It’s been an absolutely wonderful holiday season so far! Apart from a couple of winter bugs Jeremy and I caught, I can say it’s been pretty great.
I finished my latest Sanderson book – Warbreaker last week. I really enjoyed the lore in this book – it was different and let me experience a fantasy world that wasn’t imbued with the typical magic found in this type of literature. As always, Sanderson’s characters are written so well – built with humanity and relatability despite their supernatural attributes. I enjoyed the action, well written politics, and length of the book.
While I encourage purchasing this book – Sanderson is amazing and has provided it in HTML format for free.
It felt good to get out and vote. I hope you chose to make a difference, too.Â
Guys, I am terrible at playing the piano.
This is a good thing – because I hate letting myself be terrible at something I want so badly to do well.
I can almost play Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’Â
ALMOST. It’s pushing my ability to both focus on and play two different things on my hands. MAN I wish I had learned how to play the piano as a kid.
The next song I want to work on is Fur Elise – a song my left hand can play the famous bits to but my right hand has no idea what to do. It might be six months before I really understand how to play it decently well.
In any case, I am happy I’ve stuck to it for a few days – and I still want to play. I am glad I followed my gut.
Photo by Samuel Scrimshaw on Unsplash
Well – we have another thing happening here in our family – I am now the person making a shift in her career. I will start a new job in November – with some old friends. I’m going to miss my friends at my current office – but I know real friendships transcend the workplace where you met and I am looking forward to hanging out with these guys in Atlanta in the future. So, with this change, I have a week off in between jobs. I want to travel to at least one international destination this year and this is my chance! So we have booked flights to Aruba! Guys, I am so excited! It’s gotten pretty cold here already so I know in a couple weeks I’m not going to complain about sticking my feet in some south Caribbean sand. I have also promised myself to USE my drone!! The poor thing has been pretty neglected since I bought it. Stay tuned for some beachy pics – and some aerials too!
I’ve wanted to learn how to play the piano for as long as I can remember. The feeling swells within me as I’m writing code and listening to my favorite soundtracks in piano solo format. Sometimes, when I get on the train I walk by a piano put out as a community project and I feel the inadequacy in my fingers because inside myself, I want to play that instrument so bad.
I daydream about playing the piano. Sometimes silly daydreams where I’m skilled and can play all my favorite songs. Or sometimes I am playing for a friend and they’re really enjoying it. But today I laid in bed and watched the FlowKey video for the millionth time of Yiruma’s A River Flows In You and I had a moment. What is it exactly that I am waiting for?
So today I picked up a little 44 key keyboard. Â
I’ve only ever learned to read one line of music at a time, and I’ll need to learn how to think about two.
It’s an exciting thought. Â
Since Jeremy works much later hours than he used to Monday through Friday, I think learning to play some of my favorite songs in their simplest versions will be a good use of the extra time I have for myself . Â
I’m a little nervous because I don’t want this to be yet another thing I pick up until I get bored and leave behind – but I think this is a little different. The feeling inside is very similar to the feeling I get when I first started up with photography – and that’s been something I’ve been able to develop, enjoy, and even monetize for more than 15 years – with no end in sight.
Tuesday’s the day it arrives! I can’t wait!Â
Easily my favorite fantasy trilogy, Mistborn was a series that took me a few false starts to really get into it. When I finally did it was like an old friend to come home to when I needed a thrill – but from the comfort of my couch.
You can find summaries online if you really want – but the best part of this book was that I didn’t read any summaries and each secret and twist unfolded perfectly. Â
It’s well written, not too flighty, consistent in its in-universe logic and somehow beautifully arc’d between all three books. Even the politics in this book were well crafted. This is one of the very very few series I expect to read again – and one of the very few books I want to buy a beautiful hardcover version of if it’s ever released.
The author provides the first few chapters of the first book here, so you can get a taste,Â
I hope to pick up The Stormlight Archives next!
Happy Reading!
