I finished Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air a few days ago. It didn’t read like a novel; it read like an account of a natural disaster. Tornado, hurricane, earthquake, failed Everest expedition – take your pick. The only difference here being that climbing Mt Everest isn’t exactly an act of nature. Krakauer noted that this was problematic for some readers. He received many letters chastising him for his behavior when circumstances near the summit forced him to abandon several climbers and retreat to his tent. If frostbite was nipping at my fingers and toes, I was suffering from altitude sickness, and I was dangerously low on oxygen, I wouldn’t venture out into a storm with hurricane speed winds in 70 below zero temps either. It’s plain stupid. But then again, so is climbing Mt Everest…
The writing, though not spectacular, does take the reader right onto the mountain with Krakauer and his team. It is a wild ride of office building-sized ice monoliths, several-thousand foot drops, and football field chasms. By the end of the book, Krakauer’s message came through clearly: the summit attempt was doomed from the start and is generally impossible unless conditions are absolutely perfect. One might as well be on the moon when at 25,000+ feet. Storm or no storm - it’s no place for life.
New books are posted on the right.
Something thing I failed to mention about my trip to Austin last weekend: I scored this sweet Aventinus glass. The fact that it’s also filled with a ½ liter of Aventinus is probably why I felt the way I did later that night.
I’ve been in San Antonio for well over a year and had yet to visit the Botanical Gardens, so I spent a good three hours yesterday baking in the sun and perusing the Garden’s exhibits. Check out the 37 photos here (you’ll need a snapfish account).
Comments (9)
URL: http://
okay, that's taking it a little too far. this is a clean site. please step back from the line there, skroloff.
Posted by p-man | February 10, 2007 8:15 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:15
upper-left is a cock clock. upper right is an 18" cock.
Posted by skorloff | February 10, 2007 8:15 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:15
URL: http://
heh, you said cock clock. unwritten Texas laws: you must be pro-bush, pro-life, and pro-guns. Unless you're in Austin.
Posted by p-man | February 10, 2007 8:15 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:15
URL: http://www.beefpile.com/cherz_beef
not the rooster clock... the collector's plate - upper left... yeah?? doesn't every Texan have a collector's plate?? I thought it was written law...
Posted by cherz | February 10, 2007 8:15 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:15
URL: http://
silly cherz - that's a rooster clock. yes, it's a cock clock.
Posted by skorloff | February 10, 2007 8:15 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:15
URL: http://
collector's plate... uh, where? i think you're seeing something i'm not.
Posted by p-man | February 10, 2007 8:15 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:15
niiiice!!!! ... and nice collectors plate, too.
Posted by cherz | February 10, 2007 8:15 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:15
URL: http://
why, yes it is. i don't know anyone else that would want a vine and berry border on the kitchen walls.
Posted by p-man | February 10, 2007 8:15 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:15
URL: http://
hey. that's my kitchen.
Posted by skorloff | February 10, 2007 8:15 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:15