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Deannas, weddings, and springs
Apr. 2nd, 2002 11:43 amActually, i just have a bunch of miscellaneous things to say. This might look like babble.
Deanna has been reading ELKonigsburg books recently, and commenting on them. One of my favorite books when i was growing up was 'From the mixed up files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler', and sometimes I like kids books. So, when Josh dragged me to a book store on Fri. night, I searched for a book by ELK.
My original goal was to get Father's Acane Daughter, since Dee had spoken highly of it. Also, it takes place in Pittsburgh, which I thought I would enjoy. They didn't have that one, so I got two others instead.
Its cool how good a children's book can be once in a while. There are a lot of great authors out there who happen to write for children, and I kind of like the break. So far, the book i'm reading (whose title i forget), is enjoyable. and sort of silly.
I have just finished the second book in the LoTR series. I'm re-reading them because I have forgetting basically everything. I have to say, they're good, and captivating books. And great epic tales. I'm anxious for the good side to win, though.
Anyway... I like books about Pittsburgh because it is always cool to recognize places that you love. I read, er, another books whose title i forget, by the guy who wrote the Wonder Boys, last spring. Its somehow very comforting to envision familiar surroundings.
The characters in that book didn't grab me, but Pittsburgh sure did. I thought the book captured the spirit of Pittsburgh pretty well.
What would that be, you ask? Well, Pittsburgh to me is like an old woman. It may look like an inconsequential place on the outside, but, in its life it has seen glory, and pain, and hardship. It has secrets that need to be sought after, but that will reward the seeker. Pittsburgh always seems just a little melancholy, even when it is fully celebrating life. As though it realizes that beauty is fleeting and needs to be adored when it is present. On the other hand, Pittsburgh has an internal beauty and peace that doesn't seem to be present in vivacious, young, cities.
Perhaps that is why quiet rainy afternoons make me homesick for Pittsburgh. They have a beauty that is not often appreciated.
Perhaps that is why I feel so at home in Pittsburgh. My soul is more like its soul.
I think one of the reasons I liked 'From the mixed up files ...' so much is that it offered both a character to whom I could relate, and a magical story after which I could long. (It too, referred to the familiar scenes of down-town Manhatten, and CT, which probably helped.) Basically, in this story, and young girl, who basically has a good life, is disatisfied. So she runs away. She's really looking for a way to make herself into a person she can admire, and like.
The idea of doing something so drastic, and exciting, as running to NYC, captured my interest. But I also get the point behind trying to make yourself something special. In the book, the girl achieves it by learning a secret. That makes sense to me too.
Perhaps that is why i sometimes lie to stranger that have no need for the truth. It gives me a secret. (I do stuff like give the wrong reason for my flight across the country to the person sharing my row in an airplane. Or lie about my grades to a scompetitive school mate.)
The last couple of weeks have been good for me. My work has slowed down enough that i've only put in about 40 hours for the past couple of weeks. Plus, last week was spring break, so i didn't have a class to go to. It was relaxing. And much needed.
I also think it helps me, in a very real way, to have spring coming. It has been sunny outside, and has stayed light longer. It somehow makes the world more optimistic.
I am actually looking forward to the next quarter, as I am refreshed and ready to learn again. I have ideas, again, for good projects to work on. I even finished a project recently, which made me happy.
... just a comment on weddings, since it is in my subject line: They pop up everywhere. People i know are getting married, i've been to weddings, and i've talked to people planning weddings. It is impossible to get away from them.
On the one hand, i think it is a shame that society and family place enough expectations on weddings that they become painful for the participants. On the other hand, it is sort of neat to see something grow up around people's dreams and hopes. They are like the beginning of a promise for a good future.
Deanna has been reading ELKonigsburg books recently, and commenting on them. One of my favorite books when i was growing up was 'From the mixed up files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler', and sometimes I like kids books. So, when Josh dragged me to a book store on Fri. night, I searched for a book by ELK.
My original goal was to get Father's Acane Daughter, since Dee had spoken highly of it. Also, it takes place in Pittsburgh, which I thought I would enjoy. They didn't have that one, so I got two others instead.
Its cool how good a children's book can be once in a while. There are a lot of great authors out there who happen to write for children, and I kind of like the break. So far, the book i'm reading (whose title i forget), is enjoyable. and sort of silly.
I have just finished the second book in the LoTR series. I'm re-reading them because I have forgetting basically everything. I have to say, they're good, and captivating books. And great epic tales. I'm anxious for the good side to win, though.
Anyway... I like books about Pittsburgh because it is always cool to recognize places that you love. I read, er, another books whose title i forget, by the guy who wrote the Wonder Boys, last spring. Its somehow very comforting to envision familiar surroundings.
The characters in that book didn't grab me, but Pittsburgh sure did. I thought the book captured the spirit of Pittsburgh pretty well.
What would that be, you ask? Well, Pittsburgh to me is like an old woman. It may look like an inconsequential place on the outside, but, in its life it has seen glory, and pain, and hardship. It has secrets that need to be sought after, but that will reward the seeker. Pittsburgh always seems just a little melancholy, even when it is fully celebrating life. As though it realizes that beauty is fleeting and needs to be adored when it is present. On the other hand, Pittsburgh has an internal beauty and peace that doesn't seem to be present in vivacious, young, cities.
Perhaps that is why quiet rainy afternoons make me homesick for Pittsburgh. They have a beauty that is not often appreciated.
Perhaps that is why I feel so at home in Pittsburgh. My soul is more like its soul.
I think one of the reasons I liked 'From the mixed up files ...' so much is that it offered both a character to whom I could relate, and a magical story after which I could long. (It too, referred to the familiar scenes of down-town Manhatten, and CT, which probably helped.) Basically, in this story, and young girl, who basically has a good life, is disatisfied. So she runs away. She's really looking for a way to make herself into a person she can admire, and like.
The idea of doing something so drastic, and exciting, as running to NYC, captured my interest. But I also get the point behind trying to make yourself something special. In the book, the girl achieves it by learning a secret. That makes sense to me too.
Perhaps that is why i sometimes lie to stranger that have no need for the truth. It gives me a secret. (I do stuff like give the wrong reason for my flight across the country to the person sharing my row in an airplane. Or lie about my grades to a scompetitive school mate.)
The last couple of weeks have been good for me. My work has slowed down enough that i've only put in about 40 hours for the past couple of weeks. Plus, last week was spring break, so i didn't have a class to go to. It was relaxing. And much needed.
I also think it helps me, in a very real way, to have spring coming. It has been sunny outside, and has stayed light longer. It somehow makes the world more optimistic.
I am actually looking forward to the next quarter, as I am refreshed and ready to learn again. I have ideas, again, for good projects to work on. I even finished a project recently, which made me happy.
... just a comment on weddings, since it is in my subject line: They pop up everywhere. People i know are getting married, i've been to weddings, and i've talked to people planning weddings. It is impossible to get away from them.
On the one hand, i think it is a shame that society and family place enough expectations on weddings that they become painful for the participants. On the other hand, it is sort of neat to see something grow up around people's dreams and hopes. They are like the beginning of a promise for a good future.
