a random conversation with my new flatmate in a bookstore today:

flatmate: [laughs] my cousin, eric, wrote this book, called fast food nation, and it's --

me: what did you just say?

flatmate: [becoming nervous] my cousin...wrote this book, fast food nation...

me: your fucking cousin wrote fast food nation?

flatmate: um...yeah.

me: eric schlosser is your fucking cousin?

flatmate: yes...do you, um, hate that book or something?

me: no. that book is fucking amazing. that's so fucking cool.

she went on to tell me a million more things about her family. reluctantly -- because in the past people have started crying and flipping out at this news -- she told me that robert redford is her uncle. her aunt, robert redford's ex-wife, makes documentaries, one of which showed at sundance last year. pretty cool. robert redford is eric schlosser's father-in-law.

flatmate: i'm surprised that you're not flipping out about the whole robert redford thing.

me: honestly, the eric schlosser thing is cooler.

flatmate: [laughing maniacally] wait until i tell eric that. he'll be thrilled that someone was more excited about him than uncle bob.

yes. she called him uncle bob.