I'm going to need a BIG KNIFE!!
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...and
three separate sugary drinks.
My mailbox remains unfilled (like Nick's prom night), but it knows its day will come.
And on that day, maybe the carrier won't leave the package in a snowbank or something.
In fact, he did not. I wrote that message from work, and upon arriving home (much) later that night, I discovered an envelope with an unfamiliar return address sitting on the dining table.
"Good Lord," I thought. "Could this be my Secret Santa gift?"
By now my curiosity was sharp enough that I needed no knife to breach the shipping seal. Inside I found...a single book. And I sighed.
Y'see, I'm a bit of a Sci-Fi/Fantasy buff. Here's one wall of my living room.
(not pictured: 13 shelves in office, 4 shelves in hallway, shelf in kitchen, countless boxes in attic)
In fact, a number of years ago (2007), we had to donate books to make room.....
(Yes, those are indeed packed solid all the way to the window. There is no couch under there!)
.....
twice (2009).
(To be fair, this 2nd pile was only two stacks deep, and only goes back to the chair. And we didn't donate the cat)
Over the years, I've read quite a few books. I've probably recommended twice as many. And I have received many recommendations in return...from coworkers, friends, family, teachers, blogs, and so on. I've followed many of these recommendations, and so have been introduced to many wonderful stories, many of them classics. But there have always been those recommendations that I said I would get to "someday." Every time someone else mentions one, I will say, "Oh yeah, I've heard of that one. People keep telling me I really ought to check that one out." And it would get filed away in the "someday" drawer along with things like my video game ideas, inventions, killing my debt, and all that. And that is why I sighed.
Because all at once, Someday became Today.
I don't know who you are (I don't recognize the initials "LM" and there was no note), but I want to thank you. Thank you for sending it to me and thank you for essentially insisting that I finally sit my ass down and read this fucking book like I probably should've done 20 years ago when people first started suggesting it.
I will update my "What are you reading?" entry accordingly.
--Patrick
(PS: I don't actually smoke, I just wanted the photo to properly pay tribute to the author)
I hope you enjoy!"
I'd heard a lot of good said about the book, so I thought it would be right up your alley. Hope you enjoy the recipes!
