My Review of Cleaving by Julie Powell

I finished reading Cleaving by Julie Powell last night- it's the follow-up to Julie & Julia. The book was difficult. Not difficult reading as much as the subject was dark and tough to get through. Julie & Julia was light and hopeful, this book was the opposite. She's in love with her husband, doesn't want to leave him, yet she's carrying on a long term affair, and having sex with random strangers. Eric, Julie's husband is also having affairs. She's just flat out miserable the whole book, and it's wrenching. I liked it, but it wasn't the normal read for me.

There were two main themes running through the book. One theme was Julie learning butchering, a typical "Man's Job" in this part of the world. The other theme was addiction. Julie is addicted to her lover and to alcohol. She has been spurned by her lover, and spends most of the book thinking about him. I am totally opposed to cheating. If you are going to be unfaithful. at least have the decency to end it with your current significant other before you enter into anything with a new person. I do think people are monogamous, and that being in a sexual relationship with more than one person at the same time is just wrong, and maybe that's why this book was so hard for me. It was someone who I liked in an earlier book, who I now dislike.

There is so much pain in this book, emotional pain, physical pain (various body aches brought on by butchering) and mental pain (Julie torturing her husband by downloading a song he sent her to their shared computer comes to mind). Julie and Eric are in this mind-fuck (sorry, but I can't think of a better term) of a relationship. They bring nothing but pain to each other, and yet, neither one of them can end it. That could be another issue for me. Julie and Eric got into their relationship at a young age, and really became adults together. They don't see a life outside of each other, which may be similar to my husband and myself. Maybe that's why I had problems with this book. Are my husband and I also destined to come to misery like Julie and Eric?

Why Me?

A week or so ago, my FIL calls up and says that they're going to be coming out here (well Vegas) for a week or so, and will be in town for a few days. Sure, no problem, they'll be here midweek.

Then on Wednesday, he calls to say that Mr Keen's Uncle is dying (throat cancer, diabetes, etc, what drinking and smoking non-stop for 40 years will do to a person, added to the fact that the cut off most of his right hand with a band saw last year, but I digress), so they won't make it. Mr Keen and I decided that since they won't be here, and since he actually has a weekend off, we'll go up towards Payson, rent a cabin for the weekend, and let the kids play in the snow (the got 3 feet over the last weekend). We get that set up on Wednesday, Mr Keen cancels the hotel that he reserved for his Dad in Vegas, etc.

Then YESTERDAY, on Thursday, at 8:30 at night, they call again to tell me that they ARE coming out, but now will be flying directly into Phoenix, and will be here on Wednesday through Monday. Not only is this a LONGER trip than the original, but it's over the weekend where we actually have plans now. Mr Keen's of the opinion that we tell them sorry, you can stay here, but we're going to be gone. And I totally agree with him.

Gingerbread Houses

Adeline & Anaya working on the house, and eating frostingAnaya, adorable as usual.

All three working on the gingerbread tree. It was mostly Avery's project, but the other two helped.

Adeline, she lost her two front teeth, just in time to sing "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth"

Avery, dumping an entire bottle of sugar on the tree

Anaya "helping" Avery

Adeline "helping" Avery

Happy, sugarfied kids

The finished products. Ignore the messy countertops, I know that I do!

The Wind Storm

We got hit with a heck of a storm last night. Lost power from 11:00 PM until 6:50 AM. Tree branches down, junk blowing all over the neighborhood, junk in my pool, etc. And, the cherry on top of the fun was that the smoke detector in my room went bad last night- as in something was making it just randomly go off, scaring the piss out of two of my three kids (Anaya slept through the whole thing, how, I have no idea. Note to self, if there is ever a fire, someone will need to wake Anaya and get her out of the house). We had to disconnect the stupid thing. Not a big deal, but a pain in the ass WHEN THERE ARE NO LIGHTS. Avery's heart felt like it was going to explode out of her chest, she was so scared. Avery wound up spending the rest of the night with Frank & I, and was still asleep when we left.

This morning, trying to get the kids dressed was obnoxious as well. They were afraid of the dark, and unlike most mornings I couldn't wake them and send them
downstairs on their own, because it was too dark. I did, however, get a shower, because miracles of miracles, the hot water heater stored a decent amount of hot water at a pretty good temperature.

The lights came on just as I was getting out, 20 minutes later than usual. Then the normal kid drop-offs, exacerbated by Adeline missing her bus. And finally I made it to work about 30 minutes late. Have fun with this storm when it gets to you.