“I’m telling everyone, even people who don’t usually ask how I am.”

As I mentioned before, I won a kind of big deal writing award from my school. And I’m really excited about it. So I’ve been telling everyone. Literally every person I see who talks to me long enough that I can mention it. Some people I’ve even started conversations just to mention it.

This created some confusion when I stopped by “James’s” desk a couple of days ago:

Miss Print: “Hi James. I forgot to mention this before but I won a writing award.”

James: “Congratulations . . .”

Miss Print: “Thanks! I’m really excited so I’ve been telling everyone about it.”

James: “. . .”

Miss Print: “Well, see you.”

I had to take a different approach with GC because GC never has conversations with me that involve me talking (usually I ask questions and he replies):

Miss Print: “Hey GC. How’s it going?”

GC: “I’m all right.”

Miss Print: “I can’t say I’m surprised. Now ask me how I am.”

GC: “What?”

Miss Print: “Ask me how I am.”

GC: “How are you?”

Miss Print: “I’m really good. I just won a writing award from my school for some of my poems. I’m really excited about it, so I’ve been telling everyone, even people who don’t usually ask how I am.”

GC: “Is it a monetary award.”

Miss Print: “Yes. Plus bragging rights.”

GC: “What are you going to do with it?”

Miss Print: “Probably put it towards library school tuition.”

GC: “That won’t even pay for a course. It might have when I was there. I paid 500 a credit.”

Miss Print: “It’s 825 now.”

GC: “So you can pay for a credit and a half.”

Miss Print: “That’s better than none.”

“I think this explains my bad credit.”

Guy came into the library wearing a really spiffy/fantastic cowboy hat (despite his having a New York license, love that!). I looked up his record and found that he had two dollars in fines, which I told him.

The man looked stricken before responding, “Oh no. Can I still borrow books? Are you going to run me out of town?”

“If you pay the fines we’ll let it go this time.” Let me tell you, it took an insane amount of control to keep a straight face.

I left to get the man’s reserves. When I came back he paid the fines and, again in all seriousness, said, “You know, I tried to buy a house and I couldn’t. I bet this is why my credit was bad.”

By this point any of my efforts to maintain a straight face were done. I was laughing when the man left (with his fines paid).