Curious Notions

Xiang Xiang dies after one year in wild

He couldn’t hack it, poor thing…

So I started Kite Runner two nights ago after finishing Blink. It took me a week or so with Blink since I wasn’t very enthralled, making it easier to put it down at night when it was my bed time.

Kite Runner, I started over a long weekend and could not for the life of me put it down. I was so hooked I even found myself reading Bing’s copy when I was over at Deesh and Bing’s this weekend playing an invigorating (and might I add victorious) game of girls vs. boys Cranium and then Cheez Geek (Cheez Geek one of the 3 new things this week).

The Kite Runner. Must be the most disturbing, haunting book I’ve yet to read. The close seconds would be A Child Called It and Night. They both broke my heart but not in the way Kite Runner did. I was in tears maybe four separate times during the past two days it took me to finish the novel. A coming of age story with pre–war Afganhistan and the post-Taliban arrival as the backdrop of the story.

I tend to take note of books I know my dad will enjoy and as I read them I jot down notes on post its for my dad and flag the relevant pages. I flagged the story about Amir and Hassen tying bumble bees with string and letting them fly a bit before yanking them back. My dad used to do exactly the same thing to dragonflies when he was younger growing up in Vietnam. Then as I got deeper and deeper into the book and found myself tearing up, I started to doubt whether my dad, a vet would enjoy going down memory lane. I took breaks and called Mary Ellen to relay the story and basically to pull me out a little. Relief.

The refugee stories seem to make vivid my parents’ stories post Vietnam.

I kept imagining I was reading about my dad. Funny how war is pretty much the same no matter where it is. I usually don’t read war books so this is somewhat new to me. Before Kite Runner, the only books I’ve read with war in the background were Anne Frank’s diary, The Hiding Place, and Night. All heart breaking in their own respect but I never felt so invested in events unfolding with each turn of the page as I did with Kite Runner.

So aside from making me cry so easily, Hosseini also managed to make me laugh several times out loud. One scene when Amir, in such a detached manner, thinks to himself as someone is experiencing an eye injury, “Oh that’s vitreous fluid.. I read about that, that’s vitreous fluid.” I used to work for an ophthalmologist.

So here are a few quotes I jotted down into my reading journal…

“There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft..”

‘I’m so afraid…. Because I’m so profoundly happy, Dr Rasul. Happiness like this is frightening. They only let you be this happy if they’re preparing to take something from you.”

I wrote the last one down because that’s how I feel when I feel very happy. I get extra wary of freak accidents.

“I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.”

Me: Can I post your picture on my blog?

Jesse: Sure, which one?

Me: The one of you in the dress.

Jesse: It’s not a dress. It’s a muumuu.

That’s my girl, asshole

A dude decided to reply to a bunch of missed connection ads on craigslist with “That’s my girl, asshole!”

Link courtesy of the lovely, Kim.

I had my car washed this weekend.

I also found another guitar. Outside of Buffalo Billards.

My roommate moved out last Wednesday. The livingroom was completely desolate and depressing. I inturn, felt desolate and depressed. It’s still desolate and only slightly depressing now. I livened things up slightly by putting my snowglobe collection on the fireplace mantel and pulling my lawn chairs from the balcony into the huge livingroom.

Along with the furniture, also went the internet. So now I’ll do my updates from work. Until I find a nice quaint coffeeshop with free wireless. I’ll be living like this til June 25. Then I’m homeless for 2 weeks. Moving into a new apartment with a male roommate July 9th. I’ve never lived with a boy before.

Jennifer, Michael, Shane, and Thomas were all in town from out of town. All gone now. All sad now.

Today, I bought tickets to ACL.

I was in Houston very shortly for Mother’s day. Squeezed in my new thing of the week with my biggest “New Thing” partner :) Previous new endeavors with her? First time shooting guns, making tomato basil soup, Four Seasons Cafe desserts, Wink desserts, and walking underneath 18 wheelers are just a handful of the new experiences we shared.

So my new thing of the week.. Paciugo in Houston. I’m a big fan of the dark chocolate. Mmm.

I was making some copies at work when I noticed all the girls were giggling and whispering. Jamie motioned me over and told me there was a very very good looking cop complete with handcuffs checking in at the front window. So I very obviously walked in that general direction and then peeked up. He caught me leisurely walking without a destination and stealing a peek. He smiled. Horrified, I smiled quickly back and kept walking .. despite not having a destination. I eventually stopped at the wall (thank goodness) and there was a girl working there. I bent over and said to her, “Hi.”

“You’re over here checking out Mr. Hottie, aren’t you?”

“Hahhaha. Yes. And he caught me so now I’m pretending to talk to you. Hi.”

Very smooth. After he was away from the window, I walked back. Lacy laughed, “I saw you get busted.”

Apparently, the front office gets very steamy and crowded whenever he’s here. I myself got hot and a little sweaty from the 3 second glimpse I had. That part of me still works! gasp!

To save time, don’t waste it with people who don’t deserve your attention.

My new thing of the week was a bit tamed compared to last week’s. I tried out Thai Passion on 7th and Congress with Will. Remember him from this entry? We did that Monday. I could barely taste my food (though I’m sure it was good), it was so damn spicy. I thought I was a hoss and asked for more spices and wow, it was the first time my meal burned my stomach. Will promised me that’s what happens when you can take your spices.

Things have been hectic at work and Tuesday night to Thursday night, Thomas was up staying at my place again so things have been hectic and busy on top of work. I used the weekend to recuperate. I managed to have a few meals with friends and watched Spiderman 3 (uck, I did not appreciate the cheesy forgiveness in the movie) but I spent most of my weekend reading. Which brings me to my book binge I’ve been on all week.

I’ve been to Half-Priced Books three times this week and now have many pages to keep me occupied. My consumptions?

I’ve been meaning to read Gladwell’s stuff after I read Freakonomics not so long ago and Tipping Point kept popping up in the “Also Recommended”.

I’ve never read Maya Angelou

One of my favorite books. My first Sedaris book. I remember Aishah and Kim sang it praises and then finally Cindy lent me a copy and I saw the hype in Sedaris. I have since been hooked and am currently reading his Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim.

Journals of Sylvia Plath.

Been meaning to read this. Aishah and Michael have been singing this one praises as well.

So here’s one of the books I bought just last night. Some trash reading. I read one other Jane Green book literally maybe 4 years ago or so? Mary Ellen sent me a handful of chick lit for my birthday YEARS ago and one of them was Jane Green’s Book Ends. See I needed to live vicariously through some fictional romance and here’s my long overdue chicklit. I’m already 200 pages in. About an overweight girl who reinvents herself as a skinny girl online.

Which brings me to what I’m currently reading:

Currently engrossed with my chicklit, Jemima J, and am also reading Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. Blink, and Journals of Sylvia Plath (I may put that one on hold). Gah!

I think I will finish Jemima J next few days.. I’m just so engrossed. Drinking in the words of struggling singleton hoping for love. Sigh. Try not to judge me, the sometimes struggling singleton who sometimes hopes for love, too harshly.

I jokingly flexed my biceps in what I thought was a menacing way in response to some teasing today at work.

dude at work: What are you doing?

me: I’m showing you my guns, that’s what.

dude at work: Gurrrrl, those aren’t guns. They’re pea-shooters!