I put my heart into finishing Momaday’s House Made of Dawn by its due date, and it continued to baffle me. It was a beautifully written book as far as the language goes, but the “story,” if there really even was one, never got off the ground. Momaday is an excellent writer, but perhaps he should stick to poetry, which apparently is a forte.
In any case, it’s a Pulitzer, so it has its redeeming qualities; but overall, I’ve ranked it at 20 out of 22, right in front of Gilead, and right behind A Confederacy of Dunces.
And here I am, already three stories into The Overstory, and prepared to read more tonight, having just finished House. I’m excited to have a book I’m finding interesting again after suffering through a couple that were so “meh.”
We had our first snow today, and it’s made things a bit cold (even though it didn’t stick around too long). I think biking season is coning to its close. I’ll stay on it for shorter rides, but I can’t see the 5 AM starts anymore. This year has been a bit of a falloff over the past few. Back to 2019 numbers, when I was only shooting for 5,000km (about 3,107 miles). And yet, I’m sitting here at almost 3,300 miles with about a month and a half left. I’ll probably end up around 3,500, which would be the 4th most for me since 2016. Unfortunately, my top 3 years for mileage were the last three, so yeah, there is a bit of a drop-off. Over 1,500 miles less than the last two years. I know I’m too old to reach my 2021 levels, but I’m sure I can get closer again. The key to 2021 was that I was in the best shape and the lowest weight I’d been since I left high school. I cringe to think of my wasted 30s and 40s, to tell you the truth — the years where, if I’d been in my 2021 shape (at 58), I’d have killed.
Oh well. The most I can do now is just take better care of myself, and make 2024 the next year where I top 5,000 miles.
But that’s going to have to wait for a little bit. It turns out, the Commissary has its (way overpriced) egg-nog in again, and I’ve got some Jameson in the cupboard left over from last year. I know it’s not good for me…but it’s good for me, if you know what I mean…
Yum except with bourbon