It was a fairly active weekend, by my wintertime standards. Having received a windfall check in the mail, I succumbed to my long-suppressed yearning to replace my gaussed 19” TV with an HDTV. I got a pretty good deal on a 26-incher from Sam’s Club, and I’m stunned by the results. I had the Winter Olympics on most of the rest of the weekend, and I’m not even interested in the Olympics. I was just fascinated by the picture, like a baby crossing his eyes at a Big Bird mobile.
We also had our Viking feast, which is supposed to be a sort of Yule celebration, but got pushed back this year for various reasons. Aside from a few regulars being missing, it was a good time. I brought carefully researched, historically accurate Viking chocolate chip cookies. Not so great on the authenticity side, I’ll admit, but they had the advantage that people actually ate them.
And yes, I made them myself. From scratch. I’m very good with chocolate chip cookies, when I bother.
The big news in the literary world today is the death of mystery writer Dick Francis. Larry Thornberry at The American Spectator provides an appreciation here. It’s so good, I might have to try a Francis book now, despite the fact that I have zero interest in horse racing.
In any case, it sounds like Francis was a stand-up guy, the kind they’re fast running out of in England.
Or galloping out of, in this case.
Dick Francis’s books are not so much about horse racing as they are about horses, and in many of the books, horses (and racing) are a sub-plot to the main story line. I recommend To the Hilt for starters, then Banker, and Proof. You will enjoy them—I promise.
Thanks for the recommendations.
WOW!!! I am shocked and saddened!
Banker was my first. I thought I’d entered a new world. I literally didn’t put it down from start to finish. Since I was a banker when I read it, I was sorely disappointed my job was not more like the hero’s of the book…
A moment of silence, please… a very good man and author has passed beyond us.
You don’t need a knowledge of horse racing to appreciate Francis. Some of his books are quite funny at parts. I kind of left off reading him once I heard his wife wrote some of his books–I remember this being a bit of a scandal once this story broke several years ago.
It’s none of my business, but is the windfall by any chance royalties for “West Oversea”? The kind of royalties that subtly say “we want to publish the sequel”, perhaps?
And yes, I made them myself. From scratch. I’m very good with chocolate chip cookies, when I bother.
I thought only G-d himself could make chocolate chip cookies from scratch. Or did you breed the cocoa beans yourself?
Ori: It’s none of my business, but is the windfall by any chance royalties for “West Oversea”? The kind of royalties that subtly say “we want to publish the sequel”, perhaps?
Alas, no.
Ori: I thought only G-d himself could make chocolate chip cookies from scratch. Or did you breed the cocoa beans yourself?
Pfui.
I strongly recommend Dick Francis. The books are not about horseracing. They are about indomitable characters in tough situations. And the good guys endure suffering in order to prevail. Mucho worth it.
Just picked one up.