I am now on Audible

I got a early birthday gift this week. My wife got me an Audible.com membership. We've both been considering getting it for each other for a while, and finally decided to do it. I gave her an early mother's day gift by changing the membership from one credit to two credits a month. This was after I decided to get Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy. My wife told me that I could listen to that all by myself.

I'm quite excited about being able to choose a book on audio that I get to keep. I enjoy reading and have difficulty finding time between studies, family, work, and that annoying need for sleep. I've been known to stay up until 2:00 am finishing a book, or even just reading it. Larry Corriea's Grimnoir Chronicles were consumed this way. Well, really all my latest fiction have been that way as I have homework to do. The audio books let me take advantage of my 40 minutes commute, mowing the lawn (I wear ear muffs with my ear buds inside), folding laundry, doing dishes, etc to enjoy books. The problem is that I can also listen to them at night with the light off. Normally I feel conscious of a light being on as it disturbs my wife so I stop reading earlier than I would otherwise. So some audio books get listened to late into the evening anyways.

I've already started building a wish list of books for audible. I've already listened to Night of Blacker Darkness by Dan Wells. It was delightful! Imagine a world where the Gothic culture was started by vampires in order to make up for their shortcomings. And a hero who was wrongfully imprisoned and wants to get out in order to commit the crime he was accused of. Then throw in a collection of Victorian-era authors including John Keats and Mary Shelly who end up tagging along for the ride. Add a vampire hunter who is as inept at catching vampires as they are at being a menace and I don't know what you've got but it is really funny.

I've already mentioned what I'm currently listening to - Red Storm Rising. I figured it was time to listen to the pinnacle of Cold War turns WWIII. That and it's 31 hours. A nice long read. Funny that it should start because of radical Muslims....

I'm not sure what I'll do next, but I've enjoyed building my list:

Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson - because he's that good and it will last me 45+ hours.
Alloy of Law by the same - Although I may just borrow the physical copy from my parents.
Without a Summer by Mary Robinette Kowal - the third in the series and read by the author.
Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas unabridged - It's 47 hours long and I never finished reading it.
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini - I listened to the first two, read the third, it's time to finish the series.
Partials by Dan Wells - I own this, but had a hard time reading it. I think listening to it would be better.
The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Another I own and want to read, but can't find time for.
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George - The author's favorite story. Would love to try it.

I may or may not listen to all of these (hence they are on my wish list), but I thought I would share. Please, if you know of any good audio books our there on Audible let me know about then. My wife is hoping that having a regular source of books will cut down on my buying them in groups. We'll see if that is the case.

I'm sitting on my back deck watching clouds float over the mountains to the north of us. It is a beautiful Sunday afternoon after attending church. I do feel truly fortunate to live in such a wonderful area with such lovely views. We bought this house back in October and were not able to enjoy the deck or back yard before it got too cold and the snow flew. Now, the kids are playing with cars below us, the neighbors are sitting and chatting, and the birds are singing. It is still a bit chilly, but very manageable and very pleasant. I'm also using the opportunity to copy over Anne McCaffrey's Dragonflight onto my iPod so I can listen to it on my way to work. That is one advantage of a 40 minute commute. Not that there are many.

Both my mother and father will write a letter detailing the events of the week to the family members that do not live nearby. I know that many of their letters contain the phrase, "As I thought about what to write about this week." As I see this blog as something similar I too had the opportunity to think back on this week and contemplate what to write. I hope that as this blog is accessible to me in many places and in many ways, I'm hoping that as things occur I'll be able to jot things down so I won't have to remember. But for this first week, it did take some contemplation. After some thought It occurred to me something I could share that grandfather might find worth writing down.

I learned this last week why you need to keep your grill clean. I enjoy barbecuing chicken and particularly enjoy putting the sauce on it after it's been on the grill for a while. I won't show you a picture of the grill in it's current state as I am a little ashamed that it is as bad as it is. I was planning on cleaning it yesterday, but the weather was bad and there were several other things that needed to be done. However, I will need to clean it before I can use it again because last week when I did use it we ate zombie chicken.

I lit the grill and laid some aluminium foil on it in an attempt to keep the chicken from adding to the mess and put the chicken on it, closed the lit and went inside. The problem was that the residue at the bottom of the grill had started on fire. I didn't think this would be a problem and had adjusted the propane accordingly. What I didn't know was that the smoke caused by the fire was really dirty smoke. When I came back to check on the chicken ten minutes later, I was met by a sight I can only refer to as zombie chicken. The meet was grey and flecked with black bits. the grill smelled of burned charcoal (no that is not redundant) and overall it just looked unwholesome. Need less to say, I turned the grill off and we put the rest of the chicken on a pan on the stove. In the end it all tasted good, but you can be sure that I will clean that thing before I cook on it again.

Feelings of a funeral

I attended a funeral yesterday. It was for a great man who was a big part of my life. He was a gentle man - his touch, his smile, his voice, his manner. All who knew him would call him a true gentlemen. He was kind, curious, loving, accepting, gracious, and devoted. He loved his wife more than life itself and even a week before his death at the age of 87 was still running errands for her while she was in a physical rehab center. He showed me that "real men" do the dishes, laundry, garden, plant flowers, watch birds, and play with children.

He was hard of hearing, but was the best listener I have ever known. He would sit quietly with a look of attention on his face and would respond to your story with questions or encouragement. He was a great lover of music and would listen to his wife play the piano with a happy smile. I remember when he bought her a baby grand piano. She was not the only one excited. He never ignored anyone, particularly children. He was trained in elementary education and taught future teachers how to work with children. His love and interest in them was unsurpassed. When ever I came to visit he would ask if my children were with me. and then he would sit and play and talk to them for most of our visit. One of his neighbors related how he referred to the neighbor's children as "his playmates."

He was a large man, standing 6' 4" with large hands. He knew how to work and could do so without dirtying his clothes. He always wore slacks and a button up shirt, regardless of if he was planting flowers or washing dishes. He wrote weekly letters to his sons when they were away. If he missed a week they would call to make sure he was okay. He used an electric typewriter until his last one broke about 10 years ago. He had learned how to type in the navy and could out type every one of his secretaries. He would also rearrange the furniture often - although the piano always stayed where it was.

The funeral was wonderful. Two of his sons spoke. one (the youngest) gave a tribute and shared some fun stories about his life and the many places he had lived and the things he had done. His efforts had been in education and its development in his community. Even though he had done great things, he never bragged or boasted of them. Many of his grandchildren did not know the extent of his achievements until they were told by others. The elder son "had received orders from Dad" before he died that he was to speak on the gospel of Christ that was so beloved by his father. What followed was a wonderful sermon on the love of God, the Atonement of Christ, and the eternal nature of families. He loved his savior very much and I'm sure he was welcomed back with open arms.

He was laid to rest with full military honors, having been a seamen in the US Navy and involved with the occupation of Japan after World War II. While I was sad at during the funeral, I truly mourned and grieved as I watched them fold the flag over his casket. Attention was given to make sure it was folded perfectly before presented to his wife. A salute was fired in his honor and a bugler played taps. I have never heard a song so sweet.

He was a great man, a humble man, and a loving man. My heart is full to have known him. His Name was Elwood Malcom Allred