Cleaning gutters, breaking down boxes, and finishing a book

It is a rainy, drizzly, overcast day here in Meridian Township, Michigan. Thankfully, it's not too cold. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely a damp chill in the air, but it's at least above freezing. (My phone says it's 39 degrees).

Our gutters were jam packed with leaves, branches, and muck. Who knows if the weather will ever get any better than it is today, and the next few weeks might be packed with Christmas-y preparations, so today seemed the best opportunity to clean them out. It's not a job I particularly love, especially when my hands practically freeze grabbing the muck out of the gutters, even when said hands are covered with garden gloves. I plugged away at the job, with a few podcasts as entertainment, and finished it this afternoon. I have to say that when the down spouts are unplugged and I hear that "flushing toilet" sound, it does give me incredible satisfaction.

After the gutters were finished, I broke down some of our kajillion cardboard boxes in the garage. The unfortunate result of us ordering lots of stuff online is that we have a constant backlog of cardboard boxes that need to be broken down and recycled. 

Eventually, I grew weary of freezing my tush off in the garage and the monotony of breaking down the boxes, so now I am back inside in the warmth of the house.

Now that I have bored you all to tears with my tales of domestic toil, I'll update you with news that is perhaps a bit more interesting.

I finally finished Will Sergeant's memoir Echoes. (It's the second in his series of memoirs, following the first volume Bunnyman, and covers the years 1980 to 1982. At this rate, it might take Will another 14 volumes to cover his entire life). I enjoy Will's self-deprecating sense of humor, and he does tell some good stories, but overall I just didn't find the book as compelling as Bunnyman. There are a few too many stories of "we toured here, then we toured there, then we came home, then we recorded a single, then we hit the road again..." I.e., a list of events with not quite enough in-depth analysis of what made these events significant). I would like a little more insight into Echo & the Bunnymen's songwriting and creative process. There is some of that, but just not as much as I'd like. For all my complaining, I will definitely be on board for whatever book Will publishes next, assuming he plans on continuing with his memoirs.