Kinda hard to believe it’s November but also, thank God. I really, really could use a break, and I’m planning to take a couple weeks off work around the holidays, which can’t come soon enough. I will not bore you with the details, but I had another major anxiety spiral this week (what’s new, lol!) in regards to the process/logistics of self-publishing, and that was a real downer. I keep telling myself that doing hard things is a sign of growth in progress … but, honestly, it would be nice to do a little less growing and a bit more coasting this time of year. I’m exhausted!
This week, I channeled my spiritual malaise into splurging on some new books. I say “splurged” because they were both $30+ (for paperbacks). To be fair, though, one is literally 1,000 pages long (and the other is almost 500). I know what I’ll be reading for the rest of the year. One is Blinding by Mircea Cartarescu – whose Solenoid is one of my fave books of the past decade – and the other is Schattenfroh by Michael Lenz. Both, coincidentally, are translations (one from Romanian, one from German) and literary fiction. I got them as fuel for my writer’s brain. Having started Blinding, I can confirm that I made the right decision; the prose is stunning (Sean Cotter’s translation is brilliant) and the narration is lighting up my brain like an acid trip. [Full disclosure: I have never taken drugs of any sort, so I’m just guessing here, hah!] There is no plot, really; just gorgeous language and one devastating idea/insight/image after another.
I am currently angry at Value Village for making their latest 30% off coupon valid only Wed-Fri this week. It’s bullsh*t. In the past, these coupons – which get sent rarely, because thrift grift always be grifting – used to be good till Sunday, allowing me to shop on the weekends when I can go in the morning and enjoy a quiet(er) store. I guess I’m gonna pass this time. Frankly, in recent months, thrifting has taken a real nosedive. Part of it is my own lack of interest, as I’ve been busy with writing and other things, but part of it is the continuing decline in the quality of stuff at the thrifts, combined with increasing prices. I know I sound like a broken record now, but … ughh. I miss the old days!
This weekend, I’m going to a friend’s 50th birthday party and the theme is the 90s, which is very exciting. (She is also having it in the afternoon/early evening which is extremely appreciated because, let’s face it, staying up past 9 PM is a real struggle for some of us these days.) I haven’t figured out what I’m going to wear yet, which is stressing me out a little bit. I think I’m struggling to decide because I wear 90s style so often these days that I’ve become oblivious to it. It’s, like, what even is a quintessential 90s outfit versus, you know, what I wear every day? Anyway, I’m thinking that I’ll go with grunge – maybe a short plaid skirt and Docs and a graphic tee – but we’ll see.
Have a great weekend!