ONE book a month...

Just read in this morning's WSJ that:

"Finally, there's the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, which is included in an Amazon Prime membership ($79 per year, amazon.com ). The fee includes access to one book per month from a list of some 400,000 titles. The collection is large but includes only about 100 New York Times best-sellers, according to Amazon. Access to this feature requires a Kindle device (the apps for Android and iOS are not compatible). At $6.58 per month, it's not worth signing up for Amazon Prime just for the books alone, but if you're already a member for the unlimited video and free shipping that are included with the subscription, the lending library is a modest perk."

Now , that 79$  is a waste of money to me... for just one book a month!!!
I read, on average, more than one book a week!
Yes, a week!

I love my area libraries.


Multi language library on QM 2

I love having friends who trade books with me.
I love having thrift shops nearby where I can pick up books for a dollar; and even better on 'discount day'.
I love the feel of the book in my hands.
I find the nearest thrift shop, when travelling, to buy ( and 'donate' back) books during the stay.
I need not worry that the battery in the pad/kindle, etc. runs down.
I have no need to shlep chargers.

And I have NO worries that someone will swipe the pad/kindle!!!
Seems books are just very safe items to have (sadly) anymore ;-).

I do have a computer and use it well, and often.
Or else I would not be blogging on stuff such as this and more, right!?

BUT when it comes to reading, I have to have real BOOKS!

Call me an old codger who isn't up to snuff .
I really don't care!
"I LOVE real books!"

And the morale of Donizetti's Don Pasquale is....

A whole lot of musical fun in an evening, or in our case afternoon, at the OH!

After a spiritedly conducted overture, in which the strings sang, sometimes meltingly, sometimes not so, and the winds blew happily with the percussion section drumming merrily along, the farce began.

Strong singers, whose voices evenly matched, insured that the audience left chuckling.

Stefano de Peppo, and experienced bass baritone, set the pace, portraying the Don Pasquale with tongue in cheek acting without making him the archetypical caricature of an old doddering codger.

Equally strong performance came from the Norina, soprano Julia Engel, who was a saucy girl turned into fury. Her high notes were stratospheric and held, seemingly, forever.

Wesley Landry, baritone, as Dr. Malatesta, was quite convincing as the co conspirator to teach the old fool Don P. A lesson. His mellow baritone was,  IMO, a bit too "nice" for the role. 

Eric Bowden, sang Ernesto, the romantic lead, with penetrating power and endurance. 

The non singing role of Notary was taken by Maxim Bitner, a bass, who is part of the chorus.

All in all an amusing interlude on a muggy afternoon in Houston.

If, cheers readers, you miss the usual inclusions of video clips, if available, or photos, I apologize . My trusty desk top languishes at the computer whizz  " hospital", and the iPad and I are yet strangers to each other, to permit such fancies...... ;)!

Just one more note: 

both de Peppo and Bowden sing in all performances which will be Nov.21,22,23,and 24. So you have time to go and enjoy!

Rampage versus Admirals

Now you all enjoy a good, fluid game, right? Well if you do, you ought to have been in San Antonio on Sunday!

Both teams came out burning with zest. 

The first period seemed to just melt away, even though neither scored a goal. 14 sogs per side, and both goalies stepped up to keep the puck from going into the net.
Rampage have a new head coach,

 and he sure seems to dare the team to  do better.
And they did, in the 2.period.
Nr. 13 Pinizzotto (13 must have been HIS good luck number?) scored, then our old friend Ortmeyer made it two soon after, followed by a scuffle in which Crabb (Rampage) turned real crabby :-). 
Alas, the PP ensuing allowed the Admirals Rodney to sore 1 for the Ads.
And so we went into the 3. 2 Rampage 1 Admirals. At about 7 minutes into the 3. Moser evened the score for the Admirals. And that was it. Overtime-no goal. Shoot out-and that's were the more experienced Dov Grumet Morris had the advantage over the youngster Magnus Hellberg, at 22 almost 10 years younger. Grumet Morris stopped all attempts by Admiral players.
But - credit is due to Hellberg, he ONLY let in one. Which was the decider by Matsumoto, who scored on the first attempt.  The other 4 did not.

Hellberg

Grumet Morris doings splits

Following the puck

Grumet Morris named 1. *, Hellberg 2. * and Matsumoto 3. * of  the game.

Blond 9'5 tall Magnus (well named, eh?)

And that was as it should have been.  Hellberg had 43 saves, which IMO not a bad result fro a youngster - note I am a bit biased, I do like young blond giants ;-)!
Grumet Morris had 31 saves.
Both team hamster'ed 5 penalties and thus 5 PP, but only Rodney (Ads) was able to convert the advantage to a goal. Two refs kept the progress of the game swift and after 2 1/2 hours the approx. 7200 loyal fans went home (?) satisfied.


Ortmeyer in perfect position

A minor scuffle-Watson argues with  Pinizotto?

A win, a couple of scuffles,an OT and a SO.. the heart just has to jump for joy in hockey fans!
And  for us, we spent the Monday  enjoying a beautiful sunrise:

and on leisurely nature trail walks looking at Mother Nature's fall bounty :-) .

 Tuesday dawned with gusts of winds but 62 degrees, while travelling a bit North of SA to Texas Hills winery, we shivered in 48 degrees. Fortunately the temps warmed up a bit as we returned south to I-10 and drove eastward, even the sun peeked out at times. Still the wind was strong and big cars weaved on the road. We,  sitting low and loaded down with wine (lol) rode somewhat better :-)!