The giant bathrooms in my old San Francisco apartment house had an unusually long old-fashioned tubs on claw legs. Four people could comfortably sit in them and socialize.
My lover and I kept whatever we were reading on a long low table along one side of the tub in our bathroom and would play hot tub most mornings (a little sex, a little reading, adjusting the water temperature with more hot water, a little more sex). All of our books eventually expanded because of accidents, if not just from the general humidity. I've still have many of those books and, just like a Festivus Miracle, after many years stored on tightly-packed book shelves, the water damage is negligible. And it's so nice to be able to go into my library and look along the shelves, knowing exactly where I can find something that is long out of print, retrieve it and read it. I can't imagine a library of e-books. Just not the same.
But if you need to be at the vanguard of the next technology, go ahead. I wont' stop you.
The other day some Canadians stumbled into my corner parilla gasping, "Cerveza, por favor. Cerveza!" The waitress politely brought them two Heineken. Even though one was originally from Ecuador, his language skills weren't exactly what one would expect. After engaging them in English and helping them order food to go along with their life-sustaining beers, they insisted upon exchanging e-mail and phone numbers with me. They were disappointed when I didn't pull out an iPhone and actually asked me, "Do you know what an iPhone is? We have iPhones. Have you ever seen one?" The poor guys. I politely told them that I did, indeed, know what an iPhone was. But even though I wander the planet with three different mobile phones that I recharge by buying phone call credit (saves a ton of money over being stuck with an iPhone plan), I was chagrinned that they did not understand how I could have a business card with a business domain name and a Macbook Pro (with the really big screen) and not have an iPhone! The horror of it all! LOL!
When I send e-mails I need a full-blown key board meant for real hands, not a faux toy key board. My e-mails are long and involved things. These guys were more ini the twitter-length range of communication. I doubt we'll ever become great friends, but they were amusing while they kept me company as they waited for the Eva Peron museum to open. They promised to send me an e-mail when they show up in Barcelona on a summer gay cruise. But I've a sneaking suspicion if they do try to reach me I'll somehow be previously engaged with some other activity. However, I wish them well.
No, give me books made of paper. I've already given up the NY Times as a paper entity and read it on line. That's enough of a sacrifice for me for now.
