Costumes, Glass Castles and a potential smack down

Salut mes ami!

I assure you that I haven't fallen off the planet. It only seems that way. Busy bee. Fo sho.

But a few interesting things have unfolded over the past few days. Allow me to break it down for you.

Tuesday I had a standard day at work. I worked out at lunch - three elliptical miles and weight training. 

After work, I was alone again Josh was still working nights so I had some free time. I made a Target run and here's the result:

A banana split and a hot dog!! 

I couldn't help it. I know - Halloween has past. BUT these were half off. And they can be them again next year, right? : ) 

After we played dress-up, I got up the gumption to dye my hair... myself. I noticed in the pictures from Sunday that my roots had grown out by about four inches. I didn't think it was noticable but guess what...IT WAS. Bad. I didn't want to pay $200 for a dye job but something HAD to be done. So instead I paid $8 for a box. The results were actually pretty good - if I say so myself. It's a slight darker shade of brown which is what I was going for...the best thing is that my entire head is the same color - as far as I can tell. I was pretty proud of myself.   

Following that triumph, the pups and I chilled out with some wine (OK the wine was just for me) and watched TV - Ancient Secrets on the alleged murder of Cleopatra. Yes. It's possible that she didn't commit suicide after all. Intriguing. I just love shiz like this. That wound up the evening for us. It was pretty great, all around.

Wednesday was fun. I got to work and made progress. I ellipticalled at the gym during lunch and also did should work. After the day ended, Josh (who's FINALLY off the night shift) went to the mall so that he could get a hair cut. So as we were walking in, we were talking to each other, and there were two guys exiting the mall. We knew that something was amiss because one of the gentlemen in question was not wearing a shirt. Then, they started yelling at us...all confrontational - "You talking to me, man?" 

We just sorta kept walking although Josh did the over the shoulder glare. Apparently these two vagabonds had caused problems and were asked to leave. I won't lie. It scared me. A lot. I was really scared that they were going to come after us. Eeekk. What is wrong with people?

We made it in...Josh got his hair cut and I went to have a cocktail at Ruby Tuesday...you know, to calm the nerves. Then we ate dinner and talked about various attack plans that we WOULD have used had those a-holes tried anything. Yep. We totally could have taken them. That was all for the excitement. 

Well not all. It was also a big day because I finished my book "The Glass Castle" and I came VERY close to finishing "Eat, Pray, Love" -- so close in fact that by the time you read this I will be fini. I will be honest - I liked "Castle" much more than I like "EPL." 

I'll start with that one:

Maybe it's because it's just written better. Maybe it's because it's a memoir ... a true story (of course, EPL is supposed to be too). But even beyond that - it's the kind of story that just makes you hit yourself upside the head and say "how could this really happen...what the f-- are these people thinking?"

Jeanette Walls, the author, is now (well, an author) and a regular contributor to MSNBC. She's also written for Esquire and USA Today. But when she was a kid she was born into a family of nomadic lunatics that moved all over creation trying to find gold and avoid being caught by real (or imaginary) pursuers. Her mother Rose Mary was a flighty-artist that just totally went with the flow. Her father was a brillant electrician, inventor as well as a raging alcoholic. That sets the stage for the book. They were dirt poor and basically homeless. But all the kids were extremely smart and independent. 

It was crazy but it was great. EPL on the other hand ... it's a fun, easy read. There really is no reason to dislike it. And I don't dislike it. It's just not my fav. 

To be completely honest, it's jealousy. It just pisses me off. This chick, Elizabeth Gilbert, is an author whose publishing company pays HER in advance to write a book about her self realization through Italy, India and Bali. They pay her way. She just has to go experience life and hopefully come out a better person for it. If someone paid my way to travel across the globe, I could produce just about anything you want. I'd become a genetic engineer and turn out a three headed cow. 

The thing with EPL is that it's really no more whitty or well written than the average crap I write day in and day out. Why does this bizatch get so lucky? 

Yes. I'm bitter. I think that the hype was ridiculous and the movie is even more so (although I think Julia Roberts is a great casting choice). 

Apart from that, it was fine. :)