Cat Marnell's Book, A Photo Shoot and a Little Randomness

I got home earlier than usual today. The Nanny is still off with a bad knee and as I wrote previously, it has been a cray cray week. I feel like I have been going non-stop at work and I have barely had any time to read up on the second coming (Beyonce having twins) or Bethanny Frankel and her baby daddy drama! Gah! I have, however, had time to read news headlines at 6 a.m. and feel my stomach knot up. Fun times! To add to the nutsiness of this week, the Husband woke up with a sore throat and is officially sick and the Kid woke up with a cough because of course he did. I am trying to keep the germs at bay because this weekend is my Paris Hilton weekend of going out but sans booze so it will be more like that time Lindsay Lohan wore that security anklet. Still fun, but with fewer arrests.

Speaking of fun, the book I have been waiting for finally downloaded on my Kindle this morning. I have never pre-ordered a book before so this was a real first. A friend of mine, who has an amazing and important job (which I once described tipsily to a friend as "Head of Book"), wrote me a few months ago and said "You are going to have to read Cat Marnell's book 'How to Murder your Life'. You are going to love it." And I take her advice because we have similar humour and I totally think we need our own podcast which involves drinking wine and coming up with inappropriate skit ideas and random conversations between celebrities. Yes. Only problem is she is State-side but we can make it work. The funny thing about the author Cat Marnell is, is that I first stumbled upon her life story when I was reading XOJane. It had been a few years since I had read the online magazine, and I decided to contact them a few months back with the opening line "So, like, want me to write an article about autism in Austria and my plans for opening up an autism center? Yes, no, maybe?" They wrote me back and said "Why, yes, yes we do!". And I wrote it, and it was published and about a day after my article came out, Cat Marnell was back. I was intrigued and I Googled (first Google image search because of course) and read up on New York's enfant terrible. It was shortly thereafter that I received the above message from my friend. Bizarrely fateful. So this morning, as I took the Ubahn to work, I turned on my Kindle and started reading and I truly wish I could have called in sick because I was hooked. I am just a couple of chapters in and I know that I am going to love it and be horrified and love it and be horrified. I might end up going to bed at 8 tonight after I throw the Kid into bed so that I can read this book. And this of course all ties back to me because vain: I am motivated to get back to writing my book I started a couple of years ago. And the funny thing is, is that I thought I had my ending two years ago but so much has happened since then that I have an even better ending and I cannot wait to get started. And then finish. And then search for a publisher and then get some rejections. And then get published and in the mean time lose weight, discover cold fusion and open the autism center. (This is all self-inflicted. I expect no pity.)

So long story short, pick up this book. And then meet me next month for the one-time book club I will be hosting at a cocktail bar. Why not? Could be fun. Anyway, as I write this, the Kid is having his second therapy session of the day. He absolutely adores it. And I know why ABA therapists are so skinny: the amount of energy they give out during a session is absolutely incredible. It's like Zumba but without the music and choreography. Amazing. Therapists who work with children are up there with nurses on my list of people I admire. In a little while, a friend is coming by with some pictures from the photo shoot I did last week. I don't do pictures well. My best angle is highly filtered Instagram pictures. Yes. About 18 months ago I did my first professional shoot. A friend nominated me for a photo shoot and I could have killed her. But I went and the photographer was absolutely lovely and was able to get some great shots that I don't cringe at. I still love the pictures and was a little bummed I couldn't use the one where I am wearing a fascinator as my passport picture. But last month, after having had a couple of glasses of wine, I received a PM from a photographer. She generously was donating a photo shoot for my fundraiser as a raffle prize and then she wrote "I would love to do a shoot with you" and because my teeth were at the stained purple stage, I wrote back "OK!" And then regretted my haste. Originally we were planning for December but December is usually my month to get even fatter so I asked to postpone until January. And of course it sneaked up on me and BAM! a photo shoot. It was going to be awkward!

I showed up at her studio around 6:30 and luckily had had a couple of glasses of wine to make me beet red and slightly less manic. The make up artist got to work with her industrial strength face spackle and within 45 minutes, I was less ugly. I started off in a white dress shirt and awkwardly posed. The photographer was great and she definitely put me at ease. She kept saying "beautiful" and I had to keep saying "Que?". I am used to hearing "What did you just say?!" or "Another drink?". Beautiful is never said so you can understand my confusion. Wait, I lie, I hear it sometimes after a few drinks with friends because they are awesome. After the white shirt, I was put into a bedazzled ball dress and made to pose some more. Now, here is the thing about posing for photos... there is nothing natural about it. You twist, you jut out your chin, you lie precariously on things. It's all a mirage. Inside the models are screaming "NOOOO!". As much fun as I had (drinking wine on the sofa afterwards), it is crazy how sore you can feel the next day. And I wasn't doing anything that required that much effort but still. So now I nervously await my friend to come by with the pictures and of course a release form. I will post the pictures on Instagram and on Facebook. And if you are based in Vienna, please check out Ida Vickers. I will be posting the page link on the Operation Tubetop Facebook page or you can write me for details! So I better run, now. The Kid's therapy session is about to end and I need to make him some dinner. I wish you all a fabulous evening and stay tuned for the Operation Tubetop giveaway happening in a day or two! Toodles!

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