Snot, Socks, and a Book Review

I am at home sick today, having spent the better part of the past 24 hours suffering from ragweed allergies (see picture of ragweed to left- looks innocent enough) and consequently depleting the nation's supply of any paper product that I deemed appropriate for handling the results of repetitive sneezing and sniffling fits. Needless to say, I am feeling a bit better only because I have had little more than green tea with honey and/or elderberry syrup and regular doses of Benadryl for my past three "meals". I tried the less toxic approach to handling my allergies with garlic, stinging nettle, etc, but once I realized any other herbal or synthetic allergy medicine felt like a placebo pill, I turned to Benadryl. Once I get this initial attack under control, I can probably manage the rest of ragweed season without keeping myself in an allergy medicine coma, but for now I am pretty happy to be a little less alert than usual. Before you bust out your violins, and play me a sympathy tune, I will move on to topics that are slightly more interesting to the general public than the state of my nasal passages.

Onward and upward...or downward as the case may be. I did manage to get a couple of things done today. I am almost finished knitting my second sock out of lovely merino yarn in Pippikneesocks' inspirational Jammin' colorway.
They are very similar to the first two pairs of socks I've made, which I used the basic Yankee knitter sock pattern. The only difference with these is I did a beaded rib pattern and kept the pattern going on the foot part of the sock, too. Next up in the sock department, monkey socks out of yarn from Jessie at A Piece of Vermont. I am also determined to finish Robb's socks that I started last winter in time for his upcoming birthday and my basic cardigan out out of the yummy terra yarn from the Fibre Company. I have lots of fall and winter knitting projects roaming around my foggy brain so I figure I ough to finish some of what I have on needles before starting fall/winter projects.

So, in my somewhat delirious state, I have spent most of making waking hours today reading the book Truck: A Love Story by Michael Perry. I read a review of this book in Orion Magazine a while back and have been meaning to track down a copy ever since. My first attempt at purchasing the book failed because I kept thinking the title was simply Red Truck. The only books with the title "red truck" at my local bookstore turned up searches of Richard Scary style board books with pictures of construction equipment for teething toddlers to chew on. Cute, but not something for a 32-year old woman to snuggle up with. I finally thought to look online a couple of week ago and found the book review from Orion Magazine . With the actual name of the book, I was able to go and a copy of my very own. It's a good thing it took me so long to find out the actual title because it just came out in paperback.
So, now for my review. This book, a humorous memoir/biography, reminded me of everything I love about David Sedaris and Ira Glass with a lot more grease and pig shit to satisfy the country girl in me. Perry is a great storyteller, an art not to be underestimated in a climate such as northern Wisconsin that he calls home, where long winters require people to entertain themselves in more creative ways than laser tag. Surely, video games and TVs have made it to these parts, just as they have to Vermont, but luckily for the reader that is not how Perry spends his days. The book parallels two stories in Perry's life: the first, his restoration of his 1951 International Harvester pick up truck; the second, his emerging love affair with a woman he meets at during a reading at the local library. I don't want to give away the story, but let it be said that the pleasant surprises and challenges of love and automobile repair make for a numerous surprising metaphors and several belly laughs. I enjoyed this book so much that I am going to pick up his other book Population: 485 next as soon as I get a chance. I recommend you do the same.