Ramblings

After a couple of days of single-digit temperatures, the thermometer is staying right around freezing.  It's been gray all day, with a mixture of snow and sleet that is trying to melt as soon as it lands on the snow from our previous snow.  This sort of weather isn't what I would prefer, but it's good weather for reading.  I'm glad Gabe and I went on a walk yesterday, because it would be pretty sloppy out today.  I rode the exercise bike a while ago, and Cliff is in there using it now.  We read when we're on the bike; it makes thirty minutes seem like ten.  

We've both been on a computer or reading device most of the day.  I didn't even have to cook:  We went to Costco the other day and I got one of those $5 rotisserie chickens:  When we got home with it we had it for dinner after microwaving a sweet potato and cooking some broccoli.  Am I the only one who can never remember the right spelling for broccoli?  I usually give it one C and two L's.  Thank goodness for spell check.  Anyhow, the next day with the Costco chicken I fixed my low-calorie version of Jambalaya.  I also cut up a bit of it in small pieces to use as treats for Gabe and then put the rest in the freezer.  I took that yesterday and made chicken salad for sandwiches; that's what we had for our noon meal yesterday and today.  I also cut up some more for Gabe and froze it in a  plastic container.  Four meals for us and many dog treats for $5.

The Internet is a wonderful method of entertainment, sometimes a little too handy.  I'm reading the latest Virgil Flowers book, Bloody Genius.  John Sandford sometimes mentions a real-life author in his books, and he mentions various stores or restaurants too.  When he does this, it distracts me:  I have to stop reading and ask myself, "Does he get paid for mentioning those places?"

Well, today as I read, this brought me to a screeching halt:  "Virgil had some time to kill before the meeting with Trane and the cop, so he stopped off in St. Paul for a Butter Flake Roll at Breadsmith, went next door for a Strawberry Surf Rider at Jamba Juice, then idled around the corner and looked in a bookstore window until he finished eating and drinking his smoothie, then went inside and bought the latest Dave Robicheaux novel by James Lee Burke."

This mile-long sentence sent me down so many rabbit-holes my head was spinning.  Being who I am, I had to look up the places mentioned.  Yes, they are real places.  Then I had to look up James Lee Burke and the Dave Robicheaux books long enough to decide I needed to read those books.  I don't know when I'll get a chance, because I'm getting great books from the library faster than I can read them.

The last book I finished was Olive, Again.  It was different, but I liked it.  I identified with her, in a way.  I see she was the main character in a 2008 book, Olive Kitterage, that won the Pulitzer Prize, so I plan to read that at some point.  Do you see my problem?  I guess it's a good problem, though.  Sort of like having too much money, or too much beauty.

I got a free Reader's Digest in the mail today with an amazing offer:  A one year subscription for $10 or a two-year subscription for $15.  I just don't read magazines any more, but Cliff likes Reader's Digest.  In fact, he's reading this new one now.  At fifteen bucks for two years, I can't pass it up.

That's it, folks.  Just rambling.