Wasting Time, and Bob Dylan

Today is a rather low key day for me. It's one of those days when you wake up with good intentions for work, but find that you get sucked into the computer for hours on end, and before you know it, it's 3:00 p.m. Since I don't like to work in the evenings, I think today is going to be a total loss for accomplishing anything productive. Here are the few things I have managed to do today, and only one of them involves scholastic activities.

1. I hand delivered a check for $219. 56 to my new insurance agent , Blythe, for car insurance in New York state. I was bummed to discover that my monthly bill will jump from 54 (minnesota prices) to 71 here. I gasped when I heard this, only for Blythe to tell me, "everything's more expensive in New York. " True Dat. The sales tax in my county is a staggering 9.25, which makes my blood curdle, but that's a subject for another blog.

2. I did step aerobics/strength training in our family room for about 45 minutes.

3. I sent out a list of 7 job ads to three people who have agreed to write letters of rec for me.

4. I have cooked and eaten both breakfast (grits/coffee) and lunch (salad, leftover fish soup).

5. I have written about 5 emails today.

6. I am now updating my blog.

That's it. This is all I have accomplished. I haven't even managed to take a shower, despite my workout. That's next on the agenda. My good intentions of starting my prospectus for a book proposal have not materialized. Oh, well. There is always tomorrow.

Other than wasting time at the speed of light, I'm reflecting on Martin Scorcese's documentary of Bob Dylan (No Direction Home) which aired on PBS last night. Part II will air tonight. So far I am enjoying it, although I think it's a little uneven, and flashes back between early 1960's Dylan, and mid 1960's Dylan too much. He does a good job of tracing his influences in order to ascertain how Dylan wound up with that sound, and became such a good song lyricist. But, it seems this documentary is based on Dylan's own, Chronicles Vol. I, which focuses on certain highlights of his career - primarily in the 1960's. None of the reviews I have read suggest that Scorcese is basically adapting Chronicles for the screen, but it sure feels like it. I guess I expected the director to envision and present Dylan in a different way - almost like a Scorcese interpretation of the career of Bob Dylan, but no. Of course these observations are only based on Part I, and I look forward to seeing the conclusion tonight to see if he continues to adhere to the focus of Dylan's autobiography, or if Scorcese actually presents a vision of the artist from his own perspective.

Chronicles is a wonderful read, by the way. I also look forward to Part II of this as well.

okay, time for that shower.

JB