So I splurged on Friday, and, among other things, bought two new books.  The first, In the Woods,is a murder mystery typed, Edgar award winner, which I've actually just started.  The other would be East of the Sun, by Julia Gregson, is the reason for this post. 
I highly highly recommend everyone read this book.  Its set in the 1920s, following three English women who travel to India as part of the Fishing Fleet (women who travel to India to find husbands, as the military population over there made the ration of men to women about 4:1).  While I expected the book to be light, it was surprisingly more complex.  Not only did we get a rich insight to each of the three very different main characters, but the book provided a wonderful look at the turmoil taking place in India during that time period, the polar opposite political views, the police corruption, and the danger of living in one of the most impoverished cities in the world at a very turbulent time. 
I was drawn to the book primarily for the setting, I am a huge Ondaatje fan (wrote the English Patient), and his memoir, Running in the Family, is one of my all time favorites, Ive read it about 3 times in the last year alone.  I love India as a setting, its hot and raw and colorful and dreamy.  I love the descriptions of the crowded cities and the food and the heat and the monsoons.  East of the Sun did a wonderful job drawing the author into that place and time, I was literally absorbed in the book and could not put it down.  Also, it does a wonderful job describing the place of women in that time period, whose sole roles were to marry and have children.  These women, upon coming to India, found that in this very poor and violent population, women were not only being educated past the age of 16 in more than embroidery and housework, they were becoming scientists, doctors, and writers.  A group of people viewed as "ignorant natives" were in a way light years ahead of our Western sensibilities. 
And, as I don't want to spoil this, I'll stop, but I do suggest you read the book, and hopefully soon and we could do some sort of online book discussion! 

I should be doing MMSR reports.  I SHOULD be.  But I've been so hyper productive these past few weeks with end of the year obligations that my engine has pretty much stalled.  STALLED people.  And its a downright shame because this is the most prepared for classroom checkout I've been thus far in my teaching career, and this is the one big thing on my plate left to tackle  and I just can't motivate myself. 
Of course it doesnt help that I'm holed up in my room on my bed with my laptop and Girl in the Cafe playing on the tv.  Its a tad distracting. 
And it would be awesome if I could perhaps just go to sleep. 
Meanwhile I love this movie.  Must have seen it a hundred times and I still love it.  But I'm also INSANELY fond of Bill Nighe.  Its this movie and The Boondock Saints.  Seriously I've seen that one a hundred times too.  In fact its even WORSE how much I've seen Boondock Saints because I've actually memorized a large portion of the dialogue...just sad. 
I'm feeling incredibly lonely tonight. 

I know this much is true....

my sisters are awesome.  Rebecca (sue me, I'm not doing the goddamn lj hyperlink whatchamacalit), because she's the only one of us with balls to NOT ONLY bring sparkiling wine, in cans, with straws, but to then go out upon the disappointment of carryout pizza and get margarita mixings only to bring home...patron.  Seriously.  Like the $100 margarita.  And it rocked even though mom bitched the whole time about me drinking.  :)  And Sarah, who doesn't think I want to talk to her and thats just not true.  Yes I get depressed.  Seriously, its not even day to day I swear its hour to hour but I live with MOM AND DAD.  And you called and I want to cry over the phone but I can't cause I swear to God they put that damn tv on mute to listen in if I've shut my door.  I want to vent.  Just haven't found a safe place to do it. 

I love pachelbel's canon.  Damn.  I stopped the band thing after high school but I can't let that band geek part of me go, I LOVE it in every variation and am currently listening to it on youtube, the canon rock version by jerry c, which I believe is the DEFINITIVE cover of canon in d...

and FINE.  I'm listening to it at Paul's.  But dammit you all would too if you lived at home.  And I know I've said this before but I feel like he's really coming around this time, being all sweet and whatnot...whatever.  Let me pretend for a little bit anyway, alright?  Either way canon still rocks.

My kids graduate tomorrow.  Put together a power point of all the pictures we've taken all year, and I'm trying to hook it up so the slides switch up automatically and music plays in the background, (and yes, I'm a sap, and I get emotional and cry at the end of the year so I chose Iz's version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow)...  ANYWAY, the task proved impossible and I made the mistake of calling my brother.  What was I thinking?  Seriously this was the one trying to teach Sarah and I algebra while drilliing his fingers into his temples hollering, "TRY to UNDERSTAND!"  So he starts off being nice cause I actually called him and none of us actually do that (and I was told I text too much), but quickly gets all pissed and frustrated cause I'm not sure what version of power point I'm using and I can't figure out the animation scheme and so on and so forth...and just when I tell he's really fed up and going to punch a hole in the wall I'm all, "I GOT IT!  YOU'RE AWESOME!  THANKS!" 

Even though of course I don't.  Hopefully the librarian will help me out.  If not, who needs music anyway?  And on that note its 11 the night before the graduation and I should be in sleep and not out here with a glass of wine listening to every cover of canon in d ever made on youtube...

but on the other hand, its 11 the the night before graduation and quite frankly I'm a sap and I hate the end of the year, hate it, honestly I keep crying because I fall in love with these kids and then they just leave and they keep on growing up without you.  So when you look at it that way, there's no other way I should be spending 11 the night before graduation except with a glass of wine and some good music...

teaching pays you peanuts.  and its a lot of damn stress but I'll never forget the professor who said its not a job, its a calling, a vocation.  And some times that really resonates. 

So you guys get my sappy riesling-infused posts.  Tomorrow's should be even better cause all my little pre-kers will officially be kindergartners so I'll be ALL sorts of emotional. 

You don't belive me.  Just wait.  :)

OH ONE MORE THING.  I love The HOliday.  I'm so Kate Winslet.  Seriously.  I cried so much its ridiculous but when do I NOT cry?  And lets not bring up the hershey kiss commercial okay?  Or the cats and dog movie.  Just saying.  :)

So naturally things have been all sorts of crazy, and as it would be near impossible to update on what I've been doing the last four months while I haven't posted, I won't.  Sorry.  You're not missing much anyway.  Suffice to say, schools almost over, I'm sporting a newly tanned and hopefully soon more toned body, I am absolutely officially single because no one needs to be with a mean asshole.  And the divorce is all finalized. 
So the REASON for this post, actually, are the two books I have managed to read in the span of one weekend (one of the benefits of being single, all that free time to read).  The first, I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti, is phenomenal. Its touching and funny, and you really connect with this woman who has everythings going for her and yet true love eludes her.  Its sprinkled with recipes that reflect different times and relationships in her life.  She is Italian, the recipes look amazing, and it even inspired me to go out and buy a wedge of parmesan (only the fancy name i can't spell) and some real pasta cause I'm a tad sick of gluten free or whole wheat.  Let's
face it.  White pasta just tastes good. 
So then the second book A Homemade Life, is supposed to be along the same lines.  It was one of those if you like this, amazon recommends this deals, and I'm a sucker for books so i bought it.  And its just bad bad bad.  First of all, the author is younger, so she doesn't have the wealth of wisdom and experience as the first author.  Evidently her father died, she quits grad school, starts a blog, through which she meets the sickening sweet love of her life.  So ultimately the book just becomes this missive on how LUCKY she is to have found this PERFECT man and she's telling all the stupid little lovers games they play and seriously lady we DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT.  And its peppered with mediocre recipes.  I'm have tempted to go on her blog and ream her ass.
She'll so be divorced in a year.  I'd like to see what her book is like after THAT.  HA.
Okay meanwhile I'm heading out.  Aidan is with Mike next week so my evenings will be spent working out, tanning, reading, and ljing, so you'll hear from me again. 

 you'd think i'd be sick of this song by now...
this is an awesome cover though.  
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Does anybody have Ken Follets Pillars of the Earth they'd let me borrow?  I'd gladly send out another book in exchange, god knows I have plenty of them!  It's been  recommended to me a few times, and I'm so tempted to go on amazon but thanks to those nemo tickets not too much money to spare until payday.  And it's scarce at the library, so I thought I'd try my luck here!
kthnxbye!

I'm sorry. This song just makes me happy.

 I heart the new alicia keys song.

 last post.
who wants to fold my laundry for me?
please?
there may be a substantial reward to the first taker...

Seriously, this song rocks.

seriously, this song is amazing.

someone who plays guitar, please learn how to play this song for me. that's all.

nuff said. just need a g&t, and maybe a razor, right? KIDDING. but it's a good song. And i need some mafia connections.

I want to be Amy Winehouse.

I'm so bad. Something about this song I can't get enough of, and the video rocks. Especially the part when the guitarist just flings the guitar. No big production and smashing it, just relieves himself of the guitar. Awesome.

Went to the gym today, taking advantage of that free childcare, it was awesome.  Went for a fast three miles, then worked on my abs.  Tomorrow I'm working on lower body with the weights, it's actually been ages since i've done a weight routine, so i'm super excited.  And FINE, Aidan and I had steamed dumplings for lunch, picked them up, they were awesome.  And then we hung out by the "pool" at my parents (a little inflatible number), it was fun.  Aidan gets a huge kick out of me going in and pretending like i'm falling all the time.  Then he has to tackle me, and we're both falling all the time, and he's just cracking up.  Of course, mom and dad are going to wonder what happened to all the water in the pool when they get home....
but now he's napping, and i'm freshly showered and chilling out, so overall, not a bad day.  :-)

This song ROCKS, and Muse rocks even MORE, and this video is insane...

I'm depressed as hell and this song makes me super happy. And YES I know EVERY SINGLE WORD, and sing it quite well in my shower.
so THERE.