Sparse . . . and a little romance . . . and something spooky

Once again I seem to have gotten behind in my blogging. It's been several days since I've posted or visited. I apologize. I got distracted by the sudden need to change my template. Six months is way too long to go without changing the template. I need -- I need! -- variety. I'm not one of those people who fears and hates change. I say: Bring it on! Give me something new! Every day! This time, I went sparse.

You might have noticed a strange title on my bedside table. License to Deal? What is that? A book about the legalization of marijuana? Heh, heh, well, no. It's a book about this guy who manages baseball players. He's an agent. He negotiates contracts, gets endorsements, and so forth. An odd choice, to be sure, not my usual fare. And I went to some trouble to get my hands on a copy (interlibrary loan, all the way from the Pontiac Public Library). The reason, the only reason, I'm interested in this is because the subject of the book, sports agent Matt Sosnick, is my cousin Amy's fiancé. They met online. Just about a month ago. And they are engaged. Madly, madly in love. Matt said he made a list of 100 things he looked for in a prospective girlfriend. Amy was a "yes" on the first 22. ("What was number 23?" we clamored to know. "Heh, heh," said Amy, "I do have a tattoo.")

Matt and Amy live in the San Franscisco area. They blew into town last weekend like a breath of crazy fresh air. Matt, who also "owns a piece" of Ticketmaster, brought along ten tickets to the Michigan football game, section 24 row 45 (for those not in the know: very good seats). Matt is warm, funny, expansive, generous, and clearly not a local. He hailed us a cab after the game. A cab! I didn't know we had cabs in Ann Arbor. Anyway, we had a ball. Amy's folks drove down from up north to Meet Him -- and go to the game, so we had a mini-family reunion. Amy and Matt, blessings on you both.

I can't wait to read the book.

* * *

Our next book group selection is The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova. We chose it because the author will be giving a talk at the Ann Arbor District Library next month.

Let me tell you something weird and spooky. The Historian is about someone researching vampires. The researcher goes through lots of dusty old archives trying to find out . . . but gets thwarted by -- (insert spooky music) -- Someone Who Doesn't Want Her To Find Out!

AADL kindly put a bunch of copies on reserve for people who signed up for the talk next month. I and others from my book group called in time, got our names on the list, went to the library to pick up the book, and -- (insert spooky music) -- no book! That's right. We have had great difficulty obtaining our copies. The complications have been, well, byzantine. And we are wondering whether -- (insert spooky music) -- Someone Doesn't Want Us To Read This Book!

The bottom line is, we don't have enough copies of the book to go around. I did finally get one, and I've been reading it like mad to finish it in time for someone else to get their turn before the end of the month. And you know what else? I can't even go to the talk at the library. It's the same night as PTO, and heaven knows I can't miss that! Oh yes, I've got my priorities straight.