Today: A Good Day

I'll try to catch you up on the last month (including Easter) later, but tonight I am going to tell you about my great day.

Momma had the hand, foot, and mouth (coxsackie virus) so she couldn't go to work and spread that kind of fun around. I guess I should come clean and let you know she got it from me. Whoopsie daisy. Sorry Momma! Well, it all worked out for me because we had an awesome day.

First thing this morning we went to the botanical gardens. Now that place is a workout! Momma says you don't have to run the whole time you're there, but I am pre-tty sure that you do. We spent more than an hour there and Momma says I didn't cooperate with her plan to take pictures. Its not my fault I am CRAZY FAST!!! 

 In the car we sang the ABC song a lot. Forwards and backwards. And we did letter sounds (you know "A" says Ah, "A" says Ah.....), and when we got to "D" Momma said some "D" words and I chimed in with "Da-da"! All on my own!

Then we went to the library and ran into William's mom. What luck!

The day was going SO great I decided I wasn't going to nap in case something else cool happened. That way I wasn't going to miss anything. I wore Momma down pretty quickly and helped her blow up my brand new swimming pool. It. is. enormous!!! Thanks Great-Grandmother and Great-Grandaddy! (It's my Easter present from them.) After it was all pumped up (and my giant lion and I had a chance to play in it in the living room) Momma and I squished it through the hallway to the backyard and I went swimming. And SLIDING! Because my new pool is SO BIG that my entire slide fits inside!

I went swimming again before dinner with Daddy. After we came in I helped set the table. I carried the salt and pepper, and silverware, and napkins all by myself. I ate TONS of zucchini and squash and then I helped clean up the table. I even carried the plates! 

Then I helped myself to a popsicle and a frozen waffle. And went for another swim.

Good morning! Just checking the outside.

Maybe I'll grow into them?

Told you I was fast!

Too bad Momma is so slow though.

Just gonna look at some stuff while I wait for Momma to catch up.

I was so sweaty my hair went wild.

 SEE?!?! It's enormous!

I did the slide like a hundred times.

Mmmmmmmmm.... frozen stuff. And then I swam again. I mean I HAD to wash off the sticky anyway.

The Help

       I first heard about The Help last fall and I was intrigued. Then I talked to a friend that reads a ton and I frequently share books with. She didn't love it and I was a little put off after hearing her take. Then a few weeks ago I talked to another friend whose book choices I respect and she also didn't love it. This changed my mind from being entirely disinterested to wanting to read it more than ever.( I just got home from book club and have had a few drinks so pardon the possible incoherency. More on the best book club in history to come soon.)

Long story (that I already told) short, I saw the book on second friend's shelf and stole it. Well, I borrowed it but it would've been a better story if I had stolen, read it, and replaced it complete with a handwritten thank you note tucked inside the cover.

Contrary to what I expected, I loved the book. If I remember correctly, my friends' complaints had been mainly that the voice in the story wasn't authentic. I won't entirely disagree mostly because the book is told from three different points of view that are a little too similar, but it was still a great story.

The story is ultimately that of all African American women working in southern white homes during the early civil rights movement.  It follows three women: a white lady in her early twenties, a middle-aged black woman maid, and a younger black maid, and their relationships with other members of the community. I am trying not to give too much away. The first night I started in to  it I was hooked and spent the next week reading way too late at night. I have been dragging my way through a daze ever since and am convinced I'm still about 19 hours behind on sleep.

P.S. I keep promising myself I'll post more frequently but then I get overwhelmed with trying to write the best, most entertaining, wittiest review and in the end write nothing. So here on out I am just going to review and if a handful of them suck, it's still better than them not existing at all. So slog through the crappy ones and enjoy the others. Thanks and go read The Help.

Work work work work work....

I'm still at it. It's crazy, you'd think they'd let me go home, but I'm workin' (pun intended) on 72 straight hours at this desk. I've been living on trail mix and coffee. Cheap and energy efficient. My paycheck is going to be suh-weeeeeeeeeeeee-eeet.

Well that's obviously not true, but I've spent enough time here during a dead week to believe when you enter this building you also enter an alternate universe. My suspicions were confirmed a few minutes ago when upon checking the workplace e-mail I came across this gem in the in ol' inbox:

"Hi. This is the qmail-send program at mail.speedfox.net.
I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses.

This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out."

Aside from the odd wording, I haven't been sending e-mails for them to be undeliverable. Am I out there in a paralell universe staying busy, working hard, and using my flashy typing fingers to jettison e-mails out to my adoring fans? (I am aware the end of that sentence may create facial tics immediately after reading, but my fingers are flashy and I DO have adoring fans. I know I DO. They are just in that other universe. Over there e-mails are regularly jettisoned as well. I looked it up in the dictionary and if you choose to question my word usage I hereby challenge you to a duel.)

Here Comes Peter Cottontail.....

You are only allowed to read this post if you sang along as you read the blog title.... with Easter pproaching I thought I'd mix things up and throw in a few good children's Easter books.

The monster received this musical Here Comes Peter Cottontail book last year for Easter and it turned into a year round hit. It's a decent sized board book and when you open it up you're greeted with a (not annoying) instrumental rendition of the Peter Cottontail song. The music is nothing fancy like an orchestra, but it's not too loud, has no words, and the monster love love loves it. Those are three huge plusses in my book. (haha what book? the book I am slowly putting together of my rules that everyone should follow. pay attention) Another plus is that I always thought I knew the words but apparently I was leaving out the majority of the tune so now come Easter time I have more than just one line of "Here come Peter Cottontail hoppin' down the bunny trail/ Hippity hoppity Easter's on it's way". It doesn't end there, folks! (did I mention the monster loves this book?)

So last year I had a private discussion with the Easter bunny and requested every year he leave a special book in the monster's basket. (you should do this too, he was happy to oblige) Guess How Much I Love You was the first Easter book and if you haven't read it, go buy it. Now. And I dare you to read it with out (almost) crying. It's so goshdarn sweet it took me a solid 20 reads to get ahold of myself at the end. There are even plush little nut brown hares you can get to accompany the book and other books in the series.

Slow day in the work world.....

So I broke down and got a job (actually it fell in my lap one night while I was drinking a beer). For a week. Well technically more than a week but it's only a real full time job for a week. One week. And I am half way through. The first three weeks when it was a real job but also kind of a pretend job (well it wasn't a pretend job but there were people helping me a long and giving instructions that I fulfilled and then got new instructions) I could come and go and such. I got paid for it and that pretty much rocked. But there was lots to do. This week, here on my lonesome working 9 hours a day and ready to spread my fictional (they aren't fictional I just hide them well under my clothes) wings, it. is. dead. Dead. Did someone spread the word that the pretty girl in finance is out of town and the other pretty girl (let's face it- and take a page from the Creative Liar here- mirrors love me. I once had a mirror reach out and caress my face. I might have rubbed my face on the mirror but it's the same thing.).... to catch you up on that sentence... the other pretty girl in finance doesn't actually know what she's doing. BUT I DO! I DO know what I am doing. Spread the word.

So in my abundance of spare time I did a lot of unfiling crap destined for the shredder. And I filed a lot of other crap that in less than a year's time will mostly likely be sliding through the sharp and steely fingers of the same shredder that consumed their papery friends. While I did this I listened to a book on cd. I have also drank coffee. Lots and lots and lots of coffee. The more coffee I drink the more often I have to pee and that gives me something to do.

Sea of Poppies

    Sea of Poppies is really different from anything else I have read. It takes place during the Opium Wars in India and China. The story encompasses multiple characters, initially following them in their natural settings and eventually weaving their stories into one well written narrative that takes place aboard the the Ibis. The character developemnt is phenomenal. Every time I finish one character's passage I decide I must continue reading until it comes back to them to find out what happens next. Yet, as I read on in the story of a parrallel character I am engrossed with them. I don't know if those last sentences make the sense I was intending them to, but basically every single night I have had a difficult time putting this thing away and going to sleep.

My only complaint is also a positive. There is a lot of native lanaguage used, especially in the dialogue. It is possible to basically ignore those words and never learn their exact meaning and still fully understand the story. There is a bit of a glossary in the back but as I tend to read at night when I am tired I chose the easier approach of ignorance. It seemed when I did go to the effort and look up something it wasn't one of the ones listed in the glossary anyway. Although a little confusing early on in the novel once I was fully immersed in the story it didn't make me feel like I was missing anything. This language though tedious to some readers helps make the characters and the story more real.

I have to throw in a thank you to Chris here. He picked it out all on his own for a gift for me. Thanks Chris! When you read it, you'll be thanking him too. An excellent book well worth the price of hard cover. And it's pretty. (Did you notice the cover options??? I want them both)

False Memory

            I know, I know.... another one from Dean. I told you I was running out of ideas on what bocd's to check out at the library. But, GOOD NEWS! This one is quite good. I'm not saying it's destined to be a classic or anything but in terms of entertainment value and orinigal idea I am liking this one. I'm not going to say much becaue I don't want to give anything away. Actually this is making it hard to really tell you anything.

Let's see... nevermind, worst written book review right here. Can I leave it at that and still expect you might read it?

Some interesting characters, false or real or implanted memories, a small bit of suspense, and a lovable dog. This is a little bit more what I was expecting when the kind man at the library told me Dean resembled our good friend Stephen King. And I want to go read the Manchurian Candidate now.