June 17th, 2009
Have I told you I have the summer off? I’m taking the summer off! But I think I need a project so I don’t just get ass grafted to the couch with stacks of books and the carcasses of diet pop bottles scattered all around. So here are my ideas:
-I have a big sewing project, a quilt I started a while ago and then abandoned when school hit the pre-graduation frenzy, that I’d like to get back to. It’s the most ambitious one I’ve ever attempted!
-I also have a writing project that is long overdue (to get started on I mean – there is no due date). It is, of course, a zombie novel. I am not so foolish as to think I can get it published but I do enjoy writing (note the frequency with which I update this blog), and I love zombies, and I love thinkin’ and writin’ about people’s personalities, so it seems like a good way to make use of some of my free time. If it’s good maybe I will share it, but I am not really sure how my novel writing skills are so we’d better wait and see if it sucks before I commit to that, no? Anyway is there anything more tedious sounding than someone’s first effort at a zombie novel? To read, I mean. I think it sounds like a blast to write.
-And I have of course a lot of reading, including psychotherapy reading, to mow through. I got a recommendation for a basic starter book on logic from Zed, since I have a kindling interest in philosophy, and Husband says I need to read Hume so there’s that too (any Hume experts in the house? I will probably need your help when I get around to this).
My backlog of books is formiddable – I started tonight with a Russell Hoban novel I haven’t read yet (for anyone who missed it the first ten times I made the recommendation, the best novel I have ever read and you should read it too is Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban. It is so good I would marry it, or at least read it twice a year.)
-I hope to do a lot of socializing this summer also. We have a great patio for entertaining and now that it’s getting warmer I hope to make full use of it with guests. We could use with more comfy seating I suppose, but what can you do? All our furniture came with Husband’s apartment three buildings back. This is not really a project so much as a commitment to not become a shut-in as I have a tendency to do sometimes.
But sewing and writing and reading are going to be my main summer projects I think. First, tomorrow I am going to get the apartment cleaned up. I cannot think or work in a messy apartment – my brain just shuts off and I get all wubbly-jubbly feeling. And I’m going to try on a bride’s maid dress with my sister in law, who is getting married in September and, bless her, picked nice dresses for her bride’s maids. Actually I suppose I am a bride’s matron, since I am married? In any case we have a lunch date tomorrow. Lunch, dress, cleaning, and then: SUMMER PROJECTS!
I am really excited to have free time to just do what I like for two solid months! It’s going to be great!
What are you doing this summer? Anything special?
Not an expert in Hume specifically but:
The thing about philosophy is that it will tend to make a lot more sense if you start at the beginning and work forward. Not to say that you have to read everyone extensively, but things make a lot more sense if you start from the beginning.
If you would like, I can see about finding a good introductory book that’ll start at Plato and go forward from there.
Sure. I have read some stuff in the field, though I think what I’ve read falls more into the informal or casual camp – some of the Dennett popular press books, and Tom Regan and Peter Singer ethics stuff. I didn’t have trouble getting it, but it might be that they are more, um, I guess colloquial in tone? I’m not really sure as I have never read beyond this.
Feel free to bring your sewing stuff over and use our cable. We cancelled it, but they never actually shut it off. So it’s FREE which makes it even better.
Actually you know what I have really gotten into? Those lectures on Academic Earth. It’s perfect for sewing and cleaning and whatnot…. I got through about 20% of a 100-level course on the philosophy of life and death today. I still miss cable though. I keep threatening to get it again but haven’t gone through with it yet.
Also, it’s pretty hard to do my stuff at your place. I need a lot of clear table top area and there’s a lot of things to move. You are always welcome at my place though – no cable but we could watch other stuff downloaded or listen to the internet or what have you, and craft away! Any time you’re up for it just call, I’m nothing but free time these days. Actually… if you have Pride and Prejudice on film I’d be interested to see that.
BV, I have 2 versions of Pride and Prejudice on dvd, if you’d like to borrow them.
P&P craft night? Let’s plot at camping. God I hope it doesn’t rain. I am going to a hotel if it rains.