Just so you know, I had the flu this weekend. So I read the Twilight trilogy by Stephenie Meyers. You can see my comments on my book blog – I Just Read…

I discuss books with my orthopedic surgeon. He’s the one that recommended Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns to me. He’s reading Twilight right now and not understanding why every woman in his office and his wife are fascinated with such juvenile writing. I pointed out that it’s published by a young adult publisher and he responded that so was Harry Potter and he enjoyed those. He’s not finding these as enjoyable. I suggested that he consider it one large book because Eclipse was the only one that I really got into. When New Moon got into the Romeo/Juliet/Paris symbology it got better but I didn’t appreciate being beaten over the head with it. It was nice to have the Jane Austen symbols blatantly pointed out because I don’t enjoy reading Austen (although I’ve been told I would enjoy it more if I read Adam Smith first and then looked at Austen with an economist’s eyes).

By the way, in discussing it with the doctor, I think I figured out the reason that so many women love this series – isn’t it every woman’s fantasy to have two very dangerous men fighting over her but in such a manner that she knows she is safe, protected and cherished no matter how shallow and self-centered she is?

How evil are you?

Why doesn’t it surprise me that I’m scoring about the same as the rest of my friends…

Last year I subscribed to the Black Friday advertising feeds. It was helpful but not the urgent thing it would have been if my kids were younger. I had forgotten about it until today when I got a notice that the first of the Black Friday ads are now available.

It’s not even Halloween!! But then, I’ve already ordered some of the things my kids are getting for Christmas already so I shouldn’t be complaining about stores starting their advertising either.

For the first time in it’s 5 year history the Cottonwood Cotillion has more boys than girls registered for classes. And since I’m running late on pretty much everything in my life (except stitching which is another example of how screwed up my priorities are right now) I didn’t get DS#2 registered until the day before the first class. So we ended up on the waiting list. I was grateful to get the call today that he would be able to come to class.
See all the other children have done the Jon D. Williams Cotillion classes. The lost art of civility is an important skill to teach children despite what the media teaches. It’s because of the uncouth media that I feel it necessary to teach civility to my children. Although I do wonder at the effectiveness since DD doesn’t remember anything from the classes except her white gloves and knowing that she likes to dance with guys who know real dance steps.

Tonight DS#1 enjoyed the experience, there was another lineman from his football team and a girl from his school. He learned Foxtrot and Jitterbug and had a great time. If all he learns is how to start conversations with girls, he’ll be ahead of his older brother – that is if he remembers the skill.

So last night DH is excited because Monarch of the Glen is back on the Sunday night PBS schedule (that’s right we don’t have cable TV) he’s watching it realizing that somewhere along the line, he’s missed a season because Archie is gone and Hector’s brother, Donald, has shown up and well there are some definite gaps. As we’re watching DS#1 is camped on the couch because there is something about Hector’s brother that is just hauntingly familiar to him but he can’t put his finger on it. It isn’t until the credits start rolling that he pipes up, rather loudly, “I knew it! Hector’s brother is Dr. Who!” He was right; Tom Baker is playing Hector’s brother Donald. That immediately sent us scrambling to IMDB and we found out that Tom was also in Black Adder, another family favorite which includes a pre-House, Hugh Laurie. I’m just glad to know that DS#1 is well versed in Dr. Who and Star Trek so that we never have a repeat of the embarrassing “Who is Captain Kirk?” episode.

I used my Disney Dollars from the Bambi card (which I may be getting rid of because I hate their new interest rate) and I started Christmas shopping. The only problem is my Double Dragon Pirates of the Caribbean shirt turned out to be a infants 18-24 Tigger Costume. Now I haven’t has a child that size in 10 years. A telephone call to Disney Distribution and they are sold out of my shirt but they will give me a refund and would I please be so kind as to donate the Tigger costume to a worthy cause. Guess what my nephew will be for Halloween this year?

No more Diet Coke at the beginning of class.

When we first moved into this office space, I was told I needed something to brighten the taupe walls and complement my wood desk. The plant people gave me a twisted ficus. It survived about 5 months and then they agreed that it was beyond saving. I did have the dead tree in my office for another month and then it was replaced with a new twisted ficus. This one was pretty much gone after 3 months but the plant people kept trying to revive it in a valiant effort lasting about 2 months. This time the ficus they brought wasn’t twisted, which is probably contributory to why it only survived for five weeks. This time the plant lady agreed that the stress generated at my desk is not conducive to ficus survival. It still took six weeks to get a new tree.

My new tree has broad dark leaves clustered in groups of five or six. Hopefully it will be able to withstand the psychic stress with which my work environment thrills. Just as a precaution though, I’m not naming this one and I will not rant at it.