1 post tagged “novels”
People are very interested in cats on leashes. We often bring Petey to the park and we always put him on a leash because there are big dogs running around and lots of cars whizzing by on two streets surrounding. But people are so fascinated with it and they always come and talk to us, saying it's the first time they've ever seen a cat on a leash. Petey doesn't love it, but he likes being outside.
The Pepe Carvalho detective novel series is my new favorite. The detective creation by the late Spanish writer Manuel Velasquez Montalban, is a really interesting gumshoe who wrestles with intellectual and philosophical quandries. In Buenos Aires Quintet, Cavalho is in Argentina investigating the disappearance of Raul who has some shady relationship with the Argentine government of the late 90s. His stories have a real "Kafka-esque" feel to them (doesn't everyone say that about writers who leave out practical mundane details?) in that you have such a limited view point and sense that most of the action takes place off-stage.
Chili needs cumin. I've been making chili for years, but last month we were at Dougie's and tasted some of his chili. It was different than mine and when we compared recipes, I realized that I never used cumin. After the park yesterday, I came home and made a big batch of chili and cornbread and added cumin this time: SO GOOD!
Taking a day off is a necessity. Since I freelance, I tend to just work all the time but lately Masa's been putting his foot down (in his own way), insisting I take Sundays off and do no work. It really does help getting away from this computer for a day and on Mondays I am more than ready to get back to work! I wonder if I will ever have enough work stability to be able to take two days off?!
We have strange TV habits. We only watch about five tv shows with any regularity and the only networks we watch are TLC, A&E, and PBS. I love "The First 48" and "Cold Case Files." (Oh, and "Intervention.") Masa loves "Flip This House" and "What Not to Wear." I often watch "Nova" or "American Experience" or "American Masters" if the topic is interesting to me. But that's it! Those are about the only shows we ever watch on tv and almost never watch the US networks. I wonder why...and we never plan on watching anything. It's just that we keep the tv on if those shows come on. I hear that certain shows are worth watching ("The Wire," "Entourage") but I have no idea when they are even on. Oh, and we don't have HBO.
I love Montreal when it's not winter. All winter long, I am daydreaming about leaving, hating being stuck inside all the time. People tend to be anti-social (ourselves included) so since I work at home it's easy to feel isolated. But lately with the great weather, we are loving this city and don't want to go anywhere else. Meeting up with friends, hanging out in the park, just walking down Laurier or Mont-Royal on a sunny Saturday is a thrill, bustling with people and animals and snippets of conversation. But in January, this town SUCKS.
