Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Mean Librarian strikes again

I went to the library to pay fines. Why I do this to myself, I don't know. Why I can't seem to get anyone but Mean Librarian to help me, I don't know either. It's a conspiracy.

"Would you please print out a list of the books I still have out?"

"Sure. Do you want to renew them too, so you'll stop incurring the fines?"

"Yes, I would," I said through a fake smile, thinking to myself, "No, Mean Librarian, I want to keep incurring fines forever and ever! Urgh!"

"That will be $20."

"$20 even?"

She didn't even answer. I pulled out my wallet to bring out a $20 bill. I had just been to Rite Aide where I'd gotten $40 cash back, only apparently the cashier had forgotten to give me my money and I'd forgotten to ask for it. Luckily, I had my checkbook handy, so I dutifully wrote out the check, doing my usual joke about doing my part to support the library. A joke that, as with anything I said, fell flat as a pancake with Mean Librarian.

Then, later, I checked out some more material. And surprise, surprise, Nice Librarian said with a concerned frown, "It says here you owe $10 in fines."

"But I just paid all of my fines. $20--"

"She glanced toward the back toward where Mean Librarian is sitting, "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

I'm really confused about the whole Mean Librarian thing now. Either 1) Mean Librarian charged me less than I owed and forgot to change it in the computer or 2) Mean Librarian made a mistake and didn't see all of my fines or 3) Mean Librarian is out to get me and was going to let the items that I hadn't returned yet continue to incur fines.

Hmm.

I don't know. All I do know is that I have a receipt from Nice Librarian that shows that my slate is once again clean. Yippee!

When I got back home, my head was achy and I wasn't feeling well. I think I'm coming down with a little something still. So I canceled my Monday walk with Stephanie and decided to get dinner going on time for a change so that we could all get to bed by 10:00 -- that is my goal -- and here it is 9:41 already and I'm happily typing away. Sigh.

Anyway, we all had dinner together at the table with the TV off. It was nice to sit and chat. Konner came in late from Chase's house. Keith was still at work. Kathleen ate at Erin's house. So, maybe it's more accurate to say that some of us were eating dinner together.

Konner went running off after dinner leaving his plate at the table. I stopped him before he could get too far.

"Konner, tell me you're sitting here at the table eating your food, only you're invisible. That's why the plate is still here."

I looked over at Keri Lynn, "What am I going to do to help the little kids remember to take their plates to the sink?"

"Murder them?"

I grinned. This is Keri Lynn's pet peeve, that no one seems to be able to take their dishes to the sink.

"That might be a little drastic," I said.

"Beat them? That way they'll NEVER do it again!"

It turns out that I didn't have to resort to violence. Konner took his plate to the sink.

6 comments:

Qtpies7 said...

The big question is, did you go get that $40 in change back??

Jackie said...

I didn't finish that part of the story, did I! I actually don't have it back yet. I called Rite Aide. (Gotta love Small Town America.) I spoke to the cashier who was counting out her drawer when I called, and she said to come by and pick it up, it would be in the back in in envelope with my name on it. Have I done it yet? No, I've been at home playing Spades. I'm an addict!

Anonymous said...

Howzabout getting the library books "corralled" so you won't have to pay anymore fines?
I have had this problem, yes, indeed. Found those books...
1. under beds
2. once under the fridge
3. In book cases in their rooms
4. under sofas or their cushions
oh, the list goes on.
I began to stick the list on the kitchen cabinet with the date of return circled on our calendar.
when kids get their own cards and pay fines, ah, the tide turned.

Jackie said...

June, we have a nice little library shelf where all of the library books are supposed to be stored when not in use. Supposedly, I can scoop them up and take them on off to the library and that's that. And I always know exactly when the books are due. I keep it in my calendar, what my Grandma calls "the paper brain." But it doesn't do me a bit of good to know that the books are due that day. I could call to renew. I could go on-line to renew or even check to see exactly what I have checked out. Oh, no. I'm perpetually thinking of something else that needs to get done besides returning those books. No wonder the Mean Librarian is out to get me.

Anonymous said...

Dear Mrs. Johnson,

thank you for lunch at Applebees yesterday.

Sincerely,

Mean Librarian

Jackie said...

Argh! It's that new all-you-can-eat menu!