Did The Knuckle

While much of the state was at the Blake Shelton pop concert last night in Sioux Falls, wifey and I went to a country music concert in Sturgis.

We saw the Casey Donahew Band at The Knuckle. This Texas band is hot stuff. Enjoyed the show. The new covered concert area there is pretty cool.

Check out this tune.

Wall Drug's jewel

One advantage to attending dinner meetings in Wall, SD, is the Wall Drug Bookstore across the street. It's the hidden jewel among all the interesting items at Wall Drug. The bookstore has, I believe, the best collection of Western and Native American themed books you'll find anywhere.

Tonight I picked up 2 books:

Lincoln's Bishop - A President, a Priest, and the Fate of 300 Dakota Sioux Warriors

&

Wild Men - Ishi and Kroeber in the Wilderness of Modern America

Finished: Patterson's 'Guilty Wives'

I've stayed away from James Patterson for several years as he's moved into the money-grubbing I'll-Put-My-Name-On-Anything phase of his career. But, I won this book a couple years ago and after staring at it long enough on my bookshelf I relented.

Co-written with David Ellis, I enjoyed it but it lacked something. This review probably expresses my thoughts pretty accurately.

I gave it a 6 on the Haugenometer.

Faulkner and 'The Bear'

I've been reading some William Faulkner lately, because that's the way English major snobs roll, and I found this funny in his Wikipedia entry. His resignation letter from the Post Office:

As long as I live under the capitalistic system, I expect to have my life influenced by the demands of moneyed people. But I will be damned if I propose to be at the beck and call of every itinerant scoundrel who has two cents to invest in a postage stamp.

 This, sir, is my resignation.

And, no, by "reading Faulkner" I didn't mean I was just reading his Wikipedia entry. I'm reading "The Bear." It's a chore (one sentence was over 600 words long), but I've always found that while Faulkner can make you work for it, it usually pays off. Brilliant, brilliant man.

Finished: Vince Flynn's 'The Survivor'

This is the 14th book in the Mitch Rapp series and the first since Vince Flynn died. Apparently, Flynn started the book and Kyle Mills finished it. I couldn't notice where he took over, so that's probably good.

It's been a while since I read Rapp. I enjoyed it. Gave it a 7- on the Haugenometer. B&N readers give it a more stellar 4.5 of 5.

Rapp reminds me a lot of Bob Lee Swagger, though John Sandford does a better job of developing a more realistic character in Swagger. In a fight between the two, my money is on Bob Lee.

Still, Mitch Rapp is great series and Mills looks up to the task in continuing it in fine fashion. Start it if you haven't.

More veggie porn

This is an English cucumber. And that is my arm. 15 1/2 incher.

Jalapeno flexing on me

Like he's hot stuff.

We'll see.