Day 6: germ-a-sketch
I have a love-hate relationship with the library. I love reading books without having to pay for them, but I hate touching things that gross people probably brought into the bathroom. My frugality reins over my germophobia, though, so I get most of the books I read from the library. We've been reading some older books for book club, and those are especially skanky. This past month for book club we read Play it as it Lays by Joan Didion, which was published in 1970. The copy I got from the library had the old-school stamps in it dating back to 1977 and 30-some years of people's notes and highlighting and doodles...and germs.
I found it sort of ironic that there was a big ol' kid doodle on a page that had an F bomb on it. I call this page doodlebomb.
I usually can't fall asleep unless I read for a while, and I also can't fall asleep with the thought of germs all over my hands, so I usually have to jump up and wash my hands before I actually go to sleep. That is annoying; the icing on the cake is that this book sort of sucked.
Pat was just telling me they have some pages of a Gutenberg Bible in their rare books collection at work (and supposedly some book from 3,000 BC, but I am skeptical). How many potty germs do you think are on those?
Sorry, Barbara, there is no trivia question in this post. :)
Fran
Comments
#1 V - I asked Pat if he
V - I asked Pat if he remembered but he didn't. I loaned you you my copy of Nine Stories, and when we came over to your house I found it in your bathroom, and I flipped out. There isn't much more to the story than that. I was deeply offended (and grossed out), and you see what the problem was. At least that's why I remember it.
#2 I do not remember. Please
I do not remember. Please refresh my memory.
#3 Christy - I've never used a
Christy - I've never used a proper Kindle, but I've used the Kindle iPhone/Pod app twice, and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would! I will say that reading a book on even the screen of my Touch and iPhone was not a problem at all, so I have to assume reading on a Kindle would be even better. My one complaint about the app (and I'm guessing it's not an issue on the Kindle?) is that it doesn't give you a real page number or a Page X of X, which, come to find out drives me slightly batty. I like to ration my book reading, apparently. It does show a status bar that gives a general idea of where you are in the book, and it also gives some weird page range numbers, but I couldn't figure out what those meant. And yes, no germs (other than your own), no storage issues, and the books (assuming you can buy them on the Kindle) are inexpensive!
V - I already knew that about you. In fact, I remember loaning a book to you and then going over to your house to find it in the bathroom. Do you remember how mad I was?
Sarah - That would be a problem for me. I'm glad you qualified that I wasn't the roommate who did that. What if you remembered me being that person? I am not anti books in the bathroom entirely. They are just always then "bathroom books," never to return to the book shelf.
#4 Kindle?
Fran, I've been toying with the idea of a Kindle. I know there's the upfront cost, but then the ebooks are cheaper, I don't have to get germified from library books, and I don't buy all those books which then have to be stored or toted off to a second-hand bookstore.
Can I read on such a device, though? These are the things (in addition to my persistent cough) that keep me up at night.
-C
#5 A guy thing
I have read many a book on the pooper. Infact, most of my reading is done there. I have no problem with germs whatsoever.
#6 Icky
I totally agree with you! I love the library but ewwww. I had a roommate once (not you:) that would take my books into the bathroom, grossed me out!!!!
#7 Trivia
Another Trivia question would be nice. I am now at war with Barbara, and I will reign as P&F Trivia champion!
#8 awwww.... maybe tomorrow.
awwww.... maybe tomorrow.
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