Too Many Books, Too Little Time

My current "To Read" stack is at least 35 books deep. I have this notion (perhaps silly?) that I can actually read them all before I start grad school in August, if only I put down the computer and really start reading again. The simple truth is that, of course, I could read 35 books by August. I used to read at least 2 books a week. Now, not so much....and the internet is mostly to blame. Damn you cursed internet! Why are you so beguiling?

Not having time, or at least feeling as though I didn't have time, during the last several of the 10 odd years it took me to finish my BA while working didn't help either. Somehow, it felt less like I was being too distracted from school if I spent time on the internet than if I spent time reading what I wanted to read (in book form.) I'm currently working diligently to break the habits of not reading enough books, often enough and to return to my former ways; I've read 7 books in the last month and having recently started/joined a book club with a friend helps. It's struggle though. And yet, somehow, that doesn't stop me from desiring more books on a pretty regular basis.

I was just made aware of this brand new book by way of another blog and am filled with such an intense desire to own it immediately that I just don't quite know what to do with myself. I suspect it would have been such a huge addition to the study I did two years ago for my senior thesis and contains at least one essay by one of my Anthropological heroes, Robbie Davis-Floyd. It's just a shame that the $189.00 price tag is so incredibly off-putting. However, with a title like Childbirth Across Cultures it will have to become a part of library at some point, and will hopefully be an invaluable reference for my eventual graduate level thesis research.

Speaking of too many books, as I went to add Childbirth Across Cultures to my Amazon wish-list (which I use more as a convenient way to keep track of the books I want to read/buy than to actually order off of Amazon) I noticed that it already contains 376 other books. Oy veigh. Someday we will have a house large enough for a real library....or at least one with many, many built in shelves all over the house.

T says I can't take all the books I currently own with us when we move to North Carolina next year. Given that, or even the option of taking them anyway, I should really should work on not adding anymore books to my collection between now and August, or at least attempt to glean the shelves of things I really don't want and can donate to Title Wave.

Really though....how is one ever supposed to read all the books one would hope to read in a lifetime? Aren't there just simply too many?

You Capture- Sunrise/Sunset

This week's You Capture was pretty difficult, given that here in Anchorage these days the sun is generally rising after I get to work and setting before I leave work. At least Beth had just as hard a time!

None the less, I managed to come up with several shots that were taken during sunset, even if they aren't the actual sunset itself. Tuesday I left work as the sun was setting and managed to catch some shots on my walk to the gym.

Sunset reflecting on O'Malley Peak as seen from just outside my office.

Looking West, Toward the Actual Sunset!

Looking north across midtown.

And in case you were wondering at what time the sun was setting, and just how cold it was.

Today, sunset reflecting on the chugach Mountains from my porch.

Torture is a Moral Issue

Torture is a Moral Issue, originally uploaded by akseabird.

Spotted at the UW. Seattle.

You Capture-Real Life

Capturing my real life was easy enough...I take dozens of random "real life" pictures everyday. Picking the ones to use was a bit harder. Apparently most of my real life is spent waiting for the bus or watching T with Boomer and Rigo (the cats.)

Boomer Wants a Fly, Rigo Watches

(or something he and T are only imagining to be to be there. T lifting Boomer toward the ceiling is a fairly regular occurrence around our house.)

Rigo Taking Full Advantage of the Cat Bed

Morning at the Bus Stop

This is one of two bus stops by my house. This, or the one directly across the street, is usually the first place you can find me everyday

Waiting for a Shuttle at UAA in the Morning

It's so convenient that the bus goes from my house to UAA and the shuttle goes from UAA to the University Center, which is right next door to my office.

Waiting for People Mover at UAA in the Evening

This stop is where I can be found many evenings after work.

Jack'o'Lanterns on Our Porch (A Week and a Half after Halloween)

I keep hoping a moose will get them.

4:00PM Sunset while Driving Home on Ice Rinks, I Mean Roads

T Feeding his Dinner to the Cats

Nearly every night they want some of what we're eating. This night Boomer really enjoyed what was left of the squash.

You Capture-Autumn

This week's You Capture subject, "Autumn," feels a bit late for those of us in Alaska. At least it does to me. Though, oddly, I suppose not as late as it might feel to those in some Lower 48 places (like Denver and Salt Lake) where they've recently gotten a ton of snow!

When I left on October 12th for my trip down the Pacific Coast, from Seattle to Santa Barbara (I ended up making it all the way to San Diego, BTW) fall was still in full swing here in Anchorage. Though the season already felt extended for us, even at that relatively early point in October, for this part of the country, the trees were still covered in beautiful colored leaves and all the termination dust that had graced the mountain tops a few days prior had since melted. It was beautiful and certainly autumnal feeling.

However, when T and I returned late last week things had changed drastically. We're now stuck in a weird limbo where it doesn't really feel or look like Autumn anymore (all of the trees are bare) but it doesn't really feel like winter yet either (we've not yet gotten any snow that has stuck around. Snow fell for a few hours yesterday, but it was melting before it hit the ground.) As a result, Autumn was a little difficult for me to capture around these here parts. I'm going to include some shots from my trip that feel more authentically autumnal, as well as a few shots I took while walking to work this morning (just to give you all a sense of what it's like around here.)

A Lone Leaf on the Rain-Soaked Pavement

Tillamook, OR

Starting the Drive Along Avenue of the Giants

Humboldt Redwood State Park, CA

Shed Redwood Needles and My Keens

Humboldt Redwood State Park, CA

Look at the size of those needles!!

In Southern California It's Blue Skies and Added Autumnal Colors

Disneyland, CA

Sunrise Walk to Work

Anchorage, AK

This is a shot of the same bridge so many of you loved from a few weeks ago. See how much it has changed in just a few weeks?

Snow Covered Chugach Mountains at Sunrise

Anchorage, AK

Also on my walk to work this morning. It was about 9:00am and the sun was just starting to rise. That's a sure sign of late fall around these parts. So is the dusting of snow up there.