The Dangerous Existence of Madame Lee

+ I guess it still hasn't really hit me that my grandmother is dead, because last night lolmom and I were talking about gravy (she made the best gravy you ever had, seriously, no mean feat for someone who hated to cook), and lolmom was saying that she had no idea what my grandmother did because there were no measurements involved. I thought, Next time she calls, I'll ask her, and--oh. wait. She was alive not that long ago; I just talked to her on Mother's Day. It's strange to know that that was the last time, ever.

+ I need to get my act in gear and decide if I'm going to InConJunction, because if I don't buy my pass soon the rates will go up. Also I need to book a hotel room.

+ Dentist's appointment on Thursday. Do not want. Do not want anything to rot out even more, so I guess I'd better go. I am not looking forward to the eternal tussle over my wisdom teeth, though I rather suspect one of them (the broken one) will need to come out.

( Some things that kind of need to get done today )

Hey, galhea, sorry for cutting out on you last night. We had a minor-league thunderstorm and I lost my connection. Also, I had surprise cake for breakfast and it was indeed the greatest thing ever.

( A lot of blather about movies and some hefty fangirling under this cut )

Also, I am filled with loathing and disgust for this romance novel I am reading at present. Seriously, I realize that romance fans have certain expectations of the genre, just as I have certain expectations of fantasy or sci-fi or historical fiction or samurai movies, but just once it would be nice to read a romance that didn't reinforce traditional gender norms and roles, even while it's trying to tell me that it's up to date and empowering and feminist because the heroine has a high-powered career. (And mind you, I don't consider myself a feminist, but even so, a lot of the subtext in these novels makes it seem as though the heroine is only pursuing her high-powered career until she meets Mr Tall Dark Stereotype and they get married and she starts crankin' out the babies. Because love isn't complete without marriage and babies, y'all.)

Dude, if I had written this novel, which has an OH NOES UNEXPECTED PREGNANCY subplot, the hero would be all, "Look, if you decide to keep the baby, I'm more than willing to pay child support and be an involved father. But it's up to you to decide what you want to do about this, and I'll support you in whatever your decision is." Because to me, that's a lot more fuckin' sexy than the actual unsubtle harangue that appears in the book. Granted, I might feel very differently about it if I were pro-life.

Why do I read romance on occasion? For the lulz, and in the hope that I may actually find a book or two that's worth a re-read.

Also, because public shame is a big motivator for me:
( One final cut, I swear )