Today was busy busy, 114 lunches (that's a lot for one little gal behind a lunch counter) and I handled them all ok. My boss kept giving me awkward white-people high-fives and her husband, the other owner said I was "awesome". Nothing better than that, plus a free soda when you missed lunch. We went out after to spend some of our totally unearned and misguided economic stimulus check on beer, dinner, books and cd's. A good night all in all. (We're planning on putting away the rest in our savings. I guess we're only sort of patriotic.)
Speaking of books, I've decided I should probably try and keep up with linz and kari for 50 books to read this year. I'm sure I'm a little behind, and since they count schoolbooks, they're a couple of cheats, but that's ok. So far, that I can remember, I've completed:
1984 (George Orwell) I think this is just one of those books everyone has to read once. I liked it because it had a sad ending. There's no triumphant victory over evil. Just an ordinary man who does what we likely all would do under similar circumstances, despite what we want to think of ourselves.
Eat, Pray, Love (Elizabeth Gilbert) I really enjoyed this book. A quick, fun, read, and it makes me want to take up meditation because if this crazy chick can calm her mind, so can I.
In Defense of Food (Michael Pollan) This book conviced Erich to throw out his marshmallow fluff and start eating whole grains. Need I say more?
I've started:
A Brief History of Time (Stephen Hawking) Really interesting, it makes me wish I liked physics more.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (some guy, I don't remember) The first chapter was motivating, the middle ok, the part where I set it down seems like a lot of fluff. Good ideas though, if not a bit overwritten.
The American Pipe Dream (about crack cocaine, Dale D. Chitwood et al) Haven't gotten very far yet, but interesting in that sort of sociology-class way.
The Vaccine Book (Robert W. Sears) Each chapter is devoted to one of the major childhood vaccines in the series generally recommended. I knew it was the right book for me when he said in the first chapter that he wouldn't talk about mercury excessively because it's been removed from 99% of vaccines, but that he would focus on the relevant things we actually needed to know about, from an intelligent scientific but not elitist standpoint. So no fear-mongering here, but also no "I'm a doctor, I know what's good for you, so just listen to me without question" either. (He does address it, of course, but directly and succinctly.) I'm only one vaccine in and I feel like I've already learned a ton.
For future reading, as part of my patriotic duty to save the economy with mindless shopping, today I purchased:
Night (Elie Wiesel)
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (David Sedaris)
A Separate Peace (John Knowles)
The Things They Carried (Tim O'Brien)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou)
Love in the Time of Cholera (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
Those Who Save Us (Jenna Blum)
Yes, several of these were books I either heard of from NPR or Oprah. I'm okay with that. They all look good. I also feel like I read more than that but I can't remember them.
Erich found some cd's he liked and got a copy of Jackie Brown, which I think I've seen but can't remember. Also we played some frisby in the park, which is always fun. We're so wholesome. Is that a nice way of saying boring? To make up for it we got some beers at Titletown, then did the aforementioned shopping under a nice alcoholic veil. Well, at least me. Not so much Erich. We even chatted with a 51 year old man who was looking for a 'sassy bitch' while drinking alone at The Tilted Kilt. (They wear exactly what their little cartoon logo girl wears, btw, it's just sad-we left as quickly as we could finish an overpriced house drink.)
Anyway, tomorrow is the day of our mothers, so let this be a reminder to all of you to call your mamas and say "thanks for pushing me out". Or "thanks for allowing a surgeon to delicately remove me through a small incision". Either way, we owe them, so suck it up and call! My own mother will be spending the afternoon learning to shoot an unnecessarily large handgun with my brother, so I'll be making brunch for my mother in law, which should be fun.
Have a lovely weekend.
4 comments:
Some of these books sound really good! There are so many classics that people should really read in their life time, and now you're inspiring me!!
xxx
have fun reading! those all sound like good choices.
I called! First I called this house, then I called Mac, and they just happened to be eating with him.
I found a new thing to be happy about here on Guam: Yellow Cab Pizza Co. Great pizza, and I can piggy-back on the wireless service at the Coffee Beanery next door.
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