Reflecting on the shelves

I was just re-reading some of my previous posts (there's that introspective streak again! that, and I'm also a bit bored) and feel compelled to comment on earlier statements.
1)If you want an opportunity to read fairly non-stop book yourself a transcontinental flight. Not only will you have ample opportunity to read on the flight, but with layovers, delays and arriving well in advance for your departure time you will have a ton of time to read. This is especially true if your flight gets canceled due to mechanical failure and you have to wait for five hours for the next flight they could get you on. Thus, during my trip to Anaheim for the ALA conference I was able to read nine books. Unfortunately, most of them were not already on my aforementioned reading list and thus I didn't really make progress there, but it was still enjoyable.
2)My recent visit with my sister means I spent a lot of time with my adorable nephew. He is currently on a Thomas the Tank Engine kick. Nay, obsession. It isn't a bad show, but there aren't that many episodes in rotation and he wants to watch them again and again and again. I must say that I prefer Alec Baldwin's narration to whomever currently does (or last did) it. Is Thomas even still in production? I don't know, and some genius has block IMDB on this computer. (Finks!) And it tickles me to hear the Bambino say "troublesome trucks" as he has that little boy speech impediment. Sometimes though, I wonder if the writers for the show have gotten confused. The plot seems to be moving towards one moral and then switches gears rather quickly. Odd.
3)When I mentioned that my natural resting state was "serious and introspective" I didn't think about the fact that it might come across that I take myself seriously. I really don't. It's just that when you come across me, whether I am working, or reading or whatever, I wear a serious expression on my face. Unless, of course, what I am reading or watching or what have you is funny, in which case you will probably think I am a nutter.
4)Being thought of as a nutter is par for the course for me. It runs in the family you see. Or rather, it runs on my dad's side of the family. (That reminds me, I never did the companion post to the female side of the family tree. I really should tell you about great-uncle Hugh. He's really a post in and of himself though.) My mother's family had to work too hard to indulge in eccentricity and quirk. Of course, one branch of hers was wild in a different way. Ah family. It is a brave person who ventures to join my family. For some, it is quite a good fit. Others, not so much. If you can't handle exuberance, don't bother with us.
5)Voracious craw (used in Step into my stream) is part of an ever growing lexicon between yours truly and Mockingbird. With some concentration we could have an entire conversation that no one would understand but us. It's an amusing prospect, and one that we will have to try out one day.

Feeling philosophical

I recently engaged in an interesting conversation with an old friend. He commented that Love in the Time of Cholera was a must read and we proceeded to try and come up with a list of "must reads." He contributed more titles than I did for one reason. I don't think of anything as being a "must" read for everyone, just "should" read. It's different if we are getting specific about a person's likes and interests, then I can give you short lists of must reads on a topic or in a given genre. But overall, for everyone? The only book I can think of as being close to a "must read" is To Kill a Mockingbird.
So naturally, as my normal state of rest is serious and introspective, this made me think about whether or not I had any "musts" in other areas. Again, not so much, although more than with books.
1. Learn to read.
2. Learn to cook at least one really good meal.
3. Develop a life long hobby.
4. Be passionate about something.
5. Learn to swim.
The last one is tricky, because one could argue that if you live somewhere where there is no place to swim (like a desert) or where the temperature prevents swimming (like the Arctic Circle) that it is irrelevant. Perhaps. But nevertheless, having that skill in your repertoire even if you never need it, is better than the other way around.
I thought about adding learning to drive, but that isn't as vital as the other things. Learning to drive is definitely a "should," as is learn to type. Although that is almost a must in this day and age.
Hmm...I hadn't really thought about how to end this post. I've been sort of a mental jumble lately. I think it is because of all the traveling I've done recently (having gone to California for the ALA national conference) and then to visit my sister. It could also be the end of the fiscal year crunch and corresponding chaos I've been wading through. It could be that I currently have the outlook that the community I am living in is slowly chipping away at my soul. I don't know. Maybe all of these things.