library news

It has been a slow time for library news. I know alot of you look at my blog just for those crazy stories...sorry to disappoint. Where are the crazies? I know our Brookln Park branch has been challenged with threats with AK-47's and patrons smearing blood on the doors-weird and scary, not so funny.

However, I did see this recent incident..

Two young men around the ages 13-14 came into the library with a whoopie cushion. They were upstairs first apparently sneaking up behind people and making loud noises with it. Jenny approached them and told them their behavior was inappropriate and needed to stop. They then left the upstairs area and came downstairs where they proceeded making excessive noises with it which were very disrupting to patrons. I too gave them a warning and told them if they didn't stop they would be asked to leave. They continued the behavior and I told them they were now out for the day. They acted surprised and back-talked a little (nothing too excessive) and then left. I did hear them say this was the 3rd place they'd been kicked out of today. Obviously this was not surprising.


And I did hear this story...which begs many questions:

Our maintenance department was called to our North County library recently because of clogged toilet. This is a fairly common occurance in many our libraries, since most folks can't seem to figure out what they should not flush down the toilet. After a fairly long time of using various plumbing tools, it was unclogged.

For 12 hours. Again, they are called after only being accessible to the public for 2 hours. This time they were not successful as the night before and had to call in reinforcements. County plumbers showed up on sight and brought cameras to put down the drain to see what the problem was. Imagine their surprize when they discovered it was a very large albino boa constrictor. Dead at this point.

So, any thought on how it got in the library drain pipe? And lets not even entertain the thought of using the bathroom knowing that was down there...

And finally, apparently only rich people like quiet....

Around 10:40 I heard loud music coming from the back of the the public area. Shortly after that, the patron at PC #27, Mr. Shaffer began to laugh uproariously. He continued laughing and the patrons all began staring at him. I went over and asked him to lower his voice and turn down his music. I informed him that we could hear his music across the room and that his laughing was disturbing other people. He reacted in a hostile manner, telling me that he was using a PC in the back so no one would be bothered and that he didn't have this trouble at the library in Glen Burnie.

I went back to the information desk and Mr. Shaffer logged off the computer and approached the desk to state again that he is allowed to be loud as he wanted in the Glen Burnie library and that he was on his way back there. He left the building then came back a few minutes later to lean on the counter agressively. He asked me defiantly "What is the difference between this library and the Glen Burnie library?" I said we are all part of the same library system. He explained his belief that we only ask people to be quiet in Annapolis because "rich people go to this library." I reiterated that if he wanted to use the library, he would have to be quiet. He said again that he was returning to Glen Burnie. Our guard was standing by during this confrontation and observed that after Mr. Shaffer left the building a second time he went to the bus stop and got on the bus.

Laura told me that a staff member had asked Mr. Shaffer to be quiet a few days ago and had also gotten a defiant response.

Mr. Shaffer is a tall middle aged white man with a large belly, and buzz cut hair.

Baltimore Rejoice!

Okay, all you non football fans, you can stop reading. That might be 3 out of the 6 that read this. It is Superbowl Sunday and we are over the top in excitement!! It is kinda surreal...Baltimore has been in the national limelight for the last 2 weeks-in a positive light. How refreshing!! And now the day has come. I wanted to reflect on the Ravens top 5 reasons they got here this year. It's my only platform to chat football..

1. Ray Rice's 29 yard run for a first down.
SAN DIEGO -- Fourth-and-29 at their own 37, 1:37 left in regulation and trailing by three points. Ray runs to the right and makes first down. A win 16-13 after Tucker kicks a field goal.

2. Replacing Cam Cameron with Jim Caldwell. It was a December decision-very late in the season. Since the replacement, the offensive line has been on fire. Joe has thrown 8 touchdowns and no interceptions in the post season.

3. Bringing back McKinny. Bryant McKinny has been out most of the season. Rumor was he wasn't getting along with harbaugh and he had gotten a bit out of shape. In any case, Caldwell put him in and moved Oher back to the left side of the offensive line. Result was magic...great protection for Flacco in the pocket.

4, Ray Lewis announced his retirement. And boy, he timed it well. We were about to go into the postseason and the team has been playing with heart and soul to send Ray out in style. He contimues to be a force with this team.

5. Jacoby's 70 yard catch in the Denver game. We were not supposed to win that post season division game. Peyton is like 7-0 against Baltimore. It was on the road. The temps were -3 degrees. There is 30 seconds left in the game and We are on our own 27 yard line. It is 3rd and 3. Joe launched a long one-Jacoby catches it...a touchdown and ties the game. Tucker kicks a field goal to win the game.

Yeah...its been a great season!! Onto baseball!!!!

superbowl!

My life has been consumed with football. We have had football gatherings for the division and AFC champion games. i have a breather this week, as we head to superbowl next weekend. And of course, now I am consumed with menu options. Food and football. What will happen when the season is over?
I did a quick check for library stories and nothing worth noting. Although yesterday presented some of our regulars at their finest. Our smelly patron was back yesterday, just as ripe as ever. Not sure how to handle that situation. I have talked to them, but no change. Then we had the gentleman who comes in daily-a musician or something. The conversation wit staff yesterday:
"excuse me, but have you ever eaten chocolate covered ants?"
"Uh, no. I don't eat bugs'"
Patron number 2: "Hey, have you ever eaten fried termites?"
Staff: "No. never plan to." (and why are we having this conversation?)
Ant patron: "I could never eat termites."
Termite patron: "But you are missing our on alot of nutritional value!"
Ant patron: "Not really cause I wouldn't keep them down once i ate them."

Brooklyn Park seems to have their share of crazies, some of which are scary. There was a boy of 13 who threatened them with an ak-47. Police took the threat seriously. Really-13?

Meanwhile, Maddie and I head to Baltimore tomorrow morning for a Ravens sendoff to New Orleans. Hard to believe I am even saying that.

finally back...here's to 2012

I suppose I need to put some credence in what my son shared with me over the holidays when I asked him to write our annual newsletter. And 3 days of bugging him, he told me he was working on it, that it was a process and he needed to ponder and organize his thoughts before he wrote it. I finally let him off the hook, thinking it would be February before he wrote it. Now I understand-have not been feeling the blog lately. But I am back, hopefully with more regularity. So, here is my annual newslwtter that was never sent, nor were cards sent either. Buty don't think I wasn't thinking of you all...

Our 2012 was a good one for the most part. I am a believer that things happen for a reason with positive results..whether you learn from it or offers a better outcome. Andrew faced his first hurdle as an adult when he did not return to Warren Wilson College in the spring. It was a tough time, but he picked himself up and picked up a number of classes at the community college in the spring and fall. He has been accepted to Towson State this coming spring, where he will be working and living in yuppieland of Towson proper. He is very close to finishing his degree, which makes his parents very happy.

Maddie continues to excel in high school and sets her sights on the environmental field, perhaps engineering. Let's all pray to the scholarship gods.

Maddie and I took a trip to Charleston and Savannah with her friend Dylan. My friend Marcia met us there as well. So much fun and laughter.

We took a trip north to New England and Canada this past summer. It was stuningly beautiful and cool, unlike the miserable mid atlantic.

We returned to normal this fall and Alan added to the animal collection of the Adams house with 4 hens. They love underneather the steps of the deck. No smell. Yet. They deliver 4 eggs a days...nothing wrong with that. Lucy is just not interested. However, if they were running around the yard, then all bets are off. Then its a game.

Moses lives on. Or, as my mother calls him, the Spawn of Satan. Its always the mean ones that live on.

Wishing all of you a presperous year! Go Ravens!

Absurdity in reality TV

Ok, I am the first to admit I am a reality TV fan. Maybe not an addict, but I do find my DVR is filled with Real Housewives (or, as Andrew calls it, Real Hobags), Profect Runway, Top Chef, Survivor, Pregnant in Heels and occasionally My Strange Addictions (which is not my passion, but Andrew loves it). However, I think its time to draw the line. After recent announcements of new reality by a variety of cable networks, I feel it is my duty to report what is in store for other fans like myself, so you can exercise your power to shut the damn TV off and pick up a book.

Amish Mafia
Ok, really? First of all, there is a mafia among the Amish? And what exactly are they controlling-quilt sales? Black Market Shoo Fly Pies? Do they run you down with Horse and buggys? My brother had shared a scenario that acurately reflects what we might see in an upcoming episode:

...."Abraham." " It appears that Ishmael was found using real buttons on his jacket!" " It's time we sent a message to these punks." " Go fetch 3 shoo fly pies and 5 pounds of Amish potato salad and meet me at the Wockenfus's barn at midnight."....

Moonshiners
Yes, they still make moonshine in Appalachia, sometimes illegally. This series introduces us to some of the men and women who practice this 200-year-old tradition. How do they come up with their special formulas, and what do they have to do to avoid the long arm of the law, which is just as vigorous as in Prohibition days?

I think they deserve some credit that they can actually function enough to drink Moonshine and be on a reality show at the same time. Wait...maybe thats the best case scenario.

Whisker Wars
This docu-comedy is centered in the world of competitive facial-hair growing. Seems this might be a slow moving documentary. Do they include women who have some facial hair issues? Can't wait for Haircut Carving.

My Strange Addiction...Never Nude
This is a group of individuals who are never without clothes, 24 hours a day. They dress for work, bathe, sleep, without ever taking their clothes. This is just plain...ew. Truthfully, there are times I prefer not to be nude, but sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and be free. Perhaps therapy could be a visit to a nudist colony.

Happy Viewing!

problem patrons

I was going to do a quick piece on the great theater we saw this weekend..including the christmas spectacular with the Rockettes(my god, 3d glasses, fireworks, ice skating, camels..it continues to be the show to see) but I was faced with our most recent patron problem..like we don't have enough.
This is an older woman with a walker and her quasi-sane son, who are heavy library users. They are here daily. He is a scruffy man in his early 50's, very thick glasses, not very attractive, who is now destined to live with his mother until her dying days. His mother shuffles in with her walker, which often is so slow, that i have winced as the automatic doors close as she enters. I have seen her caught in those doors twice, as her unaware son walks in before her to take care of library business. The more bigger issue in her odor. Now, I really thought my odor days were pretty much over when I left Pratt library and the homeless population. But no, I am not so fortunate and truly it was so bad, I finally had to have a heart to heart with her son.
No one wantes to have these kinds of conversations. They are uncomfortable and embarrassing. He told me she has a UTI that she can't get rid of despite all the antibiotics the doctor puts her on. Now really, a UTI that has been going on for 6 months? I tried being sensitive, offered a book of senior services to help caregivers, and told him that if she won't listen to him, perhaps the threat of never coming back to the library might encourage her to address the issue. Its sad, but how does her son not notice this? Not sure I got through. Perhaps we can time the visit so it's the same time as the sit down man, who smells like a musty basement. One might counteract the other.

Library chapters...

As seen in our libraries.....

When I got to work on Thursday morning there was a possum in a trap cage on the sidewalk in front of the front doors. We don't know if the cage was set and the possum just walked into it or if someone put the possum there in the cage. (The area is not visible on the surveillance video.) I called AA County Animal Control and they referred me to DNR so I called them but they were on the other line so I left a message. (They never called me back.) At about 10:30 we saw a possum out back (a man was trying to feed him) so we looked and determined that someone had let the possum out of the cage. No one ever came to retrieve the trap cage so we disposed of it.

Ok..I thought this was a bit unusual (a day in the life), but when I read there was a man FEEDING the possum...what the hell?



Around 12:35 pm, a patron reported that there was a woman passed out on the floor in the restroom. Ms Angela Thompson (PZ 21997063179008) was found slumped over on the floor over a McDonald’s food bag. She did not respond to me after several attempts, so Peggy Levee called 911. In the interim, she came finally came around and was able to get up and leave the restroom, she then attempted to leave the building. She was very unstable on her feet and her speech was slurred making it difficult to understand her. Police/Fire arrived and spoke with her – she refused medical treatment. She told the officers that after her meth treatment each morning her boyfriend drops her off at the library to look for jobs. The officers searched her and found no evidence of drugs in her possession.

I think maybe McDonalds might be the culprit.

Patron asks strange questions
Just before 11:00am, Ms. Howell returned to the Adult Information Desk and started asking questions about the library’s security video footage and how one would go about getting the footage. Ms. Dean was immediately on guard and probed for information on what Ms. Howell was looking for and for what date. Ms. Howell implied that it was a while ago, and Ms. Dean explained that we would not have footage from that long ago.

Ms. Howell then took the conversation in several strange directions. She talked about bad police officers who are dangerous and violent. She mentioned her children’s father, and seemed to indicate that there was an incident where the father was at the library with the children. She pointed around the building, as if the incident happened at WCO. She also told of an incident in the parking lot when her husband or boyfriend’s car got lipstick on it. Ms. Dean asked if they talked to library staff at the time of the incident, and Ms. Howell said no because it was his responsibility. Ms. Howell went back to the questions about subpoenas for video footage several times during the conversation, which lasted about ten minutes. She backed away from the desk several times during the conversation, but then would come back. Ms. Dean tried to determine what Ms. Howell wanted, but was unsuccessful. Ms. Dean offered several times to have her talk to the Branch Manager, but she didn’t want to. Ms. Howell seemed to know who I was, since she described me, but did not know my name until Ms. Dean gave it to her. I arrived at the Adult Information Desk at 11:00am. Shortly after that, Ms. Howell agreed to talk to me.

What is the story about the lipstick on the car? Did someone draw a pic? Kiss the car?