Currently Stiff and Speaking Spanish

8.06.2014



This is quite possibly the strangest book I've ever read.

I was walking through the library, as one does on a weekday at lunch, and I spotted this on a display shelf. The cover definitely catches your eye. I can't help but wonder whose feet those are... are they the feet of a live person or a cadaver? Probably live, but you never know.

Despite it being the strangest, it's also quite possibly the most interesting. It's well written, even funny, and I would recommend this if you're looking for a book that is sure to be a conversation starter at your next cocktail party (or for less fancy people, just around the water cooler). I just finished the book yesterday and have learned more about cadavers than I didn't even realize I didn't know.

A word of caution: Don't be like me and start reading the chapter called "Medicinal Cannibalism and the Case of the Human Dumplings" right as you sit down for lunch. Just don't do it. 

Getting back into Saturday morning runs with my OKC running group. This is 6:00 am in my neck of the woods. (If we were on Instagram, this is where I would insert #nofilter)

People look at me like I have 8 heads when I tell them I willingly set my alarm for 5:45 am on a Saturday, but I really do love it.

Last Saturday was 6 miles, which is a long run for me these days. You could say I've had a summer of lazy running. (That is an, ahem, UNDERSTATEMENT.) But I'm looking forward to some longer runs the rest of this summer and into fall. Gotta get ready for my Tough Mudder in October!


Coffee Break Spanish on my ipod! While in Nicaragua, some of my high school Spanish came back, but it's frustrating to me how much of it I forgot. Jordan and I are trying to teach ourselves Spanish so we can be ready when we go back to Nicaragua next year (yes, we want to go back!), and I downloaded a Spanish podcast that I can listen to on my commute to help me out. 

Wish me luck, amigos!




Mostly, Jordan and I are both feeling this.

I'm also feeling like looking at this picture I took in Nicaragua makes me laugh. 

When I took this, I did not pay any attention at all to what it said. I just took a picture of it because it was in Spanish, and I was like, "Hey! This road sign is in a foreign language. I'll take a picture of it."

Then I get home, and I'm looking at my pictures, and I realize that it's a sign about an erupting volcano. You don't see that every day. At least in Oklahoma we don't. I love the drawing of the volcano. Are you feeling the deathly explosion? Cuz I am.

I'm considering taking a lunch walk for another Around Town post of downtown OKC.

Also, Jordan and I recently took our August 1 picture for Project 12. Check this out: it's taken 7 months, but I finally broke him. (Remember this?)

This last time, he actually said to me, "You know, I kind of like our monthly pictures." 

BOOYA, SUCKER.
I win.


Now tell me, what are you enjoying lately?
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Linking up with Jenna for today's currently post! 
Breenah A said...

"at your next cocktail party (or for less fancy people, just around the water cooler)" How much less fancy does it make me that I have NEITHER of those for an option? Also, you should check out DuoLingo, it's a language learning app and it's actually really helpful and kinda fun. One more thing, I totally thought you took a picture of the sign because the volcano kinda looks like a pile'o'poo.

shelleystirs said...

I want to read "Stiff"! Sounds interesting. Gross, but interesting.

Anonymous said...

That book looks pretty interesting! I might have to go check it out. I am usually not a big reader but the cover makes it look really interesting!

That evacuation sign is hilarious. It looks like a steaming pile of poop! HA!

Amy said...

those feelings after mission trips = 100% relatable. it is definitely hard to walk back into our pristine chapels and see "what are we really doing here?" ya know?
I've had that book on m "to read" pile for some time, it just sounds so interesting!
take some photos!! I want, want, WANT to see them haha!

Kristen said...

so that book looks crazy creepy. aw i love that he likes your monthly pictures! i think i might do that next year!

Ashley said...

Oh man, that book sounds terrifying. I definitely don't think I could read it. Bodies creep me out. Especially dead bodies. I am trying to learn Spanish too! I have like 4 fluent Spanish speakers in my family so I have plenty of people to practice with, but it still hasn't happened :(

Erin LFF said...

I've been trying to practice/re-learn some Spanish too. I can't believe after taking 4 years of it how LITTLE I remember!

Helene in Between said...

my spanish is so bad, i need to get better! i want to tyr out that coffee break spanish. and that book... i don't know if I could handle it!

Anne said...

I just couldn't get myself through Stiff... My book club picked it a couple of months ago, but I ended up not being able to make the meeting, so I didn't finish. I think partly because the parts that are more interesting to me (the first-person investigating, rather than the reporting on research/history) were also pretty disturbing (especially because my husband practices surgery on cadavers and then I had to think about him actually doing that. Eek). Also I couldn't read and eat lunch at the same time, which I like to do... I think I did try to read that same chapter at lunchtime once, actually. I really like Mary Roach's writing though! Maybe I'll try one of her others - though Gulp (about digestion) is quite possibly going to be as ew-inducing.

Beka @ Sunshine to the Square Inch said...

Dave is reading his Spanish Bible but I haven't been practicing much but need to becuase we will be using Spanish in Thailand! HOw weird is that?

That book sounds really interesting. & weird! =) I just got done reading on Adoniram Judson. Have you heard of him? You should read his book. It's CRAZY amazing! He was the first missionary to Burma and translated the Bible. They still use his translation today.

Oh and I love weird street signs. I think it's fun to see them because it's a part of the culture in the areas I visit.

Lucie said...

Ahhhh, I was always the worst at languages at school - never my strong point. I think Id crumble is I tried this book!

http://www.journeysthroughmeadows.com

The Lady Okie said...

Ha! It totally does look like poop. I didn't even realize it. Look out! Poop eruption! haha. Apparently I'm 5 years old.

The Lady Okie said...

I took 5 years of it and was actually to the point where I was writing essays and reading books in Spanish! Now, totally gone. Although 4 days in Nicaragua brought it back a little, but still. It's crazy how much you forget when you aren't using it.

The Lady Okie said...

Oh gosh! I can totally see how that would gross you out thinking about your husband doing that. And yeah I totally shouldn't have tried to eat lunch while reading that one chapter. I think I kind of removed myself from it a little and didn't think about them ACTUALLY being bodies. I'll have to check out her others books. She's a funny writer!

Ashley said...

I'd love to relearn the little bit of Spanish I learned in school... Or just be able to speak it fluently. Maybe that one. :) Good luck!

Bailie @ The Hemborg Wife said...

I totally thought it looked like poo too!

Lindsay {Typically Late} said...

"Stiff" sounds fascinating!! Adding it to the "to read" list now...

Rebecca Jo said...

OK - I gotta GOTTA check out that book :)

Kiki said...

Ooh, I'm checking out Coffee Break Spanish as I type this up. At work, I've found that I'm using wayyy more Spanish that I ever imagined and it's been refreshingly tough to learn what I've un-learned since high school classes. It makes me regret not minoring in it in college!

Anyway, that book sounds fascinating (not sure I could get myself to read it, though!) and I am so inspired by your willingness to run at 6am! I push myself to get running at like 8 and 9 during the summer and even that's a push to get me out the door, haha. :)

Caroline @ In Due Time said...

I have never heard of this book - interesting for sure!!! Love that you do photography and go to the library on your lunch breaks :)

Jenna Griffin | Gold & Bloom said...

Love love love this! I have been curious about Stiff, but I heard it's definitely not one to ready when you're even thinking about eating. Haha. I might just have to try it, though. I sooooo wish I could make myself wake up that early. You're amazing!

Emily @ Ember Grey said...

That book - GAH!!! I am so squeamish, I just don't think I'd get through the first chapter!! I LOVE that you are re-learning spanish! I took french in middle school/high school and have thought about getting some tapes or something to learn it for real this time ;)

Jennifer Prod said...

ah, that book -- goodness, i can't imagine seeing something like that in the window of b&n or borders, but you definitely piqued my interest. wonder what my book club would say??

Miriam said...

Ha, great title for a post! I was like "what the...?"
I also really like the font you used for the in-between headers (do you know what I mean? i.e. "reading", "photographing"), it's gorgeous. And isn't it awesome when we manipulate our husbands without them even noticing??

Unknown said...

> I'm pretty sure I would have never heard of that book if you hadn't mentioned it. I don't think I'll ever read it though. Too... squeamish, maybe? :)
> Lazy summer runner here too! Soooo lazy.
> Lovely volcano. I love it when we take pictures and discover new things about them when we look at them later.
> My english is terrible today. I blame the heat. And the lazy brain.

Raige Creations said...

I am so going to read that book! Thanks for the recommendation.
I also love the idea of a lunch walk snapping photos - I may steal that idea.....
The road sign is great, funny how we don't even notice our own road signs, but the minute one is different....we notice. There is one here that cracks me up too, stealing that idea too perhaps. ;)

Allison said...

Good for you for turning your man into a photo loving (almost) guy. Haha. And I love that you are listening to podcasts in Spanish. That's awesome!

Anonymous said...

That sign is great. Not many people have a volcano evacuation sign photo.
I also always enjoy your first of the month photos with the husband. Haha! That's great that he looks forward to the photo op now. :)

-Amy

17 Perth said...

Do you like the spanish app you are using on your iPod? Curious because I really want to learn spanish! And loved your instagram comment. ;)

Rachel said...

Language is really one of those things that you eventually forget if you don't use it--unless you have a really, really strong background (like its your native language). I've even heard of people getting rusty in their native language when they don't use it for years at a time, which sounds crazy to me...but then when I listen to my family trying to speak normal American English after 10 years abroad...I get it. They speak pretty differently at this point.

The volcano sign is very cool and interesting....

Andiepants said...

Running in the early hours of the morning... I miss loving this exercise....now I just like my bed. lol It is 2:20am at the moment, so the early morning workout may not sound too appealing but maybe something I need to get back to!
And hooray for Spanish! Hubby and I just spend two weeks brushing up on our spanish vocabulary. Although we are both Hispanic americans, we kinda sorta forget our spanish and stop speaking fluidly and end up forgetting words and grammatical errors. Hopefully this last trip taught us all some cool things!

xoxo
Andie's Traveling Pants

Unknown said...

You're not the only 5 year old around here, because I was totally thinking that, too!

Unknown said...

I have heard so many good things about Stiff. It sounds so weird, but sometimes those are the best. I minored in Spanish and studied abroad in Spain but can hardly speak any now. I need to download that podcast asap! Also I definitely thought that was a pile of poop and giggled more than a little. All kinds of 5 year olds 'round here.

Kerry @ Till Then Smile Often said...

I originally was going to school to be in forensics and then remembered all the dead things...yeah, no!! :) Get your run on. I am up early on the weekends but not to run. My brain takes awhile to wake up. Buenos dias. Sorry that is all I remember from Spanish class.

Haley said...

I didn't read through all the comments to see if someone else said this...but have you ever used Duolingo? It's hands down my favorite language app, and it's free! I spent some time in Brazil a few years ago so I'm using to try and get my Portuguese back :)

Jenny Fish said...

Ah... Cadavers. I'm married to a dentist (who has had two anatomy labs since we've been married) who is a brother to a medical student who are both sons to a doctor. I've heard some pretty disgusting cadaver stories, so I can only imagine what that books is about.

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