Tag: Traveling

Updates

October Recap 2014

Geoff W

2014 11-01 Happy HalloweeenBetter late than never right? October was long and so were the first two weeks of November. I’m finally getting a bit of a chance to breathe but between now and Thanksgiving I have a big event at work and friendsgiving. Add in that I still have TEN items left on my 30×30 list and you can imagine my stress level is a bit high. On the other hand it hasn’t all been work!

I’ve been able to do a lot and see a lot of friends which is always fun. My best friend from childhood and I went as the same character for Halloween, Tina from Bob’s Burgers (obviously because she’s amazing). I was able to see her when we went down to a wedding in Virginia and I was a happy camper!  Visiting Aile in VA was on my 30×30 list and I also crossed off singing a song at live-band karaoke and getting out of non-student loan debt!

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Books

Book 314: The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5) – Rick Riordan

Geoff W

This is one of those books that I probably should’ve re-read the entire series before reading. So much has happened in the novels, especially if you go all the way back to the first Percy Jackson book, but even just within the five books of this series it’s been a long journey.

As much as I want to say this was the best book in the series, I honestly think The House of Hades was better. And this is for a couple of reasons. If possible The Blood of Olympus had TOO much action. I get that this is the end of a series which is a spin-off/second half of another series, but this book just didn’t stop with the epic battles. Sure they’re facing the end of the world and Riordan said it best,

“Today, one way or another, their journey would end.” (378)

But honestly, the book left me exhausted and not in a good way. It felt like there was so much that happened off the page that I couldn’t keep track of who was where and what was happening. There are spoilers to the series and this book so don’t read past here if you’re planning to read it.

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30x30, Personal Project

30 x 30: #30 – Visit Alie in VA

Geoff W

2014 10-17 Virginia is for FriendsI was able to squeeze the 18th list item into an incredibly busy weekend. We flew down to Virginia for a wedding this past weekend and we were so close to where my BFF from growing up, Alie, lives and I knew I had to see her. This was one of the two I thought might happen AFTER my birthday, but squeezing it in made it happen BEFORE!

Alie has lived in Virginia for longer than I’ve lived in Boston and I just haven’t had the money to get down to visit her. We’ve seen each other a couple of times since high school, most recently for our 10 year reunion last year, but we talk everyday and it was good to see where she lived. I no longer fear that she lives in the middle of a war zone in a rundown building with hoodlums running around. (Seeing really goes a long way for alleviating those worries.

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Updates

September Recap 2014

Geoff W

2014 09-14 Sherman's Book Store Bar HarborThis was a crazy month. I completed five of my 30×30 list AND read five books. Most of the month surrounded my trip to Acadia. I know I did other stuff too, but my brain is absolutely drained.

The photo to the right, was an awesome snapshot I took while visiting Bar Harbor, Maine. I think what I was most impressed with is that there are no people other than the driver and it could really be any time period (except for the pram/stroller). It wasn’t my favorite book shop we visited, that was Mystery Cove and I didn’t get the chance to visit the Big Chicken Barn but I will go back up at some point!

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Books

Book 301: Chocolat (Chocolat #1) – Joanne Harris

Geoff W

This book has been on my to-be-read shelf for so long it took quite a while to trace where and when I bought it! I apparently picked it up way back in October 2012 when I helped out at the Somerville Public Library book sale! I’m glad I grabbed a copy. I own a copy of the film, but for some reason I never realized they adapted it from a novel!

Add in that when random.org selected it as my next book and I prepared to read it I found out it was a trilogy, my mind was BLOWN! I was a little grumpy at first, because I had a plan worked out to read more of my to-be-read shelf and was trying really hard not to add more in between the books, but I do love a good trilogy! I plan to read two and three, The Girl With No Shadow and Peaches for Father Francis, in the next few weeks and am VERY excited about them!

Now on to the story and my response!