Sunday chill

Man, it was cold this morning at sunrise when I started my early morning errands. Returned library books, mailed a package at the self-serve machine, filled the tank, a short cruise with the jazz station on. It occurred to me that music is the most stable thing in my life. 80% or so of what I listen to I've been listening to for 30 or more years. And the radio station plays these same songs -- all the 50s and 60s jazz artists. When I turn on to something new, it's usually a new performer doing old material. I guess I haven't turned on to "new" music since the late Beattles! When it comes to pop culture, I'm illiterate -- and have been for decades. Indeed, my interests seem to be going backward not forward. When will I get time to read Chapman's Homer, for example? I have both translations on my shelf.

In fact, one of my New Year's resolutions -- and I have a list this year -- is to stop checking books out of the library for the next six months. This, in order to catch up on all the reading I have on the shelf, books I've bought for one project or reason or another but have not gotten to yet. I need to catch up on books I own before using the library. Another is to buy no books from Amazon for six months so my shelf backlog doesn't grow.

When I got home from chores, I fixed the sick wife breakfast then went to work. Got some writing done on the screenplay (Sally is in hibernation until I get my grades in, then front burner again.) Read some papers -- almost done, in fact, and I'd like to finish today, which would give me two days to write before I pick up the bulk of the papers late Tuesday. I want to get my grades in Friday if I can.

So things are looking good so far. This weekend I also want to get some early Xmas presents in the mail and beat the rush. I've giving more presents than usual this year, mainly because I found a couple recent things that turn me on and that I want to share (new performers doing old stuff ha ha) with friends. So I have a few CDs and books to mail. I have no skill in wrapping packages but will struggle through it nonetheless. Onward.