Been reading a lot I guess. Works really well as a reset. I think it probably works even better as maintenance.
I'm not sold that there is a difference staring at an android tablet screen/vs reading a book. But some people seem to think there is. That said I'm not about to buy a Paperwhite (yet), but if I had one i'd probably wear it out.
It kind of struck me this morning when I returned on book to the library and filled up the hold cue with 8 books, that I am in the middle of quite a few series of books. Held up by holds.
Funny thing is I can mentally jump between stories, waiting for the book to be automatically checked out from the library. Going from the one I just finished to the next and back to the first. One I've been waiting on for a long time,
Inbetween there are a few stand alone books. A few single books have been put on hold, checked out and read and returned. Finding books to read isn't all that easy, some are better than others, some are just entertaining fluff, most I've found are very well developed, read well and get me thinking a bit more about everything.
A distraction? A diversion? Partly maybe. I find if very cool that I can bounce back and recall all the books in the series I've read recently and am waiting to finish. All seven series. I guess that's sort of like some of the more complex books with multi-threaded storylines that eventually work together. I generally like those books, getting drawn in and jumping around. Movies like that? nope. Don't like them. books? love them.
Reading is a sort of obessive thing I guess. Always has been.
The most memorable binge read was Two Years Before the Mast. My mother debated giving it to me that night. But she did. I started reading it and couldn't put it down. I finished it before the sun rose, had an hour or two of sleep and went to school.
Oops. It was a fantastic book, the details aren't as clear now as they have been but I've done that with many books since. I had a growing collection of physical paper books that I start but just, cant, muscle, through, to, finish. Ugh. Either too familiar of a subject, writing style that just doesn't sit well with me, or just flat out boring.
While working on trying to get a laser to fire yesterday on a system the users were saying something about a new show on Netflix they are watching and were incredulous that we don't have Netflix, or any other on-demand video content service. None. we really don't watch much TV. There's too much going on. My life works well with books. digital or other wise. Reading and writing are two things that can be dropped, and picked back up easily and fit well in a busy life I guess. One with lots going on. In some way maybe keeps one more mentally flexible? Yes I think maybe I've swapping one addiction for another, which one? But it means i'm missing out on the social shared connection by watching orange is the new black or breaking bad or whatever show everyone else is watching and wanting to talk about. What you should be talking about is what the book All the Light You Cannot See makes you think about. How does it stirr your concious and awaken you to your actions? How do books make you interact so much differently than TV shows? I guess the LOTR series is a good example, esp when you follow up with the Hobbit. Even taking the smallest book of those four (the Hobbit) you wind up with a three part movie and still missing lots of nuance and details. sure plenty of extra stuff added, but for better? no not really. Anyway - reading is that old addiction/affliction I guess. Words... like I said - trading one addiction for another? It would be a good one. But which one?
Well sure as hell I'm not giving up coffee. Even if I'm an idiot, like today, and forgot to bring in coffee and was stuck putting 4 green tea bags in the drip coffee maker and making something to drink with maybe a tiny bit of caffeine. Cutting back on coffee? That's probably needed, may happen by default, but not going to give up that one. nope.
The weekend was good for me though. I felt more rested. Friday got to stay home and read, had a couple beers after the shop closed with Don. Came home and made myself some food and started reading. Got everyone out the door on Saturday then read a bit more and went into the shop for a while and got some side work in. Sunday again, got everyone out early for a soccer game, crawled back in bed with a cup of coffee and the book and read some more. Then headed in to a closed shop, cranked up the uncensored House of Pain Pandora station and cranked out more bikes before riding home in the early afternoon.
The reading kind of recharged me, as did just toning it all down. No training, but I did ride. I'm not super good at getting it all perfect, meaning making the commutes effective and not junk. Too close to medium on too many days. But efforts the last few days have felt pretty easy but the times are a bit shorter so maybe there's something there.
I had intended to get the final RdR2015 post out. kind of didn't get that done. I'm going to blame the lack of coffee for the lack of focus. But that's a pretty weak excuse looking back up at this mess of words.
Maybe later. Maybe I'll have a few moments to finish out that last chapter. The final book in the series. Like all those holds I have in the Library. If you want to get to the conclusion, you might need to read a few different things and hope you remember where I left off.
Heddwch
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