I've always known that I'm completely drawn into the world of books. I get lost among the pages and worry over the outcomes. I have conversations with complete strangers about stories I've read, as if they are true examples of how that person might benefit from a fictional experience. (You've read how dangerous it is for me to sit near a device where I was tempted to buy a chatelaine.) And yes, I've called in sick so I could stay home to finish a book--which is ridiculous, since that's my real job! Suffice it to say today I could not resist temptation today. This morning while preparing for next week's webcast, I read a nonfiction picture book that Leslie will booktalk: The Hole Story of the Doughnut by Pat Miller and charmingly illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch. They tell the story of a young seaman who eventually became a sea captain. In the meantime, Hanson Crockett Gregory was only 16-years-old when he worked in the ship's galley. It was he who wondered if the undercooked "sinkers" had the middle cut out, the dough might actually thoroughly cook. (Before that, the cakes were fried, but mostly only cooked at the edges. The centers were raw and greasy.) One hundred and sixty-six years later we still eat these holey pastries. Of course, like any invention the stories get out of hand; legends are born and conflicting stories rise. Suffice it to say that like the doughnut, the legend of Captain Gregory, validated in the Great Doughnut Debate of 1941, still remains. But the doughnuts I rushed out to buy? Maybe not so long.