10 July 2020

Five Things for Friday / Book Beginnings / #Friday56

What a week! I feel like my stress has gotten worse for having seen more of the state, but I also enjoyed my experiences while we were out for a bit. I think it's inevitable that Michigan should be locked down more again. The COVID-19 infection numbers are climbing, and they'll continue to do so based on the behaviors I saw. I wish people cared more about others, and acted like it.


  1. Last weekend we started out Friday by leaving to visit my husband's father and his wife. They have a cabin next to their house, so we were able to mostly social distance (we did choose to enjoy a few meals out on the porch together and visit a bit). While the visit was nice, seeing the people at the nearby campground watching the sunset made up my mind to continue staying home as much as possible. We were the ONLY people wearing masks in the crowd. And social distancing? What's that? There were more than 20 people seated on the stairs going down to the beach for a group picture. My husband said of course they were all brothers - fraternity brothers! I can't help feeling like Michigan is doomed.
    Francisco Morazan shipwreck
  2. Saturday we were able to spend quite socially distant - on the boat! Hubs loves to borrow his dad's boat and get out on the water again (we had our own boat years ago, but it just wasn't practical when the kids were babies). The water was super calm and we rode past North Mantiou Island, South Manitou Island, The Francisco Morazan shipwreck (my favorite!!), and the Sleeping Bear Dunes. We rafted off for a bit so the kids could swim before heading back.
  3. Monday I finally went to the credit union to open new accounts (mine were compromised by a computer virus in mid-June). I loved their safety protocols. Everyone in the building wore a mask, and there was also a plexiglass partition between the member service woman opening the account and me.
  4. Tuesday the kids and I went for our dental cleanings. When we arrived, we called before going in. Then each individual appointment started with taking off our masks and using an anti-viral rinse. During the cleaning, the hygienists wore two masks and a plastic shield over their face. Since there are two hygienists in the office, our family was also the only clients there during our visit.
  5. The rest of the week has been my daughter starting all her new summer jobs. She's 12-years-old, and I posted a couple of years ago on our neighborhood page that she was interested in jobs like walking dogs, acting as a mothers' helper, and watering plants. She has regular clients each summer now. This week she is watering plants for two houses, and watching the three-year-old across the street while the girl's mother works from home three days/week. Loving seeing her be so responsible, and her excitement over having spending money.



The more my stress goes up, the more a book should help, but sometimes instead it's even harder to focus. I'm reading a bit from three books currently - Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel (with a review due later today), Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld (a book I'm borrowing from the library), and Fire and Vengeance by Robert B. McCaw.


Today I'm using Fire and Vengeance for my Book Beginnings and #Friday56 because it's a print book and easier.



The opening paragraph: 
Disaster rode the gale force winds of Hurricane Ida across the Big Island of Hawai'i from the southwest. Ferocious gusts felled century-old trees. Sonic booms of thunder chased lightning bolts sparking through ominous black clouds. Torrential rains pounded the mountains, filling gulches, and gathering into flash floods. On Hualālai Mountain, one of the five volcanoes that make up Hawai'i Island, ten inches of rain fell in a single hour. Water cascaded into cracks and caverns, pouring deep into the earth. The pressure of the floodwaters opened long-sealed fissures in the faults on the west side of Hualālai. Water entered the volcano's magma reservoir and flashed into steam. Steam under astronomical pressure.

And now from page 56:
The two women peppered Koa with questions while they waited for the flight. What had happened to Ikaika? Had he been attacked in jail? How badly was he hurt? Why did prison officials move him to O'ahu? Koa told them what little he knew -- that Ikaika blacked out in the local jail while waiting to testify in a criminal trial. He hadn't regained consciousness, and local medics had ordered him airlifted to Queen's Medical Center, the best hospital in the islands. His vital signs remained strong, but he hadn't awakened from some sort of coma.

15 comments:

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

Great excerpts! Enjoy.

I have Rodham and hope to read it soon. Stay safe. Too bad about how other people ruin things for everyone!

Liz Parker said...

I hope you enjoy Rodham! I loved it, but I'm a big fan of Sittenfeld's books in general.

Heather @ Random Redheaded Ramblings said...

I’m in Scotland, our lockdown rules are slowly being lifted but it is mandatory we were masks in shops and public transport, there are still so many people who aren’t bothering and they certainly aren’t staying away from one another either.

I love seeing abandoned things, it all makes me wonder about their history.

Have a good week.

Yvonne @ Fiction Books Reviews said...

Hi Becki,

Don't get me started on the stupidity of people. Pubs and restaurants were allowed to reopen here last Saturday and you would have been mistaken for thinking it was New Year's Eve with the amount of people out in the streets of London and most other major cities!

We are both staying home as much as possible, as hubbie is also working from home for the foreseeable future, due to underlying health conditions. We braved the hairdresser last week, which was not too traumatic as there were plenty of distancing and protection measures in place. Then Hubbie managed to break a tooth, so he also had to face the dentist. However, as they are working shifts and extended opening hours, his appointment wasn't until 7pm, so he didn't really meet anyone else apart from the dentist herself.

Robert McCaw is definitely an author heading for my list, as I really like the sound of his books, so thanks for bringing him to my attention and I hope that you enjoy the rest of the book.

I have to say that I admire anyone who can read more than one book at time, but to tackle three at once, deserves my admiration. I really need to concentrate and focus on a book and i also like to read in total peace and quiet.

Have a good weekend and stay safe :)

Yvonne
xx

Yvonne said...

Our COVID numbers are rising in Florida too and they don't seem to be closing again. We just stay home as much as possible.

Fire and Vengeance sounds really good. Great excerpts.

Ashley Sapp said...

This book sounds really good! Thanks for sharing! Hope you have a great weekend! :)

Breana M. said...

I like the quotes. Enjoy your current read!

fredamans said...

To be honest, I'm more intrigued by that shipwreck this week! I am off to learn more about it now! Happy weekend!

Lauren Stoolfire said...

I hope you enjoy your book! :)

Konna said...

I would love to learn more about Musical Chairs! I will read your review :)

Elza Reads said...

The title of your book grabbed my attention even before the snippets! Hope you will have a relaxing weekend!

Here's myWeekend Book Friends

Trin Carl said...

When banks get compromised that's when sh@% has hit the fan. Glad you got some things worked out.@theglobaldig.blogspot.com

Sammie @ The Bookwyrm's Den said...

I hadn't heard of this book before, but I love that opening! It's so descriptive. I love that it's set in Hawaii, too. I think I'm gonna have to check out that series!

Shea Lennon said...

I'm intrigued about Rodham, I've heard so many things. I haven't heard of the one you shared excerpts from, but it sounds interesting. It sounds like the lack of care regarding masks is a nationwide thing. It's supposed to be a requirement everywhere here in KS but it's unbelievable how many people I've seen who don't follow it. It blows my mind the selfishness of some people.

Rachel said...

I love that your daugther has jobs already. I babysat for church people at that age. I'm glad you were able to get away. It's such a different experience now but as long as I'm not around crowds I still enjoy it. I would be very anxious in a crowd but that happened before COVID. Hope you are having a good summer. I will be waiting to her about your school year.