Summer is for Reading

Friday was the last day of school, and I'm looking forward to the time off. One of the things I hope to do a fair amount of is reading, exercise and yard work this summer. I really hope to lose fifteen pounds this summer, and I may have a post or two about that.

However, the purpose of this post is to talk about books on my summer reading list. I'm going to have a mix of fiction and non-fiction-some of it work related, some for fun. Here is my list:

Innocent Abroad by Martin Indyk-Indyk was the first Jewish ambassador to Israel during the Clinton administration. I'm about two-thirds through this thoughtful, interesting memoir of Clinton's peace-making efforts in the Middle East as well as his containment strategies toward Iraq and Iran.

Ulysses by James Joyce-I gave myself a copy of the Joyce classic for Father's Day. I dunno if I can actually pull this off. My recollection of trying to read Ulysses years ago aren't pretty, but I'm going to give it my patient, best shot.

Law of the Student Press by the Student Press Law Center-This is my required reading for the Reynolds Institute this summer. God knows I can use it.

The Associated Press Guide to Newswriting-This is another book that came in the Reynolds pile o' stuff. I've never read a book on newswriting before, and I only know that this can't hurt. Maybe I can glean some stuff to share with my kids.

The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke-I loved Rendezvous With Rama, and purchased a copy of Clarke's short stories in anticipation of their being equally wonderful.

America in the Gilded Age by Sean David Cashman-Pretty textbook analysis of America in the Gilded Age. This is just a bit more background for what I need to share with my kids.

One Minute 'til Midnight by Michael Dobbs and One Hell of a Gamble by Alexsandr Fursenko and Timothy Naftali-these two examinations of the Cuban Missile Crisis including declassified American and Soviet documents will provide a clearer view of the what happened in October 1962, and perhaps become the basis for an indepth project next year.

The Price of Vigilance by Joan M. Jensen-examines the activities of the American Protective League, the civilian spy network formed during WWI to root out "un-American activities" during that conflict.

That's probably enough for now. There are some others I'd also like to squeeze in:
The Road to Crecy by Marilyn Livingston
Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis
The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck
The Radicalism of the American Revolution by Gordon S. Wood
Thirteen Days by Robert F. Kennedy
The Post-American World by Fareed Zakariah

Foothills Trail: First time

Yesterday I took my bike down to the Foothills trail and traveled from the Meeker Junction to the McMillan Station. Altogether, it was a round trip of just over nine miles. It was pretty enjoyable. The weather was perfect, high seventies. Not much of a grade anywhere. I did have a bit of physical trouble--cramp behind my right knee, which was a bit scary. I did my best to make it stop, which was to slow down, and it concerns me a bit for future rides.

Foothills Trail is a great local resource. It actually took me less time to ride than to drive to and from. I'd like to go down there again, maybe on Sunday and try to ride from Meeker to Orting and back. That would be about fifteen miles.

No, the picture is not of me. It's from the Tour de Pierce, which will be held on the 28th. I'm looking at maybe riding the thirty mile course if that's possible.

Last Jagwire

It's the end of the school year, and I am really burned out. There are pile of reasons for this, many having to do with my inability to get a decent night's sleep more than one night out of seven. Even so, the school year is winding down, and with it comes our last JagWire deadline of the school year.

It's actually been a good year. I've enjoyed the paper a lot, chiefly due to the great work of the editorial board. While I've dreaded the late nights (and the loss of even more sleep,) I'm happy to give the time because the board works so hard. They are good students and great kids and I'll miss them all. New board looks good if a bit under-manned.

Even so, I am looking forward to four months without a deadline, and a little more time to get some exercise, lose some weight, and find a way to catch a little more sleep.