Update Update

So, it's been almost 1 month and I'm at the last 10 pages of The Other Boleyn Girl. I've loved this story since I first started reading it and I can't wait to see how it ends. My husband has kindly moved the movie version up to near the top of our Netflix queue. It seems like the movie will be nothing like the book.

I think I'll be picking up another one of Philippa Gregory's books when I return this one. Once I find an author I like, I tend to continue reading their books. The problem is...usually the books I read don't live up to the first one I've read of theirs.

It looks like I'll be going to the library tomorrow to pick a new book, before I head off to the supermarket for some Thanksgiving shopping.

Oh, Canada!

My husband, mother-in-law, and I are heading out to Vancouver, Canada this holiday season. I'm pretty ill equipped for Canadian weather and it sort of bothers me that I need to buy all sorts of special clothes for this 2 week excursion. So, I'm trying to buy things that I can still use at home, where it's at least 30 degrees warmer and lacks daily snow showers. Fleece is always good - I've added fleece gloves, headband/earwarmer, jacket, and vests to my Amazon wishlist. I like Amazon because I can get a decent discount on my purchases. You see, I absolutely despise change - pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters - they're just dead weight in my wallet. So, I put them in a jar and once a year, I go over to the local Coinstar machine, dump it all in, and get an Amazon gift certificate. It's one of the options for the Coinstar payout and they don't take any fees for it. So, all that dead weight becomes usable money.

I bought some tall boots. They're supposed to be super warm and the bottoms look nice enough that I think I might get away with wearing them at school (I'm a teacher) under my dress pants.

I can't wait until they come. I can't wait until Canada!

Election Day

Yes, I voted. I'm in that lazy 18-30 age group, but I've voted at least once a year since I could vote. I'm always happy to vote, although I'm skeptical that anything is really going to change and change for the better. I'm also skeptical that the electronic voting machine I used that has no paper trail will actually record my vote accurately.

Today is not only election day, but I have now had The Other Boleyn Girl for 1 week. In 1 week, I have read 200 pages! This is a record for me! I've chosen to read and not had to read for grad school or anything else. I'm reading for me. I've held up my book to show my students that I read. They're all impressed. I think many teachers do not do as they ask their students to do.

Well, until tomorrow...

More reading time ahead...

I found out that I don't have to go into work tomorrow. Unfortunately, as always, there is work that needs to be done. My car needs to go through state inspection and I don't get another "free day" like I'll have tomorrow. I made the appointment, but apparently, I'll have to wait at the dealership for 4 hours while the inspection and a recall are completed.

There is a shuttle that will drive within 10 miles...and I do live within 10 miles of the dealership (barely...9.4 miles!). I don't exactly trust the shuttle because who knows how reliable it is. Not that I really want to wait at the dealership with my PSP and my book. It's hard to read a book when they've got a TV blaring and some lady chatting it up on her cell phone next to me. And I'm sure the TV will be blaring election coverage.

Oh well...I suppose it does beat being at a professional in-service day like all the regular teachers!

Rich Background

It seems like to write a book of The Other Boleyn Girl caliber, you need to have a really rich educational background. I think Philippa Gregory is some sort of history professor or something along those lines. I'm pretty average. I wonder if I can still write great literature being average. Hmm...