June 26

Today is a special day. What day is it, you ask? Why, it's BJ's birthday! He got an iPod touch, and we had a delicious dinner at Copeland's tonight. BJ got catfish, and I had wood-grilled chicken with mashed yams and caramelized onions (or as I used to say when I was a tike, yun-yuns). I had a very busy day at work today, but finally got in another assessment, some good time with patients, and funny times with co-workers. I'm glad to be home regardless, and I only have one work day left until...vacation to Arkansas!

Then She Found Me

Last night I finished reading "Then She Found Me" by Elinor Lipman, a book that I liked pretty well. It was one of those fast summer reads that I rarely partake in, but I was glad that I did. Quite conveniently, this afternoon my mother-in-law stated that we should go see the movie (yes, it had been recently made into a movie starring Bette Midler and Helen Hunt), and I was more than happy to go see it after having envisioned the story in my head. I couldn't believe the differences in the plot line! So much happens in the movie that never happens in the book, and vice versa, to the point that I really feel as though I took in two different stories. Both of them I liked though, and I felt like Bette Midler really made the movie a success. Just a heads-up for any of you who plan to take in "Then She Found Me!"

I heart golf.

Another of my recent hobbies that I should fill you in on is playing golf. I regret to say that I still suck and am unworthy of yet playing on an actual course, but I have been practicing and playing on par three's for probably 5 or 6 weeks. I even have my very own golf glove! BJ's dad has quite generously given me a set of old clubs that I can use until I can get my own...I bet you know what's going to be on my Christmas list!!! Apart from that, I am desperate for lessons and am having a blast learning the game, getting down a swing, and trying to sink the impossible putts (I haven't sunk any yet, but BJ has). My 5 and 7 irons are getting more solid, and on the course I am usually a lock on BJ's 3 wood. Pretty soon I am going to go play, and people will be like, "Oh there's a girl, I bet she sucks," and then they'll be sorry...

Turning pages

When I was young, I used to love to read. All the time, almost any book, I would just read it right up. In elementary school I pretty much rocked the house with Accelerated Reader points, if you can remember that far back. In fact, I had more points than anyone in all of the sixth grade, until a girl named Sarah decided to read Anna Karenina to pass me in points. I thought, if she's going to read that big-ass book, she can have it. After those days of glory, I got so involved with school activities until the end of high school that reading outside of school almost never happened. Then of course came college (all nine years of it) and I was reading all of the time, but, with the exception of my Philosophy of Literature and Aesthetics courses, almost nothing that I ever actually wanted to read.

Now I have reached the days of almost-normalcy, with the dissertation so close to being done. I have my textbooks nicely arranged on my bookshelf, and I scoff at them. Instead, I'm finally reading fun books again, and with a passion rivaled only by my glory days of sixth grade. I've learned about Australia, Alaska, bicycles, 19th century lady pioneers, pie-baking, Captain Cook and the woes of scurvy, and the social hierarchy of Saudi Arabia. I've read fiction, re-read some of my favorite books (ahem, A Far Cry from Kensington by Muriel Spark), travel adventures, and poetry. I'm actually starting to kind of feel smart again.

Now all I need is a book club. And like BJ posted earlier, look me up on Shelfari and give me some book ideas!

Shelfari

Jenny and I have been enjoying reading a lot lately. We have begun using Shelfari to track our books. I put my shelf on this page. You should join and become my friend so that we can see what books the other likes.

Update (06/16/08):

I didn't really like the widget. You can go to www.shelfari.com/bjcubsfan. Jenny is here.