Alphabetical COVID Diaries: B

It's NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) and the project I'm doing is my Alphabetical COVID Diaries. Go visit San at The In Between Is Mine to sign up to be part of NaBloPoMo or to find a list of bloggers who are participating. 

From the facade of a downtown business.

Back and forth to Walgreen's trying to figure out medicine for the dog. Back at work after a long weekend. Back at work today. Back at work! Back at work! Back at work. Back home. Back into the CEC today to try and get the quarterly report done. Back to campus where I met with a student, did progress reports, and met with LWF. Back to feeling fine! Back to N--- and S------'s afterwards for pizza. Back to summer weather today. Back to the hotel for bed after training. Back to work today! Back to work tomorrow. Back to work tomorrow. Back to work wearing a mask. Back to work with us.

Bad headache, so I went to bed early. Bad meeting about how the CCB is going to disband this afternoon. Bad news all around. Bad news. Bad weather is headed our way again tomorrow and it was supposed to be a SOAR day, but everyone got together in the office and got things ready for a virtual event. Bad weather tonight. Baked a blueberry pie for the pie auction tomorrow. Baked cookies to take over to B---- and H------'s - today was my last day taking care of Rosie. Bars opened.

Bath for H, laundry.

Beautiful day - just warm enough and the humidity has broken! Beautiful day - we opened the windows and it was nice to air the house out a bit. Beautiful day - we opened up some windows and I wore my sandals for the first time all year! Beautiful day and I took Hannah out for some nice long walks. Beautiful day for Body Blast outside at FAC .Beautiful day for it! Beautiful day, though. Beautiful day! Beautiful day! Beautiful day. Beautiful day. Beautiful day. Beautiful day. Beautiful day. Beautiful day. Beautiful day. Beautiful day. Beautiful day. Beautiful fall day. Beautiful fall day. Beautiful July day - not too hot or muggy. Beautiful night - the evenings are getting cooler. Beautiful out, so T-- went on a walk with me and H. Beautiful spring day. Beautiful spring day. Beautiful spring day. Beautiful spring day. Beautiful summer day. Beautiful sunrise while walking H today. Beautiful weather until a storm blew through in the afternoon. Beautiful weather. Beautiful weather. Beautiful, windows open weather. Beautiful weather.

Because our schedule was goof with the trip to Madison, we forgot to feed the girls dinner on time! Because we didn't do much yesterday, it was all crammed in today. B---- and I got the DoL quarterly report turned in for the first time with no errors. B---- did some magic with match funds, so we're going to tell DoL that we're going to end the grant early. Below zero temps again today.

B-- and D---- stopped by for a few minutes so A---- could give us some Girl Scout cookies. Benefits stuff seems to be done. Between fireworks and storms, Hannah may never voluntarily go outside again. Between the CSA and regular grocery trips, we're well-stocked. Biden announced his VP selection of Kamala Harris. Biden issued a statement saying he was going to reverse IRAP programs, but I'm not sure what it means for our programs.

Big chore day - made granola, cleaned the floors, did laundry. Big chore day. Big day at work. Big day for H. Big day for the dog. Big day! Big day! Big day! Big day. Big day. Big event of the day. Big event today was a FAC board meeting where they debated the Farmers Market. Big FAC day. Big fire in Fort - sounds like a lot of rubber was being stored in a building. Big fun! Big Saturday. Big shopping day. Big storm this afternoon. Big storms after dinner. Big thunderstorms after dinner.

Bike ride with T--, B--, J-----, and C------ this morning. Birthday Eve! Birthday! Bit of a housewife day. Bit of a neighborhood gathering on my way back from the library - K----, J----, and it was nice to talk with them to see how things are going. Bit of a stressful day.

Bitter cold again. Bitter, bitter cold today. Bitter, bitter cold. Black bean soup for dinner and made granola after dinner. Black bean soup simmering in the slow cooker all day for dinner. Bleh. Blissful Saturday with nothing on the calendar! Blissfully quiet Saturday at home. Blog posts, including a guest post and the first post in the I Capture the Castle book club.

Blowing wind, snow all over the roads. Board meeting after work - I'm pretty sure this quietness will end soon, but I'm taking advantage of it while I can. Board meeting after work. Board meeting at FAC. Board meeting before dinner. Bob Evans for dinner and Whippy Dip for dessert. Body blast after work at FAC. Body Blast after work. Body blast and yoga at FAC before dinner. Body blast and yoga at FAC. Body Blast at FAC after that! Body Blast at FAC after work. Body Blast at FAC after work. Body Blast at FAC after work. Body blast at FAC after work. Body blast at FAC after work. Body blast at FAC after work. Body blast at FAC before dinner - tried to go easy! Body Blast at FAC before dinner. Body Blast outside at FAC after work.

Bonkers day. Boo. Boo.

Book club after dinner - Piranesi by Susannah Clarke - big thumbs up. Book club after dinner - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - sad book, but D---- called it hopeful which is a choice. Book club after dinner at Y's house - A Thousand Ships - sad book. Book club after dinner. Book club after dinner. Book club after dinner. Book club after dinner. Book club after dinner. Book club at C------'s after dinner. Book club at D----'s - we read Euphoria by Lily King. Book club at D-----'s new house - no one loved the book, so I felt vindicated about my meh feelings. Book club at L---'s house. Book club at L-----'s house. Book club at Y---'s.  Book club for Code Name Helene. Book club here tonight - H did well. Book club tonight. Book club tonight. Book club via Zoom after dinner - the consensus is that David Sedaris is just sort of mean. Book club via Zoom tonight. Book club!

Boom booms stressed Hannah out again. Boring day. Both FAC job postings went live on Indeed and it's been good getting resumes from people - unfortunately, not many for the ED position. Both H and Z were very needy and affection seeking when I got home, so T-- and I spent lots of time giving them pets. Both places were crazy busy, but we got in and out no worse for wear. Both places were madhouses. Bought some clothes for work on Black Friday sales. Bought some work pants today. Boxed up all the presents for D--, Mom, and T--- and scheduled pickup for tomorrow. Breakfast at Wendy's. 

B---- and I presented at a conference about how to target diverse groups in apprenticeships. B---- called to tell me to schedule a vaccine because we have student workers. B----'s pretty angry with Financial Services because they mess up some payroll. :( Brief conversation with P---- at FAC. Brief interlude to return library books, buy Valentine's Day cards at Tuttle's, and pick up the CSA eggs. Brief meeting at work. Brief trip into W--------- to get Hannah her meds. Brief trip to drop off a Goodwill donation and pick up the CSA, but otherwise it was a quiet day at home. Brief trip to J---------. Brief trip to the Farmers Market to get honey. Brief trip to Woodman's after dinner. Brief trips to Walgreen's and Festival, but otherwise a quiet day at home. Briefly ran to Festival and Blodgett's, but otherwise hung out with the girls. Briefly went to FAC to say goodbye to J--- on her last day, but otherwise stayed in. Briefly went to J---------- - trip chaining to get gasoline without ethanol for the lawnmower, kitty litter, and stop to get peaches from L----. Briefly went to the library to get books.

Broke 20 degrees, so Hannah could go out without her coat and booties, so she was happy about that. Broke out the heated vest for the first time this year. Brr. Brunch, softball game. Buddy and Mingus in the morning and after dinner. Buddy and Mingus in the morning and after dinner. Buddy and Mingus this morning and after dinner. Building up strength for a "regular" day tomorrow. Bummer. Bummer. Bummer.

Busy and productive. Busy at work with lots of meetings with probation students. Busy chore day - laundry, baking, giving Hannah a bath. Busy chore day. Busy day at work afterwards and then grocery store after dinner. Busy day at work today. Busy day at work, but it felt good to be productive. Busy day at work, but it was nice to be productive. Busy day at work, but otherwise not much on the homefront. Busy day at work! Busy day at work! Busy day at work. Busy day at work. Busy day at work. Busy day at work. Busy day at work. Busy day at work. Busy day at work. Busy day at work. Busy day at work. Busy day at work. Busy day at work. Busy day at work. Busy day at work. Busy day at work. Busy day considering I didn't do any paid work. Busy day for H - dog park date with J---- and Aoife, a bath, and a nail trim!Busy day setting up interviews for FAC jobs.

Busy day today. Busy day! Busy day! Busy day! Busy day. Busy day. Busy day. Busy day. Busy day. Busy day. Busy day. Busy day. Busy day. Busy day. Busy day. Busy day. Busy day. 

Busy errand morning in J--------- - Hobby Lobby to get a Newton's Cradle for O---, pet store, Ulta, and Woodman's. Busy Friday morning with work. Busy Friday. Busy Monday at work. Busy Monday at work. Busy morning - laundry, making H sweet potatoes, cleaning. Busy morning - washed the litter box, gave H a bath, vacuumed, and did laundry. Busy morning at work. Busy morning with student meetings, but this afternoon was a lot less scheduled. Busy morning. Busy Saturday! Busy Saturday. Busy Saturday. Busy Saturday. Busy Saturday. Busy SOAR - lots of COLS students, which is good, but exhausting. Busy SOAR day at work. Busy Sunday. Busy Sunday. Busy Sunday. Busy virtual day at work today. Busy, productive day at the office. Busy, productive day at work - filled out DWD app enough to send it to B----, finished slides for webinar on Friday. Busy.

But everyone's wearing masks and social distancing, so I guess that's how it is now. But Hannah hurt herself somehow and the vet's closed. But I think we're making progress. But it's fine! But its been good and today I helped people! But she will sleep well tonight. But the temps are plummeting tonight.

But then somebody was shooting off fireworks and it scared Hannah, so we turned on the AC. But we're starting with antibiotics tomorrow after Hannah is no longer loopy. But, on the bright side, she suffered no ill consequences from playing with Ginger yesterday, so that was good news. But!

Alphabetical COVID Diaries: A, Part II

It's NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) and the project I'm doing is my Alphabetical COVID Diaries. Go visit San at The In Between Is Mine to sign up to be part of NaBloPoMo or to find a list of bloggers who are participating. 

Above the drive thru of a local coffee shop. 

Another absolutely beautiful November day. Another absolutely beautiful spring day. Another bananas day. Another beautiful day in terms of weather. Another beautiful day. Another beautiful day. Another beautiful day. Another beautiful day. Another beautiful day. Another beautiful day. Another beautiful day. Another beautiful spring day. Another beautiful summer day - not too hot, sunny, and wonderful. Another beautiful, cool day. Another boom, boom bang kind of day.

Another busy day at home. Another busy day at work. Another busy day at work. Another busy day at work. Another busy day at work. Another busy day at work. Another busy day at work. Another busy day at work. Another busy day at work. Another busy day at work. Another busy day at work. Another busy day at work. Another busy day work day. Another busy day. Another busy day. Another busy day. Another busy day. Another busy GR day - Calvin Ecosystem Preserve (very big thumbs up), Public Museum (another winner), Downtown Market (very good), African American Museum (lackluster, but there was a very nice volunteer).

Another busy SOAR day at work. Another busy Tuesday. Another busy work day. Another busy work day. Another chill day with T----. Another chill day. Another chill weekend day. Another cold day - flurries on and off all day, but none of it stuck. Another cold day. Another cold day. Another cold day. Another cold, rainy day. Another cold, rainy day. Another crazy day at work. Another day at home. Another day at home. Another day at home. Another day at home. Another day at home. Another day at work. Another day at work. Another day of calling apprentices and gathering data. Another day of social distancing. Another day of work, another workout, another walk around the block. Another day with not a lot happening. Another day with terrible air quality.

Another day. Another day. Another day. Another driveway photo this year. Another driveway photo. Another good day of walks for H. Another gorgeous day outside. Another gorgeous day outside. Another gorgeous day. Another gorgeous day. Another great birthday (social distancing, of course). Another kind of long day. Another lonely morning at the CEC. Another long day. Another long day. Another lovely day - H and I did long walks. Another low-key day at home. Another Monday. Another oddly busy day at work. Another oddly busy day at work. Another oddly long day.

Another pretty day - maybe spring really is here! Another pretty day with windows open. Another pretty day. Another pretty day. Another pretty March day. Another pretty quiet day at home. Another pretty quiet day. Another quiet day at home with the girls. Another quiet day at home. Another quiet day at home. Another quiet day at work. Another quiet day. Another quiet day. Another rainy day! Another really gorgeous July day. Another record breaking warm day. Another slow day at work. Another slow day at work. Another SOAR day. Another social distancing day. Another social distancing day. Another super busy day at work. Another unseasonably warm day. Another very busy finals week day for T--.

Another very hot day. Another very quiet day at work. Another very quiet work day. Another warm day! Another warm day. Another warm day. Another warm day. Another warm, sunny day. Another windy, grey day. Another work day. Another work day. Answered a few CPL emails today, but mostly hunkered down and sulked.

Ants are in the bathroom - T--'s really upset about them. Apparently I was the "responsible adult." Apparently last night there was a short, violent storm. Apparently. Applied for a bunch of jobs today - some asked about the COVID vaccine, which I thought was interesting. Applied for a bunch of jobs today. Applied for a job and got an email to set up a phone interview. Applied for another job, too. Applied for some jobs, read, updated my blog. Applied to a bunch of jobs, took down Halloween decorations, did some yardwork, and spent too much time blogging.

Apprentice orientation after dinner. A-------- Heating and Cooling out to fix the AC. At a hotel in M------.At least it's over. At least the sun came out. At work J---- redid the Success Roadmap and it looks so much better. Ate lunch at the SweetSpot outside. Attended Zoom FACTalk with an econ guy talking about Rust Belt cities. Awkward meeting with the Hispanic Collaborative this morning to say we won't hold the course they'd recruited heavily for.

Alphabetical COVID Diaries: A, Part I

It's NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) and the project I'm doing is my Alphabetical COVID Diaries. Go visit San at The In Between Is Mine to sign up to be part of NaBloPoMo or to find a list of bloggers who are participating. 

Dumpster in front of a house that was getting a new roof, siding, and gutters. Can you even imagine what that cost?

A bit of venting about the financial woes at UWW before we called it a day. A bit stressed about it, but B---- says not to worry. A--- came up from Madison and we did all the Fort things - Farmers Market, water tower tour, museum, cows. A couple of people who have been out of college for a long time asked for some info on coming back. A couple of quick meetings this morning, then goofed off a bunch. A couple of student meetings, went to the PGL meeting to tell them about my job and discuss Navigate. A couple of work meetings and some fitness classes. A crazy busy week at school and I'm excited for a bit of down time this weekend. A day is missing.

A DoL meeting in which I learned that one of the CCB's employees is leaving in November. A fair number of student meetings. A family event! A good time was had by all. A lot of CPL feedback. A lot of people still aren't wearing masks. A lot of stores are starting to mandate mask wearing. A nice gentle rain all afternoon. A perfect Saturday. A really tiring day. A run! A sigh of relief is felt all around. About 40 kids this year - we once again just put some candy out on the porch.

Absolute madness. Absolutely beautiful day. Absolutely silly. Accidentally left my pillow there.

Admitted Warhawk Day at work. Admitted Warhawk Day this morning. Admitted Warhawk today. Advising Institute today and then F-'s retirement party.

After a bit of a false spring, all the giant piles of snow had melted, but now there's snow again. After a crazy Saturday, it was chore Sunday. After a long week, I mostly spent the day on the couch watching Schitt's Creek episodes. After a lot of things going on yesterday, I had a pretty chill day today. After breakfast, T-- noticed a smell like gas.

After dinner we had book club - What's Mine and Yours - meh. After dinner we made Valentine's Day cards. After dinner we went to a lecture about Stax Records over at J--- M-----'s farm. After dinner we went to see Three Thin Dimes at the patio concert at FAC. After dinner, GBBO episode - bread week. After dinner, I went over to Paddy's for a game night that D------- organized. After dinner, went to J---------. After that, it was a pretty lazy Saturday. After work, I went to Walgreen's, picked up the CSA, signed some FAC documents, and did an hour of FHC classes. After work, we had our FAC annual meeting and regular board meeting. After work, went to Festival to buy pumpkin pie ingredients. After yesterday's excitement, today was much more chill.

Agnes wouldn't start, so I took T-- to campus, ran home to walk Buddy and Mingus, and ran to yoga class, and took H to the groomer. Agnes wouldn't start, so we had to jump the battery. Agnes' tire was flat again today, so T-- had to deal with that.

A---- L------- sent over her resume, so I'll get started calling her references on Monday.

Air quality still poor.  Albanese gummy bears taste like vomit. A---'s graduation party - good turnout and she seemed really happy. All four dogs! All Hannah all the time today. All I wanted to do was sleep. All in all, a winner of a day. All my email inboxes are clean now and I'm super excited about that. All quiet today. All the snow from Friday is long gone. All the snow is melted, I saw some robins, and it feels like spring. All the students are gone! All the trees and plants are blooming. Alone at the office all day.

Also made sweet potatoes for Hannah. Also ordered holiday cards! Also stopped to get birdseed. Also took H over to D------ C----- were she had fun. Also took Hannah to the dog park. Also, a nail trim for her and dealing with her anal glands. :( Also, had a WebEx interview for another advising position. Also, my thumb is still sprained. Also, the skateboarding street final was exciting. Also, there were fireworks tonight, so she's a nervous girl. Also, very tired. Also, went to buy groceries after dinner. Also, wrapped all the presents that need to be mailed and they'll get picked up by USPS tomorrow. 

Always an adventure on a Saturday. Am absolutely exhausted. Am excited that tomorrow is Friday. Am excited to sleep in tomorrow. Am exhausted. Am exhausted. Am exhausted. Am exhausted. Am exhausted. Am exhausted. Am exhausted. Am exhausted. Am mentally exhausted. Am officially exhausted. Am pretty tired after all that. Am pretty tired tonight. Am really worn down at this point. Am super exhausted. Am trying to finish my book club book for tomorrow, but it's slow going.  Am very tired these days. Am very tired today, though - I think staying up late for book club last night was a bad idea. Am working on a blog project where I ask 20 people to guest post to celebrate my blog's 20th anniversary.

An appraiser came by because we're financing and we kept very far from him and Lysoled every surface he touched. 

And it's so cold! And some Liberal Studies AARs. And still had time to read. And there are two cards hanging up in our display already! And warm! A--- had a sub. A--- was teaching and it was wonderful. A--- was wearing ice cream pants and I was influenced. A--- won't be doing any more yoga classes here. :(

Annoying. Annual exam this morning. Annual exam this morning.

October 2026 Accountability Buddy

Thursday, October 1
30-minute yoga video in the student union at lunchtime

Friday, October 2

10-minute yoga before bed

Saturday, October 3

30-minute full body dumbbell workout

10-minute yoga for lower back pain

Sunday, October 4

Yesterday during my workout I did something to my back. Or I have a kidney stone. Who knows? It hurts. I did some verrrry gentle yoga stretches, but I'm scared to do too much.

Monday, October 5

30-minute yoga video in the student union at lunchtime

Tuesday, October 6

Day off

Wednesday, October 7

15-minute stretch class at lunchtime*

30-minute Japanese Interval Walk

Thursday, October 8

30-minute yoga video in the student union at lunchtime

Friday, October 9

15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

Saturday, October 10

10-minute no jumping cardio

10-minute legs

10-minute standing arms

10-minute post-workout stretch

Sunday, October 11

10-minute no jumping cardio

10-minute standing arm workout

10-minute standing abs

10-minute yoga for low back pain and hip stretches

Monday, October 12

30-minute yoga video in the student union at lunchtime

Tuesday, October 13

15-minute yoga flow - The neighbors were taking down a tree on the boundary of our yards. In order to make it seem "normal," I went ahead and did some yoga. I think it worked, too. Hannah was zen next to me. 

45-minute body blast class at the community center after work

Wednesday, October 14

15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

Thursday, October 15

15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

35-minute deep yoga stretch for stress relief

Friday, October 16

Day off

Saturday, October 17

30 minute full body with weights 

15-minute yin yoga for hip flexibility 

Sunday, October 18

30-minute walking workout

10-minute yoga for tight hamstrings and lower back

Monday, October 19

30-minute yoga in the student union at lunchtime

Tuesday, October 20

45-minute body blast class at the community center after work

Wednesday, October 21

15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

5-minute full body warmup

15-minute arms and shoulders

15-minute standing abs

Thursday, October 22

30-minute yoga for hips and lower back

Friday, October 23 & Saturday, October 24

I got a couple of vaccines and took it easy on these days.

Sunday, October 25

10-minute leg workout

10-minute standing arm workout

10-minute standing abs

10-minute nervous system reset (Yoga with Adriene)

Monday, October 26

30-minute yoga in the student union at lunchtime

Tuesday, October 27

45-minute body blast class at the community center after work

Wednesday, October 28

30-minute best balance exercises - I like to do this video once a month or so because it's great for me to see the differences in my good and bad legs. Wednesdays are really hard to fit in movement, so I can do this video in my office at lunch. 

Thursday, October 29

30-minute yoga in the student union at lunchtime

Friday, October 30

15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

30-minute full body dumbbell workout - no repeats, no jumping

Saturday, October 31

Day off

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Totals: 23/31 (74.2%) of days of 30 minutes or more

Strength/cardio: 12 days

Yoga: 11 days

Short stretch classes at lunchtime: 5 times

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*Our local healthcare organization does free stretch classes virtually three times a week. Sign up here! It's free. It's fun. We regularly talk about candy and what's for lunch. It's a delightful break in the middle of the day. You do not have to have your camera on. She has the classes out there for the rest of the year, so you'd only have to register ONCE. 

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There are only TWO MORE MONTHS in the year. How are your fitness goals going? 

Vote Correctly, United States

I'm going to interrupt my regularly scheduled posting for a quick reminder that today is Election Day in the United States. If you haven't voted already, please get to your polling place before it closes tonight. Vote as if your democracy is at stake because it is.

Admittedly, it was delightful that it was sunny at 7:30 in the morning.

(No comments. Just go vote.)

October 2026 Books Read

It was the best of times and worst of times when it came to books this month.

10/3: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (library, 2000) - What a ride. 4/5 stars

10/3: Wanderers (Wanderers #1) by Chuck Wendig (library audiobook narrated by Dominic Hoffman and Xe Sands, 2019) - There's a pandemic! And a very long audiobook. I mean, it was okay. I wasn't blown away and won't read the sequel, but I thought it was okay. 3.5/5 stars

10/6: The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner (library ebook, 2025) - This just didn't do it for me at all. 2/5 stars

10/7: The Nightingales by Emil Wilson (library, 2026) - Just a perfect graphic memoir about a teenage girl and her friendship with a dying man. There are POMERANIANS. 5/5 stars - literally NO NOTES

10/14: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated from the Japanese by Ginny Tapley Takemori (library, 2016) - Look, this book is my jam. So much to think about. 5/5 stars

10/14: This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying #1) by Ilona Andrews (library audiobook narrated by Kristen Sieh, 2026) - Frustrating book. There's a lot here to like, but the pacing was off. 3/5 stars

10/17: Voyagers by Meg Charlton (library, 2026) - Two distinct storylines. I liked both of them, but I'm not sure if they worked together. 4/5 stars

10/19: When I Fell From the Sky: The True Story of One Woman's Miraculous Survival by Juliane Koepcke translated from the German by Ross Benjamin (library ebook, 2011 ) - When Koepcke was 17, she was the sole survivor of the 1971 LANSA Flight 508 crash over the jungle of Peru. Interesting, but not truly enough to sustain the length of the book. 3/5 stars

10/25: Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty (library, 2026) - Not enough time travel. 3/5 stars

10/25: Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang (library ebook, 2025) - I'm definitely not the right audience for this one. But things did go absolutely batshit at the end, so if that's your jam, maybe you're the audience. 2.5/5 stars

10/27: Royal Assassin (Realm of the Elderlings: Farseer Trilogy #2) by Robin Hobb (library audiobook narrated by Paul Boehmer, 1996) - The reread continues! There's a bit that's slow when Fitz is mooning around like a teenager after Molly, but he IS a teenager, so it makes sense. But we are introduced to Nighteyes and Fitz grows up. 4.5/5 stars

Total: 11 books

Average star rating: 3.64/5 stars

Did not finish:

Night Objects by Eli Raphael - Look, this is maybe a good book. But I can't deal with a mom death AND teenage sex in the same book. I just can't. DNF at 12%. 

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How many 5 star books did you read in October? 

CBBC Week Three: Convenience Store Woman, Wrap-up

Past discussions:
Week One
Week Two

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"Love Letter to a Convenience Store"

Last week, J and Diane brought to my attention that some books have a special Sayaka Murata "Love Letter to a Convenience Store" (also translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori). My edition of the book didn't have it, but don't worry, you can read in on Lit Hub. 

A taste, if you like:

When it was time to go home, I suddenly had the urge to see you look embarrassed, so I asked, “Do you think a convenience store and a human can have sex together?” thinking it would make you blush and get all flustered. But you answered smoothly, your face utterly serious, “What are you talking about? We’re already doing it, aren’t we? You enter me every day.” I think that’s the moment we became lovers.

I don't know if I can coherently form a question about this. Discuss amongst yourselves. 

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What were your overall thoughts on this book? 

• I love this book. I love Keiko and her weirdness, I love how deftly Muraka has such a biting commentary on life and social expectations in Japan, and I love the ending.
• I would love to know about how much of this book is autobiographical. Muraka did work at a convenience store and it seems to echo a lot of her family life and somewhat unhappy childhood, but maybe I'm reading too much into that.
• This was a reread for me, but I was surprised at how funny I found it to be. I don't remember that much humor when I read it before. 

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Pop culture:

There's not much here, I'm afraid. Wikipedia tells me that the novel was adapted into a radio drama on NHK-FM's FM Theater  and was broadcast from 22:00 to 22:50 on 30 November 2019. Chiaki Kuriyama voiced the role of the protagonist Keiko Furukura.

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Overall questions to consider:

1) Do you think the pressures that Keiko is feeling to get a "real" job and/or get married is unique to Japanese culture? Is this need for conformity universal? Is it the same for men and women?

2) Did you find this book as humorous as I did? Did you think the satire is understated, overstated, or just right?

3) Last week a lot of us were disappointed in the hypocrisy of Keiko's co-workers and friends who were happy for her to be in a relationship with Shiraha, a man who only pages before had been fired for stalking someone. Is this book fundamentally about how we, as humans, prize conformity and/or conventionality above actual happiness? 

4) I tend to think the ending is a happy ending. Keiko is back to doing what she is good at and finding fulfillment and self-acceptance. But some people see the ending as a nod towards assimilation within the capitalistic hegemony. Where do you stand on this debate? Is Keiko empowered at the end of the book or is she exploited? 

5) I don't care for Shiraha, but does he have a point? Are the expectations for men and women different and men have the short end of the stick? Or is it just an excuse for laziness on his part?

6) Which character:

    a. Do you think is happiest?

    b. Would you most like to hang out with for an afternoon?

    c. Do you most relate to?

    d. Would you most like to suggest go to therapy?

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Most iconic line:

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That's a wrap on 2026 CBBC! Thanks for joining and participating. 

As always, if you have ideas for books for next time or suggestions about how CBBC is run, I'm happy to get some feedback.