My sister

I know not everyone is as fortunate as I am to have a good relationship with their siblings.  And no, it’s not like I fell out of the womb idolizing my sister.  That took at least until I was out of diapers.  I think.  It’s hard to remember.

But idolize my sister I do, and here are a few of the reasons why.

• Whenever there is a pet around, she narrates what it does in a goofy accent.  Typically cats are Russian (I think because of the Russian Blue we had growing up), and dogs are a hybrid between Goofy and fictional “hillbilly” voice.

 I believe I smell some milk.  Oh yes, there is definitely milk in this vicinity.  I wish I had hands to open the cabinet and get out a bowl, then get the milk and pour it in.  But I do not.  I believe I will attack this piece of fuzz to express my frustration!

I sure would like it if you threw the ball for me.  Could you please throw the ball for me?  It would be ever so much fun.  Or you could pet me if you like.  Or maybe I will just lay down here.  Hold on, let me walk in a circle first.  And another circle.  Okay, one more.  Alright, now I can lay down.

•  When I was little, when we were at McDonald’s, she would give me the pickles off her hamburger.  The day she started giving her pickles to her now-husband, I knew I was in trouble.  (Don’t make that dirty, people.)

• The summer after she graduated from high school, we had just moved to a different state.  Neither of us had any friends yet.  And despite our 8-year difference in ages, she let me follow her around, hang out by the pool, sleep in her room, and generally pester her until she left for college. 

• I love hearing her laugh.  On occasions of extreme laughter, she goes into this high pitched, hysterical laugh that I think dogs find annoying.  But I smile just thinking about it.

• She collects poorly translated items – usually toys -- from dollar stores.  Because they are funny.  My favorite is the Smart Board, which instructed you to “hold pen erectly” to write on it.

•  I credit a lot of my spectacular taste in music to her.  Which is not really much of a stretch, because it certainly wasn't my parents.  We survived road trips with Julio Iglesias and Neil Diamond. 

• She reads more than I do, and that’s saying something.

• She is a wonderful mother and has a meaningful, loving relationship with her husband.

So, she's practically perfect in every way.  Like Mary Poppins.  Except more awesome.  And I will stop bragging now.  :)

Florida!

So I spent a long weekend in Florida, and I thought I'd share it with you.  Hopefully in an amusing way,  not in a rubbing-your-face-in-my-vacation way.

Arrived on Friday.  Just in time for some lovely sunshine and a gorgeous sunset.

This was the beach.  Beautiful sugar sand and clear water.

Next on the schedule was drinking an adult beverage at the bar on the deck.

Lovely Drink!

Why is the rum always gone? :(

Sadly, Friday was the best weather of the weekend. But I wasn't going to let that stop me.  I am mesmerized by the ocean.  I was content to stare at it and think for hours on end - no exaggeration. 

It was overcast on Saturday, but I stayed out until the thunderstorms closed down the beach.

This view was from the restaurant we escaped to after the storms rolled in.

I discovered that I really like Shrimp & Grits, which (if you can't tell) is a very southern dish.  It's also one of those things that everyone seems to make slightly differently.  The version I had was sort of a shrimp & sausage stew on top of some cheesy grits.  

Yummy!  Going to have to figure out how to make a this without sausage.

Sunday was very sunny - but terrifically windy.  No umbrellas.  Like I cared.  I sat on my beach chair, ignoring the sand blowing around, chasing after my hat - and shoes - a couple of times.  And staring at the hypnotic waves.

One of the friends I made on Sunday.

So of course, on Monday, as we got ready to leave, the weather was perfect.  Still a bit windy, but gorgeous.

Perfect Monday.  Sigh.

I did not want to leave at all, but alas I have neither unlimited vacation days nor money, so I had to return home.  I hope to return again someday!

Way to go, media.

Let me start with saying I read a lot of stuff.  Some of it is “literature” – some of it is crap.  I have a degree in English Literature, so I can tell the difference between the two.  But I also don’t feel the need to justify reading what I like.

So, recently I stumbled across an article similar to this one:  nytimes article about 50 Shades of Grey.

My eyebrows immediately raised.  Really?  “This book has been credited with… introducing women who usually read run-of-the-mill literary or commercial fiction to graphic, heavy-breathing erotica.”

Hmmm.  I was very curious.  I have a Kindle, so I downloaded a sample of the first book for free. 

After reading the sample, I bought all three books and read them.

I enjoyed the novels.  They do contain explicit sexual material.  But I would personally categorize them as romance novels, not erotica.  (To me, erotica is sex-centric.  These are relationship-centric.)  They are fun, but they aren’t going to win any prizes for literary excellence.

So why the blog post?

What I find strange is the firestorm of media coverage.  I just don't understand what the media is thinking.

First, let’s make a sensationalistic title for this genre.  “Mommy-porn.”   

Well, I am not a mother, and these are not pornographic.  So -1, media coverage.

Second, let’s make a big deal about the sexual content in these books.  “It contains BDSM.”   

Well, actually it portrays a consensual, monogamous relationship between a man and a woman that involves BDSM at times.  If you want to talk about some non-vanilla sexual content, media, may I refer you to Laurell K Hamilton's multiple-species and multiple-partner content.  Or if you really want to talk about BDSM, go read the Kushiel’s Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey.

Third, why the hell does it matter in 2012 if women are reading sexually explicit novels?  

If the media were presenting this more from a pro-feminist, “these books help women explore their sexuality” perspective, I would get it more.  But to sensationalize it, to present the story from the viewpoint of titillation, that just cheapens it.  Way to go, media (sarcasm font).

So BOO media.  YAY girl power.  Read whatever it is you want to, and let others do the same.