READIN

Saturday, February 21st, 2004

🦋 Career opportunities

Sylvia, this morning:

When I grow up, I want to be a teacher, and study dinosaurs, and a vet, and a people doctor, a-and, that's all.

Context is that Ellen was reading to her from Jamal's Busy Day, in which Jamal describes his parents' jobs.

posted morning of February 21st, 2004: Respond
➳ More posts about Sylvia

Wednesday, February 18th, 2004

Don Quixote, Chapter XXXVI: A weird change of gears -- I expect to continue on with the story of "The Queen of Micomicona" but instead I find myself suddenly returned to the story of Cardenio and Don Fernando... it is testament to Cervantes' skill as a story teller that I was able to get back up to speed on this lapsed story very quickly. The way the stories are interleaved together is what I am finding most memorable about this book -- Cervantes can jump with little effort from one to another, and there are always little reminders planted of the stories that are currently in the background.

posted evening of February 18th, 2004: Respond
➳ More posts about Don Quixote

Monday, February 16th, 2004

Don Quixote, Chapter XXXVI: I just finished the Tale of Reckless Curiosity and found myself won over to its presence in the book. Although it distracted me from the main story of Don Quixote, it was itself a good story and I got interested in the characters almost despite myself. I was glad Cervantes interrupted the action of the enclosed story midway through to talk about the main story -- that kept it in my mind.

posted evening of February 16th, 2004: Respond
➳ More posts about Miguel de Cervantes

Sunday, February 15th, 2004

🦋 Lesson learned

You'd think it would be straightforward enough; but:

A useful household tip

When moving a ladder, make sure no hammers are balanced on the top rung.

And,

Corollary #1

Don't balance hammers on top rungs of ladders.

posted morning of February 15th, 2004: Respond
➳ More posts about Toolbox

Saturday, February 14th, 2004

We watched "Sunshine State" this evening -- Ellen was not into it and bugged out midway through, but I was pretty captivated. I really enjoyed the composition of the movie, had the nice experience of second-guessing the director and being right a couple of times. I get really interested by the topic of zoning and development, and here it was mixed with a really gripping plot and good acting. Complaints: the old men playing golf did not add anything to the movie and did not feel like an organic part of it; Marley's drama queen mother seemed silly by and large; Desiree and her mother did not really seem to be acting in the same scene when they were alone together, like they were each reciting their lines in front of a camera. (But these two -- Angela Bassett and Mary Alice -- were such good actors that the performance was still impressive.)

posted evening of February 14th, 2004: Respond

Here are some things Sylvia has been doing lately:

A dialog between the cow and the wolf: as scripted by Sylvia

WOLF: Why did you run away?

COW: I was trying to find my mommy.

WOLF: Why did you stop?

COW: There was a scary monster, and it was...scary.

WOLF: When I was little I ran away from my mom one time and saw a scary monster. That happens sometimes.

Acting like dinosaurs

Sylvia is way into dinosaurs. Today we were reading a book with pictures and descriptions of various ones -- after each sentence she would repeat the sentence but in the first person, and act out the attributes in question. Apparently all dinosaurs eat Lola (our dog) -- sometimes she is another dinosaur, sometimes she is a plant, sometimes a dinosaur egg or an insect.

posted evening of February 14th, 2004: Respond

Friday, February 13th, 2004

Don Quixote -- I am bogging down slightly on Chapter XXXIII, the story-within-a-story about Anselmo and Lotario. A footnote at the end of the previous chapter says Cervantes was criticized for including this story as it detracted from the flow and pacing of the story; I'm with the critics. This story reminds me a bit of the stories-within-a-story of the Decameron, which I found quite difficult to get through and not really that engaging. (Not to criticize Boccaccio -- people with far better taste than I have think he's the bee's knees -- I just had a hard time with it. Perhaps when I am older and more patient I will return to it and enjoy it.)

posted evening of February 13th, 2004: Respond
➳ More posts about Readings

I finished Nickeled and Dimed last night, what a wonderful book that is! It really opens up a world I don't see much of from day to day. The writing style is exceptionally up front and lucid; all Ehrenreich's cards are on the table. Bill said to me the other night that the book should be required reading in the run-up to the election. I agree completely.

posted afternoon of February 13th, 2004: Respond
➳ More posts about Nickeled and Dimed

🦋 Weird conjunction

This weekend features: Friday the 13th; Valentine's Day; and President's Day! Seems like fertile ground...

posted morning of February 13th, 2004: Respond

Tuesday, February 10th, 2004

A lovely evening tonight, I visited Gary and had a drink with him in Williamsburg, and then jetted on over to the Village where I met up with P-List friends Bill and Christine, plus Mark, whom I had never met before, and Sophia, who is in town from Lvov, doing Pynchon-related research. It was real pleasant talking with them -- I left with a smile and a spring in my step.

posted evening of February 10th, 2004: Respond

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