Saturday, August 12, 2006
Saturday this 'n that
After a ridiculously busy morning (when it was sunny and bright outside), the afternoon has been as flat as a pancake (now that it's cooler and rainy). Hm. Things are looking up, though, someone just asked for Richard Brautigan novels, and I have a big stack. Though often folks ask for books, and I have the books, but they don't buy them. They say, "I'll think about it." I think, You've been thinking about it, that's why you asked me for it - and the book in question is, like, six dollars, for a nice clean hardcover...
Anyway, unrelated to shop business or lack thereof: I was sitting in the park this morning finishing Waugh's Labels, which makes me want to visit Malta, among other places, and a cloud passed over and broke the reading spell I was under. I looked up and saw a huge bald eagle making circles above me. The flock of downtown pigeons were nervous. I watched the eagle for about twenty minutes - the bright sunshine was flashing off his head and tail as he wheeled up higher and higher, until I couldn't see him anymore. Eagles are fairly common around here - they fish in the Penobscot River (Bangor is on the west bank of this section of the Penobscot) and nest upriver near a large dam. Salmon used to be prevalent, not so much now, but I hear they are coming back, so perhaps my eagle was on a break from fishing. Sure was beautiful.
Also unrelated to the shop, but in relation to one of my favorite living authors - heck, one of my favorite authors ever, living or otherwise - there's a new Mark Helprin interview in the latest issue of Doublethink. I've read and listened to several interviews with him, and the more I read and hear, the more I respect him and love his sense of humor. And his books, holy cats, do I love his books. Need I mention that I collect his first editions? Well, I guess I just did.
What else, what else. I'm headed out after closing time to visit my new nephew & co., and am of course bringing along a few books for him (one is Burt Dow, Deep Water Man by Robert McCloskey - have to make sure he has all of our old favorites handy). It was my sister's birthday last week, and Ryan's is this week, so we're having a birthday bbq tonight. Other than that, there's not much happening. Except that a week from today I go on a much-anticipated vacation - more about that shortly.
Anyway, unrelated to shop business or lack thereof: I was sitting in the park this morning finishing Waugh's Labels, which makes me want to visit Malta, among other places, and a cloud passed over and broke the reading spell I was under. I looked up and saw a huge bald eagle making circles above me. The flock of downtown pigeons were nervous. I watched the eagle for about twenty minutes - the bright sunshine was flashing off his head and tail as he wheeled up higher and higher, until I couldn't see him anymore. Eagles are fairly common around here - they fish in the Penobscot River (Bangor is on the west bank of this section of the Penobscot) and nest upriver near a large dam. Salmon used to be prevalent, not so much now, but I hear they are coming back, so perhaps my eagle was on a break from fishing. Sure was beautiful.
Also unrelated to the shop, but in relation to one of my favorite living authors - heck, one of my favorite authors ever, living or otherwise - there's a new Mark Helprin interview in the latest issue of Doublethink. I've read and listened to several interviews with him, and the more I read and hear, the more I respect him and love his sense of humor. And his books, holy cats, do I love his books. Need I mention that I collect his first editions? Well, I guess I just did.
What else, what else. I'm headed out after closing time to visit my new nephew & co., and am of course bringing along a few books for him (one is Burt Dow, Deep Water Man by Robert McCloskey - have to make sure he has all of our old favorites handy). It was my sister's birthday last week, and Ryan's is this week, so we're having a birthday bbq tonight. Other than that, there's not much happening. Except that a week from today I go on a much-anticipated vacation - more about that shortly.
