Recommendations

Now commences the "Ellen-tells-all-you-avid-readers-what-she-likes-and-therefore-what-you-should-like" section of the blog.  However, I don't really like the word "Recommendations" just because it reminds me of the horrific time in my life that was applying to college, which I will say nothing about in this post because that will have to be a few chapters in my autobiography--another thing which no one will read.  SO, if you have any suggestions for the title of this section of my blog, please comment to suggest!  (I went to thesaurus and the only interesting one was "plug" and that doesn't even make sense).

...but I digress...

So I had a very long layover in Detroit on my way home from school a couple days ago (very nice airport, so it was all good.)  I stop in their mini Borders and begin browsing because, as previously stated, one of my goals for the summer is to read a lot.  By the way, I'm useless in a bookstore.  Ab.SO.lute.ly. Useless.  I'm incredibly picky when it comes to books.  The only genres that I find that I consistently like are autobiographies and a hybrid of science fiction, fantasy and romance...aka the Twilight saga.  I could do better with the dialogue of those books, but hey, they make me very happy :-9.  Anyway, I was browsing for about 20 minutes with no books in my hand (though I was extremely tempted by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) when one of the salesclerks came over and did the general "How are you doing?" routine.  She was a cute, short black girl with great curves and a very warm smile, which made me break my "professional"/New Yorker-i-ness.  She saw that I was in the fiction section, and asked if she could make a recommendation.  I was so relieved because I didn't even know where to look (I'm one of the bad ones that judges the cover...oops).  Let me just point out that this is the first time I've been in a commercial bookstore where the person not only truely helped me, but had actually seemed to have read some books.  I tipped her.  Another first for a bookstore.

THE POINT:  If you like the hybrid genre of sci-fi/fantasy/romance, then go read the "Sookie Stackhouse" series by Charlaine Harris.  It has very similar aspects to Twilight, but there are more books, the characters are more mature and it doesn't have hidden "moral messages" in it (i.e. None of the "why buy the cow" stuff).  While the names aren't as elegant or romantic (Sookie and Bill), you get over it pretty quickly.

Wow.  This post is a lot longer than intended.  Kudos if you got to the bottom!

Level of the Stuff in the Glass

This weekend has made me grateful for many of the things that I have and don't have in my personal life.  I just simply can't wait to get home tomorrow after a long day of traveling so I can finally become a part of the pulse of New York again.  Location is a strange thing that completely changes your view of the world from the moment you arrive or depart.  I'm anxious to get back to 2 of the places where my glass always seems more than half full: NYC and...NC.  Yep, I said it.  In hindsight I'm so very grateful for my time living in NC.  If I hadn't moved there, I would never ever had ended up where I am in my life: a place that, so far, I am loving.  Everything happens for a reason, right?

It takes a mature and strong person to give their loved ones a break now and then.  But when do we know the right time to tell them they're wrong?  Just a thought to ponder for myself...

My roommate comes to frolic with me in the Big Apple a week from today and I couldn't be more excited to have a great excuse to become a tourist in the city again :)  No matter how much time I spend there, it never seems enough and though I advertise hating the tourists in Times Square who walk like sloths, stop right in front of you in the middle of the sidewalk and hit you with their backpacks, I am still one at heart.  (But seriously, they could move to the *side* of the sidewalk...please!)

Well, I can't seem to think of much else to ramble about at the moment, which is a bit unusual.  Must be my location.

Copy Cat

I got one of these to copy my lovely roommate.  Even though her summer looks to be more exciting than mine (aka Beth Leavel)...I don't want to talk about it...I am going to try to keep up with this thing.  No one else but her will read this--well, I hope she does--but even so, I am going to commit myself to these things over the summer:

1) Read a lot of books

2) Read a lot of plays

3) Blog about living easy in the summer time

4) Maybe find a man...please?

The list will undoubtedly grow.

Just thought I'd say hello for the time being to the only lovely reader that I may or may not have today.

Ciao!