And the months leak by....

It's funny when I start these online journals with the best of intentions and before I know it, it's been eight months and I haven't written a word.

I guess, I spend too much time drinking and recovering from drinking to be productive most days. But, weren't some of the greatest writers in history also into the sauce? I suppose it's all about finding that delicate balance between a great mind and an lush.

School is winding down. This time it's not only for the semester, of the summer, but for good. I'm (finally) graduating! What I am going to do with myself after that point I'm not too sure...I suppose that's the trouble of an English degree. It's one big no what? from here on in. My parents told me politely today that I simply "do not have a year to find a real job". Um. Fuck.

The bottom line is however, I will have a degree. It may have taken six years and many a obstacles to obtain it. Yet, on May 30th I will be walking in the graduation ceremonies at Umass Boston to get my degree. Rock. On.

I plowed through a few quick reads last week including: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Into Thin Air and Bloodsucking Fiends. I must say, I was a little disappointed by Bloodsucking Fiends. I think Mike put it best when he said, "it's like his [Christopher Moore's] other book, but slower". The other book that he is referring to- You Suck features all the same characters in the same happenings-yet this book is slightly different. It goes into a little bit more background and character development than You Suck does, but seems to loose something. I would say that of the three books by Christopher Moore I have read thus far (You Suck, Dirty Jobs and Bloodsucking Fiends) this is my least favorite. It has far less sarcastic wit than the other two and seem far less developed (though ironically the characters are in fact explored more) It wasn't a horrible book, but I would recommend his other works before this one. Into Thin Air was so powerful that it kept me awake one night with nightmares of being trapped on Mt. Everest. Written by John Krakauer gives the account of chillings events that took place on Mt. Everest during 1996. Unlike Into the Wild, also by Krakuer, these events were actually experienced by the author which adds a very powerful element to the novel. I do understand where his critics are coming from with their problems in regards to who he encountered on the mountain and the timeline of such events, but as he writes, one must consider how emotionally and physically exhausted he and his fellow climbers were during these events. Never having suffered from any type of oxygen deprivation, I have absolutely no idea what effects this would have on the body and the mind. I do not think that Krakuer wrote this novel to capitalize on the deaths of others, but rather was simply dealing with demons that he needed to put to rest. Everyone moves on in their own way and writing this book was a way for him to silence his mind. The last novel I read this week, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nigh time (or is it at midnight? Something dealing with a dog at night, some time at night lol) was a very light read. Though the subject matters dealt with (autism, child neglect, cheating spouses....) could have been very heavy and depressing, the book was neither of these things. It was a very easy read and I completed the book in a little over a day. I'm not sure that I agree with all the critical acclaim that book has received (winner of the Whitebread Book of the Year in 2003) I do think it's worth a read.

And, since I've spent all this time reading books for self indulgence, I have done almost nothing in regards to school work. Something new and different.

I would just like to close by saying that my thoughts go out to the Lubin family during this difficult time.