WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here.  

1. What are you currently reading? Beatles in 1966: The Revolutionary Year by Steve Turner. I'm getting my Beatle nerd on with this look at 1966, the year the lads stopped being a boy band and became artists.

So far this is what I've learned about the band I've known for all these years ...

25-year-old JOHN was far more spiritual than we knew. He was, in his parlance, "a fan of Jesus." John just doubted the miracles and, even more, found organized religion hypocritical and obsessed with sin and guilt.

24-year-old PAUL was worried about the future, his own and the world's. He sought out philosopher Bertrand Russell, then over 90, to discuss the arms race and Vietnam. Paul was so nervous in the presence of the great man that he gestured widely with his hand and knocked over a table lamp.

23-year-old GEORGE was more willful than I'd suspected. First wife Pattie had always fantasized about a big church wedding with a white dress. At George's insistence, it was a small ceremony in a judge's chambers, and she wore a striped Mary Quant mini dress.

25-year-old RINGO didn't have a drum kit at home and never rehearsed away from the studio. He needed other musicians and an audience to gauge how he was doing. 

2. What did you just finish reading? Every 15 Minutes by Lisa Scottoline. Dr. Eric Parrish thought he had it all. He was married to his best friend. He adores their 7-year-old daughter. He runs a highly-rated hospital psych unit. His papers have been published by respected journals. His private practice is profitable. 

Then, bit by bit, his life begins to unravel. His wife divorces him and puts their home up for sale. He only gets to see his little girl a couple times a week. His newest patient, a teenager with OCD who must complete a ritual every 15 minutes, becomes a suspect in a murder and Eric is enmeshed in profound moral and ethical dilemmas about confidentiality. And ... and ... and ... One thing after another. Soon his perfect life is a nightmare.

We know something Eric doesn't know: someone in his life is a manipulative sociopath. At the very least, this person is enjoying Eric's downfall. It's very possible they are methodically orchestrating his destruction. Who? Why?

This was chilling and it really captured my imagination. I thought I'd guess the villain, changed my mind, and found I was right the first time. I love these guessing games! When I was forced to put it down, I couldn't wait to get back to it. It's not perfect: in retrospect there are plot points that just don't make sense. But while I was reading it, I was completely engaged.

3. What will you read next? Play Dead by David Rosenfelt.

  

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 2

Today's happiness -- Freedom and flexibility. I admit that sometimes I am just done with this job, and with working altogether. Last week I was frustrated by all kinds of things ... a boss who hinders as much as she helps, another generation of novice coworkers that I get to train, OKTA verify and VPN issues, etc.

But today I'm experiencing the good side of it all. Today is Tuesday, the day I'm supposed to show up and work onsite at the office. There are meetings planned as well as a farewell party for the interns. Anyway, I woke up feeling kind of shitty. Literally. My gut hasn't been healthy since I took antibiotics last month for my tooth extraction and this morning it was most definitely making itself felt in unpredictable ways.

So I sent an email to my coworkers and went back to bed for an hour. I woke up to all manner of "Get well's" and "We'll miss you's." But no one really cares that today is another day I'll be working from home.

The boss I had three years ago on this date leaned very heavily on me and would have made me feel guilty about taking care of myself. Annoying as Marilyn can be, she gives me the freedom and flexibility I need today. 

I'm also happy for the very VPN and OKTA verify that bedeviled me last week, because this connectivity enables me to work from home.

And I'm happy that even on a day that begins with bathroom distress, I can find happiness. That's a gift I'm truly grateful for.

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.