Monday, December 31, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Snow Snarl
It took me nearly four hours to drive the eight miles from my office to my home, thanks to the heavy snow storm that burst onto the scene with unrelenting force. Six to seven inches where laid down in the afternoon going into the evening, and car commuters like me were bearing the brunt of it.
I thought I'd be smart and take Route 93 home because I left during the day (this highway is typically backed up in the evening commute). Of course, that quickly became an exercise in frustration since I wasn't the only person leaving to get ahead of the storm. Doubling back, I decided to take to the city streets. Up Massachusetts Avenue, the traffic was moving at a snail's pace, and I settled in for what would be a long stretch of nightmare traffic. Intricate merges became nasty merges. Traffic lights blinked with feeble authority. I saw at least one car abandoned, blocking traffic until drivers noticed that there wasn't anyone inside. Me and several other drivers were popping out during the frequent stops to brush off our windshields.
It was a tough one out there. I'm glad I'm home.
I thought I'd be smart and take Route 93 home because I left during the day (this highway is typically backed up in the evening commute). Of course, that quickly became an exercise in frustration since I wasn't the only person leaving to get ahead of the storm. Doubling back, I decided to take to the city streets. Up Massachusetts Avenue, the traffic was moving at a snail's pace, and I settled in for what would be a long stretch of nightmare traffic. Intricate merges became nasty merges. Traffic lights blinked with feeble authority. I saw at least one car abandoned, blocking traffic until drivers noticed that there wasn't anyone inside. Me and several other drivers were popping out during the frequent stops to brush off our windshields.
It was a tough one out there. I'm glad I'm home.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
My Old Reading List
The National Endowment for the Arts released a study earlier in the month proclaiming that children are reading less. This study follows their 2004 study titled Reading at Risk.
Their new findings made me think about the books that took hold of me when I was in elementary school. I browsed SparkNotes to remind myself what I might have read back in the day. Part of me wishes I was blogging back in my youth, so I could dig out an actual list.
Here are the books (and specifically, the stories) that helped make me a life-long reader, the ones that gave me the first taste that reading was worth "doing for fun."
The Illustrated Man - Every geek's entry point to a reading life must begin with science fiction. I still remember that the cover of my edition featured a man sitting with his back exposed, completely covered with tattoos. The one short story I remember was "The Long Rain", which I devoured in an afternoon, amazed that something as simple as rain could be made so sinister.
Different Seasons - King's book of four short stories (one for each season) made me wish I could somehow read faster. I especially loved "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" (which is now a famous movie). The name of the town mentioned at the end of the book, Zihuatanejo, has been stuck inside my head ever since I finished it.
Catcher in the Rye - This book made me realize that a unique voice could emerge out of words, and take over my imagination. And that this voice could be (somehow!) similar to my own. I knew how Holden Caulfield sounded. I understood his sarcastic take on life. I got his humor. This book made me think that there must be other books like this.
Honorable mentions: The Little Prince, The Great Gatsby, A Clockwork Orange.
Their new findings made me think about the books that took hold of me when I was in elementary school. I browsed SparkNotes to remind myself what I might have read back in the day. Part of me wishes I was blogging back in my youth, so I could dig out an actual list.
Here are the books (and specifically, the stories) that helped make me a life-long reader, the ones that gave me the first taste that reading was worth "doing for fun."
The Illustrated Man - Every geek's entry point to a reading life must begin with science fiction. I still remember that the cover of my edition featured a man sitting with his back exposed, completely covered with tattoos. The one short story I remember was "The Long Rain", which I devoured in an afternoon, amazed that something as simple as rain could be made so sinister.
Different Seasons - King's book of four short stories (one for each season) made me wish I could somehow read faster. I especially loved "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" (which is now a famous movie). The name of the town mentioned at the end of the book, Zihuatanejo, has been stuck inside my head ever since I finished it.
Catcher in the Rye - This book made me realize that a unique voice could emerge out of words, and take over my imagination. And that this voice could be (somehow!) similar to my own. I knew how Holden Caulfield sounded. I understood his sarcastic take on life. I got his humor. This book made me think that there must be other books like this.
Honorable mentions: The Little Prince, The Great Gatsby, A Clockwork Orange.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
My Boring, Humble Life
A few weeks ago, the Boston Globe ran a story about Tobin Kerns, a high-school aged man who was in jail for plotting to massacre his high school in Marshfield.
In the article (written by Emily Sweeney), he said "I just want to put this behind me and live a boring, humble life." That quote stuck with me for some reason. And as I went about my day, I realized why. He was hoping to live my life: boring and humble. He didn't want to be in the news, or in jail, or to associate with the people that got him into this mess. He wanted my life; my life with its boring rituals, with its humble aspirations. Mr. Kerns realized that he was in a bad situation, and all of a sudden the boring life didn't seem so bad after all. In fact, he'd love to be reading about some kid like him in the newspaper, and saying "Sheesh...glad that's not me."
Last week, Mr. Kerns was sentenced to ten months (five months already served) as an adult, in an adult jail. I'm hoping he gets his wish for that boring life when he gets out. It's not all that bad.
In the article (written by Emily Sweeney), he said "I just want to put this behind me and live a boring, humble life." That quote stuck with me for some reason. And as I went about my day, I realized why. He was hoping to live my life: boring and humble. He didn't want to be in the news, or in jail, or to associate with the people that got him into this mess. He wanted my life; my life with its boring rituals, with its humble aspirations. Mr. Kerns realized that he was in a bad situation, and all of a sudden the boring life didn't seem so bad after all. In fact, he'd love to be reading about some kid like him in the newspaper, and saying "Sheesh...glad that's not me."
Last week, Mr. Kerns was sentenced to ten months (five months already served) as an adult, in an adult jail. I'm hoping he gets his wish for that boring life when he gets out. It's not all that bad.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Fizzix
Yummy! A snack that combines carbonation and yogurt. My wife thinks these two elements don't go together, but I gave it a try, and it's not bad!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Jenn Read Fifty Books...
...and counting. She finished her 2007 News Resolution a little over two months ahead of schedule. Typical. As for me? I've got two books that I'm sure to finish before the end of the year, which will bring my own lame total up to twelve.
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