I'm still a grump.

I had a short client meeting today and nobody died, but I was wiped out afterward. It was nice to feel ok for a short while.

drwhacky saved my life by bringing by the Patricia Briggs novels about Mercedes the VW Mechanic who is also a part-time coyote. I have consumed the first four in... oh gosh the last four days. Mercedes is more fun than Sookie Stackhouse, and I find her take on werewolves more interesting. The inclusion of the fae (think Celtic mythology, rather than Pixies) is excellent.

I have got the jumper to the point where I'm about to join up the four pieces (front, back, 2 sleeves) onto a single yoke. I figured out the pattern - the direction of the cables was reversed. It's looking good so far. I'm feeling proud of myself. And I have the wool for the next jumper all ready, too...

I'm sufficiently tired that discovering "Lie to Me" wasn't on tonight did bring tears to my eyes. Man, this post-viral fatigue thing has me in its grip.

I have an appointment with my shrink, then a couple of other appointments in the afternoon, but we'll have to see if I pull up ok after a jaunt to the city and a bit of harrowing.

It was hot here yesterday. Most of you locals probably noticed that. I spent the day at my place of work with Hubby and erudito. It was a delightful temperature, but erudito & I were a bit stir crazy by the end of it. I think it was the sense that going outside was not possible. Note to self: never commit a crime for which you could be jailed.

Friday night saw Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood's film. It's sort-of about a crusty war vet who forms an unlikely friendship with a pair of Hmong kids who live next-door. Oh yeah, it's also sort-of about his car, the grand torino of the title. There is a whole self-referencing thing about Dirty Harry that is handled very skillfully. I found it an excellent, and surprisingly upbeat film, given the gangbangers sub-plot. Oh yes, it has a positive portrayal of a Catholic Priest...

Yesterday I read the fourth Lois McMaster Bujold Sharing Knife book: Horizon. Overall I found it excellent. It finished up the themes of the four books, and resolved things. The second half, in particular, had some good action sequences that weren't just a rejig of those in the previous books. It also has some good humour. A few of the minor characters get a bit left out, as Bujold tries to wrap everything up (up to a point). My first thought was that it all seemed a bit easy, but I often find that a re-read improves a Bujold book. I feel I want to go and read the four in a row before making up my mind. Plus it was really, really hot and I was tired, so I was pretty much just inhaling the story, driven by narrative greed. Heck, I stayed up till after midnight, so it was that good.

On a personal note, I wish to publicly declare that my husband is an extremely brave man, whom I admire enormously.

Forget John Gray - the Women are From Venus, Men are From Mars guy - I'm in the middle of a book by Deborah Tannen that covers gender differences in conversation in a much more useful & scholarly-but-highly readable way. The title of the book heads up this post.

If you've ever had one of *those* interactions with a partner or friend or colleague of the opposite sex, where you think "s/he just doesn't get it!" then take heart.

This book is not about blame, and discusses pros & cons of different conversational styles with tolerance & humour. I also like that - unlike most of Dr Gray's oevre - this book doesn't say, 'Oh poor men, you women will just have to learn to understand them better because they're just big ol' cavemen at heart and you girls are good at that interpersonal shit.'

I find her suggestion that women not taking a more prominent role in public communication is not (always) because men are keeping them out quite intriguing. I'll be interested to have erudito's take on it... there's stuff about heirarchies and dominence in 'manworld' (my term) that may amuse and enlighten him. Because as we've often discussed, a gay man is not just one of the girls, although he often learns to 'speak girl' in order to have a conversation. And I think he once told me that gay men are more likely to have better developed language centres if you MRI their brains than straight men - and by better, I do mean 'nmore like women's'. Sorry.

Halfway through the book & I'm rivetted, horrified, and hopeful.

I've read an interesting book in the past few days. Review ( follows )

I heartily recommend this book as a good read, an inspiring read, and a useful way to conceptualize the physical & the psychosocial aspects of chronic illness. It also contains many practical suggestions about ways to get the support you need.