Review, High & Dry

I need something mindless to do.

I've been reading a fairly good book, Geisha, A Life, by Mineko Iwasaki. It blows the previous book out of the water. That one was Superior Women by Alice Adams.

Don't get me wrong, the book was okay. I just was not in the mindset to read something of that nature. To me, it was rather pointless and didn't end on any final note. I had no... Ahh, that was a good ending moment. In fact, when I finished the epilogue, I remember my first words about it... "What kind of crap ending was that???"

No one finds happiness. No one is settled. No one hugely changes. The characters are, in my opinion, static. Many remain the same in personality as when they begin. They paint a horrific picture of marriage and strongly favor casual and meaningless sex, endorse petty and shallow relationships.

The book could say a lot if I were in the mood. It could be a painting of what not to do with your life. But I was not in the mood for that.

I wanted a happy ending where all learned how to live as civilized, respectable people who grew into themselves and found their happiness in forms that did not destroy those around them. Where a fifty-year-old woman doesn't deal with the death of a close friend by spontaneously flying to Hawaii and engaging in a drug-filled sex-fest. Because honestly... I mean, c'mon!!!

Is that too much to ask???





It was a rather rough night. The kids were at their misbehaving best. I had no babysitter during my last lesson. The coffee maker broke. I didn't get enough sleep last night, I really needed that coffee. And I have a coffee date in the morning. I really need that coffee tomorrow, too. And I'm retaining water, so my rings itch. And I broke a toenail. And the dogs stink because they rolled in something muddy, and I haven't had time to give them a bath. And my mop broke. And the kids broke my husband's new umbrella. Complain, complain, complain. Tomorrow is another day.








Most of all, I just feel alone. I don't have as much time to spend with my friends. I am a social person, I thrive when I'm surrounded by the people I adore. My schedule (teaching four nights a week) doesn't allow for much social time. And I miss it. I can't wait for the summer. Even the lack of income every month from teaching will not dampen the joy I will have with the free time I'll be able to spend with friends.

And in the fall I'm going to be smarter and schedule all lessons on one or two days. Because I love teaching. I can't give it up, even if I didn't need the money. But it would be easier to dedicate a day or two to it and leave the rest for other things. I guess you learn best by making mistakes, right? I just have to keep telling myself... you live and you learn.