So. I may have been wrong.
2008-08-19 ~ 11:20 a.m.
Yeah. Last night's entry, where I said I suspect my next read will be as shallow as all the rest? Not so much. The book is "How to Talk to a Widower" by Jonathan Tropper and the central character, Doug, is, duh, a widower. The opening scene involves Doug and his 16 year old step son (the son of his late wife) and by the top of page four, I found myself getting teary. Not in a maudlin way, nothing like this. I mean, this book would probably be classified as "Lad Lit" if I were to get into classifying books, which I'm not. So I don't expeect touchy feely. But it was written in such a way that I could relate. Even though I'm not male, not a widower and have never been a 16 old boy.
The next several chapters were just as good. Engaging and emotional without being mushy or manipulative. Actually a conversation with Doug and his mother had me giggling.
Do any of y'all use Good Reads and their widgets? I updated my shelves there a few minutes ago to move my latest read to my read shelf and this current read to my currently reading shelf (makes sense, right?) but the changes haven't shown up yet. Does it take time for the widgets to update, or did I maybe do something wrong.
Hey, that's fun. Say it with me now. Widget. WID-JET. WIDGET!! Whee, widgets!!
You know, it does my heart so much good that Melissa (who is THIRTEEN now? Can you believe it? Because I know I can't) is such an avid reader. I'd been encouraging her to read for pleasure since she was very small but in the past few years she's really taken off. I finally gave in and let her read a Stephen King book. ("Eyes of the Dragon", his so called "childrens book"). She's seen them on my shelves for years and wanted to read them and I wouldn't let her. I finally got her that book for her 13th birthday. I figured if I kept telling her no, she would just go out and get the book herself. (Kid makes a FORTUNE for babysitting. Just bought herself an iPod a few weeks ago.) At least this way, she's starting off in a more controlled manner. I'm sorry, I'm just not ready for the "Mommy, what's a 'cocksucker'?" question.
However, she's super excited right now. Her school's principal (although rumor has it she was recently demoted to assistant principal for reasons which should become abundantly clear in a monent) is Michael Phelps' mother. Linda Phelps is running a reading contest over the summer. All students who read over a certain number of books this summer are getting entered into a drawing to meet him. I think eight kids will be chosen.
I really excited about this for her. Melissa has been in a swim club for years now, she swims 6 days a week, 2 miles per day, and her club has stated that their mission is to send someone to the Olympics in 2012.
As for Mrs Phelps? I wholeheartedly support her...um...support of her son and being there for him and with him at this event and that event and the other event over the years. But I can't help but wonder whether this has impacted her running of the school (which just opened two years ago). Because quite frankly? That school sucks. The administration has no control over the students. There is a stated uniform policy but most kids ignore it. Some even come to class in pajama pants and slippers. Which means those kids who have parents who DO make them wear uniforms (like Melissa) get singled out.
Thankfully, Dave and Inez are purchasing a house near York, PA. It's close enough for me to get to but in a MUCH better neighborhood and school district.
Oops. Gotta go. Boss just sent out an email about how we need to make more "attempts" and "powerdial" to get through some of the "higher attempts" in order to get to "fresh leads".
Also? I just left a voicemail and pronounced "inquiry" and "inkwy". Oops.
