Yuck! Red Tide

A whole colony (swarm, whatever) of stingrays came into our marina hoping to avoid the red tide. They didn't, and now the marina is full of rotting stingrays floating all over the place. What a smell.

What Pulp Fiction Charactuer Are You?

It has to be YOUR way. When it isn't, you panic, but hold your ground. You keep your gun pointed and trigger finger ready, but you'd never really hurt anyone. Though you like being tough, feeling control, you often enjoy blending in and being part of the ordinary human race. Take the What Pulp Fiction Character Are You? quiz.

Books Meme

Via Alphecca we get the book meme, which consists of the following 5 questions.

1. Total number of books owned
2. Last book bought
3. Last book read
4. Five books that mean a lot
5. Tag five people to continue the meme

1. Total number of books owned

This is at a low point. A few years back, when I was moving onto my boat, I decided that I had too much junk. The material goods of my life were choking me, so I gave just about everything away. The books and vinyl went to libraries, the toaster, and blender, etc. went to Goodwill. I did sell some of the furniture, and I kept the things I know I can't afford to replace - like a teak dining room set and teak coffee table/end table set - and some artworks. They are all in storage, and I am beginning to wonder why I have them.

Anyway the total number of books is down around 40. About a dozen on boat maintenance. A similar number of crusing guides to various place I dream about sailing to. And the balance in fiction. Everything from The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey and Beowulf to most of the Vorkosigan Series by Bujold.

And even with this small number I am thinking I have too many. I can get just about any book published in the last 100 years via my public library, and I don't re-read things as much as I once did.

2. Last book bought

The Saga of the Renunciates by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

This is actually the compliation edition of 3 of the Darkover novels. Shattered Chain, Thendara House and City of Sorcery. I love the first one, I like the second, but don't care for how it ends. The third is readable, but it doesn't really speak to me any way.

3. Last book read

The Paladin of Souls by Bujold. The sequel to The Curse of Chalion. Two very neat fanatasy novels set in a very interesting world.

4. Five books that mean a lot

Lord of the Rings One of my favorite stories, I can read this again and again.

Odyssey A truly classic story that covers what people owe their rulers, what the rulers owe the people, the relationship with the gods. Duty, loyalty, pride comes before a fall, ...

Six Great Ideas by Mortimer J. Adler. The 6 ideas are Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, Liberty, Equality and Justice. Hard not to think these are important things to think about.

This Old Boat which allowed me to buy a boat (big enough to live on) for less than most of you paid for your car.

Adventures of a Wayward Sailor by Tristan Jones. This is the book that got me really interested in sailing beyond just weekend outings.

5. Tag five people to continue the meme

Since I got this from Alphecca, and his idea was to make this voluntary, I do the same. Pick up on this if you want to.