Sunday, February 1, 2015

Loose Leafing: Lately

Time/ 10:16 AM (Saturday, this is totally a scheduled post)

The Scene/ My book cluttered desk, flooded with sunlight that hasn't been making much of a regular appearance lately.

Awaiting/ My chiropractor appointment.  I'm starting to feel like my spine is curling inward like in all those reverse evolution photos with the monkey/man hunched over his computer, but it's probably more of a result of yesterday's brief bout of snow shoveling.


 
Foolishly hoping for/  A "real" snow storm.  Here in Northeast PA we keep getting glancing blows from nuisance snowstorms that clip us and then go on to dump real inches of snow elsewhere.  My crazed inner child, for some reason, cannot be dissuaded from craving at least one major snowstorm a winter, even if my outer adult (who works in a place that's in no danger of ever declaring a snow day) dreads having to deal with the snowy consequences.  Sounds like I might get my wish with the snow coming in tomorrow (er...today?), but it could totally still be a major bust.

Rooting/ For the Seahawks good commercials in the Super Bowl.  Okay, if I have to root for a team, it'll have to be the Seahawks, the lesser of two evils in my opinion, but I don't like either Super Bowl contender this year, especially not the Patriots who squashed my dad's beloved Colts.  Mostly, I'll be eating yummy food at my aunt's party and hoping to get some laughs out of the infamous Super Bowl commercials.

Grateful for/  Great books!  It's so refreshing to start out the year reading really good books.  Everybody, including myself, talks a big game about hitting the ground running in the New Year, reading more books, buying fewer books, writing about the books, enjoying the books, but I've had a hard time doing that the past few years because the books I kicked off my year with were, at best, mediocre.  Starting off your bright, shiny new year with a massive reading slump is hideously discouraging.

I'm happy to report that for the first time in a few years, I didn't ride into the New Year on a tide of fictional mediocrity.  As a result, it would seem, I've read double the amount of books I would read in a typical January, and it feels so good.  (Even if that double amount of books hardly puts a dent in the overwhelming book problem that exists at my house)

Reading/ Just finished Hillary Jordan's "dystopia for grown-ups," When She Woke, and loved it.  Now I'm getting started on Tom Cooper's tale of a collection of bayou miscreants on the hunt for lost pirate's treasure, The Marauders.  I'm closing in on the 50 page mark, but I'm still on the fence about this one.

Watching/ Just finished watching the History Channel's Sons of Liberty miniseries.  Sure, it's rife with historical inaccuracies and dialogue that would never have passed between the lips of the patriots.  That said, I liked the series.  If you're looking for a fact based documentary, look elsewhere, but if you're looking for an exciting re-telling of history (with a little more action and sexier patriots *ahem*) with enough truth about it to actually inspire people to be curious about the real story, Sons of Liberty is a good watch.

Dreading/ The bookshelf cull that will inevitably have to take place this year.  The books are overtaking everything.  It's time to say goodbye to some old friends that will probably never get read (by me), but oh how it pains me to send them off unread...

Eating/  Crispy M&Ms!  They're back!  Now if I could just have a nice snowstorm with a bag of Crispy M&Ms in hand, my inner child would have a total field day.



Failing/ To blog regularly.  Honestly, I've been busy reading.  Also, having a computer based job definitely does nothing to make you run gleefully to your computer after eight hours of computing.  That said, I've got a few great books to review this weekend, so hopefully I can turn this blogging ship around.

So, what have you been up to lately?  Kick the year off with any great books?


5 comments:

  1. I saw those m and m's in the store the other day, Walgreens I think, and I never knew they'd disappeared! I do like the mint ones, and the dark ones best. We have your snow, I believe, and I won't even offer to send it back. I've been missing the purifying whiteness, the beautiful world it affords. Hope you get some!

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  2. I know what you mean about blogging - I feel the same way some days. We got missed by the last storm and I admit it was a bit of a disappointment but if we get more than one big storm I am sure I will then be tired of the snow - never happy over here! Enjoy those M&M's!

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  3. I don't think I have ever tried Crispy M&M's. I'm going to have to see if I can find me some . . .

    It sounds like you had a nice January reading wise. I hope you get the snow storm you want--maybe on a day you don't have to work so you can stay in? Only if you want though. :-)

    Culling shelves is so hard . . . I refuse to do it again for another couple years. My last culling was this past fall and I still have empty space on some of my shelves as a result. I haven't even been tempted to feel it, isn't that crazy? Good luck when you do decide to do it. It can be painful at moments, but it's also a bit of a relief.

    I hope you have a great week!

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  4. Culling shelves is hard but ultimately rewarding! Only once have I ever truly regretted getting rid of a book, and when I eventually re-acquired it and reread it, I found I did not like it that much after all. So there you go.

    Did you enjoy the Super Bowl despite the unrootability of the two teams? I had a reasonably good time watching it -- I spotted one player on each team from my alma mater, and rooted for them individually, rather than for either team as a whole. It worked pretty good. My guy Brandon Lafell got a touchdown pass, bless him.

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  5. Oooh, Crispy M&M's! What are those exactly? PB M&Ms are my favorite, but I love trying all the new varieties. Yum yum :)

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