Monday, August 15, 2005

early evening

If You’re Happy And You Know It…Clap Your Hands

Today, not only did we get the wire transfer we were waiting for (and needing, dammit), but when we went to the crappy car dealer, we got our refund check.  Remember the woman from the dealer who said she’d have the check ready?  Hmm, maybe I didn’t write about her specifically, I don’t remember.  Oh wait, she was the one who couldn’t manage to look up our address to say that she was having trouble getting ahold of us.  Anyway, she said she’d have our check at the latest by 3p today.  She said she’d call if she had it signed (can you believe it, she says they only have ONE person at the whole HUGE dealership who can sign a check) earlier.  So, no call.  We go in at 4p, figuring that’s a safe time.  We ask for her, as she says she’s the only person there who deals with the refunds.  They say, “Oh, she’s not here.” Generally, I hate confrontation.  Scratch that, in person, I always hate confrontation.  I will be nice to someone I loathe.  Sure, I’ll talk about them behind their back when I leave, but I’ll be nice to them in person.  Anyway, I said, snarkily, “Well, there had better be a check here for me.” The woman looked a little frightened and toddled off.  To make the unhappy look on my face complete, I was wearing a t-shirt from my in-laws (okay, they’re not really my in-laws because I’m not allowed to marry) that says, “You’re just jealous because the voices talk to me!” After that, I saw several women behind the bulletproof glass scurrying around the back of the office.  Within a couple of minutes, lo and behold, they had a check for me.  I politely thanked them and walked away.  During our walk to and fro the dealership cashier, I kept muttering to Leigh-Ann, “I hate this place.  I hate this place.  I hate this place.” I will never ever buy another car there again (after buying two in four years, and spending thousands on service) and I won’t step foot in the place again, except to use the free oil changes I got when I bought my last car there.  They’re not getting any money from me, but they can certainly change the oil on the car I bought at another dealer, plus wash it!

Hey, does anyone reading know anyone in South Africa?  Leigh-Ann is trying to find a book that so far we can only find in South Africa.  And they want a fortune to ship it from Kalahari.net.  It’s called If The Cat Fits: Stories From A Vet’s Wife by Chrystal Sharp.  We have the sequel, but the first book doesn’t seem to be anywhere in North America. $37 for the book/shipping is a bit much for a used book, even if it’s a good one.

Sunday, July 31, 2005

early evening

A Teeny Little Book Review

I just finished We Thought You Would Be Prettier:  True Tales of the Dorkiest Girl Alive by Laurie Notaro, which I enjoyed very much, unlike my friend with multiple nz in her name.  I still didn’t think it was as good as her third book, but I just love her writing.  It’s quick, quirky, amusing and enjoyable.  She seems like she’d be the great wacky neighbor next door.

Now I’m reading Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs, which is also entertaining.  Next on the list, either the new Harry Potter or Reading Lolita in Tehran.  Probably Harry Potter though, as I hate having spoilers around while remaining unspoiled.  I have to avoid every site that might reveal who dies.  I have a good guess, but I’d rather not know for sure.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

evening

Barbie Says, “Math Is Hard”

I admit it, I’ve always hated math.  For some reason, when I was in school (and really, now too), I had difficulty with things I didn’t understand immediately or wasn’t able to to teach myself.  Math was one of those things, so I ended up just not trying very hard.  To be fair to me, I also had some pretty crappy math teachers throughout the years.  Except for Mr. Meadors in junior high, I pretty much hated them all.  So, it surprised me when I actually liked a book about...M-A-T-H.  Count Down : Six Kids Vie for Glory at the World’s Toughest Math Competition - I think I liked learning that math could be a creative process and these kids were rewarded with thinking up creative ways to solve a math problem.  Perhaps if I’d been exposed to learning math this way, I would’ve enjoyed it more.  So, for those of you with math hating kids, get them to read this book.  It might get them to find an interest in math, which can only be good.  I wish I’d worked harder in school because honestly, if some of the kids in my class could pass Geometry B, there was no reason for me to fail it.  I will admit that taking Basic Math in high school with the, uh, less academically inclined kids was fun.  We did a worksheet of basic math problems every day.  The teacher would pass out the worksheet, then explain it to everyone.  By the time he was done explaining it to everyone, I was done with it.  That adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing stuff was always pretty easy.  It made me feel S-M-R-T (™ The Simpsons)

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

evening

Templates Schmemplates

Still working on it.  Maybe if I’d actually read a book about CSS or something…

Finally finished reading Down Came the Rain : My Journey Through Postpartum Depression by Brooke Shields.  I thought the first half of the book was important information for mothers.  The 200+ page book was about 100 pages too long.  Her message is important and lots of mothers may identify with the first half of the book...and the last maybe twenty pages.  Between that, it was a whole lotta boring stuff about her going back to work and going to therapy.  Really, I like Brooke Shields and I wanted to like the whole book, but she lost me halfway.  I guess I missed some of the dialogue between her and her husband that was in the beginning of the book.  He seems like a sweet and funny husband/father.  Since I don’t have any kids, perhaps actual moms might feel differently about the book.

I don’t know if Heather Armstrong considers the relapse of her depression after the birth of her baby to be related to PPD, but I have to say that if you’re going to read about someone’s struggles with depression and the struggle to overcome it, I’d recommend her depression archives over Brooke Shields’ book any day.  And hey, for now, her writing is free. 

I think Brooke Shields has done an important thing, by putting a famous face to post-partum depression and getting the message out there, but her book could’ve used some editing and perhaps a little ghostwriting by her husband.  But damn, that’s one cute baby she has.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

lunch time

Leigh-Ann’s Monthly Book Giveaway!

It’s a funny funny book.  Enter.  Enter today. BOOK GIVEAWAY! You’ll like the book so much, the smile will have to be pried off your face.