May 19th, 2004:

Thanks again to “Matt”:http://livejournal.com/users/crackmonkey/ and “Melissa”:http://livejournal.com/users/filmstar/ for orginally recommending this series to me.

I finished “Ender’s Game” some time ago, and loved it. So, I bought a few other books from the series, but haven’t had the time to crack one open until yesterday. And then I read 250 pages.

I used to read constantly. However, as time went on, and more of my reading occured online, I learned that it was often faster to “skim” than it was to read, despite the fact that I read very quickly. And, unlike other people I know, even though I read quickly, I comprehended and retained almost every word I read. Now I hardly read at all any more. And, when I do try to read, and not skim, I’m not nearly as fast as I used to be. So, 250 pages is a lot for me to read in one day.

Needless to say, I couldn’t put the book down. I’m a little more than half way through it now. I had intended to bring it to work and read a bunch more on my lunch break, but, it turns out, I left it at home.

Technically speaking, these books are classified as “Sci-Fi”. But don’t hold that against them. The “Sci-Fi” aspect of them really only provides the background… the place for the important stuff to happen in. Really, the books, so far, are about discovering one’s self, finding out the truths of the world, dealing with isolation and “differentness” while, all at the same time, trying to find a place to fit in — a place to belong. Orson Scott Card is an amazing writer whose words captivate you within the first few paragraphs. There’s just enough “fluff” to paint a pretty picture, and just enough “action” to keep you interested while a truly meaningful and important statement is being made. If you’re looking for a book to read, I highly recommend both of these.

You can read “Speaker for the Dead” without having read “Ender’s Game”. The author does a good job of summarizing the important information from the previous book when it is mentioned. These summaries provide enough to let you keep reading this story, but not enough to keep you from reading the first. If you’re going to read them both, I recommend, however, starting with “Ender’s Game”. The second story will mean so much more if you do.

Three times now, I’ve gone outside at my office, only to be tricked by a squirrel. Maybe it’s the same one each time, or maybe they all have magical powers. Or maybe I’m just seeing things.

When I first go out the door, there is a suspended stairwell leading up. To the left of the stairwell is some space. To the right is some space and then open grass (where the squirrels usually are). And, since the staircase is suspended, you can walk underneath it, if you crouch a bit.

I walk out, and go to the right of the staircase, near the grass. And I see a squirrel on the sidewalk. He’s afriad of me, so he darts under the stairwell. I continue to walk further along the right of the staircase, while monitoring the only other exit available to the poor guy. I imagine he’s scared and just wants to leave, and I don’t want to stop him from doing that. So I move as far as away as I can while still being able to see.

The squirrel never leaves. So, eventually, I go back around to the other side of the stairwell to see the very small (3′ x 3′, max) patch of space that I can’t see from the otherside (the portion directly behind the part of the stairwell that touches the ground). He’s not there. He’s not anywhere. He’s gone. But how? There’s no way to leave except going back under the stairwell, where I’d see him clearly. Or by going in the front of the stairwell and then out which would be more difficult for me to see, but, still, he couldn’t actually get out of the this enclosed space and into the grass without me seeing him.

Of course, I guess he could be sneaking around the far corner of the stairwell, and going up the stairs. And I might not see him there for the first 8 steps or so… but, by the time he got the platform I’d surely see him, as I’m standing right next to it and it is as my direct eye level. But I never see him leave, and he’s always gone.

This has happened three times now in the past week or so.

I think there’s something in the water. Either mine, or his.