Sshhhh

Has anyone seen the commercial for a new radio station called Fresh? I know radio is local, but I think most of the stations on the air now are syndicated. This one claims, in its commercials, that it's not too young but not too soft. The way they do this is by having a woman upset about her choice in radio stations-- This one is too young (and she's dressed like a teenager listening to rap)! And this one is too old and tired! Guess what she's dressed as in the "old and tired" section? Yup. A librarian. Such a dis! Every time I turn that station on they are just playing crap, and I yell at the radio, "Yeah- no librarian would want to listen to your lame station!" I have definitely taken this personally. See for yourself here:



Now what to do about it?

Puzzling

Well, I'm sucked into the Idol right now. Not like sucked in because I can't stop watching, but sucked in like I am forced to watch it. I was just remembering how last week everyone was sick, and even though I wasn't in the studio with them it made me feel gross. I need to find something to do while Idol is on. I can't just watch their lame performances. But what to do? I'd like to do a jigsaw puzzle, but the one I have (where do they go after I do them? I have no idea) has really loose pieces. I hate that! How can I really tell if the pieces are fitting if they're all slidey?

Tonight is number one of the Project Runway finale. I am planning on falling asleep by 9:30, so I will have to watch the second half tomorrow. Last night I woke myself up at 3:00 a.m. because I thought I heard the smoke detector. I sleep with earplugs and a fan on, so I had to take out the plugs and run into the hallway. No detecting. Who knows why I woke up thinking that? And then I couldn't get back to sleep and when I did I had all sorts of dreams of myself yelling at my students to clean up. How pleasant.

What I should really be doing with my time is reading this book I am loving (Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. Historical fiction, which I kidded myself for a long time that I didn't like but I actually LOVE, so now I am indulging in it). Chances are I am too tired to move my butt off the couch, and shall be punished for my sloth by the mediocre, repetitive performances of Idol. But don't get me wrong: I don't hate American Idol. I just hate how frequently it's on.

Avoiding Idol

How can they possibly have this show on for three nights a week? And why must Matt watch them all? He is so funny- much more entertaining than American Idol- to watch. He makes all sorts of uncomfortable noises as he watches the contestants suck it up. I guess he likes cringing. I always try to get why he likes to watch so much, and he can't really answer. He never votes. It's a phenomenon every time AI is on-- why is it always on and why does Matt enjoy it so much? I'm hoping these three nights a week will be over SOON.

Speaking of Matt, he blogged about our Anderson's Bookshop Breakfast and includes some funny pictures. Check it out at www.matthewcordell.com/blog

Audio and Oscars

So the Oscars. I have little to say, except that I'm thrilled the song from Once won for best song. So incredibly beautiful and a joy to watch the two of them perform it at the Academy Awards. What was the deal with those awful songs from Enchanted, though? I haven't seen the movie, though I'm sure I'll like it enough, but those songs were HIDEOUS. Generic and bland and not funny or clever. Am I wrong? Would I think differently if I saw the movie? But kudos to Amy Adams for getting up and singing, alone on stage (why did they torture her like that?), in front of all of those people. Seriously brave.

I found out some fantastic news today (that I'm really not sure if I'm supposed to share or not, but it's super cool so I'm sharing)-- Mandy Siegfried is reading the Get Well Soon audiobook for Listening Library! She is so fantastic and has read a couple of my faves. I think she will be wonderful as Anna. How cool! Here's a clip of her reading Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli:


My very own audiobook! A dream come true! Perhaps I can get Amy Adams to sing a song about it...

Fuddy

On our way back from the Anderson's Breakfast, Matt and I went to lunch at Fuddruckers. They have great veggie burgers (probably because they are cooked on top of the actual meat juice) and great fries. They also have a gigantic, one pound burger, so I asked the kid taking our order, "Do you have a giant bun to go with the giant burger?" He answered, "Yeah, and we have a giant plate, too." That peaked my interest, so I asked, "How many giant burgers get ordered in a day?" He answered (more enthusiastically this time), "About five or so per shift." Sick! Then I asked, "Can you predict who's going to order them?" You could totally see that this kid, all nonchalant, couldn't-give-a-crap teenager, perked up at this conversation because then he said, "No. But every time anyone orders it, I can't believe they could actually eat that much meat." I could have gone all day with this conversation, but I could tell Matt was getting embarrassed or something (whatever), and there was a line forming behind us. I don't know why this story makes me smile so much. That's a lot of meat.

Anderson's Breakfast

Yesterday Matt and I went to our fourth Anderson's Bookshop Children's Literature Breakfast. They are always fun because we meet a lot of teachers and librarians and authors, but they are also always stressful for several reasons. Matt is public speaking phobic, and even though the format is that there are a few Mega Author Speakers who speak in front of the whole crowd of 600 (this year was Richard Peck and Keven Henkes and a no-show Ann M. Martin [due to weather]), and the rest of the authors sit at each of the sixty tables, rotating every half hour or so, telling our tablemates about our books and stuff, it's still like being on for a full four hours. I find it difficult, as well, because it's always on a Saturday after having worked all week, and it's always at a venue that's at least an hour away from our house. We have to wake early, drive far, and smile a lot. This year there were so many authors that I think a lot of the teachers and librarians had trouble deciding whose books to purchase (they have a little store set up so you can buy any of the authors' books). In the past, there weren't as many authors (or attendees), and, therefore, people we talked to at tables often bought our books (probably to be nice or out of obligation after we visited with them, but a sale's a sale). This year only one of Matt's books was purchased and zero of mine were[pause to note that I don't actually know how many of our books were purchased, but only one person came over to us during the autographing time]. There were so many authors spread out in a huge room, waiting desperately (or it felt like that) for someone to want an autograph. It would be a little humiliating, except that most authors were in the same boat. Oh well. So is the life of a relatively unknown author. I wonder what it would be like to be the Richard Peck, with his line around the block for autographs for over an hour. Someday, maybe. Speaking of Richard Peck, he wrote one of my favorite novels of all time, Fair Weather, about kids going to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. I had him sign my book and told him I was seeing Erik Larson speak today about Devil in the White City. Mr. Peck and I talked a tiny bit about how he wished that Larson's book had been written earlier, so that he could have used it as research for Fair Weather. Then he said, "Larson has a new book out, doesn't he?" And I said I didn't know. And then Peck said, "Well that's probably what he's going to be talking about." And I felt all stupid because it made me seem like a poseur, so I said, "No, he's talking about Devil in the White City because it's a One Book One City thing," but I still felt stupid. And then I had to rush out of there for the next person. Sigh. It's never quite what you expect, is it?

At the Car Wash

I finally, finally had a car wash today. It has been so snowy here over the last month, and then so cold or messy, that I haven't been able to get a car wash. I did it today. I tried to do it the other day, and I pulled into this gas station car wash where you have to drive around a paved circle, and then it turned out that the machine only accepted exact change. I had to back it out of there, and I was screaming and swearing the whole way. Luckily no one pulled into the circle behind me. I would have lost it.

Today's car wash was almost a bust, too, because I thought my credit card went through and I was all ready to pull in, but I ended up having to swipe it again. I thought the car wash forces may have been against me.

Every time I get a car wash, I play a song called "Golden Brown" by the Australian band The Stranglers. (I think I may have blogged about this before, so indulge me). You can hear it here at my MySpace page. I think it is a perfect, whimsical song for a car wash. This time was SO FUNNY because I spazzed out when the water started squirting and had to double check my windows, and then I double-checked my sunroof. But it's been so long since I used my sunroof that I accidentally OPENED it! My heart was spazzing out, and luckily I got it closed in time. It was pretty funny.

Does anyone else out there have car wash songs? (Please do not say "At the Car Wash.")