Sunday, Dec. 07, 2008 - 8:04 a.m.

Winter is here (oh, is it ever-- I think it's 13 degrees out there right now), so I'm staying inside and am loathe to venture out of doors. The mail is piling up-- soon I'll have to go get it just to see if I have any consignment checks waiting for me.

But it's hard to get exercise and I vowed that I have to lose 5 lbs before I go to see my mother on the 22nd. (You know how she is). This involves riding the exercise bicycle a minimum of 2 hours a day (4 half-hour increments, spaced so as to keep the old metabolism chugging along in between times). I'm 2 days in, and so far so good. I finished the book I was reading, though-- a page-turner being essential to me actually finishing the full 2 hours-- so we'll see how I do today. I have another book that looks promising. Also, This American Life is on today, so that's good for one work-out increment.

The last one was The Book Of Lost Things, and I do recommend it. Be aware that it's not as long as it looks. The full last quarter of the book is just an interview with the author and a reprise of some of the fairy tales referenced in the book.

My tea tastes (or as some people I know say, 'tastses') good this morning. Mmm.

On the dialect list there was a brief discussion of 'boughten' as in 'store-boughten'. Apparently it's a pretty old form. I did not mention this to the list because they get annoyed when people chimme in with nothing but 'I say that!', but I say that. Not just in store-boughten, but without 'store'-- just the 'boughten'. As in, 'we can just use the boughten marshmallows'. And I'm not sure about the past participle, but saying "she had boughten a new one" sounds fine to me. Is it ok? I've ruined my intuitions AGAIN.

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