Book 13: The Boy on the Bus

Title: The Boy on the Bus

Author: Deborah Schupack

Rating: 8/10

Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: One afternoon, Vermont housewife Meg discovers that the boy on the school bus outside her door is almost, but not quite, her eight-year-old son, Charlie. It's a typical X-Files scenario, but in the hands of first-time novelist Schupack it becomes an acute psychological study of alienated ex-urban family life.

I liked: It's strange surreal situation made you wonder how well you know your family. Would you notice if your spouse/father/mother/daughter was replaced with a look-alike?

I didn't like: The end was very odd and somewhat hard to follow. Maybe because I was interrupted about 10 times during the last 10 pages.

A Hair Raising Price

Is a $50 haircut worth it?

After experiencing my first, I believe it is. Especially for people with superfine hair that shows every snip of the scissors. The last thing I need is someone hacking into my hair and leaving a trail of crooked ends behind.

My fancy-shmancy haircut experience at Salon 2000 (an Aveda salon in Eden Prairie) began with a consultation. I went in thinking that I would have to have my hair cut short. I have a ton of hair, but it's super, super fine and I get a lot of flyaways and have zero volume. I had read that long layers are a great look for those with oval faces and fine hair, but I couldn't figure out how to articulate that. Fortunately, Lisa knew exactly what I was talking about.

The consultation was followed by a scalp massage using a calming essential oil. That was followed by a shampoo and a deep conditioning treatment. As my hair was conditioning, Lisa thoroughly massaged each of my hands. After my hair was rinsed, we went to the paraffin bath. I have a paraffin bath at home, but I had forgotten how incredible it feels!

All the pampering was followed by an hour-long haircut. As she snipped away, I felt as though she was cutting each strand individually, which is what I need with my superfine hair. We chatted about the 80s, men with big heads and bridesmaid dresses.

After she finished, we went to a makeup station where she touched up my foundation, lined my lips and filled them in with a bright Burgundy lipstick. At no point did she pressure me to buy the Aveda products (which run in the $20-$40 range for hairspray alone!), which was a nice reprieve.

I have always paid $30 or less for my haircuts, but I have always been unhappy. This experience was so positive that I will definitely repeat it! For the first time I like my hair; that's worth an extra $20.

Name that Jaime

Do you want to call me Cate, Elle or James? Your vote counts!

First off, Jaime is the correct feminine spelling of the name. Jamie is the masculine spelling. But tell that to the millions of Jamies out there who's parents have mucked it up for the rest of us. So despite having the FEMININE spelling, I still get deluged with mail, messages and other correspondance addressing me as MR. Parents and potential parents: Do Not Give Your Child a Gender-Neutral Name. It's a curse. I'd rather have an actual guy's name than be saddled with a gender-neutral moniker. I have been subjected to a life of suffering through mild surprise when job interviewers discover I'm (gasp) a woman. Not to mention the ever-fun J-A-I-M-E song and dance I get to do every single time I give my name. That never gets old.... riiiiiiight.

I've been trying to get Dave to get on board with a name change. (He changed both his middle and his last when we married, so you'd think he'd be more supportive, eh?) I'm considering three options: (1) changing my middle name to Catherine and using J. Catherine Hunt as my professional name and going by Cate; (2) just going by my middle initial (L) -- "Elle" is clearly a feminine name; or (3) going by James. It's a nickname for Jaime, but it's totally masculine. I figure, as long as people are going to be surprised by my gender, they might as well be REALLY surprised.

Have you ever been sick of your name? What do you think I should do about my moniker? Shouldn't children be able to name themselves once they come to age? Why not call all babies "Baby G" or "Baby B" (depending on their gender) until their 18th birthdays? Think of how exciting your 18th would be if you got to go to the courthouse and change your name!

Feedback, people! I need feedback!

J-A-I-M-E

Book 12: Fashionistas

Title : Fashionistas

Author : Lynn Messina

Rating: 7.5/10

Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: Vig Morgan is an associate editor at a fashion magazine working for a "bitch from hell." She tries to undermine her downfall with interesting results.

I liked: There wasn't a love story mucking it up.

I didn't like: A lot of typos distracted me.

Book 11: I Don't Know How She Does It

Oops. Forgot to blog this....

Title : I Don't Know How She Does It

Author : Allison Pearson

Rating : 7/10

Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: A British stock broker who is also a wife and mother of two struggles to balance the demands of working in a male-dominated field with parenting two small children.

I liked: It was well-written, although fairly predictable. It was exceptional birth control.

I didn't like : It was cliched and the ending was tired.

Go Fug Yourself!

I have found a hilarious new blog.... wish I thought of it first!

Book 10: The Stupidest Angel

Title: The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror

Autor: Christopher Moore

Rating: 8/10

Genre: Farce

Synopsis: Okay, so there's this stupid angel that goes to this town where people flock to every Christmas to celebrate the holiday, and the angel grants a special Christmas wish to a child, who happens to be a little confused about a crime he witnessed on the way home from his friend's house. By the end of the book, Christmas looks more like Night of the Living Dead. But it all works out in the end.

What I Liked: It was a fast read with some hilarious bits. At the beginning, Moore warns you that the book would not be a good choice for your grandma. And it definately wouldn't be.

What I Didn't Like:

ACHOOOO!

I am hoping that yesterday and today are the worst days of my cold. I started getting a sore throat on Sunday and began feeling really ill on Thursday. Yesterday I was wrecked, but I went to work because it was my intern's last day. Because of President's Day, I have a long weekend; I am hoping I'll be better by Tuesday so I don't have to use sick time.

The worst part of having a cold, for me at least, is that I can't sleep. First of all, I'm all hepped up on Sudafed, which is a total upper. But it must stay in your system for hours! I last took some at 8 p.m. last night and I literally slept about three hours. Even now I'm not tired!

I just want to sleep through this misery. I feel like a giant ball of mucus; and that, ladies and gentlemen, is pretty nasty.

Straw, Straw, Everywhere Straw and Not a One to Grasp

What if ...

What if you are in a situation that you can't get grip on ... you can't figure out how you got where you are and you aren't sure if where you are is where you're stuck forever? How do you decide whether to stick it out or cut your losses? What if the losses don't seem like losses anymore?

How long do you let someone treat you badly before you say 'stop'? Or do you never say 'stop' because it would totally mess things up?Because you aren't certain it's the right choice?

How do you tell someone they hurt you when they think what they did is what you wanted?

How do you decide if you are reading into something? How do you know if what you think is going on actually is?

To torture some cliches, how do you make a decision when you are swimming in a pool of gray, looking for straws to grasp, seeing straw piling up on the camel's back?

What would Jesus do?

(Disclaimer: This is not about my marriage.)

Book 9: Behaving Like Adults

Title: Behaving Like Adults

Author: Anna Maxted

Rating: 8/10

Genre: Chick Lit

Synopsis: Holly is a intelligent, 29-year-old owner of a dating agency. She loves her job, until she is raped by a client, sending her into a state of confusion. As the book progresses, so does she through denial, acceptance and restored faith in herself.

I liked: Although it was written like most chick-lit -- breezy and fun -- it addressed a serious topic without being heavy-handed. The messge: it could happen to anyone.

I didn't like: Not much. The book wasn't neurotic or filled with drunken mistakes, just a book about someone who gets into a bad situation and deals with the consequences.

Great line: Repeated lines using squirrels. Informal count found three references to squirrels and squirrelly antics.

Dog + Dog = Less Naughtiness?

We have bad dogs. But actually, the pair of them are better behaved when unsupervised than Kaya was alone. They probably spent most of the afternoon wrestling and fighting over who got to play with my underwear. When Kaya ran unsupervised she chewed on the woodwork, peed on the carpet and shredded toilet paper. It seems so wrong to say it, but maybe Hobie is a good influence on her...

I'm Kinda Cool.

I'm probably cooler than you. Here's proof.

I'm Not a Nerd!

Ha! I'm definately not nerdy and probably cool! See, it says so right here!

Book 8: The Da Vinci Code

Title: The Da Vinci Code

Author: Dan Brown

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 7/10

Synopsis: A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ.

I liked: I had to see what all the fuss was about, especially after working for CBE. I have to say that it was tightly paced and kept me turning the pages. It was well researched and thought provoking. That said, it was fiction; I think the fuss over it is a little over dramatic.

I didn't like: Cliches, cliches, cliches. It was not literature.

Book 7: Surfacing

Title : Surfacing

Author : Margaret Atwood

Rating : 6/10

Genre : Literature

I'm not even going to take the time to type up the synopsis. This book was very strange and took forever to get through. It's not recommended.

Ress Hippies and In Greedy Ants

I wondered aloud last week what I would eat in Dave's absence. A co-worker said she had something called an easy "ress hippie" I could use. I wondered what that was. She said it's like a little instruction list for making a meal. It tells you how much of certain things to put in what sort of pot and how long to cook it. Then she started describing the "ress hippie" and I blanked out for a while. I snapped back to attention when she asked me if I wanted her to print it out for me. I thought not. I'm too old to start messing around with "ress hippies" and "in greedy ants."

I'll Do It .... Tomorrow.

I am going to do it. I am going to go over to my neighbor's house and tell them that they have to do something about their dog barking all the time. I have been putting it off. I have used every excuse in the book from bad hair day to it's too cold. But I am going to do it this time!

Tomorrow.

Book 6 : Joy School

Title: Joy School

Author: Elizabeth Berg

Genre: Fiction

Rating: 10/10

Synopsis: Katie, the narrator, has relocated to Missouri with her distant, occasionally abusive father, and she feels very much alone: her much-loved mother is dead; her new school is unaccepting of her; and her only friends fall far short of being ideal companions. When she accidentally falls through the ice while skating, she meets Jimmy. He is handsome, far older than she, and married, but she is entranced. As their relationship unfolds, so too does Katie's awareness of the pain and intensity first love can bring.

I liked: Beautifully written, evocative, touching, stirring, nostolgic, perfect.

I didn't like: Nothing.

Great line: Page 13. If I ever get to be God, I'm calling at the gym teachers in the world into one room to say this: All right, knock it off!! And then I'm going to make them all change into pink formals with pink satin heels. If I were to draw on a paper what gym does for me, I would make one dot. And then I would erase it.

Another great line: Page 94. We are doing those tests for the president to see if we re too out of shape or what. I guess he is worried about us American youths and he thinks the Russian kids are all ready for the Oympics, just walking around restless in their streets, their fists hitting their palms, saying, "Lemme at 'em."

Book 5: The Whitney Chronicles

Title : The Whitney Chronicles

Author : Judy Baer

Rating : 7/10

Genre : Christian Fiction

Synopsis : A 30-year-old Christian single looks for love.

I liked : I don't generally read Christian fiction and I accidentally picked this up, not realizing it was. But it was pretty good for the genre. At first I thought it would be just a Christian Bridget Jones Diary, but it was actually fairly unique.

I didn't like : It was predictable.

Great line: I didn't notice any.

Saving Grace

Last winter, a tragedy happened to a dear friend, Jaime Twenty-seven weeks into her pregnancy, she began to feel ill and went to the emergency room. There, she discovered she was suffering from preeclampsia. She gave birth to a baby girl, Grace, and nearly died.

Eight days, 12 hours and 35 minutes later, Grace passed away.

I remember how heartbroken for Jaime I felt when I got the call that Grace hadn't made it. I didn't realize until recently that Jaime had nearly died herself.

Jaime now does work for the Preeclampsia Foundation. This spring the organization is holding a 5K race to raise money for the foundation. And on Nov. 11 there will be a Preeclampsia Foundation banquet in Grace's memory -- Saving Grace: A Night of Hope.

If you are pregnant or know someone who is, please make yourself aware of the symptoms of Preeclampsia. Every year it claims the lives of 50,000 mothers, and those who survive are eight times more likely to suffer from a heart attack.

You can read Jaime's story for yourself (you'll need a Kleenex) and/or make a donation to the Foundation. Regardless, please remember Jaime and Joe in your prayers as they near the anniversary of Grace's death.

Christmas in Chanhassen: Day 39

Two and a half months ago Dave and I were dazzled by the Christmas decorating our next-door neighbors did. They had elaborate lights, decorated trees and a gift-wrapped doors.

On Groundhog Day, it doesn't seem quite as nice.

While I cut people some slack when it comes to taking down their lights -- I even think people can leave white twinkle lights up year 'round, if it looks nice -- I draw the line at multi-colored lights and a gift-wrapped door in February. I mean, it's been nice out. Their yard is bare of snow. Besides, they still turn the lights on!

Worse, we can see their living room from ours... and they STILL HAVE THE TREE UP!

So I have begun Christmas Watch 2005. In the future I'll just post the number of days past Christmas their tree and their wrap has remained up. I hope we don't reach the triple digits...

Christmas in Chanhassen: Day 39.
Total Days with Lights: 73

Book 4: Crossing California

Title: Crossing California

Author: Adam Langer

Rating: 8.5/10

Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: California Avenue in Chicago separates the upper-middle-class Jewish families on the west from the mostly middle-class Jewish families on the east. The book traces the stories of three families, widowed Charlie Wasserstrom and his two teenage daughters; Michael and Ellen Rovner and their two children; and Deirdre Wills, a single mother.

I liked: A well-told, well-crafted story told with wit and ingenuity.

I didn't like: Not much. It could have been tighter in places, but otherwise it was good.

Great line: Page 7. Charlie Wasserstrom enjoyed getting things for free - or for half-off - even if he had never really wanted those things in the first place.

Ah, Melly, I Ain't So Very Drunk

When I got home from work today, I needed a drink. And so I had one.

This marks the first time I ever had a drink when I "needed" one. I've always been afraid of the "needing a drink" mentality. If I become an alcoholic someday, you can mark Feb. 1, 2005 as the day at all began. Soon I'll spiral into after-work drinking binges. Then I start stopping on my way home. Next thing you know, I'll be having "liquid lunches" and will have to chew coffee beans to cover the stench on my breath when I get back to work. Eventually, I'll start carrying a flask and will add a little whiskey to my morning tea.

Whoa! Maybe I should keep this in perspective. After all, the drink I had tonight was a 3.2 Mike's Hard Lemonade. And I didn't even finish it. Dave can probably hold off on calling Betty Ford.