May I just flat-out WHINE to you for a minute? I am sick. SICK. Body aches, chills, breathing that makes a sound. Feeling unable to go all the way downstairs to get something. Not QUITE at the level of sickness that my friend Tiffany and I call “wishing for an anvil to fall on my head,” but close.
I was telling the children that periodic illness is very good for one’s character, because it (1) puts regular daily non-sick life in a new light and (2) makes one more sympathetic to other people’s illnesses. But I don’t want a refresher in those lessons RIGHT NOW, when I am supposed to be humming cheerfully in the kitchen while making mashed potatoes and cranberry jello, thinking happily about how so many of us are making the same sorts of recipes at the same time. I don’t want to be making a doctor appointment this morning in case I have something contagious and we have to postpone/cancel Thanksgiving. I am not in an open, lesson-learning STATE right now, so the lessons are wasted. It’s almost as if no one is in charge of such things and they just happen randomly.
Anyway. All the time I’ve spent on the recliner wrapped in a huge blanket has allowed me to finish this book I bought ages ago:
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| (photo from Amazon.com) |
How to be a Woman, by Caitlin Moran. It’s the kind of funny that makes me want to buy it for my sister-in-law (the good one) and my sister-in-law’s sister (also a good one)—except it’s also kind of page after page about masturbation and pubic hair and porn, which seems awkward at Christmas.
I liked it, but I wished my library had had it, because it’s not a book I feel the need to OWN. (I’m going to donate it to the library.) It has a lot of good points, things I felt like underlining and/or quoting. I bought it after reading this interview with the author, and it held up to what I expected, so the interview would be a good way of seeing if you too might like the book.
See, I appreciate sickness in a woman because I suspect that if you are not contagious and/or dead, you will still do the mashed potatoes and all that other junk. But if you were a man, you would be in bed whining. Whining while forging ahead….completely acceptable and the woman’s way.
Aww feel better swistle. You really DON’T need this lesson right now.
I’ve been sick for a week and we are in talks about postponing Thanksgiving. I have no interest in eating, much less planning and cooking. Hope you are on the mend soon.
oh, I hope you feel better soon. Being sick is bad enough, but being sick for Thanksgiving is the worst!
Blergh, being sick on a holiday — especially Thanksgiving, because it requires so much WORK — is just awful. I’m so sorry! I really hope you feel better soon enough that you can enjoy at least some of TG.
Hmmmmmmmm, I wish I hadn’t clicked through to the interview because now I feel like I already read the whole book (like when movie previews give away all of the funny parts). On the fence as to whether or not I want to read it.
Feel better soon!
Booooo sickness! I really hope you can still have a nice Thanksgiving. Maybe the kids can all chip in and make mashed potatoes and cranberry jello as you direct them!
Ha. Ha. Doesn’t that sound so relaxing?!?!
Anyway, I ALSO bought that book and enjoyed it, and I ALSO think my sister-in-law will love it! But I must not be as good a person as you, because I was totally planning on gifting her my (pre-read) copy for Christmas. Masturbation and nudity and all that, especially when underlined by family humiliation, is particularly hilarious at Christmastime!
Oh, and @Laura Diniwilk, I don’t think the interview gave away too much of the book. There’s still SO many great stories and anecdotes from her life, and most of the points she makes in the interview get a much more thorough and hilarious take down in the book.
The Sickness is going around here, too. My kid had it the last 2 days and I’ve been nearly paralyzed with dread that I’m going to get it next. Tis the season, I guess.
Hope you feel better soon!
I hope you feel better soon! Rob’s old enough to do some mashed potato, right? It’ll be good practise for him and relaxing for you if you can put him to work. William, too.
(I typed out a whole thing about how much I hated that book and why but then I deleted it. Feel better!)
I’m sorry you’re sick. Perhaps the special Thanksgiving-themed lesson is that you can demand help with the ridiculous amount of cleanup after the meal.
I haven’t heard of that book before now, but I enjoyed reading the interview you linked to.
My library has this book! I just put it on hold, as well as The Orchardist.
I love your book mentions, BTW – I just got done with The Chocolate Money and I had the same kind of “DEAR GOD!” reaction.
I keep forgetting about Thanksgiving – totally NOT fair for you to be sick right now. I just picked out my Christmas book for my brother and sister in law, but since I don’t tend to read books when they’re extremely new or recent I’m always afraid I’m going to end up giving them one I’ve already given them.
Based on your recommendation and that interview I may just read that book. I’ve been avoiding it because the people I know who’ve been reading it are rather irritating.
Also, I am with you on the sickness. We traveled last weekend and apparently two days of plan flights on 3.5 and 4.5 hours of sleep respectfully is where my immune system drops the defenses and rolls out the welcome mat. Sigh. For the first time ever we are having company for Thanksgiving. I’m still trying to decide if with enough Tylenol cold and hand washing I can solider on. : /
Oh no. I hope you’ll feel better soon.
I’m afraid that sickness could possibly be a gift from our household to yours. SORRY.
That book does look good. Your description– “awkward at Christmas”– made me laugh! HA!
I heard that interview and it was AWESOME – both because of what she said and her fabulous British accent. Our library has the book and I’m waiting for it to come in. Glad it’s worth that wait!
I hope you feel better!
That was a great interview — I want to join the club of “shrugging, cardigan-wearing reasonable people.”
Swistle! I downloaded How to be a Woman based on your recommendation and finished it in three days. I loved it, just as I have loved all the books you’ve recommended to me. Thanks for the good advice, once again. Also, the most recent post, and drops IN the bucket inspired me to do things at work today instead of just staring gloomily at my monitor.