As a huge fan of the book I looked forward to the movie release like no other. I read the reviews that said it was a typical chick flick and those that said it was a romantic comedy. Julia Roberts does play the lead and is the queen of romantic comedies so I was disappointed before I even got to the theater, on opening night of course.

My disappointment turned out to be a good thing. I had high expectations before reading all the reviews. Going into it believing that it had been butchered and churned out into yet another Julia Roberts romantic comedy lowered my ridiculously high expectations. I liked the movie more than I probably would have without having read the reviews.

I still like the book MUCH better than the movie. But it was no romantic comedy and was actually pretty good. In fact, if you never read the book, you’ll probably love the movie even more than I did. It’s a drama with some funny parts. Exactly as it should be. Exactly like life.

I loved the book primarily because I identified so strongly with the author and her problems. I read it at a time when I was half out of my mind, hated my life, hated myself and was struggling to figure out why. I had recently discovered, much to my chagrin, that I had actively participated in the creation of the life I had come to loathe. I had just come out of a long and ugly separation from my husband and was about to embark on a reconciliation. I was also alone on a beach in another state, my first solo trip ever, when I read it. The parallels were undeniable. Reading about her brutally honest account of the mess she had made of her life, her realization of the role she played in that mess, the guilt, shame, anxiety and depression she felt and her efforts to find peace made me feel positively euphoric. I was not alone or (entirely) insane!  There was at least one other person out there feeling exactly as I did AND she wasn’t afraid to go public. The book served as an affirmation and gave me hope.

With that explanation out of the way….the movie:

First and foremost the best line of the book was altered for the movie. When Richard from Texas said, “The mosquitoes here are big enough to rape a chicken!”, in the book, I laughed out loud. Alone. On a beach. In another state. That line was altered in the movie. It wasn’t nearly as funny. Apparently you can’t say the word, “rape”, in a PG-13 movie? That one line alone would be worth the R rating. How many teenagers are really seeing this movie anyway?

Secondly, the movie, by necessity, is considerably condensed compared to the book. There was simply too much to cram into 2 hours on screen. Much of what made the book so great was skimmed over or eliminated altogether. The biggest example is that in the book it was extremely clear that her ex-husband hated her with a passion and that bothered her more than anything. This knowledge was integral to understanding her problems.  This was not so clear in the movie. Another example is how incredibly dysfunctional her relationship with David was or how attached she was to him despite him being all wrong for her.

The soundtrack was amazing, including two great songs by Eddie Vedder. I may buy it on iTunes but my relationship with iTunes is currently up in the air so I may have to purchase this soundtrack old school style…on CD.

It was a good movie. It would have been better as a trilogy…Italy, India and then Indonesia. Or maybe even four movies, the first one being pre-Italy, leading up to her trip.  That would have given the film makers enough time to explore, in as much depth as in the book, all of her problems and how each leg of her journey helped her. It would also have given rabid fans of the book (like myself) a chance to anticipate and pay for three or four different movies.

In the end, it is what it is. It’s great if you never read the book and good if you did. What did you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

I’ve read quite a bit in various books and articles about psychology and about Buddhism that talk about ”being in the moment” or “being present in the moment”. I’ve never fully understood what this means. It sounded, frankly, like a bunch of self-help psycho-babble and/or vague guru-speak. I was 90% certain that this idea was absolute nonsense because nothing I read adequately explained it’s precise meaning with any clarity.

I was wrong.

I caught a glimpse of the meaning of being present in the moment during my recent trip to the ocean. On that beach with the sun shining, the waves gently rolling in and out, the breeze blowing my hair and the incredible view of the vast expanse of the ocean before me, I was present in the moment. I was not thinking about work or bills or my past or my future. I was enjoying the moment. And that is all it means. It is no more complicated than that. I was making it more complicated than it is in trying to wrap my brain around a concept that seemed too deep or too vague for my neurotic little brain to grasp.

Being present in the moment is extremely difficult for me in my real life. Everything is easier at the beach. Once home I realized that I am rarely just enjoying the moment, or even just experiencing and observing the moment. Not all moments are enjoyable of course. Some moments are painful. Some are just boring. Or are they? It seems that in addition to having monkey mind, which is the primary reason I find it difficult to be present in the moment, I have fixed views on certain moments as they occur and if already dismissed as boring, for example, I don’t even attempt to look at it any other way. And then my mind wanders and I’m not in the moment.

The truth is that in mentally checking out during moments I have judged to be unworthy of my full attention I am likely missing a lot of moments that are absolutely worthy of my attention. In fact they are all more worthy of my attention than the thoughts that run through my head when I do let it wander. Worry over work and bills, past events and possible future events….none of this is more worthy of my attention than whatever is currently going on. I can’t change the past and can’t control the future. That is not to say that we should never look back or forward. We have to. But I think my time would be better spent in looking back or forward during brief and specific times of my choosing, not just to escape the current moment.

Because this is so difficult for me I turned to research, as I always do, through reading. After reading What Really Matters: Searching for Wisdom in America by Tony Schwartz as suggested to me by my friend Dawn (excellent book, I highly recommend it), I realized why I never found meditation to be particularly helpful in my life. It was relaxing while I was doing it and I was (when I wasn’t doing it wrong) in the moment, but it never translated into any lasting changes in my life. It was the type of meditation I was doing. I was practicing samatha meditation, in which the goal is to completely quiet the mind and focus solely on something other than your own thoughts (breaths, a candle, etc.). While this is a good way to relax and probably even a good way to start, I think vipassana meditation is more beneficial for me. This is an introspective type of meditation in which the focus is on your own thoughts. The idea being to allow whatever thoughts pop into your head to be observed without judgement, as if you are a neutral third party.

From the same book I learned a bit more about gestalt therapy so now I’m reading Gestalt Therapy by Frederick S. Perls. It is a highly technical book,not exactly light reading, but so far I’m learning techniques for staying in the moment. The first and most simple is during every day normal activities to constantly practice thinking, “right now, I am….”. This has proven to be beneficial already after only a few days. I was alone for much of this weekend so I tried it out and it’s sort of like tricking my brain into not worrying or ruminating. It sounds ridiculous at first but it truly does allow me to notice things I never noticed before and to remain in the moment.

For example, during my shower this morning I practiced. As in, “right now I’m washing my hair.”, “right now I’m washing my face”. I told you it sounds ridiculous at first!  In reality what this does is force you to stay in the moment. Literally. And I noticed things I have never noticed before, because I decided long ago that taking a shower is a boring necessity not worthy of my attention so my mind normally wanders all over the place. Today I noticed the sun streaming in through the window, how the shower spray feels like rain, how silky my hair feels with conditioner in it, etc…you get the idea. It was an eye opening experience during a “task” that I normally am somewhat annoyed that I have to even waste time doing and one that has become completely automatic.

None of the things I noticed in the shower may sound important but the idea is that we live most of our lives in this auto-pilot, checked-out state. Imagine the possibilities, especially in our relationships with others, if we were truly focusing our full attention in the moment. I’m guessing that I will notice things about people I’ve known forever that I never noticed before. Voice inflections, facial expressions, the possibilities seem endless. I’m interested in hearing from you about this if it is of interest to you. How do you stay in the moment and what have you noticed?

Thanks for stopping by!

I’ve never gotten into poetry. I’ve read some that I’ve liked. Love is a Dog From Hell by Charles Bukowski is one of my favorites. I prefer gritty and real poems that elicit an emotional response and magically create incredible imagery without stooping to flowery metaphors or sappy sentiments. I like the dark side of poetry.

I’ve never been to a poetry reading. It never really occurred to me that hearing the poem spoken by the poet himself can bring it to life in a way that reading it simply cannot do. That is one thing I learned while on my road trip this weekend.

Ani DiFranco

The focal point of the trip was to attend an Ani DiFranco concert in Des Moines, IA at an indescribably beautiful and intimate venue; The Hoyt Sherman Theater, which is worthy of a blog post in itself. I would happily have spent the evening exploring all the rooms and nooks and crannies of this place. I’m certain there is at least one secret room and/or passageway. But I digress…Ani did not disappoint. That such powerful lyrics and incredible vocals emanate from this adorable, tiny woman blew me away. Her political songs are exceptionally written and performed but it’s her more personal, emotional songs that get me. This was my favorite song of the night:

Having said all that, it was her opening act that really got me. Buddy Wakefield. He’s a poet. But he doesn’t read his poems. He performs them, complete with unrestrained emotion, a partner with incredible musical talent, comedy and even dancing. He truly engages the audience. His unique delivery of his poetry that night was the closest I’ve ever come to anything remotely resembling a religious experience. I cannot do him justice by writing about it. He truly is a force that must be seen and heard to appreciate. My favorite poem of the night:

During his brief performance I was alternately brought to tears elicited by the  recognition of emotions he was expressing and tears of laughter. It was as if he put into words, in an authentic yet entertaining way, many of my own experiences and emotions. Others in the audience seemed to feel the same way. The line that hit me like a ton of bricks; ”…all my eggs were in a basket of red flags…”.

I had to buy a souvenir. I thought I wanted one of his CDs so I could hear his poems in his voice but he had a book too. And he was standing right there. Even if he hadn’t been standing right there I probably would have gone for the book anyway because, well, I love books. But he was standing right there so he autographed my book:

I honestly have no idea what it says. My best guess is,  ”For Cyndi, Thank you fort pinwheel and the yes wine, Buddy Wakefield”. What the hell does that mean?! It doesn’t matter. The book is amazing and I’m happy I got it.

This experience was much more than a poetry reading followed by a concert. It was also a revival, a comedy show, a political rally, a therapy session and maybe even a religious experience.

I have much more to say about our little road trip so until next time….

Thanks for stopping by!

I had this post all planned out, well, for the most part anyway. And then I found this quote by this author who I adore. Who I even harbored a crush on when in my adolescence I first saw old footage of him when he was young. This quote made me stop and think and this post may go in a completely different direction because of it. A more positive direction.

When I started this blog I was new at exploring all the different roles I fill in life, setting boundaries and trying new things. I was like an eager student after reading her first great work of literature. I felt empowered, strong, adventurous and great about myself.

It didn’t stick. I’ve written a lot lately about guilt, perfectionism and beating myself up excessively and without restraint. I’ve noticed too that I’ve fallen back into some of my old people pleasing patterns. I’m sure part of it is grief over losing my friend but I believe there is more to it than that.

I’m considering the possibility that it’s easy for me to see myself and be myself, free of people pleasing behaviors when I am not part of a couple. I don’t want out, hubby and I are doing just fine. In fact, I feel closer to him than ever before in our 22 year history together. It’s me. It seems that at some point after we reunited after our 5 month separation I slowly began to lose myself again. It’s as if I allow myself to become swallowed up in the “we” and forget me. Luckily this time around the “we” is working well. He’s the first one to point out when I am trying to people please or when I need time to myself. I started to write about how I need to get back to that person I used to be. But this quote….what if it’s ok that I’m not who I used to be? Again. I was a different person in 2008 than I was from 1997-2007. Why not another different person this year? What if that’s the whole point of this current identity crisis.

It has also been suggested to me by someone I trust that the possibility exists that I don’t like myself. At first that didn’t ring true but then she gave an example. She knows a man who doesn’t like his son. They are wired differently and butt heads over everything. I’m guessing the father wants the son to be a certain way and the son is not that way and so the father doesn’t like him. It’s a sad story. The father is hard on his son, figuratively beating him up all the time. When this was suggested to me I was both the father and the son in the example. The idea being that I don’t like myself so I beat myself up in some self-destructive effort to get me to be who I want to be.

It sounds strange. Maybe too much psycho-babble for most. But the more I consider this possibility the more it starts to make sense. I want to feel like I felt in 2008 but I don’t. So I beat myself up for it. But what if what I really need is to be someone different entirely. Some new version of me. Yes, I do still need to find myself again but what I find may not be what I expected. It’s mind blowing.

In fact, I’m not happy with how long it’s taking for me to complete my psych degree. I’ve always joked that I’ll be 72 before I get to treat patients but I’m starting to actually believe that lately. I’ve been reading a bit about Life Coaching and know my friend Dawn has nothing but wonderful things to say about her Life Coach. I have begun to wonder if this could be one way to work in a field similar to my chosen field of psychology while continuing to pursue my degree. No, I won’t be analyzing anyone’s past or diagnosing anyone with anything but I would be helping people. Maybe even helping them to find themselves. Maybe helping them like themselves. I know very little about it so have some feelers out and am at the information gathering stage right now. But thinking about doing it feels good. Maybe I’m onto something.

My mother’s day weekend trip is less than two months away. I can’t wait. I feel a strong need to go this year that I did not feel last year. I think reconnecting with my beloved ocean, relaxing, alone with my thoughts, away from my daily routine may help me find myself again. Another thing I’m feeling that I didn’t feel last year or the year before is fear. That’s one of the things that I’m not liking about myself right now and the most compelling reason for me to go. I know there is nothing to fear but I’m feeling so weirdly vulnerable that traveling alone is evoking some fear, along with the joyful anticipation of going to my happy place.

Right this moment I hear a bunch of boys, my sons included, playing in the backyard. This makes me smile. These sounds are priceless and will be gone in the blink of an eye. I so love my role as their mom. I love their roles as kids who get to play until it’s dark out. This mom-thing is amazing and probably the only role that has kept me somewhat grounded and remotely close to sanity during the past 3 years. But I can’t lose myself in that role again either. It’s not good for me or them. But they teach me things too. Like I want to play more.

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Gina‘s wake was on Monday evening. I had to work all day and as the day progressed I moved closer and closer towards panic. As is true of everything I can immediately think of, the reality was not nearly as horrific as I imagined. Yet another reason worry and anxiety are destructive wastes of time.

As soon as we walked in one of Gina’s 14 year old twins walked right up to me to say hi. As I hugged her I told her I was so sorry (what else do you say?). She said, “It’s ok.”. This beautiful child who had just lost her mother was telling me it was ok. I’m still speechless.

That encounter got me started. I cried. And cried. And cried. I cried looking at all of the beautiful pictures of my friend.

I cried looking at the closed casket. I cried looking at her daughters, her mother, her sister and brother, her husband and her grandmother. I cried over each and every word that was spoken about her.

I laughed. I laughed when I told hubby he had to dunk the biscotti in his coffee but he tried to break off a piece instead and Gina’s grandmother told him he had to dunk it. I laughed even more when I told her that’s what I said and an aunt chimed in with, “they never listen.”. I’m fairly certain that everyone laughed when Gina’s precocious and apparently attention-loving 3 year old daughter chose the middle of the Priest’s eulogy to proclaim as loudly as possible, “Ready! Set! Go!” and then proceed to run straight across the front of the room at full speed. Repeatedly. Probably about 10 times. I laughed when her sister and I agreed that Gina told her daughter to do that because things were getting way too serious in there.

I received a completely unexpected gift from the most unexpected source. I have secretly been wondering if Gina truly knew how much she meant to me. How much I loved her. See, as close as we were, we weren’t overly vocal about our feelings or particularly affectionate. We hugged hello and goodbye and frequently said, “I love you man.”. But I had this nagging doubt. I was afraid I had failed to convey how important to me she was. As open as I am in writing, I am much less comfortable vocalizing my feelings.

My gift? Her other 14 year old twin daughter introduced me to someone as her mom’s best friend. I couldn’t breathe for a second. Then I asked hubby if I had heard her correctly. He said yes. Now, I am a 39 year old woman, well past the point in life where I need anyone to assure me that I am their one and only BFF. However, hearing her daughter say that I was her mom’s best friend absolutely meant the world to me. I know she had many other close friends. But I also now know that Gina did know how important she was to me and how much I loved her. Thanks to her daughter.

I can’t begin to imagine how her family is feeling or how they will deal with their tremendous loss. I do know that they helped me a great deal last night. I only hope I can somehow return the favor.

Thanks for stopping by!

So I was thinking some more about this whole idea of Limbo and wondering what it was that used to make my life hell when I was forced (by my own inaction or by circumstances truly beyond my control) to deal with periods of limbo.

The obvious is the unknown. When I am in limbo I am unsure of an outcome. I am waiting for something to happen, someone to get back to me or someone to take action. Fear of the unknown causes most people anxiety. For a neurotic worrier such as myself, this was hell. It’s not just fear, it’s constant worrying, dreaming up every possible worst-case scenario, dreaming up every possible acceptable scenario, secretly attached to the expectation of the best possible case scenario. It’s actually fear that my own worst-case scenario will occur or that if my best-case scenario does not occur all hope for happiness will be forever lost, not simply the fear of the unknown. This is an extreme and dramatic way to look at the unknown.

At times in the past, it was I who could have taken action but didn’t realize it. I spent my life simply reacting to things which seemed to simply happen. I had not one clue that I was capable of taking responsibility for some aspects of my life. I was not helpless or trapped by anything other than my own fear. There’s that word again. Fear. In these instances it was still fear of the unknown but also fear of making the wrong decision and having only myself to blame. Fear that others would not love me if the secret of my imperfection were to get out. Fear of failure, rejection, fear of everything.

The unknown is really just that…unknown. It’s not anything to fear. It’s pointless to fear it really. It’s certainly pointless to worry about it. Worrying has never solved a single problem for anyone. Ever. In fact, worrying is a distraction that can cloud our judgment and cause us to miss other opportunities that may come along because we’re too busy worrying about something else.

Interestingly enough, today I learned that there is a slight possibility that  a doctor who practices alternative medicine might be able to help my friend Gina. It’s a long shot but definitely worth it. I wonder if her husband had simply given into worrying about what he would do after she was gone if he would have even thought to try something different since all the other doctors have said there is no hope. They are in limbo but still working on doing everything they can to get out of it. Making choices. Maybe all of your prayers and those of everyone who knows her are working. We don’t know what we don’t know.

Thanks for stopping by!

I am officially and publicly rededicating myself to changing many thoughts and behaviors that I had vowed to change but have slipped back into old patterns from time to time. These are things that I know are right for me. They may not be right for anyone else and that’s ok. In no particular order, mine are….

• I will not allow myself to be manipulated or manipulate others.
• I will use direct communication to ask for what I want or need from others.
• I will judge others. I will judge myself too. Much lip-service is being paid these days to being non-judgmental. It’s human nature. We all make judgments every single day. They help us decide what is best for us. These judgments can be flexible and knowing that, I will continue to question and challenge my own judgments about others and about myself regularly.
• I will be assertive. I will recognize the difference between assertion and aggression.
• I will speak freely in my life and on my blog. No fear. My opinions and judgments are my own. Others can disagree and have every right to express their opinions. However, I have no less right to express mine just because others don’t agree with them.
• I will remember that my own opinions about myself, my life and anything else are more important to me than those of others.
• I will allow myself to express emotions. The good, the bad and the ugly. I will cry when I am sad. I will not be afraid of my feelings. They are mine and are only harmful to me when I stuff them. The fear of sinking into a deep dark pit of despair causes more anxiety than the emotions themselves.
• I will trust my own instincts, regardless of what others believe.
• I will face my fears and overcome them.
• I will not engage in arguments, debates or conversations with people who are unreasonable, manipulative or simply out to perpetuate their own false image.
• I will stand up for myself when I feel someone is attempting to take advantage of me.
• I will admit when I am wrong.
• I will not apologize for anything I didn’t do.
• I will not doubt myself when I am wrongfully accused of doing anything I did not do.
• I will not accept others’ opinions of me, my words or my actions when I recognize that they are false.
• I will say what I mean. I will not sugar-coat the truth when it is important that the truth be heard.
• I am not obligated to explain my decisions or beliefs to anyone. If an explanation is requested, I may choose to give one but I owe no one.

I think that’s enough for today. I’m sure I’ll think of more. If anyone wants to join me by adding their own personal statements in the comments section, feel free. I may have missed a few of my own and be inspired by yours.

Thanks for stopping by!

This quote has become so overused (I have it on magnet) that it’s become a cliché. It’s still one of my favorites (hence, the magnet).  I especially love it because the man who wrote it was not some overly perky seller of how-to-get-rich-quick schemes.  He had a serious dark side and still, wrote this brilliantly simple, positive and true sentiment.

I was reminded of this quote today in the most unlikely (for me) of places.  I attended a luncheon hosted by my friend and her family to celebrate her father’s ordination as a deacon in the Catholic church.  This is the highest ranking position one can hold in the Catholic church without becoming a priest.

My friend’s father had every intention of becoming a priest when he was young.  He was even attending the seminary when he met my friend’s mother.  Meeting her changed his life.  He chose to start a life with her instead of taking the vow of celibacy required of a priest.  He married her, became an accountant, and they had three daughters.  They remained active in the church.  He now has six grandchildren, the oldest of whom is in high school.

Becoming a deacon is not an easy task.  It’s basically like going through college all over again, along with becoming even more active in the church and attending countless retreats.  It was not easy and was intensely time consuming.  He struggled with his decision many times.  In the end, fifty-five years after he thought he gave up his dream, he finally realized it.

I was moved to tears by my friend’s speech at the luncheon.  Among other things, she talked about how proud she was of him for never giving up on his dream.

He is an amazing example to everyone whose lives he touches and also an example of why this quote is so not just a tired old cliché.

Thanks for stopping by!

I’m still trying to wrap my brain around everything we discussed at my impromptu Dharma lesson, and what I have subsequently read in the book they gave me that night.  Some of the Buddha’s lessons are difficult for my western mind to grasp.

One thing that I was able to confirm was that the stories in the Sutras are, in fact, believed to be true and 100% accurate, not metaphorical lessons.  The Dharma that we were told sat in a cave meditating for nine years, with no food or water….absolutely true.  This was not a metaphor for the underlying lesson.  Buddhists believe it.  I was skeptical and they did have an explanation.  He was in such a meditative state that his bodily functions actually slowed down, to the point that he required nothing, almost as if in a coma.  They also pointed out that no one witnessed him eating or drinking anything, no one was regularly providing him with any sort of nourishment, but conceded it was possible that people were sneaking him food here and there and he may have eaten without anyone reporting it.

Buddhists believe that Jesus was actually in a similar meditative state when he was crucified.  Apparently, in the bible, there is a period of ten years where Jesus was missing.  I didn’t know about that.  Buddhists believe that during those ten years he was in India studying meditation.  They believe that he didn’t actually die on the cross but was in such a meditative state that he felt no pain and his heart rate had slowed down to the point that no pulse could be detected.  Three days later he came out of his meditative state and apparently rose from the dead.

There is no bible in Buddhism, just thousands of Sutras (Buddha’s teachings) that no one could possible get through in one lifetime.  Buddha is not a god.  He was a wise man who uncovered all of the truths that the religion is based on, many of which are scientific and psychological in nature.  He is thanked for his teachings and even prayed to but has no god-like powers and did not create man.

Karma is the idea that what goes around comes around, in thoughts, intentions and in actions.  Bad Karma may come back to you in this lifetime or in another.  Bad Karma that comes back to you in this lifetime could be due to something you did as a child or something you did four lifetimes ago.  People with a lot of bad Karma can come back in the next life as a lessor being, such as an animal, or in a much less fortunate situation, such as poverty in a third world country.

Buddhists believe that dreams are actually recollections of past lives, particularly recurring dreams.  Our translator told a story about a dream she has had her whole life.  In her dream, she and her cousin fall into a river and drown.  She only has this dream when she is sick and when she wakes up, it feels very real.  After all these years, she finally mentioned the dream to her cousin who said that now he finally knows why he’s always had such an irrational fear of water.  They believe that in a previous life, they drowned.

It’s all fascinating to me and I can’t wait to learn more.

Thanks for stopping by!

Being the slacker that I am, I missed meditation class last time.  I felt bad about it at the time.  I didn’t feel guilty or as if I were letting anyone else down.  I felt bad about it because it’s something I enjoy doing and I let my crankiness and exhaustion that day keep me from doing something I enjoy and that probably would have led to me feeling less cranky and exhausted.  I let myself down.

As always seems to be the case, particularly where my interest in Buddhism and meditation are concerned, it all worked out.  Everything happens for a reason.  Yes, I know that’s a cliche.  Nevertheless, it turned out to be good that I didn’t go to the last meditation class.

I arrived for tonight’s class and there were only three cars in the parking lot.  I figured class must have been canceled but went in to find out anyway.  Class was canceled because the Venerable who normally leads our class is out of town.  This information was passed along to everyone who got their lazy butts to class last time.  Since I wasn’t there, I didn’t know that.  There was one other person who missed class last time.  There was another Venerable at the temple tonight so she graciously offered to just have an intimate discussion with the two of us about Buddhism and answer any burning questions we had, so that our trip wouldn’t be a waste of time.  How sweet is that?!

So, the two of us got our own personal Dharma lesson.  We talked about karma, reincarnation, heaven, hell, auras, chakras, Buddha, Sutras, meditation, enlightenment, history, past-life regression, Jesus’s connection to Buddhism, desire, suffering, dreams and many other topics.  We talked for over an hour and a half.  It was great and I learned so much.  We even got this book with homework (yay-I love reading and homework!). 

Who says skipping class is all bad?

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