I don’t think I’ll do a new chapter today. I got home way too late and way too exhausted to record one. Right now it is time to get mysel forganized and figure out which of the 5,000 things I have to do I should move on first. I intend to get a system going via which I will always be organized and be able to make these decisions a bit more easily, but for now, it is time to back up, throw away some junk and brainstorm.
Here is chapter 3 of the audio book I’ve been reading for the last couple posts, Mark Twain’s the $30,000 bequest. I find it painful to go back and listen to these after I do them, which is good in that I realize that I need a lot of improvement. I think it would be a lot worse if I was happy with the performance.
The $30,000 Bequest by Mark Twain, Chapter 3 – (MP3 File, 6’00”, 2.74Mb)
Here is Chapter 2, for this story, I am doing no prep, and you get it how I read it. I will NOT practice how to say names, and things like that in advance. When I screw up, it is laid bare for you to hear. Oh yes, one other thing that may affect the quality of this chapter: We were rocking through a series earthquakes during the recording. They were rather large in Niigata, but just quite alarming here in Zushi. Here is the longer Chapter 2:
The $30,000 Bequest by Mark Twain, Chapter 2 – (MP3 File, 10’06”, 4.63Mb)
I have been thinking lately that it would be good to work on the qualities of my voice involved in speaking. I speak a lot of Japanese now in my daily life, and I think my voice presentation in English has suffered as a result. As a way of overcoming this, I have decided to pick a book from the Gutenburg Project and record myself reading it aloud. This will help me to focus more on proper enunciation and expression, and will make an audio record of the book that I will hopefully be able to donate back to the Gutenburg Project once I get a little better at it. I have chosen “The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories” as my first text. Feel free to download it and follow along if you like. Without further ado, here is the first, rather short, Chapter 1.
The $30,000 Bequest by Mark Twain, Chapter 1 – (MP3 File, 3’56”, 1.8Mb)
Just a bookmark here in case I ever have another consumer level mac (don’t need it for my G5 or my future Powerbook. (by the way: If you would like to help me to get said powerbook, and need some web work done, please get in touch.)
Multiple Display Spanning With the iMac G5
via Daring Fireball Linked List
I don’t know how many of you are familiar with “Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy”. It was a feature on Saturday Night Live for a while, and a particular favorite of UltraBob and Johnny’s. Many of them were really silly (okay all of them were), but once in a while one of them would really strike a funny bone, even with older-generation UltraMom. UltraDebi, my sister, once gave UBob a calendar with beautiful scenes from nature. In elegant calligraphy, words were superimposed on each scene. They were “Deep Thoughts”. Unsuspecting, people would draw near to read and usually a puzzled look would cross their face as they read something like (my paraphrase) “If you ever drop your keys in a molten volcanic lava flow, just let them go. Cause, Man, they’re gone!” or “When you die, if you have a choice between regular heaven and pie heaven, choose pie heaven. May be its not real, but if it is, Yum, Yum.” I’m sure UB can think of some others, and even correct the ones that I remembered.
Today I came across a quote that is totally “Deep-Thought” worthy. If was on a page-a-day calendar titled “Wild Words From Wild Women”, and sits by my co-workers desk. Some of the words are a little TOO wild, and she often has to tear off several pages to find one she feels would be appropriate for inquisitive customer to read. But this one is great, and is really pretty good advice:
“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes.”
-Freida Norris, doyenne of drollery [sic]
Deeply yours,
UltraMom, hostess of hilarity
There are places that are famous for fall. New England, for instance, and especially Vermont, are world famous for their spectacular fall colors. I haven’t been fortunate enough to witness this firsthand. Perhaps if I had, I wouldn’t be so impressed with the panoramas I have been privy to. Years ago, our women’s retreat was usually in a resort in a Provo, Utah canyon. The hillsides were a glory of red, gold and green. I could never resist taking home a bagfull of leaves, which I pressed in books and saved. They are probably still around here somewhere, along with everything else I have ever owned, but that’s another sad story for another day.
Fall is in full swing here in southeast Idaho. Yesterday I spent a couple of hours raking and burning leaves, something I always enjoy. Nights are getting a little nippy, but I am still throwing quilts and tarps over my tomato plants at night, trying to buy them a little time. I think their days are numbered, however. And the cats aren’t helping matters; the other day I found a large group of them piled on top of one of the quilts, smashing the tender plants underneath. And it seems to have become a nightly ritual. Grr.
Many of the trees are quite lovely in their changing colors, but I have decided that the most beautiful fall sight around here are the asparagus plants that grow wild on the ditchbanks. They are the most glorious golden color, often with little red berries.
No wonder fall is one of my favorite times of year. The only problem is this: If fall is here, can winter be far behind?
UltraMom
Asparagus in the Fall
Close up and Personal
