la-la-la-library

On my way back in from work tonight, I stopped at the public library because I had only 70 pages left of (the long-overdue) The Brothers Karamazov, and I had every belief that I could finish those pages before the closing hour of 9 o'clock. ...And I would've gotten away with it, too, if not for those meddling, er, guys!

See, I had settled myself into one of those nice, comfy chairs they recently set up near the new books section, and I was flying through (the trial part of the book is quite engaging), and I was just thinking to myself, "My, how nice this is. I should come read in the library more often! I'd get so much reading done."

And of course, that's when Awful Dude comes and sits down a couple chairs away from me. First, his annoying antics were just mildly so; he took off his shoes and promptly curled up and started snoring. However, that caused a security guard to come over and wake him up, telling him that sleeping wasn't allowed in the library and that if Awful Dude persisted, Security Guard would have to call the police (oh, gosh - I know he means, like, using it as a place to sleep instead of falling asleep over your books, but how many times I've been guilty of the latter...whew). Of course, during all this, I got very little reading done - especially when AD started muttering threats to SG.

Things quieted down for a bit, though, and I was able to read again...until this guy sat down between us, and AD started going off on him. I nicknamed him "Awful Dude" because what spewed out of his mouth from that point on, towards this perfectly innocent and totally silent (and unprovoking) man were some of the worst, most slanderous insults, racial slurs, violent threats, and homophobic and xenophobic bullshit that ever I have heard from anyone. AD was just ranting at him - and I was just mere feet away, trying to pretend to be totally engrossed in my book so as not to incur AD's wrath. Believe me, I would've loved to have stood up to AD (or even just stood up and left), but I have to admit I was terrified. He definitely didn't seem in his right mind...and he was way bigger than me. Really, really scary. For the next several minutes I got no reading done whatsoever (although believe me, I stared a hole through my page, trying to avoid any notice by AD!).

Then, apropos of nothing, AD silenced and curled up in his chair again, to once again begin snoring. My fingers stopped clutching the book...for a few seconds, at least, until SG and his buddy came over again, this time to kick AD out of the library once and for all. Whoo boy, that did not go over well. I tried not to listen to what AD was yelling now about the guy next to me and the security guards....

Finally he was gone, and at that point I only had a short time left before the library closed, and too many pages to finish. Sigh. It had been my goal to finish the book at the library and then leave it there. Now, I'll have to finish it tonight & drop it in the book drop tomorrow. I know, no difference in terms of late fees, but still. It's the principle of the thing. I so had it. Damn AD.

But, in better news, I think I'll be able to finish The Brothers Karamazov and Sense and Sensibility tonight. Wohoo! It's been a while since I finished any books at all, so I'm quite pleased to get to check 2 off at once.

And, to that end, I leave you all for now.
Goodnight.
xoxo