(Written Sunday night; unable to post until now)
So Saturday was my birthday. 17. Wow. [Long philosophical passage written and deleted. Author did not want to burden anybody kind enough to this with his insane ramblings.]
At any rate, the weekend was fun. I shelved books at the library for a couple hours Saturday morning; then went home and soon went out again, this time with immediate family for birthday celebration. On the way to a restuarant we stopped at a book sale at a Methodist church. I picked up some excellent fantasy books. (There were some not-so- excellent ones too; one, published in the early eighties, was called The Sword of Shemra or something like that; basically a shorter clone of Terry Brooks' The Sword of Shannara, which is in turn a clone of the LotR trilogy.) After the book sale, we went to Ella's Deli, a really fun resuarant on the East Side of Madison. All over the walls and ceiling are animatronic puppets and things; there's a Big Band orchestra, a superman who flies across the ceiling, a big Noah's Ark with dancing animals, etc.
After Ella's I went and Got a laptop!!!! It was the only thing I asked for as a present, thus my parents and all the relatives contributed money towards it. Lots of fun, the keyboard is more responsive than a PC, and (best feature) I have to wait for no one to get off before using it! The only downside is there's no net connection in my room, so most of the time I have to use the old PC online. *pats old PC on the back*
Then we rented The Interpreter and watched it. Excellent, riveting political thriller.
Sunday church of course, and Sunday evening went to see a great Celtic group called Rising Gael downtown Madison. They did a lot of traditional songs that I'd heard before, but most of them were the best versions I'd heard of them. (They did some I hadn't heard, and those were good too.) The guitar player-incredibly talented-was fifteen years old. The other four (two fiddlers, singer, and a bodhran-player) were in college.
Well that's all for now, Goodnight!
(Exit, pursued by a bear)
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Friday, January 27, 2006
Etc.
Greetings!
The past week has been busy indeed, but uninterestingly so. Basically a lot of schoolwork, and shelving books at the library; and in the few moments i had free (usually early in the morning or late at night) working on writing projects.
My grandparents were supposed to some down this weekend (they live in St. Croix Falls, about six hours north), but as my grandmother was having back spasms and sick, she didn't think she could make the drive. Aside from being dissapointing, this threw off all our plans for my birthday, which is tomorrow. So I am currently thinking of new plans--probably to go somewhere colorful, such as the movies or a restuarant, as January is so bloody gray.
We watched the movie Big Fish tonight. Very good movie. I had never exactly seen anything like it before. It operated just like a fairy tale, with its own logic.
Thinking of my grandparents reminds me of how my grandpa's story of meeting Picasso. He was in Paris Just after WWII, and met the artist at a party. Asking him about it usually goes something like this:
Asker: So tell us about meeting Picasso.
Grandfather [talking as if it's really not that interesting]: Yeah, I met him at a party, talked to him a little bit.
A: What did you think of him?
G [shrugging]: He wasn't much.
OR
G: Well, he was a wierd little French guy who painted wierd pictures.
Well, now I have to do dishes and/or go to bed.
Slainte!
Ethan
(Exit, pursued by a bear)
The past week has been busy indeed, but uninterestingly so. Basically a lot of schoolwork, and shelving books at the library; and in the few moments i had free (usually early in the morning or late at night) working on writing projects.
My grandparents were supposed to some down this weekend (they live in St. Croix Falls, about six hours north), but as my grandmother was having back spasms and sick, she didn't think she could make the drive. Aside from being dissapointing, this threw off all our plans for my birthday, which is tomorrow. So I am currently thinking of new plans--probably to go somewhere colorful, such as the movies or a restuarant, as January is so bloody gray.
We watched the movie Big Fish tonight. Very good movie. I had never exactly seen anything like it before. It operated just like a fairy tale, with its own logic.
Thinking of my grandparents reminds me of how my grandpa's story of meeting Picasso. He was in Paris Just after WWII, and met the artist at a party. Asking him about it usually goes something like this:
Asker: So tell us about meeting Picasso.
Grandfather [talking as if it's really not that interesting]: Yeah, I met him at a party, talked to him a little bit.
A: What did you think of him?
G [shrugging]: He wasn't much.
OR
G: Well, he was a wierd little French guy who painted wierd pictures.
Well, now I have to do dishes and/or go to bed.
Slainte!
Ethan
(Exit, pursued by a bear)
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Snow!
It snowed last night! Been too warm here for snow for like the past month, but last night we got a good couple inches. Enough to be slipping and sliding all the way home from work (across town). And this morning I woke up and outside was all white, like winter should be. Like a white blanket, covering the earth in... in... [trails off into mumbling similes]
The snow made us cancel our church's first official youth group event last night (now that we have more than three 'youth' at our church). That was sad, but in January in WI that sort of thing comes with the territory. Today we had a great snowball fight, my brother and the neighbor girl (she's 9 or so) against me. I had one throw where the snowball angled off him as he spun away, and then hit her and exploded. So that was fun, until they tackled me and buried me alive... But i rose from the grave (zombified, of course) and exacted revenge.
Later i cleaned out my books. I have three grocery bags stuffed with books to get rid of, and still my 'keepers' take up four shelves, a half dozen large milk crates, and several piles on the floor. The problem is I acquire them faster than I can read them, even doing several at once.
Currently I am reading: Jonathan Strange and Mister Norrel (fast becoming an all-time favorite), Exiles by James Joyce (a mediocre play by a brilliant writer), The Lord of Snows and Shadows (high fantasy with an eastern European twist), and The Fire and the Staff by Klemet Prues (an excellent and easily-read book about Lutheran theology). Oh and shall soon start The Great Gadtspy (or however 'tis spelt) for school. Recently found I could not finish Henry James's Washington Square. Not sure why. Possibly because it's the same story that's been told a thousand times--dull girl with a rich inheritance who meets a charming young man who her father thinks is just out for her money. Or possibly because at the same time I was reading Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter for school, and WS is similar in tone and themes and style to SL, but the latter is a far better book.
Guess I'm a bit long-winded tonight. Soon I shall compile a list of must-read recent fantasy books.
Goodnight all!
Ethan
[Exit, pursued by a bear]
The snow made us cancel our church's first official youth group event last night (now that we have more than three 'youth' at our church). That was sad, but in January in WI that sort of thing comes with the territory. Today we had a great snowball fight, my brother and the neighbor girl (she's 9 or so) against me. I had one throw where the snowball angled off him as he spun away, and then hit her and exploded. So that was fun, until they tackled me and buried me alive... But i rose from the grave (zombified, of course) and exacted revenge.
Later i cleaned out my books. I have three grocery bags stuffed with books to get rid of, and still my 'keepers' take up four shelves, a half dozen large milk crates, and several piles on the floor. The problem is I acquire them faster than I can read them, even doing several at once.
Currently I am reading: Jonathan Strange and Mister Norrel (fast becoming an all-time favorite), Exiles by James Joyce (a mediocre play by a brilliant writer), The Lord of Snows and Shadows (high fantasy with an eastern European twist), and The Fire and the Staff by Klemet Prues (an excellent and easily-read book about Lutheran theology). Oh and shall soon start The Great Gadtspy (or however 'tis spelt) for school. Recently found I could not finish Henry James's Washington Square. Not sure why. Possibly because it's the same story that's been told a thousand times--dull girl with a rich inheritance who meets a charming young man who her father thinks is just out for her money. Or possibly because at the same time I was reading Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter for school, and WS is similar in tone and themes and style to SL, but the latter is a far better book.
Guess I'm a bit long-winded tonight. Soon I shall compile a list of must-read recent fantasy books.
Goodnight all!
Ethan
[Exit, pursued by a bear]
Friday, January 20, 2006
I'm Online!
So I decided to start a blog. Why? Because I can. And I thought it would be cool. Thomas Edison needed no greater reason to invent the light bulb.
Ahem.
I think since my life really isn't all that interesting i will end up writing much about what i'm reading, writing, and thinking (the latter might be somewhat disturbing). I also might meander into theology, and music, inane theories on divers topics, etc. If anything worthy of note happens to me, I'll write that too. Anyone who has opinions on anything here should feel free to share them. However, if you disagree with me you shall be seized, broken, remoulded according to my desires, broken again, break for lunch, then, if there's time, rebuilt again. Yesssss.....
So I saw Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy tonight. Having read the first two books, i had to explain one or two things to the rest of my family. Heh, kinda had to force them to watch but then they liked it.
Well, that's all for now, Goodnight!
Slainte'bah!
[Exit, pursued by a bear]
Ahem.
I think since my life really isn't all that interesting i will end up writing much about what i'm reading, writing, and thinking (the latter might be somewhat disturbing). I also might meander into theology, and music, inane theories on divers topics, etc. If anything worthy of note happens to me, I'll write that too. Anyone who has opinions on anything here should feel free to share them. However, if you disagree with me you shall be seized, broken, remoulded according to my desires, broken again, break for lunch, then, if there's time, rebuilt again. Yesssss.....
So I saw Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy tonight. Having read the first two books, i had to explain one or two things to the rest of my family. Heh, kinda had to force them to watch but then they liked it.
Well, that's all for now, Goodnight!
Slainte'bah!
[Exit, pursued by a bear]
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