I got a Kindle.

I know. Go ahead and laugh or faint or whatever. I’ll wait until you’ve got yourself back together again.

Long story told in bullet-point lists:

• Saw a Sony at Target. The screen looked like a dot matrix printer (aka like crap). I decided eInk was not for me.
• Amazon pulled some crappy things, which confirmed my opinion of crap.
• My mother-in-law got a Kindle for Christmas and I fondled it. It didn’t look anything like the Sony at Target.
• I couldn’t stop thinking about my MIL’s Kindle.
• I had an increasing need to see what my formatting looked like on the device itself.
• I couldn’t stop thinking about my MIL’s Kindle.
• I had an increasing need to see what my formatting looked like on the device itself.
• Amazon put up their refurbs for $110.

I’ve had it for about a week now. I love it, but I do have some issues and (surprise!) it hasn’t diminished my love for my eBookWise or my BlackBerry. They’re like children: All different, all equally loved for different reasons.

One of my issues with the Kindle is how light and skinny and fragile it is. I know this is supposed to be a plus, but after holding my eBookWise for the last 2-1/2 years, its weight and ergonomic design has spoiled me. The eBookWise feels like a book, only a lot more comfortable.

Anyway, I desperately needed a case for my Kindle to protect it, but geez, people $30? No matter how much I liked my MIL’s case, I figured I could do original-and-cheaper on my own. (Well, hey, that’s how I got into this book publishing business in the first place, my tendency to DIY…everything.)

I’ve made a prototype. I think there are better ways to do this and better designs. I’m going to live with this one for a while and see what I’d change, what other features I might like, a better/more efficient way to build it.

Here’s Prototype Number One (mouse over the pictures to see the commentary):

Crocheting is not my favorite thing to do, but I do enjoy Tunisian crochet (remedial, in my case). I’m making a queen-sized “comforter” for XX TD for Christmas (provided I get it done in time). Here’s the first skein:

I had a ball of Sugar’n Cream yarn (100% cotton) I bought for XX TD to learn how to crochet. Two problems: A) She’s left-handed and I’m not, and B) I’m a horrible teacher. I seriously needed a break from reading, writing, publishing, DDJ. It had to be something creative, but not involved. Eva Gale’s dishcloth project inspired me, and I thought it was perfect for a mind break while still feeding my creativity.

Eva’s all about self-sufficiency and she really strives for it in ways big and small. She is such an inspiration to me. As she puts it, this project is therapy for $2. Awesome. I really liked it for that, but as a step toward self-sufficiency, I found it extremely expensive in terms of materials and time. One $2 dishcloth plus sunk costs of time when I could have been making far more than it would cost me to buy a pack of dishcloths (or Scotch-Brite sponges, which is what we use). But it was fun and it was a break and I got to use a ball of yarn I had no other use for. That was the big bonus.

I don’t watch TV much. It interferes with other things I find more interesting. Still, occasionally I want to vegetate but I can’t do that without something to do while I’m watching TV. I feel really guilty if I’m not able to watch TV and do something productive at the same time. Crochet fills that bill.