Today at Logos

Christmas is creeping up on me and I didn't realize that Christmas eve was next Thursday.  Sandy asked if I was going to work and I told her I didn't see why not, so I guess Logos will be open for last minute Christmas shopping.  Today was very busy, maybe the busiest I've had since working here.

One of the first couples who came in was looking for a book on baby names, which we didn't seem to have, so they left.

The next was a middle aged couple with drinks in their hand.  The man was rotund with a very big belly over which was stretched a black t-shirt.  They were there for awhile before leaving.

A woman dressed all in black bought a book of Robert Fulgham stories.

I described the next customer as a "middle aged man with a gut and a goatee." He looked somewhat like Bruce McGill, who plays Korsak on Rizzoli and Isles.  He sat at the front table reading for awhile and finally bought a book by Deepak Chopra.  He told me he was a publisher and this year had published a calendar based on "Quo Vadis" and wantd to know if the book store would like his last remaining copy as a gift.  I told him to come back tomorrow.

A guy made a purchase.  I was intrigued that his name was Barekat.  He bought a bargain book and, after browsing the music section, bought a book on the Clavichord.  He was disappointed that our half off sale is not until Monday because he will be gone and thus would have to pay the full $8 price for this $30 book.

Two twll student type guys came in in woolen shirts with knit caps.  They searched science fiction for awhile and finally bought a book from there.

A woman in a too-small denim jacket with pajama type pants walked around with her arms crossed in front of her, but checking her cell phone.  She finally bought 3 books from the Literature section and I short changed her $4, she reminded me.

A woman walked in looking for "something wonderful" and walked out delighted with her biography of A.A. Milne and a history of Shiloh by Shelby Foot.  She paid in quarters from her bag of laundry money.

A woman new to the store was amazed to find out how long it had been here.  She was looking for a book by what she thought was an Australian writer, who writes mysteries.  Turns out she was looking for an English writer (Kate Morton) who writes contemporary fiction with a mysterious twist (like Daphne DuMaurier's "Rebecca.")  She was happy to find what she was looking for.

Another woman bought a bargain book, but was looking for Book 8 of Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series (which she called the "Voyager" series).  But it will be a very long time, if ever, before we have a copy of that book donated, I suspect!

A woman bought 8 books, an eclectic list:  a cookbook, a craft book. 2 sports books (on different unusual sports, which I don't remember now), a book on belly dancing, a book of Irish proverbs, a book of dog tricks, and a floral sketchbook.  

The next customer was a guy who bought a book on mountaineering accidents.  Whoda thunk there would be a book about that subject?  Or customers for it!

A woman came in with an armload of 6 bargain books. "I just gave away about 400 books -- now look what I'm doing!" she said, obviously exasperated with herself, but still buying the books.

A middle aged woman carrying a Starbucks cup and the local shopping news under her arm found "Painting Effects," and said "Well...I just found a gift for my sister."

A bald guy looked around for a long time and eventually bought "Julia and Company" (Julia Child).

A bearded man all in black, with a black backpack loooked at craft books and eventually bought a Costeau photo book and a book on the 1976 wine competition between France and California.

A large man wearing a t-shirt that said "I'm the anti-Weeble...I fall down" which almost covered his big belly complains that the store is too small.  He tells me he has collected books for years and has proudly shares that he has three big boxes of them.  

A woman was looking for a Spanish grammar book, but bought a Spanish-English dictionary instead.

Another Christmas shopper was a guy who bought a book about the Grand Ol' Ooprey, a textbook of Yeats poetry, a cookbook for pasta makers, and two books on honey, which he thought would be good gifs.  He used to teach enthomolgy and teaches people how to freeze bees to transport.

A girl bought a book I wish I'd seen, to buy for either Marta or Jeri, "Office Yoga," and a gardening book.

The last customer bought a California Road Atlas.

We have these 8-1/2 x 11 sheets on which we record each purchase.  If we are lucky we fill one side of the sheet, but last week I don't think that between us Sandy and I filled half of one side.  Tonight I was in the middle of the second side when Susan came in to relieve me, which shows what a good day it must have been.  I wonder how many people will be shopping in used book stores on Christmas eve...