Reading:
Discovering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing: Anya Von Bremzen. A delightful book. This combines both a social history of the Soviet Union, along with a history of Soviet Cuisine and an immigration and longing story. The author normally writes cookbooks and has a natural curiosity for the intimate relationship between man and food, so much preparation (and in this case standing in line) for a few minutes as her mother, in great Jewish tradition wolfs down her portion. She is clearly torn between her nostalgia foods from her homeland and the current state of the region once known as the USSR. I must say, the first few times I visited London after moving to the US, I did gorge myself on my old comfort foods, only to find them far less exciting than my memory had told me.
Let's explore Diabetes with Owls: David Sedaris.
Another book of short stories by one of the best modern story tellers. This was rather a mixed bag. Some laugh out loud but a number where fairly hum-drum stuff. But worth reading, the experience of someone American living in London is always amusing and those were the stories I liked the best.
Major Pettigrew's last stand: Helen Simonson
Rather too sweet a book about love, class loss and the English countryside. Some flare in the relationship of immigrants to the others in rural England but all a little too predictable in the end. One wonders, of course, how much overt racism does exist between the Upper-middle's and the immigrant shopkeepers in the countryside but this book does not go far enough to really explore that beyond some overt scenes meant to shock. It was sweet enough though, an enjoyable read for a few days.
Rather too sweet a book about love, class loss and the English countryside. Some flare in the relationship of immigrants to the others in rural England but all a little too predictable in the end. One wonders, of course, how much overt racism does exist between the Upper-middle's and the immigrant shopkeepers in the countryside but this book does not go far enough to really explore that beyond some overt scenes meant to shock. It was sweet enough though, an enjoyable read for a few days.
Concerts:
Live at the Red River Revel: The Blind Boys from Alabama
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Six-time Grammy-winning gospel group The Blind Boys of Alabama was first formed at Alabama's Talladega Institute for the Blind in 1939.
This was a free concert on the first Monday of the revel, open-air with a cool breeze and an evening in the low 70s F. A beautiful evening of Gospel mixed with some new, more contemporary tracks a really good turn out, most of the tables being full. We were able to stay for the whole thing as Gil is now able to drive himself to fencing.
At the Strand Theatre: David Sedaris live. This was a great night out, had all of us, including Gil, laughing out loud. Pleasant surprises included almost everyone we knew in Shreveport, and that the show was a sell out. He is after all a very liberal and Gay intellectual which is not typical Shreveport entertainment. He told jokes, read a few stories and signed books, a really great night out which, as all great entertainment seems to, passed in what seemed like a few moments.
Events:
Saturday 5 to Sunday 6: Louisiana High School fencing championships. On Saturday Gil lost by one touch to a 23 year old in the "past champions " category. Then the Magnet team (psychopaths) beat Loyola. We returned on Sunday for the main event, by the time we had both run and showered Gil was half way through the pools winning 6 out of 7 of the 5 point bouts. He ended up ranked third after the pools. He had a few really easy wins in the direct elimination and as usual we ended up with a thrilling bout for the championship. Gil ended up against a fencer from New Orleans, Ryan Davis. It went double touch to double touch until 14:14 at which point Gil found his anger and rushed out and scored the winning touch, well done Gil! that makes the second year he has won.
Saturday October 26: Having risen at 6 to drive to New Orleans we found ourselves watching Gil in another great show of fast and skillful fencing. He won 3 out of 5 in the pools, getting himself a bye for the first round of DEs then after a fairly easy first DE he fenced a D ranked fencer to get into the semi-finals, it was touch for touch for a while but he managed to win 15:13. The other fencer had the annoying habit of shouting every time he won a point, which is rare in epee fencing. He was also incredulous every time he thought he had struck Gil, he asked for a weapon check, he was dumbfounded that he didn't win. In the semi's Gil was fairly beaten by a Fencing teacher, with 4 kids and his own club (15:8) who went on to win the competition. After placing in the semi's Gil has earned his national ranking of D. well done Gil!
Saturday October 26: Having risen at 6 to drive to New Orleans we found ourselves watching Gil in another great show of fast and skillful fencing. He won 3 out of 5 in the pools, getting himself a bye for the first round of DEs then after a fairly easy first DE he fenced a D ranked fencer to get into the semi-finals, it was touch for touch for a while but he managed to win 15:13. The other fencer had the annoying habit of shouting every time he won a point, which is rare in epee fencing. He was also incredulous every time he thought he had struck Gil, he asked for a weapon check, he was dumbfounded that he didn't win. In the semi's Gil was fairly beaten by a Fencing teacher, with 4 kids and his own club (15:8) who went on to win the competition. After placing in the semi's Gil has earned his national ranking of D. well done Gil!
Exercise:
The bike/run/bike etc has been working well. I have managed about 70 miles riding in the past week or two. A long bike run (20 miles) in the morning of Saturday out to the Pecan station.
20th: I am now managing bike/run 6 days a week or so. We had a great 17 miles today, parking out by the Pecan station and riding at about 14 miles an hour fairly steadily, which was harder work for Yehudit on the mountain bike than it was for me.
26-27 October. A Saturday night in New Orleans at the Ramada in Metarie, Happily a much nicer hotel than its front entrance would suggest. We managed to eat out with Marc Kahn and his wife at the Hilton's Drago restaurant which was rather good, first Oysters I have ever eaten!. We managed to visit Noam's new house which looks very sweet.
20th: I am now managing bike/run 6 days a week or so. We had a great 17 miles today, parking out by the Pecan station and riding at about 14 miles an hour fairly steadily, which was harder work for Yehudit on the mountain bike than it was for me.
Trips:
26-27 October. A Saturday night in New Orleans at the Ramada in Metarie, Happily a much nicer hotel than its front entrance would suggest. We managed to eat out with Marc Kahn and his wife at the Hilton's Drago restaurant which was rather good, first Oysters I have ever eaten!. We managed to visit Noam's new house which looks very sweet.
