Rebooking and Recapping

On a lighter note, after talking with an old friend I have decided that I'm going to start reading books at night before sleep. I may move this time around depending on how well this works. In any case, it's time to start reading again. This is something I've kept putting off, but no longer. If people have suggestions for material, I'd welcome them. Nonfiction suggestions are fine, but I'd really like to pick up at least one good fiction work - it's just been too long.

Things have kept me fairly occupied lately. Some highlights from this past week include:
- J (yes, another one) visited Champaign. At dinner, she responded to a "so why aren't you two together?" joke with an open declaration of this topic being addressed many years ago (four, in fact) and me being their "relationship counselor". Quite amusing. Funny thing is, I still don't know why they haven't tried getting together since then.
- Steve and I have discussed band issues and set forth some short term goals, the first being to commit to "tape" decent recordings of each of our songs within the next 2-3 practices.
- Subbu (one of the guys I play volleyball with) headed out to Minneapolis today, but first took a small group of friends (S, L, and me) out to Papa Del's (deep dish, aw yeah) Tuesday night. Afterwards, I walked L to her car and there we stood out in the lightly rainy weather under cover of trees and the fading daylight just enjoying talking for a while.
- Subbu also held a mostly vegetarian BBQ on Friday for a preponderance of colleagues, in this quaint apartment courtyard. I knew only two other people there to any significant degree (S and S =) ). Afterwards, a group of 10 of us (I was the lone (East) Asian among Indians) went bowling. This group had an interesting dynamic - comraderie whose expression I think is somewhat atypical culturally in the US. I had fun, and bowled a 126 (which wasn't bad considering I started with a 1 in the first frame, and bowled 9's in three of the next four).
- Took time to talk over some issues with a good friend - in her life, my life, and also recent things that have come up between us. Most important of all, things are still honest and in the open, and insecurities are not being withheld. Plus plenty of good laughs about impolite stuff.
- Got another good conversation in with Mark (this one about dynamics and opportunity to grow/gain from online conversations versus those in person), who has always been good for that.

I've decided to make some other changes to make myself more productive. I'll write more about that later, depending on how that goes... =) Anyway, hopefully things aren't getting too somber around here. [01:33]