Books (II)

Keeping on top of things... (I blame the paucity of my books read on Robin Hobb - her dang things are nigh on 800 pages and I'm in the midst of the sequel to "Fool's Assassin" and the first book of a different trilogy! Also I've been watching Mt. Everest documentaries)

156. The Gates of Sleep - Lackey, Mercedes
157. The Serpent's Shadow - Lackey, Mercedes
158. Many Waters* - L'Engle, Madeleine
159. Fool's Assassin - Hobb, Robin
160. Flunk, start : Reclaiming My Decade Lost in Scientology - Hall, Sands
161. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster* - Krakauer, Jon
162. Phoenix and Ashes - Lackey, Mercedes
163. Kushiel's Dart* - Carey, Jacqueline
164. Kushiel's Chosen* - Carey, Jacqueline
165. Kushiel's Avatar* - Carey, Jacqueline
166. Origin: A Novel - Brown, Dan

[ an asterisk * indicates a book I'm re-reading]

Woo

Today I went to a yoga class for the first time in a long time. I accidentally laughed out loud when, as we reclined in corpse pose at the end, the instructor talked about how we'd just cleansed our bodies of "toxins and metals." Uh huh. I was embarrassed about my soft burst of laughter for about 10 seconds, until I switched to being embarrassed on his behalf, for believing in such woo.

Speaking of woo, if you're a fan of its debunking, I suggest the Merseyside Skeptics Society's podcast "Skeptics with a K."

Irregardless, I Could Care Less About Grammar

"Irregardless" is not a word. If it were, it would be the negative of "regardless." Here's the definition of regardless:

re·gard·less

rəˈɡärdləs/

adverb

adverb: regardless

1. without paying attention to the present situation; despite the prevailing circumstances.

   "they were determined to carry on regardless"

   synonyms:

   anyway, anyhow, in any case, nevertheless, nonetheless, despite everything, in spite of everything, even so, all the same, in any event, come what may

But if I chose to use the non-word irregardless, I would use it to apply to the phrase "I could care less." Because this phrase is used in the same way as irregardless; that is, in opposition to what the speaker/writer means to say. "I could care less" about unicorns means that you actually DO care some about unicorns. But those who use such a phrase almost universally mean that they do NOT care, in which case the phrase should be "I couldn't care less" - as in, "it is impossible for me to care less than I already do about unicorns," i.e. "I care nothing for unicorns."

So yes, I am "paying attention to to the present situation" of the desecration of the phrase "I could/couldn't care less" and it pisses me off. I think only Matt was subjected to my actual fuming/correction of the phrase "I could care less" (because grammar nazis are not universally adored but husbands don't get a vote). But I would hope that any close friend or family of mine would gently correct me if I had any such routine and egregious gramatical misstep in my lexicon as the aforementioned.

/end rant

PS: I vote in favor of the Oxford comma.

Lucky 13

Thirteen years ago today, my dad walked me down the aisle at the Dallas Arboretum so that I could join my life with Matt's. I am glad that I can still say that, since our wedding, I've still been married longer than widowed. One by one, those little things can no longer be said. For example, Matt died at age 30, and then I could say that I'd been with him half my life. As soon as my next birthday, no longer...

I actually haven't thought much about my wedding anniversary today, this post notwithstanding. It's easier, anyway.

Noah and the Whale

When I was at Timberline Knolls (TK) the first time, Matt flagged the band "Noah and the Whale" via Spotify as a band he'd been listening to a lot in my absence. It wasn't really until after Matt died that I listened to their album "The First Days of Spring" for the first time. A couple of the songs really...get to me. Especially in the context of losing him.

"The First Days of Spring"

It's the first day of spring
And my life is starting over again
The trees grow, the river flows
And its water will wash away my sins
For I do believe that everyone has one chance
To fuck up their lives
But like a cut down tree, I will rise again
And I'll be bigger and stronger than ever before
For I'm still here hoping that one day you may come back
For I'm still here hoping that one day you may come back

"I Have Nothing"

Well, I have nothing
I have no one
I've been so quickly set free
And I love nothing
I love no one
Are words that you whisper in my mind, to someone
I don't know
To someone I don't know
To someone

So walk with me
On this new spring morning
I'll walk you 'till your fears are none
I'm a new baby weeping
I'm the flower you're keeping
That without love will wilt and die
I need your life in my life
Need your life in my life
Need your life

So come back to me
My darling
Come back to me
My darling

I'd do anything to be at your side
I'd be anyone to be at your side
I need your life in my life
Need your light in my life
Need your light