Thursday, February 17, 2011

Sliding Through The Thaw

The thaw has come, the Kindle has come, I'm about to leave for New Mexico, and there's a frozen dead goat wrapped in a tarp in the back of the barn. Don't be judgmental. Death and Kindles and vacations show up and have to be dealt with, thaw or no thaw. The goat is frozen solid, so I think he's good for at least a week. Small, 15-pound turkeys take days to defrost and we're talking a 200-pound goat. The question is: should I tell the housesitter or just let that little piece of information slide? She won't be back rummaging around the barn and god-willing no feral animal will start dispersing his carcass across the yard. I'm not good with small moral dilemmas.

As for the Kindle. so far so good. I can adjust the print size for my middle-aged eyes and puportedly take notes, although I haven't tried. I'm enjoying Sherman Alexie's The Business of Fancydancing. All of Bukowski's work is Kindled, so that might be my next stop. Then maybe Mark Doty. I'm taking suggestions. Most of the really old stuff is available for free.

I can't propel my mind into New Mexico yet, but that's probably for the best. I wouldn't get anything done. Except I need to pack a suitcase with somethings besides a walking stick and a hydration daypack. Maybe I should start with socks and work my way up from there.

The thaw has also brought a quiet deep enough to hear the trains. I'm thinking of putting together a train collection, new and old. We'll see. We'll see. I'm sliding.

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