chic week

This past week has been what Sammy calls "dude week," where all the guys in Sammy give up something for the week. Since Paul was participating in this by giving up video games, all TV, all junk food, all meat, all dairy, as well as fasting on Tuesday and Thursday (and probably something else I'm forgetting), I felt inspired to have my own little version--"chic week." I choose to give up meat and internet--the internet being the much more difficult one! The one exception to the rule would be that I could check my email once a day...since you never know when a prof is going to throw an extra assignment on ya!

The results of this week were that I got to bed A LOT earlier. Also, I felt much more focused. I think being on the internet a lot makes me start to think in terms of clicking, and having multiple tabs open at the same time, and my brain starts getting jittery... It's hard to explain. I'll have these little pop-up thoughts throughout the day, but then they'll be gone the next second, because I'm on a different page, or something else has popped up. I also felt less rushed. I had more time to do everything--getting ready in the morning, doing chores... I had more time for people. I called my friends more than usual; I wanted to do things. I was less forgetful too. I even worked out twice during the week! This is unusual.

I also got to read a lot more. This may horrify you literary, reader-type people, but I haven't read a book for fun, entirely, all the way through, for years. I've started many different books, but then I loose interest, or am annoyed by something about the way it is written, and abandon the book. The closest I've got to finishing a for fun book is Jane Eye, which I probably would have finished if I didn't keep leaving it at home.

Anyways, last week I ordered a book on Amazon called Silence in October by Jens Christian Grondahl. I heard about this book through reading By Cunning and Craft last year in Fiction class. It quoted Silence in October, and I remember being so drawn by those couple paragraphs. And now I am so glad I bought the book! I love the way it is written. I don't think I have seen one quotation mark of dialogue in the whole book yet. I didn't have anything against quoted dialogue before, but I can't say I miss it now. I can't really describe why I am loving this book so much, other than that the characters are so rich, and just the way it is written...which I can't describe. I will link an excerpt here if you are interested. I don't want to talk it up too much though, because maybe it's just me. I haven't finished the book yet, but I don't think I'll be abandoning this one.