Thursday, July 6, 2006

I Could Not Be Prouder! (And Possibly Psychotic)

My sister's book is doing incredibly well!  Right now it's the Number 2 seller on Amazon in their Computer  and Internet category and it's cracked the Top 200 in overall sales.  Also, it got a glowing review from the fellow at Searchenginewatch.com.  (God knows I am at that site CONSTANTLY.  Or I would be, if it weren't so hard to find.)   I think the success has a lot to do with the fact that I took the kids to Border's yesterday and we found Aunt Jennifer's book!  Right there on the shelf!  How cool is that?  There were two copies there so I made sure to pull one out reeeeeeeal far so that people walking down the aisle would see/get hit in the head with it.  Then I took the second copy and walked down to the end cap and placed it right on top of a small display of Search Engine Optimization for Dummies.  If you have a Border's near you, be a pal and go do the same.  Let's face it, nobody likes being called a Dummy. 

In other Cool Aunt News, Ritu's sister Sarah  who is in graduate school at the University of Wisconsin turned in her first grant proposal which received a favorable score and looks to be on the fast track to getting funded!  I'd tell you more about it, but she studies things way more obscure than Search Engine Optimization.  We're not entirely sure what she does, but we think it has to do with building Data's positronic brain

And last, but not least, on July 1st Ritu received his official promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor!  This was a long and involved process that required months of preparation and even more monthsof waiting.  It's a huge step in the world of academia and speaks to his level of commitment and service. 

As an added bonus, it comes with a raise which is particularly handy seeing as our house hasn't yet sold (thank you for not asking).  I'm nowhere near the panic point yet, but it will be nice to have this part over and done with.  If it doesn't sell, we've been given various* suggestions:  1) rent it out  2) put in a habitrail tunnel between this house and the new one and use them both  3) have the neighborhood go in together to buy it to use alternately as  a) the neighborhood time-out house  b) the neighborhood party house or  c) the house solely designated for slumber parties. 

* You'll note I never said they were good suggestions.

Have you noticed how perky I am?  All those damn exclamation points?  It's all an act.  I have the kind of PMS that can only be cured by someone dying at my hands.  I almost found the perfect victim(s) yesterday while looking for a parking spot at the mall.  I turned into the parking lot and saw that immediately to my right, a car was attempting to back out of a handicapped space.  To my left was a car waiting for that space.  To continue on my way to find an open parking spot, I would've had to drive right between the two cars.  Seeing as one was actively backing up, I decided the smartest course would be to stop to give it room.  Well.  Apparently that sort of behavior is manifested only by the devil himself.  As I patiently waited for the nice handicapped person to back out, I happened to glance over at the car poised to pull in.  All three of the people in it were gesturing wildly at me to indicate that THEY WERE THERE FIRST.  One actually had the handicapped placard in his hand and was shaking it at me.  The hell?  I couldn't believe they were so hard-hearted as to assume my ACT OF PATIENCE AND KINDNESS  was an attempt to usurp their space.   Idiot bastards.  I began gesturing back as sarcastically as possible while explaining in simple words what I was doing.   Look at me!  I'm waiting here so this car can baaaaaaaaack up and then you can drive your car innnnnnnnto this precious, best-ever, must-not-be-taken-by-able-bodied-do-gooders spot.   I resisted the urge to circle around and mow them down as they exited their car.  (Where's your placard NOW?) 

 

 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Clearly your PMS isn't bad enough since you DIDN'T MOW them down. Idiots @@

Anonymous said...

Yay cool aunts!

Anonymous said...

Yay cool aunts!

Anonymous said...

I promise to move your sister's book to the front in every bookstore I go into.  I'll get my friends and relatives to do the same.  8)  Congrats to Sarah and Ritu.  I think you should have mowed the parking idiots down, Janet.  

Anonymous said...

Egads, what an impressive family!  I wonder a bit about the psychotic PMS-ing one, but I'm hoping she'll pull out of it without a felony record.

Sarah...you da man.  Oh ooops, you da grantwriter.  Good for you. And Associate Professor Ritu has a fine ring to it.
(Of course, here I sit pleased that I balanced a checkbook and feeling kind of like chopped liver.)