Loial and Mat tied the knot (but not with each other). Perrin and Faile end their two book separation. Nine months can’t come soon enough for Elayne (or me). Egwene and Eliada under the same roof but not speaking to each other. Nynaeve returned Lan to Malkier along the Borderland Scenic Byway. Someone please give Rand a hand!
I listened to the audiobook edition. Apparently unabridged doesn’t include the Glossary. It’s a good thing I own the hardcover for reference and for the maps.
Crossroads of Twilight is one of my least favorite books of the Wheel of Time series because of the turgid plot. The train wreck that started ten books ago finally comes to a crashing halt, right before it teeters and ultimately falls off the cliff for the long slow-motion plummet to the end, four books later.
Using male and female readers helped especially with the switching viewpoints.
Once again I find myself loving and hating PKD’s writing. He created and imagined very intriguing stories and ideas. I just don’t always agree with his buried (sometimes not so subtly) political ramblings. I liked the title story, but not nearly as well as I liked the movie (even with Cruise starring in it). I should have waited and read the story first, I suppose.
I found the gem in this collection to be the one called “Second Variety.” I wanted more, much more, from that dimension. I did think the protagonist was a bit slow on the uptake, though, as I thought the actions of the undercover antagonists to be obvious and telegraphed (pardon the pun).
When I first reviewed the suggested readings list, I didn’t see anything that jumped out at me. I found three or four titles that might work so I placed them on hold in various formats.
I didn’t have to wait for one title, Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross. I found it available immediately as an audiobook via the Library’s Overdrive website. I checked it out and downloaded it to my new smartphone. One of the nice features of the Overdrive Android application is a sleep timer. I set the playback with a thirty minute timer and dozed off each evening to the soothing voice of the reader, extolling me with theology while providing a healing blessing to ease my trials and sufferings. None of the local book clubs opted to discuss Dark Night of the Soul, but one enterprising library technician is posting daily Lenten observances at his blog, All-Soulo.
The library didn’t own an electronic or audio version of Lost Moon, so I requested the print edition. I picked up the book on Friday, the 25th of January, and started reading it on Sunday, finishing it the following Friday. Even though I’ve seen the movie, Apollo 13, many times, I still found myself compelled to read way past my bedtime. I tried to limit myself to one chapter a night and refrained from carrying the hardcover edition back-and-forth to work. Truth is not only stranger than fiction, it’s definitely more riveting. I hope to attend the ‘Read It/Watch It’ event on Sunday afternoon, March 3, 2013. I’m looking forward to lively conversation led by Katie Stover, Director of Readers’ Services, at the Waldo Branch. I will resist the urge to pull out my own DVD from my personal video library.
Concurrently, I listened to the audiobook of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern as read by Jim Dale, known in other circles as the ‘voice’ of Harry Potter (winning numerous awards, including two Grammys). I’ve heard him read before (via one of the Potter books) and he is a delight to listen to. Even more delightful than Jim’s exceptional characterizations was the enthralling tale told by Morgenstern in The Night Circus. I found myself looking for excuses to continue listening, even though I wasn’t driving, or walking the dog, or cleaning house, or doing laundry. Of all the suggested readings, this one hit the spot perfectly. I highly recommend it. In less than a week, I will join the Women Who Dare Book Group at the Central Library for one of the three book discussions scheduled in February and March for The Night Circus.
I convinced my husband to read one of the books along with me. He prefers non-fiction titles, so I snagged a copy of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers from my local library while waiting for the hold I placed at the Plaza branch to come through. He’s already into the fourth chapter, while I have yet to start reading it. We both plan to attend the discussion for the newly formed Stranger Than Fiction book group, meeting for the first time on February 27th at 7:00 p.m. at the Plaza Branch. When I mention this book to friends and acquaintances, I hear nothing but good things. I should begin my cadaverous journey tomorrow evening while my husband is otherwise occupied with his band mates during band practice.
That leaves just one book on my hold list. Well, actually on two hold lists. I requested a print edition of Kansas City Noir, as well as the ebook edition. I’ve been waiting several days and I hope I get one of the editions checked out before the last book discussion arrives on March 9th. That’s when I plan to join the Heat of the Night book group at the Bluford Branch to discuss this anthology of ‘hard-used heroes and heroines [who] seem to live a lifetime in the stories…Each one seems almost novelistic in scope. Half novels-in-waiting, half journalistic anecdotes that are equally likely to appeal to Kansas City boosters and strangers.’ –Kirkus Reviews
And so I wrap up my winter reads like I wrap up in my favorite worn hand-me-down quilt: relaxed, satisfied and not too terribly sleep deprived, but still awake enough to enjoy some fresh brewed tea in a treasured mug memento.
LG Behind-The-Neck Stereo Bluetooth Headset w/ Music Streaming/ Call Waiting Support (HBS-700)
During my Thanksgiving break, I ordered a new Bluetooth headset. I desperately wanted to assuage my boredom while walking Apollo during the evenings, and if I could listen to music or, even better, audiobooks, I thought it would encourage me to walk longer and get more exercise. Earlier in November, I took advantage of a sale NewEgg had on headsets, but that first pair went over my head and made my ears extremely uncomfortable. My daughter liked them, so I sent them south to her as a pseudo-Chirstmas gift. That first headset had superior sound for music listening, but I couldn’t overcome the ear cartilage torture side-effect.
I’ve had the second LG headset for nearly a month now and I wear it daily. Most of the time, I can’t even tell I have it around my neck. The LG Behind-the-Neck headset is very lightweight and the actual ear buds are nicely unobtrusive. I often wear my sunglasses and a scarf without hampering their usefulness or tangling them up. One of the niftiest features of the headset are the magnetic receptacles for the ear buds. When I remove them from my ear canal and lay them against my body, they will often snap back to their ‘home’ spot.
LG Behind-The-Neck Stereo Bluetooth Headset w/ Music Streaming/ Call Waiting Support (HBS-700)
If I’m listening to an audiobook, which I do quite frequently since acquiring this headset, and I receive a phone call, the headset vibrates on my neck and plays a ring tone in my ear (I always have my phone on silent/vibrate). It automatically pauses my audiobook when I click the answer call button found on the left hand nacelle. When I finish with the call, my audiobook automatically resumes.
The battery life is purported to be ten hours of talk or music listening time. I have only run the battery down once. As a rule, I charge it overnight every two or three days. The range is about thirty feet, so I can leave my phone in the center of the main floor and have good coverage for most of the house. The power switch is simple, and I do love simple designs. Simple works. No holding a button down for a certain number of seconds. Just slide the switch to either ‘On’ or ‘Off.’
Pairing with a Bluetooth device is also exceptionally easy. No need to hold a button down for another second/different designated number of seconds. Once the headset is on, it connects to my cell phone. No muss, no fuss. Again, simple works.
I follow a blog devoted to finding inexpensive and often free ebooks for Nook Color owners called The Cheap. This morning they blogged about a unique edition of a classic and beloved Christmas story:
I had already planned to re-read this classic tale, but traded in my old ebook version for this new ‘enhanced’ one. I even sent it as a gift to a family member (who also owns a Nook Color) as an early Christmas gift. I wanted to test out the new ‘Buy as a Gift’ feature at Barnes & Noble as I plan to do some last minute Christmas shopping over the next few days.
Once I read (and listen) to this version of A Christmas Carol, I will post a review of the experience here.
Winding back to Tuesday evening, Terry and I jumped in the car as soon as I got home to return the bluetooth stereo headphones to Best Buy at the Legends. In an effort to one-up my surprise anniversary gift of a 24 inch widescreen HD monitor for Terry, he purchased a Nook Color for me. I spent the next couple of hours playing with that new gadget and finally getting the recent software update to download and install.
Backyard Astronomer's Guide
Not having enough to do, I setup the telescope near the mailbox on the driveway since the night was exceptionally clear for an early May spring evening. I was able to view Saturn and at least one of it’s moons and I saw the shadow of the rings on the surface of the planet as well as some contrast between the clouds of that gas giant. I tried a filter, but couldn’t remember the exact number I should have used from my reading of The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide (Part 1). I swung around to the north-northeast to view Mizar in Ursa Major and attempted to find the Owl Nebula (M97) and as well as M81/M82 (a couple of galaxies). However, the light pollution from the Lansing Correctional Facility and my neighbors porchlights and yard lights (and possibly some haze in the atmosphere) prevented me from find any of the deep sky objects. I packed everything back up and went off to bed.
Wednesday morning, I left early to visit my local Wal-Mart to find a protective cover or sleeve for the Nook Color. Even though two employees were in the Electronics department, stocking shelves, they managed to ignore me the entire time I searched for said product. I found a leather-looking folio-type cover which had the word ‘nook’ on the packaging and purchased it for about $30. Once out in the car, I quickly discovered that ‘nook’ does not mean ‘nook color’ as the product was too small. I had run out of time though to return it immediately and rushed to meet my vanpool and commute to work. During lunch, I took a fifteen minute walk to the Country Club Plaza Barnes & Noble to pickup the cover I had placed on hold via the B&N website. Since most of my lunch hour still remained, I walked back east and decided to try Firehouse Subs. I had just received my order when a couple of my coworkers arrived and asked to join me. We had an enjoyable visit before I headed back to the office building.
Elvenbane (unabridged audiobook)
I easily transferred the 15 CDs worth of MP3s for the audiobook Elvenbane using the microUSB cord provided and a spare 4GB microSD card I originally purchased for my unsmartphone. The Nook has a regular headphone jack (instead the proprietary one for my Samsung cell phone) which allows me to use a comfortable pair of wired stereo headphones. I enjoyed an hour’s worth of listening during the commute back to Leavenworth. That means in about a week I should be able to finish this book and write up a review for Fantasy Literature. I’m about one-quarter finished and a bit exasperated with the current characters, who are children acting like children, even if they be dragons or half-elf/half-human in origin. I usually avoid young adult fiction and/or fiction that focuses on children, pre-teens or teens because the melodrama usually makes me nauseous.
While on the phone with an IT colleague in our St. Louis office, I received a call from my daughter. I asked her if I could call her back as I’d been trying to connect with the St. Louis person for several days. I surprised myself by remembering to call my daughter back when I finished. Rachelle reported she passed her opera divisional jury easily. The jury panel once again wondered why she was a music history undergrad student and not a vocal performance one. She consoled them by affirming she planned to study vocal performance as a graduate. We also discussed the best way to send her the rest of her summer tuition, debating the merits of PayPal versus a traditional check. She opted for the latter and I mailed said check promptly Thursday morning along with several other items I had forgotten to mail throughout the week.
Wednesdays mean Wolfguard rehearsal, focused for their benefit concert this Saturday afternoon. I didn’t hang around for the first set. Instead, I ran back to Wal-Mart to return the nook cover. Ironically, after finding all of the items on Terry’s shopping list (except for the nine volt batteries!), I spent the same amount that I had just had refunded to me. I made it home in time to catch most of the second set rehearsal.
I had trouble dozing off, tossing and turning until well past one o’clock in the morning. So when the alarm went off at five o’clock I felt like I’d had a nice nap. Joy of joys, Thursday mornings are trash days in Lansing, so I dealt with the garbage and the recyclables before dragging myself to the van for the morning commute. I again listened to Elvenbane while trying to stay awake without the assistance of a caffeinated beverage.
My morning flew by as have the other two days of this work week. So much to do, so many projects to juggle and so many distractions and fires interfering with my well laid plans. Just after the bi-weekly Change Management meeting broke-up and as I was settling down to compile some information, I received a call on my cell phone from an unrecognized number. The woman on the other end was the Director of the Leavenworth Library, calling to tell me my mother had been ambulanced to Cushing Hospital a few minutes before eleven o’clock. I asked the Director what her symptoms and/or condition was and she replied that she had been dizzy and incoherent, on the verge of passing out and once the EMTs were on site, her blood pressure and blood sugar were both very high. I, of course, assumed the worst — that she was having a stroke or heart attack.
I spent the next several minutes making phone calls to determine how best to get home. Since I don’t drive to work, I can’t just jump in my car to return home when an emergency occurs. However, one of the benefits of participating in the Guaranteed Ride Home program for the last several years (first as a carpooler and for the last year as a vanpooler). Never before have I had an emergency occur where I couldn’t find an alternative way home without invoking this benefit. Today was the day. I explained my situation and they provided a limo service for me since I live over thirty miles away from work (although it’s a similar fare if you are going from the Plaza to KCI, since I live very close to KCI, just across the Missouri River on the Kansas side). One of the last call’s I made was to Cushing Hospital ER to get an updated status on my mother. I was able to talk to her (she hadn’t seen a doctor yet) and I told her I probably wouldn’t make it to Cushing until close to one o’clock in the afternoon.
The ride home was uneventful but dreary, as rain had arrived in Kansas City. However, by the time we reached Lansing, the rain let up and the clouds began to break-up and patches of blue sky became visible. In fact, when I parked the Firebird at Cushing, the sun was warming up the recent rain and promising some humidity and haze.
The ER reception desk at Cushing was unmanned, although I sign indicated I should sign in on a clipboard. I hesitated to do so since I was not a patient needing care, but rather a relative seeking to visit an ER patient. After standing around for fifteen minutes, a woman returned to the desk and asked me if I had signed in. I explained I did not need treatment but wanted to see my mother. She shocked me by stating that my mom would be released in a few minutes so I could have a seat while I waited. True to her word, my mom arrived in the waiting area about five minutes later.
The ER doctors had run an EKG and a CAT scan and found nothing of note. He encouraged her to rest for the next couple of days and eat more frequent small meals. Apparently, her appetite has been suppressed recently (in fact, she’s lost enough wait to wear clothes two sizes smaller than usual). I’m not sure if that’s a result from her previous trip to the hospital a couple of weeks ago and the prescriptions she’s been taking for that incident. I got her into the Firebird (which rides low) and took her home so I could switch cars and gather up Terry. I fed her a light lunch to make sure she got something to eat before we drove out to Easton. We stopped by the Library to drop off her doctor’s note excusing her from work for the rest of the day and tomorrow. I drove her car back to Easton while Terry and Mom rode in the Bonneville.
I am grateful nothing more serious occurred to my mother, especially since Mother’s Day is this Sunday! That was my other reason for taking her to my house – her card was sitting on the kitchen table for Terry to deliver that afternoon.
Rainbow on May 5th
Terry and I stopped at Denney’s Produce on the return trip but couldn’t find many appealing or appetizing veggies. Once home, we talked for a few minutes and then watched three days’ worth of Jeopardy episodes. Then I took Roxy for a walk and saw a vivid rainbow just before the sun set.
It doesn’t look like I’m going to get a break until Sunday. Tomorrow night might be all right, but Saturday is chock full of activities – first Spring book sale for the Kansas City Public Library at the City Market (undecided if I’ll attend), the Wolfguard benefit concert and opening night at Powell Observatory. I feel tired just thinking about the next forty-eight hours.
The Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
