Category: Life

Monday Morning Grievance: End of Break

It’s Monday and I haven’t had my coffee.

Monday Morning Grievances Logo 1

Winter Break is Officially Over

Shave & Haircut: Two Bits

My barber says two months between cuts is too long.

Now I can style my hair; apparently, “mop” isn’t in fashion.

Maybe “style” is too fancy for hair gel and a comb, but it’s more than what I’ve been doing.

Since I haven’t shaved since the beginning of December – far too long ago in Krystal’s opinion – this shave was a multi-step process involving both an electric razor and a normal safety razor, a fair amount of shave cream, and more than the usual aftershave lotion.

I really don’t like shaving.

Clothes Maketh the Man

Last Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were laundry days.

Now I have “normal” clothes; no more sweatpants and sweatshirts all day.

However, I did receive some nice shirts and a sweater for Christmas; so, there’s that.

Remember, Kids: Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day

Huge “THANK YOU” to the students who gave me coffee.

Your gift kept me alive the past two weeks.

Now that I can’t just go to the kitchen whenever I want, I actually have to plan breakfasts again.

Good thing I can pick up a value-sized carton of blueberry toaster pastries on the way to work.

Let’s get this day rolling, shall we?

What’s Annoying You Today?

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The Book Culling (pt 1B)

too high tbr

I noticed something about others’ New Year Resolutions.

Rather, I noticed a lack of resolutions in that most of my acquaintances declared they weren’t making resolutions, but taking things day by day and doing what made them happy.

I would argue that this is a kind of resolution, but I digress.

With that in mind, I took a second look at my TBR.

284 books is quite a large number, and most of them ended up there because of some magazine’s Top Reads / Best Books / All [X] Should Read [Y] list.

Why should I waste my time reading things someone else says I should read?

Didn’t I already do that for 17+ years?

I think it’s time to read the books I want to read, and not base it on some arbitrary list.

The Book Culling (pt 1B)

I’m not going to list the books eliminated in this round.

I started with 284 books.

I ended with 188 books.

188 may still be high, and I may never finish the list – especially since I’m certain to continue adding to it – but they’re the books I want to read*.

Huzzah

*Subject to change without notice.

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Don’t forget to follow me on:

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Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.

The Book Culling (pt 1A)

Leather Books with Ladder

Yesterday, along with finishing my first books of 2016 [4 down; 96 to go], I took a good look my Goodreads TBR.  I wondered how I came to have over 300 books on the list, and decided to see if I could narrow the list down a bit. Here’s what happened:

Beginning: 303 books

Duplicates

These were books I’d read, but for some reason still appeared on the “to-read” list. Books removed:

Ender’s Game

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: and Other Lessons from the Crematory

Why did I Add This?

These were books that I had no recollection of ever adding to the list. Now, before you ask, I did check out the synopsis page before removing them. My best guess is that these books were added to my list as a result of entering a giveaway. Books removed:

The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman

Dragon Choir

Contention

The Dinner

In Times Like These (In Times Like These, #1)

The Chronothon (In Times Like These, #2)

Year of the Cow: How 420 Pounds of Beef Built a Better Life for One American Family

The Sunlit Night

The Smuggler’s Gambit (Adam Fletcher Adventure #1)

Graynelore

Tangled Gardens Coloring Book: 52 Intricate Tangle Drawings to Color with Pens, Markers, or Pencils

Interest Has Waned

I remember adding these books, but for one reason or another I really have no interest in reading them (or in anyone spending their hard-earned money on one as a gift). Books removed:

Lens of War: Exploring Iconic Photographs of the Civil War

In Defense of Troy: The Prince’s Ascent

Dreams to Remember: Otis Redding, Stax Records, and the Transformation of Southern Soul

The Monogram Murders: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery

The Road Not Taken: Finding America in the Poem Everyone Loves and Almost Everyone Gets Wrong

27 Views of Asheville: A Southern Mountain Town in Prose & Poetry

Keeping an Eye Open: Essays on Art

John le Carré: The Biography

Abandoned, Will Not Return To

There is only one book in the category. When I saw it on the list I said “ha ha ha – NOPE!” Seriously – I said this out loud, annoying Smokey. Book removed:

Finnegan’s Wake

Final: 282

Moving Forward

First, I’ll be more careful about adding books to my TBR.

Second, I’ll get around to sorting my physical books . . . eventually.

This will constitute “The Book Culling (pt 2)”

What Think You?

Do Any of These Books Deserve a Second Chance?

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Don’t forget to follow me on:

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Resolved [2016]

calvin and hobbes new years resolutions

Happy New Year! According to WordPress’ algorithms, my local time is now 00:00 on January 1, 2016. I may or may not be awake, but this will go out regardless.

Yesterday, I looked back at 2015; today, I’m looking ahead to 2016 with the following resolutions:.

Reading

Read at least 100 books

Re-read the 41 official Discworld novels

Finish the TBR stack threatening to overtake the TV end table

Keep a good mix of fiction, nonfiction, and biography

Write down or otherwise mark quotes as I find them

Make better use of the Library, including the hold system & inter-library loan

Incur no library fines

Blogging

Keep a consistent blogging schedule

Write more fun-for-me posts, including poetry and short fiction

Take time to read and comment on others’ blogs

Grow Wicked Word Wednesday

Writing

Write a short review to be posted on Amazon & Goodreads for each book I read

Physically write something of importance or significance with pen and ink (or pencil . . . you get the idea).

FINISH THE BOOK

Life in General

Strive to be a better, happier person – the kind of person people want to be around and not just tolerate

Be more understanding that not everyone will understand my introversion and the things that make me tick, and that that’s OK

Compliment more than Complain

Sleep better

Declutter [even – gasp – if it means letting a few books find new homes]

2015 in Retrospect

Turning Calendar PagesDec 31, 2015

The last day of the year seems good a time as any to reflect on the year that was.

Some personal highlights include

Krystal finding a new job as Historic Interpreter

buying a relatively new car

Twitter interactions with Amanda Palmer, Niel Gaiman, & John Scalzi

 Neil Gaiman Retweeted MeAmanda Palmer Retweeted MeThe Scalzi InsultThe Scalzi Retweet

starting my seventh(!) year of teaching

making progress on my book

recording a podcast

surprising Krystal at Christmas

and of course

reaching reading and blogging goals

My Bookshelf, According to Goodreads

Leather Books with Ladder75 books completed

26,363 pages read

Shortest Book: The Visitor

Longest Book: The Silkworm

Average Rating: 3.8 stars

check out the complete Goodreads infographic

Around the Blogosphere

Views:

18,000 (approx)

equivalent to 7 sold-out performances @ Sydney Opera House

Pictures Added:

955

Busiest Day:

Sept 23 (152 views)

Most Popular Post:

Wicked Word Wednesday

Wicked Word Wednesday will return next week!

Longest Posting Streak:

45 Days (28 June – 11 August)

Top Commentators:

vivachange77

philosophermouseofthehedge

Petal and Mortar

shattenengel

Dr Meg Sorick

Why not help me return the favor to these kind folks and check out their blogs, too?

check out the complete WordPress infographic

So, tell me . . . how was your year?

 

Have a suggestion for a poem, photograph, or future post?

Drop a note in the prompt box!

 

Don’t forget to follow me on:

Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.

Instagram – where I show you my Life in Motion and share quotes and such. The widget only shows my last three photographs – don’t you want to see them all?

Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.

My Grandmother’s Grandchild

Almost a year and a half ago – has it really been that long? – I wrote about my grandmother’s house. Today, I found myself acting just like her.

Like all people, Grandma had her idiosyncrasies.

She described every good meal as “a bountiful buffet”.

When asked about get-togethers, she’d often proclaim “a good time was had by all.”

If there was a birth, she’d say the new baby went home with “little brother/sister [x]”, even though said sibling was now the big sibling.

We found this one strange for a newspaper columnist.

We didn’t call her during “her shows” (i.e. soap operas) unless someone was dying, and even then . . .

She never let you win at Scrabble; if you did, it was a rare occurrence and often by single digits.

And then there were her neighbors. Rather, her relationship with her neighbors.

I’m not one to spy or pry, but . . .

Their light was on til one in the morning.

His car was gone by seven.

She should wear more clothes when she mows the lawn.

And so on . . .

This morning, I found myself spying.

To be fair, it wasn’t on my neighbors.

However, I did get out my kitchen stool and watch certain proceedings through the blinds of my front door.

Also, I wouldn’t have done it if they hadn’t woken me up.

What happened? So glad you asked. This happened:

Yes, the city arrived at 7:00 with their equipment and yelling and beeping. Oh dear lord, please stop the beeping.

At least they were gone by the time Krystal had to go to work.

Otherwise, there’d have been words.

 

 

Have a suggestion for a poem, photograph, or future post?

Drop a note in the prompt box!

 

Don’t forget to follow me on:

Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.

Instagram – where I show you my Life in Motion and share quotes and such. The widget only shows my last three photographs – don’t you want to see them all?

Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.

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