Under a Blue Moon

I’m totally filching a post idea from my sister.  She attended a dinner party the other night and the topic of books came up.

The question going around the table was "Which three books would you choose to take to a desert island?"

Here’s the thing, though.  I think this should be a private question because no one is going to be truthful in a public setting.  People are going to pick books that they think will shed them in a positive, highbrow, literary way.  They’ll say things like "I do believe my first choice would be Dante’s Inferno.  The un-translated Italian version of course."  When they really mean V.C. Andrew’s Flowers In the Attic.

But since I’ve already outed myself as a plumpish person what do I have to lose.  I yam what I yam; to quote an esteemed literary character, albeit an overly developed drawn one.  So here are my three books.

Anne of Green Gables (can I pick the whole series or is that totally cheating?  Or since it’s my question do I get to set the rules?  I say the whole series)
The Chronicles of Narnia (again with the cheating)
Shogun (figured I better throw in an adult book)

What would your three books be?  Feel free to keep the answer to yourself, if you like.

Worst. Day. Ever.

This picture just does not look as appetizing as the donut, does it?

Let’s step back a bit, shall we.  I had chronic ear infections since I was a preteen and finally was diagnosed in the late 90’s with a cholesteatoma.  A cholesteatoma is not a tumor exactly, despite the scary ‘oma’ at the end ~ it’s more a cyst/tumor of the middle ear.   I had surgery to remove the cholesteatoma and the ossicle chain (the ear bones – hammer, anvil, etc.) then six months later I had reconstructive surgery and had fake ear bones put in.  I’m like the Bionic Woman! 

I have an ongoing relationship with my ENT for yearly check ups and hearing tests.  My ENT is a lovely, lovely man – whenever any other health professionals hear that he is my doctor they get a dreamy look in their eyes and says "he’s the nicest guy ever.  Don’t you think?" The women, especially, get a far away, unfocused look and I have to snap my fingers in their face a couple of times to regain their attention.  He’s pretty adorable.

Well fast forward to about six or eight weeks ago when I developed an ear infection.  One that won’t go away despite antiboitics, drops and the like.  So this is what prompted the CT scan earlier this week.  Results are in today and the cholesteatoma is back and I have to have another surgery. 

This is not the bad part.

The bad part is that when I was in his office and we were discussing when the surgery should take place, yada yada yada – he had my chart up on the computer screen so he could put in a prescription for me.  I notice in the lower right hand corner there is a little box for current conditions or something like that.  I see the ear issue noted.  And under that – – –

Oh this is awful.

Under that it said I am FAT!  As a condition!  And they used the "O" word.  Now it that really necessary?  I mean okay – I am pleasingly plump.  Traditionally build.  Rubenesque even.  But ob…. oh forget it.  I can’t even say the word.  I can’t be THAT fat, can I?  I wear a size 14 (okay ROOMY 14’s and the occasional 16). 

I suppose now a days the 14’s Marilyn Monroe wore are more like a size 8 or 10.   Not that I’m comparing myself to Marilyn Monroe, heavens no.  I’m more the Ethel Mertz build.  Oh I don’t even know where I’m going with this.  I can’t get over that my PERMANENT record says I’m fat.

I do see what needs to happen though.  It’s been a long time coming and there is no more denying it.  The writing’s on the wall, so to speak.  I’m going to have to buckle down and learn how to hack into the clinic’s computer system and update my medical file.

Harrumph.

My post on my current job angst and my dream job struck a chord with a number of readers.  While I’m sorry  so many of us are employed in less than fulfilling endeavors I am happy that so many of us have bigger dreams. 

Thank you all for sharing with me YOUR dreams.  Now I can picture our cute little village full of fabulous shops and services.  It turned out another blogger, Tracey from A Cottage Industry,  had a very similar post on the very same day as to what HER dream job would be.  A fabulous cupcake shop in her Nevada town for walk-ins and a vintage bakery truck for deliveries.  I left a comment on how growing up one of my very favorite memories was of the bakery truck coming once a week and how we would all run out with our shiny dimes to buy a donut off the back of the truck while the driver sold loaves of bread to our mothers. 

Tracey emailed me back that she too had a bakery truck that used to come to her neighborhood.  After a bit of back and forth emailing we determined that it was probably the very same truck!  We grew up in neighboring towns and both remember the truck being creamy yellow.  Now how is that for serendipity?

Really, I am in awe of all the fabulous ideas you all have for your dream jobs and for those of you that have done it already.    I’ll tell you what baby step I have taken towards my dream – I actually registered a domain name!  Who knows – maybe I’ll start a little online enterprise and when that takes off I’ll be able to take the next step towards my dream.  Thank you again for all the lovely responses and for the suggestions for books and offers of guidance.   Believe me I’ll need it!

Is it anyone’s dream to be an accountant?  If so let me know ~ I’m hoping I’ll need one!

(The picture above is not the truck from my childhood, alas.  It’s a still from the movie Hairspray)