A Day in the Life of an Unemployed Blogger

Ever since losing my job due to budget cuts two months ago, I have been feeling busier than ever.  Perhaps it is all of the extra time spent looking for employment, or the extra volunteer work I’m doing.  (I volunteer at my son’s school in the library and with a non-profit that helps sick and dying children.)  I thought it would be interesting for myself (and hopefully you) if I laid out my last twenty-four hours to prove whether or not I am really busier.

• 11 pm - Uploaded soundtrack songs to my iTunes.
• Midnight – More of the same, and had a ball doing it, too.
• 1 am – Read personal emails, and a few of my blog emails, too.  Almost blogged.
• 2 am – Read most of book Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife.
• 3 am – Watched Erin Brockovich, and still loved it!
• 4 am – Googled lead poisoning & environmental toxins after hearing another person from high school died from my toxic hometown.  Around forty of my classmates have died, and many more of our parents have died as well.  Very crazy, and it made me a little crazy thinking about it, too.  RIP Steve.
• 5 am – Slept.
• 6 am – Slept.
• 7 am – Slept.
• 8 am – Slept.
• 9 am – Slept.
• 10 am – Slept.
• 11 am – Slept.  I slept for the past three days and it has been fantastic!
• Noon – Finished Christmas shopping this lovely Cyber Monday.  Got a year subscription to EW Magazine for 95% off, just $10.  I’m in HEAVEN.
• 1 pm – Read and responded to more personal and blog emails.
• 2 pm - Job search.  Didn’t even find a single job I could apply to.
• 3 pm – Wrote and published blog post.  Went on Facebook for two minutes and got into trouble for forgetting to return my friend E’s call from Friday.  Sorry girl!
• 4 pm – Showered, made dinner and hubby’s lunch.
• 5 pm – Ate dinner, visited and chatted with hubby.
• 6 pm – Photo editing.  I have an entire year’s worth of photos to upload and print, and I’m almost done.
• 7 pm – Went to The Big Bright Light Show.  Got annoyed at all the slow people, but enjoyed my free piece of wedding cake.  Found a used book store and took shelter.
• 8 pm – Found a first edition Augusten Burroughs book in pristine conditions.  Left and then later came back for it.  I had seen the same book online for over $100, and you’d be amazed to hear I got it for under $14.  I am so geeked right now.  god, how I wish I was employed.  Came home, ate brownie, teased hubby, and caught the end of House.  Poor Wilson …
• 9 pm - Watched Gossip Girl and caught up on blog comments and emails.  I hate seeing holiday shows after the holiday has past … why didn’t they run it last Monday?  So annoyed, this episode bugged me.  So sick of the Tripp story line.
• 10 pm – Caught up on the last forty-five minutes of House, and was shocked to find out that you can catch Transverse Myelitis from a cold sore.  WTF?  My friend has this rare disease and she has been paralyzed from the chest down for several years now.  I also wrote this blog post during this time.  Afterwards I’ll catch up on reading blogs.

So, my obvious question, does it sound like I’m busier than ever?  I think so … but what do you think?  What have you done in the past 24 hours?

The Way I Am by Eminem – Book Review

The Way I Am by Eminem was a very interesting book, and it wasn’t only because we both grew up near the now-famous 8 Mile.    I enjoyed it because it was the story of a person who always had a rough life, who never had a break, and who fought hard to make his own dreams come true.  The Way I Am is the perfect modern-day white trash Cinderella story, and having grown up near the same area as Eminem makes it just that much better for me.

Marshall Bruce Mathers III aka Eminem aka Slim Shady was a success straight out of the gate; I can remember listening to his music with awe back when MTV still played videos.  I was fascinated by him, and I think so was everyone else, too.  Well, my 70-year-old Italian godfather even likes Eminem and we had quite the family conversation about Eminem’s talent at my grandmother’s funeral a few years back.  Rolling Stone has dubbed Eminem “the biggest rapper in history” and I agree with them wholeheartedly.  No other rapper I have ever listened to can move me with his lyrics the way Eminem does.

Back to the autobiography – I loved the way Eminem used both his images and his words on every page of this autobiography to tell his story, because I feel Eminem’s life story is as much about his image as it is about his words and experiences.  I have the paperback version of this book and it reminds me of a really cool and modern high school yearbook.  There are so many images of original lyric sheets, personal polaroids, and images from concerts and events that were a part of Eminem’s road to success.  For a moment there I thought I saw myself in one of the concert photos as I had seen Eminem at his show of all shows, the July 2003 appearance at Ford Field in Detroit along with D12, Obie Trice and the fabulous 50 Cent.  Loved that show, it was general admission, and I was within an arms reach of 50 Cent.

Just take a look at the Eminem back in his glory days, with that wonderful dirtbag sex appeal he had.  That bleach blonde hair, that black wife beater, and that attitude you can see from a mile away.

You all remember the crazy relationship he had with Kim – here they are at their first wedding.

And their short-spanned 2006 second marriage.

Not only does the book tell a little more about Eminem’s relationship with Kim, Eminem talks about his own childhood, as well as his life as a parent to all three of Kim’s daughters as well.  I was excited to learn more about his relationship with Kim since it was so famously dysfunctional.  I’d see Kim and his daughter around town from time to time and wonder what it must be like to be them, having people stare at them and bother them constantly.  My friend saw them at Outback once and seriously people came up to the table every five minutes.  I know how I want peace when I eat a steak, and can’t imagine how invasive that must have been.  I felt bad because Kim came into my work once and their daughter Hailie was around eight years old, and had the bitchiest look I’ve ever seen on a child’s face, probably because she could tell all of my co-workers were staring at her and her mom.  So sad.

I love Eminem because he is talented, raw, and emotional.  A rare quality you see in our current world of musicians. This book is true to his voice, and it was quite interesting to read about his story to fame, and his subsequent troubles with the law, Kim, and everyone else.  Any fan of Eminem’s would love this book, and I’m thinking any fan of the underdog would love it as well.  Go buy it, and you can get the paperback copy for under $16 today.  It is so worth it.

 

To visit Eminem‘s website, go here.

To purchase his book The Way I Am on Cyber Monday, go here.

My favorite “fun” Eminem song which always reminds me of my trip to Puerto Rico.

And my all time favorite Eminem song, which always takes my breath away.

Another reason to buy this book: I also enjoyed learning new things about Eminem, such as he worked at Little Caesars with Proof and that Eminem used to design and paint hip hop clothing with puffy paint.  The kid had a lot of ambition.  But, my favorite thing to read in this book was that the director of 8 Mile tells people that he came up with the name of the movie, which Eminem disputes and says that he came up with it himself, which I know must be true.

No one outside of Detroit understands the term 8 Mile like we do, so I’m going to include a mini history lesson here as well.

 

This is a photograph of the actual wall built to separate the blacks from whites.  It is located in the Eight Mile/Wyoming neighborhood, and it separates the blacks of Detroit from the whites of the surrounding suburbs.  The wall runs between Mendota and Birwood Streets from Eight Mile to Pembroke.

I never even knew this wall existed until just a few years ago, and I feel foolish even admitting it, but I wonder how many people in this area have also never heard of it.  Here is a mini history of the wall:  Black residents of Detroit moved into the vacant area near Eight Mile and Wyoming after WWII.  It was a rural area at the time.  In 1940, a developer sought to build homes for middle-income whites in a nearby area.  Sadly, the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) policies of that era didn’t allow them to approve home loans in racially mixed areas.  So, to secure FHA approval, the developer put up a wall six feet high, one foot in width and one-half mile in length to clearly separte the white and black areas.  His wall led FHA to approve loans for his project.  I can not believe that this wall still exists, and that I never learned about it until I was in college, even though I lived right by it for many years!

8 Mile today still stretches 27 miles and is lined with strip malls and strip clubs.  The first one I ever saw was called The Booby Trap, and my mom took me by it when I was like 8 years old.  She was giving me a history lesson in her own dysfunctional way I suppose.

SpongeBob’s Truth or Square

The latest SpongeBob DVD Truth or Square arrived in the mail a few days ago and I was happy to watch it with my family this weekend.  We all loved it, as we are all huge fans of the show.  I love SpongeBob; he’s goofy and a silly soul who just loves to have fun.  After watching the Truth or Square DVD, I’d recommend this to anyone who is in need of a great DVD this holiday season.  Don’t forget Black Friday is this weekend …

I think the episode that got the most laughs in our house was Truth or Square, the extended version.   Not only did it have a gazillion celebrities in it, including Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Triumph the Comic Dog, Robin Williams, and Pink singing her heart out about having scurvy, but it had SpongeBob’s first Krabby Patty experience, when he was in his mother’s belly, yanking on the umbilical cord and she was sending down a patty to feed him.  This episode was the eleventy seventh (No typo) anniversary of The Krusty Krab, and Patchy the Pirate pulled out all the stops.  I enjoyed hearing all the alternative versions of the evolution of SBSP, they were singing theme songs for everyone and I liked Patrick Seastar’s song the best: “Who lives like a barnacle under the sea?  Pa-trick Sea-star!” 

Krusty Krushers

 

 This was my second favorite episode, as Mr. Krabs had convinced SpongeBob and Patrick to become wrestlers in order to win a million dollar prize.  They wrestling scenes were hilarious, and Pig Patty and Short Order Boy are getting pulverized under Pig Patty throws in the buns of steel move.  Of course, I won’t mention whether or not they win the million dollar prize.

Choir Boys

We ran out of time for Choir Boys, but if it involves music, I know I’m going to love it.  We will be watching this episode during Thanksgiving break.  The kids had already seen it, but I hadn’t and they tell me it is pretty funny.  Just looking at this picture makes me giggle in anticipation.

Porous Pockets

SpongeBob and Patrick find a “volleyball” inside of a screaming clam, and a very excited appraiser spots them on the beach with their giant pearl.  They earn a small fortune, and spend their money on gum and simple this at first.  Then SpongeBob meets the wrong people, and he loses his fortune.  This was a great lesson for the kids, as we see SpongeBob get taken advantage of by his so-called new friends who wanted him to give them money just because they realized he was way too generous.  Side note, my boy told us how he had a dream a few weeks ago that he found a buried treasure and became rich and never had to do homework again.  In his dream he was teasing his older sister since he was rich and then he felt guilty in his dream, so he bought her the New Moon movie, weeks before it was even released in theatres.

My eleven year old recommends you buy this DVD because ” it is very creative and funny.”  He also recommends watching Truth or Square the extended version over and over because “there are a lot of details and this episode includes a lot of scenes that weren’t on tv; you can see things you haven’t seen the first, third, or even the eleventh time you have watched it before.”   I find that to be very solid advice coming from my SBSP expert.  If he’s happily watching this episode for the eleventh time, you know you will be getting something that will be watched over and over again.

For all the latest news on SpongeBob, visit the official webpage here:

Listen to the eleven year old and buy your own copy of the new DVD by clicking here:

The Carrie Diaries … Carrie Bradshaw … as a teenager?

Here is a first look at the new Carrie Bradshaw book.  This time around, she is in high school.  MG, did I just die and go to heaven?  Me already likey.

Who:  Candace Bushnell.

What: The Sex and The City Prequel, The Carrie Diaries Part 1.

When: April 27th, 2009.

Where: Booksellers everywhere.

Why: Because Candace Bushnell loves Carrie Bradshaw just as much as the rest of us do, and maybe it is also just a tiny bit too coincidental that the SATC 2 Movie the following month.  Regardless, I don’t friggin care.

The Carrie Diaries are being published and marketed for teens ages 14 & up.  Can you see young Carrie in her fabulous 80s high school clothes?  The music, the merchandise, the tv show?  How much do you bet woman in their twenties, thirties, and forties will be in line right behind those 14 year olds?  My god, I CAN NOT WAIT!  Random House and Ms. Bushnell, all I can say is Genius!

Last Night in Twisted River: A Novel by John Irving Book Review

Ever since I saw the film “The World According to Garp” at age eleven I have wondered to myself what exactly did John Irving survive in his past?  I have waited patiently for nearly thirty years to find out.  I haven’t ever read a single thing about John Irving’s personal life; because figuring out exactly what happened to him to make him the type of writer he is has been a huge puzzle for me that I must figure out on my own.  Being a survivor of a horrific childhood myself, I knew Mr. Irving must have suffered even more than I had, as his stories are so twisted and dark.

With “Last Night in Twisted River: A Novel” I think I have finally figured out the puzzle of Mr. Irving.  While “A Prayer for Owen Meany” will always remain my favorite book of his, Twisted River is a close second. For whatever reason, I’ve convinced myself that this book is the true story of his life, or the true life story of someone very close to him, perhaps his own grandfather.  If it isn’t, then call me a fool, but please realize that whether this novel is a memoir or not, “Last Night in Twisted River” remains a brilliant story of father and son and grandson, and the fifty year long friendship they have with a mysterious logger.  Danny Angel, the protagonist of Twisted River is a writer in this novel and his own writing career mirrors the career of John Irving, and we read about Danny attending the Iowa Writers Workshop during the same time frame as Mr. Irving actually did.  Danny was even taught by John’s own most famous teacher Kurt Vonnegut.  I have always wondered why Mr. Irving writes about the subjects he has always written about, such as widows, Canada, wrestling, motherless and fatherless children, left hands, bears, and even abortion and all of these subjects get a curious mention in his latest book. 

Twisted River is the kind of Charles Dickensesque type of story Mr. Irving has written before, and this time around he manages to capture the small New Hampshire logging town of Twisted River beautifully, beginning with the drowning of a young boy named Angel and the failure of the mysterious Mr. Ketcham to catch him before he was lost under the logs forever.  Dominic and his son Daniel (Danny Angel) are friends with the logger Mr. Ketcham, and certain terrible events cause them to go on the run together over and over again throughout their lives leaving loved ones and good Italian restaurants behind.  What I find most fascinating about this book is that Daniel grows up to be a famous writer and has a long successful career before he settles down to write Twisted River, the very novel we as readers have been reading the entire time.     

Last Night in Twisted River: A Novel is defiantly the best book I’ve read in 2009.  I stayed up until 5:15 am to finish it.  I’ve spent more than evening staying up all night reading this book, as well as many other of Mr. Irving’s books.  I once worked an eight hour shift, drove a twelve hour road trip, visited and drank with a friend all night long, then sat down and finished The Hotel New Hampshire in one sitting after all of this and finished in time for my friend to catch me still awake after having one of the longest thirty days in my life.  John Irving is just that good of a writer.  All I can tell you is that Twisted River is fabulous and you need to go buy this book immediately to find out for yourself just how good it truly is. I promise you will be lost in a world like none other.  If you have already purchased it for yourself, then go buy it for a friend, because books make the best Christmas gifts.  A story like this stays with someone forever, while that sweater may only last two or three seasons.

John Irving’s Work

• Setting Free the Bears – 1968
• The Water-Method Man – 1972
• The 158-Pound Marriage – 1974
• The World According to Garp – 1978
• The Hotel New Hampshire – 1981
• The Cider House Rules – 1985
• A Prayer for Owen Meany – 1989
• Trying to Save Piggy Sneed - 1993
• A Son of the Circus – 1994
• The Imaginary Girlfriend - 1996  
• A Widow for One Year – 1998
• My Movie Business - 1999
• The Cider House Rules: A Screenplay – 1999 (Academy-Award winning screenplay)
• The Fourth Hand – 2001
• A Sound Like Someone Trying Not to Make a Sound – 2004
• Until I Find You – 2005
• Last Night in Twisted River – 2009

 

John Irving’s website can be found here.   

You can purchase Twisted River here. 

And see John talk about his latest book below.