Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart (Don't judge 2/30)

Mr. Darcy broke my heart - Beth Pattillo

I've been reading Les Miserables and really enjoying it but my dear friend Victor can be a bit on the heavy side. So when I went into Barnes and Noble last weekend I wanted something light and fun that I could get through quickly without the urge to mark passages and make notes in the margins. I was perusing the new fiction table and I noticed this book because of the cover. There is a woman in a pretty red dress...what can I say, I like pretty dresses!

I read the back and the first few pages and was intrigued. Now, here comes the disclaimer - even though I really hate to have to put one, I know I need to. I wrote my undergraduate thesis on modern representations of Jane Austen and actually devoted an entire chapter to Chick Lit - a term that just rubs me the wrong way. It irritates me that it's an actual literary term but so it is. What was I saying...ah yes...thesis. I was looking at how Austen has been used and maybe abused by authors today in a myriad of different ways. It's interesting to see that what is being said usually says more about the person saying it than Austen herself. It's something that still interests me a great deal so when I see a book that has anything to do with Austen I take a look. I've read it all. Continuations of Austen's novels, retellings and works "inspired" by Austen's novels. Some are quite entertaining and others are glorified fan-fiction with sex, duels and heaving bosoms. But I digress...

Pattillo actually surprised me with this story. What could have been more of the same - glorified fan fiction and heaving bosoms intrigued me. It takes place in one week while the main character, Claire, is attending a summer seminar at Oxford on Jane Austen. Claire has recently lost her job, she has a boyfriend that is less than enthusiastic, her parents died when she was 18 and she has been taking care of her younger sister ever since. While there she just happens to meet an old woman who just happens to be a direct descendant of Austen through one of Austen's brothers. And this woman just happens to have the lost manuscript of First Impressions - what would later become Pride & Prejudice.The plot is ridiculous but it's just what keeps the characters moving. Claire, of course, meets a good looking, mysterious man while there but it's not what you think it would be.

Pattillo does something that I haven't encountered with other Austen spin offs. She uses the larger than life character of Mr. Darcy as a vehicle for self discovery for her heroine. The story isn't really about Claire's love life or who she will or won't end up with. It's about her finally coming to terms with her parent's death and letting go of her little sister. It's not the best novel I've ever read but I was pleasantly surprised with it. The sections that took place in the classroom were fun for me because it reminded me of my own Austen Seminar Senior year. This definitely isn't a book for everyone but it was a good antidote to Hugo and his heavy handed metaphors and suffering.

My Happy Place

As you all are well aware, I am a HUGE book lover. I love all things related to and pertaining to books. When having a bad day I can pick up a book or walk into a book store and immediately feel better. I've said this many times but growing up I always dreamed of having the library from Beauty and the Beast and I am well on my way. My mom joked that when I get my own place and/or get married, I'll need a two bedroom apartment just so I can fit all my books...tee-hee. It makes me giddy just thinking about it.

I have a friend from the ward, Heidi. She has a hilarious blog - check it out here - seriously. It's great. Anyway, she goes to this used book sale in Phoenix every year and it's next weekend. Can I just say how insanely jealous I am? If I had known about this sooner I definitely would have gone.

Well...there's always next year!

Chivalry is dead - sorry ladies

I don't know if you all have heard this yet but it's true - chivalry is dead. Deceased. Terminated. No longer alive. It has kicked the proverbial bucket. I'm not saying this to rag on the menfolk or be rude or anything but I felt it my duty to let my fellow woman know and I have proof.

It was approximately two weeks ago on a windy, cloudy forlorn Friday evening. I was still at work and I got a phone call from my sister, Annie. Her car had died in the Harmon's parking lot not far from my office and she asked me to come and jump her car. Her husband was at home with the kids and couldn't come to her aid. I jump in my car and hurry over to Harman's. (side note- apparently Harmon's is the place cars go in my family to die. Mine did the same thing several months ago and would not start.) When I get there I pull up next to her car, pop my hood and get out. For the life of us we could not get her car hood open. She is texting her husband and he says to just pull the lever. We pull the lever and nothing happens. No magic popping noise telling us the lever released the hood. We both tried together, separately, there was jiggling and much effort but to no avail. And here's the rub. While we were standing there in the crowded, busy parking lot we were passed by many people - male a female - and not one person stopped to help us. We were obviously struggling but not one person offered their assistance. Two men parked and left in the spot right in front of my sisters - both of them even looked at us peering up into the hood of her car but did either of them stop to see if we needed help? Nope. They just got in their car and went on their merry way. Now, I know I may not be much to look at sometimes but have you seen my sister? Yeah...She's pretty. So no one stopped to help us. I ended up driving her back to her apartment so her husband could take a look at the car. He's a good guy and handy with mechanical things. He fixed my car for me!

Now, I know we're in the age of the "liberated woman" and I'm supposed to be able to do all these things for myself and I shouldn't want guys to be chivalrous. Can't have it both ways...blah blah blah. I've heard it and in fact said most of it before. However, when we were in obvious need of assistance and no one and I mean no one would help us out...something is not right.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde - see the musical (1/30)

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

I think most of us are at least familiar with the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. There are movies, TV shows and even a Broadway musical based on the story. In fact, it was the musical that made me want to read the original source material (it's good!). I went to my local Barnes and Noble and got it for about $8 (I love the B&N Classics Series). Excitedly I sat down to read, looking forward to the suspense, mystery. Murder! Mistaken Identities! Good vs. Evil! A real page turner, right? Hm...not so much. It's not a full novel but rather a short novella...about 60 or so pages. I got to the very end where Dr. Jekyll explains what he did and I didn't even want to read it. I wasn't attached to the characters, I didn't care what happened to them or what Jekyll's reasons/motivations where. I just did.not.care. If you're looking for an exciting story with a little mystery, don't bother. However, if you're looking for a story that kind of sort of looks at Victorian morals, this may be the story but probably not.

Dating Tirade

So I'm seriously breaking the "no late night blogging" rule but for whatever reason, I'm still up and on the computer. Feel free to stop reading now.

In the past several days I have had multiple conversations with several different people from completely different areas of my life about being single. It's not just LDS women either. And we all seem to have the same issues. Lots (in some cases) of first dates but no second dates or really, really, really...really bad first dates and then the guy thinks you're going to go meet his parent's in Washington for Christmas. Or no dates at all. Or relationships that have no potential to go anywhere. Or insanely creepy stalker boys. Or emotionally and mentally unstable basket cases that belong in a straitjacket...you get the point. MY point is...well, maybe I don't really have a point other than seriously...seriously?????

I know so many beautiful, wonderful, smart, talented, successful women that beat themselves up because they a. can't get past date #1 b. get past date #1 only to realize the poor schmuck isn't worth it c. aren't in a relationship heading towards the white picket fence, a dog and 2.5 children. Why do we do this? Why do we associate our sense of self with what don't have instead of what who we are and what we have to contribute. It makes me sad/mad when I see girls that have everything in the world to offer a guy and they get treated like crap by guys that have no business even asking these women out! Why do we put up with this?!

I may be closer to 30 than I am to 20 (and apparently in UT that means I am past my expiration date) but I deserve better than I've been getting dag-nabit and so do you (that is, of course, assuming that you too are single).


ps. I'm not really as bitter as I sound and this was in the context of several conversations and general bombardment of lack of coupledom.

Look, there goes another lemming...

I wasn't going to do a New Year's post and I wasn't going to list my "New Years Resolutions". Mostly because I think New Years Resolutions are kind of cheesy and silly. If you're going to work on something and set goals, then why do you have to wait until January 1st to start? If it's important enough, you should start working on it right away, no matter what the date, right? Well, in theory yes that's true. But the truth is people (myself included) need a little kick in the pants. It can be difficult to actually get started on your goals and if a certain date helps you to get started then who am I to judge, right? I guess I don't like "Resolutions" because it's almost expected that you're going to fail and you'll do really well for the first couple of weeks but then you give up. But, I digress...that's a tirade for another post.

Instead of listing 'resolutions' I am going to list things that I want to do/accomplish in 2010. Isn't that the same thing, you ask? No. It's not...simply because I say so.

Just go with it...

1. Physically fit - cliche, a little but I don't really care. I'm not saying 'lose weight' because that involves a whole steamer trunk of baggage associated with dieting and all that. But I do want to be healthy. So I don't really have a target weight or a dress size in mind. I'm also not doing this for the boys...because honestly, I don't think that will change all that much.

2. Financial Responsibility - It's just me. I have no one else that is dependent upon me to be financially responsible. So if I spend a little too much on a new outfit or maybe an adorable pair of shoes (ahem) I'm the only one that has to deal with the fallout. I think that's part of why I haven't been better about my spending habits. I'm not saying that I run up a balance on the credit card or I'm constantly shopping and spending money. I just don't really think about it that much and that leads to trouble. I'm closer the 30 than 20...isn't it time that I start being smarter with my money? Save more, spend less.

3. Do fun stuff around town. Including but not limited to...
3a. Three Musketeers at Hale (Draper)
3b The Scarlet Pimpernel at Hale (Orem)
3c Michael Buble Concert
3d UMFA

4. Music. This is kind of a blanket goal. I'm still taking voice lessons and I want to take it a little more seriously, meaning actually practice between lessons. Contrary to what I've thought my entire life, I'm not an alto and according to my teacher, I'm not even a Mezzo...I'm a soprano. Who knew?

5. Go Skiing at least 3 or 4 times.

6. Fold and put laundry away instead of letting it sit on the floor of my room all week

7. Read a European History Textbook cover to cover. anyone know where I can get one??

8. Cook more - this will help with both 1 & 2.

9. Learn, memorize & perform Italian aria without making a fool of myself

10. Grad school...please...for the love!!!

11. Learn to knit something other than a scarf

12. pay off piano (so close!)

13. pay off medical bills

14. purge and organize closet - including shoes sniff, sniff

15. Take spontaneous road trip -the spontaneity may debatable seeing as how it's on the list but go with it..

16. Tuacahn - that happens every year anyway, I might as well add it to the list

17. Read 30 books and post reviews

18. Go to a bonfire

19. Host a dinner party

20. Go through photos and order prints, frame said prints and give to subjects of photos and hang on walls.

21. Journal more frequently

22. Read all the books that I have purchased but have yet to actually read

23. Compile family photos/stories into nice little book...this should be an ongoing project

24. fix desk drawer(s) so they actually close & buy screw to put on handle of second drawer

25. replace and/or refurbish night stand


I'm sure I'll come up with more stuff as the year progresses or the need to tweak these listed, but I figure this is a pretty good starting point.

Uh....

So if this guy just sang the guy's part I would say he's pretty sexy but the fact that he can sing the girls part believable and well just sort ruins it for me...that and the fact that he's singing a duet with himself.