You can't rush fashion, especially while wearing stirrup pants!

too many books, too little time

2009-12-07T04:18:38Z

I was skimming the spotlit community bookfails earlier and it inspired me to think about what the worst books I ever read were.

Years ago I hated HATED HATED Jane Eyre. I hated that she got together with Rochester (SPOILERS!) in the end. It took reading The Eyre Affair for me to really like the book.

I also really hated The Old Man and the Sea. In fact, all of Hemingway is anathema to me. I've tried to read him, I really have, but I can't stand him. Also in the vein of great books that I should like but don't is The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck is good (I liked Of Mice and Men), but reading Wrath was like watching paint dry.

I try to finish every book I start whether it is worth my time or not. But I put down The Road by Cormac McCarthy sometime last year and I haven't picked it up since. With the movie coming out I might be inclined to finish it, but it's just so damned DEPRESSING that I can't take it. I also never finished The Coffee Trader by David Liss. I really wish I hadn't wasted my money on that book. Although it might have been the free book in a buy two get one free deal, I don't remember. Totally not worth reading.

I've only been dismaed with one book recently though and that was Laura Esquivel's Malinche. If you read the review I posted, I mentioned that I'm not sure if it was the translation or if the story was just that bad, because I did enjoy the movie version of Like Water for Chocolate.

So tell me, friends: what are some books you absolutely hated? Books you threw against the wall, wanted to set on fire (as wrong as it is), books you never wanted to see again.

ETA: I totally blanked on how much I HATE Virginia Woolfe. HATE. To the LIghthouse was INSUFFERABLE. Flames...at the side of my face...

OH MY God how did I forget Joyce? Fuck Ulysses and Portrait of the Artist as a YOung Man. Those books are the worst ever ever.

You should be glad you didn't say it to me, bitch.

2009-12-03T22:02:44Z

Apparently clothing = srs fucking bzns.

Last night one of my coworkers G was folding the front table. These two women walk over to the table and start looking at the sweaters. (This is not going where you think it is going. Trust me.) So G tells them that the sweaters are running a bit smaller than usual, just as a FYI. They ignore her and continue looking at them. Then they walk behind the table to the tank tops behind it that match.
Bitch 1 says to her friend, "I bet they don't have my size in this."
G hears this and says, "we do have more out back."
Bitch 2 says, "Why don't you go take a walk and see?"

Excuse you, that's not how this works.

G was nice enough to calm herself and say, "well, what size do you need?"
Bitch 1 said, "XS, or S."

G goes back and looks, doesn't find them, then comes out to see a customer waiting at the register and the Bitches looking at jewelry by the desk. So she takes care of the custoemr and leans over the desk to tell them that we don't have them.
Bitch 1 then says, "What, you don't have ANY back there?"
G tells her one more time, "No, just large and XL."

After she finishes with her customer she comes up to me spitting mad and tells me that she won't be ringing them up. I point the customers out to the other associate and tell her to handle them with kid gloves. ANd as usual they were sweet as pie to E.

Two points:
1) Who are you to say "take a walk and see" like that? This isn't ROdeo Drive, sweetheart; we give customer service but we don't take well to condescension.
2) Why do people not belive me when I say we're out of something? Our job is to sell stuff. If we had it, wouldn't you think we'd give it to you and SELL it instead of having it sit in our backroom taking up space? Goddamn.

even i won't read twilight for lulz

2009-12-02T05:17:12Z

Things I discover trolling around the internet: MLIT.

Responses from me posting this on twitter?
_illuminez: oh god o.O
asecretworld: OH MY GOD NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WHY INTERNET WHY??
technoinfidel: WHAT IS THAT NO JUST NO

In other news this plague is nearly over but the laryngitis that wouldn't die is still underway.

#firstworldproblems

2009-12-01T01:33:04Z

I am so indecisive. I got a $50 gift cert from amazon for my birthday (thanks Mom & Dad) but I am having a difficult time deciding what i should get myself. I know I'm getting the following, because I have wanted them and they are cheap:

The Secret Bride: In the Court of Henry VIII by Diane Haeger, because I keep picking it up and putting it back down because of the price.

Frozen River is only 6.99 on Amazon, and you guys know how much I love this movie.

Along those lines is the 20th Anniversary edition of Heathers for only 3.99. You're welcome.

And finally, a friend of mine coincidentally named Amanda recommended that I read Push by Sapphire, a month before I had even heard of it or the movie that's out now. So since it's only 5 bucks, I said deal.

This adds up to 31.84, so I need 20 bucks more, since I don't want to split up the order. Give me some recommendations!

ETA: I meant to add that I'm looking to get into the fantasy genre some too, since I am nearly finished with the Kushiel series (both trilogies). So if someone can point me towards another series that is along the same lines but doesn't really have a lot of the crazy fantasy stuff that would scare me off that would be great. Amazon keeps pushing Anne Bishop, but I'm a little leery of the series. What do you all think?

that is all

2009-11-28T04:59:53Z

my brother is cool.

ugh why i hate people

2009-11-22T03:21:46Z

if this sore throat turns out to be anything more than a sore throat i will cut bitches, i'm not even gonna front.

so i had the biggest grinch of them all today. ok i get that people don't like being hassled and shit for your information and stuff, i'm ok with that. but what i'm not ok with is you being an asshole about it. yeah, i said it.

so i start to ring this woman up, and the first screen prompts for a phone/rewards number. i asked her for her # and she said, "No to everything." her exact words. Ok, cool, I'll skip the credit/rewards spiel, whatever. You obviously don't want coupons except that you have one, but whatever. Your choice. So I ring up her items and at the end ask her if she'd like to donate to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

"I SAID, NO to everything." Yeah, I got you, bitch. Whatever. I shouldn't be that mad over it but goddamn, how does asking for charitable donations match up to giving your goddamned phone #?

Anyway, then this morning I was giving my girls coming in the heads up on today and this woman sets her stuff down on the register in front of us. There was another cashier there, so I figured that she would take care of this woman, and I continue discussing the sale. SO this woman says, "Oh, whenever you're done chit-chatting, you can ring me up, right?" No, bitch, I'm busy. Ugh EFF you all. I got up at 6am to walk 3k for sick kids this morning, I'm tired and cranky today.

DEAR GOD WHY

2009-11-20T05:26:03Z

Via The Consumerist: A product that allows you to turn your perfectly normal, not stirrup pants into stirrup pants. *shudder* Le horreur, let me show you it.
Guys, it gets worse. Where I work we have a "required" holiday outfit that we're sposta wear. They want us wearing bright coloured clothes this year, which includes mostly things that won't fit me (button up shirts, cardigans), or things that I don't like for me (v-neck tunics with a tight waistband at the bottom). They give us a 60% discount on the stuff they recommend, which is sweet if you can wear them. This also requires pants, which is cool cause I do need me some pants, but ...wait for it,....wait for it....

one of the "recommended" pants?

if you guessed stirrup pants you would be correct, sir. I told the girls "first one to buy them gets lit on fire." No one has yet.

Also, the walk for St. Jude's is Saturday morning. If you haven't donated yet and would like to, you can do so by clicking here. There's no minimum, and I'm incredibly appreciative for what you do give.

Finally, I'd like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my wifey, because well, it's her birthday. ILU ifeverangelsbe. You are such a wonderful friend and I hope you have a fantastic day no matter what you decide to do for it.

Book review time!

2009-11-17T04:25:23Z

If I hear the word "cardi" again and it's not referring to the Alpha Quadrant species in a derogatory way, I am going to stab the "modelquins" at Old Navy with a wooden stake tipped with a silver bullet. It's the only way.

Now for more book reviews:

Night Train to Lisbon, Pascal Mercier.
I originally picked this one up because Isabel Allende was one of the reviewers on the back, and since I love her, I figured I couldn't go wrong. And I couldn't. This is the story of a staid older man who lives an incredibly mundane life until an encounter shakes up his entire life. He up and moves to Lisbon from Switzerland on the spur of the moment, pursuing the story of a revolutionary genius.

The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos, Margaret Mascarenhas.
This book is about two childhood friends, one of whom allegedly disappeared in the jungles of Venezuela when they were teenagers. This is an incredibly well-written weaving tale that uses viewpoints from all the characters in the book. It's not as predictable as it would seem. Definitely a keeper.

The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks.

Yes, I can hear your disdain from here. Let me keep this short: cute story, very sad, horribly written book. I bet the movie's better.

American Gods, Neil Gaiman.
Most of you have read this already and I know you were breathlessly awaiting my response on it. LOL. Anyway, it was really good. That's all I got. I see the appeal of Gaiman, but am not yet in his cult.

Finally, thanks to a recommendation from wavesandmoon, I started reading Kushiel's Legacy series and I can't put it down. I'm on the fourth book, and I haven't been disappointed yet. It's my first foray into fantasy, and the series is quite captivating. It's set in a Renaissance-esque world, and it's so captivating from start to finish.

Also, Ash -- I must thank you for the gift of paid time. Thank you for saving me from horribly spelled adverts :D

one for the writers in the house. or the readers. idc which.

2009-11-10T22:27:24Z

Ok, so I finished a book earlier this summer, and I started on a prequel of sorts for it. What happened was I had this weird dream that consisted of an alien planet that, when encountered by humans for the first time, was a devoutly Catholic planet. So I started with that basis and created a first encounter novel of poison, revenge, and a multi-planet alliance. That was the first book. While I ended up giving hints that the Mirellans (as I called them) were Catholic, I did not explicitly come out and say it.

So the second book I started is an explanation of how that occured. But what I'm trying to decide (and it's nothing that needs deciding right this second, as I still have a ton more writing to do before I get there) is whether or not I should bridge it to the first by having characters from the first book in the second one. The thing of it is that the 'prequel' is set three hundred years earlier than the first book, so the characters wouldn't overlap. I did however, end the first book with the main character telling someone the story that I am telling in the second.

The idea for the return of those characters is threefold: 1) because Leah, the main character from the first book is researching the events of the second book to learn what Earth had said about the encounter; 2) because Leah's adventures are going to continue in the third book, and I think that something should link the three besides being set in the same universe; 3) because what happens in the second half of the 'prequel' sets up the events in the first book a bit more.

(Does this make sense without me telling what the story is?)

So the questions I have are : can I insert these characters without making it too obvious? Is there any easy way to transition to them? Should I keep this "prequel" the second book, or make it the first one? And if I do switch the order, do I really want to add in the future cast?

Any advice would be helpful!

MY SIGNS ARE NOT CONFUSING, YOU'RE JUST DUMB.

2009-11-08T03:15:10Z

We have a sale on right now: Buy one Get One 50% off all Tops (excluding Clearance). Straightforward right?

NO.

"Does this mean I can mix and match any shirt or does it have to be the same?" Good question. No, you can pick any two tops.
"What about this one that is under the clearance sign?" No, you cannot use this. Good question though.
"Are pants included?" No. This is a sale on tops.
"Can I mix this camisole with this sweater?" Yes you may.
"Can I use these pants and this sweater?" NO.
"This sale is too confusing. Why can't I get this sweater and these pants for the sale?" Because it is a sale on tops.
"I bought the velour suit and it was supposed to be buy one get one fifty percent off. Why isn't it that way?" Because you HAVE TO BUY TWO TOPS, dammit.
"Your advertising is misleading."

HOW? How is it misleading? Where does it say pants? I do not understand your logic, customers.

Wait, I got more.

We also do redline clearance, which means it's stuff that we want to blow out of the store. We used to ticket them to a slightly lower price but they got smart and changed it to a red slash so now it takes less time to set up. The prices we run on them start at 50% off, and drop to 70% off. Since we just started, they're at 50%, which is actually an increase in price, but shhh.

So a lady brings over a shirt and asks me to check the price. I told her it was 18.44, and she said, "Well I thought it would be cheaper, since it says off the lowest price." ...The price on the ticket was 36.95. I said as much to her, and she said, "Your signs are misleading."

HOW is it misleading? It says off the LOWEST ticketed price. There's only one price on it. How is that misleading? Goddamn.

And just a reminder, if you're still interested in donating to my 5k walk for St. Jude's, you can do so here. If you want to donate via paypal, let me know, and I can make arrangements for your donation. Cash or check are also ok options. I'm already halfway to my goal, thanks to some of you!

ehjay helps sick kids :D (in which i reveal where i work)

2009-11-04T03:29:42Z

So guys, I'm doing a walkathon for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. If any of you are all feeling charitable, you can donate for me to walk! This link should bring you there, but if it does not, all you have to do is find me this way: I'm walking in Albany NY, for New York & Company - Albany. Most of you know my name, but if you do not, please ask in comments and I'll post it.

I will appreciate any donation. Judging by the website they also accept Canadian info, so those of you in the great white north can also donate if you so choose. I'm super excited about this.

A recap of NY-23's sitch.

2009-11-02T03:37:20Z

So some of you might know that Representative John McHugh (R-Pierrepont Manor) is now the Secretary of the Army, after chairing the Armed Forces committee for years. This appointment led to the vacancy in New York's 23rd district, which just happens to be the same one I am from. This always-ignored corner of New York, right on the Canadian border and NO, not anywhere near Buffalo thank you very much, suddenly found itself in the national spotlight. The district found itself suddenly in a three way race, as the GOP endorsed State Assemblywoman Dierdre Scozzafava, and Democrat Bill Owens ran the race, with Conservative Candidate Doug Hoffman also in the mix.

As it got closer to the election, Hoffman and Owens cut into Scozzafava's lead, and NY-23, aka Northern New York finally made national spotlight for something other than gang rape or a famous football player. (Don't ask about the former.) Newt Gingrich endorsed Scozzafava, and Sarah Palin came out for Hoffman. This article from the New York Times sums up pretty well what happened next.

Basically, Hoffman cut into Scozzafava's lead enough, spending more money than she had from Palin's BFFs across the country. She withdrew from the race Saturday morning. Today, Ms. Scozzafava endorsed Bill Owens for the district win.

None of this really bothers me, except the fact that Hoffman doesn't even LIVE in NY-23. That is correct, sir. While Scozzafava and Owens have lived in the district (and full disclosure: she used to live right behind our house when I was a kid), and Hoffman does not. That is a problem to me. While I don't live in that district anymore, I always have a difficult time accepting politicians from other locales running the government where I live. I'm looking at you, Secretary Clinton. I was excited for Kirsten Gillibrand's appointment as a senator because for once we got an upstate senator, even if she was from Albany. It's closer. Not like Arkansas.

Now to be fair, Hoffman is from Lake Placid, which is south of the district but still in the Adirondacks. You might know it as the place where the Miracle on Ice happened. It's very far north, but it's not in NY-23, and Hoffman shouldn't be elected as its Representative.

Course, I shot myself in the foot by failing to mail my application for an absentee ballot last week. Whoops. I hope Owens doesn't lose by one vote.

overheard in the mall

2009-10-30T05:03:30Z

"No, honey, that's not the fat people store."

SO LIFE..As we know it!

2009-10-29T03:57:13Z

I totally didn't post about the second half of my adventure.

Things I learned from Day 2 of Montreal:
-The SAQ does not give you a bag for your booze. You must buy one. And I mean that, don't leave without one.
-I cannot go into any other Jean Coutu Pharmacies in Montreal until I'm sure the pharmacy tech forgets who I am for dropping the bottle I bought at SAQ in her store. Whoops.
-I really still don't like all-seasoned chips. Remember, Ehjay, you do not like vinegar.
-I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really love Montreal.

In other news, I would like your anecdata about choosing a doctor. I got my health insurance card yesterday and now I just have to choose a health care provider. This might make me an adult :( but I never had to choose my doctor before, my parents kinda did that. Also, there were like two pediatricians in the whole town. So that kinda limits things. But I live in a city with a medical school. So tell me, flist, how did you choose your doctor? Horror stories and excellent stories welcome!

je t'adore, montreal! <3

2009-10-22T04:30:33Z

reasons why i love montreal more than your mom

-centre bell has lifesized statues of famous hockey players.
-there's such a mix of languages here and all of them i can understand (so far)
-the metro is really far superior to cdta (hell, most things are)
-there is a baked potato restaurant that i am going to try for science (again) tomorrow.*
-i got to stand less than two feet away from laura pausini omg and she came around the edge of the stage and shook everyone's hand and i got squished against the stage and i don't even CARE because omg i love her

missions for tomorrow:
do touristy things (ie walk around mtl and take lots and lots of pitchers)
eat baked potatoes @ restaurant
am iffy on smoked meat, but when in montreal...
i also need to have real poutine. that's correct sir i will be doing a lot of eating on this trip.
make it back to the bus terminal by 2100 or else

I forgot my cable back in the states so I can't upload any of my awesome photos from the concert yet. in the meantime i have a queen-sized bed all to myself and I found the ABC station out of Burlington, so I am awesome.

*Candice discovered this place when I first met her, and we tried it when I got to MTL for the original Trip of Doom.

not even joking

2009-10-21T00:02:24Z

Guys

Guys

Guess what?

Guess what I unpacked today at work?

If you guessed Stirrup pants you would be correct.

FMLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLll.

EEEEEEEEE FANGIRL

2009-10-18T03:13:47Z

Ok, so on Wednesday I will get to see Laura Pausini live and in Montreal, one of the most beautiful cities in the entire world.

So since most people I know have never heard of her I decided I'll post youtube vids of her music so you all can hear her. I am doing different ones for Facebook and LJ, so check them all out!

This one is Laura and Lara Fabian (you might know who she is) doing one of her biggest songs, La Solitudine. I actually have a nice cover of this song (in its Spanish form) by DLG (Dark Latin Groove).

So about last night...

2009-10-16T23:52:09Z

Instead of hanging out with your mom, I instead went and saw Canada's premiere rock band perform in The Egg. Mr Downie and Co were on fire last night, ripping through most of the old repertoire and a couple of newer songs. I went with my friend Wendy (ehmondieu) and her husband, and the three of us had a rocking time.

The three of us waited in the lobby to try to meet them, and other people waited with us. Eventually all other comers gave up, and it was just we three.

Robbie came out first, and we bonded about WWNY-7 and the fact that we watched the same two channels growing up. Hilarious.

Johnny came next and he and I chatted about being impervious to cold -- I wore gloves but sandals, and he wore shoes and no gloves. To be fair, I won cause I was wearing a suit jacket and no toque.

Gord S and Paul came out and chatted a bit about how we all hate Northern Lights.

Mr Downie came out last, and we kept him the shortest cause it was cold out.

But yeah I got to meet the Hip! How freaking cool eh?
The rest of the photos are up on facebook for your perusal.

NCIS POST~

2009-10-16T08:58:40Z

firni should skip this post.

Guys, Michael Weatherly has come out against Tiva and I don't blame him. But Tiva stans are kinda frightening (see the comments on the article for an example). I'm of the (minority) opinion against hooking up single male/female coworkers on the show because they can (see DS9 for a great example of this, Friends* especially was notorious for this, or even BSG to an extent -- although that one was more understandable, but still annoying, Billy-Killer!). And Michael Weatherly's had to deal with that before -- when he was on Dark Angel they hooked his character up with Jessica Alba's (well, they were also dating off-camera at the time too, but shh).

What are your thoughts on Tony & Ziva getting together? Do you think it should happen or do you think the writers should just forget about it? Are there any good examples of UST-ending relationships that worked that you can think of?

*And if any of you say that you liked Ross & Rachel together, I may just have to beat you.

A quickie.

2009-10-12T05:16:30Z

You know you probably shouldn't be shopping so much when you make your daughter apply for a store credit card because "I already have too many cards."

Things I find might be interesting to you.

2009-10-10T03:34:21Z

I got a new cell phone. I was tired of paying upwards of 60bucks a month to use mydamn phone five times a month, or worrying about running out of money on the phone while texting someone. So I got a Tracphone, with double minutes for life. If I wasn't buried under three or four blankets I'd go pull it out and tell you all the number. If you're on facebook with me you'll see it tomorrow. If you're cool I might even let you text me. ;) (I do so love the texting)

In unrelated news, I will be in your home and native land Oct 21-22 (mostly the 22) for to see Laura Pausini live in Montreal. If anyone wants to come out for the day on Thursday 22 October I would love to see you!

I also bought some new clothes today because I wanted to and they were on sale. I haven't had a chance to pull out my fall clothes yet, so I am actually glad for something that has long sleeves. I also gave away my breast cancer awareness pin to my friend Dani, whose mom is a cancer survivor. So I gotta find a new one, haha. I don't mind though, I got one of the watches my company is selling for BCRF. (I tried to find them on the website and failed, but if you go into the store you'll see them. Well, actually you don't even have to go in, you can see the easel with it on there anyway.)
-----

I have a confession to make. I had never read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. So I never really got the OH MISTER DARCY hype that the internets and most of my English major friends seem to have. But I picked up the book for a buck at Goodwill, and I just finished it. Darcy's cool and all, but Elizabeth is far more awesome than anyone else in the book, sorry to say.

Then I saw at the bookstore: Mr Darcy -- Vampire

.....

.....

What, I ask you, Internets, is this fuckery?

Things I like!

2009-10-03T02:37:03Z

This article refers to Brian Leonard, the only NFL player to come out of Gouverneur, NY. It's really cool to read about your hometown on a major NFL team's site:

If you want lights, you have to go to Massena or Ogdensburg, or Indian River, the larger outposts in the upper reaches of New York State sprawling between the Adirondack foothills and the Thousand Islands perched in the St. Lawrence River.

But Brian Leonard put Class C Gouverneur on the map long before he saved September for Bengaldom with a DVD 11-yard run-and-catch on fourth-and-10 with 36 seconds left during a game the Bengals needed a touchdown to survive Pittsburgh’s annual tempest.

Or, it’s more like Gouverneur put Leonard on the map. If you drive into town on its one main street, Main Street (yes, really), it is also Route 11 and there is a sign that says it is the home of Brian Leonard, complete with the helmets of Gouverneur, Rutgers and the Bengals.

The same sign is on the other way into town, Route 58. And if you miss it and it is Sunday you can go to the Four-by-Four Country Club and catch him on the TV, where about 50 to 60 people are still watching Leonard ply his trade as an NFL handyman.

Or you could try the Casablanca, the postgame football hangout where Devlin and his coaches commiserate and mingle with the community and parents.

Hey, at least this time the Casi's getting GOOD publicity, amirite?

On an unrelated note, Chris Rock's comments about Polanski made my day: Rock says at the end of the clip: "The United States, we want to capture Osama Bin Laden, and murder him. We don't want to rape him - that would be barbaric!"

This FB thread is full of win.

2009-10-02T16:13:47Z

Transcribed with LJ usernames instead of RL names, for your enjoyment.

fleurdelista is at the hundredth meridian, where the great plains begin

ehmondieu: Gettin ready for Oct 15?!

fleurdelista: of course! super psyched :D
i need to find a copy of the new album though, cause I haven't heard it yet.

ehmondieu: I wish I had gotten it earlier. It's a good album. For me, one of those listen all the way through albums

yaaurens: Love the new album, almost entirely. Or, dare, I say it, fully and completely?

mencc1701: They kicked so much ass in the show we saw here. Hope they're just as good for you.

the_epic: *locks Dave in the trunk of a car*

mencc1701: I'll make it out, Phil. You know I've got will and determination. Oh, and grace, too.

the_epic: Don't tell me what the poets are doing!

mencc1701: I didn't think you'd have the wherewithal to come up with that one.

fleurdelista: well, he IS the dark canuck.

yaaurens: Oh, now y'all are just showing off. I'm going back to being the last recluse.

mencc1701: No longer in view, eh?

fleurdelista: man, i am stuck at the lonely end of the rink now, guys.

yaaurens: Don't worry, escape is at hand for the travellin' (wo)man!

mencc1701: Well I'm glad we worked that out. I'll be over waiting in the gift shop.

fleurdelista: just make sure you watch out for the bear.

yaaurens: It'll take courage to face that.

mencc1701: Yeah, she must be scared.

yaaurens: As fun as this is, I must to bed before another midnight rolls around!

mencc1701: Well then goodnight Josephine. :)

the_epic: I can get behind anything!

yaaurens: Morning and work mean it's time to visit the coffee girl.

fleurdelista: don't forget to play your music @ work.

yaaurens: Oh, you know me, on facebook, listening to music while killing time at work...

the_epic: That kind of progressive thinking puts you Ahead by a Century.

yaaurens: I'm glad someone appreciates a beautiful thing when they read it.

the_epic: Sounds like a good life, if you don't weaken.

fleurdelista: just don't go throwing off glass.

fleurdelista @ 2009-10-02T01:18:00

2009-10-02T05:20:09Z

Books!

I figured I'd do a comprehensive recap of the books I've read this summer. I'm sure i'm missing some because all I did was grab the stack of books I have by my bed that I know I finished but didn't write up.

Golden Country by Jennifer Gilmore:

This book I picked up out of a $1 sale at Borders. I don't think it's anything I would have picked up if I had to pay more for it, but that's why I love this sale.

This book is the story of three immigrant families in Brooklyn in the 1950s. The protagonists are all Jewish Eastern European families whose children grow up and intermarry. It's really interesting to see the different sociological structures that come into play when you get to meet them. (Sorry, I read this book early on this summer, I'm not as quick to recall it as when I first read it.) But I think even for more than a dollar I would pick up this book again.

Petropolis, by Anna Ulinich:

Sasha is the child of a Russian woman and a half-black, half-Russian scientist. She and her mother are abandoned by her father when she is small, and she grows up idolizing her absent father. Suddenly finding herself a teenage mother, her mother sends her to Moscow to go to school and raises the child as Sasha's sister. Sasha instead joins a mail-order bride service in order to sneak into the US and find her wayward father. She finds a lot more than him when she gets to the US, though.

This is absolutely riveting and hilarious at the same time. Definitely worth the read.

My Answer Is NO (If That's Ok With You) by Nanette Gartrell.

This I also picked up for a dollar. I don't usually do self-help books, but this one I keep finding myself going back to. I have a hard time saying no to people, at least without feeling bad about it, and this book understands that. It's really good with real life examples and concrete psychological reasons to explain why I (and other women) feel this inability to say no without guilt. Definitely incredibly worth the read. I found it incredibly helpful this summer while working as an assistant manager at my store.

Malinche, by Laura Esquivel.

I had high hopes for this book. I paid a dollar for it as well, and I know Esquivel's other major novel, Como agua para chocolate, at least in movie form. I'm incredibly familiar with the source material, and I know the story of Malinche. I was horrifically disappointed in her take on her. I don't know if it's the English translation screwing the pooch or that it was just THAT. BAD. It was short so I powered through it.

The Lady Elizabeth, Alison Weir.

Last time I did a book review post I talked about Alison Weir's Jane Grey novel, and how I was slightly disappointed in it. I said then that I looked forward to this one to see if her fictional works had improved.

I did find it an improvement. I still find her dialogues to be a little stilted (I'm a little biased because most of my own writing is dialogue. I like to tell, not show ;)), but her characterisations are improving. Elizabeth is as fascinating a character as history can make her, and I truly enjoyed reading her life from her "own" perspective. I liked it better than Innocent Traitor.

(Side note: Weir is publishing a biography of ANNE BOLEYN, guys, ANNE FREAKING BOLEYN. How AWESOME is this book gonna be????_

Ok, just three more, I promise.

The Shipping News, by Annie Proulx.

I read this book years and years earlier, way before I had even considered visiting Newfoundland. (Yeah, that long ago.) So when I found this book @ Goodwill for a buck, I had to save it and re-read it. I knew the basic storyline -- guy loses his cheating slut of a wife in a car accident, and moves with his two daughters to his family's ancestral home in Newfoundland.

Having been to the island and actually having taken much of the same journey that Quoyle did, it puts this book in a whole new light. The whole time I was reading it I felt incredibly homesick, for a place I've never even lived in and only visited twice in my life. She did the island and its people justice. It's definitely one of my top ten books of all time. And if you haven't visited Newfoundland, I STRONGLY encourage you to do so.

Another book I picked up for a dollar: East of the Mountains, by David Guterson.

I read Snow Falling on Cedars probably about the same time that I read The Shipping News, so I only vaguely remember that I enjoyed the book. Guterson describes Washington state pretty well, although I've never been there so I can't say for sure. I didn't read the jacket insert that describes the book, or I don't think I would have picked it up. It tells me that it's the story of a man who is on a deathwish going hunting in the woods and all the strange people he encounters that make him want to live again. Sounds hokey, but Guterson pulls it off. After a while, though. It took me about 75 pages in to even really care about Ben, and it took til the end for me to sit there and say, "Hey, this book wasn't so bad after all."

Finally! Last book. FOR NOW DUN DUN DUN.

The Widow of the South, by Robert Hicks.

This one JUMPED off the store shelves at me. I wanted to read this one so much just from the back cover alone. It's a novel based on a real person, Carrie Winder McGavock. Hicks gives her a motivation for her devoted service to the cemetery at Carnton.

Too bad that it takes until the bad guy wants to plow over the graves of the Confederate soldiers, nearly 2/3 of the way through the book for things to click. Neither Carrie nor Zachariah, the solder whose leg she amputates, are that interesting of a character.

I'll admit a caveat about this. I keep trying to read Civil War stuff like Cold Mountain and i just. can't. get into it. I don't know if The Widow of the South suffers from that problem or if it's just a bad book. I need unbiased opinions ;)

Oh hay, a meme!

2009-09-30T04:51:15Z

I do have a bit of complainery and a gif for you all.
But first? A meme!

1) Post a list of up to 20 books/movies/anime/TV shows/video games/bands etc. that you've had an obsessive fannish love or interest in at some time in your life.
2) Have your flist guess your favorite character/member from each item.
3) When someone guesses correctly, strike through the item and put the name of your favorite character next to it.

1. Battlestar Galactica (we'll start you off Easy.)
2. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
3. Lost
4. Psych
5. NCIS
6. Firefly
7. Friends
8. Scrubs
9. Arrested Development
10.Futurama
11.The Dark Knight
12.Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
13.The Princess Bride
14.That 70s Show
15.The Nanny
16.Malcolm in the Middle
17.Law & Order: SVU
18.Law & Order
19.The Simpsons
20.Star Trek (the new one, not the series)

So tonight some couple got into it with me over my return policy. She or her sister had bought some stuff a couple of days ago and used a coupon on them. She wanted to exchange the top for a sweater, which is at the same sale price. But I can't evenly exchange them even if they were the same sale price, cause an even exchange is the same item, different size or colour. Not a completely different item that happens to be the same promotional price. She had to pay a $6.50 difference. For some reason they decided to ask the cashier what the price would be if they tried to return the shirt without a rec't. She told them it would have been a dollar less than the price they paid for the sweater. They proceeded to get in my face and mock my return policy in polite terms that clearly implied that they knew better than I did and asked me if our website had a comments section. I told them that it in fact does, and sent them on their way.

They did not ask for my name, but I'm confident I held up our return policy as it's supposed to be done. Our job is not to make it easy for you to return things, we don't WANT you to return them. So of course there's going to be any number of restrictions and disclaimers we have on returns. Don't act like you're higher and mightier than me because you think you know how to cheat the system.