What a day. I am seriously at a mental level of like a 15 year old. I expect to start writing in Internet shorthand right now -- isn't it gr8 that u r reading my blog? Uh, except I don't know how to write like a 15 year old. English was instilled in my during my English major years. Right. I won't get into the details, but sufficient to say, I need to calm the hell down.

Okay! Enough vaguely curious writing. Onward to more exciting and fun things. Like -- more books! I have been reading lately.

75. Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer (8/22). This book was huge and totally interesting. I have always had a fascination with MGM and this book shed new light on the studio and their system. I, like just about everyone else, thought that Irving Thalberg was the bee's knees. (And seriously, he was pretty cute. I'm just sayin'!) But apparently he was not all creative genius -- he wanted money, and lots of it. Not to say that Mayer was a saint, but he had a very interesting life. And his daughter Irene became a Broadway producer and helped produce A Streetcar Named Desire! I mean, seriously! How awesome is that. Anyway there is lots of very interesting Hollywood gossip -- including the fact that Mayer arranged for Van Johnson's marriage to Evie Wynn, who was married to Keenan Wynn, one of Van's friends and a character actor. She liked Van and Keenan got an unheard of contract for a character actor -- being paid year round! All to cover up the fact that Van was gay. Also, Mayer apparently proposed to Ann Miller! Ann Miller!! The dancer!! Anyway, it was a fairly quick read and included some very interesting information about the business aspect of Hollywood and how the creative side meshed with it. If you like Hollywood, this would be a very interesting book. If not, I wouldn't recommend it. Good story though! And it's true!!

76. The Waitress (8/23). A British chick lit novel. I have read several of her other books (including Persuading Annie back in January) that were based on Austen novels. This one had a purely contemporary setting. It was actually pretty good -- the story of our heroine is that she can't decide what she wants to do, so she works as a waitress until she figures it all out. Factor in some disastorous first dates, and it's a pretty interesting story. The story doesn't just revolve around our waitress heroine, as the other employees of the cafe are followed as well. All in all, it was a pretty good chick lit novel. I'd recommend getting it at the library.

I also started reading a really fascinating book today at lunch and expect to finish it pretty soon. My roommate, who I think I shall start calling Cupcake, (because that's the nickname I want to give her but she doesn't like it and why not do it where she won't know about it or even have a say in it!) read The Glass Castle last week and gave it to me to read. It is turning out to be a fascinating memoir all about the hardships the author endured as a child. I'm about a third of the way through it and right now, I would tell everyone to read it. She has such a way of telling these adventures during her childhood which must have been terrifying in many ways, but yet through her tellings -- and her parent's perspective -- become terrific adventures.

So it's Wednesday! And I need to get ready for Confirmation tonight -- we're meeting tomorrow at 6 pm to discuss the next two months. So basically, I am not free on a Thursday night again until the end of May. May 2006!! Wow. It seems like such a long time...but I get holidays off. And if the schools in the County close, I get the night off. I hope there are many snow days on Thursdays this winter.