Oh, The Places You'll Go!

This blog has been around for well over a year and there hasn't been a single entry devoted to a Dr. Suess book?! This changes now!

As you might have read, I recently graduated from College. And with Graduation, comes graduation parties, and of course, graduation gifts. Aside from the usual boatloads of money and the occasional Buffalo Wild Wings gift card, I got this:



A copy of Dr. Seuss's inspirational "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" Since its posthumous publication in 1990, this Suess tome has been given to many a graduate, with myself becoming one of its most recent recipient. I'm pretty sure that it's now a law to be given this book once you graduate from SOMETHING by now, and I had to wait until College to finally read it. I didn't want to spoil myself. For those of you who haven't graduated yet, the book is about traveling into the world,
facing all the wonders the world has to offer, from riding balloons, walking under a tent held up by four Hortons, encountering fuzzy Krackens, walking in a parade comprised of more Hortons, and playing a game with Horton that involves nets, roller skates, and curved structures that only Dr. Geisel understands. And somehow, you'll get fame. Or maybe you won't. But maybe you will. You'll go somewhere, and now you have the chance! Make up some funny names, maybe wear some pants.

No, it's not one of those things where I read it and then die in 7 days. That's more in Yertle The Turtle's territory.

As I looked at it, this wasn't no bargain basement Suess book. If the barcode on the back of the plastic covering was any indication, this version cost $25! That was thankful, as this one's a nice hardcover edition that can crush a few Wockets in the pockets. Speaking of which, saying to a girl that you have a Wocket in your pocket is just asking for trouble.



Ah, Random House, I should've known. This gift came from a more...affluent member of my family, and it just so happens she works at the company and must have gotten it comped. Good for my aunt. Well, she is one of those friends of my mom's who was around me all the time as a child and called her "aunt" just out of habit. One who was more well-off than any of us and lives in Manhattan (or as we in Long Island call it, "The City"), near Central Park. She didn't just give me the book, either. The book itself was wrapped in an expensive-looking foily blue wrapping paper topped off with a similar costly-looking blue bow. There was also an attached card containing a check for $150. Hooray.



Here's what the book looks like outside of its sleeve. It's mostly the Suess Teal with that gold bordered Graduate Boy on the bottom right. If you've been wondering about the backdrop, it's a blanket of the "Look at All The Simpsons Characters We Can Fit on This" variety that was given to me as a gift last year. I cherish it dearly, it's too incredible to rest on a bed. No, it must respectfully drape my futon, covering some...unsightly stains all the while!

You see, the title of "Simsons Geek" is something I take seriously. I have the T-shirt version of that blanket, and when someone boasts that they're a Simpsons Geek, I reveal the shirt a la Superman and ask them to name as many characters as they can. Either it becomes a good game, or they fail with a blank stare on their face. Either way, I win and I gain 20 experience points.



And here's my buddy Dennis looking at the book, getting inspiration, it seems. Or he's wondering why my camera sucks along with the fact that I can't hold still for two fucking seconds. Too much Coke. Acola.



I leave you with some inspirational words from the first page of the book. Thanks to the crap lighting and my inability to not think of placing my camera atop of something flat, here is what it says:

Congratulations!
Today is your day!
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!