Tonight I went to my first creative writing club meeting (yes, I know, I am in a book club and a writing club. Means I am cool as hell right?) at the waffle house. Ham and cheese waffle, hot cocoa, and creative writing exercises. Perfect. It will double as blog content.  The method is that we pick a starter topic from a workbook and write for 20 minutes. Then, we read out loud.  It was really good fun. Enjoy. I will be posting this stuff after each meeting. 

A Whole New Way to Protect Your Valuables

I have been waiting for a new calculator at work for a month. I was delighted to see my new HP graphing calculator arrive on my desk....no zippy case, but I won't even go into that.  I wanted to use my new calculating friend ASAP. Someone, somewhere, had a different plan. I had to cut, tear, and pull the damn packaging until I broke a sweat. WTF. What are they protecting the calculator from? Terrorists? Geez. After much a way too much effort, I finally managed to pry my toy out of the packaging. I got the disk, the manual and the USB cord. Damn. The batteries were safely nestled in the opposite end of the package. At this point, I really had to use my ninja skills. The sharp edges almost ripped my flesh off, but eventually I was able to get the damn things out. A mere 20 minutes after its arrival, I was able to turn it on and take it for a test run. WTF. It was like some stupid game. Even now, I am sure some A-hole that calls himself the Package Master is sitting around thinking how a little fun thing called Number 3 plastic can be used to give innocent victims near-strokes and temper tantrums. Just take a valuable object, use the #3, and devise some space age method of sealing it together and you have got yourself a frustration device. Can't they just use some freaking cardboard?!?

Revolutionary Road by Yates (Fiction)

This was the October selection for the bookclub I am in. I thought hmmm....looked hokey, but this book was not what I thought. It turned out to be a highly relevant social commentary. 

Set in the 1950s it chronicles the marriage of April and Frank Wheeler. He works in "The City" (New York) and they reside in the country on Revolutionary Road. The central focus of the book is to create an "us and them". Both April and Frank once resided in The City and considered themselves thinkers, doers and idealists. Above all, they were not suburbanites. They were better. No one sat around having the intellectual conversations like they did-especially not those who live on Revolutionary Road. It was this supposed separation that plants the idea in April's head. She believes that uprooting the husband and kids and getting a new start in Europe is the only hope to truly separate themselves from them and that way of living; to get away from the gossip, topiaries, and the general trappings of the silly American Suburbanites. The Europeans would say "You are not like other Americans, you are so progressive and intellectual".  The delusion of uniqueness enables the true form of their life and marriage to be hidden away in a dark corner; only the reader is the wiser. Frank is catastrophically (yes, I mean catastrophically) manipulative and they are both the the type of people they claim to despise. The intimacy of their marriage is, in large part, based on the constant manipulation of the other person.  It is their delusions that bring about the tragic conclusion. (which I cannot tell you!)

This book highlights the lies that we tell ourselves to make us feel unique and special. (Or more correctly, the lies that you tell yourselves. I am not like that.....I am special. ) It is about the double standards, the manipulations, and the delusions of superiority that plague so many minds.  

Eat Pray Love

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (Non-fiction)
Humor-filled review (read on for something more serious):
This book is about a woman searching for her soul. (This is where the men-folk decide to check out a blog about something else, anything else.) The book is divided into three parts (see title). The first, she is in Italy gaining 25 pounds, next she is in India getting transcendent in an Ashram, and last, she checks out Bali for some unexpected lovin'. (I expect her intent for the latter was not carnal fulfillment, but more allowing herself to love again-blah blah blah.)
This book peaked early. I was completely into the story when she was in Italy surrounded by men and delicious food. She was going through the post-breakup, crazy woman, cry on the bathroom floor situation....she was in that place we have all been. I was thinking how close I felt to this writer. She found peace in learning Italian and indulging herself (my kind of healing).
Next she goes to an Ashram in India and begins 4 am meditations, a meat-free existence, and yoga. She does this for FOUR months. I am not that fond of 4 am. I would be more eager to be transcendent past 7 am. This book started to delve into hokey at this point. I was still hopeful I would get some sort of climax in the Love portion (pun intended), but mostly it was just on the downhill. The leading lady finally finds her inner love and is able to flirt again....I imagine after the eight months of celibacy she was quite frisky. It is in this last section that the proof of her healing is truly revealed.
A more serious look:
Liz was a serial monogamist who always morphed into whomever she was dating. She truly gave herself up. After a nasty divorce (while in a serious relationship with another man) she went through a nasty breakup. She decided to heal herself in an all encompassing way; by finding pleasure (Italy), experiencing God (India), and learning to find balance between the two (Bali). The book was well written and humorous. Liz is easy to find a piece of yourself in (even if it is just when she is gorging on Italian food or being crazy). She took a courageous journey into her mind to get herself past all the crazy. (most of us never get past it, we just get through an episode) She learned how to love without losing herself. I would recommend this book if you have recently been through a tragic breakup, enjoy long baths, or use the Alaska State Ferry as a method of travel.

MY NEW GOAL!

As you may have notices from my extremely lazy blogging technique, I can't commit well to this thing. I think I might have a solution! I need a purpose. I am going to do literature reviews! I use this term very loosely. I run the gamut of books, but mostly stick to non-fiction. Although, I have read a few novels this summer. (A cast will do that do you) Feel free to comment...you can even disagree with me. This is not advisable as I will SPAM you for the rest of your natural life. Kidding. :) I love it when people disagree with me.

The Jinx

So there I was, running on a treacherous trail............

Exactly. I was intent on not letting Torsten (for those of you who know who he is) get too far ahead this time. I had already fallen a few times, but the last fall was the worst. I stepped onto an incline and my ankle rolled right on down. I was on my hands and knees crying....my goodness. And, to make matters worse, we were 3 miles from the car on rugged terrain. Torsten mcguyvered (Sp?)some crutches, but still had to carry me quite a ways. On the plus side, we did get to see two black bear cubs and their mother munching on flowers in a meadow. I suppose I can also be grateful that it was sunny and not a more typical Juneau day (rain followed by showers and intermittent downpours). I am rambling, back to the injury part. We went to the ER to get some X-rays and the typical trappings of an ankle injury. I got lovely crutches and an aircast. I should never have written that last post! It was a true jinx. Lamenting about the lack of adventures surrounding an injury and what do I get? A torn ligament, 3 miles out, and an ER bill!

Middle Finger Madness

Here is the tragedy: Injuries indirectly related to sports

I am wearing a brace around my middle finger because it hurts so much worse when I don't. I hurt it at the climbing gym. It could not be climbing outside or doing something awesome. Damn. Which leads me to my kayak injury from last year. You might ask yourself why I don't say kayaking. Because I the kayak just fell on me after kayaking. Funny, but too bad the story didn't start "So there I was in the raging waves, when suddenly....." It reminds me of my bike wreck. I was on my way to go mountain biking somewhere more interesting when I got HIT BY A FREAKING CAR. My biking injury just had to happen while still in town (and traffic) so again, no fun. Not really engaging in sport. Don't get me wrong, I have had my share of stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, and some weird ligament problems with my toes, but those are all from running (repetitive strain injuries which means boring and annoying). GRRRRR.