Its a marathon, not a sprint.

That day when I mistook the $10 bill for the hundred, I tried to commiserate with my manager. She remarked "There is really nothing I can say that you aren't saying to yourself." then she finished by adding "Just remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint." referring, of course, to the holiday shopping period looming if not already started.

40% of all revenue for the year is aquired for most retail businesses, during the period from Thanksgiving to Christmas. I learned that from my old job at the mega bookstore during the mandatory "leading up to the Christmas shopping season" meeting at 6:00a.m....in the god awful way too early morning hour(in case the a.m. part didn't tip you off). Given the time of day, crap, 6a.m. isn't day yet in my world, even with my natural tendencies to get up early, I am seriously shocked that I remember ANYTHING from that meeting.

With that running around my head and my new manager failing to console me (not that I really need to be consoled) all I can think, after working for my employer in marketing for three years, is she had just been to her own "leading up to the Christmas shopping season" meeting. Its all just business speak. The Wall Street Journal recently had an article about how business vernacular is invading our lives. Don't know why, but that "marathon" statement reminded me of that article. Vernacular, as I have experienced it, is just another word for euphemism which is just another way of saying something that the other person doesn't really want to hear but won't understand until you walk away.

So, did I mention that I read Chore Whore by Heather Howard (a real life personal assistant)? Couldn't put the book down. Stayed up until one in the morning one night reading, trying to finish it. Then paid for it by being not being able to keep my eyes open the next day. Great book. The cover reads "98% true." What the #$%@ does that mean? If its "98% true" it might as well be in biography with James Frey's memoir as that is definitely less than 98% true. Oh wait, that's right, that book got moved to SELF HELP! If 98% true Chore Whore is in fiction, then A Million Little Pieces should be in fiction as well. Whoops, sorry, did I really write that?

I am now reading The Prince of Ice by Emma Holly as well as Heart Quest by Robin Owens. Yes, I am a parallel reader. See! More vernacular! And I learned that one from someone I know who works at Amazon. A parallel reader is someone who reads more than one book at the same time. Try explaining that to someone who doesn't and they look at you blankly.

Back to The Prince of Ice...I just love Emma Holly...her demon series is unique in a kind of Spock meets Faery way. If you have read it you know what I mean.



Yes, I know, I said I would read The Innocent Man by John Grisham. I will, its just that there are all these other books out there are well. My mantra "So many books, so little time!" And then, Danielle Steel came out with a book I am actually interested in reading. I haven't read anything by her since the eighties. This one is called "H.R.H." with a vaguely Scarlett Johansen looking character on the front cover. To make matters more complicated, J.D. Robb is coming out with a new hardcover on tuesday. You know I have to go pick that one up. Argh!!! Not nearly enough time.