I started to read HARD REVOLUTION, a novel by George Pelecanos, who is one of the writers on The Wire, the only television series I watch regularly; but after 50 pages in which nothing much happened and I was not engaged by the writing, I stopped and began a French novel with the translated title, BY A SLOW RIVER.  A note says that the literal translation of the French title is “The Gray Souls.”

        It is about the murder of a young girl near the front lines in 1917.  So far it is well-written and excellent.

        I read more on the computer--online, doing my own work, and sometimes books downloaded from The Gutenberg Project--than I do printed on paper, but I try to read 50 pages of a book a day.  When on the boat, I usually read one work of fiction and one of nonfiction each day.   THE HAWKE OF TUONELA’s mooring is in a dead zone for television reception, though I can get it when anchored a few miles north off Russell, which doesn't make much difference because New Zealand television is probably the most boring in the English-speaking world.

        I chanced across a new-to-me singer, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, who died at age 38 from respiratory failure caused by massive obesity.   Reportedly he weighed as much as 750 pounds.   Like everyone else I am captivated by his rendition of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, a song I have never even liked.  Great artistry to be able to give a new interpretation to an old standard like that.  I downloaded a couple of his albums from iTunes and discovered many lovely songs.

        I rode my bicycle to Northwestern and back again yesterday, which was the first fine day after several of rain.

        Today is my usual work-out day.

        Three times a week I do a routine that includes 150 push-ups and crunches, in sets of 70, 40, 40, and 250 knee bends in sets of 60, 40, 150.

So I might still be able to do my age in push-ups until 2011.

        I’ve done this, or something like it when not at sea, for all my adult life.  A few years ago I decided I was fooling myself about frequency, so started keeping track.  Although 3 times a week would be 156 per year, with time lost sailing, in transition between here and the boat, and sometimes injury--I have occasional episodes of back pain that doctors describe as a classic case of sciatica:  I read the classics, but I don’t like this one--my goal is 100 per year.  Two years ago I only managed 96.  Last year 104.  Today will be number 70 for 2006, so I’m on track.  15,000 push-ups a year is enough for an old man.