Afternoon Delight

It's my goal for the school year to try to leave as many Sunday afternoons and evenings as I can as free as possible. Today I spent the afternoon by the pool with a stack of reading material.

What I learned:

Glamour- I'm too old for this magazine (despite 44-year-old Jennifer Aniston being on the cover). I picked it up on a whim last week and have decided that I will probably never gain anything from this magazine. I've already nabbed a guy, I'm aware of how the professional world works in my industry, and I'm never going to mix my patterns, no matter how cool it is.

In Style- This is just the opposite- I may not be old enough for this magazine. Or maybe it's just not rich enough... I'm crossing my fingers that their prediction that cozy, comfy, slightly-dressy sweatshirts will be in this fall.

Student Personal Statements- I had my students write rough drafts of their personal statements for their college applications and have been grading them. Many of my kids have had really, really rough lives- my heart has been broken more times that I can count.

Macbeth- Starting Act 1 (again), I realized I prefer teaching Shakespeare to reading it; unfortunately they're quite connected.

Italian Ways- I'm still plugging along at this nonfiction text about the trains in Italy. It's slow but fascinating. It's taking me back to my trip there and making me want to return.

Catch-22- I'm reading this slowly since our English department is still trying to figure out when we're going to meet. Hilarious as always.

"On Compassion"- I read this short essay by Barabar Lazear Ascher that I assigned my AP students to read in order to start instructing on effective use of pathos in writing.

Four hours by the pool reading and eating Trader Joes Apple Straws? I'll take it.

Read anything great this weekend?

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

1. I'm off to spend the entire day at the beach today. I seriously have no idea when the last time I did that was, as least in Southern California. Most of the beaches are pretty crowded and crazy, but we're going to head to the less-populated Crystal Cove in Laguna. 

2. I went to the Justin Timberlake/Jay-Z "Legends of the Summer" concert last weekend at the Rose Bowl and was seriously impressed (not with traffic or parking, though). The crowd had the most energy I've ever seen and the production itself was simple awesome. It was the best people watching I've ever had.

[Fact: it's basically impossible to tale a good concert picture]

3. I bought a pint of the Ben and Jerry's Liz Lemon ice cream (lemon, blueberry, and lavender) last weekend and I managed to made it last five whole days. It was really good (and even made with my arch-nemesis Greek yogurt); apparently when I'm really trying I actually do have a tiny bit of self-control.

4. I had coffee with Monica from Run Eat Repeat the other day and we started talking about teachers and the internet, and how there needs to be more district training on what is acceptable in terms of social media. Teachers also need to be taught how to safely utilize it as a tool for learning and communication. Yes, there are sites like Edmodo, but let's face it- the kids already spend a ton of time on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Instagram.

5.  I'm currently reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, which I love, and I just wrote out this long-winded spiel on racial politics that I promptly deleted for fear of misinterpretation. Bottom line: I think sometimes there's this sort of preconceived notion that white Americans are supposed to be embarrassed for being white and American. I have some thoughts that are still coming together. Books that make you think are the best.

6. When sitting at a red light I really like watching the expressions of the people turning left, across the intersection. It feels so intrusive, like I'm watching them do something private, like relieve themselves or have sex. Cars are such weird places- we feel like we're isolated and invisible, but we're really not.

7. I was at Barnes and Noble yesterday to pick up a magazine for the beach and not one single publication sparked my interest. I used to be the magazine queen! And seriously, when did they start costing six bucks a pop? Highway robbery, I tell you.

8. The new Edible Garden being planned at the AT&T is pretty damn cool. They plan on taking an area they currently grow extra sod at and converting it to an edible garden that will produce food for concession stands. 

9. I wish I was the type of person that was better at sending cards and notes to people. I think written correspondence has become such a lost art.

10. I'm officially hooked on Downton Abbey. I hate to say it, but as soon as that guy Mary was having sex with died I was sold. I don't necessarily like her (Sybil is obviously the most likeable sister), but how traumatic would that be to be mid-action and then... death. Oh, and I can't believe how... normal.. O'Brien look in real life. 

Top Ten Tuesday- Rainbows and Unicorns

This week The Broke and the Bookish ask us what we read when we want something "light and fun." Cue the puppies, kittens, rainbows, and unicorns. While there are definitely some books/authors I turn to when this is what I need, I tend to gravitate towards other reading materials when I need something that fits this bill. 

1. People.com- People is a nice compromise between, say, Jezebel and TMZ. 

2. someecards.com- I love, love, love someecards- they're snarky, timely, and funny as hell.

[any day now...]

3. Howsweeteats.com- While I adore her recipes, I love the "crumbs" section- musings about her life and great beauty recommendations.

4. Twitter- I don't take anything on Twitter seriously, ever. My absolute favorite is MLB Jesus (just ask my poor husband, to whom I constantly read his tweets to during Giants games). 

5. Thoughtcatalog.com- While the articles aren't all warm and fuzzy, I tend to read the ones that aren't depressing or dramatic. The other day I thoroughly enjoyed a speculative list of Jay-Z's 99 problems (Beyonce appeared a few times, therefore contradicting the whole " and a bitch aint one" claim...).

6.  In Style- I have subscribed to In Style for probably twelve years. I can afford maybe 5% of the clothes, but I adore the layouts and articles. 

7. Student Creative Writing Pieces- Once in awhile my students are assigned creative timed writes, most of which end up being hilarious. The topic a few weeks ago was "the last time I cried." One girl wrote a dramatic, descriptive, heart-wrenching, and totally made-up piece about her family running out of milk, making it impossible for her to have her morning cereal. Another prompt was what they would do if it was their last week to live. A student wrote a story about me, spelling my last name backwards, about how we went to Narnia and got into a "nag off." They're the best. Seriously.

8. Books by Comedians or Celebrities: I know that they go through hard times, but there's generally a lot of humor and fluff padding the pages. 

9. Nostalgic Reads: Harry Potter, Charlotte's Web, The Narnia Series, Curious George, etc...

10. Texts from Dog: Words can't describe how hilarious this site is- I've sent the links to friend before to only get texts back hours later informing me that they've spent the time in between reading the archives. 

[source; their book is come soon!]

 

My Fetish

It's always entertaining me to include sexual innuendos in my blogs- it really ups the traffic and makes the directing search terms hilarious. My favorite is "small gnome sex." Unfortunately, if you're looking for naked chics willing tickle you, spank you with a riding crop, or berate you for being a "very naughty boy," you've probably come to the wrong place (admittedly I do my fair amount of scolding during the day, but I remain completely clothed, thankyouverymuch).

Alas, my fetish is much more tame. Magazines, magazines and more magazines.

It all started off when I was in sixth grade or so, and my mom got my sister and I a subscription to Sassy. She'd read it while walking home from the mail box down the street and would pull out the "inappropriate" articles and hand us the rest, allowing us to learn how to make DIY face masks, figure out if boys liked us, or how exactly we should do our hair that fall. Magazines had all the answers to my problems and were going to make me more attractive, popular, and ready for all those up-and-coming encounters with the opposite sex.

Fast-forward a few years. Now I was reading Seventeen, Teen, People, and my mom's Redbook when she wasn't around (just in case I needed a recipe, advice on how to remove stains, or keep my lackluster marriage alive). Life was decent, all thanks to the magazines, I'm sure.

During my senior year in high school my mom must have realized I was doomed, so she quit monitoring my periodical consumption. I started devouring Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and InStyle, which ended up only being gateway drugs into a number of other titles. Luckily, I knew the value of the subscription, and for asking for them as gifts. At the time I was an avid-elliptical user and blew through the magazines like crazy. Now, with the whole running thing, it's not happening. Have I mentioned the subscription list has grown exponentially since college? For your entertainment:

Current Subscriptions

In Style (I'll never be able to afford the clothes, but they're so pretty, and each issue is so nicely done)
Glamour (on the verge of canceling... maybe)
Vanity Fair (good articles)
New Yorker (to bring me down a notch when I'm feeling too smart)
Women's Health (because I'm a woman, and I like to be healthy)
Runner's World (I had heard it automatically made you faster just by reading... still waiting...)
Self (super generic, but super cheap and easy to read while power walking)
Shape (because I'd like to get one some day)
Bon Appetite (the food looks delicious but it's just about expired and I'm not renewing)

Recent Cancellations

Cosmopolitan (there are only so many ways to please a man, for crap's sake)
Food Network Magazine (this was my fault and I probably should renew)
Every Day- Rachel Ray (she's such an annoying bitch, but her recipes are decent; another one I should renew)
Marie Claire (they wrote an article falsely portraying some health blogs I love, so as an act of solidarity I cancelled)
Travel (it was free, but I don't appreciate the constant reminder that I live in a less-than tropical and culturally unsatisfying location)

Favorites

Runners World
In Style

Confession

Playboy (it started off as a joke; my husband got it for me for Christmas one year and I ended up really enjoying the articles, some of which feature writers like Michael Chabon and other contemporary novelists. Unfortunately, it's really expensive so I didn't renew)

Possible Future Acquisitions

Real Simple (because my life is too complicated)
House Beautiful (in case I need some decorating tips)
Cooking Light (since cooking heavy is bad)
Jugs (because if I look at them long enough maybe mine will grow)

I really should cancel them all together- magazines are horrible for the environment and they tend to pile up since I only read them when I use the elliptical or power walk, or am at a doctor's office. But, you never know- they may solve all my problems and how tragic would it be if I missed out on that? Besides, it's my contribution to keeping print alive.