Sunday, May 26, 2013

Discuss: Summer Plans

 

Doug:  Whether it's a book you plan to read, a trip you're taking, or some good ol' fashioned popcorn fun, let's hear what's on your agenda up to Labor Day!




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23 comments:

Rip Jagger said...

We're a few days away from the end of school (kids are done but I'm not yet), so my summer spreads before me with only a few chores (painting the garage, sprucing up the gardening, etc.) and lots of hopefully comfortable days to sit on the porch and read some good books.

Right now I'm reading some Sherlock Holmes pastiches, and enjoying them mightily. I have Doc Savages to read, some Avenger stuff from Moonstone, and I want to get into more Wold Newton stuff when time allows. I've been dabbling in Charlie Chan novels too.

On the comics front, I just yesterday got the much anticipated E-Man trade from First Comics and I have scuds of collections demanding my attention. I picked up a cheap copy of YOe Book's Frankenstein recently too. I want to do a close reading of Charlton's Fightin' 5 too before the summer is spent.

All that means I will be staying close at home for the most part. So the plan is to stay cool and enjoy. It's a sweet deal really.

Rip Off

May 26, 2013 at 7:37 AM
david_b said...

I always love discovering a big hard cover on interests of mine. I came across a cheap copy of 'Wars of Watergate' by Stanley Kuttler, actually a Guggenheim Fellow at UW-Madison near here. An excellent and very in-depth book of Johnson's and obviously Nixon's tenure in office, analyzing pundit battles, executive styles, socio-economic forces, policies put in place, primarily leading up to the break-ins. A complex and very delicious read.

Probably focusing more on my slide guitar, finding a gig to play somewhere, taking my dogs on hikes.

I've also got a few weeks of military duty coming up in July/August. Probably no vacation travel per se, so just another working summer.

May 26, 2013 at 7:51 AM
Mike said...

Man of Steel opening weekend. That's about all I can plan for right now.

Oh, I might do this too: Life-sized Star Wars X-wing Starfighter.

Should take me maybe a weekend, huh???

May 26, 2013 at 8:09 AM
redartz said...

Most likely this will be a busy working summer. No formal plans, but we will probably spend many Saturdays out browsing flea markets and yard sales (one never knows when one might score a good comic or two).

May start reading the Game of Thrones series; we are deeply hooked on the show.

And, of course, I'll try to make it over to Cincinnati to catch a Reds game. Overall, hope it's a quiet peaceful summer.

May 26, 2013 at 8:48 AM
Edo Bosnar said...

Been kind of swamped with work this month, and June looks like more of the same, although there is the possibility of road-trip in the last week of the month (to Croatia's Istria region).

Otherwise, there will hopefully be some vacation time in late August. Usually, I always anticipate getting some extra reading done during the summer: among other things, I've got a backlog of SF and Hard Case Crime books just clamoring to be read.
As for comics, there's quite a stack there, too. I've finally managed to get all of the Simonson Thor Visionaries books together, so that's a possibility, but since Rip brought up E-man, it reminded me that I have yet to actually sit down and actually read my custom-bound volume of the original Charlton series.

However, first things first: in late winter, I made the mistake of (literally) blowing the dust off of a few Thomas Pynchon books that have been sitting on my shelf for about 10 years. I was only about halfway through Mason & Dixon in early May when my current flood of work came in and I've only been managing to get through a few pages a day since (usually I save books like that for summer vacation when I have entire days to do nothing but read - it's become clear to me that I should have kept with that custom in this case).

May 26, 2013 at 9:32 AM
david_b said...

One comics goal of mine this summer is to slowly replace those Marvel comics of mine that I regrettably cut the value stamps out of in my youth.. Probably about 2-3 dozen more to go. Typically I've been replacing 'em with nicer condition copies as well, so to afford this endeavor, I only do so many at a time..

May 26, 2013 at 10:25 AM
Anonymous said...

My wife and I are are heading out for a belated honeymoon a week from yesterday - doing a roadtrip from San Fran up and around the Pacific-Northwest. We've both been to northern CA, but Oregon and WA will be new to us - looking forward to it.

Other than that and turning 42, I am planning to finish my doctoral dissertation, even if it kills me.

May 26, 2013 at 10:45 AM
Unknown said...

Hey Middlespaces,

My wife and I live in SF. We did the drive up to Portland last year. We took the I-5, which is boring as h**l, until you pass Redding. We'd never gotten that far before. The scenery just exploded before us into something inspired.

If you make it to Portland, visit Powell's bookstore. It's huge. I did a great job of hiding from my wife in it (hee hee).

James Chatterton

May 26, 2013 at 11:26 AM
Edo Bosnar said...

Ah, Oregon, my old home state. And nothing beats a road-trip through the Pacific Northwest. Last time I did that was in 2000 with my own little lady - I envy you mr. oyola. If you want scenery, though, and you have the time, avoid I-5 altogether and take 101 along the coast.
As for Portland, as far as I know, it's still got lots of good used bookstores. Powell's is cool because it takes up a whole city block, but it's not what it used to be: it's all upscale now, with a coffee shop and everything, whereas back in the '80s I remember it being almost kind of seedy, and you could find really dirt-cheap books there.
For the type of stuff that's probably more interesting to this site's regulars (e.g. old cheap paperbacks, magazines and even old comics), I think it's better to try a few places in east Portland, like Cameron's or Armchair Books.

May 26, 2013 at 12:06 PM
William said...

Well, yesterday was my birthday, so we had a little party, ate some steak and shrimp, and then had some cake, and I picked up some decent swag to boot. Such as the Todd McFarlane / David Michelinie Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus, a MaFex Amazing Spider-Man action figure, a Blu-Ray copy of "The Perfect Weapon", a monopod for my camera, and a couple hundred bucks in Ebay and Amazon gift cards. All-in-all, it's been a pretty nice Labor Day weekend.

As for the rest of the summer, my only plans are to work, read, play tennis, make some new action figure comics, and hit the theater for some summer blockbusters. Already saw "Iron Man 3" and "Star Trek: Into Darkness". Plan to still catch "Man of Steel", "Wolverine", "Thor", and a couple of others that escape me at the moment.

May 26, 2013 at 12:20 PM
Tony said...

A Blue Jays game in July, maybe a day trip to Niagara Falls, Lake Huron another day. Still trying to convince my wife to get me a ticket to Rush in Hamilton, Ontario in July..

May 26, 2013 at 12:38 PM
Anonymous said...

Got some holidays coming up soon, so I'll try to catch up on some reading - I literally have over 10 books (ranging from some Mary Russell Sherlock Holmes stories to a History of ancient Rome to an old Conan the Avenger novel I had forgotten under all the junk,er, stuff I have in my room) I've bought in the last two years which I haven't read yet. Note to self : learn speed reading!

Moviewise, I'll be in line for the Wolverine and Thor : The Dark World. Just have to endure all the teenyboppers who think Hugh Jackman invented Wolverine.

As for yard work, gadzooks, I have to do that every Sunday now! It's the rainy season now in Trinidad so the grass shoots up faster now. My brother bought one of those old time scythes (think Grim Reaper) to use alongside our electric whacker. Apparently, it's the only one down here. Most locals use a brushing cutlass (an old short blade tied to a 3 ft long wooden handle) to clear grass.

Oh yeah, gotta buy a weight set too. Apparently, when you're over 40 you have to take really good care of yourself 'cause things don't work like when you were 20!



- Mike 'lawn warrior' from Trinidad & Tobago.

May 26, 2013 at 1:10 PM
Doug said...

I chose images for the post today that will (hopefully) reflect some of my summer plans.

I've never read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and would love to rectify that soon. Man of Steel is on the docket here in a couple of weeks, and I'd like to take in The Lone Ranger and Monsters University as well. Aside from reading for the blog, I'd still love to sit down with some Silver and Bronze Age Thor books, and the WWII/Holocaust book Bloodlands is still on my to-read list.

It's a busy summer for me in work-related things. Beginning June 10 I'll teach economics for three weeks in summer school; while I'm doing that I also need to start a 30-hour online module for teacher evaluations so that in the coming years (as a dept. chair) I can assist in the evaluation process. In July I'll head out to DC for my third (what has become annual) trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to assist in the delivery of two national teacher conferences. In August I'll be in Chicago for two days doing a workshop for CPS teachers related to the Nazi Propaganda exhibit, which begins its tour at the Field Museum.

Around all of that, my wife and I have an overnight planned for our 25th anniversary (which is about 10 days away) followed by a longer getaway near the end of July. If I'm lucky, I may be able to squeeze in a trip to WizardWorld Chicago -- some months ago david_b mentioned meeting up there for a day. We shall see.

Jeez, I feel busy just seeing that all in one place! I need a nap...

Doug

May 26, 2013 at 2:08 PM
david_b said...

William, I know so many folks who confuse Labor Day with Memorial Day, no worries here.. My birthday (Big 5-0) is Tuesday, so I'm in good company. Sounds like great presents, sure wish I got big giftcards for amazon and eBay.. Can never talk my wife into it. I believe I'm getting either the blu-ray of Logans Run or thr original Galactica movie from my nephew.

Like Mike, I just finished my lawnwork for the week, at least we got the mulching donw last weekend before guests came over. Time for a brew..

Doug, I've actually never been to one of those big Chicago cons.., so still pondering it.

May 26, 2013 at 2:26 PM
William said...

Oh crap. Did I say Labor Day? My bad.

May 26, 2013 at 3:34 PM
William said...

Oh, and Happy B-Day to a fellow Gemini, David B, hope you have a good one my friend. :)

Not quite to the big Five-Oh myself just yet, but I'm closing in fast.

May 26, 2013 at 3:37 PM
Humanbelly said...

"Time off? WHAT time off???"

Actually, I've built up quite a surplus of hours this season at the theater I work for, so I'll be pulling in overhire folks to do any necessary work over the summer (including the bulk of building the first show for next season). FINALLY putting the last touches on this season's final presentation over the next day or two-- it opens on Wednesday.

And then? Well, it does seem like an awfully busy summer on the horizon-- mostly just regular-life stuff, though. Re-finishing our kitchen by painting the paneling, lightly re-finishing the cabinets and laying a new natural linoleum tile floor. This will make my lovely wife so happy, believe me-- our floor in particular is an abomination. HBGirl is doing a summer theater camp/workshop for a month downtown-- have to pick her up at the metro every afternoon. We're looking at a family jaunt down to Tampa/St. Pete at the end of July/beginning of August (a million degrees, yes, but no crowds, believe me! And honestly? While the wife revels in the beach on those trips, I'm more than content to hang in the hotel room watching Turner Classic Movies (and the like) for hours on end, or catching up on long run of comics, or perhaps even a DVD marathon or two (Dr Who is looking very likely). It being a vacation, that sort of thing is completely allowed w/ no guilt attached! HBSon has vowed to maintain a regimen of exercise, instrument practice, and writing over the summer (since he doesn't have a regular job. . . oy)-- but we'll see how that turns out, eh? He does have several commitments to do unpaid assisting & counseling at a number of local music camps & workshops-- which is really great for him. He and I will be attending the entirety of the North American Discworld Convention in early July. And there's the Baltimore Comicon later on, in September. And, oh lordy, I'm not going to be able to avoid trying to wrest our big ol' woodsy yard back under control this year-- we still have a lot of issues dating back not only to that daggone derecho last summer, but from the Snowmagedon well before that-! I. . . I really hate yard work. I really do.

HB-- already needing to take an iced-tea break. . .

May 26, 2013 at 4:10 PM
Anonymous said...

Hey Doug,

If you are going to read Frankenstein, you can't go wrong picking up a copy of Berni Wrightson's illustrated Frankenstein - full text plus his drawings.

Thanks for the recommendations on Oregon. . . we are indeed planning the long way along the coast - it was planned as a roadtrip - so no rush between places :)

Powell's is on the list, but I will look into the other places mentioned.

Speaking of mentioning, I forgot to mention that my summer plans include my first (and probably last) trip to the MLB All-Star Game - I will finally get to bring the sign I have long wished to hold up at an All- Star Game: "Yo A.L.! D.H. = B.S." :)

May 26, 2013 at 4:39 PM
Karen said...

Birthday wishes to both William and David. It's fun to hear everyone's plans. Mr. Oyola, I lived in California most of my life but only traveled through Oregon and Washington twice. But it's beautiful country. Hope you and your wife have a nice honeymoon.

Since I live in Phoenix now, summer means one thing: staying inside! Temps are already in the upper 90s, and by June I'm sure they'll be in the 100s, and it'll only get worse from there. So I'll be doing a lot of reading, writing, and watching movies.

On the reading list: I actually just finished the third book in Ian Tregillis' Milkweed series, Necessary Evil. I think most comic fans would appreciate this alternate history/time travel series. In July I expect to get Richard Kadrey's Kill City Blues, and Mark Hodder's Secret of Abdu El Yezdi. I also have a stack of comics and tpbs to read too.

Of course this summer is filled with films to see, like Man of Steel, Pacific Rim, Wolverine, Elysium, and so on. I also will be watching films at home a lot. Probably a lot of stuff from the 70s.

No big trips til November for us. We did just go to the Phoenix Comic Con yesterday and I met Neal Adams -more about that here on Tuesday. But otherwise, the days will be spent inside with the A/C!

May 26, 2013 at 6:10 PM
humanbelly said...

By the way, Doug, many congrats on the upcoming 25th anniversary, eh? That is quite great. Our 24th was last week, just doesn't seem like it can have been that long-!

I'm liking how our group has such a wide-spanning range of honest enthusiasm about such different activities. Everything from ginormous road trips to catching a sporting event to finally settling down w/ a long-neglected novel. Clearly the enjoyment isn't dictated by the size of the event itself, but rather by what level of personal fulfillment can be taken from it (naturally). Some of us like to search the night skies for massive celestial events. . . some like to watch a spider build a web. I just really like that. . .

HB

May 26, 2013 at 7:49 PM
Doug said...

HB --

It's those simple pleasures of life we don't take enough time for, isn't it? I could --

Watch your spider spin that web,
Sit at the airport terminal and watch the planes,
Listen to a waterfall or the water lapping the shore,
Take my time walking through a zoo,
Watch a baby sleep,
Leaf through pages of original comic book art,
Be on a boat on Lake Michigan, watching the sun set over the Chicago skyline.

Man...

Doug

May 26, 2013 at 7:58 PM
Graham said...

Well, my workload increases quite a bit during the warm part of the year, so my family has already vacationed (just got back from L.A. - Lower Alabama). One thing I would love to do this summer, since I'm turning 50 this year, is visit some of the many blues-related sites in my home state, such as the B.B. King Museum, the Delta Blues Museum, and maybe catch a couple of festivals during the season. Of course, I always plan to do some of this each summer, but never get around to doing it. Maybe this year.....

May 26, 2013 at 9:51 PM
Anonymous said...

I assume this is about summer reading habits...I would recommend Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, anything by Edgar Allen Poe or Lovecraft...maybe some Robert E. Howard or Stephen King's Gunslinger saga, listen to some old Blue Oyster Cult records...and then join me in whatever mental hospital I'm currently residing in and get ready for some summer fun1!

May 27, 2013 at 2:32 AM

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