When All Else Fails, Blog About Books

I'm not going to lie or sugarcoat.  I'm having a really hard time sticking it out this last week of class.  I'm working on a project that is never-ending and is worth almost as many points - by itself - as all the work, combined, that I have done this summer.

So, no pressure or anything.

I am at the end of my rope and don't have two brain cells to whack together.  I am also not encouraged by the "helpful" comments my prof is making on my work thus far.  Why must work only lead to more work?  Why can't someone virtually pat me on the back and send me some wine?  Me thinks I'm more of a perfectionist than I give myself credit for.  But me also thinks the energy cup is empty.  Me thinks I'm in trouble, procrastinating too much, and it's making me...unpleasant to be around.  Me thinks I might be too old for school.

G escaped to the game store today and I'm not entirely sure he'll ever come back.

To be clear, this is a first world problem, and not even a very serious one.  Two good friends of mine just had babies and are up to their ears in child rearing.  Another friend - and I'm not exaggerating here - has a hole in her back.  A hole!  It's healing but um, it's a hole.  Another friend is struggling with the death of her grandfather, right around the time mine died as well, and must repeatedly come to terms with this void in her life.  We talk about this and get teary and it makes me feel not as alone in my grief that sometimes dulls but never actually goes away.  And let's not forget a friend who's forging a new life in a foreign country, young kids in tow, and managing not to kill anyone or flee back to the U.S. (yet).

So, at the end of the day, what's a little homework stress?

Exhibit A: Me before a double shot of tequila

Exhibit B: B afterwards

(To be clear, I sip, I don't shoot it.  Although the prospect is tempting at times.)

So let's do another book review, shall we?

Bossypants by Tina Fey

About 1,000,000 people have told me that this is a must-read, and they were right!  Fey jumps around a bit from some of her experiences growing up, to getting her comedic path figured out after college, to being a minority (female) in a man's world of comedy.  The book gets off to a slow start and I was nervous about that since, besides homework (blechhhhhhh) it was the only book I had in my backpack during the first part of our trip.  But!  It got really entertaining really fast and before I knew it I was snorting guffawing in the Munich airport and G was moving to another seat so people wouldn't think we were together.

You have to read this one.  You just have to.  It's easy to pick up and put down whenevs, it has a good and healthy perspective about life and how to balance problems and opportunities, and I really hope Fey writes another one.  (Side note: Amy Poehler's new book is out).

Enjoy!