One of my birthday gifts this year was a box of stuff called “Genius Tea”. The ingredients are listed in Czech and Slovak, but I did recognize the ever-popular ginko. “I don’t know if it’s for geniuses or it will make you one,” said Big D when he handed it to me. Hopefully the latter; while my water boiled last night I struggled with the box. Finally I got past the tape and the glue to realize I had opened the bottom. Genius.
One of the cool things about being a writer is that you are very easy to buy gifts for. Food, alcoholic beverages, and books are all slam dunks. I got some good books this year, so today I’m going to finish my limerick about a cat with hat hair, step away from the computer, and do some reading.
The books I got:
- The Art of War by Sun Tzu. — much-discussed, but, I suspect, little-read.
- Something Grand by John Flynn (autographed) — short stories in a modern style, most about the working poor in America.
- The 776 Stupidest Things Ever Said — luckily, this book came out before I started Muddled Ramblings. I might start with this one until the Genuis Tea kicks in.
- Into The Forest by Jean Hegland — one of those where you read the first paragraph and know you’re in good hands.
- More Booze Than Blood by Sean Meagher (autographed) — he didn’t know it was a birthday gift, but that doesn’t make it not one.
What a grand thing to wake in the morning and know all these words await.
Add the green chile, several packages of my favorite cookies, and a squirrel, and you’ve got yourself one fine pile o’ birthday loot indeed. My sincere thanks to one and all.
didn’t I hear recently that ginko biloba had gone from stud to dud and now health scientists are actually worried it can damage the brain? My memory of the details is hazy so I could easily have this wrong – anybody else know something???