The Mystery of the Outrageously Elaborate Scheme

I've been reading some Agatha Christie lately. I just finished a book of short stories and while they're really interesting and fun to read, most of them involve ludicrously elaborate schemes to get money or property which explain the mystery. For example, in one story this guy gets a cryptic phone call from a frantic woman telling him to meet her at a certain place because people are after her and will kill her, and he calls him by a name that is not his. Well he's really confused but goes there anyway and the girl is really hot so he doesn't say his real name. Then the police come and arrest him for murdering some other girl. He insists that they go back to his house to prove that he's not the guy they think he is, so finally they do. Then one policeman searches his house while the man and the other policeman have a drink and chat. The copper tells him the mysterious circumstances behind the girl's murder, then abrubtly cuts off to meet up with his partner. The guy waits for a while in the room and then goes out to talk to them. But what does he find? [SPOILER ALERT] All his stuff was gone. The whole thing was a really elaborate ruse for them to get in his house and steal all his stuff. Ha ha! The perfect crime! Most of the stories are like that. I guess burglars and swindlers were much more sophisticated back then. Nowadays all you need is a ski mask and a weapon. What happened to the pride and honor of conning people with just your smarts? It's a lost art, I tell you. Anyway, you should read the book. It really is good. Especially the first story. The surprise ending will knock your socks off! My head is still reeling.

For Sarah

Okay, I started a blog even though I think blogging is weird and the word "blog" sounds gross. I firmly believed the time would never come that I would cave in and resort to this, but here I am so apparently it wasn't so firm. It's Sarah's fault. She, for one reason or another, finds me hilarious and insisted that I start a blog for her entertainment. I guess she doesn't have any good books at home. So I thought about it for a week or two (actually I thought about it for a day-- the answer was no-- and then it came up a week or two later). Anyway, in the end, I decided if I could spare my friend a little boredom (a symptom she often complains of) it would be worth the sacrifice. So like a lamb to the slaughter, I am now a blogger. How noble of me. And, okay, to be honest I think this will grow on me-- mostly because I think I'm much more charming in print. So this is for you, Sarah! A token of my love. May it bring you many minutes of entertainment.