Wear the old coat and buy the new book. - Austin Phelps

I have read myself into exhaustion. I finished "This Is All", an 800 page teen fiction pillow-book style novel. It was wonderful. Well-written and engrossing and drew me into a very emotionally involved state. On Monday, I read "The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson, also extraordinarily well-written. The writing was exquisite (no, really) and the story was interesting but I hesitate to say it was a GREAT book. There is no rational reason for this. While we're at it, my week in reading. Also Monday, a Phyrne Fisher mystery set in the 1920s called "Cocaine Blues". Tuesday was "The Bust Guide to New Girl Order", a collection of articles published in the magazine. Wednesday I baked cookies and read "Swear to Howdy" a goofy but tender juvenile fiction and "Gold Fever" and "Sugar", two poorly written lesbian romances that I enjoyed assuaging my loneliness with, at least temporarily. Thursday I completed "Take Another Little Piece of My Heart", the follow-up memoir to Pamela Des Barres' "I'm With the Band". I prefer "Let's Spend the Night Together", her anthology of stories from groupies including Elvira and Tura Satana. I can't help it, I'm a sucker for busty brunettes. Friday was a silly '50s juvenile fiction, "While Mrs. Coverlet was Away". Saturday was the second teen fiction effort of Paul Zindel's daughter, "Secret Rites of Social Butterflies" which I felt fell as flat as her first attempt. Also, the very good and enthralling "Three Girls and Their Brother", a recently released frothy novel that had strongly written characters that took turns continuing a narrative.

Please bear in mind, this was a regular work week. I exercise daily, ran errands, even went out to see a band one night (and left shortly thereafter as jam bands are NOT my thing). I just read a lot and quickly. Voracious. I did learn a fabulous new word though: titivate. Meaning to put on the finishing touches. As in, "I'll be ready to go out as soon as I finish my titivation". Grand, isn't it?

I had to go to a horrible community council meeting, a meeting of the Friends group for our library, attend an elementary school's Family Reading Night, and host a magician's show. All in the space of under 24 hours. At least my work keeps me busy! I am gradually spreading roots into my new home city, an apt metaphor for the "city of trees". I finally have a home Internet connection, simplifying my life significantly. But for now, to bed. The impending cold and exhausting read have worn me out. Sweetest of dreams to all.

There is no mistaking a real book when one meets it. It is like falling in love. - Christopher Morley

Books...are like lobster shells, we surround ourselves with 'em, then we grow out of 'em and leave 'em behind, as evidence of our earlier stages of development. - Dorothy L. Sayers

Art is making something out of nothing and selling it. - Frank Zappa

I am very very happy here. My weekend was mostly spent curled in my new red corduroy IKEA chair reading while the rain poured outside. I chopped up the rainbow potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, beets and zucchini and flung them, oiled and spiced, into the oven to roast which made the entire house deliciously warm and fragrant. I am in a new library today and have made a friend of a teen librarian my own age with similar tastes and predilections. We had dinner together on a break and I am so excited to have met her. I'll have to pick a pseudonym for her as well because I anticipate our camaraderie growing.

I am VERY happy about the election. I am VERY unhappy about Prop. 8. The fight has only just begun . . .

I am enjoying my time in the various libraries because I am gaining useful perspective on the universality of patron complaints. They are nearly all the same though studded occasionally with gems. Today a man asked for a book on the planets of Earth. He meant continents, which we discovered in the reference interview process, but he was very sweet and interested and not in the least a figure of fun. But for every one of those, there are a dozen who want to complain about everything under the sun. People fail to be impressed with the fact that I work in a place that allows one to take away thousands of dollars worth of merchandise for free, in addition to providing assistance to anyone with a question they can't answer alone. They have free access to the Internet, unlimited books/DVDs/CDs and all we ask is that they bring things back. They complain about a fine incurred because they were unable to bring back the materials on time (and 3 weeks is a long time to be allowed to keep something that isn't yours, not taking into account renewal possibilities) and can't understand why they should have to pay. And of course, there is the babysitting service. See here to understand. BUT . . . I am not complaining because regardless of the challenges, I love the library and I love my new home!

(though I miss Jane and Zelda dreadfully. And Sam and R. Batty, though I didn't see them much. But no Internet at home is really slowing me down)

The goal of life is living in agreement with nature. - Zeno

If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner. - Tallulah Bankhead

Halloween was adorable in my current library; we had an infant storytime and they were all dressed in costume. I am now of the opinion that children should ALWAYS be dressed in animal costumes, they are much more palatable that way. There were ducks and penguins and lots of dinosaurs and bears and puppies and monkeys and ladybugs and fairies and a bee. But my favorite was the baby in a bunny suit who had a mom in a magician's cape with a wand and a top hat that was very nearly the size the bunny could have fit. There were all kinds of families, moms, dads, grandparents, aunts/uncles, even a 2-mom family (to my infinite delight) and the storytime was a huge success.

My personal Halloween was unpleasant but I've decided not to dwell and indeed to wash all of that behind me with the starting of a new month. November! Never one of my favorites but considering my current position, I look forward to it. Tonight I am going to cafe that a very cute artist invited me to visit and see her work hanging up. I plan to find the artist there as well. I coyly dropped the "I like girls" hint and she reciprocated so there may actually be hope! I am also researching local organizations that may be willing to donate services for library programs for when I finally get into my new library like roller derby, fire/belly dancers, Mommy and Me Yoga, henna artists, anything that catches my eye. But for today, I'm wrapped in my cozy bamboo scarf (from Etsy, whee!) and carrying my adorable Betsey Johnson umbrella to shield me from the apparently omnipresent winter rain.

Until next time . . .


I love my past. I love my present. I'm not ashamed of what I've had, and I'm not sad because I have it no longer. - Colette