Horrible Bad Bad Person

I've been negligent about posting. I've been very self-absorbed and selfish. I've totally lost count of my books for the year.

I'll try to make up for it briefly.

I finished Geisha, A Life today. It was very interesting and reminded me so much of Memoirs of a Geisha which was one of the most stunning books I've ever read. It was so beautiful.

I checked out of school today. I'm so relieved. I'm officially done until August. I need the break. My brain is fried. Let me speak slowly. F R I E D.

The previous book was Sanctuary by Molly Noble Bull. The author herself sent me the book with a very sweet inscription. I've been corresponding with her and she's a very nice lady from Kingsville, TX. I am so honored that she was kind enough to send me an inscribed copy of her book. I love her name. Seriously, Molly Noble Bull. That name rocks my world. It just has zing.

Sorry Kelly, you and I just don't have quite the same zing name wise. DANG.

Going back one more to The Sparrow. I'd read it before but I wanted to revisit it and I liked it just as much and perhaps got more out of it than I did the first time.

I think I'm catching up. The previous book was The Forest House, also by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

Okay, I've finished 32 books so far and summer vacation started today. I'm looking fondly at #33. It's yummy and makes me long for far off shores.

Interesting news today. . . . Baby girl was getting on a plane to go to a wedding in St. Louis and she gets a phone call making her a job offer. She's not had her degree a month and has already been offered a job as a TV reporter. She's been told that it should take a year to get any kind of job in TV. It's a tough industry. She's 22.

Think about it. What were YOU doing when you were 22? Well, I was probably making as much as she's being offered as a baby girl reporter. It's very low wage to start. By the time she pays rent and her student loans she'll be eating Ramen all month.

She could come back to her home school district and teach history and make twice as much. She'd be fabulous. Her kids would love her and she would inspire them, but she has a dream. She wants to go global. She knows that global starts in a small market in the hinterlands. Hinterlands has called. She could be handing off to Katie Couric before you know it.

Not that I'm proud at all. I admire her for having a dream. A dream starts with small steps.

I'm very proud that she has BIG dreams. I wish her well and happy on her adventure.

Things Change

Happy Birthday to Me. I live in a tree.

I had my hearing today. It's my 49th birthday. It has been an inauspicious day.

I was so sad today. I went to work and only two of my friends happened to remember that it was my birthday. I'm so good about such things. I make sure I make cards for my friends and stir up other folks to celebrate and make a big deal over their birthdays. I'm the one who decorates the doors for people with balloons and streamers.

It was just so strange that my worker's compensation hearing was today on my 49th birthday.

The hearing was good. Happy birthday, I get to have two surgeries. DANG.

At least I get to have stuff fixed. I get to have the complete tear of my shoulder tendon repaired. Why am I not so excited? I've talked to folks who have had rotator cuff surgery and I must say that it doesn't sound like fun.

Do I want it fixed? Well, hmmm. That's a curious question. It doesn't hurt a whole lot right now, but it doesn't also work very well. I'm a right handed art teacher. Do I want to give up the right hand and arm and learn to teach art left handed?

I have to have the shoulder fixed before I have the ACL fixed because I have to be able to tolerate crutches.

Corn Dog on a Stick.

Please substitute Corn Dog for "extended fecal matter.

Today was not bad, it wasn't great. It was a "sink into the bayou birthday."

Oh well.