1.11.2008

Hey, I Knew Who That Guy Was


Random thought as I otherwise ponder that Countrywide's stock went up over 50% yesterday:

I mentioned a couple of days ago that I have begun listening to an unabridged audio book: Into Thin Air. Let me say this about audio books since this is the first one I have ever listened to - they are absolutely great. Fantastic. Wonderful. Since I listened to it exclusively in the car, I'm tempted to go drive around right now. I'm forever hooked.

And Into Thin Air (I'm halfway through) is incredible. It's about a writer/climber who went with a group to the top of Mount Everest in 1996 only to meet tragedy - apparently the greatest death toll in any one day in the history of the mountain. But, as any book like that will do, it gave some background on the subject, to-wit: Mount Everest. For any of you that have become immersed in a book, you feel like its subject should be on everyone's mind even though you're the only one interested. That being said, my ears perked up yesterday, when I learned that Edmund Hillary, the first man to ever reach the summit, died yesterday. Oddly, I had learned a great deal about him only the day before.

Reading about those guys that defy death (sometimes) as they chase their dreams makes my day job seem very boring at this moment.