September Books

Well it looks like I'm reading way too much to keep all the books on my new side link list so instead at the end of each month I will move them to a post and clear the list. Here are the books I've read, September 2007. 15 in all, about one every two to three days is what it breaks down to. Now, some are short - kids books even, so obviously those only took mere moments.

Inside Mrs. B's Classroom, Leslie Baldacci - I was warned that this was not very good, and to be honest I was disappointed with it. The chapters feel more like elongated newspaper articles, there is little connection between them and no in depth reflection. A good friend however just started teaching the same demographic, age and subject, so it was entertaining to read stories that were almost perfect reflections of conversations we have had since the school year started.
The Grey King, Susan Cooper - September 2007 - Book 4 of the Dark is Rising series, still good, but I'm starting to lose any deep interest. Glad there is only one book left, I think I'm ready to be done. Also, the movie previews for The Seeker (based on this series, opening in a week) look nothing like what I've read, so I don't think I will be racing out to see it (also it is made by the same folks that made Bride to Terabithia which I refused to see after a lifelong love affair with the Katherine Patterson book.)
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee - September 2007 - My fall back book. The one I read when I need something good, comforting, and reliable. I have read this probably over half a dozen times since I was 13. I love it and it had been a few years since I had picked it up. My trusty copy is miles away in a basement with the rest of my possessions (patiently waiting for me to have space to reclaim them) so I bought a new copy from my favorite bookstore and delved into again. I loved it all over again.
Greenwitch, Susan Cooper - September 2007 - Book 3 of the Dark is Rising series. Short, glad it only cost $6.
Over Sea Under Stone, Susan Cooper - September 2007 - Book one of the Dark is Rising series. My brother recommended them so I thought I'd check it out, he usually has good recommendations. The story is good, easy to read since it's a young adult reading level, and intriguing. As I will find out, the books are pretty self contained which I like, I don't feel like I immediately have to pick up the next one from fear of losing the story.
The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper - September 2007 - Book two of The Dark is Rising series. New characters, builds up the plot some more.
The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish - Neil Gaiman - September 2007 - Absolutely fabulous. Gaiman teams up with artist Dave McKean, who is magical, to create a fantastic story that everyone should read, especially if you have two kids close in age.
Animal Farm, George Orwell - September 2007 - Finally got around to reading the high school classic. Mostly it makes me want to brush up on my Russian history, but overall I really enjoyed it. Definitely one I will reread as the years go by.
Saving Fish from Drowning, Amy Tan - September 2007 - My mom got it for me for my birthday. It is somewhat of a ritual that she gives me books (most that turn out to be ones I love) for my birthday and Christmas. This year she was on a two week trip to Italy (a surprise from my brother for her birthday) and was more than a little worn out when my day rolled around (nine days after her) at the last minute coming home she realized in the Newark airport that she had to get me a book, so she picked this up. It was good, even more timely now that Myanmar is all over the news.
Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini - September 2007 -Oh dear god. I finally got around to reading this after countless recommendations and now I know why. I'll be honest, I broke down at least a half dozen times while reading this, had to set the book down I couldn't see through the tears. I even had to put it down just to process it sometimes, which hasn't happened in a while for me. Strangers approached me on the street to ask what I thought when they saw the title. It is amazing, and if you haven't read it, go to the library now and get it.
Stardust, Neil Gaiman - September 2007 - I saw the movie first and was hesitant to read the book right away. No hesitation needed. Read the book, see the movie, your life will be better for it.
Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman - September 2007 - On somewhat of a Gaiman kick this month, loved this like I love all his work, though American Gods is still my favorite novel.
The Wolves in the Walls, Neil Gaiman - September 2007 - The fantastic duo of Gaiman and McKean team up again for this wonderful children's book. There is actually a stage production going on right now for the month of October in New York, that I would give anything to be able to go see. If anyone who comes across this actually live in NY, please go see it and let me know how it is.
Death: The High Cost of Living, Neil Gaiman - September 2007 - a spin off from the highly acclaimed Sandman series. Death was one of my (and many others) favorite characters and this small but delightful set of stories was greatly appreciated as an Endless fan.
The Sandman: Endless Nights, Neil Gaiman - September 2007

From scary to heartwarming...it's the news of the day

Just a few news links to round out the day...
First - in league with my previous post about being able to be fired for smoking, it now turns out that I can be denied a home because of my appearance. At this point, I still qualify for housing in Texas, but some day (soon if I can ever get the money) I may cross over the line of acceptable tattooage.

Second - this one falls into the no fucking kidding section of news items. Looks like a year ago a small town in New Jersey decided they had had enough of all this immigration nonsense and passed a bunch of laws prohibiting the hiring or housing illegal immigrants. Shock and awe to everyone, the members of the town that fit into this category vacated leaving boarded up businesses and vacant properties up and down main street. Now the town is saying maybe we didn't think this thing through enough and is back peddling on its decision.
Most disturbing quote from the article? Former Mayor, Charles Hilton - “The business district is fairly vacant now, but it’s not the legitimate businesses that are gone,” he said. “It’s all the ones that were supporting the illegal immigrants, or, as I like to call them, the criminal aliens.”

And finally third - on a much happier note, a darling story out of Boston where one guy got really creative in a marriage proposal. I don't do crosswords, but if any guy I knew was smart enough to come up with this idea, he would definitely be worth something.

I F*$%ing Hate Crocs

No reason to not be up front about it, I hate those damn shoes. They're ugly, and personally I find them gross looking and not at all comfortable. I feel about Crocs the same way many of my fellow pedestrians feel about flip-flops, but that's another post for another time. My first warm fuzzy feeling of solidarity came when I found this website. By cruising through a friend of a friend of a coworkers blog (the 21st centuries version of my cousins - boyfriends - sisters - baby daddy's kind of thing) I came across it. I might have to order a shirt for me and maybe one for the brother.

Then this morning I was again smiled upon by the journalism Gods when I came across this article linking childhood obesity to the dreaded footwear. Now I understand (and the article does as well) that there are many, many factors that are leading our children, and our teenagers, and our adults....to dangerous levels of obesity, but I love that Crocs are now on the list of perpetrators. Many, just maybe, if we all join together we can get them to be banned by next summer so I never have to see them again.

So many books, so little time

I have added a feature on my layout to list the books that I read. I've been on a streak that is almost out of control, but since it's books and not alcohol or cocaine I figure it's okay. The first eight or so are Neil Gaiman (who is fantastic!) I'm almost through most of his stuff, so there should be some variation soon. All the links will take you to an Amazon page if you want more information, but if you decide to buy I recommend you support your local bookstore!

If I can't be myself after 5:00, then who will I be?

I have not read 1984 - I switched (and skipped) schools so much that it fell through the cracks as I grew up. I am trying to go back and catch up on books like this (I just read Animal Farm the other day) but alas 1984 is still on the "to read" list. After today, I think I should move it to the "reading" pile....

***I get that most of the people out there don't like cigarettes. Please give me at least enough respect to understand that I'm not a fucking moron. They kill, they smell, they can turn your walls (and fingers) a pretty nasty shade of yellow/brown. I get that they not only can kill me, they can kill all the doe eyed innocents around me. I've seen the marketing campaigns that want me to understand that if not for my filthiness the world would be a happy sunshine filled place, with bunnies and rainbows, and peace on earth. The truth ads and the dirty looks from strangers have combined productively within me to create a giant sense of guilt and shame whenever I smoke in public. Now granted, it's not enough shame to actually quit, but it is enough that I try and avoid crowds, children, animals, and people in general when I partake in my dirty little habit. I am not always successful, but damn it I try.

Then I get up, go to work, and read this. That it is becoming a reality within my lifetime that I can and will be fired (or simply not hired in the first place) for what I do after I punch out and go home. Today it's cigarettes, tomorrow will be Big Mac's, who knows what next week holds. How far can we crawl into each other's personal spaces before there is no room left between us? How long until there really is a big brother camera on every light pole and front porch? On every doorway looking in?

I think I am heading out now for a smoke - while I can.....

*** - In order to truly understand this rant, if you know me, please insert the dry sarcastic voice I use when knee deep in storytelling :)

Why can't they show me the shoes?

Warning - this post is a completely frivolous post, not too much content, just something that has been bugging me this week.

If you know me, you know that I am not living in the world of high fashion. I wear what is comfortable, on sale, and for the most part fits. I am slowly becoming more trendy as I spend more time living in the windy city (as my new desire for pedicures and hot pink Steve Madden heels proves) but for the most part it is a slow transition.

I work on the same block as an Anne Taylor Loft store. They have cute stuff, nice work appropriate clothing and sometimes some decent sales, so I have been known to stop in every now and then when I'm trying to expand my available work clothes. What's nice is in the store windows they have rows of mannequins with whole outfits put together. I dig this since my ability to put together a matching outfit is right up there with my ability to speak German - I can not fathom doing either. Sounds perfect right? Not quite. See, all the mannequins, in their great outfits, are always bare foot. They are never wearing shoes! Granted, shoes are not the main sales pitch of an Anne Taylor Loft store, but they do sell them. And personally, I need to see what shoes will go with that cute skirt/blazer outfit before I can buy it. Damn retail world.

I'm disgusted. I'm outraged. I'm dissapointed. I'm scared. I'm trying to find a way within myself to understand how these things still happen. I'm praying for the next generation to make it out alive through this fire we are continuously stoking. I want to stand on the street corner screaming at and shaking people as they walk by, trying to get them to pay attention. I want to get on a bus, march through unfamiliar streets, join together with other like minded souls out there to know that I am not alone in my anger. I want to sit quietly on curbs of places that spill over with their hate, showing my solidarity with those who do not hate. I want to never have to read something like this again.

The only time I will wish I was in small town Louisiana

I'll come back later (hopefully) and get more in...but here is the moronic statement of the day.
"Our town is not racist like this is being depicted. The nooses were just a joke."

What kind of fucking idiots are these people. I wish I was in the protest march right now, my thoughts and support go to those that went.

Not even done yet

Smoking is a double edged sword when it comes to interacting with strangers. Certain people will avoid me like the bubonic plague when I'm smoking outside, which to be quite honest is usually perfectly okay with me. For the most part I don't want to talk to people I don't know when trying to enjoy a cigarette, hell I can barely keep up with the people I do know these days. However, smoking in public somehow opens the invisible door to my personal space to other smokers who feel they can ask me for a cigarette or a light.

The lighter thing I don't mind, it's the cigarette thing that usually gets to me. Cigarettes are expensive and they aren't getting cheaper any time soon (when I first started smoking I could get 2 packs with a $5 bill - and get change, now in Chicago I can get one pack with a $10 and get barely enough change to wash a load of clothes and forget about drying...) Usually I lie and give the "It's my only one" line when I am confronted by strangers requesting my property...it's a weird feeling, I feel guilty and accused at the same time, I feel I have to come up with an excuse when in reality it's my fucking stuff, I wouldn't give away anything else if randomly asked for it by a stranger. When is the last time you heard "Hey, that's a great shirt can I have it?" or " Can I get some of those fries?" between strangers on the street?

Anyway, my guilt and weirdness aside, I had a most unusual experience this morning. I get off the train a block before my work so that I can smoke one last time with the coffee I have bought at the beginning of my trip and now is cooled off enough to drink. While doing this daily ritual this morning I was approached by a man who asked not if he could get a light (okay), or a smoke (sorry, only one left) but if he could get my short. For you non-smokers they may be reading this, a "short" is when you stub out a cigarette part way through so that you can finish it later, it is the tail end and, though this is of no concern to this post, they reek of something awfully foul (I imagine it smells to me like smoke smells to non-smokers).

This guy, who I do not know and do not wish to know (especially at 7:45 in the morning when I am barely awake as it is) was basically asking me for the cigarette I was currently smoking. This was a new one for me and I was astounded by it - it takes a lot of balls (or something) to ask somebody for something they are in the process of using regardless of its content. I told him no, that I was planning on finishing my own cigarette and walked off.

I heard him ask another women I passed the same thing (I believe she gave some version of the "It's my only one" spiel) and then he sort of followed me - waiting for me to toss it or just stalking me I don't know. I stopped a little bit before the corner and he stopped right next to me, commenting that I could continue to tease him and about how he didn't even know me....All too much for me, I started walking again towards my work with him constantly in my periphery. I walked up to the McD's next door where they have an ashtray and stubbed out what was left (which was not enough to smoke anyway) and snuck in my door. It was not a pleasant way to start the day.

A little Tuesday News

There is a gruesome and sad story unfolding just over the border of my fair city in the depths of hell known as Gary, Indiana. The story goes like this....car with four black teenage boys crashes early Saturday morning, two manage to crawl out and tell the cops that respond that two more are still in the ravine. Cops do nothing. Story gets out that cops ignored two survivors, uncle of one of the victims goes to crash site the next day and finds his dead nephew in less than 5 minutes. Cops still make no statement. Monday cops release statement that boys were drunk, they were not coherent and that they did look for the other two but found nothing at the scene. Coroners report comes out that the other two died instantly.

I was not there so I don't know if the cops looked for the other two. I don't know the state of the two that crawled out of the ravine. What I do know is that the overall feel from the reporting is that Gary is sticking with the statement that it does not matter what the cops did that night since the boys were dead anyway. This is what disturbs me. Statements like this...

• "I'm telling [the officer] about my injuries and my two friends and the accident, and he tells me to sit on the curb,"
• But Gary Police Chief Thomas Houston pointed out that no matter how fast the department's response had been, neither Green nor Smith could have been saved.
• "Law enforcement did not cause this accident and these deaths,"

Law enforcement might not have caused the death but they sure as hell didn't do a damn thing to prevent them either. The family of at least one of the boys is reported to have an independent autopsy done. I will be interested to see the results of it.

In more worldly news, it looks like Iraq is threatening to kick out all the Blackwater guards running rampant in their country. A friend and I had a conversation about it last night with the final thought being they will probably just reincorporate, rename themselves, and saunter right back in....So readers here is a poll for you - what do you think the new name will be?

Delivery part 2

Didn't realize yesterday that this would be a two part post....Remember the UPS story from yesterday? (If not scroll down and read Delivery). Well turns out I stayed home sick today and around 10:30 my doorbell rings. I ask who it is, knowing it is UPS, and get the forecasted answer. I buzz him in and wait...I make sure that the PJ's I am wearing are suitable for answering the door in....they are...I wait some more...Finally, wondering if I let in someone elses UPS guy (or a psycho killer) I throw jeans on and head downstairs just in time to see the UPS truck pulling away from the light at my corner.
What the fuck? No package in the lobby, none on the stairs. So I head back up and just for curiosity poke my head around the corner on the second floor (I live on the third floor)....Yup, there at the exact apartment below mine is a UPS package leaning up against the door. I creep up to it (though why I am creeping in the middle of the day I am not sure) and pick it up. The box is a little tattered, but there it is - my name and my apartment number, which clearly states I live on the third floor not the second.
So I guess, according to the rules at UPS, if the package requires a signature you must first leave a note and the second day you must be buzzed in by the correct receiver and then leave it at the wrong door.

Cable

You know what sucks the most about not having cable? There is no place to hide when George WhatTheFuckWasThisCountryThinking Bush decides to address the nation.

Delivery

I'm sick so don't have a lot of energy to post, but had to put this down before I head back to bed. I think it is highly entertaining (and just a little fucked up) that DHL delivery service is completely okay with leaving my $500+ worth of drugs (pre insurance that is, I only pay $120) on the floor of my lobby in front of my mail box, while UPS leaves me a note that my $30 worth of books from Barnes and Noble can't be delivered without a signature. They will be trying again tomorrow - good thing I'm taking a sick day.

Boston

Hello again my random readers. Sorry for the absence, I went out of town for the long holiday weekend - actually extended it by a day on each end so it was especially long for me. There is a bunch of news going on in the world around me, but this is mostly a personal update post, it's just too nice outside to dwell on the bottom feeding politicians out there today.

Around Labor Day each year I start to get antsy. Something about the end of summer, school starting, and my recently passed birthday makes me want to leave wherever I am and go explore. Last year I went to DC and had a marvelous time hanging out with my brother (and met a marvelous man, but that is a post for another day). This year I decided to mix it up a bit and do a traveling vacation.

I flew into DC late Thursday night and hung out with my brother all that night and Friday. It was actually nice to see him, his girlfriend (who I like) had to work all weekend so it was just the two of us, which it hasn't been since he started seeing her. Saturday I jumped on an Amtrak train and headed up to Boston to spend the rest of my weekend in bean town. I flew home out of Boston on Tuesday afternoon.

I took the trip for all the usual reasons one takes a trip. But I also took it for another reason, one that for cathartic reasons I will share here. From previous posts you know that my birthday just passed. When it did I took a long look in the mirror and thought about a lot of things regarding my life and the path that I seem to be on. Don't worry, it wasn't one of those melodramatic, poor me, will I always be alone, where is my life going kind of looks. But I did need to get realistic about some decisions that I have made.

I don't want kids. I never have, and I doubt I ever will. My own mother thinks I shouldn't have kids. It drives me crazy when people say that I just need more time, or I will change my mind when I meet the right guy, or when they presume I am a lesbian! I'm okay with the fact that I don't want kids. I understand that it is not the usual life path for most women but that it does not make me less of a woman for choosing it. But I also understand that by choosing this path I restrict my options for future partners. I have purposely chosen to fish in a much smaller pond, and this was something that turning 27 made me face head on. I am not in a relationship, serious or any other kind, and I needed to know if I could do this for the unforeseeable future. While those around me settled into routines, partnerships, houses, and kid care would I be able to walk with my head high through it all?

So I went to Boston. By myself, with no plan, no partner, no friends. I went to see if I could vacation alone and enjoy myself. Because I can face the possibility of being alone but I could not face being alone and not able to travel.

Well, it turns out I had a good time on my trip. It got lonely at times, and it sucks not being able to leave my purse at a table when I use the restroom at a restaurant, but overall I think I did really well. Next time I head to Massachusetts (and I will, because there is so much more to explore) I might plan a bit more. Create a list or two of things I would like to do. But now I know plan or no plan, I can do it and I will do it for as long as life takes me.

I faced my fears and I won which might have been the best birthday present ever. Oh, and the pic is from the Public Gardens, it's the Make Way for Ducklings statues - even though I don't want kids, doesn't mean I can't enjoy their part in this world!