as was evident in my last post, i read a lot of YA books. i can only explain it like this…
ok, wait, C.S. Lewis says it SO MUCH BETTER. i’ll let him talk for me. why yes, i hired C.S. Lewis (from the grave) to be my press secretary. and without further ado…
*zombie C.S. Lewis steps up to the mic.*
“When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” — C.S. Lewis
if you look past the guyliner, the bloody face and messy hair, it really was a lovely speech wasn’t it? thank you, monsieur Lewis.
in order not to leave you with a bad taste (read: zombie) in your mouth, here’s this article, which also does a fine job explaining why adults are so into YA right now. two words? BRAIN CANDY. (but don’t say that too loudly. you don’t want zombie C.S. Lewis to realize how scrumptious your brain looks/sounds/smells.)
and here’s this. it’s rather soothing, no?
UPDATE: speaking of brain analysis, check this out. i don’t think it was accurate, but it sure was interesting. even more fun when you put in your own blog address!
my brain is very scattered this week and thus, my blog post shall be too.
how come i always find the most comfortable position AFTER my alarm rings in the morning?
i’m typing this while wearing one fingerless glove. and doing the moonwalk. and singing billie jean. (seriously, i’m only wearing one glove because my right hand, my mouse hand, gets so cold being out in the open. yeah, sitting in my apartment is essentially the equivalent to sitting outside. gas heat is expensive!)
if i wasn’t me, i’d like to be carrie underwood.
i got my first squash win on wednesday (9-8) and then proceeded to get squashed on every other game. but hey, i finally won one, that’s what’s important here, isn’t it?
if i wasn’t in this state, i’d like to be on a beach, under a tree, slathered in sunscreen, reading a book.
the antivirus program on my laptop had run through its trial program, so i needed to update or download another trial or do something so my poor laptop was not running naked through the interwebs. i couldn’t figure out how i had downloaded a trial version but anyways, after 3 hours and lots of mad googling, i finally figured it out. it involved a lot of clicking and uninstalling and reinstalling and downloading and clicking. i don’t actually know what worked, but i do know i’m not afraid to touch my laptop for fear it is contagious.
if i didn’t work here, i’d like to be a professional athlete.
i wish this chair came in adult size. think of the possibilities.
if i didn’t live at this apartment, i’d like to be in one with a washer/dryer and a porch.
i don’t recommend listening to the audiobook of gayle forman’s IF I STAY while driving, unless you’ve invented some form of windshield wipers for your eyes.
i changed my phone’s ring tone to carol of the bells, my favorite christmas carol. well, after this, of course:
i recently received some bookmarks from carrie harris. they are full of the awesome. it’s not surprising really because take a look at her website. yeah, amazing! why oh why do i have to wait until July 12, 2011 for her book (BAD TASTE IN BOYS) to be released?
coffee (caffeinated and decaf) makes me feel sick. i couldn’t seem to pinpoint when it would affect me and when it wouldn’t, so i made the tragic decision to cut it out of my life. i was good for about 10 months, but then i went to italy. they make espresso like no other. SLURP. and i felt fine. so i came back stateside thinking i was cured. alas, i felt sick again. drat. off it again. then i went to colorado and my mom makes really good decaf so i drank some there. fine. and then over thanksgiving, i drank more of the mom-made coffee. YUM. and i felt fine. WHAT GIVES, body? why do you only accept caffeinated when traveling?
from my spam filter: “makes me want to drink alcoholic beverages” in response to the art of listening. i’m going to guess that this person is NOT a good listener.
another goodie from the spam box: “People go en masse to the movies to see tales about Narnia and Harry Potter, escapist fantasies that take us away from our real world of austerity, cuts and looming economic disaster. In these tales, on our side we have wizards both brave and powerful. In real life, we look upon our so-called leaders and despair. If we want there to be a Narnia to escape to, we must build it here. Ourselves.” this comment makes no sense in response to gangsta but hey, spam is as spam does. i’m not going to unleash it from the filter, but i figured posting it here might inspire a little healthy competition. i know my commenters can get a little more creative. GAME ON.
it started with a haircut the week before i went to italy. i went to the same woman i’ve been going to for a year + now. but i went to a different salon. her OWN salon. the doors had opened the day before and while the restorations weren’t 100% complete, her attitude was overjoyed, sheer joyfulness, blissful happiness.
i’m beginning to think she infused a bit of that into the shampoo, and combed it through my hair with the conditioner, tousled in some with the mousse, and spritzed it in with the hairspray because i have gotten more compliments on my hair/appearance (in person, in pictures) than ever before.
i like to think it’s magic because who doesn’t want a spot of magic incorporated into their life?
of course, it could also be a bit of me shining out. i’ve been through some tougher times than i’d like to admit and while i thought i was past the darkness before, it seems i really am now. it’s apparent in my facial expressions. when i smile, i actually mean it. and i’m wearing a smile more often these days. i think that’s what people are seeing. it’s nice to know my hard work is paying off.
though, it never hurts to have a wand in your back pocket or at the very least, a hairdresser who can style your hair to complement your face AND your attitude.
i’ve found myself in more planes, trains, buses, cabs, and cars in september/october than i have over the course of the entire rest of the year. i suppose this is why my summer was so slow. it was the calm before the frenzy of fall travel. as i sit here, in my apartment, sandwiched between two weekends away, i can’t help but think about the art of traveling.
AIR TRAVEL. this route allows you to go the further the fastest. great for international and cross country travel. however, with all of the security measures at airports, you have to make sure your shoes are easy to slip on/off, that your carry on bag can in fact fit into the overhead compartment, that your jewelry/accessories/coat/sweater are easy to take off so you don’t send that metal detector into a beeping fit, and that all your toiletries are 3 oz or less and fit into one minuscule zip lock bag. your ipod (or cd player and stack of cd’s, if that’s how you roll) is a must to drown out the crying babies OR seat mate who can’t take the hint that you’d rather sleep (or watch tv or pull out your own fingernails) than hear about their aunt linda’s nephew’s twin sister’s daughter who wrote a really awesome book about napkins that should totally be published by the company you work for.
ROAD TRAVEL. this option allows you the most control. you drive the car. you pick the route. you can see what’s going on ahead, behind, and next to you at all times. you can pack as much as you want. in no particular shape or form or container. however, there are other cars (with idiot drivers) in them that you have to contend with. and bathrooms aren’t readily accessible. and radio stations come and go. and traffic. you never know exactly when or where or how long you’ll be stuck there. and those cops sure know how to show up just when you press the accelerator.
RAIL TRAVEL. this option deletes the traffic on the road problem, but it’s about as expensive as a flight, without the quickness factor. it takes about the same time as driving (well, if you drove on roads without other cars or construction). it’s got almost the same (must fit into the overhead compartment) packing issues as the plane, but it does not have the whole security thing. which means, oh yeah, liquids in a container larger than 3 ounces. party! of course, all of this applies to US trains. if you’re in, say, italy, YOU SHOULD TAKE THE TRAIN. the system is practically flawless. the destinations are endless. and, well, you’ve probably already got your tiny suitcase packed from the plane ride over.
BUS TRAVEL. this is by far the most economical. the most expensive ticket i’ve ever purchased was $13. and that one i giggled at because, really, $13. i can totally afford that. (i should have paid more attention to the evil sounding 13. it was just the start of a horrid bus ride home. let’s just say that megabus has the worst customer service ever. both rides (to and from NYC) were beyond ridiculous. i got there in one piece, so yes, that was good, but no, i’ll never take them again. i’ll cough up $4 more to take the bolt bus.) you can pack a bag with no size restrictions because the undercarriage of the bus can hold a lot of luggage. and there are no security measures, so again, party on with your big bottles. (of course, you must keep in mind that you still have to take public transportation to and from the bus, so you’ll have to drag/carry whatever you packed. think of your back! and the uneven brick sidewalks! pack light.) there is that road traffic to contend with, so keep that in mind while planning the trip, especially if you’re going into Manhattan around rush hour. eesh. bad idea.
and now that you have my travel breakdown, let’s hope your (or my) plane, train, car, or bus doesn’t break down on your next trip away from home.
Abigail Mumford 