Bearshorty's musings

After three weeks of slow reading I finally finished “Norse Myths.” After weeks of putting it of, I knew I would run out of library renewal so I started reading a story or two in the mornings. I had to return it to the library today. It is not like I was bored or didn’t like the stories. On the contrary, this was a good edition and myths themselves were entertaining and fun. But for some reason my brain refused to just read the book for more than one story at a time. But at least now I feel like I have a nice knowledge of Norse gods and stories. In fact, Odin appears in “Changes” and it was fun to get the references.

I rarely watch “South Park” but sometimes it catches my attention. This is an episode that mocks Facebook and it is hilarious. My parents sit on the Russian social networking site (classmates caught on big time a few years ago) and it is funny how far they get into it. I refuse to be on those sites because, first of all, I don’t want my students to access it and, second, I really don’t need to waste time like that, I have enough timewasters. And most importantly I really don’t want my personal information out there anymore than it has to be.

( Buffy Season 8 Comic Book 34 )

( Bones S5E16 )

I stopped by the library and comic book store on the way to the beach to ride a bike (Mama has a bike, and when she rested, I was riding on it). I know I shouldn’t read in the car as I’ll get motion sickness but I couldn’t resist the new Buffy comic. So, as a consequence, I didn’t feel up to rollerblading by the time we got to the beach. So bike for me.

My parents got the “Belarus” guide book just for fun while they were looking for other guidebooks in the library. Hee. It was very amusing. And I discovered that there is now Indian food in Minsk! That is unexpected. Maybe I’ll get to try it.

My parents bought me this beautiful black dress from Ralph Lauren for my upcoming birthday. They decided that I had to try it on now to make sure it fits just in case they had to exchange it, so they had me try it on today. It is perfectly and looks all grown up and fancy. I won’t wear it until June but I am looking forward to showing it off.

Sex and the City 2 trailer

I walked to the library today, about twenty minutes one way, since there will be a huge snowstorm this weekend that will preclude any walking. Plus I needed to make several stops on the way. I bought a Valentine’s Day card, after looking through a gazillion of very sappy and stupid ones. I decided for silly. I stopped by the bank. The weather was actually very nice and not too cold for a walk.

I returned the fifth Sookie book to the library and picked up the sixth, Definitelly Dead that was waiting for me on hold. I also picked up The North Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland, published in 1980. I’m going to either read the Norse book first or, perhaps, read both, interchangeably. So far I read some of the introduction including a refresher on the Vikings (which just made me want to read the history book I have on Normans in Sicily), the cosmology of Norse universe and some of the pantheon section. I really enjoyed the cosmology section with its nine worlds on three plates/levels held together by the World Tree. There is even a really pretty map in the book. (I found a sort of 3D picture version of it online) It is still sort of heaven/earth/hell cosmology, just ‘heaven’ is just the halls of the gods and some dead special warriors. I like that giants live on mid-level with men and there is a sort of rainbow-bridge connecting top level “Asgard” to mid-level. I’m up to Loki now in the pantheon section. I think I will finish reading this section before I go to sleep tonight and read the rest of the introduction tomorrow. There are 32 myths in the book, followed by a long note on each story. I know I’m in grad school because I will read the notes with the same interest as the myths themselves.

I also picked up the new “Buffy: Season Eight #32” comic book today and it was really, really funny. I don’t think I laughed so much in this comic as when Xander was being such a big nerd in testing Buffy’s superpowers. A lot of dialogue in this month’s installment was just really amusing. Brad Meltzer, who wrote this arc, is a big name in comic books and he knows what he is doing. I’m looking forward to the rest of his arc. For Season 9, though, I will wait for trade paperbacks to read it all at once. This month by month basis is too slow.

I’m quite liking “Caprica” so far. I definitely want to see were the story goes. I actually prefer to watch serialized stories like this on DVD more, but I guess I don’t want to wait and I can watch this for free.