Sunday, October 31, 2010

Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs--#71 finished

This was a short story/editorial type book, kind of interesting in a general way. I just thought it was alright. It sounds like the author Chuck Klosterman has lived an interesting life and you can tell that those experiences have of course influenced his opinions on things. This was kind of an attempt by him to examine pop culture, I think he did okay. Some funny stuff and some good observations but overall just kind of okay. Nothing here that has really stuck with me. Oh well, just not really my cup of tea but I think I have another book of his on my WL so maybe when it comes in I will see how I like it.

This was a book that I got from PBS and it was over 12 or so WL for it, it is now down to 1 WL but it has been accepted so I will be mailing it off with Boo Who sometime this week.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Nebraska won & Rangers win

Nebraska Cornhuskers beat Mizzou. A very good win, makes me wish we had beaten Texas but oh well they are college players. At least I will be able to talk up the NE win instead of eating humble pie had they lost.

Also the Texas Rangers won tonight but are still a game back of the Giants in the world series. Will have to see how tomorrow goes for them. If they can even it up, that would be big.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Boo Who--#70 finished

This is the sequel to Boo, which I remember as being alright. Well I would rate Boo Who a little below that. Not terrible but also not that good either. I still don't really believe some of the premises of the book. Boone Wolfe is a horror writer that finds God & gives up writing. I don't see why he can't find God and continue writing, maybe not horror novels but certainly something else. Instead he tries selling cars and then working in a bookstore, to get in touch with a more common existence. Ainsley his fiancée gets it in her mind to become a famous Martha Stewart clone and over does it, getting in over her head. This is just two of the people in the town that lose their way or basically just lose all ability to think with a little common sense. Like I said not terrible but also not very good.

I will be posting it probably this weekend on PBS. There were 3 WL for it so it should be mailed off probably next week. I just mailed 2 books today after mailing 2 earlier in the week so want to give it a few days before having to mail off more. Now still reading Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs and just started a couple days ago Cheyenne in New York. Will look over my books for a 3rd but might wait a couple days on it also.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Where are the comments?

I have noticed that the comments I was getting here have mostly dried up. Not a big deal by any means since most were in Chinese so I couldn't read them anyway but still just wondering why they have quit lately. I guess the other question is why they started or how they found this blog. This blog isn't a secret but it is certainly not publicized either. Oh well, just one of those things I was wondering.

Texas Rangers lost game one. Still need to win tomorrow then to get a split on the road. No worrying at this point.

Nebraska Husker's volleyball lost to Texas tonight also. Not a good night for my sports teams. Again oh well, not much I could have done from my couch to help them. That is just the way it goes sometimes.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Once They Wore the Gray--#69 finished

It had been a long time since I had read a western and I really enjoyed this one. It was about Confederate soldiers that were prisoners of the Union at a deplorable prison camp. I guess all Civil War prison camps were probably deplorable, just depends on levels of deplorable. Well these soldiers realize their days are numbered if they stay in the prison and escape is nearly impossible. The Union offers the soldiers a chance to sign up with the Union army and be stationed in the West fighting Indians with no chance of fighting Confederates. The story talks about a handful or so of them and how they are treated and how they earn the respect of the Union troops out there. A good story for the most part. I give extra credit because I wasn't aware of this offer to the Confederates so I learned something as well. Good read and makes me think I should search out a few more interesting westerns as well and make them part of my huge piles of books to read.

I have posted it on PBS, there are already 3 copies a head of it so it probably won't be moving for a long time if I had to guess. This was a book that I got in a Book Bazaar deal early on when I first joined so I don't think there has been much movement on this book. Oh well, I have been shipping quite a few books off recently so glad to be able to add one to the bookshelf.

Still reading the Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs book and Boo Who. I will need to pick out at least one more book tonight and maybe two.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

VB

My oldest daughter made a select VB team. We are very proud of her and hope she is ready to put the work into it. I am sure she is because she has done very well with her CYC team. This sounds like it will be practices twice a week and tournaments a lot of the weekends starting in January. I have a feeling we have no idea what we are getting into but will just have to see how it plays out. Very happy for her but I have some apprehension.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Hell's Gate--#68 finished

Not too bad, mostly enjoyable but seems like it was also missing something. The characters didn't really seem to come alive much, every character walked that fine line of could be the bad guy except for about two. Some question with all the bad stuff going on, people being killed and major forest fires being started, why wasn't the feds/FBI brought in much sooner and why did they have to go get them instead of the FBI doing the investigation. Oh well, maybe too picky because I did enjoy the book. I thought it was also informative about Montana and forest stuff so it had that going for it.

I have posted it on PBS & it has been accepted so I will be mailing it off early next week. Still reading Boo Who, Once They Wore Gray and the Klostermann book Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs. I will be looking over my books to pick another one as well but might not be decided tonight.

Texas Rangers in World Series

I was amped up to get to the computer after the game last night and after watching some parts of movies was too tired to get to the computer. I am still pretty excited about Texas making the World Series, they have a very good young team with good hitting and pitching. Glad to see them make it. During the game I thought back to my baseball cards of the players I had collected which helped them become my favorite team. Toby Harrah, Mike Hargrove, Jim Sundberg, Ferguson Jenkins, Sparky Lyle, Bump Wills, Joe Lovitto, Billy Sample, Juan Benquitz(sure spelled wrong), Jon Matlock, Doc Medich, Jim Bibby and many many others. I am probably as glad for them as I am for the current players.

San Fran just closed out the game with the Phillies, so it will be the Giants and Rangers going at it. It should be a fun series. Go Rangers.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Stuff

Missed a few days here so let me do some quick catching up. Tuesday was VB practice & I went for a run. It was a little chilly and I forgot my Garmin so I only did 3.0 miles or somewhere close to that. It took 39 minutes so a little slow or a little more than 3.0 but either way okay.

Wednesday I fell asleep watching the Giants Phillies game, Giants won late or extra innings, not sure. Did get some reading in as well, mostly on Hell's Gate.

Tonight was VB practice again, but instead of running I helped out. Just watched a few minutes of Hurt Locker and then found a future showing to record. I think it won a best picture so should probably see it from the beginning. Now a little catch up on the internet and then read some before calling it a night.

Monday, October 18, 2010

PSR night but no run

Monday is PSR night for the kids and is usually then a night for me to get a run in. Tonight though I skipped the run because I should get runs in on Tuesday & Thursday with VB practices then. I instead hit the library & found a 5 books for $1.25, 2 are WL books and 2 others only have 1 copy on system--not too bad. I also hit the grocery store for Thomas' yogurt and some cheese. Nothing exciting but an easy night. Will have to see how running tomorrow goes.

Texas beat the Yankees and are now up 2 to 1 so looking good but tough games still to come that is for sure. Won my fantasy football game this week, but my team is pretty weak. I am at .500 but getting to the playoffs will be tough, but I am just taking it game by game in coachspeak.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Volleyball Day

This was a long day of volleyball today--our oldest Rose, was in a volleyball tourney starting at 8:30am with the last game not finishing until 6pm. It was a long day with the team playing 6 matches. A very very good day since the team won every set and won the championship of the tourney. I was tired just being there all day, the players had to be exhausted once they came down from their win.

Rams won in football, didn't watch it but heard the good news. Nebraska lost yesterday, I still have it on DVR but haven't watched it yet--losing to Texas is kind of depressing.

I started reading Once We Wore Gray, I needed a paperback I could carry in my jeans pocket during the games & it fit the bill. Just getting started & it seems okay, it is a western in classification I think so something a little different. By the way She's Not There has been requested from me so I will be mailing it out this week--it didn't take long for it to move from my shelf.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Tin God--#67 finished

This is a book written by a Nebraskan writer, Terese Svoboda, she lives in Ogallala. This is one of the reasons I bought this book at a library sale. I have had it for probably a year or so and just kept putting off reading--like lots of others I have. Well I started it and really thought it just confusing and not really interesting. I stuck with it and it finished still confusing and not interesting too. The chapters alternated between a Spanish conquistador lots in the grass of the plains, to present day same land with troubled lives of a male dancer/drug dealer wanta be and a farmer friend and some other just plain weird people. I didn't really like this book. I think she wanted to show a real connection to the land between the people but I just couldn't get interested in any of the characters enough to care about it. Oh well, can't expect to like every book.

I have posted it on PBS, there was no WL for it and there were no other copies on the system so who knows when it will move--could be weeks or years I guess.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Busy Day of Goofing Off

I didn't have to work today so it became a kind of goof off day. I played 18 holes of golf at a course a little over an hour from home. So from 8am to 4pm I was doing that. Then tonight I went to our local high school football game with my son Thomas. We only stayed for the first 3 quarters, it was then late & kind of cold so, it was time to go. It was fun and they were ahead 13-6 when we left. I just found the final score 20-13 win, so that is good. Texas Rangers had a 5-0 lead and gave it up to the Yankees which sucks but it is only the first game so can over come this. Well it is late so I am calling it a night.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Short Run

Well after work today I was able to get a nice short 2.0 mile run in. First mile at 12:54 and second at 13:58, so a 13:30 average. Nothing special but at least something.

I am off tomorrow & it sounds like I get to go golfing at a course I haven't been to before should be fun. Not much else to say so this is it.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Missing days

I am missing days again, I just can't get this post everyday thing down. I missed Sunday & Tuesday and really don't have much to say today either. I am still fighting my throat, which is not really sore but just full of junk. I am guessing allergies. I did run last night, Tuesday, got 3 slow miles in, averaged 13:18 but just glad got a run in feeling like I do.

I am still reading the 3 books, might look for a 4th in a little bit or might wait until I finish Tin God to find another. In other words, I just haven't decided.

Monday, October 11, 2010

She's Not There--#66 finished

This is the true story of Jenny Finney Boylan, who started her life as James. Jenny is/was a transsexual who is now post op. An interesting and informative story of her life and her struggle with her identity. It is also refreshing in the sense that Jenny appears to have transition rather well into the female life and doesn't seem to have some of the baggage that you hear others have gone through. It is certainly an interesting read but it is also an easy comfortable read too, Jenny was a writer as James as well and is an English professor too. A different kind of book for me to read but definitely fits with me wanting to be able to state that I will read just about anything.

I have already posted it on PBS. A week ago there was 1 WL for it, when I posted it, it was the 2nd copy on the system and now there is a 3rd copy as well. When I had ordered it, it was the only copy on the system. It is a book that is moving it seems so I would guess/hope I will be mailing it off in the next month or so.

I an still reading Tin God, slow but at least making some headway, almost 100 pages read. I have also started Boo Who, the sequel to Boo that I read about a month ago and also just started Hell's Gate, only 20 pages or so into it.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

The Horizontal World--#65 finished

I really enjoyed this work, it is the true story of writer about her experiences growing up in small town North Dakota. I really connected with this book, a lot of what she talks about was in many ways very similar to myself. Now her area of North Dakota was/is more desolate than my small town/farm in Nebraska and she grew up a decade or so before myself so not completely similar but still enough there to really bring back some memories. The start of the book was funny at parts looking at how she felt about the area growing up but the book did turn very serious later on when discussing her relationship with her parents, especially her father, when she was in her 20s & 30s. At that point the book became less about North Dakota directly and more just about her life. One of the main points in the book though was that even if she didn't live in North Dakota anymore, she will never be able to separate herself from North Dakota--that is her roots, that is what helped shape her into who she is today. Lots of good stuff in here. I will probably be sending it on to my mom to read and maybe passing along to my sister and brothers if they are interested as well.

This one has become a keeper for me. There are like 2 or 3 WL for it but I have enough credits already so no need to send this one out. I will keep it and should make time for a re-read at some point in the future as well.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Today

Rose won her volleyball game tonight, her team is very good. I would expect several of the players from her team to be playing on high school teams once they get to high school. Thomas really likes volleyball also. There is not a team at Holy Trinity yet if there ever will be one. Usually it is 4th grade for volleyball when it starts so we will have to see about next year.

I have a sore throat today. Not sure if it is from the yardwork & the run or if it is a cold coming on--probably the yardwork. I coughed up a bunch of junk this morning as well. Seems like this happens every fall. Just took some honey and will make sure to drink some orange juice in the morning, that should help.

Still reading Horizontal Life, She's Not There and struggling with Tin God. Haven't picked out a 4th yet, might look it over after this post though.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

The Map of True Places--#64 finished

It took a while for me to get finished. I remember liking The Lace Reader and this one seems similar I didn't enjoy it all that much. Characters were okay and what little action there was seemed to happen so far in the background that it was forgotten about for long stretches in the book. Not a bad read, interesting in parts and a couple of nice twists at the end but overall just okay for me.

I guess this book never really grabbed me, I was never at any point where I had to read it. I started it slowly in August it just kind of drug on till finally about a week ago when I started putting time into it just to finish it up.

Well, it was a WL book for me and there are still around 100 WL for it so I will be passing it along. I have posted it and should get it out in the mail within the next week or so.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Getting late

It is getting late so not sure if this will go down as a Wednesday post or a Thursday post. Will have to check once I finish up. Nothing much done today--read very little, no running, just work & then a meeting at church in the evening. Off work Thursday so should get some stuff done around the house & then a run in if all goes well.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Late in the day

Here it is late in the day & I really don't have much to write about. Still working on my books, mostly been putting time into The Map of True Places. Still have mixed feelings on the book, more of a relationship book, which is fine but I thought it would be more. Still have around 100 pages to go so maybe still working up to something also. Also really enjoying The Horizontal World, an autobiography of a woman that grew up on a farm in North Dakota. I can see many of her experiences in growing up and how they in many ways mirror my growing up on the farm. This will be a book that I pass along to my mom and probably my sister as well, maybe my brothers too if they are interested. I still have a 140 pages to go, I am a little less than halfway done so here too maybe things will change but so far I like it. Also reading She's Not There about a transsexual, still on the early part where they are a confused man. Kind of an interesting read, something different as well. It is a true story and she becomes a successful writer & professor so kind of know how it ends in that sense but seems like a good story so far. Also started Tin God but at this point not sure if it will get finished or not--only 20 pages in & really can't stand it. I have many many other books that I would like to read so while I am trying to be patient with the book, my patience is running low.

Sorry for the one long paragraph but that is how it just kind of came out, oh well.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Already missed a day

I knew it would happen, just didn't think it would happen this soon. Oh well, there it is. On Sunday, I did not come down to the computer late so posting was forgotten. I will double up a day on posting when I think of something interesting to type--this is not the day.

I did get a run in after work tonight. Only 3 miles but after a weak effort over the weekend and only 2.5 or something last week, I am very happy with this 3. Busy week so not sure when the next run will be, I am off Thursday so maybe during the morning or afternoon while the kids are at school.

Still working away at my books but none of them are really getting close to being finished. Maybe by the weekend I can get one done but don't bet on it yet.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Day 2

Day 2 of 31 for 31. Not much to talk about today. Rose won her VB games. I tried to run and had not energy or desire to do so. Will hopefully get kids to bed & maybe wife & then pop a big bowl of popcorn & find something on TV or the DVR to watch. Exciting huh. I could also read some but am leaning toward the popcorn & veging.

Friday, October 1, 2010

31 for 31

This is the 4th annual 31 for 31, which means 31 blog posts this month(hopefully once a day) in recognition of Down Syndrome awareness. This will be my 3rd year that I have participated. I know I didn't post for 31 days but I think I hit 31 by doing some multiple postings to catch up. I will try to do the one a day but am almost certain that I will probably miss some days.

Thomas & me went to the Cardinals game tonight, they won 3-0. It was a fun night, we sat and watched most of the game, only getting up a couple of times--once for a hot dog & then later moved seats to bleachers & got ice cream. We took the Metrolink train there & back--Thomas loves riding this. All in all a very good night. The Buddy Walk is tomorrow but we are not going to be there this year. Rose has a morning volleyball game & like last year there is a huge subdivision garage sale that my wife & her sisters are hitting early in the morning. I kind of feel bad that we are not doing the Buddy Walk but I don't think Thomas will really miss it. I had originally thought Debbie & I would go to the game but Debbie didn't want to so I wanted to take Thomas to kind of makeup for missing the Buddy Walk. Probably more my guilt about it than anything, I don't think Thomas really remembers the Buddy Walk too much. Now bowling with Pujols he mentions and looking for Fredbird he mentions but walking on the field almost never.

Well one day done, will see what tomorrow brings.