Some Minor Complications

As part of my 2011 blogging resolutions, I committed to one of my first challenges-- the 2011 Audio Book Challenge.

Thus far, it has been an interesting experience. I have found that my attention span is incredibly short when it comes to sound.

Let me start at the beginning...

When I signed up for this challenge, I thought that it would be an easy challenge to accomplish. After all, I only need to listen to someone else read the books that I would normally read myself. There's nothing terribly demanding about this.

Within the first week or two of this month, I moved my radio out of my window (which my parents are happy about. My room is now warmer since the storm window isn't the only thing between my room and the rest of the world). I moved it right by my bed so that it was next to my head and I could listen to a chapter or two just before I drifted off to sleep.

The thing about this set up is that I hear a lot of other noises. The swish and gentle creak of my oscillating fan as it spreads cool air to different parts of my room; some kind of scratching sound that comes from who know where that astonishingly hasn't returned for a while; the squeak of Sullivan's squeal in the middle of the night... there are others. On top of that, the speaker isn't the loudest of talkers. That makes it very easy to a) lose track of what's happening in the story and/or b) get distracted by the other noises.

So this challenge will be just that: a challenge. I think I have found something to use to solve some of my problems though. When I was younger and when we (being the rest of my family and I) had to go somewhere far-- as in a couple hours away-- in the car, I would pack a bag full of my CD's and then also my WalkMan music player. Incidentally, I still have all of those CD's and my WalkMan, so I'm utilizing it again! It's easier to pay attention when someone is talking in your ear.

Any way, just a brief update on this challenge because I really haven't said anything about it since the day I announced that I was participating in it.

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend! I'll have some pictures and tales to tell you in the next few days. I'll keep the topics a surprise though. You'll just have to come back and see!

Thanks for reading!

--Jude