Yours Truly

Yours Truly
Janet Fauble at home

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Wet Wednesday

It rained today! Ordinarily, I might have been happy, but I had stored some of my boxes outside on my patio, and while I had protected them I still feared that they would get wet so I carried some back into the house so that the cardboard would not dissolve on me...and naturally, my pet kitten had to give me fits and starts by trying to get out into the rain and onto the patio at which he was most successful a couple of times. I found myself chasing him on the patio so when he found refuge from the rain under an overturned chair I grabbed him, and brought him back into the house, screaming, mad as a hornet at him for giving me grief when I am struggling with boxes, screen doors, and the sudden onslaught of raindrops...

He is a very good cat, and does stay on the ground. Had he ever decided to try to jump on the ledge, I would have a real problem so I muttered, o.k., if you do run away from home, (which he does not try to do) you will have to find your way back, and if you get lost, then I save $25. on you per month...As if he understands all this, but venting and letting off steam helped while I am cross as an old bear for the necessity of getting boxes indoors. A few I had to leave outside and they are reasonably safe, as the rain has finally departed, and I had had the wardrobe box covered with tarp to protect it from the sprinkling system...Wow! What a day! Drove me mad so that I am ready just to sleep and forget it all...onto another day to get more boxes packed...my goal is to have it all done by Monday of this next week.

In the meantime, everything else goes on hold...

Gifted Youngsters/Steve Berry

I learned about the trio called Il Volo through one of those ongoing spam type messages that gets passed from viewer to viewer. Mandy sent me this one, and I really am impressed with the quality of the young teenager's voices. There is just no doubt that there future is already set, preplanned, and ready to go. Enthralling to imagine what will become of them for future generations.

I hope to see them in person at some concert, buy a dvd, and even get a signed autograph if possible...What fun!

On that note, also speaking of signed autographs...just learned that Steve Berry will be back in Scottsdale, AZ on May 25 at the Poisoned Pen bookstore to sign his latest release Jefferson Key. This time I will buy the book and have him sign it for me too.

I am a fan of his, and really liked the novel The Emperor's Tomb. I learned more about eunuchs than I cared to know, but I found it quite fascinating to learn about the gas and oil industry as seen by Russians and Chinese alike.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Il Volo - " Smile "

Il Volo - " Smile "

Banana Boxes

I had never heard of banana boxes until I met Janice. She told me about them as she and her husband are helping me to move all my stuff from this apartment to the new apartment. So she brought me six banana boxes shortly before she left for Vegas and I learned why I should use this kind of box to pack my things in. First of all, it does not need any tape at all as the boxes have lids with openings to carry them. They are so cool it is unbelievable. So I promptly went to the grocer to try to get some more as six is only a small step for this giant leap and I found another group of boxes which are also made by Dole. This group is used to pack prepackaged salads and these also close in a way that does not require any strapping tape. I love them as they are a bit smaller than the banana boxes. Both are the best for packing and having uniformity in boxes to truck to the apartment.

So I used all six yesterday as well as all the smaller (7) Dole boxes and I burned myself out by working overtime that today I could do nothing but laundry, read Cat Amongst the Pigeons by Agatha Christie in four hours time, and then go back to the grocer to get more of the smaller boxes (10) and I brought them home to pack tomorrow. I was tired all day long and attribute it to either the weather, allergies, or the excessive amount of packing that I did yesterday.

Plus, the night before I was writing a chapter in my Alexander book in my head but did not want to get up to write it on the computer yet. It is about Philip and is through Alexander's recall of the incident that shows how violent and rough Philip can be on his soldiers who are under his command. Problem is that one should do it while one is thinking of it but it was so early in the morning that I did not want to open my computer at that hour.

Philip is a very hard-nosed leader who expects much from his soldiers, and if someone crossed the line, did not do as expected then he would suffer for it...I recall reading in one of these books, but unfortunately, have forgotten which author brought it up so I will now google it to see if I can find it anywhere...I am wondering who of the sources wrote about this incident...a young man in training was so insolent as not to wear the correct wearing apparel that Philip literally killed him for it..so I am trying to rewrite this as seen through Alexander's eyes...I was so wrapped up in it as I am visualizing this scene, and realizing how Alexander would see it...

So while reading Christie's books after learning that she is the most read author in the world following the Bible and one other book that I wondered why. She is not a very great author to be honest, and this book was utterly preposterous in plot and plausibility but because it is fiction it is accepted as such...her ending punch is unexpected I admit and I had to think about her real intent in this particular mystery, but it was interesting and compelling enough so that I read it through in one sitting...I found it in the laundry room and began it there...four hours later I finished it. Easy to read, obviously, but I was very critical of her style and her continuity. I always liked her though and still do, but am far more critical now.