Enjoying the warmer weather!
I really can't complain since all in all our winter and spring has been really mild. Despite some freeze warnings and a few nasty storms, spring has been quite pretty. A couple days ago, it was 50s with frost alerts. Today it got to around 80, with more of the same expected tomorrow and Monday.
This was a pretty good week in all. Got to enjoy my Happy Birthday gift to me of a wine and canvas event, and found out one of my favorite authors is making a stop at one of our local libraries!!! Really excited about that!
Celebrated the birthdays of three of my younger cousins. Weather was perfect- got a bit of rain towards the end but things were wrapping up anywho, so no biggie. They all liked the little stretchy monsters I got for them :)
Also a bit behind in my book list. Lots more O. Henry stories, plus a graphic novel.
The following are all O. Henry stories except where noted:
48. The Champion of The Weather. An amusing story about how one man is able to figure out about another man living in New York with only two words.
49. The Chair of Philanthromathematics. Two opportunity seekers and low-level grafters get a lucky strike and decide to start a free school. The story got a couple of chuckles out of me, as well as providing a bit of cynical food for thought.
50. The Call of the Tame. This was hilarious! A visitor to New York runs into an old friend, but to his dismay finds his friend has been citified by the comforts of the big metropolis. Reminded me a bit of Country Mouse, City Mouse.
51. The Caliph, Cupid and the Clock. Serious and moving. A young man anxiously awaiting an answer from his sweetheart runs into a man in the park claiming to be a prince in disguise. The meeting winds up being an unexpected boon.
52. The Caliph and the Cad. Cute story. A blue-collar man likes to dress to the nines in the evenings to mingle and learn about the upper crust. One night, he makes an interesting discovery about himself.
53. The Cactus. One of the sadder O. Henry stories I've read so far, although the narrator is a bit of a jerk and what happens is his fault. The man in the story reflects on how things went so wrong with his sweetheart. At the end, he finds out he didn't read the signs.
54. The Buyer from Cactus City. Not sure how I feel about this one, because the ending confused me. The senior co-owner of a popular goods store sends his junior partner to the big city to make some purchases to sell. The main supplier tries to wine and dine the younger man, who has never been to the city, with mixed results.
55. The Badge of Policeman O'Roon. Two military buddies reunite, and when one, now a mounted policeman, winds up getting too tipsy for duty one night, his friend trades places, with unexpected results.
56. The Adventures of Shamrock Jolnes. Obviously, a parody of Sherlock Holmes. I'm thinking O. Henry was a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle because of the many subtle (and not so subtle) nods, winks and pokes in this funny short story.
57. The Admiral. Another story connected to Cabbages and Kings. During a drunken cabinet meeting, the leadership of Anchuria decide as a sort of joke to appoint a man as admiral to their so-far nonexistent navy. The man they choose is, to put it politely, not very bright but is an experienced seaman who is completely fearless.
58. Telemachus, Friend. Two friends vying for the affections and hand of a lady agree that one will not woo without the presence of the other, so neither has unfair advantage. Their longtime friendship will be tested through courtship, engagement and the eventual wedding- although the lady is the most tested.
59. Suite Homes and Their Romance. One of O. Henry's funnier stories. A man suspects his wife has been indiscreet with the household income. However, he could have never guessed what she actually had been up to. The twist here is one of the best.
60. Squaring the Circle. Fun story, although I did see the ending coming. The last survivor of one family that had been part of a lethal feud finds out the last surviving member of the other family has moved to the big city, so he goes on a mission to execute this final nemesis. He quickly finds himself out of his depth.
61. The Crow, by James O'Barr. An incredible graphic novel, both raw and poetic. The movie starring the late Brandon Lee was based on this story. A man and his fiancée are killed by a ruthless gang after their car breaks down. He comes back to exact his revenge. The images are mostly black and white as well as halftones, appropriate to the stark world and the worldview of The Crow as he ruthlessly hunts down those who killed not only him but murdered his happiness.