Books vs The Kindle/other reading boards

I can tell you immediately that I much prefer books to the kindle. First of all, they are physical property, unlike their virtual counterpart. There is a certain character to books. The character comes from many different attributes to the book. It can be modified or simply how the book was made.

The different covers a book can have, is always an interesting thing. It adds something to the world the book is trying to portray. If it's a really old piece of literature, then, you can find old covers that aren't printed any more and that adds to the value (in my mind). They also let you know a little bit about the marketing strategy of the book at that particular time. It reveals a little bit about whatever was in the mind of the publisher/marketers, that made them think such a cover would sell more copies.

Above all, I love used books. Whether they be borrowed or store bought, there is always a little side gift. There is little notes here and there left by previous owners. Hand underlined sentences that sometimes leave an enigma if you can't find a meaning in them. The condition in which the cover and pages aged give little clues about the personality/ies of previous owners. Even little things, like the smell of humidity or dust accumulated withing the pages, give insight in to it's whereabouts. Dried up droplets of some kind of liquid of whatever color as gifts embedded in this book's papery soul by previous owners clumsiness, or intentionally.

Sometimes, you find even more. A little piece of paper with a note on it. Phone numbers, code words, e-mails, recipes... The best of all that I've found was a break up letter from one lover to another. I wonder if the person for whom it was intended, ever read it. Was this note intended to be read as a surprise by the person to whom the book was given to once they stumbled upon it? Did the receiver just think that someone forgot the letter in there and never opened it with the thought that they would return the book? Or did they just simply read it, and leave it in there as some sort of memory and then forgot about it as they've gotten rid of the book? I'll never know, but at least I am part of this book's voyage. Unlike it's virtual counter part.

I realize that the kindle (and other reading boards) get the advantage of convenience. The convenience of carrying many books at one time. And I give it that. But, at the same time, I wonder who needs to carry more than one book around besides a student. If you are going on some long trip, is it really that dull that you need more than one book (or any book at all) to divert your attention from living in the moment?

Extra Hour of Sleep

Having to show up an extra hour later for work doesn't help me since my body is used to waking up at a certain time. Speaking of work, today I was eaves dropping on two doctors in an argument. It was an unwilling eaves dropping as they were yelling. I don't think they were mad at each other. It's just years of schooling and dealing with idiot patients that due to indifference either refuse to take their pills or simply forget. If I recall correctly the conversation went something along the lines:

Fuck this bullshit, I'm tired of putting up with-
I know I've been telling them for years that when that retarded ass shit-
and what am I supposed to do with all that bullshit ass paper work now-
not like they care, fucking including me in something like-
if it was up to me I'd tear that bullshit up...

The juvenile application of the words used in their conversation made me feel serene and loved. It must be life or because I'm altruistic. I love my job. Bullshit is at a minimum. They thank me for being semi-useless. None cares if I nap or read books on the job. I guess it's the nature of the business. It costs less to have me around all the time then to contract someone when they are truly needed.

There was some kind of meeting for the first half of the working day. Come to think of it that is probably what incinerated the madness between the two doctors. I stayed for an hour, then pretended to go to the restroom just to make my escape to the car for a drive. There were about a hundred people at the meeting and none that pays my paycheck was there, so it was pretty viable.

I over heard the conversation between the two doctors because I was waiting in the office to interpret for a young attractive nurse practitioner (and because they were yelling). Working with attractive women makes my day go by faster. I've been working with her for a while now. Even though she has a boyfriend, she inquires about my life and enjoys talking to me. She strikes up conversation first. I can't say I would reject her if she hit on me, but I definitely would not hit on her first.

Besides, she is a fake blond and wears a lot of eyeshadow. On another note I think a kilo of eyeshadow makes a beauty out of a beast. Not that this is the case with her necessarily. I wonder what she looks like without it though.

A while back I had to interpret for her for an STD check up. Judging by her uneasiness this was the first situation for her of that sort. She had to crouch down and examine a patients penis while he remained standing up with his pants down. I think she was uncomfortable with the fact that I had to witness just how close her face was to that penis (and the fact that she had to fondle it in front of me). Once she got up, she gave me a dumb smile, the kind you give when you are exiting an already awkward situation which you don't know exactly how to exit so you say some stupid joke that you know is not funny as you give a weak and faint laugh which makes it even more awkward, and then you leave. Except she didn't leave, her dumbfounded smile kept lingering as her eyes searched my face for some kind of approval. She was searching for certainty that I wasn't going to ridicule her for this or maybe insinuate to other staff how well "that hot nurse handled a penis". In all my professional glory I twisted the end of my lip to form a short and curt smile followed by an assertive nod of approval. She has been requesting me personally ever since.