Last month, someone made this declaration here on this blog:
I’m doing away with the bullet point list posts. I will focus on one topic: reading, for example, with my Sunday Salon posts, and if I do other posts on TV, movies, music, or my personal life, they will just be on that topic.
Er, yeah, me
And then I ended the month with a bullet point list post as I usually do: Pushing Forward Back July/August 2019. And now, I’m reverting again to a bullet point list post, because…well, I’ve had a long week and I’m too tired to write a single-minded post. So here goes:
What I’m reading
On Friday, a day off from work, I finished a reread of Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck that I started during Dewey’s 24 Hour Reverse Readathon last weekend. As I wrote on Goodreads after finishing the book, “On a reread, maybe close to 30 years later, I still love this book, but in the time we are in now, it is sad too. As a nation, we have, and haven’t, changed that much.” Next up, well, at least in pieces, is the book at right:
I picked it up from the donation bin for our library bookstore and sale.
Incredible as it may seem, every entry in this book, even the most ludicrous, has been accepted a s a formal or legitimate English word by at least one major dictionary. Mrs. Byrne’s Dictionary brings into view thousands of little-know curiosities that lie buried in specialized dictionaries and unabridged works too bulky for browsing. Although Mrs. Byrne’s dictionary has enough comedy in it to reward casual browsers, it is intended to serve as a supplement to a desk dictionary. A word not listed in either place is not worth having at your fingertips, unless, of course, you are an institution, a library, or a governmental body at the federal, state or municipal level.
from the introduction by Mr. Byrne
This afternoon I probably will continue with the Chief Bruno series by Martin Walker, with the third one, Black Diamond, especially since it is due back in only a couple of days.
What we’re watching
On a whim, I thought I’d try The Orville even though I’m not always a fan of Seth McFarlane’s other endeavors. However, I was so pleasantly surprised that I now have convinced my wife to watch with me. I also convinced her to watch Shazam, which she didn’t want to watch because she said she’s “done” with comic book movies. I really wanted to like the movie, but like my wife, I might be “done” with comic book movies too…yes, even Marvel (GASP!). This one, though, was DC and was horrible, at least from as far as we could get in it. It was a rollercoaster from dark to light and unlike Marvel, DC movies don’t seem to know how to balance the dark and the light. They go from one extreme to the other so awkwardly that it’s offputting, to say the least.
What I’m listening to
In that Pushing Forward Back July/August 2019 post, I mentioned that I was looking forward to the new Bon Iver album i, i, which was to be released on Aug. 30. However, it “dropped” early on Friday and it’s been on my virtual turntable almost non-stop. I love it.
On a personal note
- I had my third gel shot for my left knee, which has a degenerative meniscus, and continued with physical therapy this past week. I think I’m improving, but some days it is hard to tell since I am in a bit of pain from the exercises. It might be just muscle pain, but I am to check back with the orthopedic physician assistant in six weeks, or a month if the knee isn’t improving significantly. I’m holding out hope.
- As mentioned above, I had the day off Friday and in addition to finishing Travels with Charley, I also was able to pick up four pairs of shorts and three shirts for under $25 at thrift stores in a nearby town.
- Yesterday, after work, my wife and I got together with my parents, my sister, brother-in-law, nephew and niece, for a picnic in a park before they were going to a gospel concert last night, also at a park. We didn’t go because my wife had to work last night (8 p.m. to 8 a.m. this morning), but it still was good to see family, especially with my mother just celebrating her 75th birthday last Saturday.
So how has the beginning of August been for you? Any good books, movies, TV shows, music? Share below in the comments.
Still an unfinished person... 
My son tries to convince me to watch The Orville, but I have not given it a try yet. Hope your knee improves. My friend is just beginning with gel shots and PT. Sounds like a wonderful celebration with your family, happy belated birthday to your mom.
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Give it a try. Let me know what you think… Even if you don’t like it.
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HOping the knee continues to improve. Happy birthday to your mom!
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I think the knee is getting there, just slowly.
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I haven’t gotten to the latest season of The Orville yet, though I will. I’m finishing off my Star Trek series binge by watching Enterprise.
Mrs Byrne’s Dictionary sounds interesting, I hope you are enjoying your latest book in the Chief Bruno series.
Have a great reading week
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I don’t think I’ve seen Enterprise. I did hear that Discovery wasn’t very good.
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I love Discovery, most of the detractors have issues about it not being Canon, but I don’t care much about that. Enterprise was pretty lame.
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The family picnic sounds wonderful, relaxing, and fun. Have a great week!
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We’ve watched all of the Orville. It’s a great series. My weekly updates
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Good to know that it doesn’t let up.
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I’m probably not “done” with superheroes, but I think we definitely need some time apart.
Crossing my fingers for your knee. Knees are awfully handy.
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I see nothing wrong with bullet point posts, but I guess that’s because I run my own updates that way. 🙂
Sorry your knee isn’t showing as much improvement as you would like. Pain while walking is really debilitating. Hopefully the treatments start doing a better job!
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I’ve done a lot of bullet point lists, but I began to think maybe I just fell back on it too much…I guess that’s okay, though. Sometimes…well…such is life. 🙂 Today I mowed the lawn and my knee isn’t feeling as bad as it usually does afterwards. So maybe it is getting better. I think about it too much. I guess it is what it is.
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Yayyyyy I love bullet point posts!!!!
Mrs. Byrne’s Dictionary is something right up my alley so I added it to my TBR.
Fingers crossed that the knee keeps improving!
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I think my knee is getting better, just slowly.
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Mrs. Byrne’s Dictionary looks like my sort of read. In fact, I thought I may have already read it, so I checked on Goodreads. I haven’t, but it definitely looks fun. It has an average ranking of 4.28.
I haven’t heard about The Orville but who could resist a Star Trek spoof? I sent the trailer to my husband. I think we will give it a try.
I like the bullet points, and I like it when you write about one thing; I don’t think you have to stop doing one thing or the other.
Have a lovely week!
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The Orville might not be your cup of tea, but it’s worth a try. It grew on me and I think what pleasantly surprised me was that there was no laugh track. We’re not real big fans of laugh tracks. In fact, a few years ago we watched M*A*S*H on DVD and you could take out the laugh track. Each episode was like a play. It was interesting. (Um, each episode of The Orville is not a play, by the way.)
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Mrs. Byrne’s Dictionary sounds fascinating to me.
My ssiter said it takes a little while for those shots to work but they did work for her. She’s scheduled to start another series of them soon.
The evening with your family sounds wonderful!
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Well, I’m trying to be patient with the gel shots, so we’ll see. I am feeling better than I did than six months ago, about when all this began.
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