"Sure you'll make a lot of money but you'll never make time"

I've been working non-stop for the past year, whether I'm doing papers/projects or working at one of my many jobs (Kohl's, hardware store, after school/recess supervising). I have barely had any time to read. Since I'm an English major, it's a given that I love books. But honestly, the last book I read that wasn't required for a class was Jostein Gaarder's The Orange Girl (which was astoundingly good) back in October.

I just bought Michael Ian Black's collection of essays My Custom Van. Honestly, it is probably the most hysterical book I've ever read (although I do have a soft spot in my heart for the Angus series). It is similar to David Sedaris' books, but much more outlandish and outright funny. I've only read half of it so far, and I am going to save the rest of the essays for a later date because I think I may honestly cry when I'm done.

Thus, I went to the library today to add more books to my summer reading pile. So far, I have:

The Complete Stories of Truman Capote (finish reading)
The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
The Arsonists Guide to Writers' Homes in New England by Brock Clarke
My Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl
Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder
Maya by Jostein Gaarder
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
On The Road by Jack Kerouac
Everything's Eventual by Stephen King
Kim by Rudyard Kipling
The Song of Names by Norman Lebrecht
The Museum of Dr. Moses by Joyce Carol Oates

I have some work to do...only one and a half months left to read all these books! I have a lot more on my shelves that I still have to read as well. I really can't lug all of these across the country when I move at the end of August.

When I Grow Up...

I'll know I'm a bona fide adult when I have a standing subscription to Consumer Reports.

The Absurdity of Retail

Being an English major, I understand the power of a carefully placed word more than anyone. So why on this green earth would anyone have chosen to name a brand of clothes aimed towards the over 50 woman "Sag Harbor"?! Of all things. SAG? Reallllly???!!! That sounds like a comment a witty 16 year old would make about his great aunt. "Her metaphorical boat has docked permanently in Sag Harbor".

The thing that really makes me laugh is the tagline for the brand. On the clothing tags it says "Sag Harbor: The Clothes I Wear". The clothes you wear why? "The clothes I wear...because my twins went south for the winter eight years ago and have yet to return".

Some guy over at the Kellwood Company must high five himself every morning knowing that he successfully marketed a frump brand of clothing under the name "Sag Harbor". Bravo, dude.