“The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean

Before reading this book, I expected “The Orchid Thief” to be about orchid cultivating, centered around one unusual man with an unusual passion for plants: John LaRoche.  I had already viewed the film, “Adaptation”, which was based very loosely on “The Orchid Thief,” but assumed the film’s bizarreness was attributed to the screenwriters, and not the content of the book itself.

However, “The Orchid Thief” IS bizarre.  Initially author Susan Orlean wrote a story for the New Yorker about John LaRoche’s involvement with orchid poaching in a state park.  This story spurred a desire to expand the topic into a book, and a two-year stint shadowing members of the South Florida orchid community ensued.  While Mr. LaRoche continues to be a central character in the book, “The Orchid Thief” is rich in further crazy history about people’s obsession with these tropical plants.

I admit, I expected “The Orchid Thief” to be a little boring.  I was pleasantly surprised with Susan Orlean’s gift for relaying facts in such an engaging manner.  Her depth of research presented in the book is also admirable.  Even if a reader has no interest at all in orchids, they will enjoy reading about the human capacity of ludicrous desires for possession and control over something as simple as a flower.

Are you feeling FOX’s “Glee”?

It is approximately four episodes into FOX’s latest teen-angst primetime TV show, “Glee”.  This show is filled with some of the most cliched storylines of all time:  the extremely popular, handsome quarterback wants to be more than just an athlete, the nerdy glee club leader is really quite cute under her dorky apparel, a teacher’s wife fakes a pregnancy to keep her husband from ending their marriage.  But just when I feel myself cringing in despair over the lameness of “Glee”, in enters the cast of misfit characters that keep me engaged episode after episode: the artfully dressed and hypochondriac school counselor, the sadistic cheerleading coach, the ultra-feminine male glee club member, and the fabulous peace-keeping principal.

“Glee’s” main premise is reviving a dying glee club, fueled by the Spanish teacher, a former glee club star himself.  Set to an eclectic mix of new music, and oddly chosen older songs, “Glee” executes wonderfully choreographed song and dance numbers woven intermittently between the side stories of love, loss, and plenty of high school backstabbing.  Perhaps the diverse subject matter covered in each episode is an attempt to win a wider viewing audience, and perhaps it is also smart screenwriting.  I cannot place what the appeal of “Glee” is for me personally yet, but this show has definitely gotten my attention.

View “Glee” Wednesdays on FOX after “So You Think You Can Dance”.

“The Bagthorpe Saga” by Helen Cresswell

Earlier this summer I read the first seven books of the Bagthorpe Saga by Helen Cresswell.  The fictional Bagthorpe family consists of four children, three being genii who collect “strings to their bows”, and the fourth child being “Ordinary Jack”.  Their father is a television writer, and their mother is an advice columnist.  The paternal grandparents and the family dog, Zero, reside in “Unicorn House” as well.  Other essential characters include Uncle Parker, Aunt Celia, and cousin Daisy who live just down the road, and Mrs. Fosdyke, housekeeper/cook for the Bagthorpes.

Throughout this series, the Bagthorpes become contest winners, television stars, and self-sufficient survivalists.  Grandma is arrested at a Bingo hall, Daisy does countless amounts of damage to the Bagthorpe residence, and the entire clan spends a memorable summer ghost-hunting in Wales.  They endure strange visits from extended family members, including Great-Aunt Lucy, who doesn’t believe in “time”.

This series has been the most enjoyable reading experience I have had in a long time.  Although young adults are the target reading audience, the clever antics and witty conversations of the Bagthorpe family welcome adult readers as well.

The Bagthorpe Saga:
1. Ordinary Jack
2. Absolute Zero
3. Bagthorpes Unlimited
4. Bagthorpes v. the World
5. Bagthorpes Abroad
6. Bagthorpes Haunted
7. Bagthorpes Liberated
8. The Bagthorpe Triangle
9. Bagthorpes Besieged
10. Bagthorpes Battered

Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

My favorite childhood toy meets Star Wars: what could be more fun?  I like kids’ video games, and this game is definitely designed for even the youngest players to enjoy.  All objects, vehicles, and characters are animated to look like real Lego pieces.  Although game characters take hit points, their “lives” are automatically regenerated rather than forcing the player to go back to the last saving point.  When the Lego characters do expire, they break up into little Lego pieces.

As the game progresses, players can revisit past levels in “free play” mode to collect mini-kit pieces and unlock special help “extras,” like being invincible, or getting to use super light sabers.  Also in free play, a player can choose to be any unlocked character.

This game is cute, and occupied my kids as well as myself for a good portion of the month of August.  Although originally released in 2006, it is now a “greatest hits” game, so it’s probably widely available in stores.

The Oregon Zoo in Portland

The Oregon zoo is located in Washington Park, west of downtown Portland, and easily found from Hwy 26.  It is open every day of the year except Christmas (December 25).  Admission is $10.50 for adults (ages 12-64), $9.00 for seniors, $7.50 for children (3-11), and kids 2 and younger are free.

I have been to the Oregon zoo about three times in the last six years, and I have to say I think Portland is lucky to have such a nice zoo.  New exhibits seem to be continually under construction, and great care has been taken over the last few decades to improve animal habitats.  I especially like how the zoo has included indoor and outdoor viewing areas, so if an animal is feeding or washing, you won’t miss seeing it.

Traditional zoo animals such as zebras, giraffes, and monkeys are housed at the Oregon zoo, but the Pacific Northwest also has its own exhibit, with bald eagles, a black bear, an elk, and even wolves.  Some other fun exhibits are: two walk-through bird habitats, a barnyard petting zoo, and (separate) tanks of sea lions, otters, penguins, a polar bear, two hippos (which will come right up to the glass), and a crocodile.  The zoo is also currently home to a baby elephant, although he is at least six months old now, so it is a little difficult to discern him from the adult elephants.

If you go to the Oregon zoo, expect to visit for at least three hours to see everything.  Allot another 35 minutes if you want to take the train ride, which goes all around Washington Park. However, this ride does cost an additional $5 per person.  Finding a parking spot is difficult in the summer, especially on the weekend, so I suggest getting to the zoo early, or taking public transportation.  The MAX train stops right at the front gates of the zoo.  I have never been to the zoo in the winter, but for visiting in the summer, my biggest tip is to pick a cooler day because the animals seem more active.

The Saturday Knights, “Mingle”

Hailing from Seattle, Washington, the Saturday Knights bring an exciting, energetic debut album.  They smoothly combine rock, hip-hop, and periods of surf guitar to encourage a fun attitude as they address many aspects of American culture with satire.  Think Beck’s “Midnight Vultures”, but less mainstream perhaps because of all the swearing.  “Mingle” is a highly entertaining album, and if you find yourself getting offended by the lyrics, perhaps you are taking yourself too seriously.  Perhaps you need to drop your 45 and just dance.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is located in Newport, Oregon, very near the Hwy 101 bridge.   It is open every day of the year except Christmas.  Hours in the summer are 9am to 6pm, and in the winter, 10am to 5pm.  Cost of admission was a little steep: $14.95 for adults and $9.45 for kids, but children under age 3 are free.

Our family visited the aquarium last Friday.  It was quite busy, so we waited in a 10 minute line just to buy our tickets.  If you have a choice, I would recommend visiting the aquarium in the winter, or maybe a midweek morning for a less-crowded atmosphere.  Once inside, though, we had a great time.  The aquarium was smaller than I expected, but there was plenty to see, and even touch.  The indoor tanks housed jellyfish and giant crabs, as well as hundreds of different kinds of fish.  The current rotating exhibit, Oddwater, features tanks of unusual-looking fish paired with blown-glass sculptures.  Weird concept, but nice vibrant colors.  Also indoors were two different touch-pools, one with rays, and one with tide pool animals like sea anemones and starfish.  The best indoor experience was walking through the enormous tank that used to be home to Keiko (the orca from Free Willy) via a glass tunnel.  Sharks, rays, and other huge fish swim all around, and even underfoot.  Besides the exhibits, there are two gift shops and a cafe indoors.

The tanks for sea lions, otters, water fowl, and the octopus are located outdoors.  There are viewing windows above and below water to watch the animals swimming around.  On our visit, all the animals were out and active, except the octopus, who was unfortunately hiding in a rock crevice.  Outside there is also a short nature trail leading to a playground and picnic tables.

We spent about two hours total at the aquarium.  Under less-crowded circumstances we probably could have seen everything in less time, yet it also would have been easy to spend three or four hours if we had stopped at the playground or cafe.  Two hours was perfect for our tired kids.

*Please note:  My personal photos of the aquarium didn’t turn out, so the ones in this post came from the Aquarium’s web site, linked above.

Fun Things to Do in Oregon

I have three small children.  Therefore, I  spend great amounts of time chasing them around, and planning outings that will entertain everyone.  We are a family that enjoys the outdoors, getting familiar with our surroundings, and discovering new places to explore.  I have personally lived in three drastically different parts of Oregon, and traveled to many more.   So, in an attempt to stimulate more blog posts, I am launching this new writing category.  First up, the Oregon Coast Aquarium.  Stay tuned.

Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary is without a doubt my favorite children’s author.  Even though many of her books are fifty years old, modern children can still relate to the emotional struggles and interests of her fictional characters.  There have been no other books in my life that I have reread more than “Ramona the Pest,” “Socks,”  and “Ellen Tebbits”.  As an adult, I have read them yet again to my own children.  Beverly Cleary has the greatest writing power, compared to any other author I have read, to exactly capture typical childhood experience.  Her books are magic without needing a magical setting.  Her characters cry, whine, laugh, sing, get dirty, get into trouble, solve problems, and sometimes, they even just play.

Because I love her fictional books so much, I have been reading Beverly Cleary’s memoirs.  There are two books, “A Girl From Yamhill,” focusing on Mrs. Cleary’s childhood, and “My Own Two Feet”, which covers her college years, early marriage events, and finally, how and when Beverly Cleary began to write.

Through her memoirs, it was surprising for me to read that Beverly Cleary lived a quiet, somewhat lonely childhood.  She was the only child of a strongly controlling mother, and a rather depressed father.  The theme of struggle and perseverance continually draped itself among her family, especially while they lived through the Great Depression Era.  Her memories are far sadder than I would have ever expected based on how loving and vivacious her fictional Quimby and Huggins families are.  Yet, even though Mrs. Cleary experienced personal turmoil, she cherished her childhood memories, and based many events in her books on her real-life experiences.  I found the memoirs of Beverly Cleary to be inspirational and engaging.

Reviewing: Amy Winehouse, “Back to Black”

Amy Winehouse’s handful of hit songs from her 2006 album, “Back to Black” have had sufficient air time on the radio, so I have been rather slow giving this CD a full listen.  Ms. Winehouse’s strong, husky voice and familiar 1950’s/60’s girl-group musical sound definitely create an intriguing listening experience. However, it is the sinister, and sometimes even raunchy, lyrics that really set Amy Winehouse apart from being a copycat of an earlier era.  There is no innocence in the substance abuse and relationship problems she describes through song.  While old favorites like “The Shoop Shoop Song” are the hopeful bliss of before, Ms. Winehouse tragically describes the fallout and disappointment when love doesn’t go as planned.  I look forward to hearing something new from this singer.