As 2012 thus far has been a somewhat interesting year (I might describe it as bizarrely unusual), I should not have been all that surprised to suddenly realize that I do not seem to be reading as much as I have in years past. I must have read about 40 books last year, this year only about 2. True, this is probably still above the average, but still, I was a bit amazed.
A couple of months ago while at a birthday party, I had a conversation with a woman who is also a pretty avid reader. She explained that she had recently purchased an e-book device, and was really pleased with it, especially since it allowed her to read in bed at night without disturbing her husband. I conveyed my own reluctance to move in the direction of Kindles and the like, despite the fact that I carry a tablet pc, perferring instead to hold a book in my hands. Furthermore, I actually like the experience of browsing in bookstores for hours at a time, just seeing what it there. I prefer this much more than checking online through amazon or wherever.
The woman and I exchanged some author names and titles of our personal favorites. I took her list and put it in my wallet, next to another list I have been carrying for the past year or so which lists a series of books by one of my favorite Swedish authors. Last year, I had hunted regularly for the books on my list, and had managed to find (and read) all but one.
As I am regularly in train stations and airports, I always take a few minutes and hit the bookshops in hopes I will come across something on my list. Towards the end of last year, I became a bit discouraged, as this one outstanding book was nowhere to be found. My sister has a copy on her bookshelf, albeit in Spanish, and, while I read in Spanish from time to time, I really wanted this book to be in English, so as to complete my collection.
The other Friday I was in Edinburgh airport waiting on a flight, and decided to take a look in a bookshop that I had searched through just two weeks before, merely out of habit. I walked past the top 10 bestsellers, past the Dan Brown, James Patterson, and John Grisham stuff, and checked once more the little shelf. For a second, I almost thought it was a mistake, but then I realized the one title I had been searching for was sitting quietly, waiting for me to grab it. Result! I now have my set complete, and can discard the little post-it note list from my wallet, leaving more space for the new list I acquired from the woman in January.
And of course the book is turning out to be well worth the wait.
I had a nice chat with my grandmother last weekend on skype, during which I excitedly related the book finding tale. She, too, reads a fair amount, and appreciated the story. She then told me of her recent urge to find a good, tasty hamburger. My grandmother is very humble, rarely complains (choosing instead to find the tiniest positive bit from even the shittiest of circumstances), and always tends to go with the flow.
She lives in a retirement community, kind of a posh one, so the dining tends to be pretty good. However, she explained, the burgers (albeit infrequently served) left a "little bit to be desired." Recently, she went to a restaurant, kind of a trendy bistro with some friends, and decided to order the hamburger on the menu, as it sounded pretty good. Apparently it came with a gourmet cheese and fine bacon on top, and she found it almost inedible. It was too rich for her tastes.
Disappointed to say the least, she continued to crave a good burger over the next week. Then, on Saint Patrick's day, while on a shopping excursion to the grocery store, she noticed a Braum's in the same shopping center. She and a friend ordered a simple hamburger and fries, and went back home to eat lunch on her patio. Well, you would have thought she had hit the lottery. "Bryan, the burger was simply delicious! The patty was juicy, the pickles and onions tasty, the bun just right..."
With a smile, she finished her story, then asked me if I missed anything like that, did I crave any particular foods that I can't get in Germany.
Though Braum's brings back fond memories of childhood for me, I can't say that I have been overwhelmed with a craving for their burgers or ice cream, but I thought for a moment before answering. With the exception of good mexican food, I am really able to get anything that I want, and very rarely get that type of craving for a certain food (though sitting here on a Saturday morning, I probably could do with a trip to IHOP or Denny's for some hashbrowns).
Nonetheless, burgers were on the brain this past week, and on a visit to a supplier, I chuckled when I saw "hamburger special" offered as the plate lunch that the canteen was serving. We all ate the hamburger and fries, commenting that the burger tasted pretty good.
The following evening, as a way of bringing my visit to a close, we went to a local bistro which was noticeably trendy. Ironically, there was a gourmet burger listed on the menu, and on a whim, I decided to order that. This one was served with camembert cheese on top (unlike the gourmet burger my grandmother ate the other week which had brie). A couple of the others had ordered the same thing, and we all agreed that, while tasty, and certainly better than the burger we had eaten in the canteen the day before, it was a bit rich for our tastes. I told everyone about my grandmother's recent burger experience, and we all had a bit of a laugh.
To wrap up this post, I will quickly mention my recent Deutsche Bahn experience. Last year about this time, I had upgraded my railcard twice in about a four week period. At the time, everyone was most helpful, and I have been a very content passenger. I was a little surprised the other day to find a new Bahncard waiting for me in the letter box when I arrived home from work. This one was a Bahncard 50 first class, which I had briefly last year before I made the upgrade to the Bahncard 100. Somewhat concerned that DB would withdraw the cost of the card from my bank account (to the tune of several hundred euro), the next day I went to the DB office in the train station, stood patiently in line for my turn (thinking about burgers), then told the lady at the counter that I once again, was the holder of too many Bahncards. One person, only one Bahncard necessary. She apologized profusely, took my new Bahncard 50 back from me, filled out a little form, and assured me that order was restored: my Bahncard 100 is up for renewal at the end of May, and no further action from me is required. Customer satisfaction at it's finest.
So, there you have it. Springtime is here, and today we change the clocks.
See you out there
bryan
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