What do you mean locked out?

This past weekend, the fiancé and I decided to take a drive out into the glorious world beyond the living room.  This involved a variety of establishments, some for refreshments, some for specific items (I'm working on new cake pops again), and some just to see what's out there.

Among my treasures is a new concise Russian grammar book.  Hah.  I'm digging myself in deeper and deeper here.  добро пожаловать!  ('dabro pazhalavat' for those who can't read Russian)  Welcome to my world.  The beauty of this language eludes me...maybe it's all the consonants involved, which make it explode from the mouth in harsh jumbles.


But that's not the point.


After a lovely day out meandering, we returned to the house.  Only then did we find out that the typically perfectly functioning system that syncs up the fiancé's fancy car with the garage door was not working.


Uhm.  This is a problem.


Specifically, being overly paranoid about safety, the fiancé locks the storm door as well as the front door.  They require different keys.  We're lacking one of them on our key rings.  You're already thinking no problem, just go around back.


Ah, but if only it were that simple.


Did I mention the fiancé is overly paranoid about safety?  The gates into the backyard are padlocked.  So, this is what ensues:

Climbing over a couple gates, finding a door that matches the key on our keyring, entering through said door, and then opening the garage to the let the other person in. I think we need to re-think the key situation we have going on at the house.

Nerdiness

"Are we nerds?"  The fiancé's voice drifts by me.

"Hmmm? Uh...no...what makes you ask?" I look up from the onion I'm sautéing.

"Well, we spend so much time at Barnes and Noble...reading."

I laugh. We did spend the entire weekend at Barnes and Noble. Reading. Eating. Talking. It's fun. It allows us our own interests and to share them as well...especially when we bring the laptop along.  Plus, it's a great place to people watch.

It's not like we actually read anything while we're there.  I mean, I'm practically illiterate.

And we don't splurge on chocolate cheesecake, tea, and coffee.

There's Machu Picchu, now turning...turning...

Image:  Arvind Balaraman/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Just kidding!  I haven't been to Machu Picchu...

Yet.

The travel section is, was, and always will be where you can find me in a book store.  Walking into Barnes and Noble, I instinctually know where my books are, as if the wild aroma of adventure wafts over to me from the small section marked travel essays.

With a quick wave to my companion, I veer off in the direction of my books.  If the manfriend is lucky, I'll order a drink before disappearing into the books.

God's Middle Finger:  Into the Lawless Heart of the Sierra Madre.  I'm going to have to read more of that, but let's see what else.  Too Much Tuscan Sun.  Hmmm...maybe.  Into Thin Air.  I dunno.  I'll Never Be French.  That's for sure.  Turn Right at Machu Picchu.  What's this?  Machu Picchu? The book brazenly demands of you before it is even opened.  I...just...might...  I glance at the back.  Alright, I will turn at Machu Pichhu.  That is, if I ever get there.

I stride back to the table reserved by the manfriend and remaining "half" of a tiramisu parfait, my eyes too busy scanning the first pages of the text to notice the missing part of my dessert.  The  next hour escapes my notice as Mark Adams guides me through his background.

Manfriend:  Ready to go?

Me:  blank stare

Manfriend:  Ready?

Me:  You're buying me this book?

Manfriend:  Can't you get it from PaperBack Swap*?

Me: Not available... You're buying me this book?

Manfriend:  How much?

Me:  (glancing around) Uhhh, $27?

Manfriend:  Isn't it cheaper online?

Me:  You're buying me this book now, or I'm buying it online.  Today.

Manfriend:  How much online?

Me: $17.

Manfriend:  pointed look

Me:  Fiiiiiiine.

I don't know that he believed me, but by the time we walked through the front door, the book was bought and paid for online.  It's addicting, both funny and interesting.  Mr. Adams manages to wind his story of adventure traipsing around in the Amazon with that of the Inca and how Machu Picchu came to be discovered after so many years by Hiram Bingham.

The Amazon.  The Inca.  Rainforest.  The Andes.  Discovery.  History.  Latin America.  It reminds me of all that time I spent in Ecuador, yet with my favorite learning thrown in.  When will this book get here?

I pace around the house, count the days.  Hellooooo, universe, (or Amazon), I'm waiting!

Finally!  Finally.  At long last, it's here!

I might be MIA for the next few days as I get lost in the world of books, but it'll be worth it.  Feel free to entertain yourself in this lull by buying your own copy of the book here.

All anyone's going to see of me in the next few days

*PaperBackSwap is a free online book trading community that mails requested books between members, which is a great way to recycle books and make them more affordable.  Go check it out!