On Our Way To Crazy

It’s library book sale time again! Want to know what I got for TEN DOLLARS? I know you do.

Thank You For All Things – Sandra Kring
Sandra Kring wrote The Book of Bright Ideas, which is one of my very favorites. I am already halfway through this one and am really enjoying it.

Chocolat – Joanne Harris
I don’t know anything about this except that I know I’ve heard of it before and I got it for a dollar.

Local Girls – Alice Hoffman
I have read several Alice Hoffman books that I enjoyed, so I always pick hers up when I see them. They are well-written and always have some kind of weird or dark element that doesn’t really seem like my kind of thing, but I always like them.

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – Alexander McCall Smith
I’ve heard several people rave about this series, so I am giving it a shot.

The River Queen – Mary Morris
I own a book called The River King, and I think it gets lonely. So I got it a friend.

Royal Harlot – Susan Holloway Scott
Susan Holloway Scott wrote The Duchess, which is the book the new movie is loosely based on. I love this kind of thing, so I picked this one up. It’s about the Countess of Castlemaine and King Charles II. Should be interesting.

A companion book to Wordplay, a documentary about crossword puzzles
Did you guys see Wordplay? You should see Wordplay. It’s awesome. This book has blurbs about the puzzle writers and completers featured in the book, and has a ton of puzzles to work on, too. I am pumped.

On Chisel Beach – Ian McEwan
I read and loved Atonement, so I’m trying out another one.

Friday Night Lights – H.G. Bissinger
Heck yes! I have never actually read this, oddly enough. But since it is my favorite show ever, I have to own a copy of the book, right?

God Save the Sweet Potato Queens – Jill Connor Brown
Do you know the Sweet Potato Queens? They are hilarious and awesome and I am so excited to read this book.

Ten books for ten dollars, people! That is insane. I heart you, Brentwood Library. Thank you for cheap books and big sales.

TECHNOLOGY THING THE FIRST

Do you love the Apple store? I love the Apple store. I don’t know much about Apple, or macs, or iphones or whatever. But I do know that I love my ipod. Oh, how I love my ipod. Except when it won’t play any music. I have been ipodless for a few months, and I finally made it into the store to get it looked at. It’s a hardware issue, or course, and the warranty is expired, of course, and we’ll have to ship it of and it’s expensive and blah blah blah. I’m thinking I might as well buy a new one. Then! The super nice genius guy goes to the back and comes out with a BRAND NEW version of my ipod and just switches them out. No big thing. Brand new ipod for free. I love the Apple store.

TECHNOLOGY THING THE SECOND

Aaron turns thirty in a couple of weeks. Aaron has also been talking about a flat screen tv for approximately seven hundred weeks. We had a lot of different ideas about what to do for his birthday and tried a bunch of different plans, but nothing really worked out. Finally, he decides he is thirty and he wants a flat screen tv. Ok. But how do you know what tv to buy? There are so many freaking options. I like to be informed and do the research and make a smart choice, but I am leaving this one up to Aaron. That tv stuff is outside the realm of my interest.

TECHNOLOGY THING THE THIRD

I need a new phone. Holy pajamas, I need a new phone so badly. I have this massive smart phone thing that does a million things I don’t need and doesn’t do the things I do need correctly. I am looking at two phones: the Samsung Instinct and the LG Rumor. Do you know anything about either of these phones? The Instinct is kind of an iphone knock off thing and looks really cool and does all the stuff I want and looks good doing it. The Rumor also does all the stuff I want and has a real keyboard which I like but is thick and awkward a bit. What to do? I just want a phone that works. Also, I like being able to google things from the car.

Happy birthday, little sister. I hope the next quarter-century is as awesome as the first.

Now stop making me feel old.

Last night at youth group, in honor of fall break, we had a giant game night. It ended, as they usually do, in a big game of mafia.

Are you familiar with mafia? With the killings and the sheriffs and the nurse and the accusing? It is super fun. But I think it’s starting to get to me.

This morning I had a dream that I was running a massive game of mafia. And by massive, I mean thousands of people. They were everywhere. They were also, apparently, college athletes, but I’m not sure what that had to do with anything. I was juggling hundreds of decks of cards, trying to find the aces and jacks to designate the mafia and sheriffs. But for some reason, even though thousands of people were playing, we only had three mafia members. So there I was, in some kind of stadium, running around all these people with their eyes closed trying to find the three who have the aces. People were talking and opening their eyes and being disruptive and it was STRESSING ME OUT, FOR REAL.

My friend Becka gave me a dream interpretation book for my birthday, and I pulled it out this afternoon to see what my dream says about me. Here’s what I learned about myself today:

I am experiencing inner turmoil and conflict while potentially using my power to manipulate people. I have achieved something I didn’t think I could do and have a tendency to go against the norm and break the rules of convention. Also, I have ambiguity in my life and need clarity.

I am a very conflicted person, apparently. Or maybe I just play too much mafia.

REASONS WHY I’M LAME, PART ONE MILLION

1. Tuesday night is my favorite TV night. Why? Let’s see… Greek comes on ABC Family, The Rachel Zoe Project comes on Bravo, and the new 90210 comes on whatever network it comes on. I thought I hated the new 90210, and I still kind of do, but I can’t let go yet. And I freaking LOVE Greek, y’all. If I only got to watch one show I might pick that one.

2. Yesterday I teared up during the end of Overboard. OVERBOARD.

3. I got my feelings hurt today because the guy making my greek salad didn’t want to have a conversation with me about tzatziki sauce. I should really get my impulse to start random conversations with strangers in check.

4. I am really excited about a seminar at my upcoming youth conference titled “I Am Woman – How Do I Roar?” That is the worst title ever but I am totally pumped to go.

5. I’ve been singing the Cookie Time song from Troop Beverly Hills in my head all afternoon. “Gather ’round you friends of mine, we’re Wilderness girls and it’s cookie time…”

6. I could make lists of lame things about me all day every day and never run out of things to say.

So I never really intended to write about politics on this here blog. I don’t really intend to now. But y’all, this whole thing is driving me crazy. And, apparently, the rest of the world. THE WHOLE WORLD HAS GONE CRAZY.

I have decided who I plan to vote for. You probably have, too. Everyone’s on a side. Which is fine. The problem is when people decide that you are on the wrong side and it is their job to move you to the right side. I? Am not interested in your arguments. Stop telling me I am wrong.

Because if you think I am wrong, I probably think you are wrong, too. The difference is that I’m okay with it. I may not like your stance on a certain issue, but I don’t think that makes you a bad person. I don’t question your morals or your faith or your brain power. Stop questioning mine.

Here’s the thing. Politicians? They are shady. All of them. Some more than others, but neither side is guilt-free. The media? It is biased. Which way you think they are biased depends on the side you’re on. No one thinks the media is on their side. No one thinks their guy has ever made mistakes or changed his mind or done some shady dealing. But he has. They all have. You don’t get to the top with no marks on you. Maybe someday we will live in that world. But today is not that day. So stop talking like the other side has some kind of advantage and you are the underdog. If you are a major party presidential candidate? You are not an underdog.

I think the real reason this gets to me so much is that I hate it when people just assume that I think like they think. This is not my first time with this kind of thing. I don’t think your political jokes are funny, I don’t think Obama is a Muslim, I don’t think I should vote for Palin just because she’s a woman. I don’t care that you think those things. (Well, I do care, but I’m not going to fight you about it.) I do care that you assume I think like you because we are in the same family, or go to the same church, or are both white in the South. I have news for you. People are different. SHOCKING.

I’m just tired. I generally enjoy politics. I love watching debates and learning about candidates and policies. And I would probably really enjoy having a conversation with you about those things, if I had any inclination that you really just wanted to have a discussion. But you don’t. You want to win. And I won’t let you.

So just stop. Stop with the facebook status updates and the mass emails and the lame jokes. Stop with the narrowmindedness and the shocked expressions and the talking points.

Just stop.

We may have gotten Directv for the NFL, but we’re keeping it for the high school football. This is the best show on TV you guys. Are you watching it? You should be watching it.

Tonight! It starts tonight! I love this show so much. (Also, this song. Do you know it? It’s called “Devil Town” by Tony Locca (or Bright Eyes if you prefer) and I listen to it nonstop.)