yesterday

Yesterday. I am so glad to be past yesterday.

It started pleasantly enough with a breakfast meeting at The Golden Egg in Saxtons River - and the meeting was great - I like the people that I met with and although Jay and Allegra came along, they were both well-behaved.

Actually, no, it didn't quite start there. It started back at home when I finally opened the box of scripts for the two upcoming projects (one that has auditions starting tomorrow!) to find that I only had scripts for one of the projects and a "backorder notice" for the other set of scripts.

Guess which ones I needed. I problably should have just opened the box when it came in a few weeks ago, but no, I knew what was supposed to be in the box and figured that keeping the box sealed and the scripts in one place was safer than opening them up and risking spreading them throughout the house (between Jay, Ali, the cats - not out of the question).

My plan had been to get the scripts, go to the meeting, then drop them off where they needed to be afterwards thereby ending my expected duties for the weekend outside of doing some library printer purchases at Best Buy. Time for a plan rewrite!

So, I needed to find copies of Under Milkwood by Dylan Thomas. I had two scripts of my own at home, I needed at least 7 more by Monday night so Amazon was out of the question; besides on their website it says that they only have 3 copies in stock. Since we had to stop at the house anyway I talked Jay into going to Keene (and a small side trip to the yarn store was completely accidental...). First, Borders - they had one copy. Then to the Toadstool where they informed us that not only did they not have a copy, it looked like they could only order it on CD or DVD - they said that it would be be impossible for them to even order the book!!

Disturbed and slightly panicked I found some really cool gray, black, and white variagated boucle yarn clearanced (think huge comfy, blanket fall project), while Jay grabbed a StarSchmucks Chai Latte and got Ali a Caramel Frap.

Everyone else being happy now Jay and I talked about our next move. I still needed more scripts and I was becoming worried that I would even be able to find them. Jay suggested we cruise over to Brattleboro, they have the three independant bookstores, perhaps I could find more copies there. So, off we went.

First to Michael and Ellen's bookstore, where they too had one copy (are you counting with me?). They called over to one other bookstore to learn that this other bookstore had no copies available. Then we went over to the book store and cafe place over by the Indian restaurant to find that they too had one copy.

Next plan.....I still had to stop at Best Buy over the weekend and get the wireless printer setup for the library (print server and printer to attach to it), and the Best Buy that we usually went to was in West Lebanon. So, stopping by the Co-op first and picking up a light lunch to take along we decided instead to go to Holyoke where there was a Best Buy, the huge Barnes & Noble, and Northampton and Hadley along the way just in case and besides driving from BF to West Leb isn't as outrageous from driving from Brattleboro to West Leb., so the mall trip made sense. I'm sure between here and there we could've found many, many other little independant used and new booksellers, but you have to understand that Jay and I get lost. Easily. And it really is in our best interest to stick to places that one of us knows. And despite being the non-driver, somehow I know the most places. Besides, I needed to get the printer set-up and it looked like we could tie the whole trip up with a fun mall romp.

And keep in mind, it was still before 11:00 am.

So, to Holysmoke we went! Ali and Jay are usually indulgent with me in the car as I run something of a musical show, choosing which cds we listen to (mostly so I can sing along) and on long trips multi-tasking by singing and knitting. However, I have a nasty cold (I feel much better now) and my voice sounds screechy and grating, so I played fun listening music and knit. We got to Barnes & Noble in Holyoke without incident. They didn't have any copies, but they did call over to Hadley where once again they had *just*one*copy.

Ok. Well. We decided that we knew there was one copy in Hadley and, well, I know where three bookstores are in Northampton, so instead of the mall, let's just go to Northampton and we'll walk around there for fun while we check out the book shops for Under Milkwood. To hell with the mall, let's keep moving closer to home. We got to Northampton without any hitch, parked and began walking.

(Leah, I told Allegra that you went to school at Smith and she spent our entire time in Northampton on "Leah Watch" as if you were certain to pop out from behind any corner we passed.) First we went to Half Moon - and they had TWO copies (one of them is a rather nice leather bound edition from 1954 that is about to become my personal copy). Then we went to the place in the little indoor mall (can't think of the name), where she told us that she didn't have any but remarked on Allegra's shirt (she was wearing the Labyrinth t-shirt that I had found for her at Hot Topic), so then I had to tell her all about Mirrormask and converted her to the Neil Gaiman fan club. Then we went to the bookstore just past Starschmucks (can't remember the name), and then to Raven Books, where they had one copy.

Counting still? I now have 8 copies in my hand and one more waiting for me in Hadley - and six of them were from the same edition. YAY!!! Success!

So, we had fun walking around Northampton. I took them to the Mercantile, which was fun, and to Faces, which I love (Allegra covets the red wings hanging behind the counter), then to the Ice Cream place - and that was nice. Plus we stopped at the bead place - which I love. Jay looked at me sternly when I tried to walk into a yarn shop, so I decided not to push him too much. We just poked around a bunch of stores for a while, then Jay and Ali, fed up with my poking, said that we should get headed. Fine.

I direct us to Hadley. Now, up until this point we have gotten everywhere because I knew the way and we have gotten there without any problems. When we get to Hadley we pick up the final copy!!!! Elated we head over to Best Buy where they were complete jerks (except for one guy that was really nice about making sure we had help) and the one guy we forced to help us clearly knew significantly less about computers than even Jay. Not that I expect them to be experts, but would like for them to be so. After he fumblingly read me his professional advice on a card I proceeded to ignore him completely and do what I thought I should anyway. And I got what I needed and we left.

It was at this point, as I'm directing Jay back to 91 that he uttered words which he should never, ever say when he's more than 50 miles from home. "I know another way."

ARGHGHGHGH!!!!!!!!!

Because when we hit Shutesbury what felt like hours later, and the car shuddered to a complete, overheated stop at a red light and wouldn't start up right away, I was ready to hurt him. Ali was ready to hurt him. Getting Jay to stop for directions is not always easy. I think he feels that asking for directions is pretty much the same as walking up to a complete stranger and saying "You may not know this, but I'm a moron." However, the car forced a stop at a neaby gas station where Jay checked the oil (low), coolant (low), and filled the gas (lowish).

And then the gas attendant said that if he stays on the road he was on it runs right into 91 in about 5 miles. So, Jay felt that his little alternate route had worked though I argued it a miserable failure since it added an extra couple of hours!! He countered with something to the effect of "sure, but wasn't it a pretty drive." Something was flung in his direction from the backseat. Finally we hit Brattleboro, it was now about 7:00 at night, I was hungry and tired, Allegra was hungry and tired. And feeling like I wanted a treat, I recommended a stop at Panda North for dinner. The idea was met with applause from the backseat where Allegra began the chant of "SUSHI! SUSHI! SUSHI!" (not that she will eat anything other than California rolls). So we went. Dinner was wonderful. And we got home.

And next time we go somewhere if Jay utters those words again I am going to make him turn around immediately! Sure, we could have called around first, but other than Jay's little sidetrip it was a fun day.

Creep de Radiohead - YAY!

Make a snowflake - I know it's early, but this one is rather cool. Be sure to do the 3-D rotate.

This little catapult game is rather entertaining for a little bit.

I find this little piece fascinating.

I, too, finally beat that little game from a few posts ago. I know there are other games, but my throat is still wicked sore and my nose is stuffed, so my computer time is over. So, I'll post another game later.

What I'm Reading: Haven't had much time to read, but this morning I did read The Changeover - another contender for discard. I had forgotten completely about this book. But I read it as a teenager when it first came out (1984-ish) and, despite the fact that it's a romance with some fantasy - normally a genre I have little patience for - I absolutely loved it. It also still reads rather well - with a new cover you'd never know it came out in the '80s, the language is still current. And I can think of some patrons that I expect will also like it, so I think it is saved from the booksale pile.