Archive for April, 2008

things are hoppin’

April 8, 2008 at 4:47 pm · Filed under bea's appearance, drinks policy, important people in blazers

Hello there, friends. Sorry I have been away. My oh my, the castle is a hoppin’ today.

The Bea carefully applied her makeup this morning, has watered the plants, has called the copier man, the newspaper man and the light fixture man, and all in a very short timeframe.

This castle is shaping up, and I can be reasonably sure that at least the plants won’t die. At least they can drink in this library.

And another thing, dear friends. I’m trying to keep my voice quiet now. There has been an important-person-in-a-blazer spotting, only just 15 minutes ago. This person was wearing a tan corduroy blazer and even boldly asked to remove a book from this library. What? Take a book from this library? Honey, I don’t think so.

But the Bea was here, and he withstood her friendly banter for a few minutes while I carefully watched him fumble with his watch. He promised to bring the book back within an hour. The Bea is in a good mood today. Should we take his thumbprint or his blood type, she asked me. Maybe the promise of his first-born? I kept my eyes on his watch, some good collateral that the Bea might take if she was in the right mood. Because, let me tell you, there is a lot of shady business in this library. A lot of shady dealings and secret exchanges. I’ll trade you an iPod for a thesis any day.

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taking my chances with a cup of joe.

April 4, 2008 at 8:00 pm · Filed under drinks policy, good days

Hello there, friends, and how are you?

I have to say that I’m might-y fine. At least by now I am.

This afternoon, when I parked in one of the local garages and started to head in, I had no idea whether the Bea would be here. I decided to take my chances and purchase a latte. I sprinkled a little cocoa on top. Yum. Tempting fate can be so delicious.

Heading toward the library is sort of a rollercoaster of emotions, ranging from fear to self-righteousness, and with my mug in tow, I started to worry what waited for me in the castle doors. Yesterday, the Bea said that we would have things to do today. I flipped through my iPod library to try to find a reassuring song, and, restless and nervous, I settled on “Suddenly I See.”

I headed past the multiple people exiting campus on this fine Friday, and I even did a little dance up the winding staircase leading to the castle doors. No one’s in this building, and I can dance when I want and do what I want. Drink coffee when I want. Right?

As I rounded the corner leading to the doors, I took a deep breath. I thought, I will not hide my coffee today.

I peeked through the doors and saw that the Bea’s office was dark. Hurrah!

And luckily, I have several magazines and the Internet at my fingertips. Good times, indeed.

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Good times in the Queen’s castle.

April 3, 2008 at 8:45 pm · Filed under being a drone, drinks policy

The Bea is back, friends. Let me tell you…she is making sure people know that, even though she’s been gone a few days, this is her castle and she’s here to stay.

She was out in the open today, pointing out people’s drinks and re-explaining the no-drinks policy. She’s making me do actual work, too. Damn.

Today we had to wheel some heavy boxes downstairs to the mail room, and while we were in the hallway, the Bea heard some sounds of laughter, some animated conversation. You know, the sounds of happiness.

Looking to squelch that happiness, she peered into the classroom. When she saw a professor there, conducting a class, she threw her hands up, backed out of the room, and said, “Just checking.”

You just never know when students are going to take up residence in classrooms, and talk or work while unattended, she told me. Right, you just never know, I agreed. Right.

Every moment, I think of my delicious coffee growing colder. It’s hiding somewhere in the stacks right now. Due to Bea’s unpredictable nature, I feel it’s too risky to retrieve it from its place of hiding.

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The mystery lunch

April 3, 2008 at 4:50 pm · Filed under bea's appearance, drinks policy

I work during lunch many days here, and there’s one question that has been nagging me:

Where does the Bea go for lunch?

She left just now, wearing what looked like freshly applied lipstick.

Come to think of it, I’ve never seen her in the stairwells or hallways or bathrooms or even outside in the bright sun. Does she really go out and eat lunch, because she leaves for a full hour. There is no sign of food in her office. Actually, I’ve never seen a drink in her office, either. Curious.

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a power-hungry drone

April 2, 2008 at 3:40 pm · Filed under drinks policy

With the Queen Bea around only sporadically this week, I’ve grown to enjoy the days when I get to pretend I’m the Queen.

I’ve been giving my fair share of dirty looks here in the library. I’m becoming quite good at it, if I do say so myself. I think I could make a decent living this way.

Yesterday, while I was watching, someone took a phone call in the library. The nerve. I stood up, and with my arms crossed, gave him a dirty look while he was on the phone and while he guiltily re-entered the library. There are no phone calls allowed here. The patron was courteous enough to exit in his hallway but maybe assumed that I couldn’t hear his entire conversation. He was wrong.

Five minutes later, as if to test my patience further, another patron unplugged a mouse from a library computer and plugged it into his own. Who does he think he is, taking school property with the drone only a few hundred feet away?

The one rule I always encourage people to break is the no-food-no-drinks. I take pity on the poor souls who follow these rules. One should never go hungry or thirsty while one is studying.

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Forbidden sandwich

April 1, 2008 at 4:07 pm · Filed under empty library, good days

Hi there. The Bea isn’t back, but we’re expecting her return any day now.

In the meantime, let me tell you about my sandwich, which I am eating at this very moment behind the library desk. Shhhhh. I’m whispering now.

The bread: sour dough, from a new bakery I discovered. There are thin slices of smoked turkey with onion, tomato, lettuce, and cheese stacked between the slices. The lettuce is poking out, and the bread has all sorts of holes in it. The ‘wich was assembled in haste, but it’s so very good and so very forbidden.

I feel like I’m Mr. Huxtable from the Cosby Show. He sneaks into a kitchen, makes a gigantic sandwich (with salt, of course), and he takes that very first delicious bite. He usually gets caught by the Mrs., though, who scolds him like she would a child.

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