Happy Mother's Day.
I just finished up Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie this morning, and loved yet another one of his books. I originally started reading his books with the First Law series (The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, and Last Argument of Kings). Nice dark and grim reading in a fantasy environment of swords and wars. This one was a stand-alone novel, placed in the same land he created, with some of the secondary characters from the series. There are two other stand-alone novels like this as well I have yet to read.
Not that you care specifically what I may have read, or be reading, but I try to update my reading through Goodreads.com. Additionally, I try to do my best to write a review for the books I read, to help the author know about my reaction to their work. I am sure they appreciate it, and it is nice when every once in awhile, one (or someone on their staff) will write you back thanking you. Or even other people that read your review and mention it helped them decide to read the book, and they like it as much as I did. Social interaction for the closeted reader I guess.
To get more specific to my topic in mind, on Goodreads, I am able to "track" books that I am currently reading, want to read, read, etc. I noticed today that I have three books listed in my 'currently reading' area. It got me to thinking about how I read books, how some of those things have changed, and what I would like.
Book one is on my Kindle Fire. It is digital format (obviously) and I just started it this morning. This is my easiest way to read, or has been the past couple of years. I take my Kindle out with me a lot, and enjoy reading while having a few beers at the pub, or waiting for whatever appointment, etc. Aside from the reading material, I can also use it for notes and games, but that is another topic.
Book two is an author-signed copy, so it is a printed version. Soft cover, but not a pocket-sized paperback. It is her first book, and being a self-published author, there are several grammatical mistakes, but I am not here to nit-pick - that will be in the review. It is a genre I like, but of a sub-type I am not crazy about when reading. This book is on my headboard, and I only read it when I am laying down to relax prior to going to bed, or a nap.
The third book is a hard back. This one sits on the top of my dresser, which is near our master bathroom door, so that I can grab it on my way to the 'Reading Room'. Once done, on the way out, it gets returned to the dresser.
I like having the mobility of multiple books with my Kindle. I like having a physical book in my hands when in the Reading Room. The pre-sleep books can be either way (because I sometimes play games on the Kindle instead anyways). I will have to purchase physical books for bathroom purposes. there is just no way I want to somehow, some way, drop my electronics into the toilet.
And you, dear reader ... how do you like your books?
PeacE
Sunday, May 12
Friday, May 10
Dead Week in Posts
This seems to have been a sort of dead week for posts from me. Definitely lacking in anything interesting to share. Today is Friday, and yet another day I really don't have much to share.
The oldest son had his final band concert of the year last night. The middle son will have his later this month.
Yesterday morning I met up with PT to learn some other chest/back/shoulder exercises to do at the gym, to hopefully help burn up some more of this fat. I am seeing a difference even over the past couple of months, though I feel like I really haven't lost anything.
Well, Mother Nature is calling, so I am out of here.
PeacE
The oldest son had his final band concert of the year last night. The middle son will have his later this month.
Yesterday morning I met up with PT to learn some other chest/back/shoulder exercises to do at the gym, to hopefully help burn up some more of this fat. I am seeing a difference even over the past couple of months, though I feel like I really haven't lost anything.
Well, Mother Nature is calling, so I am out of here.
PeacE
Wednesday, May 8
Stuck in a Rut
How many of us get that feeling every now and then, of being stuck in a rut? We probably see it more in the job environment than most anywhere else, though, I am sure people at home feel that way, too, be it the same routine day in and day out, etc. It has been quite awhile since I have truly felt that way. But lately it has shown itself again. Mostly in regards to my weight.
I went to the gym this morning, though I am still feeling some muscle aching. I needed to do my weekly weigh-in, plus it wouldn't hurt to possibly workout those achy spots. I am the same weight I was last week, though I feel I have decreased my food intake (I thought) enough to make a little difference. I;m sad because this weight (same as last week) is still three pounds heavier than the week before that. I feel like I have plateaued at this mark, and fluctuate within 2-3 pounds heavy of it. Almost like it is in reach then, whoops! I add more weight.
I've mentioned this a couple times over the past couple months, specifically to Preacher Tom. He suggested more of a workout. Change the routine of my workout. He says the body gets used to a regular routine if you do the same thing all the time, and will quit burning as much to do it. Makes sense in a way. I have cut back on my portions when I eat. Well, most of the time. There are still times I may eat just a bit more, or have dessert. Like when we go to the buffet, which is not often. I just don't see the need to starve myself, by cutting portions down drastically, so that I walk around hungry all the time, though I don't mind a bit of hunger pains every now and then. I usually try to have some small, healthy snack when they get bad.
I think it is lifestyle changes that are making it worse at the moment. The past couple weeks or so, I haven't been drinking as much beer as I usually do. Because of that, I think that I am eating more, as before I would skip a meal or two if I were drinking, without feeling like I am starving. Yeah, there are a lot of calories in alcohol, but I seemed to still lose weight. Not drinking as much, means I eat more, thus no matter how much harder I feel I am working out, it isn't making a difference. Perfect alcoholic reasoning, huh? Sigh.
I'm sitting here, stomach grumbling, debating on what I should do. I guess I will have a granola bar.
PeacE
I went to the gym this morning, though I am still feeling some muscle aching. I needed to do my weekly weigh-in, plus it wouldn't hurt to possibly workout those achy spots. I am the same weight I was last week, though I feel I have decreased my food intake (I thought) enough to make a little difference. I;m sad because this weight (same as last week) is still three pounds heavier than the week before that. I feel like I have plateaued at this mark, and fluctuate within 2-3 pounds heavy of it. Almost like it is in reach then, whoops! I add more weight.
I've mentioned this a couple times over the past couple months, specifically to Preacher Tom. He suggested more of a workout. Change the routine of my workout. He says the body gets used to a regular routine if you do the same thing all the time, and will quit burning as much to do it. Makes sense in a way. I have cut back on my portions when I eat. Well, most of the time. There are still times I may eat just a bit more, or have dessert. Like when we go to the buffet, which is not often. I just don't see the need to starve myself, by cutting portions down drastically, so that I walk around hungry all the time, though I don't mind a bit of hunger pains every now and then. I usually try to have some small, healthy snack when they get bad.
I think it is lifestyle changes that are making it worse at the moment. The past couple weeks or so, I haven't been drinking as much beer as I usually do. Because of that, I think that I am eating more, as before I would skip a meal or two if I were drinking, without feeling like I am starving. Yeah, there are a lot of calories in alcohol, but I seemed to still lose weight. Not drinking as much, means I eat more, thus no matter how much harder I feel I am working out, it isn't making a difference. Perfect alcoholic reasoning, huh? Sigh.
I'm sitting here, stomach grumbling, debating on what I should do. I guess I will have a granola bar.
PeacE
Tuesday, May 7
Thought Gatherings
I am a bit muddle-headed this morning. I know, I made up the word, but it sort of fits. I have got thoughts jumping around like crazy of things I need to do, things I want to do, things that I will never do... It's confusing and flowing in such a confusing pattern. I think it was something the Wife put in the baked potato casserole she made last night, as half the night I was having some really weird dreams. This morning is maybe just a continuation of the residual effects.
I need to run up to the local pub to see if they dropped off new information for my pool league. I had hoped it would have been there this past Saturday, but no. So I need to run there and check this morning since we need to know where to play tomorrow night.
While out running around I have a few bags of actual books I am going to drop off at Savers. Yes, physical books. I have been finding them with all the spring cleaning going on. Normally I would have taken them to trade in for credit at a local used book store, but the only one I liked has gone out of business, so off to Savers. At least I can sort of claim a small value of it on my taxes as charity.
I fixed the shower head in the one bathroom yesterday. I found a good DIY site that explained how to get the broken threaded section removed from the pipe, and it worked like a charm! About $22 later I had a new pipe and shower head installed, and it isn't leaking. Now if we could figure how to get that damn tub to drain properly....
Everything is in a stop pattern as far as projects that can wait around here. Anxiously waiting our tax refund as the monies are already slotted for things. Wish it would get here so things could get somewhat back to normal with a working household, etc. In the meantime, I am still looking for work, too.
There's other thoughts running around in my head, to, but nothing I feel like sharing at the moment.
PeacE
I need to run up to the local pub to see if they dropped off new information for my pool league. I had hoped it would have been there this past Saturday, but no. So I need to run there and check this morning since we need to know where to play tomorrow night.
While out running around I have a few bags of actual books I am going to drop off at Savers. Yes, physical books. I have been finding them with all the spring cleaning going on. Normally I would have taken them to trade in for credit at a local used book store, but the only one I liked has gone out of business, so off to Savers. At least I can sort of claim a small value of it on my taxes as charity.
I fixed the shower head in the one bathroom yesterday. I found a good DIY site that explained how to get the broken threaded section removed from the pipe, and it worked like a charm! About $22 later I had a new pipe and shower head installed, and it isn't leaking. Now if we could figure how to get that damn tub to drain properly....
Everything is in a stop pattern as far as projects that can wait around here. Anxiously waiting our tax refund as the monies are already slotted for things. Wish it would get here so things could get somewhat back to normal with a working household, etc. In the meantime, I am still looking for work, too.
There's other thoughts running around in my head, to, but nothing I feel like sharing at the moment.
PeacE
Monday, May 6
Sometimes You're the Windshield....
I feel a bit like I have been the bug. I have so many sore muscles from things this weekend. I spent four hours Saturday morning working in my front yard, raking, pulling grass from the cement, general clean-up, tree trimmings, et ceterea. Our bulk trash pick-up starts today, and we needed to get it done since we have been procrastinating a bit of late. Needless to say, the street edge of our front lawn looks like a halfway fortified wall going along most of it, all the mattresses, plus several large garbage bags of lawn/tree trimmings and other miscellaneous junk. I was leery of checking it this morning, as from previous bulk trash days, it seems during the night people like to go through it, and end up making a bigger mess that we have to re-stack or they won't pick up. Luckily so far this has not happened.
So I am a bit worn out, and because of said achyness, I am not going to the gym today. Instead I will be doing a trip to Lowe's. Our stand-up shower in one of the baths has not been working, due to a leak at the piping of the shower head. The access to the piping is somewhat easy, as it is in a storage room, and the pipes are not hidden behind sheetrock. however, it is behind the water heater, and is basically unaccessible for me (due to my size). The Wife made it back there, and noted that the piping is screwed together, thus we should be able to unscrew the piping from the shower side of the wall. As I proceeded to test the theory, the showerhead basically just fell off. Seems the screwed in portion of the showerhead had broken (somehow) at where the pipes met, thus the leak. Well, we could use a new showerhead anyways, and I am sure I can get the "bent elbow" piece of piping that holds the head fairly easy. My problem now is the bit of threaded in piping in the pipe in the wall. I need to figure out how to get it out. There is not room, nor pipe, to just cut it off and re-thread.
Because everything in my life is complicated, that isn't the only thing wrong, of course. With the shower being out of commission, we have been using the other bath for showers (one with regular tub/shower combo). The tub has always been a bit slow on the draining, but now has officially stopped draining. We tried using a plumber's snake over the weekend, through the tub drain, overflow, and even from the air vents on the roof.
Not working still. I will be working on that again today. Plus the Wife tried snaking it from the sink piping, and discovered that there is a leak from the sink joint to the piping, and the water line from the wall. I think it was fine until she undid the piping to try the snake, but either way, it is something else that will need to be fixed. And of course, all this happened over the weekend, when money is the tightest, and we can't afford a plumber until the tax refund comes in.
Some days, I just don't want to be alive.
PeacE
So I am a bit worn out, and because of said achyness, I am not going to the gym today. Instead I will be doing a trip to Lowe's. Our stand-up shower in one of the baths has not been working, due to a leak at the piping of the shower head. The access to the piping is somewhat easy, as it is in a storage room, and the pipes are not hidden behind sheetrock. however, it is behind the water heater, and is basically unaccessible for me (due to my size). The Wife made it back there, and noted that the piping is screwed together, thus we should be able to unscrew the piping from the shower side of the wall. As I proceeded to test the theory, the showerhead basically just fell off. Seems the screwed in portion of the showerhead had broken (somehow) at where the pipes met, thus the leak. Well, we could use a new showerhead anyways, and I am sure I can get the "bent elbow" piece of piping that holds the head fairly easy. My problem now is the bit of threaded in piping in the pipe in the wall. I need to figure out how to get it out. There is not room, nor pipe, to just cut it off and re-thread.
Because everything in my life is complicated, that isn't the only thing wrong, of course. With the shower being out of commission, we have been using the other bath for showers (one with regular tub/shower combo). The tub has always been a bit slow on the draining, but now has officially stopped draining. We tried using a plumber's snake over the weekend, through the tub drain, overflow, and even from the air vents on the roof.
Not working still. I will be working on that again today. Plus the Wife tried snaking it from the sink piping, and discovered that there is a leak from the sink joint to the piping, and the water line from the wall. I think it was fine until she undid the piping to try the snake, but either way, it is something else that will need to be fixed. And of course, all this happened over the weekend, when money is the tightest, and we can't afford a plumber until the tax refund comes in.
Some days, I just don't want to be alive.
PeacE
Friday, May 3
Countdown to Summer
May brings us the final month of school for the boys, and it is a countdown of sorts. The other day we received a Graduation announcement from the Daughter's boyfriend as he is graduating from the University of Arizona. This morning, while dropping off the oldest son, there was a sign up about last day to purchase tickets for the HS graduation ceremonies. Most of the schools here will be releasing for summer break about the last week of May.
I haven't decided yet what the plans are for this summer. Hopefully a job opportunity will arrive, and I will be working. If not, I suppose I will be having one day each week with each son, the other days they will be at Grandma's house.
Yesterday the Wife was off work. In her line of work, there are occasionally days where they have a lower amount of patients to see, and she was given the chance to use a vacation day (unscheduled). We had the chance to go out to eat for lunch and had a great time.
Nothing on the agenda this weekend. The Daughter has a conference of some kind she is required to attend for her schooling today. It is up herein the Valley, and she was planning on driving up early this morning. She plans to be here this weekend following the conference, so we will have a full house (more than usual). This weekend will be busy getting whatever we can done around the house as bulk trash pick-up starts next week. We'll have to put out all the old mattresses we replaced, and try to get as much of the lawn stuff done and bagged to put on the street.
No plans otherwise today. I may just take it easy. After all, it is Friday.
PeacE
I haven't decided yet what the plans are for this summer. Hopefully a job opportunity will arrive, and I will be working. If not, I suppose I will be having one day each week with each son, the other days they will be at Grandma's house.
Yesterday the Wife was off work. In her line of work, there are occasionally days where they have a lower amount of patients to see, and she was given the chance to use a vacation day (unscheduled). We had the chance to go out to eat for lunch and had a great time.
Nothing on the agenda this weekend. The Daughter has a conference of some kind she is required to attend for her schooling today. It is up herein the Valley, and she was planning on driving up early this morning. She plans to be here this weekend following the conference, so we will have a full house (more than usual). This weekend will be busy getting whatever we can done around the house as bulk trash pick-up starts next week. We'll have to put out all the old mattresses we replaced, and try to get as much of the lawn stuff done and bagged to put on the street.
No plans otherwise today. I may just take it easy. After all, it is Friday.
PeacE
Wednesday, May 1
Bah! Dang Gravity
I put off until today to get my butt into the gym. Most of the sore muscles were gone this morning, which was the reason I had not gone the past two days. Also, I had to weigh-in today for my weekly bet with my buddy Jan. I have a feeling he will be taking the $1 this week, as I put on three pounds. Obviously one of the weeks I gain. Seems like I go down a couple weeks, then gain a week, then go back down. Literally like lose 1, lose 2-3, gain 2-3, lose 1, etc. This week I had a feeling was going to be bad, since the Reverend Mother brought over food stuffs Friday. Not that that is bad, but there was a huge bag of tortilla chips. I like chips. Enough said. I need better self-discipline.
We are at the halfway mark for our pool league, so tonight is an off night. I called a practice for the team, so will be playing tonight either way. I know I could use some more practice, as my shooting has been off a bit of late. I got a new stick a couple weeks ago, and am trying to adjust to the lighter weight of it, plus I am shooting softer. Practice, practice, practice.
Monday I had done emissions and online registration for my van. I was a bit surprised yesterday when the tags showed up in my mail. Used to be it took them a couple weeks to get them to me, but now it is pretty much instantaneous. I like that! Especially when I wait til the next to last day to get it done.
Nothing else to talk about today. There is always tomorrow.
PeacE
We are at the halfway mark for our pool league, so tonight is an off night. I called a practice for the team, so will be playing tonight either way. I know I could use some more practice, as my shooting has been off a bit of late. I got a new stick a couple weeks ago, and am trying to adjust to the lighter weight of it, plus I am shooting softer. Practice, practice, practice.
Monday I had done emissions and online registration for my van. I was a bit surprised yesterday when the tags showed up in my mail. Used to be it took them a couple weeks to get them to me, but now it is pretty much instantaneous. I like that! Especially when I wait til the next to last day to get it done.
Nothing else to talk about today. There is always tomorrow.
PeacE
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