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hawkwing_lbAchievements:
Running: 3 miles in 35 minutes, 3.5 miles in under 43 minutes, 3.6 miles total.
Miles treadmilled since 10-9-08: 7.2.
Climbing: A lot of people down tonight. I improved on the grey 5+ route, flailed at the black 5+, got - again - two-thirds of the way to the top of the black 6b, flailed twice at the white 4+ (still, managed the slightly-overhung part at least once) and also flailed at the blue 5. The orange 5 I all but sent. All but the last three moves.
I'm getting better at technique, slowly. And at stamina: I remember way back in the spring it all but killed me to attempt three or four routes, and two hours was major workout. (Now, of course, I'm rarely down there less than an hour and a half, and I don't go home without trying five climbs, if there's someone there to belay.
Strength, however, remains my tragic flaw. So it is decided that the new program of affairs will include pushups and pullups, the better to improve.
Books 2008: 113-116
113. Sandra McDonald, The Stars Down Under.
I was foolish enough to pick this up in hardcover. Don't get me wrong: it's not a bad book. But it is a less coherent and ultimately much less satisfying one than its predecessor, The Outback Stars. Definitely should have waited for the paperback.
114. Lilith Saintcrow, Hunter's Prayer.
I was disappointed by Saintcrow's Dante Valentine books. I'm rather the opposite with the Jill Kismet ones. This book is very solid dark urban fantasy, with something of a hardboiled detective/noir element, and best of all, the 'romance' elements which curse so much of modern urban fantasy to mediocrity or worse? They're very firmly in the background.
Decent book.
115. Michael Reaves, Star Wars: Jedi Twilight.
Yeah, I'm still picking up Star Wars books in the hopes of another read like Timothy Zahn or Matthew Stover or Karen Traviss. This one is not made of utter fail, but it is definitely not made of win. Bored now.
116. Terry Pratchett, The Nation.
This is not a Discworld book. Despite that, or because of it - I lean towards because - it may well be his best work yet.
It is complex, moving, incredible: it's about the end of the world and building your world again from there, about the nature of humanity and the nature of myth and the nature of duty.
And in the end, like all Pratchett books, it's about people.
I have no comment on the news. Except this: I will be eternally glad that I live in a country, and at a time, which affords me free third level education, free medical care, and some government money which helps me to eat.
Because otherwise I would be looking at the state of the economy and going gobble gobble panic gobble.
Your mileage may vary.
Running: 3 miles in 35 minutes, 3.5 miles in under 43 minutes, 3.6 miles total.
Miles treadmilled since 10-9-08: 7.2.
Climbing: A lot of people down tonight. I improved on the grey 5+ route, flailed at the black 5+, got - again - two-thirds of the way to the top of the black 6b, flailed twice at the white 4+ (still, managed the slightly-overhung part at least once) and also flailed at the blue 5. The orange 5 I all but sent. All but the last three moves.
I'm getting better at technique, slowly. And at stamina: I remember way back in the spring it all but killed me to attempt three or four routes, and two hours was major workout. (Now, of course, I'm rarely down there less than an hour and a half, and I don't go home without trying five climbs, if there's someone there to belay.
Strength, however, remains my tragic flaw. So it is decided that the new program of affairs will include pushups and pullups, the better to improve.
Books 2008: 113-116
113. Sandra McDonald, The Stars Down Under.
I was foolish enough to pick this up in hardcover. Don't get me wrong: it's not a bad book. But it is a less coherent and ultimately much less satisfying one than its predecessor, The Outback Stars. Definitely should have waited for the paperback.
114. Lilith Saintcrow, Hunter's Prayer.
I was disappointed by Saintcrow's Dante Valentine books. I'm rather the opposite with the Jill Kismet ones. This book is very solid dark urban fantasy, with something of a hardboiled detective/noir element, and best of all, the 'romance' elements which curse so much of modern urban fantasy to mediocrity or worse? They're very firmly in the background.
Decent book.
115. Michael Reaves, Star Wars: Jedi Twilight.
Yeah, I'm still picking up Star Wars books in the hopes of another read like Timothy Zahn or Matthew Stover or Karen Traviss. This one is not made of utter fail, but it is definitely not made of win. Bored now.
116. Terry Pratchett, The Nation.
This is not a Discworld book. Despite that, or because of it - I lean towards because - it may well be his best work yet.
It is complex, moving, incredible: it's about the end of the world and building your world again from there, about the nature of humanity and the nature of myth and the nature of duty.
And in the end, like all Pratchett books, it's about people.
I have no comment on the news. Except this: I will be eternally glad that I live in a country, and at a time, which affords me free third level education, free medical care, and some government money which helps me to eat.
Because otherwise I would be looking at the state of the economy and going gobble gobble panic gobble.
Your mileage may vary.
