This, Sedaris’s second published volume of diaries, covers the time from his age 47 to age 64, or as he says, when he crosses over from middle age to being old. He defines that as no longer getting things, meaning understanding why people do the things they do. During this time he writes of his family enduring the suicide of his sister, Tiffany, who no one in their family feels they truly understood. His father is in his nineties, living in assisted living, and the whole family is trying to accept the fact he won’t be with them much longer. David and Hugh celebrate their 30th anniversary as a couple, buying each other flowers. Sedaris writes of presidents Bush, Obama, Trump, and the election of Biden. He describes living on the upper East side of Manhattan during the beginning months of Covid, and the Black Lives Matter demonstrations following George Floyd’s death. He and Hugh move from France to England during this time, finding a cottage in Rackham, UK.

Most memorable are all the snippets about his encounters with people, so many encounters— flight attendants, airline staff, and airport security; hired drivers and taxi drivers; hotel clerks and restaurant wait staff; grocery clerks and staff at a wide variety of stores (he loves shopping); and the endless encounters with his fans and readers at book signings following his appearances. We learn he abhors small talk, and who wouldn’t after being greeted endlessly by these workers. He loves collecting jokes and odd comments and observations from his fans. Also funny are the encounters when Sedaris is out performing his hobby, picking up trash from roadways as he takes long walks, getting his steps in. Most of these interactions are frustrating, with the very occasional expression of appreciation.

In this diary volume audiobook version, Tracey Ullman portrays the entries from Britain, Australia, and anywhere where a British or Commonweath accent is needed. Since Sedaris’ voice is often mistaken for a middle aged woman’s he thought why not cast a middle aged woman to read those? Also, Ullman has a marvelous gift for miming all manner of accents, as well as a fabulous sense of rendering his comic effects.

It must be his way of looking at life, but his humor is really fantastic. I listened to this as an audiobook and found myself often laughing out loud. I don’t know if Sedaris’ humor is for everyone, since it involves some potty mouth, and numerous homosexual observations. If you’re not hung up on this, it is quite hilarious. I listened in my car going to and from work, and out running errands, and the stories were of the perfect length, and a wonderful attitude reset at those times. Sedaris is a close, sensitive observer of humans, and hearing his thought bubbles is pure gold. It is like reading his essays in smaller bites. I look forward to backtracking and listening to the first diary volume, Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002). I feel like I know much more about Daivd and Hugh, and siblings Amy, Lisa, Gretchen, Paul, and their lost sister, Tiffany. Since discovering him on the radio show This American Life, when Sedaris read his essay about being a department store elf in a Santaland, I continue to admire his work, snorting, giggling, and being a big fan. Recommended.