in my defense

Last night I started reading the textbook for my new course in lieu of One Hundred Years of Solitude.  (How am I ever going to get through that thing?  And why do I feel I must?)  The textbook is written in that familiar, chatty way that modern textbooks are written , as though it's your friendly Uncle Joe telling you interesting facts across the dinner table, rather than a dry reference book.  I find that thing kind of off-putting, to have the author reach out to poke at me from inside a book, asking me how I would feel if that happened to me, or what I would do in same situation.  I like making that leap on my own when and if I feel so inclined.  However, I guess it's preferable to trying to excavate facts from a dry reference book, and since the material itself is something I find extremely interesting, I can get over my aversion to that writing style.  Sad, really, that I am finding the textbook a more enjoyable read than the novel.  Apparently, if I finish these two courses by September I will be eligible to apply for the program I want, and this gives me more time than I thought I had because I thought I had to finish them by the application deadline, May 15th.  According to their website, I just have to register by the application deadline.  Check!

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I attended my first book club meeting today after school, after coming home briefly to feed the pups.  Like always, before leaving the house to attend this social event, I had a small inner battle where the phobic Lisa wanted to stay home and avoid talking to people.  There are always all kinds of excuses to justify that choice -- the dogs will be lonely, I'm tired, there are things at home I should be doing, blah blah blah.  In the end, I decided to pull myself together and just go and I think it was a good thing I did.  I wouldn't say the conversation was terribly enlightening, but it was definitely more enlightening than laundry or television would have been.  I was mildly surprised by the fact that this group seems uninterested and unwilling to read anything but light stuff, but certainly couldn't say I cared enough to argue about it.  I can read whatever I want on my own.  I asked if any of them had survived One Hundred Years of Solitude and none of them had.

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Shawn will be home soon and we're supposed to go to the gym tonight.  I have a slight headache (maybe from the weather change) and as usual, am half hoping he decides not to go so I can blame him for my laziness.  He's so lucky to have me.  :)

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