Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.

I have to begin by admitting that I first introduced to Douglas Adams and the Hitchikers guide to the galaxy by watching the movie. It is perplexing to think that I stumbled onto this stunningly brilliant man and his works through the tainted skewed eyes of Hollywood... but I did and it is a very important fact in explaining my relationship with these books. I saw the movie on May 4, 2005 just a little over 3 years ago. I remember the date because it was exactly 2 days after one of the most memorable, horrible, and life changing days of my life.

Since a young age I have come to associate important times and experiences of my life with books, and this was just the same. One of my best friends Karen was killed in a car accident and two days later I saw this movie. I can see now that never has a movie effected me in such a way, and oddly ever so fittingly it was this one. It didn't make me receive a revelation and I didn't even receive peace or comfort but I laughed, I laughed so much that for a little while I forgot about how much I missed her and how hard the next few months were going to be. I laughed just like Karen would have wanted me to. After this experience with the movie I immediately grabbed onto the books and and held on for dear life. I still am amazed at the ability this man has to make me laugh even if I have read the same line 20 times before. He has an amazing ability to show you the way he sees the world in a fantastical bizarre way that is highly entertaining. I have now read all the hitchiker books and done quite a bit of research on Douglas Adams himself. I respect him as an author the more I learn about him, he was a good slightly bizarre guy who one day was hitchiking in the hills of England and drunkenly looked up at the stars and had an idea. I am not writing this to suggest you read it although i do think that would be a good idea, I am merely nostalgic today.

This morning when I got up and tried to decide which book to start reading my fingers couldn't help from wrapping around these lovely volumes that have become my friend in troubled times and my ally in happy ones. I am embarking on this journey again for about the 5th time and am happy not just to travel around the universe with Ford Perfect, Aurthur Dent, and Marvin the depressed robot but also to travel through my memories and experiences that these book provoke me to re-live. And so it is with good books... they don't just tell a story but they provoke you to experience your own...

And remember the answer to life the universe and everything is 42...

Happy Trails...