What I've Been Reading, Watching, & Drinking

I know it's much more interesting to most people to hear about what the kids are up to but I thought I'd just write about me today. A while back I posted on perspective and likened it to a peephole in a fence. I am trying to keep this a positive peephole, so sometimes it is hard to find things to write about. There are a lot of things going on that just don't show up when you are allowed to look through this particular hole in the fence. Here are a few of the things I'm willing to share.

What I've been reading.

I just finished In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson. Unlike a Walk in the Woods, by Bryson, which made me want to strap on a backpack and take on the AT, this new book made feel content to stay put and simply read about the varied offerings of Australia. It was interesting, but there were so many negatives about the country: overwhelming size, strange political system, weirdo people (Queensland), and several creatures just waiting to kill anyone stepping off an arriving plane. Plus the places that he found "nice" were comparable to places in the US. So I appreciated the read, but it didn't inspire me to jet off.

What I've been watching.

Besides the normal sitcoms/series, I watched The Last Station this week. It chronicles the last days of Tolstoy. The cast/acting was amazing. Of course I'm not a movie critic so I'm just speaking for myself. I was surprised that I had not heard of this movie when it was out in theatres. We do live in a pretty backwards area, so we don't get every movie that comes out. On a side note: Last year M's class was to go on a field trip to see The Boy in Striped Pajamas. The movie theatre didn't show it when it was released, so they ended up going to see Madagascar 2 since we had already paid for the trip in advance. That is also a view of the education system down here. Back to The Last Station. The movie cover makes it look like it's all about people falling into bed together. While there is some of that, there is more to the story.

What I've been drinking.

I just love this BearBoat wine. It tastes good, but I especially adore the bears on the label. If you can't read the picture it says: What a wonderful round, full body. Why, thank you. There are several different bottle labels. Same bears in the same position, but saying different things. On the back of each bottle, you can read the story of Mac and Zeke, who are the bears on the front label. I wish I could move to California and work at a winery. I would like a stress free job that involves spending most of my time lying in a hammock, drinking wine, and reading delightful books. If you see any job postings matching that description, let me know!

For now I'm stepping out from in front of this peephole and back into the murkier areas of my life.