Back to school, back to procrastination

School has started up again and so what am I doing? Anything other than what I'm supposed to be doing, of course!

I'm slowly slogging my way through my Chinese homework. This is probably the easiest homework I will have all semester. I am literally just copying the dialogue out of the book. Yes. That is the homework. That's it. And yet it still somehow requires more stamina than I can muster.

In addition, I spent a ridiculous amount of time looking at classes online and managed to find one that I really want to take. It will take me up to five classes this semester which is something that I may or may not (hint: the former) have promised not to do again. Ooops? It looks really interesting though, and it's only one day a week and it might help me finagle my way into a minor. Also, it's something artistic, which I feel I need in my life right now. Also, I just really want to take it.

But of course, this is me and things are never really that easy, so I decided that I'll shop the class tomorrow. This meant that I had to find someone to switch shifts with me at the library. Luckily I shot out an email and the girl working the shift before me was able and willing to switch, so that was pretty painless.

Then I had the agonizing argument with myself about whether or not I should actually do this since it's taking on another class and yadda yadda yadda. I am, as we know, incapable of making a decision myself, so I called my mother. She convinced me to at least go tomorrow and that I probably won't die if I decide to take it, so that's out of the way.

Then I had to figure out where the hell this building is because I may be a senior, but I still get lost on H-ford's campus all the time. It's embarrassing and truly ridiculous, but I am just that directionally challenged. I have printed out, highlighted, and examined a map. That, combined with the fact that the blue bus is going to drop me off 40 minutes before my class actually starts makes me think that I might have a chance of getting to this class in one piece. But we shall see.

And did I mention that if I do take this class, it will conflict with what was originally my first shift choice at the library? Well, it will. So then I had to sit down and re-order my prioritized shift list since I won't be there for the scheduling meeting and need a proxy to pick my shifts for me.

So there's all the drama of the night for you. Drama centered on a Chinese Calligraphy course that distracted me from doing my Chinese homework. Kind of poetic in a way...

In other news, I have finished reading some books and reviews will happen in the near future. Probably at some other point when I'm trying to avoid doing something that I really need to do.

One more unfortunate thing I learned in college: blogging is a really great procrastination tool.

Alas, back to the grind.

I feel special...

I signed on to write about my moving-in escapades today and happened to look over to the side of the page and realized that I have TEN followers. I realize that in the greater blogging sphere, that is pretty damn pathetic, but since I started off with 3, all from the class, I'll celebrate all I want thankyouverymuch.

It's cool to see that other people are reading what I'm writing. Cool and frightening. Are you judging me? You are, aren't you? Well, too bad, it's my blog.

One really cool thing about blogging about books is that if enough people start to read your blog, publishers will send you free (yes FREE) copies of books to review. Since that is a combination of my two favorite things (books and anything free), I'd love to get to that level.

An even cooler level - when publishers not only send you books, but when you get to interview authors and are even able to give away books on your blog. Speaking of giveaways, there's almost always one going on here. Right now I want to win this giveaway, so if you go up against me, I may have to take you down. Just saying.

I have now completely strayed from the topic about which I was going to write when I opened this window, but I think that's OK. Maybe tomorrow I'll be all motivated and get my room straightened out. Then I could even post pictures, and wouldn't that be something? The answer is 'yes, yes it would'. I am going to decorate this year if it kills me. Someone hold me to that please. I can't live with blank walls for another year. Also, this year my room is cute. Still kind of small and somewhat oddly shaped, but cute and cozy and there should be plenty of room for my books!

OK, the end for now. (PS- just started using google chrome. It fills me with a child-like glee. Just sayin').

Today's the day...

I return to the Mawr. Originally (or at least according to my father's delusions) we were going to leave at 7. I predicted 9:30. We're getting stuff out and into the cars slowly, but surely.

I'm excited to go back to school. So not looking forward to unpacking though...

Well, back to loading up the cars.

Mental Feng Shui

 My father sent this to me and insisted that I send it along to everyone else ever. Since I don't really like sending out chain emails, even if they are well-intentioned, I decided to share it. I do think there is something to some of the stuff it mentions. So here we go...
                              
 Lotus Touts: You have 6 minutes. Do not keep this message. I don't know why we're not allowed to keep this message. Does posting it on a blog where I can look at it later count as keeping it?

The Lotus Touts must leave your hands in 6 MINUTES. Otherwise you will get a very unpleasant surprise. This is true, even if you are not superstitious, agnostic, or otherwise faith impaired. Hehe. I like the term "faith impaired". I may have to work that into my everyday vocabulary.

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, t heir conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.

FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling..

ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN. Say 'bless you' 'or be strong' when you hear someone sneeze. Never heard "be strong" as an alternative. I'm not sure I get it...

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY- ONE. Spend some time alone.

Since I've already broken the rules with this format, this part probably doesn't matter, but I figured I'd keep it in case you wanted to see or decided to send this as an email or something. 

Now, here's the FUN part!

Send this to at least 5 people and your life will improve. 1-4 people: Your life will improve slightly.
5-9 people: Your life will improve to your liking.
 9-14 people: You will have at least 5 surprises in the next 3 weeks                              
15 and above: Your life will improve drastically and everything you ever dreamed of will begin to take shape.

A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart. Do not keep this message. Again with the "Do not keep this message" stuff. What if I want to keep the message? What if I want to keep these rules as reminders? Hmmm? In any case, I do like the sentiment that comes before. It's a bit hokey, but does pretty much ring true.



So there you have it. I have sort of done what my dad wanted me to do. I think that wins me some good daughter points. Right?

TV! Food! Who says my life is all about books?

So when I'm not reading (or, to be perfectly honest, quite often while I'm reading) I watch a lot of TV. Much of it is complete trash and you would judge me if I told you what I watched, but I do, on occassion, watch good television as well.

Whenever I'm home, the TV spends a lot of time tuned to the Food Network. As a wannabe foodie, I usually just watch the shows and rarely try out the recipes I see. This is mainly because of my bizarre cooking anxiety, but also has to do with the fact that Food Network cooks don't make that many vegetarian dishes. In any case, the other day my family and I were watching the premiere of Aarti Party (the new show starring Aarti Sequeira, winner of The Next Food Network Star) and she was making "Massaged Kale Salad". It looked really good, so we decided to make it.

I have to admit, I did not make it this time, but I am confident that I could re-create it. In fact, I think I will at some point. It was delicious!

So yes, you could just go to the Food Network site and look up the recipe yourself, but I'm feeling generous today, so I thought I would not only post the link, but also the recipe itself, thereby saving you oodles of time so you can go straight to massaging. I'm just so good to you, my lovely readers.

And so, Massaged Kale Salad:

Prep Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

    * 1 bunch kale (black kale is especially good), stalks removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced
    * 1 lemon, juiced
    * 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
    * Kosher salt
    * 2 teaspoons honey
    * Freshly ground black pepper
    * 1 mango, diced small (about 1 cup)
    * Small handful toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), about 2 rounded tablespoons

Directions

In large serving bowl, add the kale, half of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stream in the 1/4 cup of oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes.

Pour the dressing over the kale, and add the mango and pepitas. Toss and serve.
Recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeira, 2010

There you have it. Eat up!

One more review

I finished John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas last night. Let me tell you, that book pretty much broke me. It was sooo good. So good, but the ending turned me into a wreck. In hindsight, I totally should have seen it coming, but I was so wrapped up in it all that it didn’t really hit me until I was in way too deep.

Despite the wreckage I feel after reading this book, I want everyone to read it. It is a YA novel, so it was a quick read for me. Even so, Boyne’s style in this book is genius. He presents the monstrosity of the Holocaust from the perspective of such naïveté that the story is both so much more and so much less than other Holocaust narratives.

I find a lot of Holocaust-era narratives from a non-Jewish perspective very interesting. I loved Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi (really great, definitely recommend it), but this was just so much different. The innocence of the children and unwillingness of the adults to fully explain what is going on makes the story that much more overwhelmingly inspiring. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is about the Holocaust, but really, it isn’t. It’s about two lonely little boys who form a friendship, innocent and unrestrained by the larger political picture.

Seriously though, this book was amazing and it is so inspiring. I think sometimes we need the naïveté and innocence of a child’s voice to bring us back to what is truly important. I have a feeling that I’ll end up rereading this book on multiple occasions, even if it did wreck me.

So many books, not nearly enough time

I'm heading back to the Mawr on Friday (excited!), but I still have so many books checked out from the library that I haven't read yet! It occurs to me that many of these books aren't actually due back until the middle of September and I'll be home next week before I go to my cousin's wedding, so I could bring some of them to school and finish them there. Knowing my luck and my previous experience with Ol' Murphy though, I'll forget them, or they'll be eaten by geese, or some other ridiculous and possibly unforseen misfortune will befall them (and that's when the library ninjas will attack). I guess I'll just keep reading up a storm and see how many I can get through. In any case, here are the latest results of my ongoing spree:

I didn’t enjoy Geraldine Brooks’s Year of Wonders as much as People of the Book (which I *raved* about here), but it was still a good read. Brooks’s writing style is like nothing else. It creates an experience.

The story, which is based on a plague-ridden year in a real town in 1666, is beyond inspiring. Brooks brings the characters to life as she displays their strength, courage, and faith in the face of such tragedy and terror. I didn’t always like the story, but it never lagged. When I put it down, I always wanted to pick it up again.

The ending was a bit off. It was unexpected, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the way in which it was unexpected – the direction in which Brooks takes it – felt a bit…. wrong, almost.  I don’t know, I can’t explain it. In any case, that’s only the very end, and it’s still a good read, it just feels somewhat disconnected from the rest of the book.

I still love Brooks. I think she’s an amazing storyteller and an amazing writer, and yes, they are two different things.

Perfect example:

I also finished The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Sometimes this book was well-written, but the storytelling lagged, and other times the story was truly intriguing, but the writing just wasn’t there. The writing issues might, however, be a result of the translation and not a flaw in the actual writing. …OK, so maybe it’s not the best example.

Anyway, I enjoyed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I had been warned ahead of time that it takes a while to get into and sometimes lags, so I knew to persevere. Had I not had that insider info, I might have developed different feelings toward the book.

At this point, I’m kind of ambivalent toward it. It was a good enough read, but I’m not sure it stands up to all the hype. In any case, I’m completely invested in the series. I’ve heard that the second book is better, and I’d like to see what else the characters get up to. Sometimes they were annoying, but they were endearing enough to keep me interested. I guess we’ll see…

Random ramblings on cooking and my general insanity

As you may recall, one of my goals (though, to be honest I haven’t really actively pursued it or anything) is to get better at cooking. There are many things involved in cooking that cause me a great deal of anxiety, but there are a lot of things that I like as well. When I’m making something I’m comfortable with, it’s a lot of fun. I also kind of like all the prep work – the mincing and chopping and whatnot. A lot of people find prep work really dull and tedious, but I like it (except when the onions make me cry like a baby on an airplane). All that being said, I HATE peeling potatoes. Hate it. With a fiery passion. I don’t generally like peeling in general, but potatoes are the worst. They always look dirty, even after you wash them, and they’re slippery little buggers. And then there’s the fact that almost every time I inevitably almost peel off a finger or two. But no big deal, right? I don’t really need all 10 fingers…  

 My other cooking issue is that I like it a lot more when I’m not alone. Cooking with friends is a lot of fun. I guess there can sometimes be a problem of literally too many cooks in the kitchen, but I don’t like being alone while I’m cooking. Then I have to talk to myself or the pets and that just bumps me up a little more on the crazy scale.

Update:
When I got up this morning I made waffles and a kickass omelet. OK, I put the frozen waffles in the toaster, but I did pull out all the stops for the omelet, and let me tell you, it was good. So yea, when I know what I’m doing I am a master in the kitchen. Go me.




In other news, I saw The Kids are All Right with my aunt yesterday. It was a really good movie, but I was not prepared for the awkwardness of it all. I am, after all, awkward incarnate and so I’m really sensitive to awkward situations. Just watching them makes me squirm. Considering the plot of the movie, I guess I should have figured it would have its share of awkward moments, but it just never occurred to me to prepare myself for it.

But yea, it was a fun movie (even if parts of it were really awkward). I’d recommend it.  




The date of my return to school is quickly approaching and I still have much to do. Must finish editing, must finish reading all the books I've checked out of the library, must organize my life...


All I really want to do is read all the books. I feel like I'm pulled in so many literary directions right now because I want to be reading them all. I finally got The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, so I'm working my way through that in addition to everything else I was reading before. So far it's a bit slow-going, but I was warned in advance of that and I shall persevere.


OK. I'll edit (because that's the one thing on the list where I get paid) and then take breaks to read. Yes. Good plan. Getting to work. Now. Seriously. *sigh*

Another review and some random observations...

I finished Talk Talk by T.C. Boyle earlier today. I don’t really know what to say about this book. The characters were interesting, as was the general concept, but the book was still somehow disappointing. I really wanted to like it. I thought I would. When I was actually reading it, I was interested enough, but once I put it down I didn’t really feel like picking it up again.

Basically, at this point all I can say about Talk Talk is that it was OK. Just OK. I think I would still call myself a T.C. Boyle fan (I really liked The Inner Circle), but Talk Talk was a miss for me.

In other news, we have gained further evidence of my complete lack of self-control. I went to the library to return a few books and pick up The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (for which I've been on the waiting list since the beginning of the summer). While there I may have picked up another 2 books as well. I just couldn't help it! That brings me to 18 books checked out from the library and 8 days until I go back to school... Something tells me that I may be returning some of these books unread. The idea makes me sad, but I guess I'll get over it. My school library has a better selection anyway...

In other other news, while driving around today I passed a house with a purple port-a-potty out front. Generally port-a-potties in the front yard make me cringe, but they are an unfortunate reality in home-imporvement, so I don't judge. All this being said, I think if they have to be there, they might as well be purple. Bring some interest and class to it all, right?

Alas, I have books to read, a manuscript to edit, and a math exam for which to study. I don't mind the first two so much, but the third is the most pressing issue right now and that's just plain depressing. At least the final exam means the end of math...

Review: Let The Great World Spin

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann is yet another in a long string of books that I’ve read which I really enjoyed, but cannot adequately express why.  McCann introduces characters and stories engrossing in and of themselves, but as the novel comes together, connections emerge, revealing new perspectives within the new information.

McCann’s writing style brings every character to life. While the writing effortlessly urges the reader on, the dynamics between the characters allow for deeper understanding of the characters and the times.

So yea, I really liked the book, I just can't really explain why.

I'm on a review roll!

Today I finished The Funeral Party by Ludmila Ulitskaya. It’s a short little book that chronicles the last days of a Russian émigré artist’s life and the complex relationships of the people surrounding him. It was a good, quick read that gave some insight into a community not often examined.


I also finished reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I originally resisted reading this book, though I can’t recall exactly why. It seemed like there was a lot of hype, but hearing about it didn’t thrill me. In any case, I continued to hear about it on goodreads, then I saw it at the library and in a fever of ohmygodlookatallthebooks!!! grabbed it and that was the end of that.

The story pulled me in pretty quickly. It took me a little while to get used to the writing style, but once I got used to that I became completely immersed in the story. The characters were lively and dynamic and while they were sometimes kind of frustrating, that just made them feel all the more real.

The Help is a great story, and it’s actually well-written, so that’s hard to beat. It gets my stamp of approval (or would, if I had one) and I definitely recommend it.

Now I shall leave you with one passage from the book that really amuses me:

I give in and light another cigarette even though last night the surgeon general came on the television set and shook his finger at everybody, trying to convince us that smoking will kill us. But Mother once told me tongue kissing would turn me blind and I’m starting to think it’s all just a big plot between the surgeon general and Mother to make sure no one ever has any fun. 

The Help p. 148

Another review for you

See how I made that rhyme? Yea, I'm just too cool for words. Aaaaanyway....

Just finished The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt. This book was epic, not in the over-used, annoying sense of the word, but in the sense that it was truly remarkable. I’m not sure I can really give an adequate explanation of what it is about or really even write a satisfying review of it.

Seriously though, it was great. It took me a little longer to get through than I originally expected, but I didn’t mind. Byatt brings together the story, the time period, and the characters flawlessly. I really enjoyed most of the aspects of the book. I didn’t always like the characters, but they were dynamic and interesting.

Sorry I’m failing at writing useful or informative reviews, but The Children’s Book was great and you should read it, even if I can’t exactly explain why.

Hilarity

Now there truly is a dating site for everyone, including book lovers. Go figure.

So now I present 25 pickup lines to use on new bookworm dating site Alikewise...

Eat, Pray, Love - Movie vs. Book

I saw Eat, Pray, Love yesterday evening. I often get really annoyed when I watch movies based on books that I enjoyed reading, but that wasn’t really the case this time around. Yes, the movie was different, but it wasn’t wrong like many of the “based on the best-selling novel” movies that come out nowadays. It was somewhat condensed and cut out some things, but the filmmakers didn’t make unnecessary changes. In fact, they didn't outright change anything, and I commend them for that. I suppose adapting a movie from a piece of non-fiction might automatically make drifting from the original story more difficult and just plain inadvisable.

I will say that while I enjoyed the movie, I did feel like it was lacking if you look at it compared to the book. In the book things feel so much more personal and inspiring. In both cases, the story is about self discovery and love and inspiration, but I think that the book got the message across much better than the movie.

I liked the movie. I would watch it again (though I don’t know if I’d spend another $11. That’s some valuable book money…), and would probably enjoy watching it again. I also liked the music that they used and the cinematography was great.

It says a lot that I not only sat through an entire movie based on a book that I really liked and didn’t spend the entire time muttering “wrong wrong wrong” under my breath, but also that I enjoyed watching it and allowed myself to really just watch and only have the book in the back of my mind. So yes, I would recommend seeing the movie, but I would almost insist that you also read the book (preferably before seeing the movie, but to each his or her own, I suppose).

Reviews galore!

I have been neglecting my reviewing duties (mainly because I just kept starting new books and hadn't finished anything in a while), so now you get 3 in one giant post. And heeeeeere we go....


The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale has been on my list for quite some time and I just recently got it from the library and finished it the other night. The book was really great. I’m not sure I can say that I enjoyed reading it given the subject matter, but the story was engrossing and Atwood kept me reading.

The style is simple and that lets the story come through that much more clearly. This was one of those books that I wanted there to be more of. Atwood chose to leave the narrative there for a reason, and that sense of the unknown almost adds to the strength of the whole story. Not knowing how everything turns out is frustrating, but seems to be par for the course in this genre. Either way, I think leaving the reader wanting more is generally a marker of a pretty good book.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of the few exceptions to my book-before-movie rule, mainly because I saw the movie a long time ago and didn’t realize that it was based on Truman Capote’s book.

Reading it now has made me realize that I should probably watch the movie again. I know, of course, (as does anyone who has made the unfortunate mistake of watching a movie ‘based on a the best selling book’ with me) that movies don’t always adhere to the story and details in the book, but there was a lot of stuff that I didn't remember. Some things were just plain surprising.


As I read the book and Holly Golightly came into life, I realized how big of a deal it was that Audrey Hepburn took on this role. There’s actually a book that just came out (Fifth Avenue, 5 AM - it's also on my list and donations to the buy-Bluestocking-books-fund are always appreciated *wink wink*) that talks about the making of the movie and the Hollywood politics concerning Hepburn playing a part so different from characters she’d played in the past.

I think I’d like to watch this movie again and then revisit my discussion of the story. It’s hard to really grasp and then articulate my feelings about this book when the story is so clouded in my mind because of my possibly flawed memory of the movie.

So yes, Breakfast at Tiffany’s…. to be continued….

The Historian


I just finished The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. People have pretty much raved about this book, and now I know why. I absolutely devoured it. The story completely drew me in and now I suddenly have this overwhelming desire to become a historian and travel all over the world on some sort of historic/folk legend crazy goose-chase. I’d like to avoid the many terrifying and near-death experiences though…  

Yea, so maybe I don’t want my life to be quite as exciting as the lives of the characters in The Historian, but I’d like to keep reading about lives that exciting and interesting and full of history and legend and all that cool stuff. In some ways it’s making me start to consider what I want to write my thesis on (which is something I’m not sure if I should be considering right now, but the thought occasionally crops up and makes me want to curl myself into a tiny Bluestocking ball and hide in a hole somewhere surrounded by books that I won’t have to analyze in order to validate my 4 years of horribly overpriced education). I’ve been interested in myths and legends and folk tales and all that cool stuff around the world for a while and have touched on it as a topic about which I'd like to learn more, and this story kind of fanned those flames. That’s a completely different issue though, so I think I’ll try to put that out of my mind for the few remaining weeks of summer and cross that bridge when I come to it.

As usual, I have become distracted. The moral of the story, or post, I suppose is this: read The Historian. It’s pretty damn awesome.


Actually, I guess the moral of the post is read. Period. The end. As you were.

Shall we celebrate?

Well, dear reader, I have reaced a new milestone in the insanity.

My book list has officially broken 1000 books. My last bout of "oooh! that looks interesting!" click-throughs on goodreads has brought me to 1021 on my never-ending list. In addition, I finished one book today and started two more.

I have 20 books checked out of the library right now (and 5 on hold) and I'd like to finish them all before I go back to school. Then there are also all those books that I own, but haven't gotten around to reading yet...

It'll work. Really. I hope.

Getting all this reading done would be a lot easier if I didn't have to sleep or go to math class or, really, do anything else. Alas.

A day in the life

Or at least today in the life...

After beginning my day with an oh-so-lovely math exam (what a horrid subject. whose idea was that?), I returned home to a slightly more literary day. After skimming through various reading materials and taking a nap, I finished The Infinities by John Banville...

The story sounded so interesting - a mortal family's trials and tribulations combined with adventures of the immortals as they pop in and out of the family's consciousness.
It sounded great, but it was kind of just OK...
Banville's story-telling is great, and though I didn't necessarily like the characters, they were pretty well-formed and kept me interested.  
The Infinities was not what I was expecting, so maybe that's why I found it kind of disappointing, but it was a good read and I would still recommend it to most people. 


So that's one more book to check off the list, but I'm still reading a lot more. I'm not sure I can even count anymore. Also, I have books to pick up at the library...


After finishing The Infinities and eating dinner (I don't think I will ever get sick of black bean burgers. so yummy!), my mom, aunt, and I watched Cats & Dogs. It was hilarious in a really awful way and now I know I'll be wating until Revenge of Kitty Galore comes out on DVD to watch it because I will not be spending $10 on that particular film. 

Anyway, now I'm thinking of doing a little bit more editing in between reading more of A.S. Byatt's The Children's Book and T.C. Boyle's Talk Talk. Then there are the books upstairs by my bed.... 

But I digress. Editing. I should do more of that. It is *technically* a job after all... Yea, tonight or tomorrow. We'll see.