I’ve been a little late posting this week, but not for any particular reason other than “meh”.

I don’t do much and I don’t think much of anyone still reads this stuff who doesn’t already know what I’m doing.

So, “meh”.

Not this year

I just finished reading Franzen’s “Freedom” and reading it is like being in one of the clingy and dysfunctional relationships he portrays between his many characters, all of whom seem to take hostages as opposed to entering real relationships. At first, you’re kinda flattered and stumble along with their absorbing interest in you, then you get a little bit creeped out as you find out a little more and, at the last, you’re struggling with your options when they threaten suicide if you leave them. When I finished the read, I was glad it was dead and good riddance but I couldn’t help but ride the dump truck all the way to the inevitable landfill end.

I feel much the same way about many of Franzen’s contemporaries: David Eggers, Chuck Pahlinuk and Brent Easton Ellis, for example. They all kind of give me a literary feeling of cottonmouth. My thirst for a good read isn’t quite slaked. I have no real criticism of them in the sense that the books are well crafted and make salient points about the human condition, but … (and, for some reason, I can’t really think of any female contemporaries other than the chick who wrote that diary book).

So, next I’m catching up with the rest of the world by opening up “Infinite Jest” by the late David Foster Wallace.

Being in my present condition, a fireplace, a window, some music and a good book while it’s below freezing out seems like my best play.

Speaking of best plays, I watched the Auburn/Oregon BCS championship bowl on my little computer screen and couldn’t help but think of my Alabama ex-wife, who was always an Auburn fan. Bet she was screaming “War Eagle” the whole game. Since she’s lived here for so long and became a rabid Sooners fan, I’m betting there was discussion of the onsides kick recovery that wasn’t. It was a decent game, I thought, even though I didn’t have a lot of emotion involved one way or another. Sure seems like the SEC has solidified their claims to being the top conference considering their bowl record this season and that the Big 10 will just have to shut the hell up. Oklahoma University wound up No. 6 in the final polls and that’s better than I thought they would be just a few weeks ago when I expected OSU to win at home in the regular season final game. OSU won it’s bowl and an 11 win season is great for them and both teams’ fans have good reason to be proud.

I’ve been cooking for myself lately with the highlights being beans and ham last week and a pot roast this immediate past weekend. In fact, I’m warming over some of the pot roast for tonight’s dinner.

The power steering went out on the pickemup truck last week and it took $180 to have the pulley and fan belt replaced. That’s pretty much my eating out and going out budget for the month, so (along with the cold) don’t expect to see me this month unless you want to go to an AA meeting.

Bundle up buddies

Blogblah