Goals 2018 -- March Recap

My March goal was two pronged: (a) ride bike, or (b) read books.  I'm disappointed to let you know that it basically has not stopped raining for the last three weeks of March.  So that's a bummer.

However, S and I managed to get in some good bike rides (and other fitness) anyway!  Our most epic was a 17.6-mile mountain bike ride covering about 2/3 of the Berryman Loop, part of the Ozark Trail.  That was also our first night sleeping in our new camper (which really isn't a camper yet -- but that meant I also got to test out my new sleeping bag!).  It was a cold night, and other than my feet being a little chilly and some ice falling on my face (the product of my exhaled breath condensing on the outside of my sleeping bag and freezing, then falling back down onto me when I moved), it was quite toasty.

We also did the Matson Hill Loop on a lovely, sunny Saturday.  The trailhead for the Matson Hill Loop is at the top of Matson Hill, which means that the first half of the ride is a fun downhill bash over rocks and roots, but the return trip leaves a little something to be desired.

Then we went to Phoenix to visit E/A and L/T.  We did some recreational riding with E/A to and from yoga, which totaled about 16 miles, and we rented mountain bikes and did 8.7 miles in the FINS at the Estrella Mountains.

On top of that, to blow off some steam after a particularly lengthy and frustrating series of admin-BS telephone calls, I went for a 7.8-mile run.  And I am not a runner!  But after nearly 4 miles (when I was finally no longer angry), I then had to turn around and get home again.  So there's that.

In addition to all the great fitness activities, I also met my reading goal!  I finished both The Secret Battle and The Sense of an Ending.  I made some progress on Truman as well, but then the library took it back so I am waiting for my turn again.  I do have the paper book, but since it's not mine, I don't want to carry it around with me and beat it up too badly.  Finally, I am also most of the way through another book I haven't even posted about yet, called The Unspeakable.  More on that to come.

All in all, a successful month!

Happy Birthday, G!

What I Read -- The Sense of an Ending

I really liked The Sense of an Ending. As one might guess from the title, it is a melancholy tale.

It is a story told by a man looking back on certain aspects of his life, and realizing that he wasn't quite the person he thought he was when he was younger, and in the middle of the experiences he is now recounting.  He talks at some length about remorse:

"And no, it wasn't shame I now felt, or guilt, but something rarer in my life and stronger than both: remorse.  A feeling which is more complicated, curdled and primeval.  Whose chief characteristic is that nothing can be done about it: too much time has passed, too much damage has been done, for amends to be made."

And then later:

"I was saying, confidently, how the chief characteristic of remorse is that nothing can be done about it: that the time has passed for apology or amends.  But what if I'm wrong?  What if by some means remorse can be made to flow backwards, can be transmuted into simple guilt, then apologised for, and then forgiven?"

As you can see from this pair of quotes, this book has one of my favorite things in it: an uncertain or unreliable narrator.  Despite that, his insights into his own character, and all of ours more generally, are spot on and well said.  I wonder whether this concept would have turned into quite such a wonderful book in the hands of a younger author.  Julian Barnes was 65 when this was released, which puts him at about the age of the main character.  Would a 30-year-old been able to get quite as good a grip on the retrospective?  I'm not sure.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

What I'm Watching -- Traffik

My friend L (the same one who turned me on to Prime Suspect, which I've now seen two seasons of, and have 3 and 4 waiting in the wings) has also loaned me Traffik.  It's a 1989 British miniseries (quick, act surprised!) on which the 2000 Steven Soderbergh movie Traffic was based.

The original version has the same general plot, but instead of being a Cartel-based drug war, it's story is of the European nations trying to stop the growth of opium poppies in Pakistan, and the consequent inflow of heroin into their countries.

I wasn't sold on it at first.  I was ready to turn it off after about an episode and a half, but the end of the second episode got me, and now I think I'll finish it.  It's a slow burn, so to speak.

Tenacious Eats -- Opera Tastings

S got us tickets to a really cool Tenacious Eats event last week -- Opera Tastings.  It was a series of (very) small plates inspired by arias, which were performed throughout the evening by members of OTSL  The selections were as follows:

Introduction:
"Votre Toast" from Carmen

Course 1
"Seguidilla" from Carmen, accompany by spiny minos, a chorizo and fig meatball.
"Ach, so fromm" from Martha, accompanied by pecorino shards in a rich Italian balsamic vinegar.
"Voglio dire" from Elixir of Love, accompanied by sparkling sangria.

Course 2
"Serenade" from Student Prince, accompanied by a poached egg yolk voul-au-vent.
"Catalogue Aria" from Don Giovanni, accompanied by a wood-fired oyster.
"The Flower Duet" from Madame Butterfly, accompanied by two pieces of sashimi on jasmine rice.
"The Best Thing of All" from Regina, accompanied by an Alabama Sazerac.

Course 3
"Lullaby" from An American Soldier, accompanied by a Chinese mooncake.
"Quando me'n vo" from La Boheme, accompanied by a Mayan Xocolati cake.
"A Drinking Song" from La Traviata, accompanied by a French 75.

The food was delicious and the opera was wonderful, which were both expected.  The service left a little something to be desired (they seemed to struggle to get everything plated and served in a timely fashion).  I really loved seeing the opera singers up close, getting to really witness them playing the part.  The real winner of the evening, though, was the emcee, who was also our baritone for the evening: Robert Mellon.  Listening to him describe the food and the music together was a real treat!

Other performers included soprano Mary-Hollis Hundley, mezzo-soprano Melody Wilson, and tenor Joshua Blue.

Quote of the Day

There are only two ways to live your life: as though nothing is a miracle, or as though everything is a miracle.
  -- Albert Einstein

What I'm Reading Now -- The Sense of an Ending

My latest postal book club book is Julian Barnes's The Sense of an Ending.  I've heard great things about this book for years, and I'm super excited that it has now made its way to the top of my reading list!

I'm about eight pages in as I write this, and so far the writing is simply beautiful.  I can't wait to see what the rest of the book has in store!

Goals 2018 -- March Edition

My March goal (okay, my "remaining 3 weeks of March goal") has two prongs; it's weather dependent.

If the weather is good, I will get out and ride my bike.  Last year I didn't ride nearly as much as I wanted to, and now is the time to get off to a good start.

However, if the weather is bad, I will (1) revisit my February goal, (2) finish reading The Secret Battle, and (3) finish reading my next postal book club book, which you all will hear about in the next couple of days.

No matter what the weather, I will be busy!

Goals 2018 -- February Recap

I totally failed in February.  And not for any good reason either; I was working!  Boo hiss.

I sit at a desk, starting at a computer, all day.  So the last thing I want to do when I get home is stare at a computer, deleting old emails.  And so I didn't.  I did, however, get an excellent piece of advice from Dad, which was this: "delete everything."

This one will come around again, and I probably will delete everything.

What I Watched -- Oscar-Nominated Animated Shorts

Dear Basketball: a retiring Kobe Bryant reads a love letter to his sport and reflects on his life-long dreams of playing professional basketball.  I am surprised to report that this was probably my favorite of the shorts (the soaring John Williams score doesn't hurt).  I just wish it hadn't been quite so Kobe, because he appalls me as a person.

Revolting Rhymes: this is an animated retelling of the Roald Dahl retelling of several classic fairy tales.  While cute and clever, it was too long.

Lou: a cute tale of the playground bully being taught a lesson.  Pixar always does a good job.

Negative Space: a sweet retrospective about a son's relationship with his father.

Garden Party: an unfortunate (and gross) political and social commentary.

What I Watched -- Oscar-Nominated LIve-Action Shorts

It's Oscar season, and the Tivoli showed both the live-action and animated short films in a single night.  S indulged me, and we went to see both.

DeKalb Elementary: an elementary school office assistant comes face to face with a troubled man who is threatening to shoot up the school.  A timely and sensitive portrayal of both people.

My Nephew Emmett: a look at the last days in the life of Emmett Till, a Chicago kid who got himself in trouble when he moved down south.

The Silent Child: a deaf child whose family is too busy and troubled to make time for her connects with her sign language teacher.  My favorite.

The Eleven O'Clock: a comedic interaction between a psychiatrist whose patient believes he's a psychiatrist.

Watu Wote (All of Us): overtly a story about religious discrimination in Kenya between Christians and Muslims.  The real story is about the goodness that can emerge even in the face of such hatred.

What I Watched -- Newness

Newness is an attempt at social commentary.  It is the story of two millennials who find each other via an online dating app.  The question appears to be: "have dating apps ruined our ability to find love?"  The question turns out to be: "in a world where there are endless choices and no one can commit, can love survive an open relationship?"

It's not really the question that I wanted answered.  I much prefer stories about how millennials are destroying society than about how nothing has ever changed and nothing ever will.

Spoiler alert: the answer to both questions is no.

Bottom line: a good effort, but not what I was looking for.