I enjoyed this collection of 14 mystery stories by Sara Paretsky, most featuring her famous detective V.I. Warshawski. It's a nice mix of stories--some fairly simple, some more complex. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson even make an appearance.
Overall, this is a fun read.
I went to Goodwill yesterday, with three liquor store boxes, two small boxes, and an extra-large trash bag filled with things uncluttered. We donated small items that didn't have a lot of meaning to us, books, picture frames, boxes, candles, jewelry, a vase. I don't remember more clearly, even though I packed it all.
It was a real eye-opener to realize that we culled all these things from a cursory look at things displayed in the living room and primary bedroom and cleaning two drawers. I've got quite a job ahead of me.
I've been looking at Baltimore area real estate listings online and asked my friend Annette to check out the neighborhood of a beautiful condo in Essex. Well, Annette went to see the condo and raved about it. She says we'll never find anything better; I should fly down to look at it.
I was tempted, but it was just too much, too soon. But I feel that the time is getting closer.
It hasn't been the best week. Sometime in the early morning on Tuesday, Jace had massive diarrhea. I spent much of the day cleaning up. I got Jace to the vet on Tuesday afternoon. I've been feeding him chicken and rice cooked in chicken broth. The vet prescribed pills too.
It's been cold in the mornings. I've been wearing a hat the last few days, and put Jace's Mets jacket on him. One thing about Jace is that he wears coats and jackets without fighting, unlike Spike.
Many people in the neighborhood have not taken down Halloween decorations. Thanksgiving isn't a big outdoor decorating holiday. I've seen a few turkeys. One house posts Peanuts inspired signs every year. A few people have put up Christmas decorations already: one with a countdown board of days until Santa arrives.
I packed up a few things today to go to Goodwill. This is just the beginning in of decluttering. I'm glad that I got started, but we have a long way to go.
I went out to eat twice last week. On Thursday, I went to lunch with friends, Marti and Elaine at Tengda in Greenwich. The food's delicious and it has parking. The last time we went to a restaurant on Greenwich Avenue, it was hard to park, and the meters only allowed quarters.
On Saturday, Jeff and I went to a new for us brewpub Sly Bandit in Wilton for a late lunch. Enjoyed some good beer with fried pickles and pulled pork flatbread.
Francisco Lindor won the Silver Slugger Award--his fourth. He deserves all the accolades for the season he's had. I still believe he's the MVP.
I bought this book for my brother, but I'm a big fan of Seinfeld too and read it yesterday. It took about an hour-and-a-half.
Most of the book is a glossary of specific Seinfeldian phrases, such as "Aggravation Installment Plan With Interest That Will Compound For Decades" as well as common terms such as "Air Conditioner" as it relates to several Seinfeld episodes.
I was surprised that there were no entrees for "The English Patient" and "Yada, Yada," Then I realized that that the book ended with the fourth season. There were nine seasons in full.
I might not have bought the book if I had realized it only covered four seasons. But, it's still a fun read.
Eleanor was a fascinating woman: Queen of France at one time as the wife of Louis VII, Queen of England at another as the wife of Henry II. At many times she effectively ruled Aquitaine and England. It's amazing how Weir created such a nuanced portrait of Eleanor from such little historical evidence.
Reading this book, I was shocked at how cruel Richard I was. It's not that I completely bought into the legend of Richard the Lionhearted from Robin Hood, but I was still surprised to read of his cruelty and vengeance.
I'm glad I read this book to learn more about these early days of the Plantagenet dynasty.
A few weeks ago, we got a new Internet and TV provider. I had to move some furniture, and in the process, I moved things on top of the furniture, such as photos, paintings, vases. Sometimes I use that kind of opportunity to re-arrange where I place things. This time, I started to think about things I could declutter--get rid of.
We've accumulated many things in 36 years here. We started by looking through things we have on display and things in a few drawers. I was really proud of Jeff for getting rid of some books. Getting rid of things goes against his every instinct.
This is the beginning. Keeping things that hold memories for us, letting go of the meaningless.
