I love that at almost 63½ I am still surprised by things. While reading my last book, I came across this passage, "Peter's mom, Becky, lived in a part of Culver City that Nina hadn't visited in a while, and she was surprised to find it had become totally gentrified, with the requisite chain coffee place named for a whale hunter, a juice place, a frozen gluten-free yogurt store, and an organic grocery store where the carrots were priced individually."

Oh man, I just had to google "chain coffee place named after a whale hunter" and found out it's Starbucks. I had absolutely no idea where the name had come from. Turns out, the company's founders were inspired by Starbuck, the first mate in Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick, a story about a fateful whaling voyage. They wanted a name that suggested adventure and a connection to the Northwest's seafaring traditions.
I am continually delighted by surprise history lessons. To quote my favorite Dr. (Seuss), "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." Hmmm, I think I need some coffee.