Homework

No, no, I'm not in school again. I have elected (a.k.a. my OWN decision) to study for and take the CPON exam. CPON stands for Certified Pediatric Oncology Nurse. Which means I am considered an "expert" (and I use the quotes purposefully!) in my field. And I get more money at my next job. And the personal satisfaction of expanding my knowledge. I have a Big Huge Bright Purple textbook that I am supposed to be reading right now to prepare for the exam in July. Supposed to be reading. Here's the story:

I flew to Pittsburgh last Wednesday to see The Fiance (sooooo glad to see him!) and find a house and a job over the weekend. (Did it. I am the proud owner of my/our first house!!) I was all excited because I brought the BHBP textbook with me so that I could get tons of reading done on the plane. And I did. Then I didn't touch it again for the five days that I was there. So. Now I am in the car with Fiance, halfway to Pittsburgh. And that's when it hits me. And that's when I jump in my seat and shout, "Crap!!!!" The Fiance, nearly driving off the road (shouldn't he know my outbursts by now?), says, "What did you forget?" Because, you see, it is my endearing habit to always ALWAYS forget something when I travel. Usually it's my entire toiletry kit (read: trip to Target to get a second set of every kind of makeup I already own). I had forgotten my purple book. All that reading and studying out the window. All that time wasted on...

..."The Magnificent Ambersons!" by Booth Tarkington. And ooohhhh how I love this book. It is so marvelously frivolous with shallow sappy characters. I have come to find that I am a fan of the just-post-turn-of-the-century authors who make fun of their own characters for being so deliciously self-absorbed. And anyone with a name like Booth Tarkington must be a cool guy.

Smilla's Sense of Snow

So, after the book binge of March, I took a little break from the reading world. I was talking to the Professor today and she said, "You haven't posted anything on your book blog in a while, you know." So I thought I'd take this opportunity to write a little.

Since I've not been reading, what have I been doing, you ask? Well, I've been planning the wedding and trying to get a home loan for the Fiance and I. And I've been picking out bridesmaid dresses and meeting with the reception guy. And I rewrote my resume, got an interview at CHP for next week. And I've been working. A lot. I feel like I live at the hospital. I don't know if any of that is an excuse for not having a book on the nightstand, but it's true.

(I did read a book by Alison Smith, called "Name All the Animals." It's a memoir -- a departure from my usual fiction. It's a coming of age story in a sort of detached writing style, which is odd considering it's the author's life story. Huh.)

So now I'm reading "Smilla's Sense of Snow" by Peter Hoeg. It's a Scandinavian thriller of sorts set in Denmark. I watched the movie in my Scandinavian Film class at GAC and loved it. But I was frustrated because I felt like the director didn't flesh out Smilla's character. My professor suggested I read the book. So here I am, five years later, finally reading the book. The first 150 pages, I was bored, because I knew everything that was going to happen. But now Smilla is real for me and the thrill of the story is catching up with me.

So if you're looking for a variation on the summer blockbuster, read SSoS.