Saturday's Alright for Lounging

[lunabee34]

1. So, I had a brief moment in the first month of taking the vitamin D when I started feeling marginally better, but then everything took a nose dive and I've been feeling even worse the last two months. I have felt especially bad the past couple weeks. I feel hungover ever morning despite not drinking; I sleep the whole night through and wake up groggy and stay that way all day (trust me, you think this would be a good thing after the years of insomnia, but it's not; it's like I'm so exhausted my body can't help but crash). The brain fog and confusion is getting worse. My eyes are still dry. In February, I had this attack (that's the only way I can describe it) where I was extremely thirsty for two days and then it went away. That came back this week and was even worse--extremely thirsty and dry mouth, so much so that my voice was hoarse for two days. That is diminishing and is almost gone today. I am going next week to get more lab work done, including for diabetes (and, y'all, IDK how losing fifty pounds a couple of years ago and going to the gym just about every day since my mid-twenties can mean I have diabetes, but IDK; a lot of the symptoms fit), but just getting that lab order was an exercise in humiliation. I had to call and leave messages for the nurse and then she said she'd mail me the lab order (mail! in the mail! in this year of our Lord 2019! because they don't have email!) but the doc is booked up up until October for appointments.

I just feel so frustrated. I feel like everything associated with all this is so humiliating and time consuming. I feel like if these tests aren't revealing, then what am I going to do?

Something is 100% wrong with me. I have never felt like this in my life. The thought of just having to feel this way forever is unbearable.

/whining

2. The annual conference of The Org was yesterday. It went well. I'm president again which I expected but do not particularly relish. LOL We had 6 people not show this time (2 told me a week ago, one told me the night before and wanted to present via Skype LOL, and the last three just didn't show with no contact). I was crafty though! I put those last three on the final panel together because I had my suspicions. My list of people black balled from The Org grows ever longer!

3. Thank you, thank you, kaleecat!!!!!!!!! This book is as good as you said it would be.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


How did I not realize how wonderful this book is before now? It's been sitting on my nightstand for almost a year; I'd heard of it before and somehow vaguely thought it was one of those mystery novels with twee titles.

This book is awesome. It is told in epistolary format, and the narrative voices are amazing. It is witty and funny and terribly sad all while being uplifting. I cried about a million times and laughed out loud (for real) at least as many. It will break your heart every few pages and mend it right again just as quickly.

The novel is set just immediately post-World War II and deals with the trauma of the German occupation of the Channel Islands.

I think what resonates most is that this is a book about the love of reading, of the hope and joy that the written word can bring, of the way it creates community and friendship and shared dialogue. This is a book about what's at the heart of my teaching career and my Ph.D. and my scholarship.

It's a quick read, but I don't think I can recommend it highly enough.



View all my reviews

Comments

[zulu]

Ha, I love your craftiness! Everyone gets to go home early (which people love) and it's not your fault.

[lunabee34]

Yep!

I am a conference genius. LOL