deborahmarkus7

I enjoyed this book thoroughly, almost. Sedaris is always brilliant, and it's not his fault I have always been violently repulsed by any description of certain bodily expulsions. "#2 To Go" is nothing *but* vivid descriptions of same.

I'm not saying I blame Sedaris for including this essay. Frankly, if *I'd* gone through what he describes, I would never stop screaming about it. I'm just saying I'm skipping it the next time through the book.

I tend to prefer Sedaris' essays to his stories, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the fiction included here. "Mind The Gap" was especially good, and will make every American Anglophile flinch just a bit.

Probably my favorite piece, though, was "Now Hiring Friendly People," in which Sedaris practically has a stroke when all he wants is to order a cup of coffee at a small stand. Instead, the couple ahead of him have to ask and have answered detailed questions about every caffeinated possibility. Then they have to chat with the polite, friendly young woman behind the counter until Sedaris' brain explodes. He hits his breaking point (internally, thankfully for everyone involved) when the husband asks for more information about some construction work done recently on a nearby university. Warning: "Language" dead ahead.

"WHO THE HELL CARES? I wanted to shout. WHAT ARE YOU, THE OFFICIAL HISTORIAN OF WHO-GIVES-A-FUCK COLLEGE? DO YOU NOT NOTICE THAT THERE'S SOMEONE IN LINE BEHIND YOU? SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN STANDING HERE ROCKING BACK AND FORTH ON HIS GOD-DAMNED HEELS FOR THE LAST TEN MINUTES WHILE YOU AND THAT BRONTOSAURUS RUN YOUR STUPID MOUTHS ABOUT NOTHING?"

Heaven help me, but yes. I've been there. I've SO been there.

Good times.