Curious Notions

I love Steve Martin as a writer. Back in 2005, I read Shopgirl in one sitting and was taken by his gentle, quiet and comforting handle on prose. This past New Year’s Eve, I was eating dinner with Alan and his friend Andrew before a night out. Over dinner, Andrew and I traded notes on favorite books and he mentioned how he really loved Steve Martin’s books and cited The Pleasure of My Company as his absolute favorite book. Using, Shopgirl as my measuring stick, I didn’t doubt that I was going to be pleased.

That said, Steve Martin totally exceeded my expectations! He composes a story about a man named Daniel, a neurotic genius with amusing, outlandish, and endearing compulsions. For instance, he needs to have a certain amount of wattage lit in his house (1250 watts if memory serves?) and has a fear of crossing curbs. A pretty isolated person who is literally held prisoner in his home by his neuroses, he manages to have tiny windows open that made it possible to meet no more than a handful of people. These select people eventually draw him of his world and expand it.

Martin gives us more access to the characters in this novella than he did in Shopgirl (In hindsight, he kept the characters in Shopgirl a little at arm’s length) which made me grow to care for each of them (most especially, Daniel). I found myself rooting for him, hoping for him, and finally applauding for him.

My Two Favorite Excerpts

“What if during the entire trip I would not allow myself to speak any word that contained the letter e? This is the kind of enormous duty that could supersede and dominate my other self-imposed tasks. I quickly scanned my vocabulary for useful words- a, an, am, was, is, for, against, through- and found enough there to make myself understood. Thus “let’s eat” would become, “I’m hungry, baby! Chow down!” I couldn’t say “I love you,” but I could say, “I’m crazy about you,” which was probably a better choice anyway.

“I thought of the names in and around the magic square. I thought of their astounding number, both in the present and past, of ***** and *****, of *****, of *****, even of my father, whose disavowal of me led to this place, and I understood that as much as I had resisted the outside, as much as I had constricted my life, as much as I had closed and narrowed the channels into me, there were still many takers for the quiet heart. ”

(names blacked out to not spoil anything :))

Recommended to me by A.J.

I can pretty much summed up the book in a such a way where you do not have to trouble yourself with reading it.

50 Cent’s Bio as provided by 50th Law

His mom died at age 23 when he was a baby. Raised by his grandparents. He sold crack. Signed with Columbia. Right before the release of his first album, he was shot 9 times and was dropped from record label. He went back to the streets as drug bagger and hustled again. Sold his music himself. Discovered by Eminem. Learned the ropes of the business from inside record label and then broke free, creating his own label. When he wasn’t charming his way around the business world, he was intimidating his way around.

If you didn’t get this short outline of his life the first time 50th Law mentioned it, you’ll sure to piece it together the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th time the book walks you through it.

Also mentioned obnoxiously over and over and over again is that his name used to be Curtis but is now 50 Cent. You can really turn a reading of this book into a collegiate drinking game. Every time Greene informs you that Curtis is now named 50 Cent, take a shot!

The Little bit of Good

In a nutshell, this book suggests being fearless in all business encounters and in pursuing your dreams.
It encourages acceptance of your mortality, being proactive, and has inspirational historical anecdotes and quotations sprinkled through the book.

The Bad

As mentioned, very repetitious. The writing level felt very underdeveloped. Laced in the random inspirational quotes by influential figures is also quotations from 50 Cent. His “gems” stood out like poop on a windshield in comparison to the Nietzsche quotes and the Dostoevsky quotes.

The Ugly

The short of his advice when watered down can be considered good advice: Use fear as a motivating force; Accept mortality which will then allow you to move more fluidly towards your dreams. However, when fleshed out using 50 cent’s own life, it’s not exactly kosher. The book celebrates his aggressive and sometimes violent means to his ends. He hired thugs to mug people. He stole. He calculated and planned a studio tantrum and upheaval to raise publicity after one of his songs got leaked. He targeted and bullied Ja Rule to destroy Ja Rule’s credibility. I’m not yet jaded enough to believe this is the only way you can be successful in business. Moreover, I’m not yet jaded enough to celebrate these methods. Shame.

I don’t recomend this book but if you do decide to give it a chance anyway, please consider using the following link.

P.S. I still like his music. :)

A plane crashed into an IRS building here in Austin yesterday morning, killing two people. I just read the pilot’s 6 paged suicide note. I’m really sad for the innocent man who showed up for work and never came home because some sad twisted man could not take rein of his life and own responsibility for his unhappiness. Yesterday, during my lunch and on my own, I went to the Blanton Museum to see their exhibit on desire, aptly named On Desire. No photos were allowed at this exhibit but if you’re in Austin, I recommend it. It highlights a great span of desire, touching on heartbreak, confusion, sex, love… I sometimes find art hard to relate to but a lot of the pieces on display in On Desire really touched me and spoke to me. Very.. human. I’ve always loved the Blanton’s peaceful grandeur. Lately, I have a lot of mind chatter that is self-deprecating. I’m starting to worry that it’s excessively self-deprecating and I can’t seem to find my way out of it. Yet, anyway. I’m toying with the idea of talking to a counselor. My insurance covers it after a deductible. This video of a three year old sobbing over Justin Bieber is heartbreakingly CUTE. Such anguish for a little one. In the last week I finished the first three books of 2010: Fup, The Shack, Bonk, and am almost done with 50th Law. I think it’s amusing that when you read a handful of books all at once, there’s a lag in finishing books but then you start to finish them at the same time. Book reviews to come of all three (four?) books soon. My mom had my fortune told by this Asian dude who records his take on your life on tape. According to him, per my mom, the funnest years of my life is from age 24-34. She said according to him, I’ll get married and start a family at around 34/35. Interesting. Everything that has happened in my life, my mom claims she already knew was going to happen to me. My dad, a skeptic of fortunes, was gleeful to report that the fortune teller thinks that any degree of charismatic magnetism I possess comes from his side of the family. Ha! My parents crack me up. I’m most hungry for reassurance right now. Cuddles. Chicken soup. Hugs. Murmurs that everything will pan out. For now, I settle for still wearing Valentine’s day socks and knickers, and chocolate chip cookies.

Martin from This Rugged Life emailed me a response to my blog entry about organizing my bookshelves. He said he spent a whole Friday night in to rearrange. He did a pretty decent job! You can tell a lot about someone by the books they have… It’s almost like peeking in their underwear drawer. He was brave enough to let me share his collection! It’s an impressive one. If I didn’t know him (which I kind of don’t), I’d guess that he’s a well traveled, boxing, social-justice-and-politically-aware guy who enjoys Stephen King and knows how to cook. I wonder how far off I am? I especially love his nonbook artifacts that are also displayed.

Biographies, Politics, and a Hammer for his Gong

Fiction

More Fiction

Boxing Books

More Politics, Sociology, Philosophy

Sociology, Philosophy and a Piece of Corral from Thailand.

Travel Books, Backpacking, Survival and Topographical Maps

Cook Books, Reference and an Opium Pipe

Photo Albums

Comics (per Martin: “Don’t judge”), Boxing Magazines, and his Grandfather’s Bayonet

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to be more organized. Last night, after a nice dinner date with my sick boyfriend, I had a glamorous night in where I finally tackled my bookshelf. I bet you could hardly contain your excitement! I stopped buying books for a while now and just utilize the library and do swaps with friends. In fact, if you browse through the book reviews I’ve done in 2009, 9 out of the last 10 were books I borrowed. It was just becoming a pain trying to find space for them and then packing them up to move every year. One day I’ll have the extensive library I’ve always wanted and room to store these books. My childhood room in Houston has an entire wall full of books. I figure that’s a start.

In the meantime, here’s my humble little library here in Austin post organization.

I decided to organize by category. On the very top are my photo albums.

Next, my little collection of nonfiction. I think this is it for now too. My books in Houston are mostly classic novels and um, Babysitters Clubs.

Just a small bit of my fiction. I’ve expanded my horizons. For years in high school and most of college, I liked the older classics. The Jane Austens. Bronte’s, and LOVED Oscar Wilde. I kind of just stuck to those and it would take me forever to go through one book as the language is usually a little more dense. I’ve since expanded to include more chick lit, historical fiction, a tiny little bit fantasy (haha Twilight is as far as I went) Palanuiuk, Alain de Botton, Erica Jong. I learned I enjoy reading outside my comfort level.

Pictured above is my collection of books made into movies. I think Portrait of a Lady is a movie right? Next to it is Sense and Sensibility, both nestled next to Twilight. That cracks me up. Next to the movies are the little memoirs, three of which are David Sedaris’s.

My last shelf, I stacked the self help (Um, hello He’s just not that into you and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the references, and the “things to do” books.

P.S. I did some organizing of my journals too. Inspired by Kim’s library also pictured below, I organized my journals by color.

So there you have it. My newly organized bookshelf.

How do you organize your bookshelves?

P.P.S. Yes, those are snowflakes you see hanging around my bookshelf in the first picture. We’ve decorated our entire apartment with snowflakes. They kind of flutter and brush the top of your head sometimes. It’s a poor Texas girl’s way of having snowflakes.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Before I head home to Houston, I’m going to squeeze in a third Gratitude list.

If you missed the first two here they are:

- 10 Things I’m Currently Thankful for
- 10 More Things I’m Currently Thankful for

Another 10 More Things I’m Currently Thankful for

1. A full time job! As I mentioned once or twice before, I landed a job and will be working at my Alma Mater. I start next Tuesday.
   

   I went to the lab to talk about the job offer last week and as I was hanging out I saw one of my old professors. It’s kind of a funny thing to see professors after you graduate and be inundated with academic memories. Some not so good ones! I had to suppress an urge to shrink away. Anyway, I digress. I gots a full time gig after not having a full time gig since June.

2. Reunions over Thanksgiving! I have a handful of friends I haven’t seen in months and I get to see some of them in Houston this weekend for Thanksgiving. Although, it’s going to be challenging to time budget between friends and family in just 3 days, I think it’s not too shabby of a problem to have.
3. My car.
   
   My first baby.
   
   My baby Civic

   I bought my car summer of 2007 after getting in a car accident. Ever try to imagine your life without your car? I wouldn’t be able to get to work (my current part time position is 45 minutes away by car.) I wouldn’t be able to drive to Houston to visit. No fun trips to restaurants, etc. Austin isn’t a pedestrian city. My car makes it possible for me to play, work, and explore. Yay car!

   I’m also grateful I didn’t play around and paid off my 5 year car loan in 1.5 years. This made the last 5 months of unemployment easier without having an extra 200 dollars a month to expense for a car payment.

4. My Washer/Dryer. I remember the days of hauling my laundry to the laundromat and setting aside hours at a time to get laundry done. I’ve filled up COUNTLESS journal pages people watching as I think it’s extra interesting to see what people wash. Heehee. I haven’t had to use a laundromat for years now. I had a roommate 2007 with a washer/dryer. In 2008, Miss Jamie let Alan and I borrow her washer and dryer and we helped her “store” it. When I moved to my own place last year, I thought I’d forgo fun purchases and spend almost a thousand on a set. It was money well spent. There’s freedom in owning your own washer dryer.
5. Trip to San Fran and Boston! I’m incredibly lucky to be able to travel a little bit this year considering my stint with unemployment.
   

   I took a trip to San Fran with Alan right before putting in my notice at my previous full time position. It was kind of a celebration of a new beginning for me and was also the first trip Alan and I took together. San Fran is one of my favorite cities now. I was also extremely blessed to have such a loving BFF/FFB who gifted me her flight miles to go see her in Boston. I hadn’t seen her in Boston for a few years and it was good timing for us. I can’t wait to go back to see her new house! :)

   I’m always thankful for any kind of travel I’m able to swing.

6. Those who read what I write. I’m thankful for my regular readers (mostly friends and boyfriend). I’m thankful for the comments you take the time to write and just over all taking the time to read my humble little blog. I’m thankful for the mentions you make when we chat, for the followers, and the subscribers. I’m thankful for you!
7. Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. I’m thankful for great memories and hard lessons from my past. I’m thankful for the photos and the journals that help me not to forget.
   

   I’m thankful for today and being alive. I’m thankful for the possibilities that lie in the future and my capacity to dream and plan.

8. Friends.
   

   It would take me all day to name them all by name but I’m thankful for them all. I come from a small isolated family. We hardly have any extended family. My friends are my extended family. They want the best for me and are my cheerleaders in life. I’m forever thankful.

9. Living in Austin. Did you know this year we hold the accolade of least stressful city in the US? I love living in Austin. I love how pretty it is with the lakes and hills. I love the events hosted by us. I love our downtown area. It’s a wonderful, fun, smart, and young city.
10. Books
    

    I cannot wait to own my own place and have my library set up! Books and bookstores are foolproof sources of comfort for me. I grew up around a lot of books so they conjure up a feeling of youthful awe. I also grew up seeing my dad with a book EVERY NIGHT, and every moment he had free and anything that reminds me of my dad also releases a lot of dopamine in my noggin. All the positive memory associations aside, books nourish me. They’ve molded my philosophies in life, provided understanding, clarity, education, inspiration… the list goes on. I love books. I’m thankful I’m in a country that limits censorship and that my parents raise me to value and appreciate the written word.

On my flight to Boston last weekend, I forgot to pack a book and even though I was running on 2 hours of sleep it made my flight a little uncomfortable. Traveling without at least one book makes me feel just as uneasy and naked as how most people feel when they leave their cellphones at home. Usually when I travel I like having lighter books to read. The faster the better for airplane rides. Mary Ellen took me to her favorite used book store in Braintree, Massachusetts and I made sure to find something light in addition to the Sartre and Faulkner. I also picked up an intriguing book called Lucifer Effect, a nonfiction about how good people turn evil. None of these are light. I finally stumbled on Lovely Bones. I’ve been meaning to read this book since it made the Best Seller’s List a couple of years ago? I have even picked it up at libraries before and other used book stores and I vaguely remember not being hooked. I have no idea why. I seriously remember picking up this book at least a handful of times, flipping through, being bored, and putting it back.

I don’t remember why or how I could put it back, The first two sentences really does engage and intrigue you. “My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.” The rest of the novel is narrated by Susie as she watches over her friends and family and murderer from her heaven. I usually have a hard time with religious imagery but I didn’t find this religiously intrusive at all. (I’ve only read one other book with heaven as a setting and that was over 5 years ago and that is Five People You Meet in Heaven – which I wholeheartedly recommend! )

The reason why I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars is the ending. I didn’t really care too much for it. Also, I made an allowance for heaven in my reading but towards the end there was an incident that I found completely made the book a little hokey. I don’t want to give it away but uh, look for it in chapter 22. That was about where I lost my hardon for this book. The ending was a little anticlimactic for me which was something I was worried about throughout the novel but what I do appreciate about this book is that it was so difficult to put down. Alice Sebold never lost my attention as do many sad fictions go. I didn’t find myself giving up (Time Traveler’s Wife) or being resentful of the time wasted afterwards (Memory Keeper’s Daughter and My Sister’s Keeper ). I felt empathy for all characters except the mother which was a contrast to my feeling NO empathy for anyone in My Sister’s Keeper.

I especially recommend this book to:

Those who enjoyed Five People You Meet in Heaven and To Kill a Mockingbird

P.S. They’re making a movie of this book. I like the cast. I’ll watch it even though I’m not expecting much from the movie.

January
- Kim came up for New Years. We celebrated downtown with Alan’s couple of friends and Jon and the boys.
- Kim and I wrote on two balloons on New Year’s Day. One balloon of our regrets and things we’re letting go. The other balloon our desires for 2009. Then we ever so poetically, released them on my balcony.
-I went to San Diego for the fourth time. I made it to the zoo and stayed at the same hotel as Jon and Kate plus Eight when they went to San Diego on their way to Hawaii.
- Made Jambalaya for the first time.
-Ate a lot of food with Jon while he was visiting Texas.

At Paradise Pointe Resort in San Diego.

February
- Spent my favorite holiday with Jamie.
- Did my own taxes for the first time
- Found a new hair stylist of of Sixth Street after asking her for a kiss for Bing for his birthday.
- Sent out Valentine cards and packages.

Celebrated Bing’s birthday on Sixth Street. The night I met my hair dresser.

March
- Watched a lot of movies and cooked a lot of dinners with Alan.
- Cindy came up to visit. Introduced her finally to Flip Happy Crepes.
- I got about 3 hours of sleep a night.
- I go to San Diego for work yet again and stay at a hotel that had sex toys in their mini bar available to purchase.
- I search for a Madam Mam’s replacement. (Never found it)
- I celebrated Brandi’s birthday with Jessica. This is the 2nd time in 2008 we managed to spend some time together. We went downtown for her birthday and ate at Hula Hut.

With my girls, celebrating Brandi’s birthday. I wish this year we saw each other more. There was a time a year or two ago we saw each other once a week at least.

April
- I go to Second Chance Prom with Neville. Sweet since I didn’t have a date to my highs school prom. Well.. Liz was my date :)
- I meet my little and take her to celebrate Earth Day at Republic Square.
- I take a fabulous vacation to NYC (originally suppose to include Boston too and visit Mary Ellen but her paper got accepted into a conference). I got to see the Jennifers and Jon. Jon was my lovely host. (entry, entry, entry, entry)
- Had my first Brazilian Wax. Yikes.
- The father of two of the kids I’ve babysat since both of them were born, died.

Jon and I in NY.

May
- My brother graduates college! My parents came up to see him walk.
- Alan and I didn’t renew our lease and I started to mourn the apartment. I was in love with our location and view.
- Continue to babysit for the boys who lost their father. Started with the night of the memorial service and then the funeral.
- Selina asked me to be her bridesmaid.
- My brother turned 23. Making me feel old.

Our view.

June
- Go to funnest book signing I’ve been to with Si Nae and her boyfriend. We went to see Chuck Palahniuk promote Snuff. He threw out blow up dolls.
- I worked a lot.
- I saw a lot of movies with Alan.

Si Nae, her boy, and Chuck Palahniuk!

July
- Alan and I moved out and stopped being roommates :( But it was a good move for us :).
- Went to Florida for the first time to get Mary Ellen married. Flew in a few days early and I joined her clan in cooking, building, bitching, bonding, all in the name of love and the most beautiful wedding I’ve been to yet. It was pretty much a DIY wedding and you can see the labor of love in everything. The baby food jars around the garden sheltering tea light candles, the fireworks/crackers, the dance floor her uncles and aunts built, the cascading fruit basket one of her uncle fashioned at 3 in the morning the night before the wedding, etc. SO many details that were not only beautiful on its own, but also in the labor and thought and love that it represented.
- I take a Thursday off of work and Brandi and Jessica and I hang out for the third time this year. They treated me to a trip to Schiltterbahn for my birthday. Last year it was Sea World.
- Turned 25. Jen T who normally only comes once or twice a year happened to be in town for my birthday :). Si Nae dropped by flowers. I had a pretty birthday cake in the shape of a snow globe. I celebrated with friends. Felt special. Alan took me out to a romantic dinner and bought me a cell phone. It was a good birthday. Though I hate that I’m now 25.

Birthday celebration.

August
- Lily teaches us to make sushi.
- Alan introduces me to Mikados. I mention this because now we go here fairly often for sushi. I’ve yet to take him to Musashinos.
- Cindy comes and stays with me for almost 2 months for her pharmacy school rotation.
- I take my little to her first play. Jack and the Beanstalk.
- Nisreen and Nino get engaged and Nisreen asks me to be one of her bridesmaids.

Sushi making night

September
- I take my certification test and am now certified in clinical research.
- I go to the Domain with Nisreen to study for that test. We go just looking around for her wedding dress and we actually FIND it at St. Thomas.
- I fly to Orlando for work, wishing Alan had gone.
- I take my little to her first UT football game.
- Cindy and I try to learn about football.

So it wouldn’t just be for me why I wanted Alan in Orlando with me. Lookit the golf course!

October
- To my surprise, I’m taken by UT football. Really taken after watching OU game. I thought I had burnt out on football forever, but it’s really quite addicting.
- Alan takes me to see UT/Missouri game.
- Alan had a birthday.
- I dress up as a Hula girl for Halloween.

Kissing Meatwad.

November
- Ran my first 5k with Nisreen, Katambra, and Melissa.
- Jessica has a birthday, so the three of us (Brandi, Jessica, and I) reunite for the fourth time this year. FOUR times. That’s so sad. We go to Pete’s Dueling Pianos with plans to go to ren fest again but Brandi got struck with hives.
- I practically live at work.
- My brother breaks in his apartment by hosting a Thanksgiving meal. He makes his first turkey. Delicious!
- I take my little to the Paramount theatre for the first time. We see The Hungry Caterpillar. Then I have a mini high school reunion.
- I take Thanksgiving week off from work and spend a week in Houston.
- I see fireworks with Kim and kind of Chris.

Nisreen pours everyone a double shot of bourbon at my brother’s Thanksgiving dinner.

December
- I finish paying off my car :) One of my New Year’s Resolutions. I bought in July 2007. Not bad, if I do say so myself.
- I spend Christmas in Houston.
- On the 26th of December, Kim and I for the 2nd time release balloons for New Years. We’re stunned that this time around, we do not have any regrets to write on that regret balloon. Instead, we write what we want to stay away from. Good times with Ms. Kim.
- I get to see my best friend, Mary Ellen. Second time this year. First time being for her wedding in July.
- I go back on Saturday (today) to get some work done and to spend NYE in Austin. With friends and beau.

Our balloons. Purple = wishes. Pink = what we’ll stay away from. Since we didn’t have regrets this year.

It’s been a good year. I read 10 books, ate a lot of Pho, and laughed a lot.

I went to bed after Obama gave his speech and I heard I missed out on a lot more. Apparently, people from overseas were calling and sharing. I enjoyed both speeches from McCain and Obama. It’s surreal having a black president. I’m very proud of our country and am pleasantly surprised with Texas with 44 percent Democratic vote. Same goes for Vermont with it going Democratic for the first time since the 60s? Astonished that the party got the majority seats in the Senate as well. It just shows that America is just desperately ready for change.

Things I enjoyed from Obama’s speech: When he addressed those whose support he has not yet earned, that he is their president too; the story about the 106 year old black woman voter from Atlanta and all the history she witnessed, his reminder that it’s time for work and sacrifice now. Here we go!

Michael Crichton died today of cancer. :( One of my daddy’s favorite authors. I’ve only had the pleasure of reading a couple of his books (Jurassic Park and Congo). He was only 66 years old.

Jennifer, my occasional travel buddy (Vegas and NYC) emailed me a very loaded one worded question yesterday.

“Hawaii?”

I’m thinking about saving for a trip for next year. Hawaii sounds FANTASTIC.

Started reading The Romantic Movement by my Alain de Botton over the weekend. It was perfect timing … I was feeling a little off/low/defeated when it came to the other sex. Here’s one of the excerpts I jotted over that spoke to me.

‘You’re having a good time, you’re laughing, but what’s bothering you is you don’t know whether or not you can trust me. You’re thinking, ‘Is this guy genuine or is he some kind of a creep? Is this all just a joke or is there something serious behind it.’ You don’t quite know how ot act. If it’s all a joke, then you want nothing to do with it, but one side of you thinks it might not be and hence you should stick around.

It’s the permanent female problem, whether or not to trust a man when he’s seducing. You may like a man without trusting him, but one thing you want to avoid is getting hurt again.”

That’s kind of where I am right now. Personally. It kind of sucks.

I just dug up in my archives of my old blog at Xanga to find some quotes I jotted down in my reading journal from 2005 when I finished reading my first Botton book, On Love. Very interesting to see what excerpts got me in 2005 since that was shortly after the break up of my most serious relationship. Here are a few selected quotes from my first time reading On Love by Alain de Botton. I picked these quotes and copied them over in December 2005.

“But there is no inconsistency between a betrayal and a declaration of love when time is taken into equation. “I love you” can only be taken to mean, “I love you now.”

Hanging over every love story is the thought, as horrible as it is unknowable, of how it will end. It is as when, in full health and vigor, we try to imagine our own death, the only difference between the end of love and the end of life being that at least in the latter, we are granted the comforting throught that we will not feel anything after death. No such comfort for the lover, who knows the end of relationship will not necessrily be the end of love, and almost certainly not the end of life.

“Doubt is easy when it is not a matter of survival: We are as skeptical as we can afford to be, and it is easiest to be skeptical about things that do not fundamentally sustain us. It is easy to doubt the existence of a table; it is hell to doubt the legitimacy of one’s love. “

Medical history tells us of the case of a man living under the peculiar delusion that he was a fried egg. Quite how or when this idea had entered his head, no one knew, but he now refused to sit down anywhere for fear that he would ‘break himself’ and ’spill the yolk.’ His doctors tried sedatives and other drugs to appease his fears, but nothined seemed to work. Finally one of them made the effort to enter the mind of the deluded patient and sugested he should carrya piece of toast with him at all times, which he could place on any chairs he wished to sit on,and hence protect himself from spillage. From then on, the deluded man was never seen without a piece of toast handy and was able to continue a more or less normal existence.

What is the point of the story? It merely shows that though one may be living under a delusion [love, the belief that one is an egg], if one finds the complementary part for it [another lover under a similar delusion, a piece of toast] then all may be well.

Please consider using the Amazon links from this blog entry if you are interested in buying either of these two books. :)