Randomings.

Well, the trip went well. The flights were okay, except...

Listen, I'm not kidding when I say I go deaf on the plane. I really can't hear very well on a normal basis (thank you, iPod-full-blast-volume), but when I'm at an accelerated height in the clouds and there are jets and a lot of other noises I might as well learn to read lips because I just don't catch anything. Which is why it's best for me not to travel with anyone. I couldn't hear one word my sister was saying. I would just nod my head and smile. But she's my sister, and she knows exactly what I'm doing and that I'm pretending I heard her when I have no idea what she's saying and then she gets irritated and starts yelling things at me like "DO YOUUU NEEED GUMMMMMM???!!!" and "I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE HAD THAT COFFEEEEEE!!!!" and "I DON'T WANT TO SHARE MY SKY MALL WITH YOU!!!!"

Because it is apparently her goal in life to embarrass the living hell out of me.

I have noticed that I get the urge to blog when I have lots of work to do. So, if work is slow and I'm not being bombarded with deal after deal... I probably won't blog during that time. I don't really understand why that is... I wonder if it's because when I have tons of free time, I can keep track of my thoughts and I don't really feel the need to write them down?

Or, it could just be that nothing is really going on up there. Actually, yes. I'm pretty sure it's that one.

Did you know that there is a town in PA named "King of Prussia"? Seriously. And I thought Smackover was hilarious. I would love to hear how that came about.

As I go into about the third month of being on anti anxiety meds, I have started to wonder if my sudden obsession with cleanliness is a bad side effect. Keep in mind that by "obsession", I mean that I have decided to clean at all on a steady basis rather than... oh, I don't know... every few weeks?

This week, it's all about the kitchen. I suddenly need everything in the kitchen to be spotless. Like, all the time.

And I don't have anxiety about it, it's just... well, I have a lot of energy at really odd times. And I hate exercise. And I'm always saying I wish I had the energy to clean more. So... voila.

Up Next...

I don't know. I can't really think of anything except that I want to see The Town tomorrow night. I have tried to see that like twice now and I keep flaking. Easy A was really great - go see that. Or The Town.

Oh, and have you heard they're making another Underworld movie? If Michael Sheen isn't in it, I already don't care. He's the only reason I've seen ANY of them.

Misunderstandings

I hate traveling.

Let me be clear: I love visiting new places. Or even old places. Any place, really. What I would like to happen, is maybe have a magic carpet fly me there... or if "Portkeys" were real that would be best for traveling over long distances. Think of the time we would save!

I don't agree with our current notion that an aircraft packed with cranky, rude and smelly people for hours at a time is the best way to travel. Can we think outside of the box? Can we get on those flying cars that, at 11 years old, I was pretty sure would exist by now? They did it in Back to the Future. I don't understand what the hold up is, exactly.

We can even keep the airports. I like coffee shops and places to buy things. And I'm not afraid to be on a plane. I am, however, afraid that I might die of BOREDOM on a plane. Or irritation.

My thought process while on a plane:

"Oooohh, we're moving!!! Yay!!! Bye, airport!"

"Ugh, why must I be flattened to my seat while we take off? Where is my gum? My ears are popping. Great, now I'm deaf."

"Ooooooo... clouds. Pretty."

"Why are we still in the clouds? Can the pilot see through the clouds?"

"Oooo... farms. Neat."

"I brought a book, right? Where is my book?"

"This book is boring. What time is it?"

"Shut UP. We've only been in the air for TWENTY MINUTES???"

"Where is my iPod?"

"Nice. I still can't hear. Dude, get your leg AWAY from me. I STILL HAVE PERSONAL BOUNDARIES IN THIS TINY LITTLE SPACE!"

"OMG, why are there so many farms?"

"I guess farms are good. In case we need an emergency landing."

"These farms are boring the living hell out of me."

"UUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHH, I'M SO BORED!"

"My legs are cramped. Get me off this damn plane!!!"

"Ooo! Peanuts!"

"I'm still hungry."

"Why can't the plane go FASTER?! I've been sitting here for hours!!! What is the DEAL? Gawd!"

"Oh, thank GOD. Please - take my peanut trash and let me GOOOOOOOOOO!!!"


I'll spare you the rest, which is basically just a lot of internal profanity screaming while sitting on the runway. Once we are "parked", I will let the old people cut in front of me, but everyone else better clear that aisle because I WILL MOW YOU DOWN.


And that is why I continue to hold out hope for flying cars and magic carpets. The end.

Book Addiction

The following is a list of books I'm reading, have recently read or will read within the next few weeks. How do I know this? Because they are all stacked on my dresser and I don't think the library will let me renew my due date again. And because I want to, of course.





The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Otherwise entitled, The Best Books You Aren't Reading. Or maybe you are. If you're not, you will feel SO left out when the movies for these books start dominating pop culture next year. And, if you read them now, you can act all superior and say things like, "Well, when I read them, it wasn't because they were trending on Twitter." I like to say things like that because I enjoy making people resist the urge to slap me.




Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

There is a movie out now for this book. I don't plan on seeing it, even though it's supposed to be in the running for an Oscar campaign soon. I normally make a point of seeing Oscar movies, but... I don't know. The book is beautifully written, but DAMN it is depressing.



The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

I'm not really sure I like this book, yet. It's a ghost story. But it's written in Shakespeare-like prose, which makes me feel like I'm reading it for a Lit class. Really, I'm reading it because Grissom mentioned it on CSI: Las Vegas and I adore him in a not-at-all-creepy kind of way. If he said something like "I stood on my head for an hour today and suddenly I understood the whole of quantum physics," I would probably at least give it a try.




Handling Sin by Michael Malone

Kristen recommended this to me. It looks very good. I like the cover. I have read many positive reviews on how funny it is and how wonderful a story it tells. I look forward to it.




Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer



This guy also wrote Everything is Illuminated. I didn't read that book, however, I did watch the movie. And, OH-EM-GEE, if you haven't seen that movie GO RENT IT NOW.






The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman



I love Alice Hoffman. She could write about photosynthesis and I would at least buy the paperback version. "Sisters" is a common theme in all of her books, which I really enjoy. I'm sure this one will be no exception.






We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver



This would be the book I am most excited to read... which likely means I will bypass all of the others and go ahead and start on this one soon. I'm still re-reading The Hunger Games and I'm in the middle of The Turn of the Screw, but I don't care. I'm dying to read it.

It's about this woman who, after her teenage son shoots several of his classmates and teachers, ends up writing letters to her ex-husband two years later. The letters reflect back over Kevin's childhood, how he was raised, her and her husband's different reactions to his behavoir over the years, and so on. The book is meant to raise the issue of "Who's fault is it?" when this happens. Are some kids born evil? Did it have to do with his mother's apathy while she was pregnant? Was it because his father ignored his violent tendencies as a child? Should the school have taken issue sooner with his behavoir? All of these things? None of these things? Could it have been prevented?

The book raises all of these questions and more. Supposed to be very controversial. I'm sure I will love reading it.

After I'm done with all of these, I will then try and get to The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest (finally) and The Third Angel.

Tangent: I need to stop drinking this Fruit Punch I got out of the vending machine. It's like drinking rasberry syrup. Seriously? Why did I spend $1.50 on this?!

P.S. I realize there are spacing/formatting issues with this specific post. I have tried to fix them and it's not working. Plus, I'm growing increasingly agitated, so I've decided I suddenly don't care. Please don't offer to fix it. I might snap.

Up Next:

...I made a serious effort to get here early (i.e., "on time") this morning because I knew my boss was flying in from TX this week. It is PAST NOON and he's still not here. I am in mourning over that extra 30 minutes of sleep.

...I tried watching The Big Bang Theory. I don't get all the fuss. I found it mildly funny. I will be watching Community instead this fall. As usual.

...Why are you still here? No one is reading this blog.

Big stupid head.

All Knowledgeable One: "Delete this and this and this and put in all of these answers that I am now emailing to you, that I typed up myself just now from my own Knowledgeable head space."

Insubordinate Subordinate: "Oh, okay... um... should I also put in this... because... I thought maybe.... that's.... what should be there?"

All Knowledgeable One: "They didn't ask for that. You are sooooo stupid."

Insubordinate Subordinate: "I just... well, it's... yes. Okay. Thank you for all of the knowledge, Knowledgeable One."

All Knowledgeable One: "...."




Up Next....


Tumblr: Not for everyone?

Book Addiction: Some of us need help.

and...

Why Penguins Are Better Than Any of the Rest of Us Goons