Summer winds down

Finished working today. This marks the first summer I have not worked two jobs. It also marks the first summer I wasn't making minimum wage. I'm moving up in the world!

I now have until September 3rd before I head back to Maine; classes start September 9th. Plans are not concrete, but do include a trip to Chicago for the last four days of August. Go Megabus!

The usual bitching about my fantasy squad: hitting is on fire; my pitching staff is having a meltdown. Which is frustrating, considering the quality of the pitchers I have. So it should turn around...hopefully. I'm not excited about a third-place finish.

For the next week, before heading to Chi-town, I am planning on doing a lot of reading, and a lot of sleeping. Also some general hanging out, and definitely hitting Jungle Jim's before leaving. Once I get inside, I can still forget that the outside is horribly like a strip mall.

I have far too many books to read. I finished "Fool," the latest from Christopher Moore. If you haven't read it, and enjoy King Lear, read it. If not, pick up "The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal." It's hilarious. Next on the agenda is "Shadow and Light," a noir mystery set in Weimar Berlin. One of the characters is Fritz Lang. Need I say more?

I'm also perpetuating my love of war histories with "The Day of Battle," the second of Rick Atkinson's fantastic trilogy about the North African/European theater of World War II. This one's about the battles for Sicily and Italy, and is a fascinating read. To me, at least.

I also plan on rereading Italo Calvino's "If on a winter's night a traveler," because it's a great read. Just sayin'.

Anyway, that's it from me. Enjoy some music, on me.

Strange...

Wednesday has passed, and I didn't really notice...so this post will count as Wednesday's. It's not like Thursday is of any significance anyways...no classes, just work and chorale practice. And with the concert Saturday, and rehearsal every day of the week except for today (now yesterday (confused yet?)), even chorale is lessened in meaning.

This entry will be a quick update on what I'm reading (no links, look them up yourself). First and foremost is Andrew Eames's "The 8:55 to Baghdad," a well-written, interesting account of the author's journey by train along the same route followed by Agatha Christie that inspired "Murder on the Orient Express." Next on my list is "1491," an account of the Americas before Europeans arrived. It's a fascinating read, not least because it counters everything I ever read about the Indians. Sorry, Native Americans. I'll try to be PC where there's a written record...

Next on the agenda is Richard Dawkins's "The G-d Delusion," which I heard parts of as a book on tape, but never actually finished. Likewise to a degree with "Gravity's Rainbow," by Thomas Pynchon. I've started it a couple times, but never passed the fiftieth page. Hopefully I'll make more progress this time...when I finally get around to reading it. And eventually I'll make my way to "The Rising Tide," by Jeff Shaara, my absolutely necessary war book, a fictionalized account of World War II in North Africa. Apparently it's the first in a trilogy, which bodes well for my reading pleasure.

I also picked up another book that turned out to be part of a series, this time the last book in said series. Robin Hobb's "Renegade's Magic," my choice for fantasy reading, turned out to be a rather poor choice. Whether it's because my standards are set rather high (ironic for a fantasy/sci-fi fan, no?) or because I didn't read the first two books, I just can't get into the book. Alas, I shall have to return it to the stack of ARCs at the bookstore, and pick up another. If anyone has an author or book in particular they'd like to see, drop me a line. I may be able to do something about it.