blog for the sake of blog

I took some time to read back through my old blog entries and I have to say that I don't quite understand why I am not famous yet. I mean, this is good quality stuff, guys. Guys? Anybody?

So work got kinda busy and I lost my steam with the whole writing book reviews thing but I never stopped reading. I read a Pat Robertson book, that was an adventure I really should've taken you on with me. I apologize. I actually bought the book from the $3 Book Warehouse in Georgia so perhaps I will revisit it sometime for that purpose.

Right now I am reading several books. One is about the segregation in the school systems in America and I've nicely balanced that with another $3 Book Warehouse pick called Hard America, Soft America by Michael Barone. It reads like a never-ending essay that you're peer-editing. Its funny, this was another book I didn't realize was a Conservative book until after I started reading it. I always have this moment of, "Hey, wait a minute!" And then I read the author bio and it all falls into place. Its basically about how there's Hard America and Soft America and Hard America is what we need. Then he takes whatever he is talking about (justice system, welfare, education, war, etc.) and spins it so the best way is the Conservative way which is also Hard. Sometimes bureaucracies are good, sometimes they aren't. It all depends on who created them. Its a tangled web of "Huh??". But ok, Barone. If you say so.

I got into a debate with my richy-rich Conservative grandfather over dinner the other night. He just baits me and baits me until I can't take it anymore. I kept my mouth shut all the way until the coffee was served. But guess what? I won. For once, for the first time, for the first ever ever ever time, I totally won. I knew all his talking points, I knew all the facts, I trapped him and he knew it. And he had this crazy gleam in his eye--he liked it. He knew it was on like for realz this time. Its good to know that I can hold my own with those guys now. I've come a long way, baby!

Ok, while we're having a chat, let's talk TV. Let's talk Ricky Gervais show, actually. So I am to believe that this show is a big hit? Really? I like Ricky Gervais as much as the next gal but you cannot computer animate a podcast and call it a show and expect me to like it. Its not the same thing as a TV show. Which is what I want to watch when I am watching...TV. Yeah. Get it? Got it? I don't know. I get bored. I find it annoying and maybe even a bit cumbersome. It plods along like a great square tire made of stone. Plomp. Boosh. Plomp. Oh ok, there was something funny. Plomp. Not worth sitting through all that plomping.

Let's hear it for all my trashy shows, though! 90210, Melrose Place and Gossip Girl have really been spot-on so far this spring. Just the kind of trashy ridiculousness that I desire from them. Annie is totally going to steal Liam from Naomi. Rumer Willis made Adrianna a lesbian. The new neighbor is cutting open corpses and looking sketchball. Ella is getting framed by Heather Locklear. Jenny is gonna steal Nate from Serena. Life is good.

Well anyway, I guess I haven't really got anything more to say. Maybe if I led a more thrilling life I would be inclined to write more. Or maybe I wouldn't. Damned if I'll ever know. Word to you and yours.

do what now?

It seems the more time I have on my hands, the less time I find to blog. Peculiar.

I still don't have time to blog at the moment. Works almost through and I'll be damned if I waste a single minute getting out of here as quickly as possible. It makes me nostalgic for high school. I also just had a dramatified conversation with my grandmother on the phone. I don't know if you know this, but I am an awful person. Because I am not a victim and lack sympathy for other victims, I am the scum of the earth. This is, I should add, as far as my grandmother is concerned. Where I once was a treasured favorite, now that I am no longer a helpless child, I am all tarnished and icky and no one knows if they should touch me or not. No, I have not been to visit my sick aunt thus I am the worst person ever. Nevermind anything I had to do. Nevermind the last time I did. No, it is black and white, friends. You visit her and you're good; you do not visit her so you're terrible. Bonus points if you make Grandma cry when you tell her that you didn't have time.

Thank goodness I have my mother or I may never have avoided the tears that threatened to rear their ugly heads in the worst possible venue. They're just her crazy in-laws. Family can be just as terrible as it is wonderful. And for the same reason, no less. They'll always be there for you no matter what. But what about all the times you have to be there for them? And the lovely way that the people who get what they want are the people that are the worst. "We want to go on vacation, but the vacation that you took all the time to carefully plan and are paying for SUCKS! No, I don't want to plan it myself. I want you to plan and purchase a vacation that specifically I will enjoy and forget about everyone else!" That situation is happening on my mother's side of the family right now and its going to cost us going on a vacation at all because the Cleveland-ers have decided that the cruise my fake grandmother planned out with her travel agent and is eating the cost of (she's not even related to us!!) is not something they are interested in. So do we say, "Ok, have a good summer, we'll send you a postcard"? No, apparently we say, "Alright, where do you want to go?"

Families have got to be the most complex, messy, awful, terrible things in the world. A bunch of people who don't necessarily have the same values or beliefs or feelings all stuck together for life. Don't get me wrong, I love my family. But I have had a very rude awakening over the past few years. I learned that not everyone is there for you when you really need it. More importantly, I've learned that my mother, absolutely, 100%, without fail, is.

Sometimes a person isn't there for you when you need it and you can't seem to find the time to visit them when they're sick.

Sometimes explaining all that to Grandma would be telling her a year's worth of things that she doesn't want to hear.

Sometimes not being a doormat makes you the bad guy.

Sometimes you're much worse off because of your family.

Sometimes you have to watch people you love do horrible, awful things but you aren't allowed to stop loving them.

Well, this is one of those specials blogs that's rendered me unable to think of any sort of conclusion that isn't the most depressing thing you've ever heard. I'll just leave it at that. Coming soon---Eclipse book review, Twilight movie review (find out where I laughed inappropriately!) and my experience with salvia.

Live from my Blackberry....(if this works!)

I refuse to talk about politics for the most part. It makes me uncomfortable and I am unable to argue it. You know that qualifying thing that I hate? I do a lot of that. "Well, I'm a lot younger than you..." But do I really think that's true? Let's face it, young people think old people are politically stupid bc they're old, old people think young people are stupid. When it comes to actually saying that, I just can't.

This is mostly because of my family. Rich Republicans on one side, inexplicably silent Democrats on the other. That doesn't leave any room for political debate. My red relatives are so hard-headed that it would do little good to argue. I don't know if you've ever tried to argue against people like that, but I'm convinced that its impossible.

I'm very concerned about Thanksgiving. So soon after the election... I have no trouble just keeping my mouth shut, but they want a fight. They ask and ask and pick and pick and there's no good way to put anything, you're doomed. Doomed! See, the problem is this: they're smart. Too smart. You can't win.

So how do I deflect these arguments? How do I bow out gracefully and consistently but STILL amuse myself? (I typically silently observe family fuctions as though I'm watching a hilarious movie) Its time to BRAINSTORM.

Here's an idea! Play dumb. This could be fun. On Labor Day, Grandpa asked me if I knew who Sarah Palin was, very sure that her brave decision to have a high-risk pregnancy would win me over. I can just picture it! "No, who's she? ...... Wow! She sounds great! What kind of political experience does she have?" HA! Yes, I rather like that idea. I've gotta start working on this now. Nothing like a little improv with unsuspecting customers.

You know, the guy in that commercial gets stuck in a marijuana cucoon. Wtf. Whoever made that knew it would just freak anyone high out. Brillz, really. But then again, just think of all the pot you'd have when you burst out! Its the American dream. Good night, sleep tight!