blizzard edition - the glass castle

excuse me, but will someone please tell me what's going on with the weather?  one day it's 60 degrees, and the next day it's snowing.  go figure.  i woke up this morning to find 5 inches of snow blanketing my lawn.  huh?  i thought atlanta was "hotlanta."  there's not a whole lot to do around here other than eat and read and look at the multitude of ridiculous videos one can readily find on youtube (but i'm not complaining).

all the snow reminded me of one of the many heart-breaking anecdotes in jeannette walls' memoir, the glass castle.  after realizing their alcoholic father isn't going to come through with coal or wood for a fire during a harsh west virginia winter, walls and her siblings forage for pieces of coal that happen to drop off a coal delivery truck.  they tell the staring neighbor kids that they're "working on their rock collection."  after an hour, they return with half a bucket of coal and huddle around a stove while ice forms on both sides of the windows.  their run-down house which the family buys for $1,000 is the only house on the street with no snow on the roof:  the lack of insulation allows what little heat they have to escape through the roof.  

it's such a fascinating read.  it's easy to judge her father who pimps his own daughter in a bar and her mother who secretly eats chocolate bars under the covers while the children starve.  but there's still a sense of family bonding that comes across with each tale of broken promises and horrifying living conditions.  the stories are told with such "matter of factness" at times, and you wonder why walls doesn't show more resentment or bitterness against her parents.  i appreciate walls' restraint on over-sentimentalizing things though.  she tells the stories without getting wrapped up in emotion.  it's unexpected, but it keeps your attention on the family.  an excellent read... check it out.  for those of you who grew up with "cheap" asian parents, you'll have a greater appreciation for them.

ok, back to the youtube videos...