The Wanderlust Librarian | SF Giants, sudoku and me!

Obligatory artsy fartsy hotel picture

Recently, I had a chance to to have a mini-staycation of my own in Dublin. Even though it's only 45 minutes away, it felt worlds away from the familiarity of my house. My best friend, Lizzie, was going to see a Giants game on Saturday night. On Sunday afternoon, Lizzie and I were going to meet other friends for another Giants game. Lizzie didn't want to have to come back to the Valley so she and I decided to split the cost of a hotel room in Dublin so we could take the BART back the next day. 

I worked until 5 that night and knew that an evening of decadent nothing awaited me. It's rather exciting to get to stay in a hotel after one gets off work. I knew that Lizzie wouldn't be out of San Francisco until at least 11:00 P.M., so what to do? 

First off: dinner. What was I going to do for dinner? The area I was near was Hacienda Crossings . As you can tell, there were tons of places for dinner. I opted for... hotel nachos. It was a bad choice. It's not worth talking about anymore. After one of the worst meals I've ever had, I went to the bookstore. 

Don't panic, I only bought 1 book

Ah, the bookstore. My beacon. My muse. My best friend in the dark, dank memory of hotel nachos. DANG IT, I mentioned those stupid nachos again! It was time to turn my night around with a book. Some of you may think, "A book? She lives works at the library! Why would she buy a book?" 

Valid questions, all. 

Recycling my pictures
is how I live! 

I use only pens when doing sudoku so I can't cheat. I made
a teeny boo-boo at the bottom where I wrote another number.

Easy answer. I needed a new sudoku book. Library rules dictate that you shouldn't write in ANY book, so I decided to get one I could doodle in. Okay, not DOODLE... but write in. Permanently. My night was saved!!

I made sure this picture was big. See what I ate breakfast next to? Gorgeous!

The next day, Lizzie and I took an early BART ride to the City to enjoy wares at my favorite place, the Ferry Building. I'm sure that nobody truly knows just how much I love this place (click here). We had breakfast at Il Cane Rosso. There was nothing wrong with how perfect everything was. I say again, it's the best Sunday trip! If you haven't gone, GO GO !! 

Softly scrambled eggs over toast. So eggy, so buttery,
absolute perfection on a plate. 

A non-berry, fresh peach jam on thick, fresh toast! 

After a hearty and satisfying breakfast, Lizzie and I finally started on our way to the ballpark. We took a Pedi-cab and it was so fun! It's a great way to feel like you're part of the City and get an exciting ride!





The weather at the ballpark was beyond amazing. The skies were an alluring blue, the sun was blazing up in the sky and there is no finer view in all the world than baseball and the San Francisco Bay in the background. We were lucky it was Pixar Day! Disney AND the San Francisco Giants? It's a fantastic day! 

Not including the baseball game, which takes up a nice long time, we really spent a nice half a day on the East side of City. If that's half a day, you know there's more in store discovering the rest! 

A cool lemonade at the ballgame. It's a MUST for me! 

He's my absolute favorite! 

Don't let numbers scare you, sudoku is a fun number puzzle where math ISN'T involved!! Learn more about it in these books. Don't worry, it's easy to learn and once you've got it, it doesn't take much to work towards harder puzzles! 

Everything 15 Minute Sudoku Book
and 
Master Sudoku


It's still summer, so take yourselves out and enjoy that lovely weather on the Coast. Take your time, take some great pictures and soak in all of the best things in your life! 

Until next week! 

Your favorite library bloggess! 

Ms. Suzy Reads | At the Giants Game

Here was our spectacular view at Sunday's Giants game: 

 

 

Photo courtesy of A-Fay Photography

I spent the day with my good buddies cheering for the San Francisco Giants. We didn't win, but I will keep cheering anyway. That's what a true fan does.

I digress. 

While enjoying lots of food, watching the game, and being with my friends, I happened to glance up at a young guy sitting in the row behind us. He was reading. A book. During a baseball game. A book. 

My initial shock turned into: "Right on! He reads!!" Because I get pretty tuned into baseball games, you won't find me reading at a baseball game. Ever. But I have been known to read in some pretty strange places, including the bathtub and at the top of the Statue of Liberty. Hey, I'm afraid of heights so the book kept me calm!

What about you? What's the strangest place you've ever found yourself reading a book?

It's July 1, and I'd like to propose that we all read one book this month...in whatever strange place we wish!

And here are a couple of book suggestions, in case you're looking:

For you young readers: Two Tough Crocs by David Bedford

 

This is the story of Sylvester and Arnold -- two crocodile bullies -- who are competing with each other to be the toughest animal in the swamp. And along comes Betty. Betty the bad. I'm not going to tell you how this turns out, you'll have to read it yourself to see! But it does end with a positive message. Enjoy!

For older readers: The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel by Deborah Hopkinson. 

This is a little bit historical fiction and a LOT of medical mystery! Set amid the 1854 London cholera outbreak, this attention-grabbing story of Eel, an orphan who survives by combing the filthy banks of the Thames for anything he might sell, is a delightful combination of race-against-the-clock medical mystery and outwit-the-bad-guys adventure. Eel, a hardworking and bighearted kid with no shortage of crummy luck, is being hunted by a notoriously mean crook, who happens to be his stepfather. When the first cholera case hits, the town blames the polluted air, but Eel and his mentor, Dr. Snow, have a different theory-that it's being spread through a local water pump-which they set out to prove before the death toll escalates further. 

  

And last but not least...for teens: The latest from the ever-so-popular author John Green: Paper Towns. 

Here is a little bit to whet your appetite: Weeks before graduating from their Orlando-area high school, Quentin Jacobsen's childhood best friend, Margo, reappears in his life, specifically at his window, commanding him to take her on an all-night, score-settling spree. Quentin has loved Margo from not so afar (she lives next door), years after she ditched him for a cooler crowd. Just as suddenly, she disappears again. 

Fans of Green's books -- such as The Fault in Our Stars -- will want to get their hands on this one!

Read wherever you want....just read! And you've still got the whole month of July to finish your reading logs for the Fizz! Boom! Read! Summer Reading Club. 

Stay cool!


 

Teens Only | You've Got Style

Photo courtesy of korea.net

I must admit. I'm quite intrigued with the whole Gangnam Style craze. Psy's dance moves are being copied by everybody from U.S. Navy midshipmen to the British Prime Minister. I kid you not!

 And in honor of the San Francisco Giants' World Series win last Sunday, I must give huge props to Giants' announcers Jon Miller and Dave Flemming who brought a whole lot of Gangnam Style to the Parade on Wednesday. Did you miss it? Fear not. You can view it here.

So what's your style? I've got a couple of great books for you to check out at a library near you. (As always, if the book you want isn't on the shelf, ask library staff to help you place a request on it.)



The first is by TV personality Lauren Conrad: Lauren Conrad Style. Lauren offers tips on how to create your own unique look, shares her favorite sources of inspiration, and identifies the absolute must-have's of any fashionista's wardrobe. If you're looking for a little style makeover, this might give you some food for thought. 






In search of style inspiration, I found another book I think is worth looking into: Altered You!: Alter Your Style, Your Stuff, Your Space by Karin Buckingham. This book has tons of projects for making over clothes, accessories and room decor. There are even tips on making jewelry. Cool ideas. Great projects for a rainy weekend. 




But style isn't just how we look, is it? It's also about how we express ourselves. Some of us express ourselves in writing. Some in music. Some in dance. And some in drawing. In Street Scene: How To Draw Graffiti-Style, author John Lee offers step-by-step instructions on how to create slammin' street art. And this is just one of many, many drawing books you'll find on the shelves of a library near you! Check 'em out!

Each of us has a unique style. So express yours! And hey, by the way, if your style of expression is spoken word, give me a comment below. Maybe we can host a spoken word program at a library! 

Have a great weekend, and I'll see you next Saturday.