Book Report: The Mouse and the Motorcycle

So I like to read young adult fiction before I go to bed. I used to read regular, grown-up books before bed but they gave me too many nightmares. So now I only read regular books during the day.

Nicole Raden

10/28/2008

Book Report

Book Title: The Mouse and the Motorcycle

Author: Beverly Cleary

Where I Got This Book: In a free box outside of the used book store. I saw it and I thought "I've never read this. That might be fun." So I picked it up.

Nicole's Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Favorite thing about book: How the boy can talk to the mouse. I wish I could talk to animals.

Second favorite thing about the book: Beverly Cleary's writing style. Sometimes it's fun to read kids books because of the way the words flow together. It's like lemonade for your brain.

Worst thing about the book: The plot. It plugged along and then it was over. Someone on amazon.com said "This is the most comical, action-pack story I have ever read." This person needs to get a brain check and also read more.

Worst thing about right now: There is a genital warts commercial on TV and it is disturbing my book report.

Character Analysis: Ralph the Mouse is the main character. If he were real and he lived in Bellingham, he would need to go to Ray of Hope Summer Camp. He is kind of a brat. And by "kind of" I mean, he's a major brat that I don't really like.

I think that Ralph may be lonely and suffer a little from ennui, or prolonged boredom. His mom-mouse is always fretting and doesn't supervise her son very well. So it's not totally his fault he's a brat, but he still bugged me.

Who would I recommend this book to? Maybe a Ray of Hope kid. Maybe my brother Kyle. Or Ryan. But I would recommend other books first. Like the one I'm writing, The Life and Times of a Real American Hero: Nicole Raden.

Halloween

Today, Ricky was eating and I sneezed and he was so startled that he knocked his food all over the kitchen.

It was pretty funny.

Silliness.

Things that scare Nicole

1. Scary movies
2. Slightly scary movies
3. Movies that aren't scary but have a scary part
4. Needles
5. Being far from an available hospital
6. Acupuncture
7. Political conversations with people who really know what they're talking about
8. bar fights
9. Squeaky plates
10. The scabs on Ricky's tail. They are terrifyingly disgusting.

Things that scare Ricky the Cat

1. Plastic bags crinkle crinkling
2. Sudden noises
3. Shaking things out (like laundry, bags, rugs)
4. The outdoors
5. Sneezes

E Collar

Ricky the cat is still wearing an E Collar. He looks ridiculous. Here are some other ridiculous looking animals in E Collars:

The Unveiling

Rachel and I witnessed a historic event. The unveiling of the C. X. Larrabee bust in Fairhaven.

Who is C. X. Larrabee? one might ask. How did you happen across such an exciting event? Well, I shall tell you.

On Saturday, October 18th, Rachel and I decided to go to coffee at a new coffee shop, the Rustic. It is in downtown Fairhaven. As we entered, we noticed a peculiar lump on a concrete block that was shrouded by a red fleece blanket and a bungee cord.

Little did we know, that peculiar lump held the UNSEEN BUST OF C.X. LARRABEE!

We went inside the Rustic and read for awhile, until Rachel said to me, "Nicole, what does that sign say?" It was a hand drawn sign taped to the wall that said: "Wear your bowler hat! The great unveiling of the C. X. Larrabee bust will take place on Saturday, October 18th at 3:00pm."

It was 3:02pm. We looked outside and there they were, C. X. Larrabee fans. It was happening right now!

It was a lot like a Justin Timberlake concert, except instead of 2,500 people there were about 16. And instead of screaming fans that would sell their families to get to touch Justin Timberlake's napkin, there was a silent group of octogenarians that probably knew C. X. Larrabee personally. And some of them were wearing bowler hats.

And instead of music, there was an old man with a microphone giving an oral biography about Mr. Larrabee.

So that's what I did on Saturday. So far, my 24th year is blasting all my other years out of the water.

R. R. H.

Rachel Rebekah Handysnacks speaks poetry while she gets ready.

In the Bathroom at the Library

Written in the Bellingham Public Library in the ladies' restroom on the walls of the third stall to the left:

TELL THE TOILET WHO YOU LOVE

A loves J

I love Antonio and Mark

I am pooping.

DV LOVES SA

don't write things on the wall

I love you

F*** YOU

I LOVE RANDY

The world is waiting for you. Go for it.


All wise words.

Fever. I have a fever.

I am stricken.

My fever is 100.2. That is 1.4 degrees above normal.

I know that I am at death's door, but don't worry about me, blog readers. I am very strong now because of my boot camp. I will fight this virus and prevail.

For real. I want one of those.

I feel icky.

I feel icky.

I don't know what to do with myself when I don't feel good. Especially when there is no one around to entertain me or to bring me snacks.

Where are you, Rachel Handysnacks?

I have work to do but I don't want to do it. I want to lay down. But I'm not tired. But I am tired of watching TV.

This is the worst blog post ever. Of all time. I will try again later.

And Kelly in High School.

Kelly Walden, 1980

Kelly Walden, 1972

Kelly Walden, 1956

Lynn and Jodi in High School

Jodi Swobody, 1976

Lynn Baumgartner, 1966

My Yearbook Pictures

Nicole Raden, 1954

Nicole Raden, 1962

Nicole Raden, 1970

Nicole Raden, 1992

Nicole Raden, 1996

Diet and exercise

Somebody writing this blog lost 6 pounds! Yeah boot camp!

Little Visitor

I was obsessively cleaning the other night, and while I was organizing the VHS movies on my shelf, I felt a tickle on my chest.

I thought it was a hair.

It was actually a CREEPY CRAWLY BUG. Like a cross between a beetle and a spider. ::shudder::

Even talking about it here gives me the shivers.

Comments

Now anyone can leave comments! I didn't realize that I had my thing all made up so you had to be a "user" to leave a comment.

Lame.

So now, any old creep-o can leave a comment. Including you.

Quiddler

I highly recommend Quiddler.

I have been playin it with Whitni and Kristen and Carolyn. I have never won, but it offers incredible levels of fun!!!

FUN!!!

Talk about having some guts.

In Florida, a man punched a shark to save his dog.

Punched a shark. Who punches sharks? Probably people that have taken BOOT CAMP with Cristina Miller!

Strength. Passion. Fury. Pet-saving.

Ricky the Cat is safe with me.

Celebrities on Sesame Street

Jack Black teaches about an octagon - if you don't watch all of it, just watch the last 3 seconds where he says OC-TA-GON.

Danny DeVito and Oscar have a laugh off - I just love watching Oscar's mouth.

Tina Fey is a "bookaneer" - she sings to Elmo about how she is a pirate who loves to read.

Savion - who rules - taps with Snuffy - if you don't know ho Savion is, than you need to.

Who cares about the economic crisis?

I sure don't. Because I have a BACKUP PLAN. It's a little thing called sea water. And I patent this idea, so none of you can steal it.

One cubic mile of seawater contains about 50 pounds of gold.

So our country goes under and no one has money? I do. I just have to pan a cubic mile of seawater. Oh, hey 50 pounds of gold!

What's your backup plan?

Google Image: Laureen Jobe

Information

Rachel claps when she watches game shows.

Auction

I am auctioning off the opportunity for someone to give me a massage.

I'll start the bidding at $75. Please bid in the comments. Bidding will be closed never.

Boot Camp

So I am doing boot camp, as some of you may know.


Boot camp = 10 weeks of daily workouts + food plan

My boot camp is special, because I'm doing it with a friend instead of in a class. Or should I say, 'friend.' Here is a picture of her: (she is the one with the glasses)

Ah, isn't that nice. She looks all kind and loving there with her son. And then it's 7AM AND TIME FOR A WORK OUT. Here is Cristina during a workout session:

It's the truth.

Places on my body I am sore

• Lower back
• Upper back
• Biceps
• Triceps
• Quadriceps
• Hamstring
• All of my body