Passion or Affliction?

I really like this advice column "Since You Asked" that Cary Tennis writes on Salon. It's like Savage Love only for huge dorks instead of crazy pervs.

For example: Help! I'm addicted to Harry Potter fan fiction!

Here's the first part:

"I am in my 30s, finished my Ph.D. dissertation recently, teaching classes at universities, applying for jobs, and have two kids under 10 years old with my husband. In fact, I should be too busy to be writing to you.

The problem is that I'm addicted to fan fiction. Especially a small fraction of online fan fiction, with which you may or may not be familiar, but has a fanatical group of followers. Yes, I'm an HP fan-fiction groupie."

My favorite part is that she's specifically obsessed with Ron and Hermione's relationship. Who isn't? I mean, it's just so beautiful. Gosh, I wonder how she felt when she found out Dumbledore's gay. You've heard that right? BJ called me and said "Finally, a gay wizard role model."


Cary's advice was that she shouldn't be ashamed because there's nothing wrong with reading and enjoying it. Oh that we could all work a little less and imagine a little more.

Halloween Wrap Up

Another Halloween has come and gone. Jeff (who reads this, I think--hi, Jeff) didn't want to half-ass costumes at the last minute for my dad's party, so we just wore what we'd been wearing that day. In my mind, I was a PC and he was a Mac because I was wearing brown pants and he was wearing jeans. But nobody actually asked us what we were supposed to be.

Here's my favorite scene from my dad's Halloween party:

DAD: (drunk and probably high) Have you checked out the rec room? I got this awesome Flat Tire poster from a friend.

ME: (totally sober and not having a good time) Do you mean Fat Tire, like the beer?

DAD: Ha ha, I guess I don't know because I don't drink very much.

ME: Ha ha. Sure.

DAD: If I drank a lot I'd know what that beer was really called!

ME: Or you could just read it right.

DAD: Or I could just smack you.

(Awkward silence.)

END OF PLAY

Jeff and I left pretty soon after that.

Anyway, to end things on a positive note, here's a picture of my niece:

I CAN HAZ BOIFREND?

RLY????!!!!111

Am I William Makepeace Thakeray reincarnated?

His birthday is July 18th, as is mine.

He loved libraries:

''It seems to me one cannot sit down in [the British Museum's Reading Room] without a heart full of grateful reverence,'' Thackeray wrote in 1860. ''I own to have said my grace at the table, and to have thanked Heaven for this my English birthright, freely to partake of these beautiful books, and speak the truth I find there.''

As do I!

He loved Jane Eyre:

"Thackeray provided such a positive review of Jane Eyre that Charlotte Bronte dedicated the second edition to him." He declared it a work "of great genius."

As did I!

And we totally look alike:

Happy Hour 4-7 Everyday!

Noooo!

Everyday means ordinary.

Every day means every freakin' day.

This, for example, is wrong:




Let me be clear, though.

There is nothing wrong with having happy hour every day.

What a Lady!

"You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children."

-Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007)

Easily one of the best compliments ever

You're like a thermos. You keep hot things hot and cool things cool.