Day One Hundred Forty-Two

Two blogs in two consecutive days...this is quite an accomplishment for me! Maybe this means I'm back on track. Maybe my focus is back, just in time for the holidays! (Or it could possibly be that my boss is out of town and I'm finding myself with a little spare time at work. Eh, why ask why?)

Yesterday was good. Got in some early morning exercise, stuck to my points and had an evening out in Long Beach. Went to see a special screening of the Freedom Writers movie. Jon and I have a history with the Freedom Writers going back about 10 years. I was working at B&N in Long Beach right around the time that Erin Gruwell, an incredible first time teacher, was taking her first steps to make a tremendous difference in the lives of some kids who needed a break. The bookstore became a focal point for their journey and I was priveledged to be along for the ride. Last night was the first time in years I've seen Erin or "the girls," three of the students who became good friends. It was a bit surreal to see their stories on the big screen. A great story, ten years in the making.

And just to keep me honest, I have to share my irritated moment of the night. There is a scene in the film where Erin gives each of her students a bag of new books, something most of these kids had never had before. Much to my dismay, the camera shows Erin standing in front of a table filled to capacity with "Borders" bags. I had to laugh to myself. Only myself and a handful of B&N booksellers know that it was in fact our store that put these bags together. Using my own two hands. You may think this is a petty point to bring up. I only mention it because it's so typical of B&N...to screw up an endorsement deal of this magnitude. That company has a history of specializing in bad decisions. C'est la vie.

So here I am at work fighting off the craving to jump into the tub of chocolate that sits behind my desk. After having already sampled a few pieces. Maybe I'll just continue blogging for the rest of the day to keep my fingers occupied...