A Character is a Caricature.

Out of all the different aspects of literature, the characters are my favorite. If you're anything like me, they become real people. They're no longer inventions of the author, mere chattels of a larger plan.

Some of my favs: 

Annabeth Chase - "Percy Jackson and The Olympians" by Rick Riordan - She's intense. She never gives up, and always fights for what she wants, whether it's winning a battle of finding Percy when he's lost. She's argumentative, bossy, and strong. 

Jay Gatsby - "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald - now, he's not the greatest person out of all the characters I like, in fact he's a bit close-minded, and completely unable to face the changes in his life or losing Daisy. The entire life he creates for himself is to get her back - and while that's unhealthy behavior - I can't help but love him for it. It's a fascinating aspect to think about someone who is that stuck outside of reality. 

Luxa - "The Underland Chronicles"  by Suzanne Collins - Unyielding, almost to a fault, but she's willing to do anything for her people (she's the future queen of Regalia), even if it means risking her own life. And I love the dynamic between her and Gregor...

Gregor - "The Underland Chronicles" by Suzanne Collins - His dedication to his younger sister is admirable, as is the way he commits himself to helping out Luxa and the Underlanders. He's willing to make alliances between different species of animals, when the Underlanders refuse to, and his sacrifices help the Underlanders survive the war. 

Dexter - "Dexter" on Showtime - Technically, he's a literary character from Jeff Lindsay's novels, but I like the TV version better - and yes, he's a serial killer - but he doesn't necessarily want to be. Plus, he's a serial killer who kills other serial killers and murderers. He has a set of codes and rules that he follows and he tries to be a good person, and tries to have the emotions of a normal person. How can you not love him? 

Dana Scully - "The X-Files" - Yes, another TV show...but I love her (almost as much as I love David Duchovny - okay...not quite that much). She's intelligent, and uses her science to prove Mulder wrong (or right, as the series progresses). She sacrifices everything for Mulder and follows him often blindly, and yet keeps him grounded and focused and with purpose. She doesn't let the fact that she's a woman, or working on the X-Files, get in the way of progress (in the FBI, in cases they work, in finding Mulder, or in her life, later on). 

and while we're on a tv roll (and speaking of David Duchovny)...

Hank Moody - "Californication" - He's rude. He's crude. He's addicted to all things dirty - but he's hilarious, witty, smart, and impossible not to love. And even in all of his self-destruction, he loves his daughter and semi-wife-girlfriend, and does whatever he can to be with them. He's unapologetic - and totally awesome. 

Sam Gamgee - "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkein - probably the most loyal character of all time, sticking with Frodo through the worst of situations - following him to the end, doing his best to take care of him. He's the definition of a loyal friend.

Hermione Granger - "Harry Potter" by J.K. Rowling - because the most important thing to her is her schoolwork and succeeding in learning and yet she gives it all up for Harry and the quest to defeat Voldemort. She never once complains when they don't have enough food, or when things are going horribly when she, Harry, and Ron are out in the world searching for Horcruxes, and she always does more than is expected of her. She is one of the greatest characters in literature with the best type of character.

Gwynplaine - "The Man Who Laughs" by Victor Hugo - He's selfless, doing everything for Dea, and even though he spends his entire life being laughed at and made a clown for the smile permanently carved onto his face, he's a good person. He remains that good person, even after being made a member of The Peerage and given all the worldly goods he could have, and wants nothing more than to be back in his traveling carriage with Dea and Ursus. 

And a few others you aren't familiar with...

Who are your favorite characters? Seriously, who do you like? 

-Vanessa

Destination Monday #10

"Aruba, Jamaica, ooo I want to take you

to Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama,

Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go

down to Kokomo. We'll get there fast and then

we'll take it slow. That's where we wanna go..."

This week we're checking out  Montego Bay, Jamaica!
(yeah, I just quoted the Beach Boys) 

For our honeymoon, Stephen's parents sent us to Montego Bay, Jamaica. We stayed at the Riu - an all-inclusive resort!

Watching planes fly off the island from the resort.

The Lobby was open-aired. 

And completely beautiful. 

They gave us free drinks when we arrived - oh, wait...
all the drinks and food were free - it was fantastic. But when we first arrived,
while we were checking in, they gave us a fruit punch and rum drink -
I know it's weird to be obsessed with fruit punch - but it was the BEST.

The doorknobs reminded me of Hobbit Houses. 

There was a bar right in our room - restocked whenever
it went empty (not that we could even dream of drinking that much!)

But we did drink a lot of the soda - it was all made of real sugar - aka delicious!

They upgraded our room since we were on our Honeymoon -
this was our view from our own personal balcony!

There was a huge pool with a swim-up bar - seriously fun. 

During the day they held activities and games in the pool - a lot of it was country vs. country,
which was really fun to watch. 

At night, there was always entertainment - musicians and performers.
Stephen and I would stop and get a drink, and then walk the beach and listen. It was relaxing. 

This is the other side of the hotel - the view from the hallway (which was open air as well)

The best part was that it was sunny and so warm -
especially in December when Missouri was getting two feet of snow and ice. 

Mostly Stephen and I laid on the beach. 

You could get massages on the beach. 

And during the day they had kayaks and paddle boats you could use,
or you could ride jet skis, or go scuba diving, sailing, or parasailing. 

Jamaica was really fun - there was so much to do at the resort, we never left - but you could go for bus tours as a part of the package, or take a bus over to a huge shopping center across the street. But we just mostly ate, swam, and relaxed. There was one main dining area where they served so much food - and all sorts of native dishes that were so great to try - and then there were 3 restaurants that you could make reservations to eat in - we ate in the Chinese one the last night (called the Kali) - it was some of the best chinese ever! The service was great, the resort was clean and beautiful and full of things to do (including way more eating and drinking than you'd ever normally do!) and if Jamaica's someplace you're interested in going - Stephen and I definitely recommend the Riu!

"The Learning Corner or SIY" - Part Two

In this installment of The Learning Corner (aka SIY: Stephen It Yourself), I will be discussing tires.  Having just purchased some myself, for our Ford Explorer, I though some of you might like to hear some facts and opinions about this often expensive and sometimes overwhelming purchase.  When purchasing tires it is always best to do your research.  Remember, tires are the only link between your car and the pavement.  If you purchase a tire that is of poor quality or of incorrect type this can pose a serious safety and handling problem with your vehicle.  

Choosing a tire can be a very difficult decision due to the large amount of options that are continually changing.  One thing you need to ask yourself is how you intend to use your vehicle.  Is it a truck that goes off road, are you going to be doing performance driving in your car, or is it a basic everyday vehicle that needs good traction in multiple conditions?  For most, all season or touring tires are a good choice for a car or van and all season and all-terrain are good choices for trucks and SUV’s.  Don’t go overkill with the all-terrain unless you need it.  These tires tend to have shorter tread life and are generally loud on the highway.  I suggested asking the opinions of friends, employees of the tire shops, and looking online (such as www.tirerack.com) for reviews on tires to help guide your choice.  Also if you are happy with how your last set performed stick with the same tire.  No need to change how your vehicle handles if you do not feel the need for improvement. 

Tire Size:

Most auto manufacturers have a tire size specified for your car. Some may have a few options with a primary suggested size.  It is always best to stay with the suggest tire size.   Tire size looks just like some sort of code to most but I’ll break it down below.

Here is the tire size for the Explorer: LT235/70R15 102T M+S

In front of the size of the tire there is a letter.  This is for its application

·       P – Passenger

·       LT – Light Truck

·       ST – Special Trailer

·       T – Temporary (spare tire)

The actual size of the tire is expressed as series of numbers and letters ie. 235/70R15

·       235 – this first part is the tread width in millimeters

·       70  - this middle number is called an aspect ratio.  This is the ratio of tread width to sidewall height.  The larger the number the taller the sidewall.  Tires with low numbers like 35 and 40 have very short sidewalls and are found on large diameter wheels.

·       R – Radial tire (almost every automotive tire made today is a radial tire)

·       15 – This is the rim diameter in inches in this case 15 inches

Next is the load and speed rating, for our example this is 102T

·       102 – The higher the number, the higher the load rating (In this case its 1000kg or 2205 lbs per tire)

·       T – This is the speed rating.  The lower the letter of the alphabet, the higher the speed rating of the tire.  There were a few new ratings that were added and those are higher in the alphabet.  Best to stick with the manufacturer’s suggestion or with the tire installers.  This is the maximum speed that the tire is rated for traction, handling, and possible failure.

Other letters, such as the M+S:

·       These are different ratings for things such Mud and Snow

·       There are sometimes letters for white sidewalls, white letters, and other tire options.

Tread wear ratings

·       This is a grade given to rate the tread life of a tire. (ie: A, B, C…)  The higher the grade, the longer life expectancy.  Lower grades will not last as long and are typical on performance tires which are usually softer and sticker for better traction.

Tires need to be replaced when there is 2/32 of an inch of tread left or less.  This is the minimum to pass inspection.  You can easily gauge the tread depth by placing a penny upside down in the tread of the tire.  If the tread covers part of Lincoln’s head then it’s ok.  If the top of his head is visible then the tires need to be replaced.  Also if you notice a lot of cracking on the tire or are just suffering from poor traction or tread wear it’s a good idea to replace your tires.  Always replace at least two at a time but it’s best to replace all four.  The average life for most all season tires is 40,000 to 70,000 miles.  Some performance tires will only last 10,000 to 20,000 miles. 

It is a good idea to rotate your tires periodically.  Some oil change places will do this when you come in for an oil change.  Also some tire shops will offer this service for free after you get tires with them.  Its best to rotate every 6,000 to 10,000 miles.  This helps the tires wear evenly.  Another way to promote even wear is to have your car aligned periodically.  This needs to be done after any suspension or steering components are replaced or every two years. 

Proper tire pressure is a must for tread life and safety.  The proper pressure for your vehicle is located on a sticker, usually inside the driver’s door.  Always go by this and not the maximum pressure stamped on the side of the tire.  Always check the pressure when the tires are cold, before driving as the pressure given is a cold pressure.  After you drive the pressure may increase giving an incorrect reading.  A tire that is low can decrease gas mileage, cause increased wear, and an increase in temperature which can lead to tire failure or a blow out.  I usually recommend using a dial type pressure gauge or a digital one because these tend to be more accurate the slide style pressure gauges.  It is best to check your pressure at least once a month but every two weeks is best, especially if you are doing a lot of driving or hauling.

Consider buying your tires online.  I used www.tirerack.com and was able to save a decent amount.  Between a lower price per tire and no tax I was able to save even with the shipping costs.  Also shop around for shops to mount and balance.  Wal-Mart is the one of the cheapest.  My only problem with them and any tire shop is how tight they tighten the lug nuts.  Sometimes they torque them on too tight or unevenly which can make them difficult to get off or cause the brake rotors to warp faster.  If you are feeling handy then having a cheap torque wrench and checking this yourself after you get the tires installed is a definite plus. 

Happy Shopping,

Stephen. 

Destination Monday #9

Since it's so darn hot...I'd really like to virtually travel to someplace cool...


...Breckenridge, Colorado!


Which has especially nice summers when you compare it to the 110* heat index we're dealing with here in Missouri - excuse me - Missery.

Map of Colorado.

Breckenridge, Colorado Trail Map. 

The great thing about going to Breckenridge is that you can stay at condos and resorts for way less than if you go during ski season, plus there's not tons of snow so it's easy to drive around and less-miserable to walk around the cute downtown area. The Mountain Thunder Lodge is a great lodge-like condo complex with a pool (not that it's warm enough to swim) and a hot tub (perfect for the cool mountain nights). Plus it's a short drive to everything. My family has stayed there twice, and we'd all like to stay there again.

View of the Mountains from Downtown Breckenridge, CO.

My favorite part about going to Colorado is the mountains - they're so beautiful! And so huge! The midwest is a pretty ugly part of the country (or at least Missouri is), so it's really awesome to look out the windows and see the mountains looming over. I'd definitely recommend taking the cable cars up the mountain - it's a relaxing ride with great views - especially from the top where you get off!

Photographed 2006: Cable Car Ride. 

There are hiking and biking trails you can take up and down the mountain side. 

There's a lodge at the top that you stop at to walk around. 

While in Colorado, you can rent bikes to ride around. We rode the Blue River Bikeway to Frisco. It's flat and through wooded areas and over the many streams - it's fun and relaxing. There's a shuttle between the two cities (Breckenridge and Frisco) that has multiple pick-up points and bike racks on the bus if you only want to ride one way (like we did). The bike path has access to multiple off-road hiking and biking trails as well as several parks. The trail also connects tot he Vail-Pass trail to continue on alongside 1-70 to Vail (although that's a bit too adventurous for me, personally).

If you look carefully in the top left you can just see the little brown lodge. 

View down the mountain. 

One of the things you ABSOLUTELY must do while in Breckenridge during the summer is the Alpine Slides - they are concrete slides built into the mountain. During the winter they're covered in snow, but in the summertime you ride glorified scooters down - it is the most fun you will ever have, period. They're like waterless-water slides - there's hills and quick turns as you literally fly down the mountain side. I cannot even express how much you need to do this!

One tiny portion of the Alpine Slides

View from the lodge at the top of the cable car ride. 

Colorado would be a very nice place to be right now. :)