Two Months

It has been almost two months since I have updated this damn thing, and quite a bit has happened during that time.  I finished a semester of school and made major goal changes for graduate school.  Law school is a dream of the past and now I'm looking at the Master of Public Administration program at the U. I'm excited an nervous to graduate in May.  My goals are within reach and plans must be made for the future, which is both exhilirating and exhausting.

I made a wreath for Christmas and we celebrated the holiday with new decorations for the house and gifts aplenty.  I don't think I will ever attempt to make something decorative again, it was a long process and I've decided that I'd much rather pay someone to do that stuff for me.

My parents bought us a 55" LCD HDTV, Ben bought me a Nook Tablet (which I adore), and I snagged Ben some goodies like a new iPod.  We went to a 90s themed New Year's Eve party and had a blast.  Basically, the holidays were good to me and Ben.

In the past two months I have acquired some recommendations: "The Visible Man" by Chuck Klosterman is worth a read; Kimya Dawson's new album "Thunder Thighs" is worth a listen, and the new Sherlock Holmes movie is worth a view.

Currently I'm gearing up for a fifteen credit hour semester and I'm working on putting together a six week, ladies self-defense seminar with my coach.  He has graciously offered his time free of charge, so I'm making arrangements to get everything done.  More on that when I have details.  I need all of the participants I can find to insure a good turnout.  Ben leaves for Hawaii on Monday and he should be back within a month.  He's not looking forward to leaving, but he is excited for the money it will bring.  Basically, life is good right now.  Things are moving like they should and I'm happy.  I hope all of my friends had a great holiday season and I wish everyone a wonderful year to come.  I'm going to try to become more regular with my posting again, but we'll see.

The Night Circus

I recently finished reading Erin Morgenstern's, "The Night Circus," and I can't recommend it enough.  The story follows two young magicians (Celia and Marco) on a magical tour of the world in the fabled Le Cirque De Reves (Circus of Dreams), where the two are engaged in a perpetual exhibition/duel of their magical abilities.

Morgenstern paints such a vivid and fanciful picture of the black and white circus, that I found myself wishing that it was real.  I also found myself wishing that this book would be made into a movie.  Apparently, Summit has picked up film rights, I hope they do it some justice (the Twilight series was their doing, so I'm feeling some trepidation on that front).  I fell in love with the characters.  I cried when one of them died, smiled when two of them were born, and I rooted for the magicians in love. 

"The Night Circus" has such broad appeal with its dark elements; Prospero the magician teaches his young daughter to heal herself with magic by slitting the tops of her fingers open, and its romantic side, which allows us to peer into a crowded ballroom as Marco grasps Celia in her color-changing gown for a lustful kiss. 

This book won't disappoint.  If it takes you more than four days to read, I will be surprised (I found myself stealing time to read every chance I could).

"Room"

School and work have been so hectic lately! I have barely had time to study and write quality papers for my four classes with all of the drama I have had at work, but after much frustration, midterms ended, and I flew to Hawaii. However, the night before I flew to Hawaii I read the most amazing book that I have come across in years (it is that good.)

Please read Emma Donoghue’s, "Room."

Synopsis: Ma and Jack live in Room. Room is an eleven foot by eleven foot shed in the backyard of their captor's house. The shed that is "Room" to Jack is soundproofed, and hidden by hedges; the door to Room is steel and has a digital code that is only known to "Old Nick," the nasty rapist that captured Ma when she was nineteen.

The book is narrated by Jack, the lovable and intelligent five year old that has been raised by his doting mother under the false pretense that they are the only people on Earth that are real, and everything Outside is outer space. The narration from start to finish is in the words of Jack, everything that he experiences is filtered through the mind of a five year old, and he expresses the events as such. Everything he has ever known becomes important, a rug is Rug, proper nouns throughout the book convey the importance attached to the things in our lives that we know and love, though they may be inanimate. Some of us name our cars (mine is Warren Sapp,) Jack names and loves everything surrounding him. They have T.V., Rug, Plant, Egg Snake, and Wardrobe. They brush their teeth, play games, and exercise. One day, Ma tells Jack that Outside is real, and that Old Nick is a bad man who stole her, and they must escape.

After their harrowing escape (which had me breathlessly turning the pages) Jack is faced with a whole new world. He is faced with vast choices, new sounds, and an overwhelming fear that his mother will leave him. Was Jack better off in Room? Is ignorance bliss? After all, he was safe in room, bees didn't sting him, people didn't yell, and the sun didn't burn, maybe Room wasn't so bad- maybe Jack wants to go back?

This book left me wondering where Jack and Ma were after I closed the cover, and I still find myself thinking about them as if they are real people. The book calls into question many great subjects, such as, how much choice is a good thing?

For me, "Room" made me question my own materialism, and contemplate how important the things around me actually are. I have realized that what makes my car, "Warren" is the memories that I have had in "him." My car isn't a person, it is a car, and I need to pay more attention to the people inside of it, and the places it takes me, because if they were gone, Warren would just be another Toyota Yaris. I highly recommend this book, and if any of my friends want to borrow it, just let me know!

On another note, later I will be posting quite the lengthy account of my trip to Maui, and posting tons of pictures!