I read a book!

That might not sound like much of an accomplishment. If you are reading this, you've probably read plenty of books in your day. Maybe you even read one yesterday. But it's been a rare feat of late from where I'm sitting. I used to be a voracious reader. Not so much these days.

First the one I haven't finished: My wife got me a great book for Christmas - a biography of Samuel Champlain. Interesting stuff, laying the groundwork for what eventually would become our fine neighbors to the north, Canada. Dangerous sea voyages, warring Indians, deadly diseases and harsh winters, topped off with political intrigue and vying economic factions, the book has everything. But with work, the babies, the babies and the babies, it's been a long read.

So after the events of last Monday, I decided I needed some lighter fare, some mindless beach book. I found it in Clive Cussler's "Blue Gold." His books are always good for some good action adventure. Narrow escapes from a primitive Indian tribe in South America, a plot to control the world's supply of fresh water, Mexican mafia coverups, Bosnian war criminals, Vikings, secret Cold War plots to sabotage the Soviet nuclear weapons program, assasination plots on the Speaker of the House, high speed boat races, dead whales and missing WWII bombers in Alaska. All in one book!

Just what this reader needed to take his mind of other things for a little while.