I'm not sure whether today is a good day or not to mention this, given that
Elizabeth Taylor has passed away; this is either really heartwarming or really sad, depending on how you look at it. To update you guys on Sam... he's mostly blind now (cataracts). We've also realized that he's fairly deaf, although he can hear noises at a certain level; I suspect one ear is worse than the other, because he'll get confused and look in the wrong direction when he does hear something. He's also had a really bad spring allergy/sinus infection business that means
he can't smell much, either. It's like Job's dog over here, I don't even know. I've been his seeing-eye human and primary nose-wiper, but the vet's given him an antihistamine, and now he can breathe and smell his way around a lot better. He's been more active and alert since he got it as well, which is like chasing a very fluffy toddler around, before he tries to climb over Shelby or gets stuck in another corner. But mostly, he curls up on his dog bed(s), with his blankets and/or beach towel, and just... smiles. That huffy, panting smile little dogs have, you know? He just sits there and, like... exists in a state of joy. I don't even know what to make of that.
@cleolinda: Sam's happy once he figures out where he is
@cleolinda: He arranged this all by himself.
@cleolinda: Snoring.
@cleolinda: Checking in with Sam
@cleolinda: Sam with his new blanket
@cleolinda: Sam is on the move
@cleolinda: I can't believe how happy this dog is
@cleolinda: THIS IS THE BEST AIR VENT IN THE WORLD
@cleolinda: There's something oddly Kermit-like about that last picture of Sam.
I'm tired from attempting to sledgehammer out a functional draft of this chapter (which is good), so I don't really have a segue from this to anything else. So... "also, this."
@drgrist: Dude threw on scuba gear, jumped into a TSUNAMI, found his house & his wife, & saved her. I mean, damn. I... I don't really have anything I can follow that up with.
Seriously, Sam's adorable. :3 *Prays for him*
And that man sounds so brave. And awesome. I mean...seriously. ^__^
I'm not sure if this is the right place to mention this, but did you hear that Knut the polar bear died?
Scuba Dude is seriously my new hero.
Oh and that dude with the scuba gear went to find his mother, too, and now apparently he goes out every day to look for more people. I was like, "well, damn!"
And Sam is the most adorable dog I have ever seen.
http://badassoftheweek.com/voytek.html
To me, there's a big difference between adult fiction and YA, though it's not really the subject matter. I think it has to do more with style and themes - both kinds of lit include violence, sex, profanity, etc., but I've never liked adult fiction because it always seemed too dark and depressing in comparison with YA lit.
For example, YA lit tends to have way more happy or at least satisfactory endings. Or with adult literature, the sex is most often too casual, gratuitous, and oftentimes meaningless, whereas in YA it's usually either an important turning point or a key element of characterization.
Adult lit is also generally way more cynical and unpleasant for me to read...when I read adult lit, I usually get an overwhelming sense that the world is an ugly, depressing, stifling, messy, pointless place, and we deal with it by being mean and whiny and just trying to survive. The endings are also so abrupt. I get to the last page of the book and I'm like, "What? That's it? Why did I just waste [insert time period] of my life on this?!" Whereas in YA lit., the world can be pretty crappy, but there's always hope and light somewhere, you know? Good YA lit makes me feel satisfied and refreshed, whereas most adult lit leaves me feeling icky. That's the main difference I see.
The only authors I can think of whose adult lit feel almost like YA lit are Orson Scott Card and Juliet Marillier.
P.S. Reading about the scuba-diving Japanese tsunami hero was SO GOOD. Thank you for sharing the link to that article!
http://blog.bookviewcafe.com/2011/03/20/young-adult-books-and-who-reads-them/
I recommend everyone take a look. Several authors posted there I think.
Also--That scuba-guy is the most amazing hero...and I will liberally use the phrase "face-punched a tsunami" in conversation whenever possible, in his honor. What a guy!!
Does Sam like to hide his face under/smush his face into pillows and blankets? I'm wondering if this is a blind dog thing, like the claiming of a safe spot: my dog has a perch on the arm of the couch where he can "watch" the door - if he's there, he's happy.
*reads Badass report*
... God DAMN.