You know your flist is really out of control when...

[derien]

You're home all day, every day, and in the morning you have to do skip=20 to catch up on what's been posted since you last read.

It's really not as bad as all that, because I left my computer when the sun got in my eyes too badly, around noon, and didn't sit down in front of it again until this morning because Eor was using it for his genealogical project planning. I tell him it's not good for him to be thinking databases all day at work and then come home and think databases for his free time, but it seems like when he gets on a role with something he just runs with it. I think work got his brain in database mode and reminded him that he had this project he'd been wanting to work on, and now it's all databases all the time. And he steals my computer for this. There's a couple of other programs which he likes to play with in his off time that only work on Windows - the house designer and Civilization - they don't work on Linux (the operating system on his computer), so I go off somewhere and read while he does that. Really not a problem, most of the time, because our schedules are so different that it doesn't impact my use of the computer that much, and I really shouldn't sit and just read LJ and stories ALL the time.

Relief is in sight, though, because he just ordered a laptop that he'll be able to use for his hobbies. :) I might also use it for writing on, if I want to go out to a coffee shop or something. I'm kind of psyched about trying that.

I feel as though I should have spent more time 'with' him, yesterday, on his one full day off, but we went for a walk together and then he wanted to work on the genealogical project, and I really wanted to finish reading "Emma," so we did as we usually do and lapsed into the companionable silence of us both doing our own thing, punctuated by him using me as a sounding board for aspects of his project. We actually watched a movie together in the evening, a rare event for us. "Mallrats," which, believe it or not we hadn't seen before. (I said movies were a rare event!) It seems our VCR is on it's last legs, so we'd better watch the last few tapes we haven't seen.

So, Books Read update:

38) "Emma," Jane Austin. Took me a long time to get into this book, but three quarters of the way through it got hard to put down. I'm beginning to think Miss Austin was a Sociologist, and hoping to influence society for the better by modeling behavioral interactions. And the levels that things go to... there was one bit: Mrs. Weston was most comfortably pleased on the occasion. Her looks and words had nothing to restrain them. She was happy, she knew she was happy, and knew she ought to be happy. - A reminder that not only do you have to understand your own feelings, you have to be conscious of whether it's suitable to be showing those feelings in the setting you're in at the moment. Every story seems to be constantly about striking a balance between being reserved enough to not offend anyone, yet open enough to make others comfortable. And of course making social calls and telling 'the news' (what's going on with other people you know) is vital for making sure people - particularly older people - are staying involved and part of the community. It was amazing to me that they would hand around letters from their relatives, but that was part of sharing news. If I'm sharing my life I'm sharing the lives of my family and friends, and other people become more invested in the context of your life when you do that, I guess. Well, to a certain extent I do that in my LJ, like reposting that email from my brother, but I can't imagine what anyone would think if I handed them a letter and said "check this out!" :) Maybe in many ways we're more reserved than at that time, even though we call each other by our first name.

Comments

[qian.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine what anyone would think if I handed them a letter and said "check this out!"

I guess at that time it was the equivalent of talking to your sister on the phone, and then, when your dad comes into the room, saying, "Hey, [can't remember Emma's sister's name] is on the phone! Wanna talk to her?" and passing the phone to him. It sorta makes sense when you think about it that way!

[derien.livejournal.com]

Except that at one point she goes to the house of someone she isn't even related to and that woman says, "My niece, Jane, wrote - here, read her letter!" Emma manages to avoid reading her letter, saying she needs to get home, but there was no indication that the woman's offer was abnormal at all. In fact, it was the thing she was most dreading, since she only vaguely knew Jane and every time she went to visit them they were forcing a letter under her nose.

[qian.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, that is weirder. :) I guess that's more like, they're just so proud of Jane they want everyone to know about her, so I didn't notice it. Or maybe it's just 'cos I'm quite oblivious! *g*

[derien.livejournal.com]

It's a different culture, though - I mean, when I'm reading it I'm constantly forceably reminded of what a different culture that was than what I live it - so you might have just brushed it by, since there's so much that's different. I might have, too - and may have in many of the previous Austin stories I've read - but I've been trying to make an effort to be aware and make note of things, at least one or two things per book.

The other thing I noticed, this book, and forgot to put in my review, was that she refers to a baby as 'it,' (she had previously said it was a girl) which is something I've taken shit from people for doing. :)