I borrowed this book from Kristin. It's a fantasy, a genre I usually enjoy. She hadn't read it yet but said her friends raved about it. The Name of the Wind is the first in a trilogy. The reviews for it elsewhere are positive.
On the whole, though, I didn't like it very much. I did like the way it began: the setting is in an inn in a dangerous land populated with people beset by demons. The innkeeper is a quiet red-headed man, Kote. On a night populated with regulars, someone staggers in wounded with what appears to be a demon in tow. I was intrigued but then soon after a biographer called Chronicler shows up. He's figured out that Kote is really someone else, a powerful wizard called Kvothe.
Kote/Kvothe reluctantly agrees to tell his story but insists it will take three days. Get it? Each book is a day in the telling of the story. Oh dear. Here I was all about finding out this land and the demons and now we're going back into the past.
Well, the story was fairly interesting at first. A member of a travelling troupe of musicians, actors, and what have you, Kvothe journeyed around with his parents and an interesting assortment of characters. Something about a song Kvothe's parents sing enrage a mysterious group and provokes them to attack the troupe. There is tragedy and Kvothe is left to struggle on his own until he is fifteen and makes his way to the university.
For me, this is when the story really bogged down. I didn't care about Kvothe or his experiences at the university. Think of him as an arrogant and unlikeable Harry Potter, showing up other students and teachers. He makes enemies that cause him all sorts of problems. He falls for a girl who shows up, disappears, shows up, disappears...well, you get the idea. Whatever difficulty comes his way, he manages to find a way around it.
I won't be reading the second or third book. It's just not for me because I just could not care about the main character. I realize that not all main characters are likeable and that's okay with me but there has to be something that "clicks" for me to stay interested. It just didn't happen for me. I kept waiting for it to get better and it just didn't.
Sunday, November 6
Saturday, November 5
Whiling away the Saturday morning hours...
Some Saturdays it's difficult waiting for Kristin's ASL class to end. Those are the Saturdays when she has a doctor's appointment 90 minutes after the class ends. It's difficult because on those days, I don't shop as much and have a longer period of time to wait. I don't shop as much because I don't get the perishables. I don't get perishables because I won't get home until around 3 and I don't want them sitting in the car up to 4 hours. I can't take them home and come back because it's a 45 minute trip one way. It would help if the library or lounge were open but they're both locked up tight on Saturdays! This is one of those instances where reliable and convenient public transportation would be a big help!
I brought a couple of books, this notebook I'm writing in, and a Shoprite flyer to help me pass the time. I can get some non-perishables and that will take a half hour. Writing is a great way to use time if only I could think of something to write about! ;)
One thing I've noticed this year is how my body's response has changed to temperatures. When I was heavy, my internal temperature was 10-20 degrees warmer than your average person. In winter, I would go around in a light jacket. I shunned sweaters. We kept our bedroom thermostat set to 55. I was always miserable in the summer because I always felt too hot.
When I lost all that weight two and a half years ago, my inner thermometer was still on the warm side. I remember last fall, when the temperatures were in the mid-to-upper 60s, I was comfortable wearing a tee shirt, jeans and a hoodie.
It's all different this year! Lately, we've had some truly gorgeous weather. The temperatures have been in the 60s. Now, though, I find I need to wear my heavier jacket--the one lined with thick quilting. My kids all stroll around in hoodies, like I used to.
Previously, TB set our heat between 55-62. Now we freeze at those settings. We've gone a little higher and bundle up. On an evening when it's in the 50s outdoors, you'll find me in my winter robe. TB's struggled with the change in his body temperature well over a year. He used to be like me, an internal furnace. Now he dresses like Nanook of the North: long johns, layers of shirts, hoodie (with the hood pulled up over his head) and winter robe. I should take a picture of us! I wonder what we'll look like when it really gets cold? :D
I brought a couple of books, this notebook I'm writing in, and a Shoprite flyer to help me pass the time. I can get some non-perishables and that will take a half hour. Writing is a great way to use time if only I could think of something to write about! ;)
One thing I've noticed this year is how my body's response has changed to temperatures. When I was heavy, my internal temperature was 10-20 degrees warmer than your average person. In winter, I would go around in a light jacket. I shunned sweaters. We kept our bedroom thermostat set to 55. I was always miserable in the summer because I always felt too hot.
When I lost all that weight two and a half years ago, my inner thermometer was still on the warm side. I remember last fall, when the temperatures were in the mid-to-upper 60s, I was comfortable wearing a tee shirt, jeans and a hoodie.
It's all different this year! Lately, we've had some truly gorgeous weather. The temperatures have been in the 60s. Now, though, I find I need to wear my heavier jacket--the one lined with thick quilting. My kids all stroll around in hoodies, like I used to.
Previously, TB set our heat between 55-62. Now we freeze at those settings. We've gone a little higher and bundle up. On an evening when it's in the 50s outdoors, you'll find me in my winter robe. TB's struggled with the change in his body temperature well over a year. He used to be like me, an internal furnace. Now he dresses like Nanook of the North: long johns, layers of shirts, hoodie (with the hood pulled up over his head) and winter robe. I should take a picture of us! I wonder what we'll look like when it really gets cold? :D
Friday, November 4
Thursday Thirteen Random Thoughts on Friday
I meant to post this yesterday using the meme format but I just never got the time to sit down and do it. I'll get to that in a minute.
1. So Bank of Satan, I mean, Bank of America, is thinking about dropping the idea to charge all its customers $5 a month for using debit cards. They say it's because of all the feedback from their customers. Ha. I'd like to think it has something to do with November 5 switch-from-a-corporate-bank-to-a-credit-union day. I heard some of these other banks that were jumping on board with BOA are also reconsidering. Thank you. How much money did we spend on bailing out BOA and other banks again? They're making nice profits and what do they want to do? Squeeze more money from all of us!
2. And don't get me started on those obscene bonuses executives of other corporations bailed out are receiving!
3. Part of the reason I didn't get to blog was because TB and I were busy going to Walmart and Lowe's to get a couple of things for the craft show on November 12. This venture is costing us. It's not expensive if you've got it but we're using money that would go to other stuff. TB needed things like lemon oil, sand paper, cash box, queen size sheets ... Yes, queen size sheets. I think we're going to borrow them from his mom. They're to cover the table from top down to the floor. The lady running the event said she uses queen size sheets so it should be good.
4. I'm seeing "Blithe Spirit" with Kristin on Saturday night. She's treating me, which is really nice. She's taking drama this semester and one of the requirements is that students have to take in a play. It's been quite a while since I've seen a play...maybe almost two years. Tickets for non-students is only $10 so Bill wanted to join us. I'm looking forward to this!
5. I'm relieved that Dr. Greenbaum was pleased with how TB's doing after his most recent appointment. The abdominal wall infection cleared up and the seepage from the incision slowed down considerably!
6. We're having a hard time remembering to finger stick first thing in the morning! Our sugars have been running over 100 lately so the doctor wants us to test for two weeks before deciding what else to do. After testing several times a day for years, you'd think this would be old hat to us but I guess two years of freedom from it all has totally erased all the old habits. If we forget to get the fasting level, we go for an hour after the meal. I'm kind of bummed that the levels have been above normal.
7. Another reason I didn't have time for blogging is I had a therapy appointment. She thinks I am depressed again. Really? I think it's situational. Yes, I'm stressed. There's a lot going on. I don't think there's a pill for that. I take a nap to escape the stress.
8. Christmas decorations in October? If you looked, you could see them lurking in the background. The Halloween decorations barely came down before the Christmas ones went up. Does anyone else get depressed about this stuff? I mean, what about Thanksgiving? Can't the stores wait until "Black Friday" weekend to start all this commercialism? The arrival of Santa at malls was traditionally after Thanksgiving. Now it could be anytime in November. I was in the middle of filling out this survey for B101, a radio station in my area, and they want to know when did I want to start listening to Christmas music? Now? November 15? After Thanksgiving? I was about to say after Thanksgiving but then I thought if I have to be subjected to all this other crap now, why not enjoy the music? Holiday music does lighten my mood considerably.
9. Now I'm rating Christmas songs for B101. There sure are a lot! It doesn't seem like they all get played because in past years if feels like I just hear the same ones over and over.
10. Kristin's taking ASL 101 this semester and it's fun to practice with her. Her signs are nice and clear and her face is very expressive. I'm glad I can help her practice. She's doing very well in this class.
11. I'm still working on that Christmas song survey for B101. I wonder if they'll pay attention to my results? I wonder if anyone else had the patience to sit there and rate all those songs?
12. Why does trying to find the best insurance plan/a doctor have to be so darn difficult? We're still trying to figure out our medicare options, waiting for the information about the insurance companies to come in the mail. Also: Kristin was on the phone for about an hour trying to find doctors that would take her insurance. We'd first called the insurance company and they passed us off to the "preferred provider", whatever the hell that means. The preferred provider at least was more helpful. The representative got on the phone with the gynecologist's office and finally got them to understand who they were. The doctor's office then agreed to make an appointment for Kristin. As for the other doctor, well, we struck out and so the rep is doing a search among nurse practitioners to find an appropriate doctor. Don't ask me why nurse practitioners are doing this. I have no clue.
13. I don't think there's an end to this Christmas song list on B101. I'll probably be here tomorrow too! ;)
1. So Bank of Satan, I mean, Bank of America, is thinking about dropping the idea to charge all its customers $5 a month for using debit cards. They say it's because of all the feedback from their customers. Ha. I'd like to think it has something to do with November 5 switch-from-a-corporate-bank-to-a-credit-union day. I heard some of these other banks that were jumping on board with BOA are also reconsidering. Thank you. How much money did we spend on bailing out BOA and other banks again? They're making nice profits and what do they want to do? Squeeze more money from all of us!
2. And don't get me started on those obscene bonuses executives of other corporations bailed out are receiving!
3. Part of the reason I didn't get to blog was because TB and I were busy going to Walmart and Lowe's to get a couple of things for the craft show on November 12. This venture is costing us. It's not expensive if you've got it but we're using money that would go to other stuff. TB needed things like lemon oil, sand paper, cash box, queen size sheets ... Yes, queen size sheets. I think we're going to borrow them from his mom. They're to cover the table from top down to the floor. The lady running the event said she uses queen size sheets so it should be good.
4. I'm seeing "Blithe Spirit" with Kristin on Saturday night. She's treating me, which is really nice. She's taking drama this semester and one of the requirements is that students have to take in a play. It's been quite a while since I've seen a play...maybe almost two years. Tickets for non-students is only $10 so Bill wanted to join us. I'm looking forward to this!
5. I'm relieved that Dr. Greenbaum was pleased with how TB's doing after his most recent appointment. The abdominal wall infection cleared up and the seepage from the incision slowed down considerably!
6. We're having a hard time remembering to finger stick first thing in the morning! Our sugars have been running over 100 lately so the doctor wants us to test for two weeks before deciding what else to do. After testing several times a day for years, you'd think this would be old hat to us but I guess two years of freedom from it all has totally erased all the old habits. If we forget to get the fasting level, we go for an hour after the meal. I'm kind of bummed that the levels have been above normal.
7. Another reason I didn't have time for blogging is I had a therapy appointment. She thinks I am depressed again. Really? I think it's situational. Yes, I'm stressed. There's a lot going on. I don't think there's a pill for that. I take a nap to escape the stress.
8. Christmas decorations in October? If you looked, you could see them lurking in the background. The Halloween decorations barely came down before the Christmas ones went up. Does anyone else get depressed about this stuff? I mean, what about Thanksgiving? Can't the stores wait until "Black Friday" weekend to start all this commercialism? The arrival of Santa at malls was traditionally after Thanksgiving. Now it could be anytime in November. I was in the middle of filling out this survey for B101, a radio station in my area, and they want to know when did I want to start listening to Christmas music? Now? November 15? After Thanksgiving? I was about to say after Thanksgiving but then I thought if I have to be subjected to all this other crap now, why not enjoy the music? Holiday music does lighten my mood considerably.
9. Now I'm rating Christmas songs for B101. There sure are a lot! It doesn't seem like they all get played because in past years if feels like I just hear the same ones over and over.
10. Kristin's taking ASL 101 this semester and it's fun to practice with her. Her signs are nice and clear and her face is very expressive. I'm glad I can help her practice. She's doing very well in this class.
11. I'm still working on that Christmas song survey for B101. I wonder if they'll pay attention to my results? I wonder if anyone else had the patience to sit there and rate all those songs?
12. Why does trying to find the best insurance plan/a doctor have to be so darn difficult? We're still trying to figure out our medicare options, waiting for the information about the insurance companies to come in the mail. Also: Kristin was on the phone for about an hour trying to find doctors that would take her insurance. We'd first called the insurance company and they passed us off to the "preferred provider", whatever the hell that means. The preferred provider at least was more helpful. The representative got on the phone with the gynecologist's office and finally got them to understand who they were. The doctor's office then agreed to make an appointment for Kristin. As for the other doctor, well, we struck out and so the rep is doing a search among nurse practitioners to find an appropriate doctor. Don't ask me why nurse practitioners are doing this. I have no clue.
13. I don't think there's an end to this Christmas song list on B101. I'll probably be here tomorrow too! ;)
Tuesday, November 1
Cats on Tuesday: Naptime
CATS ON TUESDAY is a group of cat lovers who share pictures and/or stories about their cats once a week, hosted by Gattina.
It 'specially helps to have them in it, too!
Doesn't Cubby look comfy cozy?
Cubby sez, would you believe TB Bean is sleeping in here too? He is totally covered by blankies to keep warm. I'm helping him stay nice and toasty too!
Munchkin sez, hey, where'd my bean go? I was all comfy cozy and snuggled up against her under the covers and then she woked up! Now she's takin pikturs! Stop that, Mommy Bean, and come back and snuggle!
Of course, when it's time for TB and I to get up and carry on, our feline friends still can find more snuggle buddies.
Want more cat blogging?
Be sure to check out Gattina's blog and Blogging Cat Noos for all the latest!
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