Lit2Go and Booknerdiness

Last week as I was perusing iTunes for awesome free stuff, I stumbled upon Lit2Go, which is basically a ton of classic literature in audiobook form. I was immediately hooked. I love the classics in audio format because the books are usually so wordy that it is hard for me to stay focused on what is happening. Also helpful is the fact that the people doing these readings are really good. My normal commute this summer was close to 45 minutes alone, and then 45 minutes with kids.* So I was excited to find these books because honestly my clients were getting more than a little tired of my musical tastes.** It was really nice to spend the last week of our program listening the Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories with my client and to Vanity Fair when I was alone in the car. He loved listening to the stories, and they distracted him enough that I didn't have to listen to him talk about video games for an hour and a half each day.***

So what is the point of this blog entry? Just a ramble about how audio books are the bees knees? No, not really. It has more to do with the fact that when I found this beautiful wonderful FREE selection of audiobooks I immediately contacted both BFF1 and BFF2. My conversation with BFF1 was pretty normal. It went pretty much like this:
Me: Hey, remember that time you paid a bunch of money for audiobook versions of classic literature?
BFF1: Yeah...
Me: Well, I just found a TON of them on iTunesU for FREE!!!
BFF1: Sh!t...good ones?
Me: Yeah -insert LONG list of titles here-
BFF1: Crap...remind me when I get on AIM tonight to look at them.****
Me: 'Kay

My conversation with BFF2 was slightly more maniacal.
BFF2: Hey, what are you doing? I miss you...I feel like we haven't spent time together since Baby Neville was born.
Me: Not too much, hanging out...the usual ya know.
BFF2: Anything else exciting happen at work?*****
Me: No, not really. Client1 had a breakdown and literally beat his head against a wall today. Which is new...turns out mom and dad knew this was going on and "didn't think it was that important" so didn't tell me.
Me: HOLY CRAP!!!
BFF2: What? Did something happen?
Me: Yeah, something AWESOME!
Me: I just found this really cool thing online where they have free downloads of CLASSIC LITERATURE. Like TONS of stuff
BFF2: OH MY GOSH! Like what? What are you downloading?
Me: -insert LONG list of titles here-
BFF2: I am so jealous right now!
Me: Ya know, it kind of bothers me that they have A Connecticut Yankee In Kind Arthur's Court and not Le Morte D'Arthur.
BFF2: Only YOU would be bothered by that.
Me: Well, Twain is a sexist bastard. They have Ethan Frome...are you my EF person?
BFF2: I LOVE ETHAN FROME! It's my favorite thing we read in HS! Even though it may be THE most depressing book ever.
Me: HOLY CRAP! They have Emily Dickinson! EMILY DICKINSON!
BFF2: *dead silence*
Me: Really? No comments?
BFF2: Uh, not really. You know she makes me want to die.
Me: I like her...
-twenty minutes later-
Me: I find myself want to read/listen to Leaves of Grass? Who AM I?
BFF2: A freak...
BFF2: You hate transcendentalist poets****** and the only good thing about Whitman is the "O Captain, My Captain" scene from Dead Poet's Society
Me: Touche, mon amie
BFF2: But I love you regardless.
Me: Ditto.
-End of Conversation-

Now, what is the point of sharing this? Other than to display that my best friends and I are easily amused and huge nerds, and that iTunesU has a GREAT selection of free audio? Basically to show how grateful I am to know like minded people. Not many people want to spend a car ride listening to Around the World in Eighty Days, but my two best friends (while not as enthusiastic as I was) totally dug it. I guess the main point is, sometimes it is so easy to forget to appreciate the little things. Things like talented people reading (and creating) great works of literature, friends who love you even if they hate Emily Dickinson's poetry and don't understand your desire to read transcendentalist poetry, and friends who get just as excited as you over little tiny things. With all the crap I wade through everyday, I find myself forgetting to be thankful for these little things, because in the long run, they are HUGE things.

Sorry that this blog post is LONG. Tomorrow's will probably be EXTREMELY short, because I have The Fantastic Four tonight and most of tomorrow, so I will be BUSY! Maybe sometime this month I should let The Clone guest blog...it would help me get over my BEDA-Block.


*During the school year it was 20 minutes each way. I'm not even sure where I'll be next year, but chances are I'll have a commute that is at least that long, possibly longer.
**Although, how ANYONE gets sick of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, or Queen I will NEVER understand.
***Seriously, there is only so much video game talk one girl can take.
****I know what you're thinking. I do in fact work with BFF1 for 5 hours everyday and then go home and spend hours talking to her online each night. We are dreadfully codependent.
*****Yep, BFF2 works for the same company as BFF1 and I, she's just on maternity leave right now.
******We realize that Whitman isn't technically a transcendentalist poet, but he is close enough for us.