Totally What Some Library Patrons are Like

A Clear And Self-Centered Danger:
(Bookstore | Boston, MA, USA)

(A couple approaches the information desk while I’m manning it. They are probably in their mid-60s.)

Me:  ”Can I help you find something?”
Customer:  ”Yes, where are your paperbacks by Clancy?”
Me:  ”They’re right over here in fiction; follow me.”
(They tag along behind me as I lead them the 10 steps over to the fiction wall.)
Me:  ”He’s this whole shelf, and part of the next one.  Was there anything else you were looking for today?”
Customer:  ”Other stuff like him. You know, like Woods, Connelly, and Lescroart.”
Me:  ”Well, they’re all here in fiction too. It’s alphabetical by author, so you can work your way down from here.  Woods is right at the end by the window.”
Customer:  *peevish* “Why can’t you people just put all the stuff I like together?!”
(At this point his wife, who has been silent the whole time, chimes in.)
Customer’s Wife: “Because the world STILL doesn’t revolve around you, dear.” *to me* “His mother has a lot to answer for!”

Oh how I adore Not Always Right!

From the (Wrong) Mailbag

Because my email address is a relatively common Bible verse, I get lots of email from people I don't know. About 3 years ago I started labeling and saving some of the better, more amusing or weird, epistles and posting them here. I haven't done one of them for awhile, so why not tonight? And let's pick on Bob. I do notify people when I get personal emails that are not meant for me. Usually that ends things and I never hear from them again. But Bob? Bob's a special guy who clearly doesn't actually read his email, since I've got four emails directly from him. The first one is a LONG conversation between Bob and Lona, with Dick showing up at the end. My feeling is that if you keep CCing me after I've told you I don't know you, those emails become my property, and I can post them for the world to read.

In a message dated 10/31/2010 6:24:01 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, bob@pa...th.com writes:
Hi Lona, I’m here and safe, ready to go to bed. Got the oxygen concentrator going, did some grocery shopping…car started fine. Found my medication for the blood pressure. Sun was out so walked a few minutes on the beach. Sand is gone a couple a more feet down. weird , makes the rocks seem so big.
Pray, and I am praying often. That Gods will be clear. Trust in Him.
Get some sleep,
Bob


Bob S...
Pa...th Co
PO Box ...
Yakima, WA
[phone]
[fax]
[cell]
bob@pa...th.com

From: ...@aol.com [mailto: ...@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, November 01, 2010 12:57 PM
To: bob@pa...th.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)


I'm glad you are safe hopefully the sand going to come back.It's funny John send that to you would be spooky if you would get the same from another person I didn't got any kids last night I have a bunch of candy. I was thinking of you this morning I was made coffee what you roasted for me and I watched the caramel color foam coming out I wanted to share it with you I know how excited you are about your coffee I'm making water and drinking a lot than I'm using the ozone machine. I was able to sleep a few hours here and there I'm praying but things are very confusing the last few days I don't really understand what it's going on it's not clear what you are looking for. You just mentioned since from February you have the feelings you would not able to spend more than 2-weeks with me at times and the other hand you send an e-mail in October about you having problem I'm not able to dedicate my self completely to you I'm confused by this. I know the medical issue you have it's not easy on you on us I try to be there for you anyway I can if you let me I give you the support and try understand your needs in many ways I love you and it's never been a burden for me and I'm scared to . I don't know really want you want I can see couple of things ; one of them you are changing you mind about us about our relationship rather than exclusive you rather have it open and you would be able to be free and do things freely with out guilt; another one is about N... she is helping you and you are able to connect with her in a spiritual way and I know it's important and I know you need that and I'm grateful for that and the time you two spent together you built a motional connection also. I'm not sure because our exclusive relationship and what is our agreement put pressure on you couple of days before you left this why you come to the conclusion I should hold on with the trip - because you are not sure if that connection with N... grow stronger or not since you left so you want to find out and see where things are and leave me on the hold. I'm maybe wrong on all of this and what ever it is causing this sudden issues I hope and I pray that God show the way and clear things up to you to us and we be together and able to support each other like we did the last nine years and I hope N... continue to be not just you friend but our friend and be our support in this difficult times .


Love, Lona

In a message dated 11/2/2010 3:22:45 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, bob@pa...th.com writes:
http://www.greatdanepro.com/Pray%20For%20America/index.htm


Thank you for the letter you express yourself very well. I am really seeking God in my life and feel like I am David facing Goliath. I am thinking about retiring, wrapping up the business in December and moving down to Costa Rica and Panama. I consider my health issue priority. Having three phlebotomy in October has brought the importance of my health Straight to my face. It does seem wise at this point to download all factors that create stress or a sense of urgency in my life. I will be going to the flamingo AA meeting this afternoon, and want to hook up with Don H... for my sponsor here. I do want you to know that I have no romantic notions for N..., she is just a friend sent to help me out with my health issues. I do feel pressure from our relationship. Right now, I don't think I should feel pressure from anything for the sake of my health. I really feel like God is telling me to take a year off from all responsibilities. I will continue my financial responsibilities for you . I know this is not which you want to hear, but I cannot handle the stress of worrying about our relationship. I am going to the meeting now to work on my sobriety, sanity, and try to get my heart and my blood to calm down. I need a year to fish, golf, walk on the beach and hang out doing very little, and having no worries or responsibilities. I hope it cures my Goliath.

From: ...@aol.com [mailto: ...@aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, November 07, 2010 1:25 PM
To: bob@pa...th.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)


Hello Dear,


I understand what you are saying you don't need any pressure which is would affect you healing process and definitely I don't want to create any more for you. I'm sorry If I was unable to leave up to your expectation in our relationship and that put any pressure on you. You are a wonderful person and I pray and I have the faith that you are going to defeat your Goliath. I watched Joel today and he started the program talking about David standing just with the 5 stones in his hand against the enemy but he had the trust in God. Joel said God could turn ordinary things to extra ordinary and things are already in our rich just like David had the stones we just have to have our faith and trust in God. He also talked about Moses about as they going thru the mountains and they got to the water front of them but because he belived in God with out knowing it God already prepare him he had the stick and the miracle happened because he belived and you are one of those who belives in him and he already planned yours to just have keep trusting in him and walk with him. It's interesting you wrote the letter and telling me all this is you started it just like Joel did his program David facing Goliath. He maybe already prepared us to you and me when he brought G... and R... in our life and we saw them they leaved their own life but their love for each other was always their even they was just BFF and that was good enough to see them thru their most difficult time and they was their for each other with out any expectations. It's difficult right now for both of us but I trust in Him he will be going to be their for us I went thru difficult time in my whole life even though feel like I'm by myself against many things I know I'm not alone he is always their I just have to have the faith and let Him show the way and guide me he always shine the light on the end of the tunnel.
After all this said I hope you are doing good and had a great experience at the convention and keep that positive thinking going.


Thinking of you, [pretty avatar of a flower]


In a message dated 11/8/2010 7:13:51 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, bob@pa...th.com writes:
Hi Dear,
thank you for taking the pressure off of me. I feel so much pressure on me from so many things, that I know so much of it is just a condition of my mind. I am praying a lot and trying to figure out how to handle this feeling of being in danger of losing my life. I met with John M... today and we hung out in his pool for a couple of hours. I talked to him about my life and my thinking that I should retire or move here. But the Phils so many emotions that are making me feel responsible to be back there in the USA. He really encouraged me to just move here and forget about the USA. He said my mind or my intelligence is telling me what to do, but my emotions are saying but this and but that, etc. he said on my gravestone they will not print that BobS... was very responsible. He strongly advises me to that worry about anything. He's going to get me in touch with a good doctor that comes to Liberia a couple of days a week. I'm thinking I better get my blood tested in a week or two since I had to have 3 phlebotomy is last month. I did not talk to John at all about us. Were planning on going golfing Wednesday.
Tomorrow I meet with Don H... who is going to be my sponsor here. We are going to meet from one o'clock until five o'clock, the flamingo meeting starts at 5:30 PM. They delayed the convention two days in a row because of roads and bridges washed out. So we didn't go. Most people didn't has it rained a whole bunch last week. Turns out they only had the convention for 1 1/2 days, about 40 people showed up.
Thank you for being levelheaded and taking a spiritual approach to what I am doing. I don't want you to think that it's anything you've done, because I'm certain it's just a problem within me and I don't know what it is . I just know that I do need to figure it out and I need whatever time it takes to figure out what's going on with me. I am very flaky and uncomfortable in my own skin right now. Even answering business e-mails gets me stressed easily. It seems like I've come to the end of my rope as far as being able handle any kind of stress. It is probably fear. I am really not ready to be dead or disabled. I even wonder about the stress of wrapping everything up in December. John says just stay here in Costa Rica and wrap everything up from here. it's day number eight here in Costa Rica for me and I'm just now feeling like I might get relaxed . I'm a little nervous because Dr. W... and still doesn't have the Spain shot, and I'm off all medication and hormones right now. The BP pressure runs about 140/85. I heart beats up about 15 beats a minute, but that's probably because I stopped taking the Toporol. Well enough of that kind of stuff. I just keep praying and reading meditation stuff and I brought my Bible, so I think a better read some of that stuff right now I've got myself all worried again. I think of you every day and I pray for you in the morning and during the day and at night.

From: ...@aol.com [mailto: ...@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 11:13 AM
To: bob@pa...th.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)


Hello Dear,


It's too bad the convention was canceled I know you was looking forward to it.
Seem like lot's of things going thru you mind you know you having this medical issues but you are having good doctors and they monitoring you all the time you are taking good care of you self I don't think you should worried that much it's could create more harm for you than good. I think you need to relax you are creating lots of stress on your self maybe you just need to take one day at the time and you need to make choices for yourself what ever it is benefit your needs and you have to know you can leave with that decision. It's is easy to people tell you their opinion but right know you are very motional very vulnerable state and what ever they say it's make a lots of since to you right now but you have to ask your self that what really you want to do? - give some time for yourself and you will find the answers. I don't know what ever it's with you since early summer I noticed you talk to me about things but you never want to hear my opinion or if I said anything you always took it in the negative way and this behave of yours doesn't make since to me because all this years we was always able to talk about anything and we seemed like always find the answer together we balanced each other out to find the right solution. Right know seems you are looking for that support to anyone to anywhere from people who knows you is a casual friend and leave me on the side line and it's ok for me I'm a good lessoner and I'm not trying to find the answers for things any more why this happened or what behind all this which caused all this. I'm not going to hang on the thread by you about my trip any longer I decided I'm going and you can pick me up or please make arrangement with the shuttle I'm arriving Saturday at 2-clock. I'm planning to stay is planned or maybe coming back sooner. I do not want you to worry about this you do your things what ever it is I'm not going to ask questions about your doings if you want to share them it's up to you. I'm planing to do my things just hang out and lay on the beach long walks and relax . I hope you had a good connection today with Don and have fun with John tomorrow play well and tell hi for me.
I belive everything is going to be work out ok with you I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
[same avatar as above]


On Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 7:28 PM, BobS... bob@pa...th.com wrote:
Hi Dick,
Just got home from a meeting and dinner…to get this. I can't believe it Lona says she's coming down anyway!
I really don't want her here I'm just now starting to relax. Tell me what you think, Bob

BobS... bob@pa...th.com
11/12/10
 to me
Hi Dick, She is flying in Sunday! May I call you tonight or sat night to discuss?

From: Richard W... [mailto:sacred...@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 9:28 PM
To: BobS...
Subject: Re: (no subject)

Hi Bob: Thanks for the email. I understand Lona's letters and her feelings. She loves you. You guys have been together a long time and it's my hunch that she knows you pretty well. I sense a real caring for you in her letters. I sense real love. Love is a good thing. Its good medicine. I think her encouragement to you to get back to living one day at a time is very good...thats what you need, and her suggestion to start getting positive is right on.

Breathe in positive thoughts. Exhale all negative ones. Breathe in positive energy. Let go of negative. Forget the past. Live in the here and now 5 min at a time. Be happy. Let yourself be happy. Something inside of you is trying to kill you. As we know, fighting is not the answer. Surrender is. Try meditating on surrender...a lot. See what yu begin to think about and feel. Surrender. Give up....Let God work a miracle in your life one more time.......Breathe in Love let go of fear. Breathe in love...let go of fear.....Love is all around you.....Let it in. Let people love you until you can love yourself again..........

I don't know what you should do Bob. I just believe you need to get honest with yourself. Really honest. Surrender. Surrender your will to HIS. SEEEK HIM, and what HE wants. Meditate on the truth. What is the truth? You've been lying a long time,its probably become a habit....but its okay no judgement...the past is over...begin a new life today Bob...and live it one day at a time.

I believe God will tell you what to do in regards to Lana. Try being quiet and talk to God. And Mostly LISTEN to him.

After a period of meditation and prayer , just close your eyes and open your Bible and see what the word of God has to say to you. His will is also in the Bible. He can give you many answers there........Remember one thing. Lonna loves you. And love does not harm, but seeks goodness.......

Good luck. SSSSSSShhhhhhhh quiet your mind and listen to Him...He's inside of you.........Listen to Love Listen to the man inside you,,,,,the real Bob S... ....find him and consult him.....

I love you Bob. I will be praying for you this week and call me any time after 4.

Dick

Auto-reply from bob@pa...th.com bob@pa...th.com via mt....charter.net
11/9/10
 to me
I am currently out of the area, though I am receiving e-mails. However, it may take me a couple days to reply. For assistance during my absence please contact Brad ... at [phone], Justin ... at [phone] or Justin ... at [phone]. You may also contact Mar... C... in my office [phone] Monday thru Thursday 9:00 - 3:00.

Thanks,
Bob


Yeah, our Bob, he's a peach, isn't he?

Stay tuned.

Post Secret

I don't do this very often, but one of the Post Secrets this week could be mine:

Amen!

Randomosity

• VERY cool Lighthouse library. It's decided: I want to live in a lighthouse, if I get a crate like this periodically.


• Of course, nowadays, this site would work just as well if I were stranded alone with internet access (and no books) for months at a time.


• I love this interchange (from here) primarily because I've had very similar ones at work:

Customer: “I need to make a copy of this key because the police need to use this one in an investigation.”
Me: “Ma’am, this key is broken clean in half. I don’t think I can copy this.”
Customer: “Well you see, the police are investigating into the helicopters and I need another key.”
Me: “The helicopters?”
Customer: “Yes, yes. They break into my car.” *picking up a flashlight from the checkout counter* “Oh! I wonder if this flashlight is helicopter proof.”
Me: “Uh…I don’t know to be honest.”
Customer: “Well. The helicopters always make things stop working suddenly.”
(She clicks the flashlight on and off until suddenly it no longer turns on.)
Customer: “Ah, there. Not helicopter proof. They’re in my veins, you know.”



• This is a pretty good song. Thanks to Amy for pointing me to the person who found it.


• One of my favorite library websites is this one. I've had a couple of these conversations over the years, which is why I frequently say (mostly only in my head), "PEOPLE ARE STUPID."


• Fonts are important. The hat says so. Mostly, I just wanted to mention the hat again since I've been reading his blog for almost 6 years now.


• And you wonder why librarians are crazy? Well, perhaps you have not been wondering that, but now you know why you should.


• It's always great when friends talk turkey to one another in public, especially when one of them is an idiot.

That's all I got right now. Everything in my real life is so chaotic that this is the best I can do in terms of blogging.

Poetry Month

...approacheth.

And, for a change, I'm ready. Completely ready. Bring it on!

More proof of wonkiness

If you are afraid of OCD behavior, you might want to skip right past this post.

I've been tracking my reading for almost 20 years, journaling what books I've read and (usually) some thoughts about the book. Obviously this predates blogging, but my first blog was my book blog because it seemed like a purely natural, obvious thing to do.

Along with the journal, about 10 years ago I started a card-file. Yes, like a 'real' librarian, I have a catalog! The drawer will probably be full in the next year or so.

As I was writing up and filing the cards for last year today, it felt like all the authors I was searching the file for started with W. At the end, I counted up and there weren't that many, but it occurred to me that it might be sort of fun to track that number as I do random other things about my reading. Fun, and EASY!

So without further ado, the author count for my 2009 reading.

A - 2
B - 6
C - 6
D - 4
E - 3
F - 3
G - 3
H - 5
I - 0
J - 2
K - 7
L - 1
M - 7
N - 1
O - 1
P - 5
Q - 2
R - 3
S - 8
T - 3
U - 0
V - 1
W - 9
X - 0
Y - 0
Z - 0
(+2 titles without authors, only editors)

Clearly, W wasn't all that huge. Interestingly, I tripled the number of Q authors this year, though.

Reading Statistics

More geekaliciousness....my reading list and stats from last year. This post is stolen wholesale from my reading blog.

Most Memorable {these not necessarily Literary, but they stuck in my head}
Tunnels, by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams
The Uncensored Bible, by John Kaltner, Steven L. McKenzie, and Joel Kilpatrick
The Last Synapsid, by Timothy Mason
Girl Sleuth, by Melanie Rehak
Rasskazy (edited by Mikhail Iossel and Jeff Parker)

Best
Just After Sunset, by Stephen King (on CD)
Columbine, by Dave Cullen
People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks
Every Man Dies Alone, by Hans Fallada
The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield (on CD)

Least Memorable {books I remember NOTHING about, based on title alone}
Rules of Thumb, by Tom Parker
I Can't Tell You, by Hillary Frank
Everyman, by Philip Roth (on CD)
Smile When You're Lying, by Chuck Thompson

Yuck
When Madeline Was Young, by Jane Hamilton (on CD)
Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn
Sisterchicks Do the Hula, by Robin Jones Gunn (on CD)
Ten Days in the Hills, by Jane Smiley (on CD)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

number of books read in 2009: 85
number of books read in 2008: 93
number of books read in 2007: 75
number of books read in 2006: 77
number of books read in 2005: 127
number of books read in 2004: 102
number of books read in 2003: 100
number of books read in 2002: 118
number of books read in 2001: 83
number of books read in 2000: 128
TOTAL over nine years : 988

average read per year, over ten years: 98.8
2009 average read per month: 7.03 (all ten years: 8.23)
2009 average read per week: 1.64 (all ten years: 1.9)

number read in worst month: 4--tied June and August

2008: 4--June
2007: 3--November
2006: 4--tied April, May, June and August
2005: 5--January and June
2004: 0--July

number read in best month: 12--February

2008: 11--February
2007: 9--March
2006: 11--January
2005: 21--February
2004: 12--June

number of fiction: 55

2008: 65
2007: 53
2006: 56
2005: 74
2004: 61

number of non-fiction: 30

2008: 28
2007: 22
2006: 21
2005: 53
2004: 41

number of books by female authors: 35 (2008: 36 // 2007: 24 // 2006: 24)
number of books by male authors: 60 (2008: 58 // 2007: 40 // 2006: 33) color

Merry Christmas

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod's kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, "Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We're on pilgrimage to worship him."

When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, "Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?"

They told him, "Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly:

     It's you, Bethlehem, in Judah's land,
        no longer bringing up the rear.
     From you will come the leader
        who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel."

Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, "Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I'll join you at once in your worship."

Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!

They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.

In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country. [Matthew 2:1-12, The Message]

Literary blockage

Ever since Sparky was born 16 (O.M.G.) years ago, I have had difficulty reading books about kids in trouble, or kids being hurt, or kids dying. It seems to be focused on single-digit-aged kids, though I'm not particularly excited about teenagers who are hurt either. The only reason I pushed through Columbine was because of the journalistic distance and unwillingness to dwell on the details of suffering the author employed.

So I brought home this book, which got good reviews--I probably read the one in Bookmarks Magazine--a couple of weeks ago. Two days ago I started reading it. I read the blurb on the inside cover, and made it to page 8. The foreshadowing is so great that I can't go any further. Honestly, I wanted to stop on about page 4, pushed myself another few pages, and realized that I just can't. I fear gory details, heart-stopping terror, and the all-too-real nightmares they will cause me.

I still can't read about kids being hurt. I know what's going to happen to this little boy--the first sentence reads "Jonah was dead for a brief time before the paramedics brought him back to life." I suppose I could skip over the first section, but I've never been good at doing that and feeling like I understand the rest of the book.

Hence, this book goes into the pile of Books About Sick/Dying/Injured Children along with most of Jonathan Kellerman's and all of Andrew Vachss' books. Does this make me a sap?

The very interesting things about this neurosis, if that's what it is, is that a) fiction books are worse than nonfiction; and b) TV shows involving kids mostly don't bother me...as much.

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