I have a love affair with coffee. Every time I try to sever the relationship, caffeine pangs send me back to a mugful of java.
When I was just a DINK, coffee was a treat. I didn't need the boost. I also had an alarm clock that got me out of bed around six (except for those times when I would hurl the clock from my night stand and bury my head beneath my pillow). Weekends were a luxury of late mornings, with flavored coffee "just because." Nothing like a vanilla latte to mix it up a little. (Boy, I was a wild thing back then!)
But now, two kids later, coffee isn't a treat. It isn't a "just because." It's part of my bloodstream. The thought of a day sans coffee is enough to send me whimpering under the covers. (The plus side, though, is that I no longer need an alarm clock. The boys get up starting around five in the morning. Loudly. With much fuss. Loving Husband and I haven't known the luxury of a late morning since...how old is the eldest?...oh, June 2001.)
So coffee and I are together, for better or for worse. Sadly, I've become dependent on my liquid caffeine. Truly. I can't think straight without it. And there are repercussions.
Like this coming weekend. We're heading into NYC to see the grandfolks for Father's Day. "But Father's Day isn't until next Sunday," I hear someone mention in a stage whisper. True enough. Except on Father's Day, we're going to a wedding. (Yes. A wedding on the one day that beer equals flowers and colorful underwear is considered a precious gift.)
Not just any wedding. A family wedding...in Ithaca, NY. Understand that Ithaca is roughly three hours away by car. Between the distance and the date, why on earth would I have said "yes" to the invitation? We live far away from our family for a reason. (If any family members are reading this, I don't mean you, of course.) So what possessed me?
That's easy. I read the invitation before I had my coffee. I thought the card said the 18th of June (Saturday), and that it would be in Islip, NY (Suffolk County -- still quite the drive, but at least we could tie it in with a family visit to the city for Father's Day).
So, without coffee, I screw up dates and places. I can't believe I ever passed any classes before I took to coffee. (But to be fair, back then it was soda and chocolate. Same caffeine, different form.)
For better or for worse, indeed. So coffee drinkers of the world, heed my advice: don't even consider responding to mail before you have at least one cup of high test in you.
Speaking of which, I'm off to refresh my cup.
Book Buzz of the Day
The Bitch Posse by Martha O'Connor. Simply put, this is one of the best damn books I've read in years. It's dark, unforgiving, and brutal in its passion. Order it today on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com (one of these days, I'll figure out how to do the spiffy links). For more about Martha, check out her website: http://www.marthaoconnor.com (see above about the whole linking thing).
SCAM ALERT!
Attention, poets! Poetry.com is having another symposium in August. Here's the URL: http://www.poetry.com/poetscorner/index.asp.
NOTE: This is not an endorsement! This is, in fact, a huge, wish-I-could-do-it-in-neon warning. Here's one person's report from the Poetry.com 2000 symposium: http://windpub.com/literary.scams/bigmoney.htm
For more information on Poetry.com (a.k.a. the International Library of Poetry, the National Library of Poetry, etc.): http://windpub.com/literary.scams/abc-nlp.htm
A huge thanks to Jenna Glatzer of the ever fabulous Absolute Write Water Cooler for the information. URL: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/
Remember: Writers don't let writers get scammed!
TYPOS?!?
Okay, wise guys. Why the hell didn't someone TELL me that I had typos? *Grump.*
Thanks, Loving Husband! My blog post is now (God willing) OK. (Which, some argue, stands for "all correct." I suppose AC would look kind of silly, eh?
5 Comments:
I agree with you. THE BITCH POSSE is fantastic. I read it on one sitting!
I've been holding off on reading The Bitch Posse, because I'm not sure I'm up to it. I've got an 18-year-old daughter, and while she's doing great now, her early teens were just awful - for her and for us. So I feel rather "scraped raw" from the experience, and am wary of exposing myself to what I'm sure is excellent writing, for fear I'll find the subject matter too disturbing.
Having read it, can you allay my fears, or confirm them?
-Keith "Comma Boy" C.
PS - cool blog!
I would happily be one of Martha's bitches!
Keith -- TBP was utterly brilliant -- the writing is the kind that sinks its teeth into you and refuses to let you go. But the subject matter is dark, make no mistake about that. That being said, I think you should give TBP a shot. And just say to youself over and over again, "That's not my daughter." ;-)
Keith,
I wasn't going to TBP. Quite frankly, I was afraid to read it but I'm glad I let go of my fear and jumped in. The prose took my breath away. I couldn't put it down. And yes, I skipped over some parts that I found too disturbing. Bottom line, Martha dug deep and wrote a beautiful book. I have mad respect for her.
Well, I'll probably bite the bullet and read it, partly because I want to support Martha. Thanks for the input!
-Keith
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