Thursday I came home to find DsD and dBF repairing the roof, so now we are officially storm-ready again. Hopefully the tropics will remain quiet, though! We had enough hurricane experience last year to last a lifetime.
I finished Sharon Kay Penman's Time and Chance a couple hours ago. It tells the story of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Henry's well-known feud with Thomas Becket. After reading it, I have two thoughts: 1) that I can't wait for her next book in this series, and 2) I need to watch The Lion in Winter and Becket again. I also want to visit Canterbury and spend a bit more time there next time I'm in the area. Last time we were there, there was a service going on, and when we came back, there was only about 5 minutes until closing, so family friend M and I made the whirlwind tour of the main area. I saw that they keep a lit candle on the spot Becket was murdered, but little else. DH unfortunately didn't see any of it, since he stayed back with then 7-month-old DD.
We're flying up to Virginia tomorrow, so entries may be a bit sporadic (or more probably, nonexistent) next week. Hopefully it will be cooler up there than it was this past week!
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
The best defense....
Either someone's been playing Minesweeper in my yard, or we'll finally be getting the new fence installed soon.
I went outside over the weekend to find a bunch of little yellow flags stuck in the ground around my yard, marking the gas line into the house. Monday they were joined by red and orange flags marking the electric and cable. This is a good sign - I don't think they do line locations until right before the job.
Line location is a Good Thing. We had some landscaping done a few years ago, and they accidentally cut our cable feed. Which at least was better than cutting the power line.
Anyway, almost a year after Frances, the new fence is coming!
I went outside over the weekend to find a bunch of little yellow flags stuck in the ground around my yard, marking the gas line into the house. Monday they were joined by red and orange flags marking the electric and cable. This is a good sign - I don't think they do line locations until right before the job.
Line location is a Good Thing. We had some landscaping done a few years ago, and they accidentally cut our cable feed. Which at least was better than cutting the power line.
Anyway, almost a year after Frances, the new fence is coming!
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Return To Flight
After a long two years, the space shuttle is flying again! Discovery lifted off at 10:39 today, and my whole office turned out to watch. We're some distance away from the Cape but it was still a nice view. Space is a big deal here - they don't call us the Space Coast for nothing.
Today was a beautiful day for the launch, and it went off without a hitch. I did manage to capture a video from my office lot. I will caveat that it's a bit shaky, and my digicam didn't telescope in all that well, but it's still pretty neat. (The ZIP file is 3.9MB, the unzipped MPG is 11.8MB.)
Godspeed, Discovery!
Today was a beautiful day for the launch, and it went off without a hitch. I did manage to capture a video from my office lot. I will caveat that it's a bit shaky, and my digicam didn't telescope in all that well, but it's still pretty neat. (The ZIP file is 3.9MB, the unzipped MPG is 11.8MB.)
Godspeed, Discovery!
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Bibliophilia!
*taps mic, coughs nervously*
My name is Belinda and I'm a bookaholic.
I took a list with me to a local bookstore over lunch today, and of the 8 books on the list, only one was in stock. And yet I still managed to walk out with over half a dozen! (Granted, half of them are for DD, but still...) I am such a hopeless case sometimes - I don't think it's possible for me to walk into a bookstore and come out empty-handed. There's just *something* about holding a bound block of paper that overrides reason.
The bookstore said they could order the remaining books for me, but if I'm going to be ordering books, I'll do it from amazon. I did at least check my local library system, but only two of the books are even in the system. I really should take more advantage of my local library.
I'll probably grow up to be one of those little old ladies that has a compulsive need to hoard. At least books are better to hoard than cats - the SPCA won't come down on me for having stacks of books all over my house! (That, and DH is allergic to cats...)
Perhaps it's genetic. My late maternal grandmother had thousands of books. Granted, at least half of those were those cheesy pulp romances that she used to buy by the case at yard sales. I don't *do* romance - the closest I'll get are some historical fiction authors who could also fall in the romance camp, but it's gotta be good historical fiction. Otherwise, I'll read darn near anything else except political commentary and most non-fiction (I'm extremely picky about my nonfiction). I have a special fondness for sci-fi/fantasy and classic literature, with historical fiction gaining ground.
Hm. If I apply to become a branch of the local library system, could I claim books as a tax-writeoff? *laugh*
But hey, if I must have an addiction, at least books are a healthy one. Unless one counts sleep-deprivation from "one more chapter!" syndrome.
My name is Belinda and I'm a bookaholic.
I took a list with me to a local bookstore over lunch today, and of the 8 books on the list, only one was in stock. And yet I still managed to walk out with over half a dozen! (Granted, half of them are for DD, but still...) I am such a hopeless case sometimes - I don't think it's possible for me to walk into a bookstore and come out empty-handed. There's just *something* about holding a bound block of paper that overrides reason.
The bookstore said they could order the remaining books for me, but if I'm going to be ordering books, I'll do it from amazon. I did at least check my local library system, but only two of the books are even in the system. I really should take more advantage of my local library.
I'll probably grow up to be one of those little old ladies that has a compulsive need to hoard. At least books are better to hoard than cats - the SPCA won't come down on me for having stacks of books all over my house! (That, and DH is allergic to cats...)
Perhaps it's genetic. My late maternal grandmother had thousands of books. Granted, at least half of those were those cheesy pulp romances that she used to buy by the case at yard sales. I don't *do* romance - the closest I'll get are some historical fiction authors who could also fall in the romance camp, but it's gotta be good historical fiction. Otherwise, I'll read darn near anything else except political commentary and most non-fiction (I'm extremely picky about my nonfiction). I have a special fondness for sci-fi/fantasy and classic literature, with historical fiction gaining ground.
Hm. If I apply to become a branch of the local library system, could I claim books as a tax-writeoff? *laugh*
But hey, if I must have an addiction, at least books are a healthy one. Unless one counts sleep-deprivation from "one more chapter!" syndrome.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Perils of caffeine deprivation...
No matter how hard you try, you cannot lock your car with a Tamagotchi.
My DD's Tamagotchi ended up in my purse this morning, and I unwittingly discovered that it is the same size and shape as the keyless entry remote for my car. I had just parked in my office lot and was walking toward the building when I reached into my purse and pressed the button on the remote (or so I thought) to lock my car, as usual, and it took me a moment to realize my mistake.
When I told DH about it, he suggested the Tama needed more training. But maybe it, like me, just needed caffeine.
This weekend, we saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We all really enjoyed it. I never saw the original movie with Gene Wilder, but DH and my stepkids all had, and were unanimous that this one was far better. DD wanted to get the video immediately after the movie, and doesn't quite understand that just because she's already seen it in theatres doesn't mean that it's already out on video. It was pretty close to what I remember from reading the book as a child *mumble* years ago, with some back-story added for Wonka. I personally thought it added some nice character development, though I confess that it was a bit strange to see Christopher Lee (who played Wonka's father) with short hair, after seeing him as Saruman in the Lord of the Rings movies. The visuals were quite nice, and the Oompa Loompas rocked. Literally, in some scenes.
One of the previews before the film was for the upcoming Wallace and Gromit movie, which looks to be quite funny! I enjoyed Chicken Run, and the other Wallace and Gromit features I've seen, so this could be a treat as well. I also want to see the Narnia movie that comes out in December.
I bought the latest Harry Potter book last night, but have not yet started it. DsD got first dibs at it - I think she was the first one to read the previous Potter book (which DH has yet to read). She's a few chapters into this one, and it's just as well she gets it first - if it's like the previous books, I'd "one more chapter" myself into the wee hours! That, and I generally prefer to read one book at a time, and I'm already reading Time and Chance right now.
My DD's Tamagotchi ended up in my purse this morning, and I unwittingly discovered that it is the same size and shape as the keyless entry remote for my car. I had just parked in my office lot and was walking toward the building when I reached into my purse and pressed the button on the remote (or so I thought) to lock my car, as usual, and it took me a moment to realize my mistake.
When I told DH about it, he suggested the Tama needed more training. But maybe it, like me, just needed caffeine.
This weekend, we saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We all really enjoyed it. I never saw the original movie with Gene Wilder, but DH and my stepkids all had, and were unanimous that this one was far better. DD wanted to get the video immediately after the movie, and doesn't quite understand that just because she's already seen it in theatres doesn't mean that it's already out on video. It was pretty close to what I remember from reading the book as a child *mumble* years ago, with some back-story added for Wonka. I personally thought it added some nice character development, though I confess that it was a bit strange to see Christopher Lee (who played Wonka's father) with short hair, after seeing him as Saruman in the Lord of the Rings movies. The visuals were quite nice, and the Oompa Loompas rocked. Literally, in some scenes.
One of the previews before the film was for the upcoming Wallace and Gromit movie, which looks to be quite funny! I enjoyed Chicken Run, and the other Wallace and Gromit features I've seen, so this could be a treat as well. I also want to see the Narnia movie that comes out in December.
I bought the latest Harry Potter book last night, but have not yet started it. DsD got first dibs at it - I think she was the first one to read the previous Potter book (which DH has yet to read). She's a few chapters into this one, and it's just as well she gets it first - if it's like the previous books, I'd "one more chapter" myself into the wee hours! That, and I generally prefer to read one book at a time, and I'm already reading Time and Chance right now.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Prom Improvement tips
It is said that you only need two tools for home repair - WD-40, and duct tape. If it should move, and doesn't, use the WD-40. If it moves but shouldn't, use the duct tape.
But there are more uses for duct tape. Every year, one of the duct tape companies awards scholarships to students who make formalwear out of duct tape. Very creative youngsters - I especially like this year's kilt entry!
But there are more uses for duct tape. Every year, one of the duct tape companies awards scholarships to students who make formalwear out of duct tape. Very creative youngsters - I especially like this year's kilt entry!
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Sweating the small stuff....
Sunday while pulling out of my garage to make a quick grocery run, I had a lesson in why breakaway mirrors are so named (I got the damage repaired yesterday afternoon). So between kicking myself for the unintended convergence between car and house, and a continuing annoyance with my self-image, I was not a happy camper yesterday. I was quite moody (there, I said it..), and I really hate being moody, especially for no apparent reason. And then I get upset with myself for being moody, and of course it all snowballs from there.
But it took a late-night blog entry to remind me of what really matters. And to confirm that I am indeed a very lucky woman.
But it took a late-night blog entry to remind me of what really matters. And to confirm that I am indeed a very lucky woman.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Monsters
Many young children are afraid of monsters - the monster under the bed, the monster in the closet, monsters cast by shadows in the darkened room. When I was younger than my DD is now, my childhood terror was the overhead light - we lived in a ground floor apartment and lights from the parking lot cast shadows that made the light appear to move toward me. I hid under my covers while my childish imagination put visions of fired laser blasts at me, like some alien spacecraft. And to this day I vividly remember a nightmare about being chased by a double-belled alarm clock that swung down a hall toward me like a pendulum-axe from some black-and-white horror movie. Of course, I laugh now at the dream, but these were what terrified me as a young child.
As a mother now, I find I am afraid of monsters again. But this time it is not the closet monsters, a la Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc., but the real monsters in our midst.
The monsters that prey on small children and do unspeakably evil things.
The monsters that blow up commuter trains during rush hour.
Unfortunately these monsters don't transform into discarded clothes when you turn on the light. And you don't know they're there until it's too late. These are the monsters that scare me now. It's not myself I fear for, but my family. And even taking the most extreme precautions can't guarantee that the monsters don't get them. I never felt so helpless as I did on 9/11, and some of that helplessness came back today when I heard about the bombings in London.
I hear about terrorist attacks, or about the seeming epidemic of child abduction/murders, and I wonder what kind of world I brought my DD into. I'm torn between the need to keep my family safe, and the need to let them grow, and it's a very tough call.
When I was my DD's age, I'd go out to play in the neighborhood and not put in an appearance til dinnertime. Yet I live in a more upscale neighborhood than I grew up in, and I don't let my DD play outside alone. When we're outside our home I rarely let her out of arms reach. On one hand I know I'm being a bit overprotective, but on the other I know there are a lot of sick bastards out there, and I don't want to be the one plastered all over CNN while I grieve and search for my precious child. I know it frustrates DD, who would love to just run about and play, and be a kid. Where do I strike the balance?
Terrorists I can do nothing about, so the best I can do is to live my life as normal. But like predators, they are the monsters that hide among us.
I know it's unChristian of me, but I find it very difficult sometimes not to wish death or worse on those that abuse children, and it infuriates me because so many seem to be repeat offenders. I can't even *begin* to fathom how these people think...
And for the terrorists...well, like the old joke goes, I hope there are 72 Virginians waiting there for them in eternity.
As a mother now, I find I am afraid of monsters again. But this time it is not the closet monsters, a la Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc., but the real monsters in our midst.
The monsters that prey on small children and do unspeakably evil things.
The monsters that blow up commuter trains during rush hour.
Unfortunately these monsters don't transform into discarded clothes when you turn on the light. And you don't know they're there until it's too late. These are the monsters that scare me now. It's not myself I fear for, but my family. And even taking the most extreme precautions can't guarantee that the monsters don't get them. I never felt so helpless as I did on 9/11, and some of that helplessness came back today when I heard about the bombings in London.
I hear about terrorist attacks, or about the seeming epidemic of child abduction/murders, and I wonder what kind of world I brought my DD into. I'm torn between the need to keep my family safe, and the need to let them grow, and it's a very tough call.
When I was my DD's age, I'd go out to play in the neighborhood and not put in an appearance til dinnertime. Yet I live in a more upscale neighborhood than I grew up in, and I don't let my DD play outside alone. When we're outside our home I rarely let her out of arms reach. On one hand I know I'm being a bit overprotective, but on the other I know there are a lot of sick bastards out there, and I don't want to be the one plastered all over CNN while I grieve and search for my precious child. I know it frustrates DD, who would love to just run about and play, and be a kid. Where do I strike the balance?
Terrorists I can do nothing about, so the best I can do is to live my life as normal. But like predators, they are the monsters that hide among us.
I know it's unChristian of me, but I find it very difficult sometimes not to wish death or worse on those that abuse children, and it infuriates me because so many seem to be repeat offenders. I can't even *begin* to fathom how these people think...
And for the terrorists...well, like the old joke goes, I hope there are 72 Virginians waiting there for them in eternity.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Pyrotechnicalities
Ah, the pleasures of a nice long weekend. I took Friday off to stay home with DD, and we had Monday off for Independence Day. DsS came over on Saturday, and with gaming buddy J we played LotRisk, which is always a lot of fun. We did Team Play, which we don't often do, with DsS and I as Evil vs J and DH as Good. As Evil, we got our collective orcish hindquarters kicked, but actually managed to pull out a win because we found the One Ring right before it went into Mount Doom. (I am your father, Frodo...give in to the Dark Side...)
Monday was, of course, Independence Day, and that means....fireworks!
Early in the afternoon, DD wanted to do some 'snakes' - little pellets that form snakes of ash when they burn. I personally find them a bit cheesy, but she loves them. I put foil on a cookie sheet, and lit the pellets on that so I didn't scorch my driveway (or pool deck).
In the evening I watched the Capitol Fourth presentation on PBS of the concert and fireworks in DC. The concert (and coverage) were quite excellent, with a variety of music including The Beach Boys, the O'Jays, and Gloria Estefan. It was nice to see the more classic performers instead of only the Pop Tart of the Month. Then there were fireworks around the Washington Monument, and the National Symphony did Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture", with cannon, which is a piece I definitely look forward to every year. Interesting, though, how a song about Napoleon's ill-fated invasion of Russia has become such a staple of American festivities.
Overall, the DC fireworks were pretty good, the concert was awesome, and the coverage by PBS was quite well done.
After watching the DC show, we went outside and did a few fireworks of our own. There are several fireworks wholesalers within two miles of my house, but I only bought the stuff that's actually legal in Florida. (Technically anything that flies and goes boom (ie bottle rockets, roman candles, mortars, etc..) is illegal, but exceptions can be made for 'agricultural purposes' (ie frightening birds), and it's this loophole that keeps the wholesalers in business. There was quite a bit of 'agricultural' work going on around our neighborhood!) Ah, but back to my humble stash.. I had a few sparking fountains, and some ground-blooms to do. We took the aforementioned cookie sheet and set fountains on that, which worked pretty well - my driveway cleaned up quite easily afterward. The cookie sheet itself, however, did not fare quite so well...one of the fountains was a rectangular block and it wasn't quite obvious which side went up. So it got set off upside-down by accident. It still looked pretty cool, but it succeeded in burning through the foil and tarnishing the heretofore indestructible cookie sheet. We only did a few fountains, and I did my requisite blue sparkler. DD watched from inside - the 'agricultural work' being done around the neighborhood bothered her.
Once inside, it was time for CBS's coverage of Pops Goes the Fourth. Some of you may remember my rant last year about CBS's abysmal coverage of the Boston show, and I was expecting another such fiasco, but I wanted to try anyway because I ♥ the Boston Pops. And I must confess that I was pleasantly surprised! It still wasn't anywhere near as wonderful as when A&E covered the Pops, but CBS obviously learned something from last year. No 1812, alas, but we did get the whole patriotic singalong and "Stars and Stripes Forever". And wonder of wonders, they covered the fireworks commercial-free! Granted, I could have done without the need to cut to crowd shots, but at least we got to see pretty much the whole show. Boston has some of the best pyrochoreography, and the newest fireworks, including shells that burst into smiley-faces, of all things! Wonderful stuff. One of these days I'd love to see the Boston show live.
I'd just have to get over that whole 'fear of crowds' thing...
Monday was, of course, Independence Day, and that means....fireworks!
Early in the afternoon, DD wanted to do some 'snakes' - little pellets that form snakes of ash when they burn. I personally find them a bit cheesy, but she loves them. I put foil on a cookie sheet, and lit the pellets on that so I didn't scorch my driveway (or pool deck).
In the evening I watched the Capitol Fourth presentation on PBS of the concert and fireworks in DC. The concert (and coverage) were quite excellent, with a variety of music including The Beach Boys, the O'Jays, and Gloria Estefan. It was nice to see the more classic performers instead of only the Pop Tart of the Month. Then there were fireworks around the Washington Monument, and the National Symphony did Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture", with cannon, which is a piece I definitely look forward to every year. Interesting, though, how a song about Napoleon's ill-fated invasion of Russia has become such a staple of American festivities.
Overall, the DC fireworks were pretty good, the concert was awesome, and the coverage by PBS was quite well done.
After watching the DC show, we went outside and did a few fireworks of our own. There are several fireworks wholesalers within two miles of my house, but I only bought the stuff that's actually legal in Florida. (Technically anything that flies and goes boom (ie bottle rockets, roman candles, mortars, etc..) is illegal, but exceptions can be made for 'agricultural purposes' (ie frightening birds), and it's this loophole that keeps the wholesalers in business. There was quite a bit of 'agricultural' work going on around our neighborhood!) Ah, but back to my humble stash.. I had a few sparking fountains, and some ground-blooms to do. We took the aforementioned cookie sheet and set fountains on that, which worked pretty well - my driveway cleaned up quite easily afterward. The cookie sheet itself, however, did not fare quite so well...one of the fountains was a rectangular block and it wasn't quite obvious which side went up. So it got set off upside-down by accident. It still looked pretty cool, but it succeeded in burning through the foil and tarnishing the heretofore indestructible cookie sheet. We only did a few fountains, and I did my requisite blue sparkler. DD watched from inside - the 'agricultural work' being done around the neighborhood bothered her.
Once inside, it was time for CBS's coverage of Pops Goes the Fourth. Some of you may remember my rant last year about CBS's abysmal coverage of the Boston show, and I was expecting another such fiasco, but I wanted to try anyway because I ♥ the Boston Pops. And I must confess that I was pleasantly surprised! It still wasn't anywhere near as wonderful as when A&E covered the Pops, but CBS obviously learned something from last year. No 1812, alas, but we did get the whole patriotic singalong and "Stars and Stripes Forever". And wonder of wonders, they covered the fireworks commercial-free! Granted, I could have done without the need to cut to crowd shots, but at least we got to see pretty much the whole show. Boston has some of the best pyrochoreography, and the newest fireworks, including shells that burst into smiley-faces, of all things! Wonderful stuff. One of these days I'd love to see the Boston show live.
I'd just have to get over that whole 'fear of crowds' thing...
Friday, July 01, 2005
2005 Goals - Status
Halfway through the year, and time for me to take a look at how my stated goals for 2005 are going...
Finish Last Supper (67% complete)
Stitching is going rather well! I'm 2/3 complete - 4 of 6 pages done, 187 hours out of a projected 275. This certainly looks quite achievable by the end of the year.
Get below 30% bodyfat (0%)
Um...the less said about this, the better. Logistics have made it difficult to get to Curves on a consistent basis, but I have started using a stationary bike at home several times a week. It is starting to make a difference, but at this point I'm still making up ground lost since the beginning of the year.
Average one book/month (58% complete)
Another one that's looking quite achievable, especially since I read on the exercise bike to keep my mind off my numbing hindquarters.
To date, I've read seven books:
David Weber, Service of the Sword - an anthology of short stories set in the universe of Weber's acclaimed Honor Harrington series. I love the Honor series - Weber's universe is well-developed and he seems to have put a lot more effort than many in his advanced technology.
Anita Diamant, The Red Tent - historical fiction set in early Biblical times, retelling the story of Jacob, Leah, Rachel, and their children as told from Leah's daughter Dinah's viewpoint. I read this book while on a business trip and quite liked it.
Sarah Zettel, The Usurper's Crown - the prequel to A Sorcerer's Treason, fantasy set in both the Great Lakes and a magical dimension. I've loved this series so far and am looking forward to Firebird's Vengeance.
C.S.Lewis, Out of the Silent Planet,Perelandra,That Hideous Strength - Christian science fiction trilogy dealing with aliens and supernatural beings. An enjoyable and thought-provoking (if a bit dense) read. I've since learned that Dr. Ransom, the protagonist in the first two books, was patterned on Tolkien...who returned the favor by patterning Treebeard on Lewis.
Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, Good Omens - a fun little fantasy about the apocalypse. Pratchett is always great for light reading with a healthy dose of British humor.
I'm currently reading Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman, the second in a planned trilogy about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. My first experience with Penman was Sunne in Splendour, and it got me hooked both on her and on historical fiction in general. I've loved everything I have read by her so far.
Upcoming reads:
Ken Follett, Pillars of the Earth
The Mabinogion
Dante, The Divine Comedy
Finish family website (15% complete)
Unfortunately, I haven't done anything on this so far this year. The bulk of the virtual castle is still in my head. Once I do get started on this project in earnest, it should go rather quickly.
Clean out house (45% complete)
I've been making steady progress on this. I've got the remaining work broken down into small tasks with percentages attached (DH would probably call this 'anal'). My ultimate goal is to get to the point where we can maintain the house in a decluttered state.
So that's where I stand. We're going on vacation for a week in August, and I tend to read a lot when travelling so expect to see some good progress there. And who knows, maybe I'll even make some progress on the weight goal by then!
Stitching is going rather well! I'm 2/3 complete - 4 of 6 pages done, 187 hours out of a projected 275. This certainly looks quite achievable by the end of the year.
Um...the less said about this, the better. Logistics have made it difficult to get to Curves on a consistent basis, but I have started using a stationary bike at home several times a week. It is starting to make a difference, but at this point I'm still making up ground lost since the beginning of the year.
Another one that's looking quite achievable, especially since I read on the exercise bike to keep my mind off my numbing hindquarters.
To date, I've read seven books:
David Weber, Service of the Sword - an anthology of short stories set in the universe of Weber's acclaimed Honor Harrington series. I love the Honor series - Weber's universe is well-developed and he seems to have put a lot more effort than many in his advanced technology.
Anita Diamant, The Red Tent - historical fiction set in early Biblical times, retelling the story of Jacob, Leah, Rachel, and their children as told from Leah's daughter Dinah's viewpoint. I read this book while on a business trip and quite liked it.
Sarah Zettel, The Usurper's Crown - the prequel to A Sorcerer's Treason, fantasy set in both the Great Lakes and a magical dimension. I've loved this series so far and am looking forward to Firebird's Vengeance.
C.S.Lewis, Out of the Silent Planet,Perelandra,That Hideous Strength - Christian science fiction trilogy dealing with aliens and supernatural beings. An enjoyable and thought-provoking (if a bit dense) read. I've since learned that Dr. Ransom, the protagonist in the first two books, was patterned on Tolkien...who returned the favor by patterning Treebeard on Lewis.
Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, Good Omens - a fun little fantasy about the apocalypse. Pratchett is always great for light reading with a healthy dose of British humor.
I'm currently reading Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman, the second in a planned trilogy about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. My first experience with Penman was Sunne in Splendour, and it got me hooked both on her and on historical fiction in general. I've loved everything I have read by her so far.
Upcoming reads:
Ken Follett, Pillars of the Earth
The Mabinogion
Dante, The Divine Comedy
Unfortunately, I haven't done anything on this so far this year. The bulk of the virtual castle is still in my head. Once I do get started on this project in earnest, it should go rather quickly.
I've been making steady progress on this. I've got the remaining work broken down into small tasks with percentages attached (DH would probably call this 'anal'). My ultimate goal is to get to the point where we can maintain the house in a decluttered state.
So that's where I stand. We're going on vacation for a week in August, and I tend to read a lot when travelling so expect to see some good progress there. And who knows, maybe I'll even make some progress on the weight goal by then!
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