Busy, Crazy World

I know I've been a little quiet recently; work's been very crazy, very busy, and I spent most of my weekend helping my younger brother with his job hunt. But hopefully things are settling down a little, so I have time to write again. :)

I've also been following the swine flu news. First of all, stop panicking. The media feeding frenzy on this story is getting ridiculous. Yes, it's news. Yes, it's something to be concerned about, and certainly something worth monitoring. But there's no need to panic. It's still very early in the investigation, and the strain has proven to be responsive to common medicines like Tamiflu. The high schoolers in New York City didn't even need anti-viral medication. So please, don't overreact just yet. Monitor the news, keep abreast of the situation, wash your hands frequently and cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. But don't break out the little masks just yet.

Instead, pick up a copy of John M. Barry's The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History. It's an utterly fascinating read about the 1918 flu pandemic, which killed 100 million people in less than two years. Barry's histories are always excellent (check out Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America - a very prescient work in light of what happened on the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina in 2005), and this book is no different. It's a meticulously-researched story of medicine, war, and human nature, illuminating a chapter of history that many people aren't aware of. It's also a bit eerie in the sense that the 1918 flu targeted young, seemingly healthy individuals - the only real parallel I can find thus far between the 1918 outbreak and the current swine flu situation. Great book, great read, very informative and timely.

All in all, it's a pretty day and a good start to the week. So stay safe, and don't freak out. May's just around the corner, and here in Charleston, it already feels like summer.

Return from Spring Break

Why can't grown-ups have nice, full, week-long Spring Breaks? Wait, our kids don't even get that anymore -- they divide up Spring Break into two half-weeks, which, IMO, is stupid and defeats the point of Spring Break. Anyway, none of us get real vacations anymore and that blows.

Time off is crucial. We all need it. Even adults need time here and there to just get away from the workplace and all its stresses, and just relax. We need to rest and recuperate, or else all our work crashes down on our heads and that's how people go on shooting rampages. Well, that and some serious mental health issues, but you know what I'm saying. In order to really appreciate one's job, sometimes one just has to get the fuck out of that place for a little while. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or at least makes you want to hurt people less. ;)

So, what did I do on my Spring Break? Nothing. I slept in late, watched guilty pleasure TV (anyone else here have a strange fascination with TLC's Toddlers & Tiaras? Anyone? Just me? You snobs), and read a semi-trashy historical romance novel, as I am wont to do with my vacation times. Last year, it was Phillippa Gregory's wickedly saucy Wideacre trilogy, which was so crammed full of incest and tragic love that it was like reading a V.C. Andrews novel set in feudal England. Needless to say, it was awesome. This year, I'm halfway through Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor, and it's like Gone With the Wind set in the Restoration Era, except Scarlett has way more sex and there's abortions and gay subtext amidst the detailed descriptions of all of the fabulous gowns and decor. I'm unabashedly loving it, even if Lord Carlton is no Rhett Butler (oh, Clark Gable, I don't care what fellow Charlestonians say about your accent -- you were still my first crush, and you are still my Rhett).

And I did get some writing done, which is good, because there are suddenly a few more followers on this blog than there were the last time I checked it. Hello, new followers! I'm quite honored that y'all want to watch this blog, and am exceedingly flattered by the comments left on the last piece of short fiction I published. Feedback is so critical to writers, and every piece is beloved and appreciated.

Other than that, not much else to report. Back to work, irritated with Bret Michaels for choosing fake-eyebrows Taya as his latest Rock of Love (though admittedly, I've never forgiven him for eliminating Farrah and Ashley), and ready to get back to business: working, blogging, and writing.

In short: hello, world. Nice to see you again. :)