 18th was a must. If you are not a dog lover, but were encouraged or forced to attend due to a family member's overexcitement for the event, I hope you had a chance to sit/stand back and enjoy the show.

Due to terribly cold weather conditions (brrr...), as well as a steady stream of rain, the masquerade was held indoors at Times Square.

Proud dog owners had the opportunity of dressing up their dogs in interesting costumes, and walking the runway (aka the stage) with cameras flashing wildly and people cheering for them. Not sure what the judges criteria for winning was....my guess was for creativity and stage presence. If I had a chance to vote, I would have given it hands down to the recruiter for the army :) This little pup looked quite distinguished with his sunglasses. I managed to capture quite a few other interesting dog masqueraders (see pictures below).

Once the 57 dogs did their walk, prizes were handed out (pet related products). The winner was the sanitation worker; runner-up went to a dog dressed up as Miracle on the Hudson. Another winner was a lobster who had been put in a bucket (the picture taken was after he jumped out). There were also a few dogs dressed up as witches (i.e., either to emulate the Broadway Show "The Witches" or just because we are indeed so close to Halloween). Please note, my favorite breeds are the pugs and the bulldogs. They didn't win. Oh well. Still managed to capture an adorable pair dressed up as pirates.

- Yes, I am a witch with green hair dye.

-Proud owner and pup dressed up as witches.

- The Phantom of the Opera. In the carriage, the Phantom had a Barbie doll (not visible from here) dressed in white.

- Help! I may be a lobster, but I'm not getting back in this can.

- I love my rolled-up blue jeans.

- Hmm; this stage smells so good. Who was here before me?

- Accepting applications to the army. Make us proud.

- dressed up as a Sanitation Worker.

- Another witch

- Okay, take a picture quick. We need to set sail ASAP.

Jun - Sep 2009 Reading List

Here are my ratings of the books read between June - September 2009. My rating is 1 (excellent) to 6 (horrible).

1. The Girl with the Dragoon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson - Thriller: 1
2. Blood Promise: A Vampire Academy Novel by Richelle Mead - Young Adult Fantasy - vampires: 3
3. Roadside Crosses by Jeffery Deaver - Thriller: 2
4. Evermore by Alyson Noel - Young Adult Fantasy: 2
5. Blue Moon by Alyson Noel - Young Adult Fantasy: 2
6. Sidney Sheldon's Mistress of the Game by Tilly Bagshawe - Drama, Thriller: 1
7. Chosen by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast - Young Adult Fantasy - vampires: 1
8. Untamed by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast - Young Adult Fantasy - vampires: 1
9. Hunted by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast - Young Adult Fantasy - vampires: 2
10. Evernight by Claudia Gray - Young Adult Fantasy - vampires: 3

Images within & around the Louvre