A Book Review - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

A Book Review - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl is the break out novel by Gillian Flynn that has received a significant amount of press and adulation since it was published last summer.  Gone Girl is what I term “mind candy”, a novel of suspense that also causes one to suspend all concept of reality.

Gone Girl is written in three parts and attempts to portray the dark side of human nature in the psychological dysfunction of marital relationship after the wife disappears on the couple’s fifth wedding anniversary. 

Amy Elliott and Nick Dunn met, courted and married in New York City. Amy came from a background of privilege and some notoriety as her parents had authored a series of books about “Amazing Amy”, which chronicled an idealized Amy through her childhood and school years.  Nick grew up the only son of a middle class family in Middle America.

After Amy disappears, suspicion falls on Nick, because as the husband, he is the most likely suspect.

This was a quick read and I found the first half of the book to be a suspenseful page-turner.  I like Ms. Flynn’s writing style. It flows well and I plan to read one of her earlier novels. However, none of the characters in this book are appealing. None are likeable. I felt no empathy for any of the persons portrayed.

By the time I was into the second half of the book, I predicted where the narrative was going and it lost me. While it was clever and clear that Ms. Flynn had conducted some research on sociopathic personalities, the story became too contrived, too convoluted, well beyond the most outrageous headlines of tabloid news. (except maybe “Batboy”).  I’ve worked in insurance claims for more than 30 years and have seen a lot of things that one just could not make up. But, Gone Girl left me shaking my head.

Little Decisions with Significant Outcomes

Little Decisions with Significant Outcomes

Eight years ago today I returned to my home in Maryland after a lovely week on a cruise in the Caribbean celebrating my parents’ 50^th wedding anniversary.  My generous mom and dad had invited at their expense their offspring to join them to commemorate this momentous occasion.

I was between relationships having a few months previously divested myself of a most unsuitable companion with whom I had spent a few dysfunctional years. But I am of the opinion that experiencing terrible relationships helps one to appreciate a good one when blessed.  After spiritual healing, finding peace within myself, and really focusing on the type of relationship that I wanted and deserved, I made a list, checked it twice, and began to visualize and ask my higher power to deliver.

My intent was companionship.  Convenience was also a factor. I was living in Frederick, Maryland at the time and commuting to Baltimore. My initial forays into online dating had resulted in some interesting but uninspiring dates. But I was expanding my horizons – to a point.

While enjoying the cruise and sharing a cabin with a close friend of my parental units, I realized that if I did not broaden my horizons, this could be my future – I envisioned accompanying my mom and dad on trips as a companion, (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but I realized this was not what I wanted. Perhaps I was being a little too narrow in my focus. I decided that in reviewing online profiles and persons who exhibited interest that perhaps, I should open my mind to those who were a little less convenient or who wore unfortunate outfits in their profile photos.

So, the day after I returned to my humble abode, I responded to a contact from a man who had an amusing profile, but was living an hour in the opposite direction of optimum convenience and was wearing a “tank tee shirt” in his profile photo. Ugh! But he was really cute and with newfound resolve, I responded to a several week’s old contact with a witty response via email through Yahoo personals. This happened to be the singular most influential small decision that I’ve made in the past 10 years. I responded to a contact. I opened myself to options I might not otherwise have considered.   I found the man of my dreams, my heart of hearts, and my soul mate with that small decision.  I learned to take a chance and look outside my boundaries and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Winter Hibernation

Winter Hibernation

As I’ve said on many occasions, I am a summer girl. I was born in the middle of summer and relish the sun, landscaping, gardening, the smell of freshly cut grass, the aroma and beauty of my roses, the feel of a warm breeze on my skin, watching the humming birds flitting about and sipping a glass of wine on the deck in the evening.

I am resistant to cold weather, having to wear socks, shoveling snow, trudging through inclement weather to fetch the mail or feed the birds, being stuck in traffic jams as a result of ice covered roads, leaving for work in the dark only to drive home in the dark, living in an environment of closed windows and frigid tile floors, and dealing with frozen fingers and cold feet.  In winter, I tend to hibernate. I am less social. I hunker down, stay home, withdraw from the world, acts as an organizing / cleaning maniac, drink copious amounts of green tea, and wait for spring. I eat cookies and put on my winter layer of fat. Apparently I’m part bear. I use any excuse to skip a social engagement, miss a yoga class, avoid commuting to my office, or even check the mail. Perhaps because I’ve slid down our ski slope of a driveway more times than I care to count on my backside.

 In my youth I relished cold weather, felt exhilarated by frosty mornings, mounds of snow, watching my breath as I exhaled. I loved sweaters, wool, tights, cords, turtlenecks, throwing snowballs and basketball games. As a young adult I indulged in fur, extravagant hats, whimsical sweaters, stylish boots, Colts football games and happy hours.

But maybe it isn’t a bad thing. Perhaps my hibernation in winter helps me regenerate so that I have the energy and desire to participate in my spring and summer activities. When the trees start to leaf and the flowers start peaking through the earth, I know it is time to think about planting tomatoes, the new wisteria that will, this time, bloom, practice my wet plate photography and prepare for the 150^th  Civil War Anniversary events, look forward to digging in the soil, and celebrate the sun.  As a summer girl I thrive in the heat, I am more of a social animal, I can embrace humanity and celebrate light.

Whatever Mr. Groundhog predicts, I know summer is just around the corner. And I am ready.  

Another Use for Windex ~ The Wonder Product

Another Use for Windex ~ The Wonder Product

After my first viewing of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” I learned that Windex is miraculous in that it will not only clean windows, it will purportedly heal zits in a nanosecond.

Since Windex is an ammonia-based cleaner, I figured I’d stick with the dermatologist tested retinol products to keep my complexion clear and my skin ever youthful. So, in our household, Windex remained the go-to product only for  cleaning streak proof mirrors, windows, windshields, and glass top tables.

This morning, however, in sheer desperation, I turned to the Internet to find a solution to serious problem. When I awakened Friday morning, the chill in the air left me with lithe happy fingers. So while I was dressing for my trip I decided to wear my lovely emerald ring from Johnny’s Jewelry in Hong Kong. It is a size seven,  just an iota smaller than my current preferred ring size of 7 ¼ to 7 ½. The ring went on easily enough and I wore it with no discomfort until the latter part of the afternoon when my fingers began to swell from the heat in the courtroom to the heat on the Acela train. My right ring finger was red and bulbous and my ring was nearly impacted on my finger.

When I got home that evening, I tried running my hand under a stream of cold water, I tried soap, I tried hand lotion, I tried hair conditioner; I tried to sleep with my hand uncovered in the cool air of the bedroom. Every twist or pull or turn merely resulted in greater frustration, pain and swollen heat filled flesh surrounding the ring.

By the time I finished my 1^st cappuccino this morning, I just knew that searching Google would provide a solution that did not include having the ring cut off.

Various websites recommended cold water, Vaseline, Preparation H, raising your hand above heart level. Twist gently; don’t pull it up. There are even instructions on how to wrap one’s finger tightly with dental floss to compress the flesh to enable the ring to slide over the floss.

But the top recommendation, bar none, was spraying one’s finger and ring with Windex. Contributors swore at the efficacy of the procedure. Although I retained a healthy amount of skepticism, the opportunity was too great to pass up. I retrieved the spray bottle from under the sink and doused my right ring finger and ring with a healthy dose. Much to my wonder and surprise, the ring slipped off immediately. What had sounded to be a preposterous endeavor ~using Windex  to facilitate the removal of the movable cherished ring

Keeping a positive focus throughout a challenging day!

Keeping a positive focus throughout a challenging day!

I live in the north western most corner of the Commonwealth of Virginia and commute to the District of Columbia a few days per week. It is 90 miles one way.

Today I had a court ordered settlement conference in Wilmington, Delaware at 10:00am.  So I planned accordingly for an 8:00am train, which required, giving myself an abundance of leeway, my leaving home at 5:00am.

But Mother Nature threw a wrench in my best-laid plans--snow. Not an abundance of snow, mind you; no – we had a dusting, less than an inch, a pretend snow event. School wasn’t even delayed and the school systems in our neck of the woods cancel school with the mere mention of the dreaded word. Toilet paper, milk and bread disappear from grocery shelves as if we lived in Neanderthal times before the 4-wheel drive vehicle.  But this unexpected advent of flurries turned my 90 minutes drive into…almost 4 hours! There was no white out. The roads were not slick. There was no blowing precipitation. Nope. And, I left my house at 5:00am.  I arrived at Union Station at 8:45am – clearly too late for my 8:00am train. I’d called and emailed my counsel in Wilmington to advise I would be from late to no-show.  He called back to say the judge understood and agreed not to issue a warrant for my arrest for contempt. Yay!

I used my affirmations and positive focus to remind myself that my angels wanted me to be late for some reason. I practiced my deep breathing, picked up a chatty slug to use the HOV lanes and decided that whatever was to happen would happen.  By the time I crossed the T.R. Bridge traffic was sailing along at warp speed. I parked, flew to Gate D with 10 minutes to spare only to be told I had to CHANGE MY TICKET!

The line at the Amtrak ticket window was lengthy. At the Acela window, a man was explaining to the only agent on duty that the machine had only spit out three of the nine tickets he needed. My stress was building.  I asked (at a mildly elevated tone) if anybody would be able to help me make the 9:00am Acela so I wouldn’t be tossed in the pokey. The kind gentleman man with the multi tickets stepped aside, reminding me yet again that if we are aware, we will find ourselves surrounded by earth angels willing to pave an easy way for us. The Amtrak agent changed my ticket in the blink of an eye. I made my train, arrived in Wilmington only an hour late, found empathy from the judge, and negotiated a successful resolution to my case. My adversary gave me a ride back to the train station.

I caught an earlier train back to D.C., managed to avoid the rush hour, and made it home in less than 2 hours after a long, exhausting, relatively stressful day. But what could have been an extremely frustrating day morphed into just a long, tiring, fairly good day. Despite my inclinations, I accepted I had no control over the situation. That made it better. I didn’t let the little things get me down. This is a lesson I need to remember every day. Que sera sera! It is what it is. Low expectations – high acceptance = serenity.