Sarah's Books - Used & Rare

I'm feeling a bit better today, I can move my arm around now, I just can't turn my head very far to the right. But I can still hold a book, thank god, and READ. I swear, if I had no arms at all I would learn to turn book pages with my toes. Last night it helped to sleep on two pillows piled up so that my back kind of hung in space instead of hitting the mattress right where the ache is. I feel like Quasimodo. Anyway, fascinating I'm sure, but enough of that.

Odd day yesterday at the shop. In the morning, a customer bought a greeting card. I gave him change and he left the shop, and I didn't notice until fifteen minutes or so after he was gone that he'd left the card on the counter. About a half hour later he came back to get it. Then an hour later he came back again, to return it. He'd changed his mind and decided he didn't want it. I gave him back his $2.63 and assured him it was no problem. Then, an hour later, he called. To apologize for returning the greeting card, saying if he worked at a shop and someone did that to him, he'd be mad. I again assured him that it was fine, thank you so much for calling, goodbye. Then in the afternoon, someone called and asked me if I accepted donations. I said I'm selective and condition is paramount, no moldy books please, but of course I'd be happy to take a look, how kind of her. She came by soon after with five boxes of supremely mildewed books, to which I gave the most perfunctory look, out on the sidewalk. It took some tact to suggest to her that the books weren't worth anything because of their condition. She said she knew they weren't like new, but wouldn't somebody want them? I fumbled for words as I looked (from several feet away) at the visible mold on a nice old Alice in Wonderland hardcover. I thanked her again for thinking of me. She headed off to Goodwill with them.

To those romantics out there who think, Oh, to have a wee bookshoppe! remember these transactions and think about maintaining high levels of patience. Especially on those days you happen to feel like petulant Colin in The Secret Garden. But really, who am I kidding, even a strange day here is better than a good day working somewhere else.