Can you at least make it a little more entertaining?
Category Archives: Thoughts
Irene
We got off pretty easy. Irene swept through the neighbourhood and the damage was mostly power outages.
outages across Long Island
Which is not such a big deal compared to the 25 (last count I heard) lives lost or the houses flooded or the roads lost.
My main inconvenience is no internet, which, a drive to the closets Starbucks and a wait around for a plug solves. The trains were down so there was no way to commute to the city. Otherwise, everything was pretty normal.
I don’t know when my electricity will come back on, but every time I want to complain I think of those who were hit worse and I stop myself.
Sometimes my privileged self is pretty annoying.
Maggie … oh my
I cannot decide whether this book is a big joke or a real book. The description reads:
This book is about a 14 year old girl who goes on a diet and is transformed from being extremely overweight and insecure to a normal sized girl who becomes the school soccer star. Through time, exercise and hard work, Maggie becomes more and more confident and develops a positive self image.
First, let’s take a look at the cover. There is a girl, who we can probably assume – with great accuracy – is Maggie. Maggie is holding up a dress that does not fit her. In the mirror Maggie is seeing a skinnier girl who fits the dress.
Next, let’s look at the description. Maggie is overweight, and insecure but a diet transforms her from an overweight, insecure girl into a normal size – skinny and pretty. The only good thing – and I use that liberally – is that the diet is through time, exercise and hard work.
What upsets me most about the book is that it might lead young girls to think that in order to be happy they must be thin – or, as the author so tactfully puts it, normal size. This doesn’t promote health as much as it promotes low self-esteem. Yes, let’s hand this book to young girls who might already be suffering from low self-esteem and tell them that in order to be more confident they need to lose weight.
Appalling.
Goodbye Borders
In the summer of 2001 I was entering my sophomore year at Hofstra. I was 19 years old and working in the computer labs when The Princess Diaries, staring Anne Hathaway, was released. The previews looked funny so I decided to go see it. It was the first time I saw a movie on my own. I don’t know what got into me, I wanted to see it, so I went to see it. I thought it was cute and funny, I knew it was based on a book, and as I researched the book I happened across a Borders bookstore near the university.
I borrowed the family car and took a trip to Borders. The moment I stepped into the store I fell in love. Two levels of books so close to my school, what’s not to love? I found the Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot (who quickly became a favourite author of mine) in the teens section, right next to the anime section, across the stairs from the religious section. For the next three years Border would be my home bookstore and those three sections would be the sections I visited every time.
From When God Whispers Your Name, to Azumanga Diaoh, the majority of the books I read through university were purchased at that Borders. Sometimes I’d blend in so well that people would ask me for recommendations and I’d tell them what to read and where they could find it.
When Borders announced that they were closing stores across the country, I was sad; my Borders was on the list. It was sad walking through it one last time, saying goodbye. Now, Borders is closing all their remaining stores and I’m not only sad to see the Penn Station store go – where would I indulge in my last minute book buying before the train comes? – I’m also sad to see so many people without jobs.
It makes me sad that so many people would be without access to a bookstore. It makes me sad that this privilege that I have – to go to the bookstore around the corner – will be restricted. I wish there was a way to solve the problems that Borders had and thus keep their doors open…
Today I say goodbye. Goodbye old friend, I’m sad to see you go. I met two women in a line at the BEA, they were Borders booksellers. I think of them now as I say goodbye. I hope the people who are without jobs find a way to ride out this rough patch…
I hope …
29
Today I’ve completed 29 years on earth. I don’t feel older, except in my bones; I hardly feel wiser and I’m still – in many ways – growing up.
So, what have I accomplished in the my 29th year? I decided to pick 29 “top” moments.
- Attended a soccer match (USA vs. Brazil) and a minor league baseball game
- Attended my first midnight book release and signing – meeting Susan Collins!
- Attempted to learn to swim, and can now float … sorta.
- Brunch at Alice’s Tea Cup
- Went on a behind-the-scenes tour of Wicked.
- Had High Tea at Lady Mendl’s
- Saw Sara Bareilles in concert
- Met Justine Larbalestier – who remembered me from Twitter (along with Libba Bray, Holly Black, Scott Westerfeld and Maureen Johnson at the ZvU event)
- Attended a Charity Gala on New Years Eve
- Started a book blog
- Fell in love with Settlers of Catan
- Met Ree, the Pioneer Woman
- Saw Jimmy Fallon, Live!
- Met Ally Condie, Beth Revis, Kristen Miller, Brenna Yovanoff and Andrea Cremer
- Visited Strand for the first time
- Met Holly Black, Cassandra Clare and Lauren DeStefano
- BOOK EXPO AMERCIA
- Met Maureen Johnson, Liani Taylor and Scott Westerfeld
- Met Libba Bray (who remembered me from Twitter), Meg Cabot and Maggie Stiefvater
- Visited a friend in Arizona and saw the Grand Canyon
- Walked along the High Line
- Visited Chelsea Market
- Visited two museums during the Museum Mile
- Glee Live with VIP access
- Did a lot of walking in DC
- Stood in a long line for some yummy cupcakes!
- Enjoyed The Ride
- Spent 7 hours in the park with lovely friends.
- LIVED!
There were good things and bad things; regrets and heartache, but also joy and happiness. I laughed, I loved, I lived. Thank you Lord, for a great year. I’m looking forward to what you’ve got in store for me in this, my 30th year on earth.
Eat. Read. Blog 