Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer

Life has just handed me a little gift.

Have you ever read a book, enjoyed it, and then forgotten it? You remember later, "Oh, there was that story..." but by that point you have no idea what it was called, or who wrote it, or even when you read it.

I've been reading Robert Sawyer's stuff lately, which has some interesting religious/spiritual view points. And I've been really enjoying it. So, I was looking forward to reading his much touted book, Calculating God.

So I pick up the book tonight. (Yes, I was starting a new book around midnight, I'm not a night owl for nothing.) And there it is. This book I read and forget, but just thought of within the last two weeks. I hadn't even got around to trying to look for it. I mean, how hard/how specific would it be to find a book that starts with aliens landing in Toronto and saying, "Take me to your paleontologist." ??

And here it is, a little gift dropped in me lap. Thank you, I'll go read my book now.

The Loneliness of Single Parenting

(So, this has nothing to do with what I've read. But then again, I haven't posted at all in over 2 1/2 years, so I don't expect anyone will complain about the topic change. In fact it's doubtful anyone is still watching this blog, but I need somewhere to post this.)

So, I'm dating a single mom. We only get to see each other once a week, but we talk on the phone for a couple of hours just about every night. But not tonight. I don't know what made me think of this, surely nothing Luscious has said, but it occurred to me what a lonely job single parenting must be. I know I wasn't cut out for single parenting (perhaps not even for joint parenting), and I knew it was hard. I thought about the difficulties, the exhaustion, the expectations, the blessings and simplifications.. but it never before occurred to me how lonely it can be. To be trapped with a crazy person (All 4-year-olds are crazy, it's just in their nature.) that you love, and feed, bath and chastise. To have no fellow adults looking in and saying, "Yep, that really happened" "Are they driving you crazy? Me too." "Can you believe what just happened?" or even (Who would imagine I would write such a thing?) "No, they really deserved to be shouted out with that action." I just get this tiny picture of things over the phone, as they get ready for bed... When Luscious and I don't get to talk, I miss her terribly.. but I'm not lonely. I wonder how her world is....