The big news here is that on Thursday the family agreed and committed to install stair lifts. As Subway would say, it's huge! No more scooting up and down the stairs on my backside, which has been the way I've had to do it for months stretching into, I donno, a good three years. The demoralizing effect of that can be imagined. But, no more! In about a month, there'll be a lift on the front stairs and another on my attic stairs. That's the one that takes the time, since it's curved and so is a custom job. The back stairs were too difficult, so Mum and Dad agreed to put the lift on the main, front staircase. I'm so excited!!! Mum, Sis and Patty are all very pleased about it. Dad's still pretty grumpy, but we reckon he'll use it too once it's available.
Over the past week I read a couple of cozies by Dorothy Canell that our gentlemen would not be interested in,and a thriller, Blue Smoke and Murder by Elizabeth Lowell, that they might. This latter involves newly discovered paintings by a revered artist of the Old West, paintings that someone is willing to kill to keep from seeing the light. Also carrying on with The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps. Making progress. Of the seventy-five hours reading time, I'm down to about thirty hours to go. It's quite a project, but I'm enjoying it. Last night started an anthology of Star Trek Deep Space 9 stories. DS9 is my favorite iteration of the Star Trek universe, so I'm enjoying the collection so far.
Great news about the stair climbers. I have the idea filed away for when my knees get much worse than they are.
I've been reading this year's Hugo nominated novels, which one of my book discussion groups is doing in successive months. I don't know if I mentioned here that last month we did Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed's debut novel (although he has had Hugo and Nebula nominations for his short fiction. It's essentially sword adn socery set in an alternate version of the medieval Middle East. Everybody at the discussion liked it. Strong action and solid in other ways as well.
On Saturday we do Lois McMaster Bujold's Captain Vorpatril's Alliance. Bujold wanted to do another romance, and Miles and Mark are taken so this one features Ivan. Above-agerage Bujold, in my opinion, and average Bujold is quite readable and enjoyable.
The June selection will be Scalzi's Redshirts!. But since I don't expect to like that I don't want to buy it and the Hugo packet hasn't arive yet, so I went ahead to Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312. Not quite half-way through. I think your response will depend on what you're looking for in a book. Robinson builds a highly innovative, complex, and detailed future world. Could almost take your preath away. But because he presents so many details of his world and the research that went into it, IMHO, the characters never have a real chance to come alive and the plot moves just too, too, too slowly for my taste.
Bill, that's what I thought about the Red, Green, Blue Mars trilogy. Spectacularly imagined and presented world, but the characters rather less so. I enjoyed the series very much despite its shortcomings. Came across 2312 somewhere recently - probably at Audible. Maybe I'll get it. Will definitely get Throne of the Crecemt Moon. Thanks.
Wouldn't it have been great to see Howard riding that mower around the White House lawn?
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, our lawn got its first trim of the year yesterday.
Indeed, Bill, indeed.
DeleteThe world would have been a much more cheerful place.
Hi guys!
ReplyDeleteThe big news here is that on Thursday the family agreed and committed to install stair lifts. As Subway would say, it's huge! No more scooting up and down the stairs on my backside, which has been the way I've had to do it for months stretching into, I donno, a good three years. The demoralizing effect of that can be imagined. But, no more! In about a month, there'll be a lift on the front stairs and another on my attic stairs. That's the one that takes the time, since it's curved and so is a custom job. The back stairs were too difficult, so Mum and Dad agreed to put the lift on the main, front staircase. I'm so excited!!! Mum, Sis and Patty are all very pleased about it. Dad's still pretty grumpy, but we reckon he'll use it too once it's available.
ReplyDeleteOver the past week I read a couple of cozies by Dorothy Canell that our gentlemen would not be interested in,and a thriller, Blue Smoke and Murder by Elizabeth Lowell, that they might. This latter involves newly discovered paintings by a revered artist of the Old West, paintings that someone is willing to kill to keep from seeing the light. Also carrying on with The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps. Making progress. Of the seventy-five hours reading time, I'm down to about thirty hours to go. It's quite a project, but I'm enjoying it. Last night started an anthology of Star Trek Deep Space 9 stories. DS9 is my favorite iteration of the Star Trek universe, so I'm enjoying the collection so far.
Wow! Hurrah for the stair lifts!! I'd love to see a photo of the one on the attic stairs once it's installed!
DeleteI and my iPhone will see what we can do. But, remind me.
DeleteGreat news about the stair climbers. I have the idea filed away for when my knees get much worse than they are.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading this year's Hugo nominated novels, which one of my book discussion groups is doing in successive months. I don't know if I mentioned here that last month we did Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed's debut novel (although he has had Hugo and Nebula nominations for his short fiction. It's essentially sword adn socery set in an alternate version of the medieval Middle East. Everybody at the discussion liked it. Strong action and solid in other ways as well.
On Saturday we do Lois McMaster Bujold's Captain Vorpatril's Alliance. Bujold wanted to do another romance, and Miles and Mark are taken so this one features Ivan. Above-agerage Bujold, in my opinion, and average Bujold is quite readable and enjoyable.
The June selection will be Scalzi's Redshirts!. But since I don't expect to like that I don't want to buy it and the Hugo packet hasn't arive yet, so I went ahead to Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312. Not quite half-way through. I think your response will depend on what you're looking for in a book. Robinson builds a highly innovative, complex, and detailed future world. Could almost take your preath away. But because he presents so many details of his world and the research that went into it, IMHO, the characters never have a real chance to come alive and the plot moves just too, too, too slowly for my taste.
Bill, that's what I thought about the Red, Green, Blue Mars trilogy. Spectacularly imagined and presented world, but the characters rather less so. I enjoyed the series very much despite its shortcomings. Came across 2312 somewhere recently - probably at Audible. Maybe I'll get it. Will definitely get Throne of the Crecemt Moon. Thanks.
DeleteCat, way kewel about the lift!!
ReplyDeleteBeen one bloody cold day and freeze again tonight. Enough already!
Well, how could I complain about VT having a frost warning when WVA has a freeze warning?
DeleteWent out and laid sheets over quite a lot. Wish I could cover the Apple trees!
Alan! Wow...99F on Mother's Day!?
ReplyDeleteThat makes me grateful for our frost!
Amen!
DeleteBTW, the mower out front was my birthday gift to Mah*Sweetie, end of April. :-)
ReplyDeleteOkay! So, I've just posted photos for out front through June 7th!
ReplyDelete