But this time, the nav system is turned off. The maps are hidden in the trunk. The destination is unknown. I sort of know where I'm going, but not really. So where is all my wandering going to end up?
Ask me later. This is your basic unfocused, unmapped update.
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It has been a very busy time for me at work, with the fall sports season nearing its end. The football playoffs started late in October (both the teams I cover won their first game; one was eliminated over the weekend), and the volleyball tournaments took place last week. Besides that, some local activities I am in have heated up. A local board--looks like we may have a lot of work ahead of us. Plus Halloween photos for our Nov. 9 issue.
With the baseball playoffs over, my e-reader and I have gotten reacquainted. I have been reading from time to time, but usually only about 10 to 15 minutes at the end of a busy day, when I finally lie down in bed.
My mind is already tired by then, and my e-book the knockout punch. Off to dreamland. I read, and it's interesting, but suddenly I realize I have read the same passage two or three times already. Or else I rest my eyes for a few moments. The handwriting is on the e-reader: Put the thing away and go to sleep.
Once the light is switched off, Charlie hops up on the bed and strolls up by my side. I rub her head and neck, and she often turns around and lies with her back against me. Purr, purr, purr.
What have I been reading? Among my recent books: "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (I had read parts of it before--now I've read all of it.); "Old Gods Almost Dead" (a history of the Rolling Stones); "Sex at Dawn," about the anthropology that explains why men and women are the way they are; "A Study in Scarlet" (the first Sherlock Holmes story; I had read it before--now I have read it again); and "My Life and Loves" (the first part of the Frank Harris autobiography--who says all the interesting characters date from the 1900s?).
The current reading list: a selection of stories by Anton Chekhov; "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling" (read it once before; once you get past the 18th century style of English, it's a fun story); "Leaves of Grass" (recently started it); and "I, Fatty" (a purported autobiography of Roscoe Arbuckle, a favorite silent film star of mine).
"Tom Jones" was written about 1750, and its 18th century style of English can be difficult to cut through. But it's certainly a rewarding journey because of all the insights that Henry Fielding inserts along the way. For instance, this passage is from Chapter 9 of Book 6, describing a tempestuous argument between Squire Western (the father of Tom's love interest) and Tom.
"He then bespattered the youth with abundance of that language which passes between country gentlemen who embrace opposite sides of the question; with frequent applications to him to salute that part which is generally introduced into all controversies that arise among the lower orders of the English gentry at horse-races, cock-matches, and other public places. Allusions to this part are likewise often made for the sake of the jest. And here, I believe, the wit is generally misunderstood. In reality, it lies in desiring another to kiss your a—- for having just before threatened to kick his; for I have observed very accurately, that no one ever desires you to kick that which belongs to himself, nor offers to kiss this part in another.
It may likewise seem surprizing that in the many thousand kind invitations of this sort, which every one who hath conversed with country gentlemen must have heard, no one, I believe, hath ever seen a single instance where the desire hath been complied with;—a great instance of their want of politeness; for in town nothing can be more common than for the finest gentlemen to perform this ceremony every day to their superiors, without having that favour once requested of them.
Ooh! That is wicked! And 100% true, even 260 years later.
I am also reading a book of English fairy tales--I read them aloud to my wife sometimes after we go to bed (if we don't have other things on our minds). To my delight, it includes a certain story ("The Old Woman and Her Pig") that my mom used to read to me when I was little. I haven't seen that one for many, many, many years. Of course, I know it so well I could practically recite it from memory.
There are too many good books on the e-reader. I know I should spend much more time reading than I do.
****
In July, I wrote that my Alaskan friend, B, had applied for a job at a larger university, in a larger city. But she wasn't offered the job, and she was terribly disappointed.
Her birthday was in late September, and I sent her a few e-cards. One showed a rising sun and said "A lot can happen in a year," talking about the natural changes that take place in a year. The earth circling the sun, the seasons, new stars in the sky. Then it says, "Imagine all the possibilities this year has in store for you."
I wrote at the bottom:
I can see into the future! Yes, I can!
And I see ... oh, what do I see?
I see ... I see a new home. A new city. Yes, a new job. New possibilities. New opportunities. New growth. New discoveries.
And old friends. Like me. Who will still love you no matter where you go or what you do, who like you just as you are.
Cause we're friends. That's what we do.
About two weeks later, she was selected for a different job at the school in the big city and is moving down there now. See? Not to worry. Everything turned out just fine.
****
Also, a fast update about my friend K, who I visited last week. You will be happy to hear that her neck is feeling much better, almost back to normal, and the scar from the operation is fading, fading away.
She told me she is much happier working at ***-mart now that she has transferred back to being a cashier. She told me they asked her one day to go back to the customer service counter for a few hours to help when they were short-handed. She told them no way.
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We had chilly weather in October and early November but just one day of snow (so far). It snowed one evening as I was driving around--not enough to be a problem on the roads, but a preview of things to come. We had a trace on the ground the next morning, but it melted once the sun rose a little, and there hasn't been any since.
The weather had mostly behaved during football season. We had some cold nights (like tonight will be), but I only remember one game with rain this season, and there wasn't that much. So I'm counting myself lucky.
****
See? I had the nav system turned off, and we wound up at our destination anyway: namely, the end of this post.
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