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How much are your tastes in media influenced by your parents?

I've found, for years, as I've combed through thrift stores and used book bins, that I keep trying to reassemble the collection of titles that populated the numerous shelves in my parents house as I was growing up. Robert Heinlein, Philip Jose Farmer, Piers Anthony, Robert Aspirin, Barbara Hambly, Mary Stewart, and so many others.

Today, I was strongly reminded of them as I picked up the most of the run, volumes one through eight, plus one of the full length novels, of Thieve's World, at fifty cents a piece. (I also picked up a big book of some of Time Magazine's most famous photos; I'm always looking for stuff to try to learn photographic technique and composition from. A couple other fantasy works too.)

I only remember reading one of the Thieve's World books, and that vaguely, but I remember my dad, barton_fender, stating often how fantastic a series it was and how much he liked them. It is entirely because of my dad that picking them up and wandering the rest of the store with them cradled in my arms like the treasure they are was a mere split second decision.

Thanks Dad, Mom, for so much.



Shortly, hopefuly tonight, I'll have another picture post up. Shots from an abandoned grain elevator on the south side of Chicago. My word, but that place is breathtaking. My shots don't begin to do it justice. I'll be back.

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I went to the gym with my brother, No-LJ-James, on Sunday. It was the first time I've willingly walked into a gymnasium since high school. Well, maybe that's not true, though technically the last one I was in was in a high school; it was just an abandoned one. But anyway, it's the first time I've walked into one with the notion of using it for its intended purpose since my days of academia.

His, er, friend, I think, Lara is a manager there and gave us both freebie passes. I figure that I fuck around and waste at least an hour a day doing nothing useful anyway, so I might as well do it at the gym. I had no idea what I was doing the first time so I just sort of wandered around following James, but I did use an elliptical machine for the first time and that was kind of fun. Then today, after reading about working out online (the first thing I do when I find anything new to be interested in is read all about it online), I went back after work and did half an hour on the elliptical, keeping right around my target heart rate of 150 to 160 the whole time. Not only was it kind of fun, but I think doing aerobic training like that will help a lot in getting more fit for climbing around abandoned hotels and other tall places. Among other motivations. Anyway. It was fun. I think I'll make a habit of it. At least until I get bored of it.

But I promised a pictures post!



( On with the show! )