What's in my bookbag?

My trip to Texas is fast approaching, so needless to say I've spent the past few days agonizing over which books to take with me. It's an especially big decision this time out because I'm committed to carry-on items only. That means I had to scale back my typical "book per day of trip" equation to a "books that fit in tote bag" scenario.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett was a shoo-in because it's been so highly recommended by many of my work friends. I'm currently on page 46 and will withhold commentary until I really get farther into its 440+ pages. No surprises here: I'm also taking Eclipse by Stephenie "About Three Things I Was Absolutely Positive" Meyer because (a) Debi and I will be watching Twilight and New Moon on DVD, (b) it's a plum opportunity to read the book in the presence of Pocket Edward, and (c) Eclipse will hit theaters in June! Gotta be ready for every sparkling moment. A dark horse in the running edged out A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick, my book group's latest selection. My Leftist sensibilities and fondness for graphic adaptations of books I'll never read led to a surprise pick: A People's History of American Empire by Howard Zinn. Plus, I like books with covers that are red.
I am looking forward to paging through this depiction of "trouble in the soul of an imperial nation" with newfound respect for comics as civil disobedience. Oh, and I can't wait to hit up Chuy's, the H.E.B., and Taco Cabana!

P.S. Entertainment Weekly had somethin' to say about A.N.T.M.'s upcoming vampire-themed photo shoot. And that somethin' was, "[It's] either a commentary on how the modeling industry can suck the life out of you or a pathetic attempt to get Twilight fans to watch." Um, if they would just replace pathetic with mind-bogglingly effective, and every known synonym for mind-bogglingly effective, I could get on board.

Dear Tyra: Now I KNOW that you've been reading my letters!

Next Wednesday, March will go out like a mega-fierce lamb when two of my very favorite-est thing will come together for one hour of TV magic. The photo challenge on America's Next Top Model will be a VAMPIRE-themed shoot complete with faux neck wounds, tank tops with suspenders (?), and some ca-razy white contact lenses! So fierce it will curdle your blood. It really won't suck. And as yours truly will be deep in the heart of Texas visiting BFFF Debi D., I am thinking that all of Wednesday's activities will definitely be planned around vampires and A.N.T.M. So overall, a pretty typical Wednesday!

Note to Tyra: Dear Tyra, what is dreckitude? And why the sudden commitment to catsuits featuring MC Hammer pants? I'm just sayin'.

In other news, I removed one of my own stitches today. I am seriously questioning the wisdom of doing this even while thinking to myself, "one down, three to go."

"And approximately what time did you lacerate your thumb?"

I disobeyed all known rules of logic and kitchen safety on Sunday night when I placed a can lid in the bottom of a bowl in my sink. As I placed it there I thought to myself, "You are going to forget that it's there and you are going to cut yourself on that can lid." But I chose to ignore my own voice of reason and go about my business. Part of my business included forgetting that there was a can lid at the bottom of a certain bowl, because when I went to wash the dishes I managed to gash my thumb on said can lid. And it was a gash of epic (for me) proportions. A bleeder! One trip to the emergency room, four stitches and a tetanus shot later, I'm more or less recovered except for some lasting bruises on my pride. Who knew that to anesthetize the area to be stitched, the doctor has to inject the novocaine directly into the gash itself. Sweet mother. Only five more days until the stitches can be removed. I'm thinking this isn't the time to get in touch with my inner DIY-er.