Reading time problems

[Tami]

I lived without TV (OMG) for 3 whole years!!! Blinkin' fantastic. I sought all types of other wonderful distractions, like reading (ha, of course). Then when TV came back into my life, I realised that I had pretty much missed nothing. I love box sets though, so hurrah to Homeland, and Game of Thrones, ooh, and Boardwalk Empire, and... Okay, maybe I have a problem :)

[Jules]

I have recently noticed that Goodreads is in fact eating into my reading time - big time!

[Ian, Moderator]

Well I'm in......still cardboard box city but reading time availability can reach normal levels again as some of the stuff like my remaining books can stay boxed till I decide if I'm keeping them or donating to the local hospice charity shop.

[Andrew]

I'm glad you are safely in Ian, I've missed your usual postings over the last few weeks!

[Ian, Moderator]

Thanks Andrew....back to entertain, annoy or infuriate depending on your pov. Normal autocratic and pedantic service resumed. Sure my sister mods have held the fort, tho' Liz has been moving house as well, so maybe not.

[Susan]

Hope you soon feel settled and at home in your new place Ian.

[Sam]

Blinkin' bat surveys are seriously eating into my reading time at the moment, had three nights (and very early mornings) this week with four nights (and even earlier mornings) next week!!

[Sam]

And hope you get settled and back to normal soon Ian! :-)

[Jules]

Sam wrote: "Blinkin' bat surveys are seriously eating into my reading time at the moment, had three nights (and very early mornings) this week with four nights (and even earlier mornings) next week!!"

Bat surveys? Elaborate pleases!

[Sam]

Its exactly as it sounds, we go out for two hours after dusk and two hours before dawn with various bat detectors (these convert their calls into sounds we can actually hear) and record what bat species we find, their direction of flight and behaviour (if we manage to spot them). We then use this information to assess the impact of a particular construction scheme, in this case a road bypass, and try to mitigate whatever impacts we deem likely to occur.

Involves an immense lack of sleep, multiple clothing layers and a decent pair of wellies and the detectors themselves of course. :-)

[Liz, Moderator]

Ian wrote: "Thanks Andrew....back to entertain, annoy or infuriate depending on your pov. Normal autocratic and pedantic service resumed. Sure my sister mods have held the fort, tho' Liz has been moving house as well, so maybe not. ..."

Hey, I heard that! I'm not always very vocal on Goodreads, but I'm always listening ;)

Boxes, boxes everywhere; 8 days to go and so much packing still to do....

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

I am falling over boxes too! And as Liz said above - still lots to do! Where did all this 'stuff' come from!?!

I have packed all my boxes of books now - grand total of 38 boxes!!

Kitchen to do tomorrow and then my living room, boy does my library look awful with empty shelves :( !

Glad you are in your new home Ian - sending all good wishes to you x

[Jules]

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "I am falling over boxes too! And as Liz said above - still lots to do! Where did all this 'stuff' come from!?!

I have packed all my boxes of books now - grand total of 38 boxes!!

Kitchen to do t..."

Good luck, the saddest thing about moving is when you look back at the house you have spent so much time in and it's empty, it always breaks my heart.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

@Jules - I am getting that way and especially when the buyers came to measure up for new carpets, curtains and decorating and were talking of altering everything! Oh well - I have bought a house that is querky and I love it and I will have all that I need and could have wished for.

[Jules]

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "@Jules - I am getting that way and especially when the buyers came to measure up for new carpets, curtains and decorating and were talking of altering everything! Oh well - I have bought a house th..."

Well, I really hope you settle in quickly and find a cosy corner to curl up in with your books :)

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

@Jules - I will have my own library again with my sofa and rocking chair!

[Jules]

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "@Jules - I will have my own library again with my sofa and rocking chair!"

I'm jealous!

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Jules wrote: "Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "@Jules - I will have my own library again with my sofa and rocking chair!"

I'm jealous!"

You are more than welcome to visit me at Brixham and sit in my library!

[Jules]

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "Jules wrote: "Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "@Jules - I will have my own library again with my sofa and rocking chair!"

I'm jealous!"

You are more than welcome to visit me at Brixham and sit i..."

Be careful I may take you up on that one day ;) I have to find out where Brixham is first though! ...
Just had a look, now I'm REALLY jealous...

[Michael]

Jules wrote: "Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "Jules wrote: "Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "@Jules - I will have my own library again with my sofa and rocking chair!"

I'm jealous!"

You are more than welcom..."

I know where Brixham is. It's where I caught a load of mackerel last summer (and was horribly sick with my little lad on a boat moving like a small cork in a large bath). Nice town!

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Oh dear Michael, that is not a good introduction for the lovely town! I hope it hasn't put you off completely from visiting again.

[Ian, Moderator]

All settled in....ta all.....just books and cd's out of boxes and hanging pictures to do. Haven't got back into my reading or even my usual GR habits yet tho.' Good luck Lynne and Liz with the actual moves.

[Kate, Moderator]

Glad to hear you're settled in Ian. Hope the moves go well for the rest of you. Seem to be quite a few moving at the moment!

[Ian, Moderator]

Ta Trojanhorse.

[Liz, Moderator]

I picked up the keys this morning and the first load went over today! We technically move in on Monday....

[Dave]

TV certainly eats far to much into my reading time - but I'm tending to watch box sets these days rather than live TV.

Currently working my way through series 4 of NCIS. Having just finished series 8 of How I Met Your Mother.

[Helen]

Good luck Liz, didn't know you were going too. I still have half my boxes two months on. Decided it was easier to keep the stuff in them given I want to replace all the Windows (forgot how cold it was without double), put in a kitchen that has doors that fit and open/close and paint the magnolia of my walls. New Windows are still a month off which is a shame as the rain comes through the bedroom glass.

[Ian, Moderator]

Sounds like a project H. Will be fab when the new windows are in, boxes emptied, kitchen cupboard doors fit and you've got a new paint job.....your freshly baked cakes will taste even better then.

[Helen]

Ta for the encouragement. it's exciting having a new place, isn't it.

[Ian, Moderator]

Yep.......I've just opened my balcony door to let in the sunshine and fresh air....feels a bit like being on hols.....just somewhat cooler lol.

[Helen]

Sunshine! You were lucky, we're back on constant rain. And cold.

[Ian, Moderator]

Didn't last long....think I jinxed it.

[Liz, Moderator]

We're in! The move actually happened on Monday, but I've been buried under cardboard and bubble wrap and haven't been able to reach the keyboard!

I've got my priorities straight though - almost all the books are now on my shelves (phew!) and the first items unpacked? Wine glasses & bottles.....

[Susan]

Those are definatly the priorities....hope you'll be very happy in your new home....

[Sarah]

My turn to move now =] 12th for me. So reading will probs be limited to just evenings for a short while.

[Helen]

Funny how so many of us are moving/moved.

[Ian, Moderator]

I've also got some books on shelves now......beer and teabags were deffo major priorities. Just 4 boxes left. Enjoy your new home Liz and best of luck Sarah....hope all goes well.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Sadly I am still in the old place which is bare and not nice to live in! Could be two more weeks yet which I am not happy about!

Hope you enjoy you new home Liz and good luck Sarah.

[Louise]

I don't envy any of you moving... I take ages to get around to unpacking after weekend away.
Good luck in your new homes though...ALL of you. :)

[Andrew]

I hope all the movers/ moved are settling in and can enjoy a Friday night with bottle of wine/beer or cup of tea and good book/film!

[Helen]

I'm enjoying stargate repeat and fruit tea!

[Andrew]

B/W film The Haunting I taped ages ago and a beer Helen, I can only watch scary films when wife and children away although not too scary so far!!

[Liz, Moderator]

Susan wrote: "Those are definatly the priorities....hope you'll be very happy in your new home...."

Thank you! I'm feeling more settled today, the movers came back and removed the 'cardboard city' that was assembling by the front door (we could hardly get passed for the press of flattened boxes!) I've still got about 25 boxes to unpack, but the worst is over. Now where are the sheets...?

[Liz, Moderator]

Andrew wrote: "B/W film The Haunting I taped ages ago and a beer Helen, I can only watch scary films when wife and children away although not too scary so far!!"

Ha ha! I can only watch scary movies when I'm on my own too (my husband doesn't like them, they make him too tense). I don't like gore, but I like to be chilled! Biggest mistake was watching 'Ringu' while Hugh was away on a business trip; I really didn't want to answer the phone!

[Em]

I can't watch horror as a rule, not unless it's the True Blood humourous kind and if I am watching it, it'll be the milder kind of chiller (nothing worse) and you can bet your bottom dollar I will not be watching alone!

[Ian, Moderator]

Part way through watching the US series 2 of Homeland. Hooked but can't believe how wooden Damian Lewis is in it when he was so good in Band of Brothers....my version of horror. That and a very large portion of broad bean, chick pea, pea and tabasco fried pancettaq risotto pinned me to my chair last night.....now that's what I call a nice reading time problem.

[Liz, Moderator]

Ian wrote: "Part way through watching the US series 2 of Homeland. Hooked but can't believe how wooden Damian Lewis is in it when he was so good in Band of Brothers....my version of horror. That and a very lar..."

I've just finished Series 1. What a fantastic show (and I enjoyed 'Band of Brothers' too). 'Wooden' is pretty damning. I don't agree.

I think Damian Lewis is portraying a man who's keeping his true self strictly under control - so, highly restrained? Yes, but wooden? NIMHO (but then I haven't seen series 2...yet)

BTW, he's married to Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy in 'Harry P' & Cherie Blair in 'The Queen') who was in the year above me at school - I'm never above a bit of name-dropping ;)

[Andrew]

Liz wrote: "Andrew wrote: "B/W film The Haunting I taped ages ago and a beer Helen, I can only watch scary films when wife and children away although not too scary so far!!"

Ha ha! I can only watch scary movi..."
I watched Ringu on my own earlier this year and was suitably creeped out, I also had to watch The woman in black with the remote in hand while my wife was fast asleep next to me frantically turning the volume down at especially creepy bits!
I didn't watch Homeland although may have to add it to the growing number of series I need to catch up on. I finally finished series 5 of The Wire and now have The Killing2 on order from Lovefilm ,not sure if there is enough time for all this multi media catch up especially as my tivo box is full including Band of Brothers which I've not seen!

[Louise]

I actually left the theatre during woman in black as I was so bored...the film was slightly better... I think I'm more scared at thought of being scared than actually ever being scared of things.
I'll stick to box sets of humorous pornography true blood for my horror :)

[Helen]

I've still got the second series of Homeland to watch. The risotto sounds lovely.

Liz, you are lucky, I've had to relocate the cardboard to the shed as I couldn't get through the door. Pickfords aren't hurrying to come and collect them.