Books, Cats, the Usual

Another thing I've been meaning to write about for some time has to do with books. For someone with "read" in the name of her blog, I don't write about books often, do I? It's not that I don't read--heavens, that's certainly not it! So far this year, I've finished 65 books, and that doesn't count all the ones I start but don't finish, either because I try them from the library and find I don't like them, or because I pick up an old favorite and read a bit of it, but not the whole thing.

I've found it hard to pin down why I don't write about reading more, to explain it so it makes sense to those who don't live inside my head (a surprisingly large group). I read a book recently where an exchange between two characters really hit home. Click on the pictures to make them bigger.

"...it's the sort of book I like. It's about nice people and it ends properly." ... "Some of the books nowadays begin quite nicely and cheerfully and then, half way though, they go all wrong and make you miserable." The older I get, the less I read of mysteries and creepy, suspenseful books, and the more I enjoy reading pleasant books that I can trust. Nice books. At work recently, I've been re-reading T. Tembarom. I'm sure it looks a little odd (not that I care, of course). It's implausible and all, but it's a nice book.

That's not to say there aren't exceptions: I recently read a novel called Me Before You, by JoJo Moyes, and it was so good and yet had some troubling ethical questions*, the sort of thing that you finish and keep thinking about for a while. And in a quite different vein, Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood was an enjoyable teen novel that I think would be equally enjoyable whether or not you were a Jane Austen fan; I do recommend it. But fewer serial killers, less of the blood-and-guts-and violence, and more pleasant, possibly improbable, entertaining reads for me, and that tends to send me toward old books, often out of print ones that are challenging to recommend to others.
*But wasn't the sort of thing to piss me off, the way My Sister's Keeper did, which put me off the author permanently.

Anyway, in case you've wondered, that's a good part of why I don't write about books more often.

To completely change the topic, I have more pictures to share. It's been a while since I've had an orgy of cat pictures, hasn't it? Well, here they are, His Lordship and Miss Priss.

Pretty cute!

Hockey, Knitting, Sunset, Strawberries

One of the Bruins/hockey blogs I read said recently, "Fill in the blank time! I miss hockey more than _______." And I have to admit, nothing sprang to mind. I mean, it isn't even three weeks since the playoffs ended! There's been so much going on, hockey-wise (not that I'm complaining, mind you). Talk to me in a month and I'll probably be counting the days until training camp, but right now? There's hardly an off-day from hockey news and developments.

Speaking of which, I went up to the Bruins development camp this morning to watch the future Bruins practicing. Having been in Ristuccia many times before (such as in 2006, 2007, 2012) I brought a sweatshirt and a jacket to wear, and thus was able to stay the whole hour and leave with only cold legs--through jeans, mind you, I don't know how people in shorts did it. And sandals! Brr. But it was fun to watch the boys playing, to see them and hear them.

And the unfamiliar names, on familiar jerseys, that's always weird. I'm not a fan of the practice jersey design, by the way, particularly the white ones.

The black around the underarm sections makes it hard to read the numbers from the side, or in motion. Anyway, for whatever reason, the black jerseys were nearer to me most of the time, so it was mostly them I got pictures of.

There are a couple that are almost elbow-to-elbow names there! I couldn't get a picture of him, but one of them is named Grzelcyk, which looks to my eyes like it needs a few more vowels in there.

I always wonder how many of them will end up with the big club; some won't make it professionally, some will be traded ... you just don't know. The consensus seems to be that goalie Malcolm Subban will be in Providence this year, as a backup. I didn't get a really good picture of him, since at any distance the rink's safety netting throws the camera off, but for what it's worth:

I noticed Ryan Fitzgerald a few times, in a good way, so maybe one day he'll be there. It's always nice to see a legacy make it, isn't it?

Anyway, it's summer (not that the weather is all that summery today, mid-70s and cloudy, and where the hell has my sunshine gone), and there are other things to talk of. Like the bike, which I did in fact ride last night, thank you--keep asking! And like the latest purse sock, which is coming nicely:

Not bad for three weeks of around-and-about time. And there are so many odds and ends of things I've meant to post about, in the last month or two, and somehow haven't. For today, here are some lovely sunset photos from my friend's wedding. The reception location has a lovely view over the water. See Boston's skyline in the distance?

The bump on the hill to the right of the sunset in the photo above, is the tower in the photo below. And to the right and up of the tower, see the plane coming in to Logan?

Wasn't that pretty? The whole wedding was so nice. Did I show you the chocolate-covered strawberries?

How cute is that? They were delicious, too!

A Little Grinching, A Little Gladness

You know what's annoying? When you do things right and it still doesn't work. And yes, I do have an example! Two, in fact.

One is just the stupid Globe delivery thing. After I changed my service, they correctly stopped delivering the weekday papers last week, but they have now delivered all five days this week. I called on Tuesday, and they assured me they would contact the local delivery people and stop it, but no, every single day. Who wants to bet it will come again on Monday? Or alternately, NOT come tomorrow or Sunday?

The other is related to the stupid health insurance, and isn't even the biggest snafu related to our new-in-April coverage. I need to get blood tested, and had a heads-up from a coworker that our insurance does not cover it everywhere, it has to be one of their chosen labs. So, OK, from the website, I found (not easily, the website sucks) a lab that would do it--after sorting through prenatal testing labs and drug testing labs and sleep labs, a filter would be nice, guys--and I called them yesterday to confirm that they really do do this kind of testing. The woman told me yes, and even went off to confirm that someone would be there to do it at 8 this morning--it's a fasting test, so I am not mucking about, I'm not good at fasting. I get cranky, and head-achy, in short order. First thing in the morning it is; I'll be there when the doors open.

So, this morning I didn't have my usual coffee, didn't take my vitamins, didn't drink the extra bit of smoothie when I made it, didn't even lick the peanut butter off the knife when I was making a sandwich for lunch. I packed it all in the car and went up there (the lab isn't far from work, which is why I chose that one). I arrived shortly before 8, and sat in the lobby knitting for a few minutes. At 8, the lights came on inside and a woman unlocked the door and came out, and I greeted her and asked if they were opening up? And she said hesitantly that yes, but was I there for a blood test? (I guess they don't get a lot of walk-in traffic...?) Because there wasn't anyone there yet who could draw blood. Should be within the hour, though!

Well, even if I didn't have to get to work, I'm not starving for another hour, especially based on a maybe. We discussed it, and she allowed as how Monday through Thursday were better than Friday, and they actually open at 7, if the door's locked just call and they'll let me in. Un-huh. Excellent. So basically nothing I was told on the phone is right.

I mean, she was nice, and apologetic and all, and it's not like it's her fault, really, but asking me to deal with that kind of irritation on an empty stomach is pushing it, frankly. I'll try again next week, and what I think I'll do is call them at 7 and make sure someone is going to be there before I go through all that again. Because the location is convenient, and going to a lab that the insurance pays for is important, but honestly, people, if you mess with my food intake, it won't be pretty.

In happier news, the Bruins announced today that they signed Bergeron to a contract extension, so that he can in fact retire as a Bruin (not now! maybe in nine years). Whew! I feel kind of like this about it:

I love this guy, and it would have killed some part of the Bruins fan in me if he ever got traded. Which is not technically impossible now, but it's really really unlikely, and that makes me a happy Bruins fan.

Speaking of hockey, I don't know if you're aware of the whole Sharknado thing, but I absolutely loved this Twitter exchange related to it, as seen on Puck Daddy:

Oh, snap!

Now, I haven't ridden the bike yet this evening--yet, yet--but I will. I've been doing laundry (third load in the dryer) and cooking an actual dinner, which means I have some actual dishes to take care of. Then I will bike. Ask me tomorrow!

Yup, I Biked!

I don't complain about the weather as much in summer as I do in winter (do I?); I take after my mother, who was asked after moving to Florida, "Doesn't it get hot there?" and replied simply, "Yes." I like the warmth, and want to spend time outside in the sun while it's there. (Not that I don't love air conditioning, I do, but I love to need it, too.) This is a roundabout way of saying that I was hoping to eat my lunch outside today; I need some basking, and we've had way too much of the cloudy, rainy weather lately (sometimes 75 degrees, sometimes 95, but Not Enough Sun anyway). I checked the weather forecast this morning before work and it said that although there would be afternoon showers, there was a 0% chance before 1 PM.

So naturally, when I got out of a meeting at 10:30, it was raining.

And no, it wasn't raining at 1. Or 2. Or 3. Or since.

I'm just saying.

Anyway, many thanks to those who asked me about biking! I did bike a few minutes after I wrote last night; not a lot, but more than the "none" that I felt like doing. Baby steps. And since I was motivated by the questions (keep asking, do!), I waited to blog until after I biked tonight. Another ten minutes, I'm all sweaty (ugh), and the heel flap is close to being done. Baby steps indeed, but enough of them and eventually you get somewhere.

Incidentally, I don't know why, as a knitter, I'm not more comfortable with that idea, why it's such a fight. The whole concept of knitting is that it's tiny movements that only together create something. Why does that seem so different to me?

So I knit on the purse sock in the meeting this morning, I knit on the bike, and now I think I'll go off and knit for a few minutes before bed. Thank heavens it's almost the weekend!

*****
Conversation with Carlos:
Meow.
You have food, bud. I just looked.
Meow.
You do. You have food.
Meow.
It may not be the new exciting food that you want [ed note: all of an hour old], but it is food, and it's all you get right now.

...? Does ... not ... compute ...