I’ve think I’ve solved my problem with getting to bored while doing repetitive manual labor out in the shop. Not surprising it’s a slightly geeky solution. I download the text of a book from Project Gutenberg, have my computer speak it into a MP3 using iSpeak It, then I put the 10 or so hour MP3 onto my iPod, and then off I go.

The quality level is hilarious - lisiten to a short sample from the Verne book I’m reading right now - but at least I understand the text of the book, and let my imagination do the rest.