Retirement Diaries 2024: Bills…

I’ve been home for a couple of weeks, and I guess that meant it was time for something to break around the house.  Unfortunately, those somethings are expensive.

About 10 days ago, I started to notice that the dishes weren’t getting clean after a run through the dishwasher.  After taking it apart, cleaning the filter, and cleaning all the other places where gunk could build up, it wasn’t doing much better.  So it was time for a trip to Menards for a new dishwasher.  At least there was a Labor Day Sale happening, and the 11% discount was on too!  The new dishwasher got installed, and woo hoo! Clean dishes!

But then I start to notice the water pressure was low.  And getting lower.  Last Friday the well repair guy came out and took a look, and had bad news.  There’s a leak somewhere in the piping for the well, and it’s not at the top of the pipe where it’s easy to get to and fix.  UGH… They are coming to dig everything up on Tuesday – think good thoughts for minimal maintenance, because I’m already looking at several thousand dollars.  In the meantime, thanks mom for letting me shower at your place.

This morning it was time to clear out the flowers that were around the pipe, or else they would get killed by the excavator on Tuesday.  I now have piles of hostas, daylilies and some Asian Lily bulbs piled up waiting for when they can go home to the soil.

I know home maintenance falls into every homeowner’s life…  But the big ticket items have been a bit… abundant… this year.  Sigh…

Other than that, my life has been quiet.  The cats are good, the chickens are good, my book clubs were good, and I think I’m pretty much done with the recent rash of driving mom around to appointments. 

I did get to do a couple of puzzles though.

Retirement is busy!

Book Review: Born Standing Up

Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life, by Steve Martin

Before Steve Martin was an actor, did you know that he was a stand-up comedian?  I’m sure I did, but I hadn’t really thought much about it.

Born Standing Up is Martin’s memoir detailing his childhood and the time when he worked as a young stand up comic.  It was interesting, because I really only have known Steve Martin as an actor, in multiple comedies, and most recently, I love him on Only Murders in the Building! 

This book is an enlightening view of what it was like to be a stand up comic.  He talks about his methods, what worked, what didn’t, the ups and downs and trying to make money in an industry where so many fail.  He talks about the background of the era he worked in, with the Vietnam War coming to an end, the protests, the Smothers Brothers and other comedy variety shows on television.  He talks about the isolation of being on the road, and how hard it was to maintain relationships with family. 

What was missing in the book though, was comedy.  For a book that Martin wrote and narrated, I was expecting some laugh out loud moments!  And there really weren’t any.  Even the deadpan humor he’s known for should have been there since he narrated the audio version himself and had control over the delivery.  But no.  That was a disappointment. 

Big Steve Martin fans will enjoy this book.  All in all, I thought it was interesting, but it could have been so much more. 

2 stars. 

Book Review: History of Wolves

History of Wolves, by Emily Fridlund

I found this book in a Little Library near home, and was interested because it is set in Minnesota.  It is a debut novel by Emily Fridlund, who grew up in the suburbs of the Twin Cities.

Within the first 50 pages, I was regretting putting this novel forward as one of my picks for book clubs.  It is told through the voice of Linda, an extremely introverted high school student who is best classified as very strange.  In the opening scene, she is bizarrely fascinated by the scene of her teacher having a heart attack and dying on the floor of the classroom.  Then the replacement teacher is arrested for possessing child porn and having a inappropriate contact with one of his students, and she wants to be friends with him. 

But ultimately, these story lines are peripheral to the central story of the book, and in my opinion, distracting and off-putting. 

Soon, Linda finds herself babysitting for the four-year-old boy whose parents have built themselves a house on the back woods lake where Linda lives.  They are odd and secretive, but Linda connects with the boy Paul and develops a relationship with his mother Patra.  All is not as it seems, however, and the family’s decisions soon have devastating consequences.

The story is told through flashbacks and present day narrative, slowly unraveling the mystery of what happened to Paul.  It isn’t what I thought…  Fridlund’s style of writing definitely leads the reader into all sorts of catastrophizing about what will happen to Paul, Linda, his mother, and other peripheral characters in the book.  The main story was compelling for me, but besides Paul, every single one of the characters seemed unlikable and one-dimensional.  The book has gotten rave reviews for its poetic descriptions and haunting setting, but the north woods of Minnesota just seemed drab. 

I wanted to really like this book and the main story line could have been so riveting and heartbreaking, but there were too many distractions.  It just didn’t get there for me.  It was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize, so it obviously was better liked by others. 

2 stars. 

2020 Chain Lakes Hike

August 9, 2020, Bagley Lakes and Chain Lakes Trail

On a beautiful August day in 2020, a couple of girlfriends and I decided to head up to Mount Baker for a hike! 

We didn’t get an early start, so we didn’t do the whole loop, but we thoroughly enjoyed what we did hike!  We started at Heather Meadows, and hiked by the two Bagley Lakes.  The trail in this area has some interesting columnar rock formations that have fallen over the trail.  The geology in this area is pretty incredible!

We saw some snowboarders making runs on the snow field at the end of valley, hiking up and boarding down.  Even though it was a short run, there aren’t many places around with snow in August, and they looked like they were having a good time. 

We headed up the hill of the Chain Lakes Trail and did several of the rocky switchbacks up the hill.  I do have to say it seemed much harder than when I did this trail in 2017, but I started the trail at a different point.  At any rate, we went partway up the switchbacks before turning back for the return hike.  Even though we didn’t hike the whole loop, we still got a good workout in and did about 3 miles of hiking. It was worth heading up there for the spectacular views!

Afterwards, we had a drink and a late lunch at Chair 9, which is always fun!  I do miss my time hiking in the Pacific Northwest!

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson

I’m a bit late to the game, as I have never read this trilogy or seen the movies!  I know, I know…

I’ve had this audiobook for a while, but I tried to listen to it once before when I worked out on the treadmill, and found that maximum volume was too low to hear well.  It took me a long time to get back to it; this time in the car on a road trip.

Fascinating! 

Mikael Blomkvist is trying to get his life back in order after writing a magazine article on Hans-Erik Wennerstrom, a wealthy industrialist, which resulted in his conviction for libel.  He receives a random call from Henrik Vanger’s attorney, offering him a unique assignment.  Vanger is another wealthy industrialist who wants him to investigate the unsolved disappearance of his niece, Harriet Vanger, on a small residential island over 40 years ago.  There’s never been any trace of her since, and Vanger is hoping for a resolution to the mystery before he dies.  Mikael is hesitant to take the case, but the salary is more than he could ever have hoped for in his wildest dreams and it will allow him to reset his life and continue his investigation to take down Wennerstrom. 

Soon Mikael gets connected with Lisbeth Salander, a young, anti-social goth girl with incredible computer hacking skills and a photographic memory.  He hires her as a research assistant to help him with the case.  She’s the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  She has a mysterious past and will almost never talk about herself, but Mikael accepts this as one of her quirks and she slowly begins to trust him. 

The story weaves its way through the mystery of Harriet’s disappearance, as well as slowing revealing how a journalist at the top of his game could have botched a story and it’s supporting evidence so thoroughly to be convicted of libel.  There is much to be revealed in both cases.

Larsson writes excellently, with complex character development and characters who have competing motivations throughout the novel.  There are lots of twists and turns and I had no idea how it was going to turn out until the very end!

The original series was planned as ten books, but sadly Larsson died having completed only three.  I just might have to follow up with the next books in the trilogy.  

4 stars.

Book Review: The Copper Bracelet

The Copper Bracelet, by Jeffrey Deaver, and guest writers

This audiobook came from the library book sale, and I didn’t really know what to expect, other than knowing it was a thriller. 

The second in a series of three, I didn’t have trouble reading it as a standalone.  The premise is that a group of evil masterminds are set on creating a conflict between India and Pakistan that will pull the whole world into a nuclear war.  The protagonist, Harry Middleton, knows that something nefarious is going on, but has no idea what it is or who is behind it.  He and his colleagues, “The Volunteers,” are in a race against time around the world to discover the evil plot and put a stop to it.

This thriller was a bit more complicated than most.  The plot to create mayhem involved complex science that was a bit of a challenge to understand, especially as I was listening while driving.  I don’t want to give it away though!  And there were murders of random characters that didn’t seem necessary or central to the plot.  So I guess this could classified as more of a guy’s thriller, for those who like a lot of violence in their reading.  This book had it in spades.

The part I found fascinating was that this book was a joint effort by sixteen authors.  Jeffrey Deaver started the novel, and then each subsequent chapter was handed off to a different thriller writer!  It wove its way through the story with each author having absolute creative license, so each one had no idea what to write, until they read what had been written before!  Then it finally made its way back to Deaver for the conclusion.  I felt they did a really good job at making the transitions work, and the characters were portrayed the same throughout the novel.  I was skeptical at first, but it worked! 

I was more interested in the way it was written than the story itself, as the storyline seemed a bit over the top.  But, I’m not that much of a thriller reader, so that probably has something to do with it.

3 stars. 

 

Book Review: Animal Farm

Animal Farm by George Orwell

I was looking for an audiobook on Libby and this one popped up as available so I thought, “why not?”  I’m sure I read it in High School, but that’s more years ago than I care to admit.

Animal Farm was written as a satire of the Russian Revolution, where they attempted unsuccessfully, to establish a socialist economic structure.  In the book, the animals take over the farm where they live, and drive away the humans.  They declare that all animals are equal, and will equally contribute to and receive from the new society.  There is enthusiastic buy-in, as they have long felt that the humans took advantage of their labor.

A system of division of labor and rules are quickly established, and the new society is put to the test.  It works well for a couple of days before things start to break down.  Over time, the animals learn they need money to buy supplies, and some animals will have to work harder than they prefer, where others don’t seem to be working at all.  Soon, the rules begin to change, benefiting some animals over others.  But no one can read, so are we sure that the rules really changed after all?

Animal Farm was published in 1945, but the lessons are certainly applicable today.  With socialist structures failing in several countries, and certain segments of society in the United States pushing for it here, perhaps more people need to read this novel as a warning about what life could be like.

3 stars. 

Book Review: The Stolen Child

The Stolen Child, by Ann Hood

Nick Burns is an old man at the end of his life in 1974.  As many do, he’s looking back on it and trying up loose ends.  One of those loose ends is in Italy, where he served in World War I, met a lonely woman with a newborn baby, and promised to keep her child safe when she fled.

Jenny is a college dropout, working in a diner to make ends meet and wishing for a life of adventure.  She’s full of regret about her own choices, and feels lost and alone in a dead end job and a dead end life.

Nick decides that he needs to go back to Italy to tie up loose ends, and he hires Jenny to be is personal assistant and help him.

This is a story of grief, loss and regret, and also of second chances and new beginnings.  It is a story of the ones we leave behind, and the decisions that haunt us decades later.  It is the story of finding ourselves, and coming to terms with the hardships, the joys and the all the rest that life offers.

Ann Hood’s characters come together beautifully, and the mystery is revealed over time.  Meanwhile, she offers hope for a happy ending, along with the knowledge that no story ever only contains happiness.

Definitely worth the read.

4 stars. 

 

Retirement Diaries 2024: A Break

I got home Tuesday evening from a week in Michigan with my mom.  We went to my cousin’s wedding reception, visited family, and spent a night in Wisconsin on the way home, doing some touristing on the way.  It was a great trip, but I was ready for some down time!

In Wisconsin, we stayed a night in Spring Green and visited House on the Rock and Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and architecture school.  The two properties couldn’t be more different, but were both so interesting!

The Infinity Room at House on the Rock

The Living Room at House on the Rock

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Room at Taliesin

So now I’m unpacking and organizing, doing laundry, cleaning up the garden, and hanging out with the kitties!  I also got a lot of tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, and some cucumbers in the last week that need to be processed.  I’ll be making some more veggie sauce and pickling some cucumbers too!  I guess my down time won’t be so mellow after all.

Yesterday I spent several hours over at mom’s working in her garage.  She’s going to have it insulated and a heater added before winter so all her stuff had to be emptied out of it.  We were going through trying to organize and pack it so it’s not so chaotic when it gets put back.  Of course, it was super humid yesterday, so it was hard work!  I knew that chore was coming, but I thought it was going to be next week.  I guess I got it done early at least! 

I also have some reading to do.  I’ve read 50 books for the year so far, exceeding the goal of 44 books that I set in January, so I increased my goal to 70.  That means I’m behind again!  I didn’t read on my Michigan trip as I spent so much time with family, except for a couple audiobooks mom and I listened to in the car.  I’m caught up for my book clubs next week, but I still have more to read.  On my alphabet challenge, I’m working on the book that starts with a V, Vigilantes of Montana.  After that I just have U and K to go. 

Cora and Yellow are happy I’m home, and enjoying the increased snuggles and brushing. 

Yellow loves brushes

Life is good! 

 

 

 

Book Review: Sapphire Blue

Sapphire Blue, by Kerstin Gier

I picked up this audiobook at the spring library book sale, knowing nothing about it.  Not even knowing that it is the second book in a trilogy.  Oops.  I do that a lot.

As it stands, it is the story of Gwen, a 15 year old girl who finds herself suddenly thrown into a new life as a member of The Circle, a time-traveling group of twelve who are zipping through time with the intent of, well, doing something.  She hasn’t had any preparation, because this whole time her cousin has been prepared, after Gwen’s mother lied about which girl had the time-travel gene.  How she thought that was going to work out is not answered.

Maybe it was the fact that I picked this up without having read the first book.  But usually there is enough background that you can figure things out.  Not so here.  Gwen and Gideon, her time-traveling partner just start their forays back in time without any explanation as to the purpose.  But Gwen doesn’t seem to know the point either, and the rest of the group seem to keep her intentionally in the dark.  So I guess I can relate to her.

Additionally, Gwen is an overly sensitive, bumbling teenage girl who falls for Gideon, but then can’t help but get her feelings hurt when he flirts with (and more!) with every woman he comes into contact with.

As for the plot?  There doesn’t seem to be one.  Yeah, there’s the time-travel, and they have various interactions with others at each of these stops into the past.  There are people who want to kill them, for unknown reasons.  Gwen gets to meet her grandfather, who died long before she was born.  But the point of it all is never explained.

If the book was good enough, I might have been willing to go back and read the first book in the series to see if any of the gaps were filled in, but I don’t find myself caring enough.

1 star.