I Got Internet!
What more can I say: I got internet!
I can now email, post to the website, browse around and waste time again!
In other important news, I feel comfortable here in Corvallis in general and at my new house in particular. It is a very laid back community (what else would you expect out here on the coast) and quite friendly. At the subdivision, most of my... neighbors? cul-de-sac-mates? have extended a greeting or introduction to me. Most people smile and/or say "Hi" on the path that runs along the river.
The eats are good around here, too, although it is less diverse than Ann Arbor. So, are fewer options globally; on the other hand, there is a MUCH wider selection of Mexican food. So far, I know for sure that there is a great gelato place, very good Indian food and the coffee shop makes one heck of a chai tea latte. Also, the Great Harvest here makes ice cream cookie sandwiches. Sadly, this is seasonal and they don't make oatmeal raisin cookies. What are they thinking!? The farmers' market, as I think I have mentioned, is exceptional. For one thing, there is a woman who makes soft pretzels as good as the olde German grandmas of Manchester make. For another thing, there are things that grow here that don't grow at home in MI and even more things that don't grow out of the Colorado bedrock, including figs of multiple varieties and hazelnuts. And finally, the markets are graced by good old folk/bluegrass/African percussion/jazz etc. Yay!
I have been reading quite a lot since I got here and have all this free time on my hands.
I finally finished RED MARS, which I started reading just after I left CO. It was interesting and brought up a lot of social commentary-type topics, but it took me so long because I wasn't particularly engaged by the characters. I don't know, it was well written, but I just didn't get into it as I would have liked.
Next, I read MARLEY AND ME, the New York Times #1 best seller, by John Grogan. That claim to fame had me a little dubious at first, but I ended up really liking the book. It's a pretty easy read. What can I say? I actually laughed; I actually cried. I was hooked in. It kinda makes you want to get a dog. It kinda makes you never want ever think about getting a dog again. It's not a must read, but I would recommend it.
Next, I allowed myself to read another of Edward Abbey's (my hero's) novels, HAYDUKE LIVES!, which is the sequel to The Monkey Wrench Gang. Yes, the exclamation point is a part of the title. It was Abbey, not at his greatest, but still wonderful. He makes me want to quit civilization and go live in the canyonlands, or at least the mountains. His usual antics are present in even more density and intensity, probably because this is his last novel and he's even more old and crochety than his usual old and crochety self (which started to emerge when he was in his early to mid-twenties as far as I can tell). He even plugs the Monkey Wrench Gang in it. After finishing the Abbey, I wanted to go back and read Desert Solitaire, the Journals or even buy a new one, but I knew that I would quit school and drop off the face of the earth, so I resisted and went to the public library and got a card.
I checked out THE LITTLE PRINCE by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, which is Jack's favorite book last time I checked. I actually own a treasured copy of this book, but have never read it because it is in the original French and I've been lazy. The book is delightful and I loved the illustrations. Like other well-crafted children's books, adults should read this.
Next, I read UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN by Jon Krakauer, which is an investigation of the violent roots of Mormonism. It is fascinating, especially in light of the growing popularity of the religion. It is straightforward yet introduces more interesting things to think about, including how we might want to think about similarities between Mormonism and other major world religions. I do feel that I should mention that some rather gruesome passages are included.
I have also gotten hooked on the TV show Futurama, and have watched many a DVD-based episode.
new pictures!
I can now email, post to the website, browse around and waste time again!
In other important news, I feel comfortable here in Corvallis in general and at my new house in particular. It is a very laid back community (what else would you expect out here on the coast) and quite friendly. At the subdivision, most of my... neighbors? cul-de-sac-mates? have extended a greeting or introduction to me. Most people smile and/or say "Hi" on the path that runs along the river.
The eats are good around here, too, although it is less diverse than Ann Arbor. So, are fewer options globally; on the other hand, there is a MUCH wider selection of Mexican food. So far, I know for sure that there is a great gelato place, very good Indian food and the coffee shop makes one heck of a chai tea latte. Also, the Great Harvest here makes ice cream cookie sandwiches. Sadly, this is seasonal and they don't make oatmeal raisin cookies. What are they thinking!? The farmers' market, as I think I have mentioned, is exceptional. For one thing, there is a woman who makes soft pretzels as good as the olde German grandmas of Manchester make. For another thing, there are things that grow here that don't grow at home in MI and even more things that don't grow out of the Colorado bedrock, including figs of multiple varieties and hazelnuts. And finally, the markets are graced by good old folk/bluegrass/African percussion/jazz etc. Yay!
I have been reading quite a lot since I got here and have all this free time on my hands.
I finally finished RED MARS, which I started reading just after I left CO. It was interesting and brought up a lot of social commentary-type topics, but it took me so long because I wasn't particularly engaged by the characters. I don't know, it was well written, but I just didn't get into it as I would have liked.
Next, I read MARLEY AND ME, the New York Times #1 best seller, by John Grogan. That claim to fame had me a little dubious at first, but I ended up really liking the book. It's a pretty easy read. What can I say? I actually laughed; I actually cried. I was hooked in. It kinda makes you want to get a dog. It kinda makes you never want ever think about getting a dog again. It's not a must read, but I would recommend it.
Next, I allowed myself to read another of Edward Abbey's (my hero's) novels, HAYDUKE LIVES!, which is the sequel to The Monkey Wrench Gang. Yes, the exclamation point is a part of the title. It was Abbey, not at his greatest, but still wonderful. He makes me want to quit civilization and go live in the canyonlands, or at least the mountains. His usual antics are present in even more density and intensity, probably because this is his last novel and he's even more old and crochety than his usual old and crochety self (which started to emerge when he was in his early to mid-twenties as far as I can tell). He even plugs the Monkey Wrench Gang in it. After finishing the Abbey, I wanted to go back and read Desert Solitaire, the Journals or even buy a new one, but I knew that I would quit school and drop off the face of the earth, so I resisted and went to the public library and got a card.
I checked out THE LITTLE PRINCE by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, which is Jack's favorite book last time I checked. I actually own a treasured copy of this book, but have never read it because it is in the original French and I've been lazy. The book is delightful and I loved the illustrations. Like other well-crafted children's books, adults should read this.
Next, I read UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN by Jon Krakauer, which is an investigation of the violent roots of Mormonism. It is fascinating, especially in light of the growing popularity of the religion. It is straightforward yet introduces more interesting things to think about, including how we might want to think about similarities between Mormonism and other major world religions. I do feel that I should mention that some rather gruesome passages are included.
I have also gotten hooked on the TV show Futurama, and have watched many a DVD-based episode.
posted by Ashleigh @ 11:24 AM
1 Comments:
At 11:11 PM,
Anonymous said…
The Little Prince is fantastic!
There's also a Lerner&Loewe musical-made-for-TV version from the late '70s. You'll die from how cute the kid is.
Glad to read you're settled and hooked-in!
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