synonymous with random?
There comes a time… well for me, about every few months… when I completely run out of useful or interesting things to say.
So at this point I usually like to write a list of unrelated crap. In the desperately sad hope that it’ll still draw the punters in and the self-validation exercise that is my stats page will tell a happy story once more.
- My glasses survived the week in Melbourne – I had to superglue them again just the once. The replacements are doing fine.
- I ended the work week early on Friday and joined Becky for the weekend over there, where we walked ourselves sore and I got sunburned waiting for a tram at St Kilda beach.
- It was the first time that both of us had been away together without the kids since before they were born. Ever. Which was very liberating and slightly naughty.
- We arrived back to find that Becky’s Mum, who was looking after the kids for us, had had a plumbing emergency and we found a bill for $600 on the kitchen bench. Which put a bit of a dampener on things.
- I’ve noticed the busier I am at work the less interesting my blog gets. Curse them! Sapping my, er, creativity like that! How dare they! Oh, hang on. They do pay me recompense for at least some of that, don’t they…
- Taking Mainlander Mike’s recommendation from a few months back, I’m reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and it’s every bit as brilliant as Mike suggests. More please. It’s quite the best thing I’ve read all year.
And speaking of which, I must go and read some more. Don’t worry, I’ll be following this posting tomorrow with an equally dull posting about some new geek toy.
Watch this space (or not).
Brian
17 November 2005, 08:30 #
My last unexpected brilliant un-put-downable read was Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. This book was given to me by a member of my family. It languished on the bedside table for months before I got around to opening it – upon which I couldn’t put it down…
Alan
17 November 2005, 08:40 #
What’s it about, Brian?
Mike
17 November 2005, 20:25 #
Ooh, I am glad you like it.
And the good thing is (from her website) that she’s planning to write many more such novels based in the same “world”. Awesome!
ben.run
17 November 2005, 20:28 #
I also have little to contribute, but ta is not going to stop me posting.
I would like to say “Cake” today, so your blog seems as good a place as any.
:-)
Ben.
Alan
17 November 2005, 22:56 #
Mike: yeah, I read that too, and will be waiting. Will we ever find out what happens to our protagonists – maybe as an aside in the new novel, I suspect…
Ben: thanks for that. Cake is always good. :-)
Brian
18 November 2005, 09:35 #
Shantaram is a book about an Australian convict who escapes from prison, then makes his way to India. The story then follows his life in India, including living in the ghetto, in a traditional village, becoming part of the local organised crime ring, and ultimately participating in a gun running expedition in Afganistan. What makes all this amazing is it’s an autobiographical novel. Probably not 100% accurate.
Brian
18 November 2005, 09:38 #
More information on Shantaram on Amazon
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