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Reading and Writing

Yesterday’s word count: 1,518 (writing: 546, journal: 649, here 323).

Last night we rented Taken.  It was a bit of a letdown.  There was no identifying with the protagonist – he just seemed vengeful and cruel.  I get that he was doing everything to save his daughter, but the writer(s) could have done a better job of making him a little more sympathetic.  Still, it’s good to watch new movies.  I get tired of seeing the old ones over and over, no matter how much the girls enjoy the repetition.

I read a good chapter in Eyewitness to History yesterday, on a peasants revolt against King Richard II.  These first-person accounts of what happened are riveting for the most part.  I’m going to read more of the book today, starting with the battle of Agincourt.

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Reading and Writing

Yesterday’s word count:  1112 words (898 journal; 214 here).

Movie night tonight.  Looper.  Not as good as I’d hoped it would be, but not bad.

The weekend is here,  I hope to get some good reading and writing done over the weekend.  We’ll see.

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Reading and Writing

Today I read The New York Times. I particularly enjoyed the article on Jeff Bezos and the Sunday profile of rapper 50 Cent. For my audiobook, I finished another chapter in Lower Ed by Tressie McMillan Cottom. In it, she described the recruiting practices of the for-profit colleges and universities. She paints a stark picture of the for-profit higher education marketplace. So far today, I haven’t read any other books, but I think I might explore the study for a history book.

I also haven’t written anything today beyond my personal journal. That’s over 800 words so far, and I’ll keep writing until the end of the day. Not sure if I’ll write creatively today or not. Part of me is just happy to have launched this web site: I’m putting myself out there and committing to writing regularly.

While my wife was suffering her first migraine in 15 years, my daughter and I quietly watched Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. It was a relaxing way to spend the afternoon without making too much noise. But I suppose I could have spent that time writing. That’s the kind of choice I have to start making if I’m going to get my projects off the ground.

I just finished reading the introduction and first two stories in Eyewitness to History, edited by John Carey. That’s a start on my history. Just a little bit, every day. I also went out for a brief walk. It was cold, but good to get out and reflect on the day.