Flashback: Sean Bean - Snowpiercer and Windprints

Sean Bean in Windprints (1989)

 

AND

from TentacleTenshi on Tumblr

Sean Bean in Snowpiercer (2021)

Audiobook Challenge 2021 - February and March Audiobooks

 Listening Books Challenge for February and March

Turbo Challenge

Listen to Two Audiobooks from the same Narrator in Different Genres

Narrator:  Richard Armitage

The Books

    FEBRUARY:

The Garden of Angels

by

David Hewson

Historical Fiction

MARCH:

The Burning Girls

by

C.J. Tudor

Mystery/Horror

(Narrators Richard Armitage and Gemma Whelan)

It was because of my Book Guru,  Richard Armitage, that I discovered authors David Hewson and C. J. Tudor.  They are now two of my favorite contemporary authors.  

They are also two of my favorite people on Twitter.  Wonderful interacting with their fans and lovely people.  (And Richard too, of course.)

Audiobook Challenge 2021 - January Audiobook

 

My Audiobook for January is Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, narrated by Scott Brick

My Audiobook Challenge for 2021 is again from Listening Books in the UK.  The challenge this year is a bit different. There is no monthly challenge, but rather 10 CHALLENGES and 5 TURBO CHALLENGES that we have a year to complete, in any order.  Also one book can count for both a challenge and a turbo challenge if it happens to qualify.

So the challenge I'm checking off for January with Erik Larson's book is:

LISTEN TO A NONFICTION AUDIOBOOK THAT ISN'T A MEMOIR

I just started listening to the book and enjoying that the pace is very much like a great mystery thriller, though in this case non-fiction.  And though it takes place in Chicago, I was happy to find there is an architectural connection to my Metro area.

I really should visit downtown Chicago one day post-pandemic. I've been to suburban Chicago three times in my life for work meetings, all three at hotels near O'Hare Airport. But I can't really say I've seen Chicago.

*******

To find out more about the Listening Books Audiobook Challenge 2021 go to the link below:

https://www.listening-books.org.uk/library/audiobook-listening-challenge-2021

I'm also reading/listening to this book for a True Crime Book Club I just joined thanks to the encouragement of my friend Fanny. One positive thing about this pandemic time is that we can experience events beyond our own geographic area thanks to many of them having moved to virtual offerings (mostly via Zoom).  

Some of my Audible Stats for 2020

Stages of Retirement - Organizing My Days - New Task

 

 

I was talking to a friend who has been retired for a while now about some "time structure issues"  I have encountered so far.  She said she had the same experience and the way she manages this is by creating a "To Do" list, a schedule for the day, every morning.  And she completes the list each day even if she has to finish that last task in the evening.   

After our conversation I thought a list, daily or weekly, might be a good thing for me to start in the new year.

I should explain that the "time structure issue" doesn't mean not enjoying the flexibility of time to do what you want, when you want, in retirement.  What I mean is finding, especially now in COVID Lockdown, a feeling of being a bit adrift some weeks. 

Of course right now there's the additional issue that even going to a coffee shop or library or community center to see other humans for distraction/interaction is not a possibility.  

Now the problem with me taking the daily "To Do" list route is that I'm a Type B/D personality.  Having a "To Do" list and a schedule that ruled my life Monday through Friday was something I was happy to leave behind now in retirement.  I enjoyed my freedom from schedules on the weekends, but now that every day is a "weekend" I'm missing a little structure.

So that's were I am today, pondering what sort of list I should start.

I have to build some flexibility in my structure, and structure in my flexibility.

I don't want a list that restricts me from being spontaneous, to walk in a nearby park because I see it's a warm day in winter, even if my list says today I'm organizing my closets. Maybe a weekly "To Do" is more my style than daily.  

I do have some big life and financial "To Do's" I need to resolve early in the new year that are overdue.  Those tasks are easy to put at the top of my lists this month, but what then for the rest of winter?  

I'm aware that having free time is a luxury.  I'm grateful for my retirement.  But I'm also aging, with the worries of staying active mentally and physically for as long as I can.

I'll report back in a future post on how it's going.