Who do I still think I am??

This one's about to run from covers.

30DBC PROMPT: "I recently rediscovered the usefulness of the library () even after working here all year, and began looking more and more in depth at the covers of books. What book are you reading now? If you aren't currently reading a book, what is the next book you want to read, or what is the last book you finished? What drew you to that book? Look specifically at the cover design, the back cover, and the inside flaps. What makes this book one that would stand out on a library shelf?"

Good evening friends! I love it when prompts and plans come together, because it means I don't actually have to think about much when I'm trying to do up one of these blogomathingeys on the interwebs. That's a good feeling, especially when you don't feel like spending all night trying to give the people what they want (and by "you" I mean me, and by "they" I mean you...go math that out and tell me how that looks).

Anyway, this works out because not only have I recently finished a book and have one sitting near my bed casually waiting for a prolonged failure of internet connectivity before I start reading it, but I also picked up a couple of used books at work as well this morning.

My methodology is pretty simple...I honestly don't care about the cover. Of the three books I grabbed today, one had no cover (it was torn off), one was a hardcover with no jacket (so no cover art), and the third was a dictionary. No joke. Oops...my bad. That first one does have a front cover- it's the back that's missing, but it's also the back that I first saw.

I wasn't kidding.
And yes, that's the famous blog notebook.

I took them because the book with no art whatsoever is a guide to the fundamentals of public speaking...not something I have too much of a problem with, but I'm well aware that I mumble a lot and shift my eye contact frequently. In short, I need to cut that out and I want to see if this book (although it's over fifty years old) has any tips. Plus, ya know, it's kinda retro, and retro anything is almost always in vogue or whatever anyone else not named Madonna says these days. Maybe this book can teach me how to not make stupid cheesy pop song references too.

The dictionary? I love dictionaries and thesauruses. I prefer having one close to me when I'm writing, even though, uhhhh, internet. The kinda messed up thing is that in one of the boxes of belongings of mine that made it to Cortland from Buffalo are my some of my reference books...I just don't feel like going through them again to pull them out. There's too much other stuff in those boxes I don't feel like confronting right now. But yeah, I feel better having a book in my hands that knows what every word means.

The last book, the paperback sans back cover, is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, and this copy too is over fifty years old. The front reads "The most haunting love story in the English language." I hope that's hyperbole. Regardless, I kinda have a "classics" fetish, due in part to not having read many of them when I was younger and probably was supposed to . I don't recall Bronte being required at any time, and I could give a rat's ass about the mushy romance factor...I wanna know what makes these books so great. I wanna pick them apart in my head while I'm reading them, and hopefully learn something I can incorporate into my own writing later on. I can't read solely for pure enjoyment...if that were the case I'd just watch TV, because it involves even less physical activity. It takes a different kind of concentration, or at least it does for me.

But the book I've been holding out on since finishing Night by Elie Wiesel (another "classic") is Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, which ironically is a book I read back in high school. I'll be honest though...I don't remember a whole lot about it other than going on a field trip to see a theatrical version of it and being blown away (although now I might be confusing that memory with Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men). The cover itself isn't very striking, but I'm guessing there's some symbolism at play...it's a bird flying and a tree, and there's a hole in the tree that has a ball of yarn in it. There's also a pocket watch hanging in the hole. Now that I've dedicated a paragraph of my time to it, the significance of the cover will be in the back of my mind. And I'll probably be pissed if I can't figure it out or it proves to be irrelevant. Of course, it might be autumn before I actually finish reading it...I'll probably wait until it's warm enough to spend some time outside in the sun without gloves or pants before I really get back into the habit of looking at words in books. I tend to go in fits and starts, but we'll see.

BCF PROMPT: "Fruit or vegetables? Which is your favourite?"

I love that sometimes I don't have to look at the name on the prompt email to know who it comes from . I know Lyn's a sly fox isn't Canadian or European, and I'm fairly positive CJ Reddick isn't either...so that leaves Shaye , who's definitely British (and there's nothing wrong with that). Now that's got me wondering...does anyone else add the letter "u" to words? I think I've seen everyone's favorite Canadian, Brother Nature , do it before. Elle - on hiatus , since you were all interested on Saturday (or was it the day after? ) if we could hear the New Zealand accent in the songs you posted in "World Famous In New Zealand"  (read that, you guys...some great tunes in that entry), do the Kiwis (please tell me I've used that properly and it's not some kind of slur only people from NZ can call each other) stick a "u" in words like favorite, labor, or honor? And can anyone tell me why that's such a thing? I'm curious, but not curious enough to look it up for myself while I'm trying to hatch your next favorite blog entry.

Oh yeah, that...fruits or vegetables. I'm gonna have to go with fruit on this one (which reminds me, I've got an orange in the fridge all cut up and waiting for me to get into), although it's a tough choice because I do enjoy me some fresh veggies with a good dill or ranch dressing. I think a bunch of us should hold a draft of fruits and vegetables; we'll all select them like we're picking teams for something, I dunno. I know what I'd like my lineup to look like, but it all depends on who's picking what.

Ok, dumb ideas aside, fresh fruit beats fresh veggies 90-95% of the time for me. Maybe it's because of the sweetness, or that they taste better in a juice format than vegetables do (sorry, not even vodka can help tomato juice ), or I think of a lot of fruits as being more convenient overall...you wouldn't eat a potato or a tomato like you would an apple, would you? I think if you were to line up a bunch of categories and make comparisons, fruits would best vegetables in a tale-of-the-tape beatdown. Like veggies come into the ring, all prancin' around and flauntin' the vitamins and minerals while the kids boo and hiss from the crowd, and then fruit charges in, smacks the greenery in the back with a steel chair, and wins the championship in less than a minute. That's how good fruit is. [Sidenote: If you were so upset with a vegetable's performance in an off-Broadway play (or a wrestling match), and it was around the time dissatisfied patrons could get away with throwing stuff from the crowd, what would they throw? Not tomatoes, I'd hope.]

All that the question posed in the prompt really serves for me is to point out that I don't eat nearly enough fresh produce...and when I do, it's either coated with some form of sugar or dairy deliciousness. Thank you for reminding me that I'm an absolutely terrible eater, Shaye , and that we are what we eat as a reflection of who I am...which makes me a horrible person. So now you're callin' me names, as well as taking my physician's side regarding my sodium intake and my high cholesterol? Well, I'm never answering this prompt again!

Just kiddin', Carmela...we're cool.

MUSICAL BREAK!!

There aren't enough songs about fruits, and even less about vegetables (unless you're, like, three years old, I assume, and you're just discovering that the crap you've been spoonfed your entire life was mashed peas and strained carrots, potentially causing your very first episode of distrust in those whose job it is to take care of you...and if so, I'm sorry, although if you're three you probably shouldn't be reading this. Cover your eyes!!). Please, if there is a musical endeavor for adults that involves a vegetable, please do not hesitate to share it with someone other than me.

"Millions of peaches, peaches for me...
Millions of peaches, peaches for free!"
Tell me that won't get stuck in your head for awhile.

THE DAILY BOX SCORE:

Well, my phone didn't ring today, so no news is good news, right? If there was a problem with my blood work I would've gotten a call with the ominous "We need to talk, sir" tone, yeah? Just agree with me and I promise I'll move on and not bore you with me tryin' not to wig out about anything.

Made it through my short day at CAPCO, which wasn't too bad because technically we're only open Tuesdays and Thursdays, but there's still donations to process and general upkeep that needs to be done. I'll have to bust out the big boy pants for the 9am-4pm shift tomorrow, but they're totally cool with me not doin' a whole lot.

Wish I had more to add, but life is better when there's less clutter and not a lot to complain about. And it looks like I've got a little time to spare as well this evening, which is always a bonus . Peace, might as well sit on the couch and read a book or two, and GOODNIGHT NOW!!