So Keith introduced me to the A Game of Thrones, the first in George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. It's good epic fantasy stuff. It's also clear that Martin kind of likes to screw with our heads. He offed a major character in the first book, and keeps introducing new folks who make the story more complex and involving. I'm hooked.

I saw Keith on Sunday, and we talked about the books -- he was 300-odd pages into book four, and I was about halfway through book three. He quizzed me on what had just happened, and then got this Cheshire grin on his face "A lot of stuff is about to happen. I can't wait for you to get to that."

We continued on in that vein, him teasing about things to come without giving anything away, me resisting the urge to whip out my book at the party. (Yes, of course I carried the book with me. I took public transport to the block party, so I needed something to read while waiting for/traveling on the bus. Being able to read is the major selling point of public transport, as far as I'm concerned.) Eventually I said "You realize, of course, that I'm going to call you at midnight when I get to this."

Keith laughed. "Yeah, do that! I want you to!"

Poor, misguided Keith.

So I got home at 10ish, and started reading, and got to the stuff he'd hinted at, and holy crap, that was unexpected. I look at the clock. It's 12:30. I had a brief wrestle with my conscience -- surely Keith didn't really mean I should call him, he was engaging in hyperbole, he thinks I'm the sort of sane person who wouldn't wake him up at midnight -- and my better angels lost a humiliating defeat.

Ring

Ring

Ring

"Whazzat?"

"HOLY CRAP! I just got to the thing you were talking about and ohmigod with the thing and the that and the bibblety bibblety bibblety!"

Silence.

"Hi, Keith. It's Sarah. You said I should call..."

"Uh-huh. Yeah, no, you're right, I'm... glad you did. Uh..."

And we chatted a bit, him incoherent with sleep and me incoherent with me-ness.

Keith called again the next day, as he knew there was a conversation but he wasn't sure what had actually been said. Fortunately, he was laughing.

"You told me to call...."

"Yeah, I did. I'm glad you're so excited about a book."

So let this be a warning to you all: If you make positive -- or even non-committal -- noises when we're talking about books or movies or whatever, and I say "You realize I'll call you at midnight..." I will do it unless I get explicit instructions not to. I am that geeky.

Now you know.

(And if you try to pull the same thing on me... I have to admit, I'm really good at sleeping through the phone. Not fair, I know.)