Yep. I'm a weirdo.

Books I have read this week:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Had finished with don't even remember what, and started reading Harry Potter again.  Got to book 3 before new and exciting books turned up.  (Yay, V-Stock!)

The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey - Well written, but bleak, lonely, heart wrenching, and harsh.  Tender, magical and very nearly sweet at times, but more often flooded with fruitless longing.  Does not end happily.

Bridget Jones's Diary - This book was....okay.  I haven't seen the movie, of course.  It was, as nearly everyone already knows, a 1990's re-telling of Pride and Prejudice....on a very basic level.  All supporting roles are absent, and some are combined in single character.  I found Bridget to be somewhat funny, but not particularly likable and absolutely not worth respecting or admiring in any way.  She is lazy, indolent, obsessive, self-indulgent in all respects, paranoid, hyper-sensitive, morally indifferent, and a terrible, selfish friend.  But I was so very obviously supposed to enjoy her.  And identify with her.  The part of the book that most upset me was the back cover.

"...you'll find yourself shouting, 'Bridget Jones is me!'" it says.  Or how about, "Bridget Jones is channeling something so universal and (horrifyingly) familiar that readers will giggle and sigh with collective delight."

So....I'm feeling like an alien again.  Josh says it's because I'm not British.  That's his helpful advice, as to why I can't identify with the Universal Bridget Jones.  Oh, well!  I can't help it if I think that actually being concerned about the health/comfort/mental state of dearest friends would make it pretty near impossible to enjoy the drama of their misadventures.  And I can't help it if I have no patience with someone who invites people to dinner parties when she obviously can't cook to start with, and insists on making something she's never attempted before.  And I can't help it if I am disgusted by the thought of sitting around all day at WORK sending flirtatious messages to the boss.  And not working.  But this book is trying to tell me that in my heart of hearts, I am just like Bridget.

Cosmically speaking, of course, no one cares that I am a total alien and can't identify with "normal" people.  It will not affect my work in this life and a member of the human race.

Which is a funny thing for an alien to say, don't you think?

What is my work, anyway?

Excuse me while I have a brief panic attack about having school aged children but no employment.

GAH!

Anyway...the next book is Water for Elephants.  I shall start it today sometime.

The theme for yesterday was Brief Meeting.  Josh came home so I could attend a meeting for individuals who planned to substitute for Warrenton School District.  It began at 3, and I was told to expect it to last around an hour.  I got showered, straightened my hair, and dressed business casual.  Josh got here just in time for me to dash to the meeting, just as the talking began.  However, 10 minutes later, we were told that anyone who was already familiar with using Subfinder was free to go, after we turned in a few signed forms.  So I went home and had an hour to go before taiko.  It was not what I was expecting.

Then, after Michelle and I got to taiko and opened all the doors to catch a breeze, we sat down at the table with Jaci and began to discuss the upcoming events, etc.  More people showed up, and Kelsey had brownies leftover from her work event, and things just kept going.  Even after Andrew arrived, we kept having our "meeting".  I assumed we would practice afterward, but we didn't!  We looked at what we were scheduled to practice, planned the parties and guest lists for our visitors' stay, asked and answered questions...it was a true meeting, and a productive one.  And then we went home. 

Strange day.

Today it feels like rain.  Of course it does.  Abbie has a game tonight.  If it does rain, I hope it really, really, really rains.  I just feel like it.

I also feel like having a clean slate, a clean house, a new couch and a great job where I am loved and appreciated.

And a Milky Way.

How are you?