Similar Spatial Preferences

Lately, Nox and Grim have been close as two peas in a pod. Not best friends, just, as DH puts it, having "similar spatial preferences." They both want to be in the same spot. This usually leads to a situation in which Grim is laying on top of Nox in some fashion. Look at their pictures. Grim = 90lb dog, Nox = 9.4lb cat. (Yes. I just weighed her for the purpose of this blog post). So Grim lays on top of Nox and Nox doesn't only not move, she doesn't seem to care at all. Of course, this should be unsurprising since she doesn't seem to care when DH roles onto her during the night. I wake up convinced she is being suffocated and there she is, half crushed, perfectly able to move if she wants, purring away.

I went to two get together with my Internet friends this week (as I call them, even though some are becoming non-Internet friends). On Tuesday night I went to my Classics and Cocktails book club up at The Pub in Polaris. It was a lot of fun. The book was Brave New World, which I really enjoyed (which is unsurprising because I have a thing for Utopia/Distopia Books... but I feel as if I repeat myself). We actually talked about the book quite a bit, which made me happy. Sometimes I think about the motives different people have for reading. People read for fun, its just a matter of what actually about reading brings that fun. For a lot of people it is how engaging the story is, the plight of the heroine, the intrigue. For others it is the emotions evoked - the tears and laughter. For me, its the thought provoked. Over the past two months or so I have had various people tell me they did not like a book because it was unpleasant, it offered an unpleasant reality. Lord of the Flies - a bunch of boys becoming monsters. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - the beloved school and characters being taken over by an incredibly frustrating force, Harry being completely frustrating and impossible. Brave New World - a society mocking what we consider happiness, turning morals on their heads and appearing to be a brainwashed, monochromatic society. There are many others. I can understand why people don't like these books. They are not pleasant per say. They don't bring good emotions and happy endings and reassurance. So, if that's what you dig, I don't recommend them. For me, though, Lord of the Flies and Brave New World are both revealing about human nature. I enjoy them because they provoke thought, bring tiny bits of philosophy and wisdom. I like Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix because despite how miserable it is, and yes, it is quite miserable, it is doing EXACTLY what the author intends. Harry is feeling trapped and helpless and frustrated and pissed off, so J.K. Rowling makes the reader feel that way too. Impressive in my opinion.

Wow. That was a random and lengthy side note. To recap: Cocktails & Classics was fun. Good food, great drinks, great book, great conversation.

The second thing I went to was Girl's Dinner. We went to this popular Mexican restaurant. I had the Chicken Mole, which was quite good, much better than the last time I had it, and Margaritas, also tasty. It was a nice small group. I sort of prefer small groups, or I tend to get lost in the crowd (of my own accord). Put me in a group of 4-10 and I am talkative and social and engaged. Put me into a group of 10+ and I am quiet, and generally end up sitting along or eavesdropping on other peoples conversations wishing I hadn't come. Of course its usually my fault, but by now I know myself well enough to try and stick to smaller get-togethers. Anyways, so I was glad it was small. It was really fun and their were some people their I had not see in a long time. Great food, great conversation. Internet friends are great.

Anyways, thats my week in a nutshell. Oh yeah. I also did some work somewhere in there. A little RA work. A little job searching. Some writing for fun. Some house cleaning (though not as much as intended). Hope everyone has a good weekend!!