Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
What are U doing today?
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What are U doing today? (Ongoing thread)
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Nina
(last edited Sep 07, 2012 07:27PM)
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Sep 07, 2012 07:26PM
Thank you Jim, I now have read the reviews. As some of you may remember I gave, "Night Circus," five stars even though I didn't like it. Also, by going back to read the reviews I was able to read my son's review. This book, according to our independent book store owner was destined to became a classic and the first edition signed by the author something of a monetary reward down the line. I doubt now that is going to happen.
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Nina wrote: "As some of you may remember I gave, "Night Circus," five stars even though I didn't like it. ... This book, according to our independent book store owner was destined to became a classic and the first edition signed by the author something of a monetary reward down the line. I doubt now that is going to happen. "Nina, about The Night Circus, I looked at the member ratings at the book's GR page under "Community Reviews":
Below are the numbers:
5 stars (29739)
4 stars (28895)
3 stars (14429)
2 stars (4858)
1 star (1827)
92% of people liked it - It had a 4.00 average [star] rating.
I copied the following from the LibraryThing page.
As you can see there are 2 opposing views:
================================================
1. The Night Circus is one of those books. One of those rare, wonderful, transcendent books that, upon finishing, you want to immediately start again.
-The Globe and Mail, Robert J. Wiersema (Sep 16, 2011)
2. The book itself looks beautiful but creaky plotting and lifeless characters leave The Night Circus less than enchanting
-The Observer, Olivia Laing (Sep 11, 2011)
FROM: http://www.librarything.com/work/1204...
=================================================
Mixed reviews.
This morning it is 63 degrees & we got an inch of rain over night. It's still spitting out. I hope the pond fills up. We're supposed to get some warm weather next week, I think. I'd love to take Chip swimming.
Jim wrote: "This morning it is 63 degrees & we got an inch of rain over night. ... I hope the pond fills up. We're supposed to get some warm weather next week, I think. I'd love to take Chip swimming."I'd love to see pics of Chip swimming! :) Enjoy your long-awaited rain.
We have a balmy 75 degrees here but it's very windy. Rather refreshing. I have all the windows open. The sun is trying to come out.
The wind is blowing so hard here that it's possible that we will lose our electricity and our cable. That means I won't be able to get online. Hope that won't be the case.
I hope the storm didn't mess up your day, Joy. It was gorgeous here today once the weather cleared around mid morning.
Hope you didn't lose power. It is such a helpless feeling for we modren folk. I once had a haiku published in an international literary magazine: Tornado watch
the power out
a poem read by candlelight
Teresa L. Peck
Yes, we lost our power for 22 hours! Imagine, no Internet or TV for 22 hours!The wind picked up my heavy wooden swing and dumped it over our compound fence. No doubt its heavy canvas "roof" acted like sail to catch the wind. You can see how heavy it is from this picture:
Click on thumbnail.During the storm, I was able to catch up on some reading. :) I read a great short story from Feckless. The name of it was "Delete". I didn't quite "get" the ending but the story was a good one.
Nina, I like your haiku.
Joy, "Delete" was one of my favorites in Feckless, as well.Glad that your power's restored and that you're able to be back online!
Thanks, Werner.As for the ending of "Delete", I interpreted it as follows: (view spoiler)
Any ideas on this?
Joy, my take on the ending was basically the same as yours. (view spoiler) At least, that's my thought on the matter, for whatever it's worth!
Werner wrote: "Joy, my take on the ending was basically the same as yours. [spoilers removed] At least, that's my thought on the matter, for whatever it's worth!"Werner, I think you explained it very well. Thanks!
The library in Glen's Falls has free music, so I went to see Annalivia tonight. Traditional folk music. Here's one of the songs they did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-MfVi...They have a new fiddle player, the guy wasn't there, but a very talented girl instead.
It's something I'm going to take advantage of while they have these events. Next week is Cantrip, a Scottish band. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHdsRF...
That's neat, Jackie. Is it just during the summer they do this?
Jackie wrote: "The library in Glen's Falls has free music, so I went to see Annalivia tonight. Traditional folk music. Here's one of the songs they did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-MfVi...They have a n..."
Jackie, I never got a GR notification about your post above! Sheesh! I just found it today by checking "unread" at the group.
Anyways, thanks muchly for the links to that music. I've never gone to one of the folk concerts at the library. So your YouTube links were very interesting to me. It was nice of you to post them... and a good idea too! I enjoyed the music. Thanks again.
Jim, the GF library has a program called Folklife, with runs throughout the year, as they can schedule bands, lecturers, etc. There will be three more bands in November, and genealogy experts in October. And there's an exhibit of Guatemalan Dance Masks going on right now.There's so many things available throughout the year at the Crandall Library in GF.
Joy, when you get a chance, visit a concert. The room holds a little over 100 people, and it's not loud. I was surprised, and thrilled, to see so many seniors attend this event.
Jackie, please let me know when you go again to one of the library's events.I'll try to meet you there.
Of course I definitely didn't attend the library's fund-raising event at the Queensbury Hotel on September 15 which cost $90.00 per person! (Who can afford this type of thing?!!! I guess that's where we would meet the high society of GF. LOL) See the only article I could find about this at:
http://www.examiner.com/article/crand...
BTW, the Wood Theater in Glens Falls is having a fund-raising event on September 29 at the Hiland Park Country Club. That costs $125 per person! I won't be there either. :)
See the info here:
http://www.woodtheater.org/events/?ev...
Joy, next Thursday, to see Cantrip. I get there about 6:30pm to secure a good seat up front, let me know if you're coming and I'll hold a seat for you. I can't afford those events. My way of supporting the library is to go to their Book Sale Events and by donating books for those sales.
Jackie, I know you're a good supporter of the library. I support the library by paying my late-return fines. LOL I did donate during the library's expansion. I'm thrilled with the way it turned out. It makes me so proud of Glens Falls!The other night, Sept. 20, I went to the town block party in downtown GF. What a great turnout! Glen Street was closed to traffic. It was lined with antique cars parked slanted to the curb for display.
They had a band playing toe-tapping music. I even went to the wine-tasting at "Uncorked", the wine store. I also tasted soup from Celia's Table Restaurant which they sold on the sidewalk... chicken-pot-pie-soup. Deelish!
The night ended with some super fireworks shot from Centennial Circle. A very exciting night. There were lots of kids and dogs of all kinds (on leashes) having fun at the event too. It was amusing to watch them.
Oh, they even had about 3 or 4 hot-air balloon baskets shooting fire high into the air... and a huge half-blown up balloon.
I took plenty of pictures. :)
PS-I'll let you know about next Thursday. I'll try to make it. I've always wanted to attend one of those concerts.
Cantrip: http://www.footstompin.com/artists/ca...
I see GF on their schedule here: http://www.cantrip-music.co.uk/
My youngest boy, Brandon, is in the hospital. He & a buddy wrecked while playing on a motorcycle & 4 wheeler. He broke several bones, but his jaw is the worst, apparently. Nothing life threatening, but I expect he's not going to be a happy camper for a while.His brand new wife, Ashley, is not dealing well with this. She said she almost passed out when looking at him covered in blood & all. Marg told her to call her mother & deal. She might as well get used to it since it's an inherited trait. Even my mother is a fairly frequent flier at the ER. This is Brandon's second hospitalization since they've been together.
Jim wrote: "My youngest boy, Brandon, is in the hospital. He & a buddy wrecked while playing on a motorcycle & 4 wheeler. He broke several bones, but his jaw is the worst, apparently. Nothing life threateni..."Jim, that's a shame! Hope Brandon will recover soon. It must be hard on everyone to go through this. He'll be in my thoughts and prayers. Is the hospital close to you so you can visit regularly?
No, he's 600 miles away, Joy. He's 28 & has his own wife, so they'll just have to work it out. Mom is nearby as are a bunch of good friends, so I'm sure he'll be fine. I'm mostly hoping this won't set him back too much with his job. He's a conductor on the railroad & has only been there about 1.5 years. He hasn't had a vacation in years & gets no vacation time with them until he puts in a certain amount of hours in a calendar year. If he misses too much time this year, he'll have to go another full year before he earns any vacation time.
Also, he was doing really well climbing the ladder by qualifying on different runs. He has to do them every so often to stay qualified. I don't want to see him lose any of that. He's been working hard, crazy hours.
Hope Brandon will get back to conducting soon. Too bad he's so far away from you.Does his job take him away on over-nights? A gal my sister knows is a conductor on the train between NYC and Montreal. She does overnights, staying in Montreal. I guess Amtrak provides the accommodations.
It depends on the runs & the schedule, Joy. If the run isn't too long & another one is coming back, he doesn't have to.
Jim, I figured that would be how the schedule worked. I took a train ride to Montreal on Amtrak with my sister to visit our son. I LOVE the dining car and the scenery along the way, esp. Lake Champlain.
Jim, best wishes to Brandon for a really speedy recovery! So sorry that happened to him. :-(
Thanks, Werner. We got to talk to him today. Looks like he might get to go home Wednesday night after surgery on his jaw that morning. He's pretty bunged up. His wife says there WILL be some changes. LOL! He's been on me for years to ride motorcycles more with him. I told him this is why I don't. I know how I am on a motorcycle & I can't afford the hospital time. It's bad enough that we all ride horses.
Jim, your son is in my evening prayers tonight for a soon recovery and not too much stress over his job. Sorry. Know you are relieved he is basically alright. And of course you are grateful for that.
Thanks, Nina. He's in surgery now. No word yet on how it's going. They've been 4 hours at it so far.
Oh! Brandon is out. He's doing well & they didn't have to wire his jaw shut, apparently. They did remove a wisdom tooth & put in some plates & bracing, but all looks good.
Prayers help. I said a prayer this afternoon.
Jim, thank goodness for modern medicine and surgery!Brandon is in my thoughts and prayers.
I can only imagine what you must be going through.
Our kids are always our babies.
Joy xoxo
Brandon is being a pain. He wants out of the hospital NOW. I guess that means he's doing OK. I don't think they're going to let him go until tomorrow, though. He keeps taking the sling off his jaw & can't use the walker properly yet. Marg told him to settle down & be nice because poor Ashley is running ragged over this. She threatened to tell my mother on him. I think that helped.;-)
Jim. I'm eighty five and I still worry over the "kids" grandkids and the greats. Does it ever end? No. That's what love does for you. nina
Jim wrote: "Brandon is being a pain. He wants out of the hospital NOW. I guess that means he's doing OK. I don't think they're going to let him go until tomorrow, though. He keeps taking the sling off his ..."Didn't get a notification about Jim's post (or Nina's either). Wonder why.
Anyway, what's the latest on the Bad Boy? :) Is he out of the hospital yet?
He's not out yet, that I know of. Ashley has been updating Erin the most since Erin has texting on her phone, then Erin calls or emails us. I'm usually the last to know since I'm merely the father.;-)
Jim. When you mentioned you are the last to know about the family it reminded me of my husband's comment concerning when we get phone calls from our offsprings as it is usually this way, "Hi Dad, is Mom there?"
Below is a link to a cartoon which addresses this type of thing.http://www.condenaststore.com/-sp/I-h...
In the cartoon a lady is talking on the phone. She's saying:
"I had a lovely birthday—my dentist sent me a card."
(New Yorker Cartoon - by Victoria Roberts)
It depends on the subject which parent the kids call. We split it pretty evenly, but I'm notoriously unsympathetic & vague when it comes to injuries so they tend to talk to Dr. Mommy.Brandon did get out of the hospital last night & is at home now. He's not a happy camper. He's in a lot of pain & probably will be for another week or so.
Joy H. wrote: "Below is a link to a cartoon which addresses this type of thing.http://www.condenaststore.com/-sp/I-h...---
That one brought me a smile.
Jim, do you think this incident taught B. a lesson?Nina, the NYer cartoons are the best!
Likely, Joy. He generally learns if he gets hit hard enough. This is a tough hit, too. He's completely missing one paycheck & then short term disability only pays him part of his normal pay, so that's pretty tough going into Xmas with a new bride & house.
Jim wrote: "Likely, Joy. He generally learns if he gets hit hard enough. This is a tough hit, too. He's completely missing one paycheck & then short term disability only pays him part of his normal pay, so ..."What a shame just before the holidays. Hope things will improve for him and his wife. Of course it's a heartache for you and Marg as well. Think positive.
He's Alive! It could have been so much worse, as I'm sure you know. He is probably still in shock so no decisions as to his future can be made. It is bad about his job etc but he still has it. I am sympathetic and do feel sorry for him and his new wife and hope this is just a temporary set back to his life. Hopefully!
You're right, Nina. I have a feeling some of the money short fall is going to be made up by the sale of motorcycles & 4 wheelers. I wouldn't blame Ashley for insisting on that & intend to support the decision.
Tell Brandon I wish him all the best, Jim! I know you aren't a "church guy" type; but if Brandon would value the news, let him know he's got somebody praying for him down here in Virginia --for guidance, finances, and a quick recovery. (And patience!)
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