When Knitting Was a Manly Art

It’s been a busy couple of weeks at the restaurant. First was the wedding of the owner’s daughter – I worked a week of day shifts. Then there was the owner’s yearly vacation – I worked a week of day shifts. This past week was just a disruption. For whatever reason he shifted my schedule all around. I pretty much have set days off and try to schedule stuff, like horseshoeing, during these days. Of course I had something scheduled for my usual Wednesday off and he had me working. Sigh…

Mentioned having a Kindle. Between it and my continuing reading paper, my catalog on LibraryThing has been busy. I’ve changed my usage of LibraryThing. In the beginning I just entered whatever was on my bookshelves, whether I had read it or not. Lately I’ve only been adding books I’m actively reading along with completion dates starting in June. Three completed in June, six books completed in July, only four in August and a couple so far this month.

The second book finished this month “The Killing Floor” by Lee Child was finished in about 4 days. Wouldn’t even have picked it up, except that is the choice of the month for an online book group (actually ebook group, but they aren’t too picky ). The book’s protagonist, Jack Reacher, is a bit of an unbelievable ex-military super-policeman. A bit of violence, a bit of gore, a page by page thriller. This is the first in a series of about 14 novels. I think I’m going to have to look at a couple more.

First book finished this month was “Master and Commander” by Patrick O’Brian (there was a movie by the same name, though it doesn’t really follow the book). This one took me a few more than 4 days to complete. A huge series (more than 20 novels), this is the first and the introduction to the two main characters Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin. The series centers around the Napoleonic naval wars at the end of the 1700’s and beginning of the 1800’s. 18th century dialogue, filled with naval terms from the era of wooden sailing ships. Used a copy of The New Oxford American Dictionary a lot… And sometimes unsuccessfully. That said, it’s a well written book, with interesting characters and detailed descriptions of life about British warships. I’ll probably read more.

At the moment nothing seriously being read (finished The Killing Floor last night before bed). On paper waiting to be started is Flashman: A Novel and on the Kindle either waiting to be started or already started is “The Passage” by Justin Cronin, “The Honor of the Queen” by David Weber, “Barrayar” by Lois McMaster Bujold, “Practical Demonkeeping” by Christopher Moore, “Small Gods” by Terry Pratchett, “Perdido Street Station” by China Mieville, “Downbelow Station” by C.J. Cherryh, “Fast Food Nation” by Eric Schlosser and actually much more. What I love about the Kindle is that I can put all kinds of books (currently more than 100) from all different genre and have something to read no matter what my mood.

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So… Obviously I’m not posting much these days, but there seems to be at least a few folks who stop by (Hi janey… )

I’m not knitting. i don’t know when I’ll start knitting again. I don’t think it’s never.

Whether it’s a late mid-life crisis or something else, I don’t know but it’s a trying time right now for me.

Mostly reading, listening to music and working these days. Late last year I bought an Amazon Kindle 2 and recently upgraded to an Amazon Graphite DX. Probably reading more fiction and non-fiction than I’ve read in many years previous.

Music is mostly Indie stuff. Small label, not top-40, young people stuff. I constantly surprise other folks and myself with the kind of music I listen to these days.

Work is supposed to be cut to 25 hours a week, and mostly I get it. But it seems I’m still working all the time. Boss has me working 3-4 day shifts a week along with at least one evening fill-in. Love the day shifts and deal with the evening fill-ins.

I know folks visiting the blog are knitters and interested in things knitting and I don’t have much to offer these days. Don’t know if I *really* want to change the focus and so have not been posting. Problem is I do miss the interaction. I miss the people and I’m starting to get tired of being cut off. Will see…

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• Lynn Redgrave Passes Away | MetaFilter http://goo.gl/T5tD #

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• First run of the year for Brooks steam sawmill http://twitpic.com/1i5m2g #

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• First tweet in months. Still alive. Not much free time. #

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Yesterday was my 63rd birthday and it seems like a good time to post for the first time since Christmas.

Life continues, slowly. For the most part, I’ve disconnected from the internet. Still check email in the mornings, but I’m getting very tired of the whole thing. Posted for the first time in months on my Facebook account to acknowledge birthday wishes and it’s been months since I last posted on Twitter.

Lot’s of reading (I’ve got an Amazon Kindle e-book reader), listening to my music, a bit of Geocaching, still putting in about 25 hours a week cooking pizzas, still not knitting with any regularity.

Spent the day yesterday just being lazy. Spent the day in the woods looking for an abandoned railroad grade (didn’t find it) then a quiet dinner at home. Back to work this morning.

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• @mysscents Myssie on Twitter.. Will wonders never cease? #

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• Merry Christmas, all… #

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Wishing everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Hoping next year will be better for me.

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