Today wasn’t terrible. It wasn’t awesome. It was a hot Wednesday.

I distracted myself from the approaching end of summer and the ever expanding to-do list by making short forays into P&S Fabrics* and M&J Trimming.

I’m designing a gift for a good friend and am not yet positive what buttons I wish to use on it. I bought several options so I can choose when the time is right. When I walked in, I thought I was looking for something completely different. I surprised myself by pulling boxes containing these off the shelves again and again.

E acquired a new suit for the upcoming yamin noraim (what you thought I’d let that approach without any mention? I do miss writing on this topic, but if I want to give my learning what it needs, I don’t have time to write here as well. If you would like to try private study feel free to ask.) I really don’t need or want a new suit (I’d like a new top but that’s another saga), but I did really want to replace the buttons on the jacket. I’ve meant to replace them from day one, I think for about six years! The buttons the jacket came with are traditional, but still too flashy and trendy for me. I never felt comfortable with them. These aren’t quite the ones I was looking for, but they’ll do if I don’t find anything else between now and then.

It was a nice diversion for a Wednesday. I wish I could do it more often, like on any day that ends with Y.

* They moved again. They’re now next door to their old locale and they now have Cascade 220 & 220 Superwash (in limited colours) and Crystal Palace Mini Mochi and Mochi Plus.

It’s been a rough few weeks so I’ve been diving a little stronger into the epic fantasy and going out on longer pain-free runs. YUM! No, I will not combine them. For one, I want the joy to last as long as possible so I’ll do them one at a time. Secondly, one does not ruin a gorgeous time in the trails by closing out with headphones. Additionally, I have almost been run over by deer. More than one and more than once. I now wear bright clothing at all times and all places.

The White Dragon
by Anne McCaffrey

There’s just something about young Lord Jaxom and Ruth that make me smile and want to reread this story whenever I feel bad. It’s not a soppy feel-good novel, but I like how they look at no and find out how to find a yes without disobeying every rule in the book. I think this is one of my more favourite Pern novels, perhaps because of where it falls in the time line and my love of exploring the impact of science and technology on society.

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
by Christopher McDougall

This is the first book I’ve read and experienced in all three formats, I started off with the physical book in my hands, then I moved to audio book (from the CD’s!), and then my ebook hold came in at the library.

Was it worth it?

Yes. While McDougall wanders all over the place, I found that there is a consistent trail he follows:

Enjoy running.

It’s simple, n’est ce pas? We don’t need gadgets and gizmos and whatnot to do what we’ve been doing. Without all of that clutter and stuff. Sure, hydration is uber important and wicking tees are nice, but there is no need to over analyze (something I did in high school when I was slow and tried to compete).

Just go out and be a five year old again. Smile and laugh while running. You’ll have fun and want to get out there more. At least I do. My four and a half milers — while a tiny distance — are now pain free and I have to force myself, due to “commitments” to return and curtail my runs.

The Gates to Witch World
by Andre Norton

I arrived very late to Witch World. I wanted to read it in as close to order as I could and for reasons I do not understand I had a difficult time getting my grubby paws on copies of the books.

I’ve now read bits of the Estcarp Cycle, the High Hallack Cycle, and The Turning. I’m very happy now to be able to understand the world better by now having read The Witch World, but it wasn’t really necessary to enjoy the later cycle stories. I really want to look more into Norton’s world and character building. Her writing drew me in and kept me until I stayed up late to finish. What other compliment can I give other than I started reading slower and slower because I didn’t want it to end!

Why? Perhaps I might educate and indirectly save a life, or at the very least keep someone from doing something really really stupid.

Also, I’m sick of people thinking these rules do not apply to them. I don’t know why they think that. Are they too cool? They will be when they’re dead.

• If you run or walk on the road (not on the sidewalk) at any time BE OPPOSITE TO TRAFFIC. The only ones who can go the normal way and should go the normal way are bicycles and cars. If you are on two feet, no matter what pace you are cruising at, you need to be opposite to traffic. The only exception to this is if you are on a sidewalk or another area that is (theoretically) barricaded to traffic. I still often go opposite to traffic on a sidewalk but that’s years of being very distrustful that a huge fast chunk of steel will stay where it ought.

  

• If you run or walk or bike on the road (or really on a sidewalk in my opinion) early in the morning or late at night be bright. My brights are items I would never be caught dead in at any other time, but without them I could be dead.

• Do not blast headphones and music. I admit to listening to podcasts on my walk home during bright daylight hours, but I always keep the volume low enough I can hear cars. You would not, however, ever catch me listening to PodRunner while out for a run. It is perfect for indoor situations, such as when I have a bike on the trainer.
• Assume if you can’t see them clearly, they probably can’t see you. If you are rounding a corner at the top of a hill and you hear a car coming and you can’t see them? Get as far out of the road as you can and make yourself big. In my case that means throwing up my arms.
• Give cars the right away on all intersections and crossings unless the driver stops and makes eye contact and some sort of (g-rated) gesture to proceed ahead of them. This especially applies to driveways too.
• If you go out alone tell somewhere your proposed route and when you expect you’ll be back. Keep some sort of ID including emergency contact info on your person. added: see Devorah’s link below. I’m not endorsing them per se, but it’s much better than an index card with a name and phone number scribbled. If you are allergic to any medication or have a unique blood type, list that.
• If you run in a trail system definitely wear bright colours, and know when different hunting seasons are in effect. At the very least it may alert you to when you might find animals half field dressed in the trail. Trust me, you’ll learn to hurdle really quick!

If you are not following these reminders, I might see you and start screaming at you.

Now, the question always comes up, I want to run and my (spouse|child|dog) wants to ride a bike. What do we do?

Find a dedicated trail or path system. Do not go out on the streets. It’s too dangerous.

Please just think. Be smart.

Ok, was that a lot to digest? Here it is again:

Assume all drivers are brand new drivers, exhausted, and driving distracted. Assume they can’t see you.
Do everything you can to be seen. Wear bright reflective clothing. Run against traffic. Make noise (or size). Be prepared to slow down and stop. Safety is much more important than the stop watch.

That concludes today’s public safety reminder.

Ergo, today’s post.

Please do not misunderstand me, this extreme challenge is partially why I’ve doggedly kept the topic in rotation. If I succeed in surmounting this writing struggle, I believe I will return an improved writer on topics that are difficult or that perhaps I might not enjoy.

I think my largest challenge is determining what to write on. Not only do I need to write something coherent, I need to come up with a prompt for it as well. Do I post recipes I’ve cooked recently and how they turned out? Do I discuss challenges of my diet? Do I what? We don’t eat out often, so I can’t even review restaurants to make it easy like my book reviews are!

My photography skills on fibre are improving, but my results with food often turn my stomach so I’m hesitant to choose topics that would be enhanced by a photo tutorial.

Therefore I turn to you: what, on the topic of food, might you like to read about in this biweekly spot? My culinary adventures seem mundane by my standards but may be exotic to yours. What would you find interesting?

This morning I gave him a punk hedgie, and they’ve decided that their snuggle time is 9am. Perhaps I’ll get some work done today?

Sometimes all of the pieces are there, except you. As Doris Lessing said, “Don’t read a book out of its right time for you”; the same is true for yarn and knitting.

My Alhambra, is beautiful, I love the simple pattern and the yarn. However, working on this during my 7am commute, I learned it is not the right time. However, working on this during a period when my hands are beat up from yard work, I learned it is not the write time. Alas, it sits neglected. The right time will come. It is not now.
Alhambra by Anne Hanson
Ravelry Project Page

This morning in a desperate attempt to find what is the right time, project, yarn and needles found me casting on for Kink, a knittyspin pattern in this most recent issue, First Fall 2010, of Knitty.
Kink by Jodie Gordon Lucas
Ravelry Project Page

However, I learned today that at 7am before tea or coffee I am incapable of counting to the very big number, two. We’ll see how this one turns out.

It was not all magic and mayhem however, I finished a few other interesting titles.

Blood, Iron, and Gold
by Christian Wolmar

I love trains, but have not really been able to find more than coffee-table books about them. What is their history, how did they impact life as they rolled out across the landscape, and what is their legacy today? Do they have a future in today’s car centric society?

Wolmar’s book answers many of my questions in an informative and intellectual tone. It covers considerable ground chronologically and in distance. He has done well to keep it all manageable to the reader. However, at times the accounting of various aspects of construction bogged the narrative down, but I enjoyed the ride of how railways spread across the earth and impacted life. I would have enjoyed more on social impact and engineering feats and less on the management of the books, but this title greatly expanded my knowledge. Furthermore, the end notes are quite expansive and also included is a selected bibliography.

I look forward to reading his other books on railways.

Past Lives, Present Tense
Edited by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

I’m unsure why I allowed this collection of short stories to sit on my to-read pile for a few years after I added the slim paperback to my shelf. Each story has good points and bad, but overall I found the concept of taking past, bringing forward, and merging quite fascinating. The world and character building for each story was unique and yet fit well together. I’m struggling to select just one favourite. I think I would like to invite each past life in present tense over for tea. What other compliment can I offer?

The Women of Windsor: Their Power, Privilege, and Passions
by Catherine Whitney

An interesting read that filled my girlish American desire to know more about the Women in the British Monarchy, but at times I felt Whitney could have gone further in depth without causing disruption or distress or turning it into a full gossip rag.

Last but not least, I recently listened to Podcastle #116 – Paper Cuts Scissors by Holly Black. I don’t want to spoil it for you but any story that quite skillfully combines all the elements Black has in one fun read wins lots of alcolades from me! Oh and as per PodCastle: Rated PG: Contains Books, and one of the Coolest Personal Libraries Ever. They’re not kidding.

So what did I curl up with? Some more Mercedes Lackey and Anne McCaffrey of course. I have a tempting stack of Norton and a desire to acquire some Moon, but that will have to wait for my book budget to automagically replenish or for wishes to be granted.

Scribbles for those recent reads forthcoming. I’d like to step away from the keyboard and get my nose back into some books.

What book(s) can you not keep away from this summer?