Weekend in Yosemite: Yosemite View Lodge
Right now, I am at the Yosemite View Lodge, which is a hotel/"resort" sitting on the banks of the Merced River, right outside the park entrance. Seanie bought a LivingSocial deal last year for two nights at this place, which promised us a room with a fireplace AND hot tub. When he called to redeem the deal, he was told that he might not get the room described on LivingSocial because they had run out - but it looks like the hotel pulled through, because I'm sitting in the middle of a king-sized bed in a simply massive room that has the fireplace, the huge jacuzzi, beautiful view of the river AND kitchenette. It's terribly exciting to someone like me, who normally stays in rat-trap hotels that barely manage to squeeze both bed and nightstand into a room.
So we're up here in Yosemite because the Valley Chapel requires anyone wishing to marry within its walls to attend a seminar, hosted by the chapel's pastor, which explains how to have a successful marriage. I have a feeling that it will be very dull, but they require it and I want to get married in Yosemite, so that's what we'll do. If nothing else, it'll be nice to meet the man who will be marrying Seanie and me in May, right?
On the drive up from San Jose, we listened to Coyote Blue by Christopher Moore. I've read a lot more of Moore's work since the first time I listened to this audiobook, and I'm struck again by how talented he is. Compared to the books in his vampire series, or even compared to Lamb, Coyote Blue is very different. There are elements of those self-help business manuals from the late 80s/early 90s mixed with Native American mysticism to create the character of Sam (and Coyote, too) while pseudo-legends about Coyote are interspersed throughout to provide background for the universe in which the book is set. I wonder if they're based on real, traditional stories? I should look that up. The humor seems a lot more subtle than Moore's current "Fuckstockings!" brand of funny...but maybe that's just me. At any rate, I think that after Lamb this is my favorite book by Chris.
So we're up here in Yosemite because the Valley Chapel requires anyone wishing to marry within its walls to attend a seminar, hosted by the chapel's pastor, which explains how to have a successful marriage. I have a feeling that it will be very dull, but they require it and I want to get married in Yosemite, so that's what we'll do. If nothing else, it'll be nice to meet the man who will be marrying Seanie and me in May, right?
On the drive up from San Jose, we listened to Coyote Blue by Christopher Moore. I've read a lot more of Moore's work since the first time I listened to this audiobook, and I'm struck again by how talented he is. Compared to the books in his vampire series, or even compared to Lamb, Coyote Blue is very different. There are elements of those self-help business manuals from the late 80s/early 90s mixed with Native American mysticism to create the character of Sam (and Coyote, too) while pseudo-legends about Coyote are interspersed throughout to provide background for the universe in which the book is set. I wonder if they're based on real, traditional stories? I should look that up. The humor seems a lot more subtle than Moore's current "Fuckstockings!" brand of funny...but maybe that's just me. At any rate, I think that after Lamb this is my favorite book by Chris.