Sleep Deprived Blogger Takes Some Liberties With This One

One thing I’ll note about shooting commercials is that it always sounds about a thousand times more glamorous than it really is.  I am on Day 8 in Prague, and that is certainly the case.  I haven’t had more than 5 hours of sleep a night since I got here, and I consider myself a Sleep Enthusiast.

Last night I finished my last meeting at 11 pm and knew I had to be in the lobby by 6 am.  A logical choice would be to get a few hours of much needed shut eye, but this braniac hasn’t really adapted to the time change.  So instead I had one drink with the team to wind down before bed – for some reason we all had Hemingways.

I have no idea why a Hemingway was selected in an Asian-Fusion hotel bar in Eastern Europe, but it was delicious and narrowly fits into this book-themed blog.  I even Googled the recipe for my Surprisingly Attentive August Audience:

2 oz white rum

1/4 oz maraschino liqueur

juice of 1/2 limes

1 oz grapefruit juice

Squeeze lime juice into a shaker, add remaining ingredients and shake briefly with a glassful of crushed ice. Serve in a frosted cocktail glass.

Bookworm Does What It Takes

Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian is a good book, and is going immediately into my girl reading rotation (Jenny, Mom, Erin – it’s headed your way).  Although I really liked this book, I still think the other books I have read by Bohjalian – were slightly better: Midwives and Trans-Sister Radio.  But all in all I like his Jodi Picoult-like style, and it was a great way to spend a weekend at the beach and a short flight to JFK.

…which led to an even longer flight to Prague.  Yes, I am in Prague.  And I spent my morning on a sunny boat ride down the Vltava River – or as I like to call it “building client relationships.”  And if that means we have to have 90 minute massages on Saturday, gosh darn it I will make it happen.  My career is just that important to me.

Bookworm & Client discuss important business initiatives.

Background for said important business initiatives.

A Reading Olympics Of Sorts

Andrew and I spent this weekend in Virginia Beach visiting my family with our friends.  Unbeknownst to them, it was a Reading Olympics.

Most of the crew reading on the beach,
while Jim mans the more important task of
Championship Sandwich Making back at the house.

Event #1: Reading at the beach.  In this event, morning beers were key for ultimate relaxation.  Occasional Blog Reader Erin started off behind in this event since she forgot her sunglasses, but Teammate, Blog Reader and Stepdad Jim lent a pair in a demonstration of team spirit.

Event #2: Reading on the porch.  In this brief event, a rotating group of teammates participated, while others showered or prepared dinner, respectively.

Event #3:  In the trickiest event, participants read on a bobbing fishing boat while maintaining slight hangovers. 

So much reading!  And what were these books you ask?

Mom: The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer.  An excellent recommend from this Bookworm. 

Andrew: A Wilbur Smith book – another in the Courtenay family series, which starts with As the Lion Feeds.

Erin: Popular Bookworm recommend Lost in Planet China by J. Maarten Troost.

Dave: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, which I haven’t read but am dubious about due to a subject matter I have very little interest in. 

Jim:  I don’t know what he was reading but the cover was black with neon orange letters.  Based on the cover font alone I am guessing this is a book I will not read, but to each his own.  

And the winner of the reading Olympics is… well, me.  Since no one else knew they were participating and this is my blog.  Go USA!

The winner's seat. 
Somehow there was time to both win the
Reading Olympics and document.



Bookworm Claims To Be At A Loss For Words – Is Never The Case

Jim the Boy by Tony Earley is a book.  That’s pretty much all I have to say about it, but I write a book blog so I feel the need to push myself to say more.  So… it’s about a boy named Jim. 

And there you have it.  This is a sweet little short book, possibly written for kids, that I am totally baffled by.  Baffled because it was lent to me by Blog Reader & Fuzzy Memories Guy Jed, who I can’t see reading this book.  Also baffled because the story had the elements of a good book, but I got the sense the author didn’t feel like developing them.   For example, Earley built up this Evil Grandfather Character…. and then Jim sees him through a window.  That’s it.  Then a friend of Jim’s gets polio, so he goes to visit him.  During the visit, his friend falls asleep and Jim leaves.  That’s it. 

I kept waiting for more story to come, or for there to be some big revelation at the end like Jim is blind and you have a good cry over it, but it never came and Jim can see just fine.  In which case I probably would tell Jim to skip this book and borrow one from me.

Readers Unite – Has Nothing To Do With Reading

My friends Kristen and Jed are readers.  In fact at their wedding in October, they are giving their favorite books to wedding guests as gifts.   But this bookworm won’t get to see this go down, because another friend (and Blog Follower Jomo) is getting married on the same day.  We are lucky to have so many great friends (and unlucky that they run their Fall Party schedule by us, but not their potential wedding dates).

Since we cannot attend the nuptials of Kristen and Jed, we threw them an engagement party this past weekend, co-hosted with two of Kristen’s college friends.  Here is how I know this party was a success:

1.        We drank all the beer. 

2.       We ate almost every bit of food.

3.       A dude named Tim put his face in the cake.

4.       Jed barfed in my front yard.

5.       The real grown-ups might still think we are classy young folks that have it together since they left before their son chucked it in the bushes.

The only reading I did this weekend was the following of recipes, but it was a weekend well worth it.  And don’t worry, I will be going back to my lame bookwormy lifestyle immediately.

This was taken during the short lived classy part of the evening.

Me and my co-hosts - Logan and Kate. 
These chicks are cool and fun.

I will miss not getting to see this guy at the wedding.
I bet he is a good dancer.

The only picture I took with both Kristen and Jed in it.
Oh look, and Norman!  What a cutie.

Reading From the 60s & Being an Idiot

Predictably as a Lady in Advertising, I am a big fan of Mad Men.  So I was super excited to hear from my mom that the show has released a summer reading list, based on the books read by characters in the show, and of course true to the time period.  I am embarrassed to say I have only read two books from the list: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (an all-time favorite) and The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (an all-time least favorite.  Thanks required high school reading!)

And for the record, working in advertising is not all “you’re a genius, Don!” conversations and drinking scotch.  In my experience, it is more likely to be “you’re an idiot, Allison” conversations, and the occasional domestic light beer.

Honesty Chosen Over Blog Success

Since I seem dead set on alienating readers, I am providing the following info graphic for perusal:

I wish I had come up with this because it is hilarious.