what came first?

The book or the blog. There's a big trend to have women start blogs and write books. Or write books and then blogs. Or write columns, that become books, that become a TV show, that becomes a movie. EF yes, I can't wait to see Sex & the City: The Movie. From whence good human observations from a female point of view first gave fruit as great TV, great living.

I'm reading Julie & Julia which is a book that began as a blog as far back as 2002 children if we believe that blogs go that far back. I wonder who began the first blog... oh, hi wikipedia. Anyway I didn't read the book and I stumbled across the blog through, heck I dunno how and I only read the first page of the blog and was ho-hum but the book is pretty enjoyable so far. Nothing like a woman who hates her job and apartment and loves everything else despite her refusal to admit that. Cynical, bitter, self-loving, hilarious.

What is it about her problems that make them seem legitimate, like any other American middle-class problem? I wrote in my journal yesterday that my life was dull and I was okay with that repeatedly because I watched a movie in which a man made a comment about Americans and their boring lives in a way that made me believe that dude had serious problems and we're just a bunch of whiners. In fact I think the movie was Blackhawk Down which takes place in SOMALIA, wikipedia that place and fall on your knees and thank God you don't live there. This girl's problems are that she hates her job. Of course, in America when we hate our job its the one springboard we have to begin to question our purpose in life and that getting a better one would in turn get us a better life. BAH! Tell that to the kid that sells chicklets near the border and goes home to insert depressing home description here. But what am I telling you for? You'll think for a second oh yeah, we have it so good but then you'll forget and go on to complain about your DSL or the price of gas. Wait, you have a car asks the guy in Somalia while he limps with the one leg he has to the corner to beg for alms.

Why did I go off on that? Anyyyywwaaayyy.... the book's a good read for me because my mom makes fun of me for making meals using cookbooks. "Evelyn, she cooks with cookbooks" she says to whoever is visiting or whoever is not. My mother doesn't measure ANYTHING, heck I don't think she owns a measuring cup. She just throws ingredients here and there and ta-da, a meal. Its sort of silly to think that just by making recipes from a book would teach you to cook right? As if reading a book about piano tunes with sheet music would teach you to play piano. But it does darn it, cooking is great that way. The more you do, the more instinctive other things related to a recipe you once made become. I've learned very much about eggs and egg whites just by making black and white angel food cake five times now. YES, FIVE. Because if you have any sorts of smarts and thankfully I do, whew, you start building on the basics you've learned. Wait, that one recipe that sauteed the green beans worked, why not.... so if she goes through an entire book written by Julia Child, then by gum, I bet she could make stuff that isn't lobster. UGH, reading that section reminded me of why I am a vegetarian, ick.

As a bridal shower present Alexa gave me the 'Barefoot Contessa at Home' cookbook. As of today I've made 8 things out of that book, most of them more than once. I've made two things out of Wolfgang Puck's book, and one thing out of the vegetarian cookbook. For me, that's impressive because I'm all talk and no action. Speaking of action!, the book is being made into a movie starring my favorite young actress Amy Adams and everyone's favorite devil Meryl Streep.

Effin' A. Way to blog baby.