Easy as 1-2-3

ZimmerMan memed me, only I didn't know it until my mother (who is always telling me when ZimmerMan is talking about me, it seems) said, "I can't wait to read your meme." What meme? Oh. This meme:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

So . . . here we go.

1. The nearest book (next to me on the couch) is The Master Puppeteer by Katherine Paterson, which I checked out from the library because I love kids' books (I wrote one, for goodness' sake), but I don't feel I have read enough of them lately. I haven't read this one yet, either, actually.

2. Did it.

3. And that. Oh. You wanted to know what the fifth sentence was. Okay:

"Yes, sir," replied Jiro meekly.

4. The next three sentences are the following continuation of dialogue (with the next sentence being spoken by whomever Jiro is meekly addressing):

"And I'm not a Buddha!"
"No, sir."
"Will you get your head off the floor before it takes root?"

This is about all I can handle these days, what with job applications and magazine articles and not visiting facebook so I can work on my current novel . . .

5. If Stacey were still blogging, I'd tag her, but since she isn't, I tag, um: Heather, Jasdye, Inihtar, Jenn, and Marty.

This is not part of the meme, but I would just like to copy here, for the general edification of my reading public, the fourth sentence on the page in question, which runs thus:

"The convenient stupidity of you boys--it's enough to try the patience of a Buddha."