Monday night

This cool spell we're enjoying in these parts is exceptional. I promise I won't be posting bird photos every day now, but I was pleased with this shot of what I think is a Carolina chickadee that I took tonight and had to share.

While I was out I finished reading Mockingjay, the third book in The Hunger Games series. It's a marked improvement over Catching Fire, the repetitious second novel. All three books are pretty quick reads. I suppose they ought to be since they are young adult novels, but I also mean that they hold one's interest fairly well in spite of my quibbles with them.

My criticisms? Collins is better at building scenarios than characters. While all three books are first person accounts, none of the other characters are fleshed out all that well. (For that matter, I don't think the protagonist is deeply drawn.) The series is derivative of dystopian/post-apocalyptic stories, especially films. Those complaints aside, the series wraps with an unexpected toughness that should provide good discussion starters for younger readers.

And then I made a strawberry rhubarb pie. Just because.

The other neighbors

True to my pledge to do some reading outdoors, I spent the better part of the afternoon on my western balcony enjoying the weather and completing Catching Fire, the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy. (Short review: reads an awful lot like a cynical cash-in to turn this into a trilogy. Not bad, just inessential.) It was a fantastic day to be able to sit outside and take it easy. The morning's rain had cooled things off significantly, and when the sun did emerge, there was a nice, soft breeze that kept the temperature comfortable.

The side of the apartment that I was on is relatively isolated. A culvert borders the grassy area and separates the green space from the back of a shopping center. I was able to kick back and listen to the birds chirping away and practically imagine that I was out in the countryside. I even stole a short nap with my head resting against the wall.

From time to time I'd look up to see what I could see. I spotted an ibis or a heron in the culvert getting a drink, so I was inspired to grab my camera and see if there were any shots I might be able to get of my non-leasing neighbors. I didn't have much luck snapping any photos of birds aside from the picture at the top of this post.

I had more success with the pair of squirrels you see perched in the tree. They stuck around for quite awhile. One of them explored some of the patio furniture below. The other was hassled by a particularly aggressive little bird for a bit. Eventually they took a break on a branch.

As the afternoon wore on, the heat picked up to the point that I moved inside. Still, I'm going to have to make sitting on the balcony a regular part of my routine, as long as the weather permits. It was nice to discover a new space in my apartment and observe what's running and flying around the neighborhood.

Let the games begin

With the Harry Potter films coming to an end this summer and the Twilight movies down to the last two, studios have been on the lookout for the next hot young adult series to adapt. Apparently the lucky winner is The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. For the last month or so it seems like each new day has brought another casting announcement for the first film. I liked the Harry Potter books, was looking for something easy to read, and was interested enough/worn down by all the news generated about this series that I decided to dive into the first novel.

The Hunger Games takes place in a post-apocalyptic North America in which the Capitol holds an annual lottery to select two children--one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 to 18--from each of the twelve districts for a televised battle to the death. The spectacle is a means of controlling the population and quelling all notions of rebellion. When 12-year-old Prim's name is drawn, her 16-year-old sister Katniss volunteers to take her place. The majority of the book details Katniss' trip from what was once Appalachia to the Capitol and eventually the arena where she must outlive her 23 competitors.

Even with that concept, the book is more violent than I was expecting, especially considering the age group this is surely intended for (and will appeal to). It'll be interesting to see if the film, which I'll guarantee gets a PG-13, ends up being as controversial as Battle Royale, a Japanese novel and film adaptation that never received theatrical distribution in the United States. (I seem to remember reading that the sticking point was the large sum the producers wanted for North American rights and not the kids killing kids content, but I could be wrong.)

As page turners go, it's a mostly compelling read, even if I could more or less guess what the ending would be from the outset. If this were a film, Collins would be criticized for too often telling us rather than showing us what is happening. In other words, the author can be overly direct in explaining the plot mechanics and the protagonist's emotions. The writing tends toward the schematic, but the premise is solid enough that such an issue isn't fatal. The book also suffers from a few lulls and fails to develop any of the other child warriors beyond Katniss' fellow home district selectee/love interest.

This book isn't as deep or imaginative as the Harry Potter series, but then again, I remember those books mostly getting better as they went along. I should stress that I enjoyed reading The Hunger Games. Life in the arena comprises nearly two-thirds of the novel and contains sufficient thrills and questions about how to behave morally or honorably in a war-like situation to keep one engaged. Plus, the foundation has been set for the heroine to become more than one-dimensional. Katniss is so task-oriented here--rightfully so--that removing her from under the thumb of the Gamemakers should add some shading to her, but I'll find out as I get through the next two books.

Hey, how about that? I've read two books in less than a week and a half. It's been a long time since that happened.

Summer syllabus

The calendar may not officially declare summer here, but going by the academic calendar at my place of employment, it's less than a week away. My job doesn't necessarily change, but matters on the whole should be less urgent than they can be in the midst of the terms. There's no question that I live the year according to the rhythms of the university, and I like it that way. Perhaps it's what I'm used to, but it provides a seasonal structure to work that I don't know other jobs have. If you're working in an office, is any week drastically different from another based on where you are in the year?

So, with the summertime mindset taking over, I'm considering what to do as "projects" to fulfill myself during these months. I'm not necessarily talking about what to knit, although that can be entered into the mix, but what I want to read and watch. Now's the time for catching up on things I haven't had time for or never gotten around to.

Approaching television shows as something worthy of study isn't unusual among many I know, but I realize it might sound ridiculous to some. In other words, I won't apologize for what I intend to do. TV has been incredibly rich over the past decade--yes, in spite of plenty of garbage--but there's a fair amount I haven't seen, especially the HBO series. (I've never seen an episode of The Sopranos, for instance.) For starters, I've decided to plow my way through all three seasons of Deadwood, if for no better reason than I found a great deal on the complete series on Blu-ray.

I've been feeling the itch to rewatch Veronica Mars, and The A.V. Club's summer-long revisiting of the first season seems like a good enough reason to return to it. I've had a love of mysteries for quite some time, but somewhere along the line I sort of lost that stuff to read or watch. Veronica Mars hits a sweet spot for me, and I'm curious to revisit the high school noir. It took me until the first season came out on DVD to catch onto the show, but it quickly became a favorite that I wish had lasted more than its three seasons.

I was a big fan of Alias when it was on the air. Since it's getting The A.V. Club treatment too, I might try to take another look at it if time permits.

As for books, I've decided to dive into the young adult The Hunger Games trilogy. Maybe the choice is due to sheer bombardment of information on the upcoming films' casting. I'm a chapter into the first book and am interested enough that this seems like something worth reading.

I've had my eye on The Complete Calvin and Hobbes for years and finally picked it up when spotting a deep discount on the hefty set's price. And I'm not joking about hefty. The three-volume set is heavy. The comic strip is one of my all-time favorites, if not the favorite, so it will be fun to flip through these pages.

I made it about halfway through the graphic novel Bone last summer and then got distracted, so I'd like to finish it. There are recent books (or two) by favorite authors that I bought but haven't read. Such is my inconsistency as a reader. In keeping with my love of mysteries and childhood fondness for Agatha Christie books, maybe I should re-read some of them. I probably haven't picked them up since junior high or high school.

Obviously I could go on and on, but it will be ambitious to get through everything I've listed here. What do you want to read and watch this summer? Or am I just weird for planning these like assignments?

Book it

So far this year work, travel, and films--the last item in the list has been involved with the first two--have left me with little other time to wile away. I think I may be seeing a break in my schedule that should permit more room for knitting, reading, you name it. Having worked a long, energy-sapping day yesterday and wanting to enjoy a Sunday free from the clock, I decided to dive into a book.

I elected to go with In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, & an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson, which I purchased in the Kindle edition. This is the first new book--ie., recently published--I've bought for the device. While I prefer the tangible quality of physical media and could have ordered the hardcover for a mere fifty cents more, I thought this might be a way of easing me off the need for the object. I've liked the two Larson books I've read--I loved The Devil in the White City--but unlike my favorite authors, I don't feel compelled to have all of his books on my shelves. (It's why I've not given a second thought to downloading all of the Sherlock Holmes stories, which I'd not read from a physical copy anyway, or free classics I've not read.)

Reading about the rise of the Nazis wasn't at the top of my priorities, but I trust Larson as a writer to make the non-fiction story compelling and fresh. I'm about halfway through, and so far my faith has been rewarded. The book is about a professor who is appointed ambassador to Germany in 1933. His wife and two grown children accompany him on the move to Europe. Much of the book is drawn from the papers and journals kept by the ambassador and his daughter, and what revelations there are to be found.

On this side of history it can be hard to understand how everything took shape, or at least to view it without hindsight judgment. I'm about halfway through, but already Larson has made the period come alive for me in a way that I've not encountered it before. Having recently seen Shoah and The Great Dictator, made and released before the U.S.'s involvement, and now adding this book to the mix, I feel like the pre-World War II period is coming more into focus to me. The ingrained anti-Semitic attitudes in this country at the time, and the role they surely played in the U.S. not intervening right away, have been something of a surprised to read about.

So, it's been a fun day doing a lot of reading, with more to come tonight after I finish this entry. I has also got me thinking about the summer reading programs I was involved with as a kid. I was an an enthusiastic--or an overenthusiastic--participant then, and I'd like to get some of that back. Maybe reading a book a week is setting the bar high, but I'd like to get into the mindset of reading regularly again. Assuming I can keep up with it, I'm write about it here.

Turn the page

The writing has been on the wall for awhile, but now it appears that the warning is about to be fulfilled. Borders is expected to file for bankruptcy. A quick scan for news about Barnes and Noble shows that opinions seem to be more favorable for them, although I swear I've read that their long-term future has been held in question. Regardless, some are tolling the bell for the bookstore. It's likely to become louder if Borders shuts down a lot of stores or closes altogether.

One of my favorite stores to go to as a kid was a local bookstore in a strip mall. The selection was nothing compared to what you'll find at Borders and Barnes and Noble, but I don't recall those superstores being around then. (Mall tenants B. Dalton and Waldenbooks would have been the competition then, I suppose.) If we went to Kmart or the single screen second-run movie theater or visited the library across the street, chances were good that we'd stop in at Newton's Book Store, especially if I was with my mom.

Newton's Book Store could handle the mystical process of the special order and find books that I'd never seen and might not have known even existed. At some point I got such hard-to-find books as The Baseball Address List, an autograph collector's handy guide with the names and addresses of every living person who'd played in Major League Baseball, and Late Night with David Letterman: The Book, which I wish I had but which I think got ruined in storage at my parents'.

As far as I can tell, Newton's is no longer in business. (It's listed among the retailers in my school district, but that document says it was last updated in May 1998.) I'm kind of surprised it made it that long since the superstore boom of the '90s surely wiped out a lot of small, independent stores.

Of course the small shop never stood a chance. I don't recall the first time I went to one of the big stores--it was probably when I was in college--but the selection was staggering. (I might have first visited Little Professor Book Center, an independent chain that left Columbus some time ago but which may still be around in some places if this dated website and searches are to be believed.) Here were stores that were destinations and that provided immediate access to books that one might have to wait for a week or more if going elsewhere. I remember spending plenty of time browsing the aisles and exploring what might be there to find.

Now these superstores are endangered species. Coupons or sales that chop the prices down significantly have become more plentiful, which is pretty much the only reason I will buy from these places anymore. In the age of Amazon.com and quick shipping, there's virtually no reason to buy something at Borders or B&N with their full retail prices. (Come on, who's going to buy a new CD for $19, which is at least $5 more than most places.)

Perfect example: this week I bought a $10 Groupon for $20 off at B&N and intended to use it locally to support one of the stores in my area. I wanted to get the Blu-ray of The Double Life of Veronique. I could order it through the company's website for home delivery for $30 or place an online order for in-store pick-up for the full $40 price. Hmm, let me think about that one. Of course I bought it through the website and am having it shipped to me.

Yet even though the potential disappearance of these mega booksellers wouldn't really affect my purchasing habits, I'll miss them if or when they're gone. Maybe it's nostalgia for places that meant something to me when I was younger. Maybe it's a fear that tangible things are going to be harder to come by in the future. Maybe it's sentimentality. Sure, I have a Kindle and enjoy using it--I'm part of the problem!--but I still like to roam the stacks too.

One for the coffee table

Wiped out after a long day, but here's something that might be of interest: the most expensive book in the world.

Kindle consideration

Although eleven days isn't sufficient time as a Kindle owner for evaluating the device, I've used it enough to have developed some solid opinions.

Since I no longer subscribe to the newspaper, I've been in need of something to read during lunch. I brought the Kindle with me to work each day with the idea that spending thirty to sixty minutes reading it would relieve some of the stress while on the clock. (I have a bad habit of not leaving the office some days, which is compounded because that means I don't get and rarely see outside.)

I did find the Kindle to be a good way of taking a break rather than surfing the internet at my desk or on my iPhone. During a meal it's much easier to read because you don't need to hold it open, which is important if you have utensils or food in your hands. That may seem like an insignificant benefit, but the potential hands-free option is something I like about it for precisely such circumstances.

Obviously the fact that the Kindle can store a lot of books but weigh less than one--or about as much as a small one if put in a case--is a selling point. Yes, it is another electronic device to tote, but it doesn't take up much space and fits in the hand pretty well.

Having it has boosted the amount I'm reading on a daily basis. I was swamped this week, yet I made an effort to read every day, whether at lunch or before going to sleep. I suppose that's not a creditable quality of the Kindle, although I do find it to be more convenient.

I haven't used the other features so far. No highlighting or anything like that. I briefly tested the text-to-speech function but decided that I wanted to read rather than listen to it. That's something to play with some other time, perhaps while making a long drive.

I do see it increasing the amount I read, especially when it comes to catching up on freely available classics. I've nearly finished The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and have a couple other books loaded up and ready to go. I'll still buy books from my favorite authors, but I'm more inclined to get electronic versions now than I once would have been.

Pulp to pixels

When my mom started asking me questions about the Amazon Kindle, I assumed that she was interested in getting one for herself. That proved to be true--she has one awaiting shipment--but first and foremost she was inquiring because she was thinking of getting me one for my birthday.

This took me quite by surprise. The item is more expensive than gifts I'm accustomed to getting from my parents, and it wasn't something I'd hinted (or stated outright) that I wanted. My preference is for the physical book, but a device that aids reading like the iPod does for listening to music became more appealing the more I considered it. My literary tastes lean toward the classics, and with a treasure trove of those available for free for the Kindle, this e-reader starting looking very attractive. (It didn't hurt that a couple trusted friends have spoken highly of it too.)

Since the third generation was recently released, there's been a bit of a wait required since a Kindle was ordered for me, but in a fortuitous bit of timing, it arrived yesterday on my birthday. I haven't had a lot of time to fiddle with it yet, but I can already tell that this will prove to be a very useful tool to have. I downloaded a couple free classics and started reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, only putting it aside when I knew I needed to get some sleep. I will get a lot of use from this, and not just out of a sense of guilt that I let my parents buy it.

I haven't done a lot of searching for titles, but the Kindle strikes me as a pretty good place for knitting books and patterns. True, it isn't in color and wouldn't necessarily be as good of a resource for some patterns, but for portable use it's a smarter device for checking instructions than a laptop or smart phone. For that matter, it may be handier than a printed copy. You can still make notations on the Kindle.

Although I own a physical copy of The Knitting Answer Book, I think I'd happily purchase a Kindle version if one became available. It could be easily searchable and not take up as much space in a bag.

Have any readers applied their Kindle as a knitting tool, and if so, how so?

In rotation

Assuming my trip for work and pleasure doesn't fall through at the last minute, I'll be setting out on the road very soon. Consider it summer's last hurrah. So while I try to keep all the plates spinning and make plans for driving to Maine, why don't I write a bit about what I'm reading and listening to.

During the trip to Minnesota I began reading Bone. I thought a graphic novel might be an easier read in the car, so of course it's perfectly sensible that I then chose a 1332-page book to tote around. (Bonus: Bone and the cartoonist have a local connection.) I'm about halfway through it and have enjoyed what I've read so far.



While the pairing of Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan seems unusual--she came from the twee Scottish band Belle & Sebastian, he led grunge rockers Screaming Trees--their collaboration makes for an interesting study in opposites. His low, rumbling voice sounds like it could crack the earth while her wispy vocals seem like they might evaporate. "You Won't Let Me Down Again", the first single from their newly released album Hawk, is representative of their Americana explorations, and it sounds like something to turn up while heading down the highway, something that's captured in the video.

Summer reading program

The summer reading program at the local library branch was one of the things I loved during the months when school was out. I read like a fiend in those days. Some of the motivation for summertime reading was getting the stamps on the sheet that tracked how many books I consumed. Beyond filling up every sport, the pay-off for reaching a certain number was some kind of prize. I vaguely recall that the reward was a free food item, maybe a personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut. Still, as a voracious reader, I would have read plenty without the incentive of a proverbial carrot.

Blame the movies, TV, and the internet if you are so inclined--I'm not--but I don't read at anything approaching the pace that I did when reading was one of my major activities. Good grief, I don't necessarily read a book a month. Or every other month.

Since I work in the world of academia, I still observe a summer break of sorts. I'm still working, but the demands and schedule are different, or at least they should be. Monday brings the start of this summer, so I vow to start taking time out for reading of printed and bound works, not just whatever is on my computer screen. I have enough unread books around my place that I certainly don't have a shortage of options.

I won't be getting a piece of paper stamped for each book I finish or a treat at the end of it. Instead I'll get the satisfaction from the act of reading, which was the entire point of the library program back then.

Talking PC

I drove over to the greater Dayton area to see John Hodgman reading from his books. Some of you may know him from his appearances on The Daily Show. Most of you will be familiar with him as the PC in the Apple computer commercials.

I don't think I've ever gone to a book reading until tonight, so I wasn't sure what to expect or how many people would be there. Although I was once a little familiar with the area where the event took place, it's totally different--read: developed--now. Like Easton Town Center, the shopping complex is constructed like a fake small town with large parking lots and parking garages. (Hodgman jokingly compared it to the village in The Prisoner.)

By my estimate there were about sixty to seventy people there to listen to the writer talk and read from his works. He proved to be a skilled presenter who is quick on his feet. There's a blurry line between John Hodgman and "John Hodgman", but whether he was in more of a character mode or as himself, he was consistently funny.

During the Q&A he talked about how anyone can be famous for an instant today, but the people who endure or succeed are those who make something. Clearly it takes no skill to attain a moment in the spotlight in today's media-saturated world, but to remain there requires an ability to make something. I don't know that it's an original thought, but it's something that bears repeating to my students, some of whom can be more interested in the allure of being in front of the cameras.

He numbered each book that he signed, with separate counts for paperbacks and hardbacks, which tickles my inner obsessive-compulsive. (I don't know if the counts are from this book tour alone or not, but I can tell you that there weren't 2734 people ahead of me.)

While I'm loath to place my photo on this site, I feel as though I need one from the event. Since my quickly snapped shots of him speaking are too fuzzy, I present one of me and a veritable talking PC here.

Wrapped up in books

Ignoring the fact that I had to turn the heat back on today, when warmer weather arrives, I am able to read books with more regularity. It's likely related to having fewer work demands and all the time I spend on the beach and in airports. (OK, those last two aren't true.)

I've only been able to read three books so far this year: The Areas of My Expertise, a comedy book of fake facts; Watchmen, the seminal graphic novel that you may have heard was adapted into a movie; and Geek Love, a not-for-the-faint-of-heart novel about a traveling carnival family.

The latter two aren't the sort of books I would typically read. I've never been into comic books, which means that I don't pay attention to them rather than that I possess some highfalutin objection to them. I felt like Watchmen's stature required me to read it before seeing the film. I enjoyed it, but what a dark journey it takes one on.

I picked up Geek Love because it was the inaugural pick for The A.V. Club's book club. The description didn't sound like it would be my thing--a husband and wife conduct chemical experiments on her to produce a brood of freaks for their carnival--but I wanted to participate and gave it a shot. To say that it's transgressive is to point out the tip of the iceberg. Certainly it provides a lot to think about, and I don't regret reading it. That said, I don't know that I'd say I liked it--I take some issues with how it's written--and don't foresee reading it again.

Currently I'm reading More Information Than You Require, the follow-up to The Areas of My Expertise. It's light reading that can be picked up and put down at a moment's notice, which is why the book is a good choice for me right now. I finished Part I of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle a couple months ago but haven't found the time to read the rest. (No, Oprah's endorsement is not what led me to get it.) What I've read has been good.

Nevertheless, I'm feeling the itch to start reading more. Cormac McCarthy's The Road and David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest are on my list of potential upcoming reads, although the former may continue the string of bleak rading and the latter may just be too blasted long and complicated. Suggestions?

Remainders

Touching upon some things mentioned previously...

Having finally completed the guitar portion of Guitar Hero: World Tour for the Wii, I must say that the song selection leaves quite a bit to be desired. While I'm up on the music scene, I'm not necessarily plugged in to what's on the radio. Still, I get the sense that there are a fair number of songs that aren't widely known. The hard rock (or active rock or whatever they're calling it these days) picks surely are confined to that genre. I haven't a clue where the Spanish rock offerings came from. Between these less well-known choices and some pop songs whose inclusion feels like a test for future niche games, I'm disappointed in what's available to be played. And please, enough with the epic-length songs too.

Reading at least one book each month wasn't one of my resolutions, but perhaps I should make an effort to do that. January can be checked off as I've finished The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman. It's light reading that can be picked up and put down at a moment's notice, which is good for my packed month. I found it to be consistently funny, even if the conceit of an almanac of false facts peters out now and then.

Yesterday I posted about an actress whose convincing on-screen knitting is due to her being a knitter. I should have clicked on the next item in my search before posting because this article goes into more detail about her knitting.

Finally, by request and gauntlet throwdown, I present photographic proof of my cold weather beard. (You'll have to follow that link as I'm not posting it here. I don't want to see it.) It took eleven days of not shaving to produce all that scruff. It's being sheared off tonight because I'm not going on TV looking like that and because I'm tired of it even if it's just now starting to look like a beard.

The pages of time

I used to be a fairly voracious reader, but I confess to not consuming as many books as I once did, especially in childhood. Go ahead Luddites, blame TV, the movies, and the internet. Without a doubt, those things are in part to blame.

I read lots of different things. Encyclopedia Brown, The Three Investigators, and The Hardy Boys mysteries led to Agatha Christie. I recall a James Herriott period in elementary school. I was never much into fantasy, but Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain series were some of my favorite books. The classics and sports biographies were regularly on my plate. I even went through a brief time reading trashy Elvis Presley tell-alls and Wilson Bryan Key's books about subliminal advertising and messages.

Mysteries were probably my favorite genre, but comedy books were up there too. I advanced from the writings of Gordon Korman to the compiled works of newspaper columnists Dave Barry and Lewis Grizzard. I was also a regular and thorough newspaper reader, even stuff like reviews of movies I wouldn't be allowed to see or had no interest in. Is it any wonder that I had journalistic aspirations or that I write semi-professionally or as a hobby?

Those humor books, though, were always a reliable source of amusement. Although they may not rank alongside the peaks of literature, they delivered on their purpose of providing a smile or some laughs. (I haven't read Dave Barry regularly in a long time, partially because it seemed like his columns were very formulaic.) While my tastes in pop culture probably aim slightly higher than the mainstream, one lesson from these books is to remember that there is worth in the popular and lowbrow as long as they are well-executed.

This reflection comes to me as I make my way through The Areas of My Expertise, which I received for Christmas. I've been busy and not ready to commit to a read that requires a little more brainpower, so John Hodgman's book of humorous nuggets has been a splendid companion at the moment. Laughs are not easy to get, so those who can do it deserve more thanks than we or they know.

All the old showstoppers

I'm at a loss for what to write about. Goings-on aren't all that eventful. I'm knitting a blanket, but it's the knit stitch repeated ad infinitum, meaning there's nothing worth mentioning there. In lieu of looking for a scrap of interesting activity, let's take a peek at what I'm watching, listening to, and reading.

At the movies: I've been seeing a lot of dogs lately (cases in point: the laugh-worthy 88 Minutes and Prom Night). The best film I've watched in the past couple weeks is Leatherheads. It's far from perfect, but I'm a sucker for old screwball movies. George Clooney has made a solid attempt at replicating the snappy humor and good, old-fashioned entertainment.

On TV: It seems like television has been stagnant since the writer's strike, but new episodes are finally returning. Last week's The Office, with its acidic sitcom version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, was amazing. The fans vs. favorites edition of Survivor has provided some fresh twists to a show that should be stale by now. American Idol has been underwhelming this season, but I get a few good laughs from their hokey Ford music videos each week. But enough messing around...give me new Lost episodes!

In music: I haven't decided where Accelerate fits into the R.E.M. discography, but it's a blessed break from the sameness that made the last two albums generally forgettable. Gnarls Barkley's The Odd Couple can be pretty dark lyrically, but I'm fond of its vintage soul mixed with the contemporary. With Asking for Flowers Kathleen Edwards may deliver her most consistent album to date. The Tom Petty vibe on it doesn't hurt. I'm still digesting Hold On Now, Youngster... by Los Campesinos!

Reading, or not reading but have bought and really would like to find the time to read: I loved Jhumpa Lahiri's first two books, so I ought to dive into her new one, Unaccustomed Earth, and let it grab me instead of waiting to find the time.

I enjoyed the first two books Mary Doria Russell wrote, but I never got around to her venture into historical fiction. Maybe it's because the mix of science fiction and theology in The Sparrow and Children of God exerted such mental workouts that I kept waiting to pick up A Thread of Grace, her third novel, when I felt more up to it. (Or it could be that I wasn't jumping at the thought of reading something set during World War II. Call it fatigue from the war movies in recent years.) At least it's in hand now thanks to a deep discount on the hardcover version.

What are you watching/listening to/reading?

The man comes around

By no means am I old, nor do I feel that way, yet this was one of those days where I felt like an adult. It's not like what I was doing was especially grown up. If anything, going to see Blade Runner: The Final Cut and Rambo when most people were at work is more of an adolescent's pursuit even if it is part of my job.

What's strange about me saying this is that I was one of those kids whom adults regularly proclaimed mature for my age. (I would agree.) I think I was able to take the long view from a relatively early age and was more earnest/serious/introverted than the majority of my peers. That might be a surprise considering that I was consistently among the youngest in my classes in school.

I started working early too. I can't say for sure, but I may have been mowing the church's yard and lots my dad owned when I was in late elementary school. I helped out at the family business, the grain elevator, for a couple hours each day after junior high classes. While my dad was busy doing stuff I couldn't do, I was often the only one there to wait on customers, work the cash register, and carry feed bags to customers' cars.

So why, out of the blue, did I feel like an adult today? Beats me. Maybe it was doing "real" grocery shopping. I confess that I often will go unprepared and get just a couple things, which forces multiple, unproductive trips. Today I scribbled a list on the back of an envelope, got a cart rather than a basket, and bought enough food to keep me stocked for awhile. I might have spent an hour seasoning the beef, chicken, and pork that I put in the freezer. By my count I have fifteen meals ready to be put in the pan or oven at a moment's notice. I almost never do this, but I know I've put a little weight back on due to receding into convenience's bad eating habits.

Before shopping I dropped off some recyclables in the grocery store's bins. I only had a short distance to go and didn't put my seatbelt on. It was the strangest feeling. I've been conscientious about wearing it since what seems like forever. Perhaps this blast from the past jarred loose an old sense memory.

Or maybe it's that I'm here at home writing this blog entry rather than at a concert I was considering attending. The 9:00 p.m. start time and three opening acts unfamiliar to me screamed too much effort for something I wasn't that invested in attending. (I have become more of a homebody. Having a place again where I'm comfortable may be as responsible as anything.) That I would think about going to see Times New Viking makes me "younger" than a lot of people my age but still... (A warning to those going to the band's page: if you're not attuned to lo-fi indie rock, you may feel like the song that automatically starts is an assault on your ears. It sounds loud even with the volume low.)

What a weird coincidence that I finished reading Nick Hornby's Slam on this day. The author is known for writing about men-children, although his latest reverses directions, focusing on a boy forced to grow up before he's ready. The book was a nice change of pace from the heavier reading I'd been doing. It's also a nice response--even though it isn't intended as one--to the film Juno. I liked the Oscar-nominated comedy about teen pregnancy, but it struck me as awfully cutesy too. (The critical and popular love parade for it strengthens my opinion that the film is terribly overrated.) Slam treats the situation in a more realistic manner despite the fact that the main character solicits advice from his Tony Hawk poster.

Anyway, that's what was on my mind today. Time to pick up the needles after a layoff.

Loose ends

As promised, here's a picture of my mom's first FO. I fixed her mistakes while I was home. After that she was on her own. From what I can tell, it looks like she did a pretty good job, so I must have pointed her somewhat in the right direction. FYI, she used a variegated Red Heart yarn.

I've taken a step toward knitting again. I went through the tedious process of winding the hank of yarn she selected for a hat she asked me to make. I hadn't been feeling like knitting it, but now that this part is out of the way, I think I'm ready to get started. I need to check the cable, though. It seemed like one end was coming out of the join. Since I glued several of these at Christmastime, I'm going to assume it is the other end that is popping out.

I keep forgetting that I bought five skeins of yarn to make myself a blanket, so that's a mindless project I can begin anytime. I'm not feeling up to any knitting challenges at the moment. Although work is going well, it's taking a lot out of me. I also have a lot of writing to do that requires a good deal of thought. So I'm looking for knitting to be nice and simple.

Maybe I'll get some brain energy back now that I've finished a book that required a lot of it. I want to write an extended post on my other site about How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now by James L. Kugel because it provoked a lot of thoughts. It's fair to say that it has had a significant impact on me, both in confirming and challenging my beliefs about interpreting Scripture.

To follow up on my outrageous overachieving in filing taxes so early, it's something I'm able to do because mine are very simple. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that it takes longer to find my previous years' returns than to do them for the new year. (That would definitely be true if I did them by hand. E-filing takes me through more steps than I really need.)

I did them the same day my W-2s arrived in the mail, although I'm finding that the city taxes are going to take longer to complete. I need to file in two cities. Columbus has an incredibly convoluted form that I'm not sure how to fill out, not to mention that it's likely I'll probably owe them a couple hundred dollars because of the difference in city tax rates where I live and where I work. No rush there.

The needle and the damage done

OK, I'm not as disenchanted with my messed up WIP as I was last night. I'm still not happy about it, but it's not the end of the world. Perhaps it was good that it happened. In swearing off knitting for the weekend, or at least until I get my movie reviews written, I feel like some of the weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I was putting too much deadline pressure on myself. Plus, writing while tired always make me sound extra cranky.

Thinking about the situation now, I think I know what I need to do. I'll take the hat off the needles, frog at least two rounds, slide the stitches onto the smallest Options interchangeable needle I have, and then resume knitting on the appropriate needles. It's not without risk, I'm sure, but it seems doable.

It sounds like I should also get some glue to reattach the cable to the join. To clarify, I'm not having a problem with the needle staying attached. The cable has been separated from the join. I'm wondering if using longer cables for magic loop would lessen the stress put on the cable-join connection. Thoughts?

This has been kind of an odd day. I knew that snow was a possibility, but I didn't expect to walk out of the movie theater this morning and find a couple inches on the ground and my car. We got enough to postpone the basketball game for which I was supposed to keep stats. That pleased me since I could stay home and get a review done instead. It would feel really good to scratch out another tonight.

I also read a book for awhile, something I haven't done in a few months. How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now by James L. Kugel doesn't qualify as light reading, but I'm finding it to be pretty fascinating. While the subject matter offers a lot to digest, it has been a relatively easy read. (Thanks for mentioning this book, Donna!)

Banned in the USA

Three movie reviews and a blog entry in 24 hours mean I'm permitting myself some writer's laziness. In other words, it's meme time.

Amanda created one about the American Library Association's most challenged books of all-time. I don't like big, long lists on this blog, so I'll cherry-pick the titles I've read for commenting and such. Visit her site for the complete list if you would like to play along.

-The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

You know, I can't say for sure that I've read this Twain book, but I'm fairly certain I have. Tom Sawyer was assigned reading in junior high (eighth grade?). If I like one book by an author, I tend to search out several others. It's the old completist/auteurist impulse. If I haven't read it, it's because the book is so ingrained in the public consciousness that it feels like I have.

-Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Another assigned book in English class, this one in freshman year of high school. Steinbeck is one of my favorites, probably due in no small part to being required to read his novels. (The Grapes of Wrath was sophomore year.) Except for rabbit-petting and the jokes about Lenny it inspired in the cafeteria, I don't remember a lot about this book's effect on me. I do recall how our teacher put The Grapes of Wrath into context and revealed subtext and the meaning of references in it. Maybe it wasn't the first time I was taught about looking beyond the mere words on the page, but it was a pivotal lesson that took root, even if I didn't know it at the time.

-The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Still in English class, junior year this time. I know it's clichéd to claim it as a favorite. What teenager doesn't take it to heart? This came ready-made for adolescent ardor because of its controversial reputation. It must be subversive because I wrote my paper in defense of the obscenities in it. I was not, nor am I, a rebel, but I got a kick out of putting dirty words in an assignment. How daring! Maybe it's a sign of how sheltered I was or how degraded mass culture has become that I can't imagine this book seeming as "dangerous" to kids today. Some four-letter words and a scene with a prostitute? That's family hour TV nowadays, isn't it?

Aside: I have no clue what is and isn't acceptable in high school classrooms these days, but I wonder if schools would get away with showing Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet or Roman Polanski's Macbeth in conjunction with studying the Shakespeare plays. The former sent ripples through freshman English because of the brief nudity in it. The latter was even more scandalous to teenage sensibilities because of the nudity and violence and Playboy's involvement. (According to the film's Wikipedia page, Hugh Hefner's company financed the picture.) Would these be off limits today?

-The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

I read the first book in my late twenties as preparation for the forthcoming film. I've enjoyed the books, and that's all I have to say about them.

-A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

It's weird how one can peg years for things not considered for a long time. Then again, maybe I'm completely wrong. I feel confident in saying I read this in fifth grade, but as far as the book itself, all I can recall is a vague notion of what the cover looked like.

-Blubber by Judy Blume

Scandal-mongering author of my youth! Well, at least in terms of Blume being the author that was attracting some fire at the time. Again, I don't remember anything about the book other than I probably read it in fourth grade.

-The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

This seems like something I read in fifth grade, but it might have been fourth. I know I read it around the time the movie was released.

-Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

I never had to read this for a class, but I picked it up on my own a year or two after I finished college. (I was going through a classics phase.) If anything, it's been good to have under my belt when encountering films about dystopian futures.

-Cujo by Stephen King

I read this in high school. Is he still popular with that age group? It seems like high schoolers, even those who did very little reading for pleasure, gravitated toward him. At the time I don't think my mom was thrilled that I had checked out some of King's books from the library.

-James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Mark this one down as something I probably read. I know I owned some of Dahl's other books. (Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator was a Christmas present, I think. Yes, I read a lot as a kid.)

-Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Somehow I think I never had to read this in any class, although I wonder if it might have been required in a college course. (My advanced English class in senior year of high school tackled another Vonnegut, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater.) I have read it. Vonnegut's experimentation with time and the author's voice made an impact on me. It was quite odd to find characters from one of his books popping up in others. When it comes to Vonnegut I've been a voracious reader for brief spells and then have to put him aside because I get too depressed.

If anything, this exercise proves that my memory about childhood things can be lousy when it comes to specifics or important details.