Which version would make it onto your iPod mix?

The Original from Europe?

or The Remix from Ash and Mom?

What books should you have read by now?

How was it that I was able to get through my entire public education and never had to read "The Grapes of Wrath"? It makes me a bit sad at the thought of having come this far in life without ever having read the book. I must admit though that if I had read it in high school rather than while living in Oklahoma this summer I would not be able to have such deep appreciation for passages like this...

"Al steered with one hand and put the other on the vibrating gear-shift lever. He had difficulty in speaking. His nouth formed the words silently before he said them aloud. 'Ma--' She looked slowly around at him, her head swaying a little with the car's motion. 'Ma you scared a goin? You scared a goin to a new place?'
Her eyes grew thoughtful and soft. 'A little,' she said. 'Only it ain't like scared so much. I'm jus a settin here waitin. When somepin happens that I got to do somepin -- I'll do it.'
'Ain't you thinkin what's it gonna be like when we get there? Ain't you scared it won't be nice like we thought?'
'No,' she said quickly. 'No, I ain't. You can't do that. I can't do that. It's too much -- livin too many lives. Up ahead they's a thousan lives we might live, but when it comes, it'll on'y be one. If I go ahead on all of em it's too much. You got to live ahead cause you're so young but -- it's jus the road goin by for me. An it' jus how soon they gonna wanta eat sore pork bones.' Her face tightened. 'That's all I can do. I can't do no more. all the rest'd get upset if I done any more'n that. They all depen on me just thinkin about that.'" ---page 124

It's better because it's in Texas America.

One of the most overlooked places for the Momon "you've been called on your mission to..." joke is none other than Paris, Texas. I mean, we make fun of Paris and Moscow Idaho all the time in that context. Why have we been overlooking Paris, Texas all this time? After having to take a pilgrimmage there to get my fingerprints (it's a bit of a long story and not particularly interesting) I found myself in Paris, Texas. Not a bad place really. In some places it had an utterly quaint feeling and in others some dumpy features. It was Small Town, U.S.A.

When I went there, I kept in mind something that I had learned from a friend that I had worked with at Redfish Lake. She was from Paris, Texas that is*, and she told me there was a replica of an Eiffel Tower there in town. So when I stopped at a gas station once I had arrived, I was sure to ask the clerk at the register where I could find this little tourist attraction. She gave me some rinky dink directions that I tried to follow in my head. When I asked a couple of questions she assured me, as you would probably expect, "It will be on yer left. Ya just cain't miss it!"

That got me confident enough to leave with her directions and go exploring a bit. I followed her instructions as best as I could and after a having to take a U-Turn at the very end I realized that the only instruction that had led me astray was the "ya cain't miss it" one. Really, it was about as easy to miss as a lone telephone pole out in a parking lot because...well...that was more or less what it was. That is not to say that it was a disappointing sight to see in the least. After all, there was a red cowboy hat on top AND it was in Texas. As far as I'm concerned, it was much cooler than that stupid looking thing in France. They charge you money to go up in that thing and there isn't even a beret on top. Seriously, who would take stinky cheese over pit BBQ? I ask you honestly...

*See how funny that joke can be - try it next time you see an opportunity!