Thumb Wrestling in Baltimore

My youngest sister, Corinne, finally started her first "real" post-collegiate job two weeks ago. Today, she sent me this email:

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:12:00 -0500

“Look, work is ridiculous right? I wake up every morning and I’m all ‘am I dead...

An incomplete list of seemingly trivial things that people do that make me hate them:

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:08:07 -0500

Go way the fuck out of their way to back into parking spots while other cars (me) are waiting to...

Currently (unhappily) reading. I (so far) hate this book. ...

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:51:00 -0500

Currently (unhappily) reading.

I (so far) hate this book. I’m reading it for book club and it’s just really challenging my lifelong attitude about literature: “I’ll read anything.”

Maybe I’m just not into Zombies? (full disclosure: I’m not.)

I’ve always felt that people take literature too seriously and that while I generally really love the classics, the award winners and those novels which earn critical acclaim, I also think there’s a pretty important place for the beach reads and throw-aways. I really liked Bridget Jones’ Diary.

I just think that if Britney Spears can exist on an iPod next to the Beatles (not my iPod, but you get the point), then Jackie Collins should also have a spot on a bookshelf next to Albert Camus (again, not my bookshelf per se, but someone’s) without any judgment. Like music (or television or film), novels can serve varied purposes and I think it’s OK (or even good, and definitely necessary) if not everything we read changes our lives and, rather, only entertains. I don’t always have the energy to be haunted by a novel.

The problem is, I’m not sure there’s a place for this book. Perhaps if I were entertained by Zombies I would be having a different reaction today, but I just find this sort of… ridiculous. And pointless. And, um, dumb. I can’t figure out why someone would feel compelled to rewrite a classic like Huck Finn and add… zombies, nor why anyone would want to read it.

Is this clever? It feels forced. And arbitrary. I guess I just don’t “get it”.

Am I totally missing the appeal? The point?

"Hear and Now"

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:05:00 -0500

For various reasons, I’ve had a curiosity about deafness and the deaf community since I was a...

Elizabeth also said that when the mother was discussing alternative spellings of the name, she'd repeatedly called the apostrophe a "tall comma".

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:17:00 -0500

My friend Mike’s sister, Elizabeth, told me this story and it’s equal parts...

Hey local (and not-so local, I guess) friends. I never want to...

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:02:10 -0500

Hey local (and not-so local, I guess) friends.

I never want to hit anyone up for favors, but my friend Jini needs some help finding a home for these adorable little pups and that’s something I just can’t pass up.

Jini has inherited two (VERY YOUNG IN SPIRIT) 14 year old Miniature Pinscher sisters named Roxy and Penny who are looking for a permanent home. The two were brought up together (and should stay together) and have been really well taken care of their whole lives.

Neither of the pups have any health issues and are both still very active, especially Penny (the little brown girl). They both love walks.

Their ideal home would be with someone who works from home or who can come home for lunch because, while they are house broken, they can’t hold it for longer than 4 or so hours. Jini says that Roxy and Penny love to cuddle on the couch and sleep with you at night.

Please let me know if you or anyone you know might be interested in takign these pretty girls. Any help would be very appreciated!

My toasted pumpkin seeds turned out so well. Delish!

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:39:04 -0400

My toasted pumpkin seeds turned out so well. Delish!

I guess we know what kind of mother I'm going to be.*

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:55:00 -0400

I took my pudgy little lover of a Chihuahua, Bodie, to the vet yesterday to get a booster shot for...

It’s my best friend Dana’s birthday today. ...

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:17:28 -0400

It’s my best friend Dana’s birthday today. She’s got a bit of Peter Pan in her, and she’s sincerely not thrilled about turning a year older. When I asked her what she wanted to do to celebrate she first said “earnestly, nothing” but then acquiesced to watching Benjamin Button and praying for a similar affliction. (In reality, we’re just going to play Apples to Apples and drink some wine in a very small group and pretend it’s any other Tuesday which is like happy birthday to me because that’s what I want to do every night of my life.)

I’ve been trying to fill out my card to Dana this afternoon and keep coming up with a lot of nothing. What can really be said about such a once in a lifetime friendship but to note how lucky we are, how happy?

When Dana was in Paris earlier in the year and emailed me “True Story. We just saw a French midget in the Louvre. This really is the city of love”, Teri commented, jokingly, that Dana was a National Treasure.

And it’s like, well, duh. Yeah. She is.

Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow (Photo from Courtney)

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:23:00 -0400

Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow

(Photo from Courtney)

Quick thanks to whomever casually mentioned at dinner last night while we were eating beet salad that beets will turn your shit red...

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:46:17 -0400

…otherwise I’d probably be freaking out right now.

It has come to my attention that my middle sister, Elise, is dating a dude named Gene. It has also come to my attention that I have not done a very good job in educating my youngest sister about one of the best rock bands of the 80s/90s.

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:03:44 -0400

Me: Gene? My youngest sister, Corinne: Gene. Also, he used to wear braces. Just got them off....

Just found this in my purse.

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:35:07 -0400

Just found this in my purse.

My favorite story of the week (so far)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:17:00 -0400

After a lot too many drinks last Sunday night, a friend of mine took herself home from the bar and...

So, I just decided to trim my own bangs 30 minutes before a first date...

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:18:21 -0400

I just agreed to plans tonight solely because I love my outfit so much today that I wanted an excuse to wear it longer.

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:26:05 -0400

Also, my dress is definitely too short to wear to work, but I’m just pretending it’s...

Dana: Do you have any interest in coming with me sometime this weekend to look at furniture? I am going to 5 stores, all of which are within a mile of each other.

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:39:58 -0400

Dana: Do you have any interest in coming with me sometime this weekend to look at furniture? I am...

Perhaps as a birthday present to himself, my dog Bodie caught and killed a mouse last night in my bedroom.

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:22:48 -0400

It is currently under a bowl, under a laundry basket in the middle of my floor. It may be there...

I took an oxycodone-acetaminophen this morning for my back (which hurt so badly last night I could hardly sleep) so that I could comfortably get through a long day of meetings with my boss.

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:47:00 -0400

It just kicked in. I feel like magic. My hands are shaking and it feels like I’m on a roller...

At what age do you think I will stop being so damn proud of myself for completing relatively menial tasks like going to the post office, returning things to the store, depositing checks at the bank, or remembering to pick up laundry detergent on my way home?

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:53:00 -0400

You know, “errands”. ‘Cuz I’m 28 now, and still pretty much feel like I won...