Listening to the book on CD

I took the boom box/CD player back to Best Buy this morning.  Unfortunately I didn't get it back within their allotted time, so they could only give me my refund on a store card (that doesn't have an expiration date).  Not much else I could do, so I accepted it.  I wandered around the store looking for the GPS section and finally asked a clerk.  They have very few models on display but they do carry more on their website.  I don't know if I want to get another one or not - it certainly won't be a Garmin if I do.  I saw one online, a TomTom, that looked good to me, but so far I've been able to hold off on buying it.  

I rarely need a GPS in town as I don't drive in unfamiliar territory if I can avoid it, and I'm not sure how much driving I'll be doing outside the city.  Not any that involves getting on an interstate, for sure.

I put the first CD of the audio book into my laptop, and it works perfectly.  The only thing is that for some reason iTunes lists the selections in reverse order.  The computer automatically tries to listen from top to bottom of the list, which is ok if it's musical selections, but with sections of a book they must be listened to from bottom to top.  That means I have to watch the progress of each section, and jump to the selection above to listen to the next one.  It's irritating - I'm on CD-1 out of about 12 CD's, so it's going to get more bothersome.  It's really easy to listen to - I selected a Maeve Binchy book - I've always loved reading her books and they are written as narratives which lend themselves well to being read aloud.  Even when reading the books I always read (to myself) in an Irish lilt!

I have been thinking I need to go camping, and maybe will do it after Labor Day when the crowds thin out.  Last year the forest fires prevented camping in any part of the state, although I'm sure some people did camp out.  I don't want to have to smell the smoke or run from a fire, which can spread fast especially if the wind changes directions.

I'll see how I feel after I return from Alaska, but I may think about getting a black lab puppy (or young dog).  I'd love to take a dog camping with me again - it was never the same after Lady died.  I could always change my mind, but I really want a young male black lab.  I won't be satisfied until I get one. 


I look forward to my Alaska trip, and will have something exciting and new to write about.  I sure hope I get to see a grizzly, a whale, catch a few nice salmon, enjoy the cool weather and have to wear jeans and a jacket, among other things.  I don't know how many photos my memory card will hold as I always upload them right after taking them.  Not sure if I'll take my laptop or not - it gets heavy when carrying it through an airport!  It would be a challenge to do without the internet for two weeks.