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The good morning, good night thread

Started by Ed, October 22, 2007, 03:49:05 AM

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Ed

Sounds like you had a horrible time, Rev. My kids seem to pick up a sickness bug at least once a year, and I often wonder if it's this noro virus we keep hearing about, just going round and round. It's odd, though -- I only ever remember chucking up twice when I was a kid. Once was after a party, where I ate too many sweets, and the second time was food poisoning. We never used to have all these sickness bugs, I'm sure of it :scratch:

I'm currently enjoying not having to be anywhere and not having to do anything. Had a quiet few days, done a lot of sleeping. Drank too much on Boxing Day, so haven't had any since -- just haven't felt like it.

I've been invited out to a shoot this afternoon. Looking forward to that. Doubt I'll get anything, but it's nice to get out for a few hours with friends and have a wander around with the dogs :afro:
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

Pharosian

While I was on vacation, I read 3 books I'd downloaded to my Kindle for free. The genres were fantasy, YA sci-fi, and thriller. The fantasy (The Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Buroker) was so good that when I got home, I bought the second and third books in the series... and read them. I also bought another book by the same author that is set in the same universe. Still on a roll, I then read The Help by Kathryn Stockett, a book recommended by a Facebook friend, and Sam Harris's short essay Lying.

All told, I've read 8 novels in just over a fortnight. That's the most reading I've done in ages!  :afro:

Ed

Wow, you've been busy. Did you enjoy the second and third books in the Emperor's Edge series as much as you did the first one?

Enjoyed my shoot yesterday. Between us we brought down a few pigeons and rooks, but there wasn't much else about. Pretty sure I saw a few muntjac cross a firebreak, but is was quite a way away, so I can't be sure exactly what they were. Wouldn't have shot at them anyway.
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

Pharosian

Yes, I enjoyed all three. While the third stretched credulity a little more than the other two, I liked that the characters continue to evolve and the ending promised good things to come. The other book set in the same world is called Encrypted, and it was excellent. That one takes place about 20 years before the first Emperor's Edge book, and features one of the same characters.

I'd never heard of a muntjac before, and had to look it up. Interesting!

Ed

Glad you enjoyed them. It would be a shame to buy all three and found the author ran out of steam half way through the second book.

I've had farmers beg me to shoot the muntjac on their land because they're so destructive, and I think they're officially classed as vermin, so there's every justification for culling them, but I don't go after them. As a species they must be incredibly old -- I think I'm right in saying the fewer chromosomes a creature has, the more ancient the species, and according to Wiki the male has only 7 and the female 6, whereas humans have 46, unless they're Downs Syndrome.
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

fnord33

QuoteI've had farmers beg me to shoot the muntjac on their land because they're so destructive
- Have you ever gotten to eat one? I'd be curious if they taste different from regular venison.   

All of my spare time is still spent looking for a car. I have a line on a smart car. Apparently it's half-car-half-airbag. I'd prefer a Yaris since they get the same gas mileage, but I can't find one for less than 11,000 that haven't been wrecked.

I got an awesome gift from my friend Chris. He rearranged a raccoon skeleton into a sort of tentacle-monkey. A couple of the bones came off when I was transporting it home (the horn and a rear toe), but nothing a little glue won't fix. It's definitely the coolest thing in my collection now. I'll post some pics when I get it put back together. I also have to trim the base so it will fit in my display case. Hopefully I can do it without the whole thing falling apart.   :/
Life is an entanglement of lies to hide it's basic mechanisms. - William Burroughs

Ed

No, I can't say that I've tried eating muntjac. Wouldn't have thought it's any different from regular venison, but you never can tell. Had pigeon breast for dinner tonight -- very tasty, thanks to the Maillard Reaction, and lots of butter. I fried it in a hot pan and basted it regularly with the melted butter. Gave it just a couple of minutes on each side, then cut it finely. It was perfect -- browned and tasty on the outside and rare in the middle. Lovely :smitten:

I spotted a skull in the woods yesterday, and nearly brought it home for the nipper. I think it was a badger -- good set of teeth on the thing. Your spidery skeleton thing sounds interesting :afro:
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

fnord33

If it's in goood shape you can always sell a skul for at leeast 20.00 on ebay. I have a pile. When I get anough other bones I think I'm going to try to get Chris to build me a chimera.

I got creative the other day too. I sauteed chicken breast and mushrooms in gyoza, 3 types of sweet chili sauce and gold barbecue sauce then stirred it in with a pot of jasmine rice. It made a really interesting risotto type of thing. It tastes  better than it sounds.  Next time I think I'll use a different BBQ sauce, though. There  was a smidgen too much mustard for my taste. 
Life is an entanglement of lies to hide it's basic mechanisms. - William Burroughs

Pharosian

Quote from: Ed on December 29, 2011, 11:52:00 AM
Glad you enjoyed them. It would be a shame to buy all three and found the author ran out of steam half way through the second book.

I've never bought more than one book at a time by a given author. I finish the first one, then buy the second if I'm still enthused, read it, and then decide whether or not to buy the third, etc. I'm too cheap to risk buying a load of books I might not like.  ::)

Ed

Quote from: Pharosian on December 29, 2011, 09:24:15 PM
Quote from: Ed on December 29, 2011, 11:52:00 AM
Glad you enjoyed them. It would be a shame to buy all three and found the author ran out of steam half way through the second book.

I've never bought more than one book at a time by a given author. I finish the first one, then buy the second if I'm still enthused, read it, and then decide whether or not to buy the third, etc. I'm too cheap to risk buying a load of books I might not like.  ::)

Me too, and apart from that it would probably take me all year to read three novels at the rate things are currently going. I really can't believe it's New Years Eve today. Where did all that lovely no-work time go? On the upside, I suppose it's just as well I'm going back to work -- I feel like I've put on a few pounds with all this slobbing around.

Hey fnord -- is that diet food? I love a good risotto :afro:
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

fnord33

I've been on a diet for the last decade. I don't think I've lost any weight though. Pharo, congratulations on having better sense than me. I have a stupid policy of buying every book in a series before I start reading it. Apparently I hate waiting for the next installment more than I hate spending lots of money on crap. 

Life is an entanglement of lies to hide it's basic mechanisms. - William Burroughs

Geoff_N

I'm chuffed you give the Muntjac a break, Ed.

Happy birthday.


Pharosian

It's been quiet around here the past few days. I'd thought I might get more organizing done (code for clearing up the clutter), but I've been enjoying reading too much. I just finished the first two books in The Riyria Revelations series. The book I bought, entitled Theft of Swords included the first two books in the series (The Crown Consipracy and Avempartha).

We also watched the Swedish versions of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire. They were very good. Might watch the third one before going back to work, too. I'll be interested in seeing how they compare with the Hollywood versions.

Ed

We've done hardly any of the tidying we told ourselves we would do over the Christmas break. Done way too much slobbing around. I have enjoyed the break, though :smiley:

Sounds like you're at least spent your time productively, Pharo :afro:
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

Ed

Argh... rain lashing the windows, wind howling -- do I really have to go back to work today? :/
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]