I left Annabel alone for a minute to go get the phone from the other room. I came back to find her sitting on the couch, paging through Self-Editing for Fiction Writers with a look of utter concentration.

This is just about completely the cutest thing ever, ever, EVAR.

Thing is, her grandfather would have done the same thing. Left him alone in a room full of books, come back a minute later and he's reading a romance novel. With look of utter concentration.

She is her grandfather's granddaughter.

I'm a little weirded out because I was closer to the earth during my weekend from hell this past weekend, but only for a day. My current theory is that the earth was all "dude, if you're going to be in that kind of a mood, go be close to the moon or something. Leave me out of it."

I join my Sister Teppy in her proximity to the earth.

I sure hope I will soon. This stupid pms has me way too easily annoyed for someone who has to share her vicinity with other humans.

Good morning!

Librarian career romance novels:

Since she had decided to take the job as library assistant at the college’s huge old main library, Katie had met and made many lifetime girl friends, had acquired an apartment with color TV and a tiny balcony, bought and paid for a used red Porsche, and had been in and out of love—all within the brief space of seven months.

I've been a librarian for 10 years... where's my Porsche?

I think Crush Boy is clueless, and needs to be told to kiss Teppy's ass.

I don’t disagree that Crush Boy is clueless and I hates him on behalf of womankind. However, I do have to speak up in support of the flirty among us. I have known many flirts and have flirted myself on countless occasions. It really doesn’t have anything to do with future romantic intent. Since I am not clueless, I have restrained myself from flirting when I knew that the recipient might misinterpret my intentions.

Mememe story on the subject. One of my close guy friends used to routinely tell Brendon that he was watching his every move and the first time he slipped up he was going to steal me away. It was a running joke for years. We always flirted heavily. Good friends. We went out to eat often with or without Brendon. At a point in time I set him up with a girl friend of mine and they hit it off mighty well. Now they are married with a couple kids. From the first day that he went out with my friend he never flirted with me again. Not even one comment. It still bugs me. In my nature of flirtyness the romantic status of the flirtee or flirter is irrelevant if the flirtation is good natured fun.

Susan! I heard a rumor you finished your first draft! Well done. This is not so easy with all that is on your plate.

Also, please, Aimée, don't work eleventy-jillion hours a day

Yikes. Gotta agree with that. Your family needs a non-exhausted non-sleep deprived mom. I understand the stress. Still, overworking yourself may well lead to another kind of physical stress that can lead to illness. You don’t have time for that either. Finding a better solution ~ma for you.

Librarian career romance novels:

Being pretty actually helps her to be a better librarian!

Being pretty actually helps her to be a better librarian!

So, are you telling me that I'm not pretty enough to have a Porche?

::cries::

I can't usually reach the pedals comfortably in German cars, anyway.

Maybe it upsets the gf/wife, Laura. Although it would make me feel that I'd grown horns overnight, myself. Tep, yeah, maybe it's not you.(puts in Take own Advice folder) JZ, sigh. Never gonna get to leave this ugly one- buffista town, am I? We'd be happy to have y'all, till the local politics and radio stations gave you matching embolisms.

Thing is, her grandfather would have done the same thing. Left him alone in a room full of books, come back a minute later and he's reading a romance novel. With look of utter concentration.

That's nothing. While romance novels admittedly tap into female fantasies, they're novels first and foremost, and it was no odder of my dad to read a romance than it is for me to read a testosterone-laden work of military fiction. No, he proved to me he'd read anything at all back when I briefly moved home before coming to Seattle, and discovered him with a book I'd bought during my collegiate enthusiastic pseudo-fundamentalist days and left at the house one summer. A book of spiritual advice and practical guidance for young, single Christian women.

I pointed out that he was 70-something, male, and had been married for nearly 50 years. He shrugged and said the book was interesting.

ETA--and I can see myself doing something similar. It's basically the impulse that makes antique etiquette books and the like interesting even when I've no plans to use the info as fiction research.

Just had a very interesting class where I ended up sharing about my depression, diary cards and other treatment. Didn't see that coming out of my mouth today.