Ball of Fire

My intentions were pure and true. I was going to read a little of The Risk Pool while I digested my dinner, then I would clean the bathrooms and put laundry away. Then I fell asleep while reading and didn’t wake up until 11pm. I fail. I sleepily stumbled upstairs feeling defeated while my husband giggled after me.

I really needed to do laundry last night. I had to wear a skirt today because all my work slacks are dirty, but I had to wear my knee high boots because I haven’t shaved my legs since Friday. No one likes a hairy accounting clerk.

There is so much good reading available to me right now. I’m re-reading the aforementioned Risk Pool; which is my favorite Richard Russo book. I also finally found Pretty Things at a reasonable price, so I’ve been reading that while smoking on the porch.

Meanwhile, the bathrooms stay dirty and my clothes stay in the hamper.

Pretty Things is a super badass/super interesting book on the history of burlesque. I caught the documentary on HBO years ago and have been waiting for the companion book to get below the $50 mark so I could purchase it. The husband and I went to the Hustler superstore in Tacoma this past weekend and I found it on their sale rack for $19.99. Cha ching!

Betty “Ball of Fire” Rowland is featured prominently in Pretty Things as she was one of a handful of dancers that was still alive when the book was being researched and was willing to talk to Liz Goldwyn (the author) about her (Rowland's) days as a stripper.

She's got bright red hair, which unfortunately, you can't see in this video. Apparently the carpets matched the drapes - hence her nickname.

Tonight I’m not allowing myself to touch either book until my chores are done. It’ll be just like when I was a teenager and I had to do my Thursday chores before I was allowed to turn on the TV to watch Friends and Seinfeld.