Bookshelf:

Recently Read & Reviewed:

• Ken MacLeod, Engine City

Currently Reading:

• China Miéville, Perdido Street Station

Next Up:

1. Julian May, The Many-Colored Land (in progress)
2. Julian May, The Golden Torc
3. Julian May, The Nonborn King
4. Julian May, The Adversary
5. Margery Allingham, The Case of the Late Pig

Beverages and Other Mixtures

A bunch of random stuff this week, as I sit looking at the pink horizon as the sun goes down in the Bay Area.

Had to put reading Julian May on hold while I read Perdido Street Station for next week's book discussion group. I'm enjoying both so far. I just haven't been reading as much lately as I was a couple of years ago, and these books are all very long.

We had a fun little weekend, Deb and I. She had a baby shower to go to on Friday (no, not for her, since it seems someone always asks). Saturday we woke up, went to get tacos for lunch, and then played a round of minigolf. I won by two strokes, as she hit a hole in one on the final hole. We both played fairly well, though we had to contend with large groups of people with children in front of us, and ended up hopping to another course in the middle. Overall it was fun, and great weather! (Of course, it is the Bay Area!)

Then we went to Fry's Electronics where I bought Debbi her birthday present: A Panasonic compact stereo which plays MP3s. Turns out what I'd targeted seemed to be just what we wanted.

Then we bought ice cream, and later went to the bike shop to see about buying new tires for my bike. I decided to try just swapping the tires between the wheels after an employee looked at the more worn one, but I figure this fall I'll be buying new tires.

Last weekend I'd bought a book on mixed drinks, so we went to Beverages & More ("BevMo!") and bought a bunch of liquor. We made Blue Hawaiians, which are very yummy, and also a mango drink with grenadine which was colorful but a bit sweet (we made it with pineapple juice rather then orange juice). We may start doing this a bit more often!

We had grilled steak and homemade salad for dinner, which cancelled the alcohol fairly effectively so we could go to Cafe Borrone for the evening afterwards.

Today was a bit more sedate, involving watching baseball, doing a little shopping, and mixing some more drinks, topped off with burritos for dinner. Aren't we domestic? (Well, Debbi thinks so!)

Plants are all doing well. Daisies seem to have survived transplanting. Tomatoes are growing like crazy. Groundcover seems healthy, but has not yet begin spreading in either front or back. Impatiens seem happy and colorful. Rose bush is about to bloom twice. Need to pull out the grape vine by the rose bush so I can put in another rose bush, and keep both trimmed back so they'll bush out.

I also want to ditch my dwarf orange tree. Other than blossoming twice a year it's not really a lot of fun, and it's a bunch of work to keep up with. I'd rather put in different foliage which doesn't take up such a large pot.

Also need to drain and clean my pond. Debbi noticed a leak in the hose used for the stream, and I'm wondering if I can patch it, as pulling it out and replacing it would be a big, fat pain in the ass given that it's mostly buried under some plants. (The previous owner missed a few practical points when he built the thing.

Feeling the need to order some new progressive rock music. Also feeling the need to buy a new Mac. Hoping Apple with rev the G5 towers soon so I can satisfy the latter need. Meanwhile I'll indulge the former, I guess.

Survived my first week with my cow-orker on paternity leave. A few bumps, but nothing disastrous yet. Back to the salt mines tomorrow!

As you can see from the photos here, the cats and kittens are getting along pretty well. Blackjack and Newton still have some spats from time to time (mostly Newton meowing at Blackjack and batting at him), but otherwise all is well. Well, besides the Cat Grand Prix at 5 am, that is.