I hope I’m gradually getting over a bad reaction to a new BP drug. I skipped the alcohol last night and plan to continue doing so. This is mostly to lose weight, but Eileen and Dr. Fuentes have expressed concern on the amount I drink and they probably have a point. We’ll see how it goes.
My BP did not jump higher than yesterday this morning and that is a bit of relief since I was watching for a terrible trend of escalating readings due mostly to dropping the use of one of my BP drugs.
This morning I stubbornly adhered to my routine: morning ablutions (BP, weight, clean teeth), do dishes, make coffee, take out garbage (usually Eileen does this, but when she thought of it yesterday, she was obviously too tired and I told her that “tomorrow was another day” my own code for I will do it when I get up if I feel like it), then Greek both J.A.C.T and Xenophon (see yesterday’s post if this confuses you), poetry reading, and finally reading another chapter in How to Read a History Book (two chapters left after this… I’m enjoying this one immensely, learning a lot and putting some aspects of my college experience into clearer perspective).
Then I read three reviews of Chuck Palahniuck’s Adjustment Day which I finished reading last night. I will link them below. I enjoyed this book but it’s probably not particularly flawless.
Then I made a little list of resolutions about how to do my job after vacation. It’s an evolving thing, but here is what I have so far this morning.
Post vacation thoughts (credo?)
need to concentrate on the part time nature of work without lowering qualityplay less hard organ music. alternate improv weekends with literature. Choose a couple big pieces for the holidays.
Think about bulletin notes as more worthy work time.
Tuesdays with Eileen. Add beach when nice or movie?
use more guitar, banjo, marimba, drums, and piano at church.
schedule the Bach bouree (a guitar piece I have been working on) when mastered as a prelude after having changed strings
Play more easy music in general. with trio?
think about some compositional projects. maybe something in reaction to current madness in the country
Like I say it’s a work in progress but this looks pretty good to me the day after my last vacation Sunday off.
Zer0books (mentioned yesterday) does videos. This is one. I watched it and then re-watched it with Eileen. I have thought that silencing Jones probably wasn’t the best solution. I like the visuals in this quite a bit, except like several of the YouTube commentor, I agree it needed better on screen i.d.s of who we were looking at.
I’m not sure I believe in progress in quite the way this video outlines, but think this is worth the 13 or so minutes to watch.
On Being a Writer | by V.S. Naipaul | The New York Review of Books
So Naipaul died. I had several of his books in my hands the day it was reported since I’m putting my collection in a better order. The New York Review of Books reposted this article he wrote. I’ll probably read it after I finish the obit. I have read and enjoyed several of this man’s books.
Your guide to 2018 apple harvest dates in Michigan | MLive.com
Silly I know, but I bookmarked it because I will be buying apples as usual this fall at the Farmers Market.
Classic Desert Island Discs: Sir Michael Tippett
Desert Island Disc show on BBC qualifies as one of my guilty pleasures. They are often dumb and silly. This one is not. It’s a replay as Tippett has been dead for a while. I find him and his selections charming. I plan to check out many of them further. This is a great episode.
Words That Burn
This is a podcast of a “dramatization of the World War II experiences of William Stafford, Lawson Inada, and Guy Gabaldón. Especially relevant in today’s political climate…” I haven’t listened to it yet, but probably will.
Karen Russell Reads Mavis Gallant | The New Yorker
Last night’s listening. I’ve got to get some books by Mavis Gallant.
NYTimes: The Rise and Fall of Paul Manafort: Greed, Deception and Ego
From today’s NYT. This article (along with believe it or not Marshall T. Poe’s book on History books) helps me understand the Manafort scandal better. Greed is good.
Adjustment Day by Chuck Palahniuk review – blood and guts, but no heart | Books
As promised above, here are links to the reviews I read this morning. This is probably the best one. In it, I learned that Palahniuk was a very early user (1996) of the pejorative “snowflake.” He is the second earliest quote in the OED entry.
On ‘Adjustment Day,’ A Quick, Horrifying Descent Into Madness : NPR
I guess I’m proceeding from the best review to the worst review. This one’s not too bad.
Adjustment Day: A Novel: Chuck Palahniuk: Amazon
I read through most of the comments on the Amazon page. As good as anything else linked here although of course all over the place.