Today at Logos

Sandy and I talked a lot about the ending of Logos, and how customers feel about it.  So many have expressed regret and said this was their favorite store in town.  One woman said she comes and buys a book every week.  The future of Logos is uncertain.  What is certain is that Susan and Peter are leaving.  They are talking with Friends of the Pubic Library about maybe taking it over.  Customers offer suggestions like maybe one of the volunteers take it over, but I think that highly unlikely.  We'll see, but what is certain is that this is going to be a big blow to Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children, for whom Logos has raised money during its life.

The first customer, a guy with a flowered backpack bought 2 bargain books and 2 psychology books (one about Freud) Our credit card machine broke and couldn't be used, so I could only accept cash and he had to go across the street to the ATM machine to get money.

A woman looking like America Ferreira browsed for a very long time before flashing me a big smile, waving, and leaving.

The first donor arrived with two bags of books, shocked to learn that store was closing.  I told her negotiations were going with the Friends of the Public Library.  She said she donates to both Logos and Friends, but when she has more expensive books to donate, she brings them to Logos because she's afraid people would buy them from Friends for a small amount and make money by selling them on eBay,  It was she who suggested one of the volunteers take over.

Right after she left a guy arrived with two boxes of books.  He knew that the store was closing and that this was his last chance to donate, but he, too, expressed sadness.

A young couple came in.  The woman had long blonde hair and a filmy skirt that left nothing to the imagination when the light shined through it.  The guy had grey shorts with accents that looked like they could have been made with duct tape.

Another couple came in.  The guy wore a salmon colored shirt with "staff" printed in the front, but I couldn't get close enough to him to see what he was part of the staff of  There was a logo on the back that said UTILA, which didn't help at all.

I decided I didn't like the book I had brought to read, so went looking on the shelves. I picked up a book called "Eats Along the Equator, which I thought an odd title, but I saw it was about a boat trip on the Congo river in Zaire, and since we have friends from Zaire, it would be interesting to read.  It wasn't until I was taking a picture of the book to include here that I realized that I had a dyslexia moment and the word wasn't "Eats" at all.

It is an interesting book, but something I am unlikely to read at home, but also not a book likely to be snapped up by customers, so I put it back on the shelf at the end of the day, with a bookmark.  I expect it to still be there when I go to work next week.

A woman with snow white hair bought an art book and, as an afterthought, bought a blank card by photographer Sandy Garett, which we also sell for her.  She photographs birds, plants, and insects found in nature around Davis.

 

I once bought one of her ladybug cards to send to Lacie, who is sometimes referred to as "Laciebug."  I would buy others, but they are $3.50 each.

I was into my book when I looked up and saw a big butt staring me in the face.  It was a heavyset man with thick legs ending in brown shoes with white socks.  I don't know what books he was checking out but he stood up and left, so I never saw him.  He was wearing a red baseball cap and I was wondering if it had "Make America Great" again on it, but I couldn't see.

It was so nice to see the Antiquarian.  I haven't seen him in a long time.  He found an older book of British poems and then showed me the pendant he was wearing (he always has some new acquisition to share with me).  This had belonged to Lady Something or other from 1770.  Her husband had been the First Lord of the Admiralty.  The pendant was her coat of arms, which women were not allowed to have unless approved by the king.  It was really lovely.

A woman with a messy pony tail and a very loose sleeveless grey t-shirt plopped herself on the floor in front of my desk, pulled out a notebook and her cell phone and started looking at a cookbook and taking notes, She eventually packed everything up again, said "thank you" and left.  I don't know what that was about.

A guy with Pavarotti's voice coming from his pocket came in and bought four bargain books.  He, too, was sad to hear the store would be closing.  He and Pavarotti left.

Bruce came in, wearing his standard white layered outfit, now quite soiled.  He chose a bargain book, but did not have a dollar, so said he would return later to buy it.  We don't save books for customers, but we do for Bruce.  The last time I saved a book for him, it was still waiting for him a week later.

My friend came in and bought two bargain books, including one Sue Grafton (her "B" book) and said he had never read any of hers. We discussed what she'll do when she gets to the end of the alphabet.  I forgot to let him know the store would be closing.

The next interaction was really weird.  The father of one of the guys in Lawsuit is kind of a unique looking fellow.  His wife died many years ago and he remarried a couple of years ago and the last time I saw him I could see he had been losing weight.  You see him riding his bike around town all the time, a safari hat on his bald head.  I looked up and in he walked.  But he didn't seem to know who I was, though I greeted him happily.  Was this really the guy?  Who else looks like this with the same hat?  He didn't buy anything and left without saying anything.  I still don't know if it was the guy.  I had heard that he was showing early signs of dementia, so was that why?  Or was this someone else entirely?

Three women, each with shopping bags, all in short skirts came in.  The biggest girl had a dollar sized yin yang tattoo on her ankle and was wearing a Pink Floyd t-shirt.  She found two books she wanted, one of which was Jane Eyre, but she only had a credit card and didn't want to go to the ATM so she put the books back.

My last customer found a t.s. elliott book that she had been looking for for years.  She was very excited but the book was $7 and she only had $4 and I couldn't accept her credit card.  Holly in my heart, I told her I would sell it to her for $4.  She says she's a regular customer and would bring in an additional $3 next week.  I don't know if she'll do that but what the heck--the store is closing and won't miss $3.

We came home and had a quick dinner and then off to the theater to see Romeo and Juliet.  I enjoyed the production (as much as I ever enjoy Shakespeare) but the background music was horrible.  It was like 2 hours of nails on a chalk board and the worst part was that it didn't shut off during intermission.

Jeri and I often text each other during shows we are doing and I recorded a bit of the "music" and told her they had "pissed off a critic"
 

WALKER UPDATE:  I sent Melissa at Atria an e-mail to check on how Operation Walker is going.  I was amused to receive this reply:  it has been hit or miss with the walker. We are starting something new though, taking the walker with us to escort her at that time. If we leave it around her or in the room she gets upset and will NOT use it. I will keep you posted over the next few days. Ahhh...that's the Mother I know and love.  I t old her to keep at it, that I won't mention it or it would turn her off further (since I've been trying for 3 years), and when/if she ever routinely uses the walker, I would immediately go out and buy her one.