On the Road

After finding out that my friend Margaret's fiance, Kevin, worked "closer" to me (he is now working in Glendale) we finally made plans to meet up for dinner, drinks and whatnots. I hadn't seen him (or her for that matter) for years so what better time than the present to catch up. A friend of his from USC was performing a slideshow standup this past Friday night. Beforehand Kevin and I met up for a sushi dinner. He still lives in Huntington Beach, about an hour or so south of Los Angeles proper. Oy with the commute everyday! How does he keep himself occupied? "I listen to lots of audiobooks! It's one of the ways to get through the long drive." I ask what books he's listened to lately and he admits that listening to audiobooks is what's finally gotten him into the Harry Potter books. "I didn't use to like them. I remember this girl I used to date swore by them. She would stand in line the night before the books came out in order to purchase her copy and she'd read each book within 24 hours. I'd find her staying up all night because she couldn't bring herself to put the books down!" We start to laugh and I share how my I'd find my co-workers in the parking lot before work, huddled in their cars trying to get through the books as fast as they could so that noone would spoil it for them.

"Yeah, my ex was the same way. She'd constantly try to get me to read the books. I finally gave in and 100 pages into it I had to stop because I couldn't stand it."
My eyes widen. I'm used to hearing about people who read the first few pages and decide the book isn't for them. But 100 pages or so?

"Yeah, my girlfriend at the time told me to keep on reading if I had gotten this far but I told her that if I can't stand these first hundred pages chances are I won't be able to stand the rest of the book. I was also reading the sci-fi Dune chronicles by Frank Herbert at the time, 'good' books I actually enjoy, so maybe I was a bit biased..."

Now here he was, many years later, face-to-face with good ol' Harry and friends. "I must admit that the books are actually really good! I've been listening to them and the stories are fun and actually well-written. And to hear the actors read the book, or at least I think it is them, makes the story even more compelling to consume and listen to. You start to get into the action." Next he wants to start listening to the Twilight series. This was when I made the confession of watching the movie during one of my "slumber parties" when the gals were over and how I actually kinda enjoyed the vampire flick. Now the books appear more intriguing to me because it just reminded me of how much I loved reading Anne Rice books growing up. Vampire lifestyle and the subtexts. NOW YOU ALL KNOW MY "SECRET" OF WANTING TO GIVE IN TO TWILIGHT. Soon enough. Soon enough.