More Books

I'm continuing with my Million Page March this month. My job is always busy in August and, as a result, I don't get much time for reading. I do however have a few books for you this time.

Sherlock Holmes Vs. Dracula by Loren D. Estleman: The very first book I recorded back in May 2005 when I started this challenge. It is a look at how Holmes would deal with Dracula if inserted into the classic tale by Bram Stoker. I liked it and it is an interesting read for any fan of Holmes or Dracula.

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane: Recently made into a movie, this is the story of Marshall Teddy Daniels investigating the disappearance of a patient at an insane hospital on an island. This was a good novel with many twists and turns and an ending that surprised and saddened me.

Dear American Airlines by Jonathan Miles: The story of Bennie Ford, a man who has made a mess of his life but is trying to make amends by attending his estranged daughters wedding. However, on the way, he is stranded in Chicago and all flights out have been cancelled. Taking out his frustrations in a letter requesting a refund, Bennie instead writes down his life story. This was a fun little book that took me about a day to read. I liked it but felt that the parts of the book that show the latest novel that Bennie is working on, (he is a translator of foreign novels) slows the book down some.

Thanks for reading.

Too Long, and some books

I know it has been way too long since I last posted. Life throws things your way and you lose track of time.

I have decided to use this blog to track the progress I make on my million page march. That is my chronicle of a million pages read in 20 years. I figure it is going to take me at least that long because I like to read, but I am not a fast reader by any means.

Recent reads
The Little Book, by Selden Edwards...This book took me a while to get into. It is the story of Wheeler Burden, a former baseball hero/rock star turned literary man, who finds himself in 1894 in Vienna after an encounter with a stranger in 1988 San Francisco. Mr. Edwards paints a beautiful word picture that really captures the time and place. The middle seemed to drag for me but I was hooked after that.

Forever Odd, by Dean Koontz...This is the Second book in the Odd Thomas series, about a boy in a small town who can see dead people. I received this as a birthday gift several years ago and had to go back and find the first book. I loved it and looked forward to this one. It was hard going after the first 90 pages or so. I like the character of Little Ozzie the best I think. The enemies in this one were unique, there was too much description of tunnels and elevators and things like that. I will read the next book in the series.

Will post more often, hopefully

June 20 Friday's Feast

Appetizer
If you could live on another continent for 1 year, which one would you choose? I would love to live in Europe.

Soup
Which browser do you use to surf the Internet? Internet Explorer, although I have heard good things about the new Firefox

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you know about the history of your country? I would say a 7, just because some of the things I think I know, are probably wrong.

Main Course
Finish this sentence: Love is…One of the most complicated emotions that there is. I actually had kind of a minor argument with my family over this last weekend, you can't tell your heart who to love.

Dessert
Have you ever been in or near a tornado? No, and I don't want to be. Scary stuff.

May 16, 2008 Fridays Feast

Appetizer

What is the nearest big city to your home? I live in a big city, Fayetteville, NC.

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets? An 8, it is that low because I am required by law to tell if someone is thinking of hurting themselves or others.

Salad
Describe your hair (color, texture, length). Black hair that lightens up to brown but now mostly gray at age 30. Short now but grows extremely quickly, and when it is long it is thick and curly.

Main Course
What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow? Slow and courteous, and may I add that I get a lot of crap for this from people. None of whom pay my insurance bill, so I really don't care what they think or say.

Dessert
When was the last time you had a really bad week? It has been a while, and I am sure I have had other's since then, but in October of 2004, I lost three people very close to me in the span of 11 days.

May 9 Fridays Feast

Let's do this:


Appetizer
When someone smiles at you, do you smile back? I usually do, although it is getting harder and harder to get people to smile at anything.

Soup
Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix? Linoleum in our kitchen and backroom, carpet everywhere else.

Salad
Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name. Just Joey Jammin' Jazzy Jammies!

Main Course
Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption? Yes, I know a couple of people who are adopted, and in both cases, their lives have been changed for the better.

Dessert
Name 2 blue things. My wife's car, and Cookie Monster.

May 2 Fridays Feast

Appetizer
What was your favorite cartoon when you were a child? Oh, so many to name. Voltron, G.I. Joe, The Jetsons, Smurfs, Monchichi's, The Get Along Gang. Saturday mornings were the best.

Soup
Pretend you are about to get a new pet. Which animal would you pick, and what would you name it? I have thought about this lately....I would get a tortoise, and name him Slow&Steady.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion? An 8, and it depends on the special occasion. My sister gets married in June and I am looking forward to wearing a Tux.

Main Course
What kind of music do you listen to while you drive? Everything. I got XM radio back in February for Valentines day, and I am a notorious flipper anyway....I do everything from 50's music on down to talk radio and back again.

Dessert
When was the last time you bought a clock? And in which room did you put it? Alarm clock a long time ago and it is in the bedroom.

April 18 Fridays Feast

Been a while since I have done a feast, so here goes. Let's jump right in.


Appetizer
Name a color you find soothing. Any light color I find soothing. Like a nice light green or blue. To me that just says soothing. Relax, everything is going to be okay.

Soup
Using 20 or less words, describe your first driving experience. Getting my license. Waiting in car for the instructor. Man in next car has a switchblade. He stole the car.

Salad
What material is your favorite item of clothing made out of? 100% cotton t shirt.

Main Course
Who is a great singer or musician who, if they were to come to your town for a concert, you would spend the night outside waiting for tickets to see? Don't know of anyone current. Maybe the Beatles or Elvis back in the day. Just to say I had the experience.

Dessert
What is the most frequent letter of the alphabet in your whole name (first, middle, maiden, last, etc.)? If I understand the question correctly, R is used four times in my entire name, both times a double R.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What does the color dark green make you think of? A pullover windbreaker I had and wore everywhere because it was so functional.

Soup
How many cousins do you have? Too many to name here!

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how honest are you? I am an 8, pretty honest, but wouldn't tell someone the truth if it would deeply hurt them. I have learned as well, some people don't want to hear the truth.

Main Course
Name something that is truly free. I'm giving away free hugs. That was an advertising campaign we tried at my school last fall...Worked extremely well, especially with the freshman residents.

Dessert
Using the letters in the word SPRING, write a sentence. Some People Run In New Guinea.

Fridays feast March 21

Appetizer
Given the choice, would you prefer to live in the country or in the city? I have lived in both and honestly, I prefer the country.

Soup
Who is the cutest kid you know? Don't know, I know a lot of cute kids.

Salad
Fill in the blank: I couldn't believe it when I heard Brittany Spears has a recurring role on How I Met Your Mother
.
Main Course
If you could star in a commercial for one of your favorite products, which one would you want to advertise? XM Radio

Dessert
What type(s) of vitamins and/or supplements do you take on a regular basis? Used to take vitamin C, Now just blood pressure medication.

Fridays Feast March 14

I am back with a new Friday's Feast after taking the last few weeks off.

Appetizer
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how much do you like your own handwriting? A 2, I don't like my handwriting much at all.

Soup
Do you prefer baths or showers? Definitely showers, I didn't have a shower growing up and you tire quickly of baths.

Salad
What was the last bad movie you watched? Epic Movie, there is two hours of my life that I am never going to get back.

Main Course
Name something you are addicted to and describe how it affects your life. I would say soft drinks. Definitely too much caffeine in them and it affects my mood.

Dessert
Which instrument is your favorite to listen to? I have two of them, the guitar and the piano.

February 15 Fridays Feast

Appetizer
Name one thing that is unique about you. I know way too much useless knowledge.
Soup
Fill in the blank: My favorite holiday is Christmas but I like Thanksgiving too.
Salad
What type of wood do you have for your home’s furnishings? No clue, we really don't have many wood furnishings, but it is oak I think.
Main Course
Who do you talk to most often on the phone? My parent's and my wife.
Dessert
What level of responsibility do you have in your job? I am responsible for 6 employees and in charge of a building that houses 120 young men.

Fridays Feast for January 25

Appetizer How many times per day do you usually laugh? Twice a day on average, although there have been a few with no laughs at all.

Soup What do your sunglasses look like? Don't wear them, but went through a phase in my younger days when I rocked the mirrored aviator Top Gun Sunglasses. It was the 80's and they were popular at the time, so what can I say?

Salad You win a free trip to anywhere on your continent, but you have to travel by train. Where do you go? New York City. I always wanted to arrive there by train.

Main Course Name one thing you consider a great quality about living in your town/city. There is a large selection of entertainment options very close to my home, as well as what I consider the greatest military base of all, Ft. Bragg.

Dessert If the sky could be another color, what color do you think would look best? a purplish color.

January 18 Fridays Feast

It is birthday week here at the blog, with me and both of my sisters enjoying birthdays. My youngest sister turns 21 today! Where does the time go? On with the feast.

Appetizer What is your favorite beverage? Coke Zero and Coffee.

Soup Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work. Fan, printer, and sunflower seeds.

Salad On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are? An 8, sometimes you may have to lie to spare someones feelings.

Main Course If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why? Don't know if there is any name I would change, but if there was a Joey city, I might move there.
Dessert What stresses you out? Bills and money problems in general. Also, my job at this time of year. What calms you down? Music, books, and watching television.

January 11 Fridays Feast

Appetizer What is your middle name? Carroll, it is my father's first name and his grandmother's last name. Would you change any of your names if you could? No, I like my names.

Soup If you were a fashion designer, which fabrics, colors, and styles would you probably use the most? Don't have a clue. Probably blue and red for the colors. I also like black.

Salad What is your least favorite chore, and why? Taking out the trash and washing dishes. I don't know why but I absolutely dread doing both.

Main Course What is something that really frightens you, and can you trace it back to an event in your life? I am terrified about death, not about an afterlife or anything like that. I am all set there, but the actual act of dying itself. When I was younger, I had this recurring dream about the figure of Death. It was Death as you see in television or literature, only he didn't have a scythe, just his left arm stretched out in front of him palm down. He would float down the railroad tracks that were in front of my childhood home. Just writing about it gives me the creeps.

Dessert Where are you sitting right now? At my computer desk. Name 3 things you can see at this moment. The blue plastic fan, the large remote control that my aunt and uncle gave me from The Sharper Image, and two printers.

Great Questions this week.

December 28 Fridays Feast

Appetizer Name 2 things you would like to accomplish in 2008. I would like to finish writing my book and to lose about 30 pounds

Soup With which cartoon character do you share personality traits? Not really now but when I was growing up, I was like Bobby Hill on King of the Hill.

Salad What time of day (or night) were you born? 4:00 in the afternoon.

Main Course Tell us something special about your hometown. It's where Nathaniel Macon, the man for whom all those places that are named Macon, came from.

Dessert If you could receive a letter from anyone in the world, who would you want to get one from? A book publisher offering me a big contract. LOL

December 14 Fridays Feast

Appetizer Make up a word and give us its definition. Bogamer- The rule that allows you to make exceptions to other rules as the need arises.

Soup What is currently your favorite song? Celebrate me home by Kenny Loggins

Salad What’s at the top of your Christmas wish list this year? I would really like a Nintendo Wii and good health for my family.

Main Course Name a scent that reminds you of someone special in your life. The scent of pipe tobacco reminds me of my next door neighbor who was a surrogate grandfather to me and my sisters and my wife.

Dessert Who is someone on television that you feel probably shouldn't be, and why? Brittany Spears, because it has gotten to the point where it is just sad and I don't know of anyone who really cares anymore other than the media.

December 7 Fridays Feast

Appetizer What was the last game you purchased? I purchased a bunch of card games for the guys in my building. They want that new debit card Monopoly now.

Soup Name something in which you don’t believe. The gas prices at the fuel pumps.

Salad If you could choose a celebrity to be your boss, who would you pick? Jerry Seinfeld, I would want him to teach me better comedy timing if he could.

Main Course What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way? Follow my instincts and my gut feeling the first time.

Dessert Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room. A comfortable chair, 72 degree's, a well stocked book shelf, big screen TV with surround sound for when I want to do something different.

Please check out my feast from last week which I got up extremely late. I would also like to with a Happy Hanukkah to all those who celebrate.

December 1 Fridays Feast

I am back after taking a few weeks off.

Appetizer What is your favorite carnival/amusement park ride? I love the roller coasters, especially the Volcano at Kings Dominion.

Soup How do you react in uncomfortable social situations? Social situations in general make me uncomfortable. I squirm around. What comes to mind is a funeral I attended two years ago almost to the day. A dear friend of the family passed away and in the middle of the funeral, one of her sons got up and gave a eulogy that said basically, "My mom died to leave us money." He said variations of the same for 35 minutes.

Salad On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy discussing deep, philosophical topics? An 8. It depends on the topic and the people I am discussing it with. I don't mind disagreements, but I hate having my beliefs ridiculed. Besides, I believe there are some things you don't talk about in public.

Main Course Did you get a flu shot this year? If not, do you plan to? I have already gotten it. I had the flu twice last year, or at least had a recurrence of the flu after I thought I had gotten rid of it. I was the second person to go get the shot this year.

Dessert Approximately how many hours per week do you spend watching television? Too many. I am behind on some of the shows I watch, then my wife and I watch a lot of shows on DVD.

Fridays Feast/November 9

Appetizer Which snack do you like to get when you go to the movies? I like to get popcorn and Junior Mints.

Soup What year did you start using the Internet? 1996. We used AOL out of the local city but realized that the phone bill was going to be too high. Used local BBS systems after that until the college I went to went Internet in 1997. We were seriously behind the times.

Salad What is your first name in Pig Latin? Oseph Jay or Oey Jay. Take your pick.

Main Course Name something you are picky about. I only like to wear Nike Sneakers. If the switch on the car that adjusts the brightness of the dashboard controls is not all the way up, I will not move that car and if someone else is driving I almost completely collapse and refuse to think about anything else until it is done.

Dessert Fill in the blanks: I _wrote some of my book_ yesterday and I _will write some more __ today.

Sunday Scribblings/Money

February, 2004
The phone was disconnected yesterday. Payment past due. The cable is going to be the next to go, would be gone already if the man from the cable company could get out here. He has been out here once already. Why he didn't turn it off then I don't know. We will have it a couple of more days due to the six inches of snow on the ground. Nothing is running today.
The food is running low. We make a big pot of soup, using ingredients that will go bad if we don't eat them soon. The soup will get us through the rest of today. We still have plenty of rice. I am starting to hate rice. There are only so many ways you can make rice exciting, and we have tried them all. At least we wont be going hungry any time soon.
If I could get out, I could get my check. My check is at school though. I am a teacher, a perfectly respectable profession. I have health insurance and a steady income. I also have a wife who is sick. At least you have benefits, they tell me. I do not like my job. I thought I wanted to be a teacher, but I quickly found out that I didn't. I am working out my contract.
My wife and I hike a half of a mile to the corner store. We have a prepaid telephone card that we use to call our relatives and let them know that we are okay. I don't like doing this. I feel like a failure during these conversations. I should be doing better than this at this point in my life.
When I was 10, I told my father that I wanted to be a stand-up comedian. He looked at me and told me that I would starve if I was. It was the only bad advice that he ever gave me. Walking back from the store in the snow, I think about what he said to me. I consider my current situation, and I think there must be a joke in there somewhere.
Money Troubles