Seems like it's time for another two-day drive for a two-week stay to make sure our house in Texas is still standing. I'll have internet access there, though. Of course I will. Don't be silly.
I just spent half an hour getting the iPod ready for the trip. Yes, it's working now, thanks to Apple's replacement policy. I've loaded up FOTR, Hobbit, Wee Sing America, Trout Fishing in America, Beethoven's Wig and a new (to us) band called Glass Hammer. I beefed up my progressive list, as that's what I'm in the mood for right now (lots and lots of Yes), and also browsed Apple's music store for new stuff to buy. (It doesn't get any better than this - browse the store, click on the music I like and boom! It's on my hard drive in seconds. A few clicks and it's in my iPod. Easy, easy, easy. Tonight I bought Arcadia's So Red the Rose [remember that??] and one of my favorite Genesis songs - "Home By The Sea.") My own playlist is loaded up with everything from ABC to Flower Kings to Def Leppard. I'm set.
When I come back I hope to have a handle on this next year of homeschooling. There is a great deal of academic work I want to start doing this year, and I have not yet figured out how to balance what I want to do with what I can do. I need to find some clarity and focus before I drag the kids along with me.
We started Prima Latina this week, and it is ridiculously easy. It's a bit easy for Aidan, and very easy for Connor. On the other hand, if we go with a program that is a better fit for Connor, it will likely be too much for Aidan. So one of the things I'm going to do over the next two weeks is decide to stick with Prima for both of them, or to let Aidan opt out and get a more difficult program for Connor.
I have noted that next week's vocabulary words include Jesus, I praise, I shout, glory and heaven. Very useful for the Pagan family ;-)
In reading news, I'm on number 19 of the Aubrey/Maturin series. On page 5 I realized that I really have not yet learned to curse like a sailor, and I needed to. O'Brian pulled a really dirty authorial trick on page 5, and I needed some good solid curses to throw in his direction. Damn it, this guy is good. He writes like real life. I utterly, completely believe that his characters are real people. And like real people, they are blindsided by unpredictable events in the most unfair ways. It's a tribute to the author that we don't see any of this coming, but it doesn't stop me from throwing the book across the room and cursing his name. Jeff once said of O'Brian, "I'd like to buy him a beer, and then shoot him." That about sums it up.
And now, my rum's gone. ("But why's the rum gone?") (That reminds me - they're about to start shooting the next two Pirates of the Carribean movies. Woo-hoo!) So off I go, to get up and drive bright and early in the morning. Wish us a safe trip, please.
Posted by Steph at August 7, 2004 12:14 AMRepeat after me: poxed whoreson booby.
Have a safe, safe trip! Eat something w/ green chile in it for me, too, please!
Had to ROFL at your book throwing, sailor-cussing experience. I do just love a good author. Will have to check out those books!
Did you ever figure out what to do w/ the cats??
Oh, and I guess once the boys learn to decline the verbs "laudo", "oro", and such, they'll be a bit more useful in the third person, eh?
Dy
Posted by: Dy on August 7, 2004 09:26 PMwishing you aa safe trip and i fast return to blogging ;-)
Posted by: e on August 7, 2004 10:51 PMI have a tv in my computer and I just realized, as I read your newest entry, that you're more interesting than the opening act of SNL. Now, that's something!!! Killy Ripa is on tonight and she's just starting her monologue. We'll have to see how long I can watch SNL tonight before I have to turn it off.
I just started the online music deal. Of course, my son did most of it for me; even burned the CD. I ordered some Supertramp(sp?), KISS (Beth), and Kansas. Yes, I'm ancient. It is so handy to just pick what you actually *want* to listen to and just buy the one or two songs you like off of an album.
Posted by: Tammy, blogger emeritus on August 7, 2004 11:37 PMHave a safe trip back to the Lone Star state!
Posted by: Amy on August 8, 2004 08:47 AMSteph, if you and Jeff are both prog-heads, you'll really enjoy Glass Hammer. If you like Yes a lot, you might want to check into the works of an older (I believe defunct) band called The Strawbs. Their albums Grave New World, Bursting At The Seams, Hero And Heroine, and Ghosts are up there with the best of 70s-to-mid-80s proto-progressive music.
There were giants in the Earth in those days...but you know, there still are.
Glass Hammer is the band advertized on TheOneRing.net isnt it? Ive been curious about their music, but am hesitant to pay money for music that I am not sure of. Ive been disappointed so much before.
I laughed so hard at Jeff's statement of POB. I feel his pain! What authorial twist got you? Im spending my time lately taking a slow cruise through the first few books. For cursing, I think Stephen's description of Mrs. Williams is probably the best without using crudity.
Drop me a line when you get to texas!
Posted by: Sharon Ferguson on August 9, 2004 04:06 PMOK, two days to drive down there... and now we're going on day EIGHT w/ no word from you! Just what am I supposed to do when you're not blogging? Go to bed at a decent hour? Shyah!
Miss ya.
Dy