A happy camper

Yesterday afternoon I finally figured out how to do a thing with CSS that I've been working on for weeks. Yesss! And then, yesterday evening, Steve and I actually got to go out on a date. We haven't gone out on a date in literally months. My parents babysat, and when we got home they gave such a glowing report of how great the kids were -- even the toddler -- that I think I blushed. And we had a terrific date. We went out to dinner and a show. The show was a high school production of Hair. Not just any old high school, though: it's the one Steve and I both went to, where he now teaches. One of the advantages of being the largest school in the state is that they've got a lot of talented kids (bigger pool to draw from, you know). I don't think I've ever heard a better version of "Easy to be Hard," the one song from the show I never liked. She was terrific! So, anyway, I don't care if it rains all day tomorrow. I hope all you moms have a wonderful weekend too!

Back to books, now. Let me draw your attention to the changes in the sidebar. I've listed next month's book group selection, and I encourage anyone who wants (Sleeping Mommy?) to read along. Notice, too, the new book on my bedside table. Introductory Psychology through Science Fiction, published in 1974. This is not a joke. It's a real book, and I scanned the cover in case you didn't believe me. I just love the cover. Especially the title font. Isn't it so 1974?

And what a hilarious idea. This book is basically an anthology of sci-fi short stories, with prefaces describing how each story illuminates some aspect of psychology. The first section, which I'm still in, is Psychobiology. Some other sections are: The Learning Process, Sensation and Perception, Personality, etc. What's really charming about this book is that the stories are the real, old school, classic 1950's pulp magazine stuff. Stuff that seems embarrassingly simplistic and outdated now, especially if you're into "cyberpunk" writers like William Gibson and Neil Stephenson (I'm not). But I'm loving it. I read a lot of this kind of stuff in junior high. I still remember the day I discovered Isaac Asimov in 8th grade. These stories are chicken soup for my soul. But the idea that they can be used as an introductory psych text book, oh ha ha! Wish I'd had that class in college!