(This is a procrastination post)

So, I'm supposed to be reading a book a day this summer. It's pretty insane, but it's what I need to do if I'm going to make the most of my summer. I realize I can't read closely or completely at this pace, but that's okay. I need to understand arguments and get the gist of about 70 important books/articles that I didn't cover in coursework. When I told my parents that I was just reading "for the argument," my mom said that I oughta be pretty good at that since all I've ever done is argue with her. She doesn't get it.

It's hard to read at this pace. I've never been a quick reader, partly by choice and partly by nature. As an English major, I've always had a tendency to chew on language and read closely, which doesn't lend itself well to speed-reading. Nevertheless, if I concentrate, I can go pretty fast. I learned this mostly by teaching speedreading at Sylvan back in ought-3. I was thrown into teaching this course, and I read out of a workbook to a group of people who had paid an enormous sum of money to learn the speed-reading secrets. As is typical with Sylvan, they had paid a ridiculous amount of money for information and strategies that can be bought at Barnes & Noble for $14.95. Nevertheless, many of those strategies really work. It's amazing how quickly your eye can move and your mind can process if you force yourself to scan the words more quickly. Most readers sub-vocalize, or say the words in their mind, which is a speed bump to efficient reading. But, it's a comfort zone that's hard to break out of, for me at least.

Anyway, so far, I haven't successfully balanced domesticity and uber-reading. I'm not reading for enough hours in the day, and I'm getting wrapped up in the book I'm reading. I gotta find my system.

It's hard to entertain the buddy all day everyday, too, especially since the bastards that run this apartment complex shut down our swimming pool. Nothing burns buddy-energy like swimming. If he doesn't swim, he could probably stay up for 48 hours straight!

On Friday, we're off to see the much anticipated Cars, the new Pixar movie. We've been waiting at least a year for this one, as it's been in previews at least that long. I don't know if this movie experience will be successful. Of course, we had to leave after 30 minutes of Curious George--I mean, seriously, any movie pails in comparison to lighted stairs and several hundred chairs to try out. When you think about it, the cinema is a pretty ridiculous venue for film. But we're going to give it a try anyway. Pixar's out thang. I'm thinking a year of previews and a couple hundred dollars in merchandise has bought at least 45 minutes. That's the over-under, I thinking--anyone want to place a bet?