The Spy Club

The other day, a couple of our Maintenance guys delivered a storage cubby for the children’s area. A mom and her two boys (about ages 8 & 6, I’d say) were there when all of this was getting set up, and those two curly-headed brothers thought that the big cardboard box the cubby came in was just about the best thing they’d ever seen. The mom asked if they could have the box, and the Maintenance guys said sure, why not. It would save them the trouble of having to break it down and haul it away. Those boys’ eyes lit up and they immediately started making plans for all they adventures they were going to have in this box as part of their Spy Club.

It was raining to beat the band, and the Spy Brothers were a little concerned about hauling their box outside through the rain to the car. I told the mother to drive around to the delivery entrance, and I would meet her there, where we could load the box right inot the back of her van. The boys followed me through the building; when we reached the boiler room (where the delivery entrance is), the younger one took one look at the HVAC equipment and said, “OH COOL!!!”

We loaded the box into the back of the van (with some excellent backing-up direction from the older brother), and off they went. These boys just absolutely tickled me—they were so thrilled with this oversized box, and I just loved the thought of all the hours of play and wonderful imaginative adventures they would have. That was one lucky box.

All in a day's work

Actual conversation from last week:

Customer: I can't find my books that are on hold.

Me [after scanning card]: That's because they are being held for you at the XYZ Branch.

Customer: Isn't this the XYZ Branch?

Me: No, this is the ABC Branch.

Customer: Oh, crap!

You said it, lady. Now keep in mind, there are not one, but TWO signs on the front of the building announcing that this is the ABC Branch.

Lost in translation

Just before closing, a man (who was a non-native speaker of English) came in and asked if we had any movies about Hattie Porter. It took me a few moments to realize he was asking about Harry Potter.

In the details

These are photos of peony blossoms after the petals have fallen off. I'm just fascinated by the pattern of the central disk. It looks like really elaborate fretwork or a plaster medallion to me. Isn't it funny that you can find beauty in the oddest places?

Bitter much?

A couple of days ago, I noticed something strange—every time I ate or drank something, I’d get a mildly nasty bitter aftertaste in my mouth. Not a big deal, but it’s persisted for a couple of days. So, last night I googled “bitter taste”, just in case it was something to be concerned about.

According to one website, there are over 60 diseases that might cause a bitter taste, ranging from dental caries to cadmium poisoning. Cadmium? I haven’t been licking any batteries lately, so that’s probably not it. And my dental hygiene is above par, believe me.

And besides, it’s not a constant bitter taste—it’s only after I eat or drink. So I change my search strategy to say “bitter AFTERtaste”. And there it is. My answer.

Pine nuts.

I made a pasta dish earlier this week and threw a few pine nuts in there. Apparently, in recent years, people have reported developing a bitter taste after eating pine nuts. No one’s really sure why it happens, but it’s not permanent.

Who knew?

Who knew?

My profound lack of interest in most spectator sports is pretty well known among my friends & family. However (HOWEVER!), I find myself mildly interested in this year's FIFA World Cup. I have no idea about teams, or players, or rankings, or anything like that, but if I stumble across a match on TV, I might actually watch it.

Besides, the video is fun:

Update

Consider this blog updated. Happy now?