As we get ready to board our Thai Airways flight from Chiang Mai (where the extremely nice check-in agent upgraded us to Business without us asking) to Phuket, it might be hard to believe that I would miss anything about my normal life. But I just checked into my Bloglines account (the tool I use to keep track of all of you bloggers out there) and I saw that there are literally hundreds and hundreds of fabulous blog posts on the 189 blogs that I follow. On the road I don’t have much time online so I can’t really dip-in to see what all of you are up to. But I did look at a few posts here and there and I can’t wait to get back to the U.S. to catch up with all of you. Of course I am sure I will enjoy our six days on the beach in Phuket, but don’t think that means I don’t miss all of you.
I haven’t done half as much reading as I thought I would. I finally gave up on A Weekend with Claude by Beryl Bainbridge. I got to page 65 and just felt it was a waste of my time. Since this book also made the trip to France this summer without being read, I decided the best place for it was the library at our hotel in Chiang Mai. I don’t need to bring it back to the U.S. Another book that made the trip to France this summer that was also in the suitcase in Thailand was Colette’s Cheri and the Last of Cheri. However, since I first took it for a spin to France we saw the horribly boring film of the book with Michelle Pfieffer. So, when I tried to read it on this trip, all I could think of was the lame movie. So it will remain unread and in the hotel library in Chiang Mai as well. It is a little disappointing since I really liked The Ripening Seed.
After jettisoning those two books (and finishing two others) I still have War and Peace, an Elinor Lipman, and a Marge Piercy to keep me company. Should be fun.
NOTE – I did NOT take this photo.
hogglestock 
So nice to hear you're enjoying your trip. Phuket is fun! I coudn't get through Cheri either. It was my first Colette so I haven't read anything else by her because of it. On another note, I read the Inn at Lake Devine by Lipman because you recommended it. It was so much fun! Great for a holiday. I'll definitely check out her other books.
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Enjoy your time at the beach! I'm more than a little envious as we are seem to be gripped by unrelenting cold and snow.
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Glad to hear you are enjoying it, though that picture made me want to scream with jealousy, if it wasnt for a throat infection thatmeans I can barely speak! Hope you have awonderful few days. So know what you mean about films putting you off books, Tom Cruise in War of the Worlds is one for me.
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We miss you, too! I'm also supremely jealous!
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We miss you Tom, but I'm feeling very jealous with all these wonderful photos you have shared with us. awesome indeed
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I wonder if you'd be interested in this article, I thought of you when I read it. http://www.abebooks.co.uk/books/difficult-hardest-reads-obscure-staff/remaining-unread.shtml?cm_mmc=nl-_-nl-_-r00-ar1001X-_-01cta
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It looks like you are having an amazing trip. Enjoy your lazy days on the beach!
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I've just written a post about the most horrific holiday I've ever been on. (And it doesn't end until Saturday). And I'm so EXTREMELY jealous of you I may cry.
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Am huddled over my desk nursing a hot water bottle to keep my stiff little fingers from freezing to the keyboard. Jealous doesn't even begin to describe it …
Still, am reading Nella Last's postwar diary of the winter of 1947: deep snow and ice, war fatigue, plus regular power cuts and worse rationing than during the war.
Gather ye rosebuds, Thomas …
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Wow! It seems like you travel more than you are home. Have you explained this somewhere? Does one of you travel for business or are all these fun trips? Reading about them is great for this strictly armchair (or computer chair) traveler!
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Oh Thomas! Still jealous of you. But Bravo you remain devoted to your books. Too bad about Colette. I tried to read Cheri too and really did just find it rubbish. Colette was also a creature of a fashionable world and did start her career producing rubbish for money (for her husband, Willi) which actually came out to be charming: the whole Claudine series. I would recommend instead La Vagabonde and My Mother's House. Her feeling for family life and the countryside and personhood is very powerful. She was MFK Fisher's favorite writer if that means anything. Enjoy the rest of your trip!
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Oh I'm so jealous of you being in Thailand. I've been a couple of times and you're making me practically seethe with envy. Mmm…pad thai….
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Mrs B: I am so glad you like the Lipman. Always nice to know when one's recommendations work out.
JoAnn: I loved the beach, but I also like winter so I am looking forward to colder weather.
Simon S: Tom Cruise would make me dislike just about anything.
Lu: Well I will have tons to blog about that is for sure.
Diane: Thanks. There will be lots of photos to come.
Lucille: That is a great article, but I must disagree with the writer about Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett. Patchett's fiction is indeed fantastic, and her writing in this memoir is also fantastic. I think perhaps the subject matter is what put off the writer. AP can do no wrong in my book, although she is a little pretentious or maybe precious in interviews.
Bloomsbury: Thanks, we did enjoy it.
Overdue: Your heinous holiday did indeed sound heinous.
Bookheaper: I like reading about opposite weather. When I am hot I love reading winter things and vice versa.
Nan: Well John does a fair amount of business travel which gives us the bulk of the frequent flyer miles needed to take a trip like this. But it comes down to long-range planning. This trip has been in the planning for well over a year.
Mlle: I have a few MFK Fisher in the TBR, but I have yet to read them.
Novel Insights: We learned how to make Phad Thai during our cooking lesson. It was really delicious.
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jeez, I can barely keep up with reading your blog. how do you stay on top of so many blogs? And this isn't even mentioning all the books. :o)
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Juliebean: But you have real world interests, like pottery. This is my pottery.
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