Free Download of My New Book

[TromboneAl]

I'm pretty much done with my next book, but before I publish it, I thought I'd see if any of you wanted to check it out and give me feedback.

If so, click here to get a version for your reader.

Thanks!

Al

​

 

[ImThinkin2019]

Hi Al-
I just started reading your book and so far I like it. I really like your sense of humor and I realize that we both are either humorous or slightly off kilter or both.
The good news for me is that over the years I have learned not to say the first thing that comes to my mind, at least 30% of the time. That keeps me out of trouble at least 43% of the time. Not sure about you.
My wife also does not see the humor that I see a lot of the time. I suspect you know how that is being married to a Scandinavian. On the other hand she and her DM are the ones you'll hear cackling loudly in the theater at some episode that results in a smile on the faces of most others. We all have our own perspectives.
Back to your book, though - it has started out great. Interesting, folksy, and humorous. I'll give you more feedback when I've read the whole thing.
So far my DW and myself have not ER'd but we're thinking about joining the class of 2018. We'd be preemies if you consider what I was thinking when I created my forum name. The good news though is that we are getting closer and closer. It's affecting our perspective some. For example right now I'm in the money losing stage at the beginning of a project launch and I received an email with the numbers from the VP Finance yesterday. My reaction was "Hmm, I wonder if I'll get fired over this. Hey, that would not be too bad. I could roll over my 401k right away."
It's interesting that you were able to retire and maintain your intellectual (if you choose to call it that) stimulation. That's one thing that concerns me about ER. But we do have a pretty busy life planned after ER and we're hot to trot to start it. What was your experience there, other than posting off color jokes on ER forum?

 

[zinger1457]

Thanks, downloaded it but haven't had a chance to look at it yet. That is one big book (~19M file)! I have over 300 books in my Kindle library and the next biggest one is about 4M, most are around 1M.

 

[REWahoo]

Thanks, downloaded it but haven't had a chance to look at it yet. That is one big book (~19M file)! I have over 300 books in my Kindle library and the next biggest one is about 4M, most are around 1M.

Al likes photos....

 

[TromboneAl]

I've had two people say that they don't care for the self-deprecating humor in the first chapter, nor the mention of diarhhea--so if you have any thoughts on that, it's something I may reconsider.

 

[REWahoo]

Al, I thought the first chapter was great. Don't change a thing.

(I'm already on Chapter 14. What a page-turner! I can't put it down until I figure out whodunnit!)

 

[youbet]

I'm enjoying it so far Al! Thanks for giving us the early read opportunity!

My DW is a card carrying member of POEM and will be starting it tomorrow.

Is it OK to share the book with others? I have a friend in northern Wis, a long distance cyclist now relegated to a recumbent, who would get a kick out of it.

 

[redduck]

I've had two people say that they don't care for the self-deprecating humor in the first chapter, nor the mention of diarhhea--so if you have any thoughts on that, it's something I may reconsider.

I would suggest that the only thing you reconsider is your spelling of "diarrhea".

 

[FIREd]

I am on chapter 8 and so far I like it. I have no issue with the first chapter, but I am a fan of self-deprecating humor.

 

[chris2008]

Thanks for providing!

 

[VaCollector]

How do I save it to my Mac? I don't have an e-reader and when I open the .pdf file and "save as" when I try to open, I got nuttin' :face palm:

Guess I can try to read it in one sitting

Edit: HOw RUDE of me ~ Thanks Al for sharing!!!

 

[Brett_Cameron]

Thanks!

 

[eytonxav]

Thanks Al, I like the pictures and your Jimmy Kimmel like humor

 

[TromboneAl]

Is it OK to share the book with others? I have a friend in northern Wis, a long distance cyclist now relegated to a recumbent, who would get a kick out of it.

Yes, absolutely. The upsides of sharing it widely seem to outweigh any possible downsides.

How do I save it to my Mac? I don't have an e-reader and when I open the .pdf file and "save as" when I try to open, I got nuttin' :face palm:

The best way would be to install the Kindle Reader App for Mac, then you could read the Kindle version.

Reading the PDF should work on the Mac, but I'm not a mac person, so I can't guide you there.

Thanks for the thumbs up on the diarrhea (now I've definitely gone too far).

 

[Sue J]

Thanks for the free preview, Al. I enjoyed your posts and blog about that trip when you first posted them here. I'm only on page 9 but I like your writing style.

This is the trip in the Toyota Echo with the passenger side head prop gizmo, isn't it? Oh, there it is on page 10!

 

[spncity]

How do I save it to my Mac? I don't have an e-reader and when I open the .pdf file and "save as" when I try to open, I got nuttin' :face palm:

Guess I can try to read it in one sitting

Edit: HOw RUDE of me ~ Thanks Al for sharing!!!

Hmmm.... If you click the .pdf version and save, is it in your download folder?

 

[sengsational]

Knobectomy. LOL!

 

[martyb]

I just downloaded the pdf version to my laptop....wife's going to also put it on her Kindle. Thanks Al!

 

[FIREd]

How do I save it to my Mac? I don't have an e-reader and when I open the .pdf file and "save as" when I try to open, I got nuttin' :face palm:

Guess I can try to read it in one sitting

Edit: HOw RUDE of me ~ Thanks Al for sharing!!!

The PDF version does not open on my Mac either (works fine on my PC). And on the iPad, it only shows the first 2 pages of the PDF document.

ETA: on the Mac, instead of clicking on the PDF link, right click on the link and choose "download linked files as" to save the PDF file to your computer. It works fine that way.

 

[martyb]

PDF version works fine on my pc laptop. Still playing with wife's kindle. I said KINDLE!!! Some of you people.......

 

[Free To Canoe]

Al,

I know and love your writing and feel like I know [-]you[/-] your crazy because of it.
I downloaded the book and I am sure I will enjoy it.

Thanks,

Mark

 

[RetiringAt55]

I read your book yesterday. I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it. I thought the pictures were a great part of the book and contrary to your previous post about the pictures, I would have enjoyed even more!

I do have one comment. I think you should rethink the comments about the campground host's "unfaithful" wife. I think you should reword this part of that chapter because as it stands, some would consider it libelous and you could be subject to a lawsuit. I understand it is a joke, but this woman is not a public figure and the bar is higher for what can be said about her.

Overall, I really enjoyed your book. We did the Grand Canyon loop from Chicago last summer and had a wonderful time camping in our trailer. I am such an engineer that I had everything planned out ahead of time including all reservations and a detailed meal plan. Maybe next time when it is just DH and me and we are retired, we can be spontaneous about it as you were.

 

[sengsational]

Chapter 49: Real-Life Writing Activities for Grades 4-9

Spoiler alert! If you haven't read chapter 49, please stop reading now!!

Ok, now that it's just us, did you type "drive ride repeat" into amazon? I did and didn't find the book, but found "Real-Life Writing Activities for Grades 4-9". There was also an English language book "Four Corners...", but since the 2009 adventure avoided that area (the campgrounds would have been full), I went with the "Real-Life Writing..." in the headline.

All that was my attempt at humor. I presume this whole amazon thing will happen at some later point. But I've got to wonder where this book as been since 2009! I'll admit to not having put the figures into a inflation calculator. I got the message...it was a pretty cheap way to travel (expense usually has an inverse relationship to how adventuresome a trip is, the book had plenty of adventures, even though many of them involved fighting the elements).

This book temporarily caused a change to the second derivative of my circumstances (in the 'good' direction), so thanks, Al, for that! The trip doc segments had the feel of 'happening now' blog entries or a weekly column, presumably because they were (re:references to finding wi-fi and uploading). Besides the missing title of the inventions chapter (PDF) and the wording of the blond joke, I didn't see anything, but I'm about as far away from an editor as could be imagined (could my amazon results be customized for me?)

I loved the writing style. I'm reminded of another New York guy: Dave Barry. Plenty of LOL's, especially Lena's swearing. Interstitially switching between the trip to autobiographical segments I think was effective. And of course the big autobiographical graduation (or would that be daughtergraphical?) Its going to be car-buying time this summer for my daughter (graduating in May).

When's "Dr. Al's Stretch for Life" going to be published?

 

[Rosie]

I'm on chapter 21.

Love the photo of all the bags. Reminds me of my camping trips, just about.

And ITA with the previous chapter "Camping is Dead"; I cannot understand why people head out to campsites so that they (and all their neighbors) can be serenaded by their freakin' stereo systems.

 

[Rosie]

I read your book yesterday. I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it. I thought the pictures were a great part of the book and contrary to your previous post about the pictures, I would have enjoyed even more!

If you go to the main page of Al's website (the URL that Al provided, but without /preview.htm ) you'll see a link to more photos relating to his book, organized by chapter.