Reading:
About to begin Wednesday's Child and also reading Last Night at the Lobster (O'Nan) Lots of podcasts. I listened to a two-hour discussion of a one-hour episode of True Detective, for instance. Is that crazy?
About to begin Expats (Prime)(First episode was terrific)
Not sure about Woman in the Wall but I really got into on Funny Woman (PBS) and hope they do another season.
Mostly I am trying to organize my move three flights up and across the hall.
How about you?
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Too much television tonight again...after picking up cat food since the mood stabilizer for the younger littler cat apparently ups her appetite, so she's eating three cans of food a day rather than two (small ones, but she's a small cat).
60 MINUTES (rather good episode), THE WOMAN IN THE WALL (the second episode more wrenching than the first), MONSIEUR SPADE (also picking up steam), FUNNY WOMAN (continuing to be solid), TRUE DETECTIVE (adding detail and nice bits of business, but still not convincing me with its magical realism aspects--two hour podcast dissections and possibly arguments sounds about on par for buffs) and now unwinding with the Watergate comedy DICK from 1999. Good luck with further prep...at least it's a short distance and no van necessary...wonder how much Covid and aftermath (and then the strikes) might've made things difficult with BOYS/BOAT.
Nancy Pelosi's attempt to insist that Only Putin could be Behind the Anti-Gaza Slaughter protests here is a low point even in her career. Trumpian.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/metoo-movement-five-years-later-film-fests-1235228657/
A mixed week of very cold, heavy rains, and occasional power loss, then th sky cleredup yesterday for a warm, slightly breezy, blue sky day.
Mark drove to Alabama in Monday and came back wih a new snake. It's a small, very young, gray rat snake, not to be confused with the red rat snake he already has. He (or she, who knows?) is very cute. It's name is Slate. I suggested the back-up name of Toolate (because if it's not Slate, it's Too Late), but no one listened to me. Mark is very happy with Slate. This brings the household snake count to four and the household animal count to 14 -- 16, if you include Jack and me, which Chrisitna sometims does.
Walt was off for a business trip last week so we ate out for the first four nights at various local restaurants. (Walt cooks; Christina doesn't.) Because it seemed a bt pathetic eating out every night, Christina'd dinner on Fridy was a handful of jelly beans. He new year's resolution was to learn to bake, trying at least one thing a week. This week it was chocolate scones. They came out pretty well.
I had a book due at the library Saturday and it turned out they were having there semi0amnnual massive book sale, so I camer back with about forty books -- some of them super-nifty, with the remainder looking pretty interesting Then my first-world probems began.
I spent two full days working on a ong blog piece for today, then my computer ate it with no chance of retrieval. **sigh** I had picked up a complicate 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle and discovered that the table was was too small for the puzzle by the size of just one piece, so the top and bottom edges of the puzzle are overhanging ever so slightly. Saturday night, the cat found the unfinished puzzle. I repaire the damage,but if any pieces landed on the floor, they're gone; things that fall to the floor are automatically eaten by the dogs. Time will tell if I have all the pieces. I somehow threw my back out this weekend and also did something to bollix up my left foot so I can barely walk. Yesterday we went out to a painting class for Erin's birthday. The stool I used screwed up my back further and I also could not twist around to see the what the teacher was telling us; my picture ended up looking like an apocalyptic landscape. The best of our group was by Erin and amy (both ladies have real talent), followed by Mark and Trey with suitable showings. Jessie and Christina were next, while mine was left far, far in the distance. Followed up by Sinner at a local sports bar where we wat hed the Lions lose (sorry about that, Patti).
Books read this week were James Lee Burke'sFLAGS ON THE BAYOU and HEARTWOOD, Robert Crais's THE PROMISE, Donald E. Westlake's Dortmunder collection THIEVE'S DOZEN, Michale Avalon's THE TALL DELORES, and John Creasey's ACCUSE THE TOFF.
It's great to hear you're molving ip in the world -- even if it's only three floors. Stay safe, Patti.
I heard Wednesday's Child is good. Hope you're enjoying it!
Thanks, Margot.
Jerry-as I have said before, your family needs to be a series on PBS. I can't imagine one snake let alone four. And I never heard of a family painting together. Wow.
I spent the night watching the Lions almost win and then lose so I missed the Sunday night fare and will have to catch up.
We're basically ready to drop Expats after the second episode. Like the setting and Kidman, but they are all so unpleasant and unsympathetic characters. The second Woman in the Wall did not clarify things much. Still like Monsieur Spade. The period stuff seems to work here. Enjoying Funny Woman so far.
We've been watching MI-5 (originally Spooks in Britain) on Saturdays and finished the second series and started the third, which brought in Rupert Penry-Jones as a replacement for Matthew Macfayden, who left. Jackie asked what Penry-Jones had done lately, so I found The Drowning, on Acorn, done in 2021. This basically has the plot of every Harlan Coben book/miniseries, even though he wasn't involved. A family is at the beach and the young son disappears, never to be found again. It is assumed he drowned, but no body was found. When the story starts it is nine years later, and the mother (Jill Halfpenny) is convinced that a teenager she passed in the street is her son, grown up. Her ex-husband tells her she's nuts, but she hatches a cunning plan to get close to him by becoming a music teacher at his school. (She sees him with a guitar.) Penry-Jones is his father. It has 4 parts.
Still watching Joe Pickett and still don't like it as much as Jackie does. W're enjoying the first season of Northern Exposure again. It's amazing to me how, after 30 years, I remember certain things very well but others, not at all. Also watching Astrid, Walking on Sunshine, Luna & Sophie, Candice Renoir.
I loved Dwight Garner's book, The Upstairs Delicatessen. One of the books he recommended highly was by former Charlotte Observer columnist Tommy Tomlinson, The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man's Quest ot Get Smaller in a Growing America. It's a beautifully written book (2019, I believe), his discussion of his life as a morbidly obese (460 pounds) person. I recommend this and the Garner highly. I find early in the year I read more non fiction and these are very good.
Today is the "cold" day in South Florida. It's been around 80 the last few days but it was low 50s this morning and we'll be in the mid-60s all day, before warming back to the 70s. I like it.
Sorry the Lions blew the second half. I really thought they were going to do it this time.'
Amazing how they lost a 17 point lead so quickly.
Yeah, I was on the fence about Joe Pickett and didn't watch the second season when they cancelled the third.
Interesting how long they held off getting Joel and Maggie together on NE. And how Chris never has a serious girlfriend either. Yet so much of it is about sex.
Apparently Rob Morrow and Janine Turner have both been problematic people to work with. And I'm still enjoying my rewatch of NUMB3RS.
I'm not at all mystified by WOMAN IN THE WALL, though certain things in it are being presented as the series' creative crew chooses to do so (as with almost all series). Sadistic self-righteous treatment of "wayward girls" and their infants ruled OK...and has its consequences.
In literary matters, Brian Lumley, RIP, 1937-2024.
Sorry that the Lions lost to the 49ers. I thought the Lions had that game in the bag when they were up 17 points.
Also sorry you're moving. I hate moving. Packing, unpacking, etc. Hopefully this move brings you joy once you get settled.
Diane is catching up on the 50 HALLMARK movies she's recorded. I'm reading the mounting stack of Library books. The weather is cold but no snowstorms yet. I'd rather stay in and read than endure the harsh elements of a Western NY winter.
Today Diane and I are taking down the Christmas Tree. Diane loves the tree (she'd keep it up all year if possible) but she thinks we'll get Funny Looks from our neighbors if we don't dissemble it soon.
Patrick returned from his vacation in Mexico. Katie spent the weekend in NYC seeing Broadway shows. Stay safe!
George, I guess I wasn't that far wrong when I told Jackie that Diane leaves the tree up until February!
The weather this morning is cool enough for you. After days waking up to the mid-70s, it was about 52 this morning.
Started reading A THIN RED LINE and have been enjoying it. I'll have to rewatch the Terrence Malick film version when I am done. Fairly sure I sure the film in the theater and I recall the cinematography and colors to be great. Sure wish I could find a misplaced Hard Case Crime novel I started a week ago.
Watched a sliver of each NFL game. Benn watching BIRDMAN with Michael Keaton. That was such a big deal 10 years ago and I never got around to seeing it.
Finished up the financial info required for Boy #2's private college apps. Not as painful as expected and hopefully completed without errors. I do hope he is accepted into at least one of the fancy pants schools he applied to, even if he declines an invite. He is certainly qualified and competitive.
This coming weekend is the local ice festival. Above freezing temps are expected all week so I expect most activities will be a bust. With the weird global warming weather patterns now happening I wonder what will happen next year. But, the weekend is a boozing weekend as much as a family weekend. And the bars will be open.
Phil's uncle kept the (live) Christmas tree up to Valentine's day though we put them up on Christmas Eve in those days on the east coast. (Santa decorated it when we were little).
I have never watched a Hallmark movie. But I understand almost all of them have Christmas in them. I only have the five or six network channels and six streaming channels. I save half the cable bill but I spend it on the streaming channels.
I saw the movie of the THIN RED LINE but never read it. Can't remember if I liked the movie or not.
Did any country other than Ireland have Magdalene Laundries?
Sorry about the Lions' loss and your upcoming move, Patti. I loathe moving! But I hope your experience is as painless and easy as possible.
Trying to read more this year and watch TV less, but I'm a science (space preferably) documentary geek, so we've been watching James Burke's latest "Connections" series (the 1970s series is a classic).
Regarding the Christmas decor, I really wasn't much into all that this year, but I'm surprisingly cheered by all the folks in our neighborhood who still have Christmas lights up. Go figure.
A belated Happy New Year to all, by the way!
Not much going on here. We are expecting some rain on Thursday and I hope it really happens.
Watching: DEATH AND OTHER DETAILS is a lot of fun. Except for Mandy Patinkin, most of the other characters are new to me. We are still in the first season of NORTHERN EXPOSURE, and I am surprised at how slowly it moves towards getting the two leads together (as Patti mentions). I am loving all the characters. We are still watching Season 8 of SHETLAND, and liking it. Continuing to watch new episodes of NCIS: SYDNEY and looking forward to the new seasons of NCIS, NCIS: HAWAII, and CSI VEGAS soon. Also still watching my favorite, the original CSI, although we are in Season 8 and in Season 9, William Petersen will leave the show.
Reading: I finished WANTING SHEILA DEAD, the 25th book in Jane Haddam's Gregor Demarkian series. I enjoyed it. All the books in that series start with a look at the characters that will be involved with or affected by the crime. In this book, Gregor has two cases (one set in his Armenian American neighborhood, one related to the filming of a reality show), but he is not officially working on either one. I find it interesting that the author shares so much of Gregor's thoughts about what is happening in his life. I enjoyed this one more than the last few books in the series.
I started reading PALACE OF TREASON by Jason Matthews. It is spy fiction, mainly focused on a female agent in Russia who is actually a double agent for the CIA. It is the second book in a trilogy; RED SPARROW was the first. I am a third of the way through and it has way too much sex and also too much torture for me. I have not decided whether I will finish it or not. It got really good reviews at the New York Times and the New York Review of Books, and I have seen no bad reviews.
Glen finished HOLLYWOOD AND THE MOVIES OF THE FIFTIES and moved on to LONDON 1945: LIFE IN THE DEBRIS OF WAR by Maureen Waller. This is a reread for him, and he had forgotten that he read it years ago. It is a social history of London and its people during the last year of World War II.
He is also still reading the short story book, SING YOUR SADNESS DEEP by Laura Mauro. So far he has liked about half of the stories, but he is not giving up on it .
Jerry, that sounds like a great trip to the library book sale, especially with it being a surprise. I hope we will hear more about the books you got, as you read them.
Jeff, when Diane was still teaching, she would take the Christmas Tree down onr Martin Luther King Day. But, now that she's. retired, the tree comes down when she feels like it.
I don't think our library has had a sale in the last year because they are remodeling it. Must have cost a fortune. Just as well since I am still taking books to them and other nearby libraries.
I have much less appetite for sex and violence than I used to. NE talks about it more than they act on it. But I think perhaps we have backed away from it compared to the seventies-eighties.
Good to hear from you, Bonnie. Now that my brother has moved to Florida I will never meet up with you in DC. Take care.
The Lions loss was heartbreaking but they still had a very good year.
Will probably not watch Joe Pike. I liked Robert Crais's novels at first but Joe Pike became to prominent for me. Just a variation on Jack Reacher. Liking True Detective ans M. Spade. Also watching an Australian show Harrow about a Medical Examiner.
Finished up Judas 62 by Charles Cummings. Slowly readind The Best of Michael Swanwick vol 1. One of my favorite SF writers. Also reading California Bear by Duane Swierczynski.
Had no desire to see Boys in the Boat. Zero interest in rowing. Like Lacrosse it's a sport for private schools and Ivy League schools.
Had an eye injection Monday and for some reason my eye turned all dark red. Looks awful. Starting to fade now.
Weather dreary. Lot of rain and clouds.
Been a tough January despite the warmer than usual temps. So dark and dreary.
I wish their loss (Lions) had come differently. I feel like it was my fault for texting my son at halftime that things looked good.
Ironically the BOYS are poor boys (U of Washington), which is what made it work. They all are depression-era kids with cardboard stuffed in their shoes.
Workhouses too common, and those exploiting young women likewise...this tries to limn the similar institutions in Australia:
https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA401094767&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=00847259&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7Eecf37d5a&aty=open-web-entry
And then there were the native schools in Canada and US and their labor practices...orphanages...
Humanity is seldom humane. We look on it as at our expense rather than benefiting all.
Patti, like you I loved THE BOYS IN THE BOAT - the book. The movies sounds mediocre at best. We watched the PBS hour long show about it, and even that paled compared to the book, which covered not only the team and the competition, but the Depression, the rise of the Nazis, and so much more.
That was the problem, Jeff. The screenplay just covered the races, the primary character and the coach. Even Nazi Germany got little coverage. It would have worked as a series better than a movie.
BOYS IN THE BOAT has been recommended to me before but I just cannot get interested. Reminds me of pop history quick reads. Books that try to hit the top twenty with feel good stories and limited historical accuracy or research.
Maybe BOYS is an example of how to do things right. I'm still snooty, though.
Yes, why be humane when opportunities for profit and exerting undue control over relatively helpless people are available? A little sexual abuse on the side (when it is only on the side) is gravy.
Late to the party.... Detroit loses because their coach did not learn after blowing the game in Arlington at JerryWorld to take the field goal now and then. They win that game and they have the championship game at their place. Had three chances to get it right and blew them all. Does the same stupid thing Sunday with two different opportunities to kick the field goal and get points and goes for it instead.
Anyway.... been a hard week with the chronic pain and grief. I did get a short story finished and sent in for an anthology. Now we wait. Also awaiting the next round of edits on a short story that will appear in the Sisters in Crime North Dallas Chapter anthology sometime in late spring.
Been in the 70s the last two days which has let me sit outside and read a bit. Storms are in the forecast for Friday evening and Saturday and they might be severe.
KRT in Big D
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