Strange American Pastimes and other stories

Of all the odd things we Americans do to ourselves, I particularly loathe working out. Plain old work is often more fun. Unfortunately, as I spend the vast majority of both work and leisure hours seated with a computer on my lap, I succumb to the need for regimented exercise—at least on days when it's too wet outside to walk or work in the garden. Which, in the Pacific Northwest, is far more than half the time.

The usual ways of tricking the mind into enjoying the process haven't worked for me. The thought of listening to music won't get me off the couch, and we don't have television. People read on their exercise bikes, but what we have is a rowing machine.

"Now if we could rig up a way to read while rowing, that would be real motivation," I told Lou.

One music stand, one clothespin and five minutes later, and now rowing is a really good excuse for getting in some reading time. I notice the Ender books have more motivational power than Utopia, though.

My husband is a genius.
Also, that is Ally Condie's Crossed.
I finished the Ender books, and loved them with my whole heart. Reviews coming soon.
No, I still have not finished Utopia.

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Blue sky in February.

Beautiful, unutterably glorious blue sky.

It probably means we'll get rain from Lent through midsummer again—that's what it's meant the last two years—but it's oh, so lovely.

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I do not like talking politics. I don't have the energy to deal with outrage—my own or anyone else's. So I have a rule: no politics on the blog or Facebook most of the time, just because there need to be some quiet havens from such things on the Internet.

But I am helping spread this petition around, because it's protesting a truly lousy precedent that won't be satisfied with forcing my church into noncompliance. If you will, here's a way to speak for freedom of conscience.

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Writers' link of the week: I loved Kristine Kathryn Rusch's post on writers and publishers who forget the reader.

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Music of the week: Commenter (and Yellow Pencil Stub blogger) Sarah recommended the Kleine Orgelmesse on a post a few weeks back, so I went hunting for it on YouTube. Turns out, it is very hard to find a good recording of it on YouTube—but here's a quite decent amateur soprano singing it.



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Random amusement of the week: What does the Internet think? This has been around a while, but I never tried it out before. It's strangely addictive. Turns out, the Internet gives stupidity a 61.4% positive rating (at time of search). Which explains a lot. Or so I say. On the internet.

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All right. Time to fix myself a little lunch before cleaning house, and over that break I think I'll make myself read Utopia. I'll save Crossed for rowing, because otherwise I'll disappear into the book and wind up playing triage with my afternoon work in the last hour before Lou comes home.

Happy weekend!