My Life in Small, Bite-Sized Pieces

And no, I don't mean "thank goodness I'm in Boston for Paddy's Day", I mean "thank goodness I get to stay in Boston for Paddy's Day instead of having to go to Las Vegas".  It's a long story, and probably an event I should be over by now, but two years ago I was traumatized by a very long, very intense trip to Vegas with my then-boyfriend (now-husband) and about 40 people of all ages from his hometown.  It was horrible, it was the first time in our relationship we had fought like we really hated each other (not really hated each other, but you know that kind of intense fight), and it caused me to dread meeting his family and closer friends from home (which was totally unfounded, they are lovely people).  And probably worst of all it wiped out all my happy memories of Vegas from all my trips in college!  I will never look at it the same way again.  Shudder.  So props to St. Pat for seeing me safely at home this year once again!

I hope everyone had lovely holidays.  Happy new year!  

It is MAJORLY snowing here in Boston.  Schools are closed.  We're all going home from work early.  There are traffic pile-ups outside my office building already.  I foresee a long bus ride to get home.  We're supposed to get 10 inches by 11pm tonight.

Audio: What's your favorite carol or holiday song?

My favorite Christmas song is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".  In particular the version sung by John Denver and Jim Henson.  I'm sure I said this exact same thing last year, which just goes to show that I don't have a lot to say.  Or else I haven't changed much.  Either way, I'm boring.

02 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

John Denver & The Muppets

Which new movies are you looking forward to seeing this fall?

For some reason the only movie previews I have seen that I just can't wait for aren't coming out until December.  I guess if they're very early December it's still the Fall, right?  I am looking forward to "Atonement" VERY much (mmm, James McAvoy).  I loved the book.  I am also, I am ashamed to say, sort of interested in seeing "P.S., I Love You".  Yes, I know it was written by Cecilia Ahern, and it is chick-lit fluff, and the "Irish guy" main character is played by a Scottish actor (this kind of thing drives me absolutely nuts), but at the same time it looks like it could be good, there are scenes shot in Ireland (always beautiful), and the Scottish guy is hot.  Sue me.

What is the best beer on planet Earth? 
Submitted by Remmy Van Hornie.

Obviously this is a trick question, for the answer is not beer, it is CIDER!  And the best is Bulmers (or Magners depending on where you are — it's all the same).  Vermont's Woodchuck cider is pretty good, too!  Mm, cider sounds good right now.

Yes, my feet still itch!  It's insane.  The only way I can bear it is to scratch them so hard that they eventually start to hurt.  Pain is better than itchiness!  It's making me crazy.

Classes started this week.  Copyediting will be useful, definitely, and the class I think will just be a lot of practice.  Like the professor said, it's not really something that you can just teach, you have to already be pretty good at it, and then the only thing that makes you better is more and more experience.  Book publishing overview is going to be great, but a LOT of work!  Lots of reading periodicals to keep up with current trends, reading books about the industry, and writing research papers and making presentations.  A LOT of in-class discussion.  I like to talk, so I should be fine.  :-)

I just started reading The Golden Compass.  I needed something to read on my lunch break today, and I was too lazy to go to the library, nor did I want to wait until tomorrow to go to Brookline Booksmith.  I mean, in theory I support independent bookstores, but in reality there's a Borders across the street from my office!  What's a girl to do?  Nothing looked good to me, and I didn't want to pick up any of the books I've been reading reviews of — I'll be doing so much schoolwork in the coming months that I would hate to spend the money on a good book and only have the time to get partway through it.  I would rather put it off until I have time to read it from start to finish.  So I went up to the young adult section, thinking I'd get another Artemis Fowl book, but the next one in the series didn't look appealing today, so I picked up Philip Pullman and decided to go with it.  It's pretty good so far — the protagonist is a young girl, which I love to see in young adult fiction, and the author is English, so the cultural references make me happy.

I think it's time I came off the birth control pill.  NOT because I want to get pregnant (I do, but not for a few more years, thanks)!  Because I really feel it's time to stop adding hormones to my already-hormonally-charged body.  I am a pretty sensitive person as it is, but I've been on the pill off and on for so many years now it's hard to know what is really "me" and what is just the hormones.  When my husband said the other day that he feels sometimes I am a completely different person than when we met (I wasn't on the pill when we met, but went back on it about six months later) it really made me go "hmmm, maybe the hormones need to stop".  Not that I think it will solve all my emotional problems, I will probably still cry at the occasional sappy television commercial and punch Darran in the arm when he teases me for having love handles, but you know....every little bit helps! 

Now I'm considering alternative birth control methods.  Obviously I'm not going to do this on my own, I have a doctor's appointment next month and I plan to discuss this with her, but I am the kind of person who likes to research everything before I do it, so I'm reading up on all my options.  I'm very interested in natural family planning combined with condoms (the condoms for the fertile days, obviously).  I mean, my mom had my brother when she was using "the Rhythm Method", but it's been established since the early 80s (when baby bro was born) that the Rhythm Method is bunk and you can't tell when you're fertile based on the number of days between your periods.  No, you have to be much more scientific about it now.  I'm going to pick up a book that comes very highly recommended, Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler, and give it a nosey, see what I think.  Any other voxers use natural family planning?  Good experiences, bad?  I find it immensely helpful to hear what other women have experienced!