Hibernator's third 2024 thread

That's the handle of the axe stuck in the target - not the blade.

Hi! I'm Rachel, 44yo caregiver of elderly and disabled. I have one son - IL5 - and two bonus kids - M11 & D14. For fun, I read, pen pal, and play Dungeons and Dragons. I have 25 pen pals. I am in 3 D&D campaigns. One is play-by-post and the others are by group voice-call.

I read a variety of books, though I have a leaning towards fantasy. The books I read to IL5 are mainly picture-chapter books that take a few days to read, but I will include any new non-chapter books I read to him as well.

I think this is my 11th year in this group, but I could be mistaken. I notice other people count, so I thought I'd throw that in there.

I finished 112 books last year.

January Reads
1. Do-You-Think-He-Saurus, by Aaron Blabey
2. Baxter is Missing, by Rebecca Elliot
3. Equal Rites, by Terry Pratchett
4. Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol: The Haunted House Next Door, by Andres Miedoso
5. Mr Cooper is Super, by Dan Gutman
6. Bad Kitty vs Uncle Murray, by Nick Bruel
7. Horrorstor, by Grady Hendrix
8. The Shocking Shark Showdown, by David Bowles

February Reads
9. The School is Alive!, by Jack Chabert
10. The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair
11. The Beast of Soggy Moor, by Martin Howard
12. Restaurant at the End of the Universe, by Douglas Adams
13. Dopesick, by Beth Macy

March Reads
14. Shark School: Deep Sea Disaster, by Davy Ocean
15. Jesus and the Gospels, by Luke Timothy Johnson
15. Akata Woman, by Nnedi Okorafor
16. Notebook of Doom: Rise of the Balloon Goons, by Troy Cummings
17. Press Start: Super Game Book, by Thomas Flintham

April Reads
18. Wyrd Sisters, by Terry Pratchett
19. Sydney and Taylor Take a Flying Leap, by Jacqueline Davies
20. The Fran that Time Forgot, by Jim Benton
21. Murder Your Employer, by Rupert Holmes
22. Narwhal's Otter Friend, by Ben Clanton
23. Dragons and Marshmallows, by Asia Citro

May Reads
24. Stinky Cecil in Mudslide Mayhem, by Paige Braddock
25. Bluebeard, by Kurt Vonnegut
26. Billy and the Mini Monsters: Monsters on the Loose, by Zanna Davidson
27. Maid, by Stephanie Land

June Reads

Open for business

Happy new thread Rachel!

Happy new thread, Rachel!

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread,Rachel!

Happy new thread, Rachel.

Happy new thread, Rachel!

Thanks Everyone!

Wednesday I took dad to his penultimate denture fitting - 3 weeks, and he'll have teeth! Then I went to meet my new therapist. I'm still feeling frustrated at my other one leaving after 3 appointments, but this one seemed on-task and goal oriented, and also supported my need to use sessions to vent. So maybe it was a good change. The other diagnosed me with "adjustment disorder" after 2 sessions of diagnostic questions, which seems odd since I have both bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

After the appointment, I had a lunch date with Aaron, then dug in the raised beds to prepare them for IL5's vegetable garden. I didn't quite finish - I have 15 more minutes of work, but my phone was about to die and I was waiting on a call, so I had to go inside. In the evening, I read to D14 for an hour. It's a fun way to spend quality time.

Books read from:

Exile, by Shannon Messenger 50 minutes
Mr Ballen podcasst 30 minutes

Books finished: none

Time reading: 80 minutes

That sounds like a fun day!

Happy new one!

Happy New Thread!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/360495

Happy new thread, Rachel!

Happy Friday, Rachel. Happy New Thread. I like that bullseye topper.

Thanks for the new thread wishes!

>21 msf59: Hi Mark! Thanks! It was a rather funny moment.

Thursday I had a good game of D&D, and I worked a day shift. It was raining, so baseball was cancelled again. That also meant I wasn't able to finish digging in the raised beds. In the evening, I played Magic with D14 and M11.

Books read from:

Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan 63 minutes
Bluebeard, by Kurt Vonnegut 100 minutes
Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins 60 minutes
Mr Ballen podcast 43 minutes

Books finished: none

Time reading: 266 minutes

>23 The_Hibernator: D&D is a nice game, and i miss playing it with my family. Sadly my day hasn't been very good due to having a mental breakdown a little earlier and yeah

>24 Owltherian: I'm sorry you had a bad day. If I ever start a new free game of D&D with D14 and M11, you're welcome to join on Discord. If you can do that from your computer. I have a penpal who is preparing a campaign, but it may take a while.

Friday was great. After speech therapy for IL5, we took advantage of a beautiful day and went to the park with some of his friends. I got to chat with their mom, so it was fun for everyone. Then we went home and he played outside while I finished clearing the raised bed, and planted tomatoes and the watermelon, which got its own raised bed. I still have the carrots and radishes to go. Then the family went to Perkins for dinner.

Books read from:

Bible 97 minutes
Bluebeard, by Kurt Vonnegut 51 minutes

Books finished: none

Time reading: 148 minutes

>25 The_Hibernator: Sadly Discord is blocked on my school computer, and i would have to ask my dad for discord and I'm sure he will say no.

I kind of figured, but thought I'd ask. I wouldn't want D14 playing a live game with some random adult she met on the internet, so I understand your dad's point of view.

Saturday Aaron and I played D&D. Aaron's character died. We still have a chance to revivify him, but we may not be able to, because we're in the middle of a battle which may take a while, and revivify has to be used in a certain amount of time.

After D&D, Aaron grilled, and then IL5, Aaron, and I hung out in the car, which is something IL5 had been begging me to do all day. He likes being able to sit in the passenger seat. I got to read to IL5 in the evening, which is something I missed doing on Friday night because my brain was broken.

Books read from:

Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan 31 minutes
Mr Ballen 30 minutes
Maid, by Stephanie Land 38 minutes
Stinky Cecil in Mudslide Mayhem, by Paige Braddock 24 minutes

Books finished: Stinky Cecil in Mudslide Mayhem, by Paige Braddock

Time reading: 123 minutes

Zoey has to help a baby dragon when her mom goes on a trip. My 5-year-old loved the story of this little dragon and loved speculating what he would eat. Very good book.

Jelly is jealous of Narwhal’s otter friend. This is cute and funny. We enjoyed this installment of the series.

Games played

Beginning of April



Beginning of May

Sunday I worked. I was in a mood, so we didn't have family day, nor did I manage to read to IL5.

Books read from:

Bluebeard, by Kurt Vonnegut 55 minutes

Books finished: none

Time reading: 55 minutes

>28 The_Hibernator: Yep, it gets annoying at times because my brother is allowed to have it, although he lied about his phone having parental control

>35 Owltherian: is your brother older?

>36 The_Hibernator: By 9 months yes.

>37 Owltherian: what's your dad's logic, then?

You are making progress with you needlework, Rachel! With you busy schedule, that is no small accomplishment.

>30 The_Hibernator: That looks a like a very cute book! I'm glad IL likes reading with you.

>38 The_Hibernator: He didnt set up my brothers parental control, my mother was supposed to do that but i may tell my dad that she didn't set it up correctly.

>40 Owltherian: Oh. So he hasn't chosen to have your brother be able to talk to random people on the internet and you not...That makes sense. I set up patental control of my kids' devices, but I mostly let them do what they want, now. Neither has asked for social media accounts. And with Discord, they only do it on my computer while playing D&D.

Monday was productive. I went to breakfast with dad and IL5, then we all went to a small playground afterwards. It was a beautiful day, and dad and I took turns playing with him on the structure.

Then I took D14 to an appointment, and IL5 to school. I ran to the bakery and picked up a cake for teachers and staff of all 3 schools the kids are in, then drove to the schools to drop the cakes off. I made phone calls, and planted the carrots.

In the evening, Aaron took IL5 to swim lessons and I took M11 to Boy Scouts. M11 ran the mile in 10 minutes 55 seconds, which is a huge improvement, but since he hasn't actually tried to improve by working out, it didn't count towards earning his Tenderfoot rank. He also improved on the stretch, sit-ups, and push-ups. He asked me to remind him to exercise this month so he can rank up.

Before work, I got some reading done.

Books read from:

Bluebeard, by Kurt Vonnegut 60 minutes
Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan 24 minutes
Maid, by Stephanie Land 15 minutes
Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins 20 minutes
Mr Ballen 42 minutes

Books finished: none

Time reading: 161 minutes

Tuesday I took Polyphemus to the vet. She said that Polyphemus may have a loose tooth, and she wanted to clean the teeth under anesthesia to check it out. At first I refused, but later in the day, I thought about how bad Polyphemus' breath is, and that may be an indication of rot or decay. I discussed it with Aaron, and we decided that it may be better to take care of the tooth than to let Polyphemus get sick.

Then, I started looking at 2-month-old kittens from the rescue. I was torn between getting two and getting one, because I don't want 5 cats, but I feel like a kitten that young needs another kitten that young. I don't know...I am still strongly ambivalent. I asked Aaron, and he was strongly ambivalent, too. I had to make the decision quickly because I had already contacted the rescue, and they were waiting for my answer. I drafted an email saying that I wanted two kittens. Then I drafted an email saying I wanted only one kitten, and ended up sending the one saying two. Aaron subsequently told me that one kitten gave him fewer heart palpitations, and that Hero was going to be very upset by the new cats. He had a point, but it was too late. I'd already gotten two cats on hold.

IL5 had an appointment Tuesday, followed by baseball for M11 and T-ball for IL5. IL5 was with me, and I had a hard time not bursting on to the field to tell him to stop running around in circles and actually listen. The good thing is that he was excited by the T-ball the whole time. Then he played at the playground for a while. M11 was thrilled because he hit a ball during his practice.

Books read from:

Bible 23 minutes
Bluebeard, by Kurt Vonnegut 60 minutes

Books finished: Bluebeard, by Kurt Vonnegut

Time reading: 83 minutes

>43 The_Hibernator: running around in circles
Maybe he needs to join a track team :-)

>44 norabelle414: Lol. Maybe that's what he needs. Though he's mentioned baseball several times since his practice. He was really excited to be playing.

Wednesday we decided that perhaps the best solution to Hero being bullied by four cats (if we end up getting two more) is just keeping her in our bedroom all the time. If she doesn't cooperate, that's her problem. But we'll give it a try. I have to rearrange and declutter the room before we can do that, though.

Then I went to therapy. I am not certain about my therapist, but I'll give her a bit longer of a try. I feel like she validates me so profusely that it feels fake. I know she's not trying to be fake, so I've been tolerating it.

After therapy, I went to lunch with dad and then we went to a sporting-goods store to buy him some weights. He wants to get back to using his arm at full mobility, which takes a long time after a shoulder break.

The stumps were removed from our back yard while we were gone - there are now two big grass-free areas. My neighbor told me that grass won't grow there unless I fertilize the area with nitrogen. Good to know!

In the evening, D14 had her audition for a community play (Frozen Jr) and M11 had a swim test for the Boy Scouts.

Books read from:

Mr Ballen podcast 35 minutes
Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan 28 minutes
The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins 18 minutes

Books finished: none

Time reading: 71 minutes

Happy New One, Rachel! The axe picture cracked me up!

>29 The_Hibernator: Hanging out in the car with your sweet 5-yr-old. What a good Mom you are! It's fun making memories...

I'm eager to see what evolves with the kitten situation. I think Aaron should have been more upfront with his true feelings. There is always something fun happening at your house. :-)

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/360644

>47 Donna828: Hi Donna! We'll probably end up with both kittens. The way the agency works is once you put two on hold, you have to take both or neither. So now it's more of an issue if they are a good fit for the family.

>48 SilverWolf28: Thanks Silver!

Thursday I worked my day job and played D&D. Aaron took IL5 to T-ball, and I took M11 to baseball. In the evening, I read to D14.

Books read from:

Witches Abroad, by Terry Pratchett 123 minutes
Exile, by Shannon Messenger 51 minutes
The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins 20 minutes

Books finished: none

Time reading: 192 minutes

Friday after IL5's speech therapy we were supposed to go to the park. He loves "the big playground," but for some reason wanted to go to the McDonald's Playplace. So I read while he ate and played for over an hour. Then we went to the library, where he played with the toys/computer/chessboard and picked out books for over an hour.

In the evening, Aaron and I watched Supernatural until it was time for him to game with his friends. D14, M11, and I drove out of the suburbs at 10pm to see the Northern Lights, but all we saw are streaks in the sky without color.

Books read from:

Bible 21 minutes
Witches Abroad, by Terry Pratchett 67 minutes
Unspeakable Mind, by Shaili Jain 42 minutes
Maid, by Stephanie Land 45 minutes
Mr Ballen podcast 42 minutes
Billy and the Mini Monsters: Monsters on the Loose, by Zanna Davidson 12 minutes

Books finished:

Maid, by Stephanie Land
Billy and the Mini Monsters: Monsters on the Loose, by Zanna Davidson

Time reading: 229 minutes

Cecil’s house floods, and he and his friends need to find out why the pond water is rising. Like the first two books in the series, this is a cute graphic novel and my 5-year-old had lots of questions about the animals in it.

Rabo Karabekian is a washed up artist when he meets a widow who convinces him to write his autobiography. In a very non-romantic way, she breathes life into him. This book wasn’t as funny as I’d expected. I’d remembered finding another of Vonnegut’s books funny (I forget which one), and expected the same from this one. It did have a little dry situational humor, but wasn’t a satire. Regardless, the story kept me coming back for more, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was curious what he had locked in that potato barn.

Billy’s mini-monster friends want to come to school with him, but Billy is reluctant. They come anyway. Cute, colorful, funny. Definitely a good addition to the series.

This is Land’s story of raising her young daughter in poverty while slaving away at a thankless job that didn’t pay the rent. It’s about being a woman in recovery from domestic violence. And about the way the middle class judge the poverty-stricken.

This was interesting, heartbreaking, and real. The prose flowed easily and the story progressed naturally. Land is a very articulate woman, which is fortunate since not all people in difficult situations are able to tell their story in an engaging way.

I did have a couple of qualms about the book, but they were all quibbles. Like, why is she pointing out that her child’s father can’t swim, as if that somehow provides further proof he was a bad dad? Didn’t we have enough evidence of that? It seemed a little vindictive to bring it up.

Overall, though, I thought Maid was an excellent view of what many women must be experiencing.

Saturday I worked my day job because I didn't want to work Mother's Day. I'd already signed up for Wednesday to make up for the missed day, but they asked if I'd be willing to work Saturday as well.

Aaron went board gaming with his friends in the late afternoon. Dad, IL5, and I walked to a nearby playground. It was hard getting the kiddo to walk back, and I got tired of carrying him, but we made it eventually.

Books read from:

Witches Abroad, by Terry Pratchett 55 minutes
Mr Ballen podcast 29 minutes
Unspeakable Mind, by Shaili Jain 33 minutes
Dragonwatch, by Brandon Mull 24 minutes
Society of Substitutes: Frenemies, by Alan Katz 30 minutes

Books finished:

Society of Substitutes: Frenemies, by Alan Katz

Time reading: 171 minutes

Sunday (Mother's Day), I went grocery shopping - mostly by accident. I just wanted to go to buy some milk and make Aaron do the grocery shopping (as I really dislike shopping for groceries for some reason), but dad and D14 both wanted to come along, and it seemed silly to have 3 people just to buy milk. (Most weeks I make a pickup order at Target, and Aaron runs to get it and a few items at another store.)

After Aaron and I cooked bacon and pancakes, Aaron went to buy some pants and some few groceries I forgot on my shopping trip, and D14, IL5 and I went to the pet store for essentials as well as a few toys and scratching posts for the new kittens. Then we went to the craft store to buy M11 some popsicle sticks for his school project.

Shortly after the shopping, everyone but dad piled into the car and we went to meet the kittens we plan on getting. They were both very cute. IL5 did a good job of petting gently.

In the evening, Aaron grilled and M11 continued to work on his school project. We got an episode of Locke & Key watched while eating. I cooked some Jambalaya for Aaron and my lunches for the week. Then IL5 fell asleep while I was reading to him.

Books read from:

Zombies vs Unicorns, by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier 59 minutes
Mr Ballen podcast 41 minutes
Unspeakable Mind, by Shaili Jain 25 minutes
Time Jumpers: Stealing the Sword, by Wendy Mass 15 minutes

Books finished: none

Time reading: 140 minutes

Monday, M11 had a virtual appointment. Then I spent some time cleaning while IL5 was playing with LEGO. After dropping IL5 at school in the afternoon, I ran some errands and then relaxed a bit. I finished Groot's head (except his eyes) on my cross-stitch! In the evening, I took IL5 to swim lessons and M11 went to a meeting to plan for Whitewater rafting camp this coming weekend.

Books read from:

Witches Abroad, by Terry Pratchett 53 minutes
Unspeakable Mind, by Shaili Jain 20 minutes
Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins 18 minutes
Dragonwatch, by Brandon Mull 33 minutes
Mr Ballen podcast 50 minutes

Books finished: none

Time reading:171 minutes

Tuesday was a bit frustrating to me. D14 and I both had appointments, then I was going to spray the dandelions on our yard - something I worked myself up to through all the morning. I was really going to do it. Then the opthalmologist dilated my eyes. And it was soooo bright outside. It was very frustrating.

Then, I got an email telling me the rescue was rejecting our application for the kittens. This made me livid because the rejection came from a conversation I had 6 weeks ago with a woman who told me "I don't think this will be a good fit." I literally asked her "Should I look somewhere else? I don't want to waste time." And she said "no, that's not what I'm saying." Then they wasted my time for the next 6 weeks. So disrespectful!

In the evening, Aaron took M11 to baseball and I took IL5 to T-ball. I hear M11 got home after being walked to first, but to be fair, they were terrible pitches. IL5 has focus issues. He seems to love the idea of playing, and he hit the ball all three times he was up, but (like several of the kids) didn't know to run the bases. That was fine, but he wandered randomly around the outfield...or sat down to play in the dirt. It's tempting to give him Ritalin to see if it helps, but that seems a misuse of it.

Books read from:

Bible 20 minutes
Unspeakable Mind, by Shaili Jain 6 minutes
Witches Abroad, by Terry Pratchett 68 minutes

Books finished: none

Time reading: 94 minutes

Wednesday was full of excitement. Polyphemus went to the vet to get his teeth cleaned (an expensive procedure). The tooth that appeared loose fell out, and they pulled 4 more teeth in hopes that the periodontal disease wouldn't spread to the rest of the mouth.

After an appointment for myself, I worked my day job, went to pick up Polyphemus from the vet, then drove 2 hours each way to pick up a couple of kittens. Yes, that's a long drive, but I was being picky about the cats because I wanted good house cats. Immediately after dropping the kittens off at home, I went back to my night job.

The kids all squealed in excitement about the kittens. Even M11, who thought he didn't want a kitten.

The kittens' names are Sake and Freyja.

Books read from:

Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins 19 minutes
Witches Abroad, by Terry Pratchett 110 minutes
Buried Giant, by Kazuo Ishiguro 204 minutes
Mr Ballen Podcast 43 minutes

Books finished: Witches Abroad, by Terry Pratchett

Time reading: 376 minutes