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Happy New Year
I hope that you all have had a wonderful holiday season this year. And my finest wishes for a good 2009.
Life in my little house has been relaxed and most pleasurable this holiday. It was a little topsy-turvy at first, but all turned out nicely. We’re cozy and warm and well-fed. The lad received a few cookbooks for Christmas and he has been practicing on me. Just an unfortunate learning experience or two along the way, but in the main, oh my. Last night, for example, he made me steak marsala and it was to die for. The night before it was rosemary chicken with a honey/balsamic vinegar glaze with horseradished potatoes. Horseradish in potatoes, you say? Ohhhh....so delicious. I shall regret sending him back to school. Meal times are just too much fun. Having someone cook for me is simply a luxury beyond measure.
Does anyone have any New Year Resolutions? I used to have a long list of them every year, but learned that a long list was unrealistic. The only thing it was good for was to make me feel terrible when I didn’t achieve most of them. So, I’ve scaled it back significantly. In terms of blog resolutions, I think just one—try to blog more often. In fact, I will try to post every single day in January. Not sure how well that will pan out, but if I get through January, then I’ll tackle February.
The one resolution that I made in 2008 turned out well. It was simple—read at least one book a week. I used to be a voracious reader. Somewhere along the line, that stopped and it was a good year when I read a half a dozen books. I think there were a couple of years in there were I was doing well to read 2 books. I think part of that was because the public library is in the most inconvenient spot on earth. Otherwise, books have grown rather expensive over the years and I can’t afford to walk into my favorite bookstore to get ONE book and walk out with an armful every month. I have a lack of discipline when it comes to buying books. Best to stay out of the bookstore, which I did. Plus...I didn’t have any more room to store books. I still have boxes and boxes and boxes full of them in the attic.
Well, in May, I decided to purchase an Amazon Kindle e-reader with the whispernet mobile technology that allows me to download books wirelessly from Amazon and a couple of other places that offer free public domain books. I wasn’t sure that would be a whole lot better than walking into a bookstore, but at least it solved a couple of problems—no more piles of books scattered all over the house and no need to lug a book or two along with me wherever I go. Oh, and I could get a book the second I wanted it. Instant gratification is lovely, especially after the waiting lists at the library, which often extended beyond 4 weeks.
This has worked out very well for me. I now have a growing library contained in this little device and it goes with me wherever I go. It’s amazing how much reading I can get done standing in line waiting. Since last May, I’ve acquired 73 e-books from Amazon and 33 free public domain books. The total book cost involved for the last 8 months has been $227 for 106 books, which makes the average cost per book about $2.15. Not bad. And, of those 106 books, I have read 31 of them. Plus another 9 that I checked out of the library.
So, for the last 8 months, I’ve read 40 books and that comes out to about 5 books per month which is slightly more than 1 book per week. I still didn’t quite meet my 2008 New Year’s Resolution for the year, but I came pretty darned close. I should exceed it this year.
The best part is that I am reading voraciously again. And I’m reading authors I might never have discovered. 2008 has been an absolute feast.
You are alive! And the lad did return, I was getting worried that the, um dad, didn’t return him yet. When does he have to go back. I am determined to see him this time! And tell him I would love to be a guinea pig along with you!!!
Yep, he came back on Sunday and, as far as I know, he will be here until January 24th. He wouldn’t mind spending a day with you learning some of your recipes. I’ve told him about a couple of your dishes and his eyebrows about shot off his face.
HNY to you all. I still don’t have a Kindle, and they’re sold out for a while; however, when 2.0 comes out I’ll spring for it as everyone who has one just loves that cool, little thing.
When is 2.0 coming out? Lots of speculation, but no one seems to have the faintest idea whether it’ll be this year or 2010. I will be so depressed if it has folders and that’s the only way we will be able to get them. That’s my only complaint about the Kindle....NO folders to store stuff in. When you get one, Alan, you’ll wonder why in the world you waited so long. Promise. 
Paranoid geek that I am, I wanna know if there’s a way to back up all the books you’ve downloaded onto the Kindle, in case you drop it into a snowdrift or something.
And Hau’oli Makahiki Hou to you and my fellow readers of this fine establishment!
LOL, Let me know when is good for you and the lad and I am there! Give me a call over the weekend if you get a chance. The kiddo’s go back to school on Monday. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy!
Linkmeister, as far as I know Amazon keeps a copy of what you have purchased just for that reason. I have been drooling to get one, just can’t afford it lol.
The last rumor I hear for Kindle 2.0 is 2Q of this year, which probably means 6/30. Here’s hoping!
Ah. justme, here’s the blurb from the Kindle product page:
In addition, a copy of every book you purchase is backed up online in Your Media Library in case you ever need to download it again. This allows you to make room for new titles on your device, knowing that Amazon is storing your personal library, which can always be re-downloaded wirelessly. If you are out of wireless coverage, such as traveling overseas, you can download books to your computer from Your Media Library and transfer via USB to your Kindle.
Okay. When I have an extra $359 and it takes less than 7-9 weeks to get one. . . 
Yes, indeed, Amazon keeps back-ups of all the books you purchase from them. You can also download them to your computer to keep copies. That could be especially useful for anyone traveling abroad with their laptop. And you can also buy a little disk to insert into your Kindle and save everything to that. I use my 1GB disk to transfer books I’ve read off the Kindle. There is a slot in the Kindle for a disk. And I also use it to back up the free books I’ve acquired from non-Amazon sources. I can transfer them back into Kindle memory whenever I want. I can also use the USB cable to transfer back and forth from my computer. Any number of ways to save your book files and move them around.
Linkmeister, you can be one of the first to try out the 2.0 Kindle. Long wait, but could be some nice improvements. I’m very curious to see what they come up with. There will HAVE to be folders. And slightly smaller page buttons, I’m sure. Can’t wait to see. Or if you didn’t want to wait 7 weeks and pay $359, you could try to get one of the refurbished Kindles at $329. I know a number of people who have purchased the refurbs and they look and act brand new and have displayed no problems. If you can get one, they arrive in a day or two, depending on what you choose for shipping.
ya but, for an extra $30? Even I am not that cheap lol
If it comes packaged brand new, looks brand new, and acts brand new for $30 less...why is that a bad thing? I think it should be more like $50, but a savings is a savings. I suspect that the refurbs are really Kindles that were returned because the recipients decided it wasn’t what they expected or it was a gift that they didn’t really want and so returned them for the cash. As far as I know, Amazon doesn’t actually repair any Kindles—just replaces them with new ones.