Tie-DIE!

NOTE: Before you begin reading this blog please note that I am aware that Tie-Dye is spelled d-y-e and not DIE, but this is significant to the blog so please read to the end.

Over my four years of working at the library I have encountered many library families with very strange, but cool obsessions. A very important one to mention is the family in which all of the members looked alike. I guess this would be okay if... Let's say the father was Brad Pitt, but no. Plus, what daughter wants to look like their father anyway?

Well, this particular family all looked like their father a short, stout, really tan (more than average Latin American tan), curly short hair, I would say this man was a combination between George Lopez and Shirley Temple. Cute, no? NO! Although this is all really insulting it really has nothing to do with the story (just me being a jerk). The important part about this family of look-a-likes is that they were OBSESSED with Tie-Dye stuff. They ordered all the tie-die books the library owned, wore tie-dye everyday, and talked about all their tie-dye projects they enjoyed doing. TIE DYE TIE DYE TIE DYE!

We always talked about tie-dye and although I can't say that I hate tie-dye I also don't ever wear it or think it is the most attractive type of apparel, unless of course you are a big big hippie or clown. Throughout our conversations about the cool new tie-dye bags, new shirts, tie-dye pants, and amazing tie-dye projects his kids were completing I always managed to appear interested. Until, the one day where he ask, "Te gusta tie-dye?" Freaking out about the question because I thought if I said "yes!" it would lead to more conversations about the types of tie-dye I liked, my first tie-dye shirt, tie-dye candy, or even worst would result in a tie-dye jump suit as a gift in the future, I responded " no." Just a simple "no" what harm could that do? right?

Well, harm it DID do! He immediately stopped talking to me about tie-dye, never mentioned tie-dye ever again and I never see them come to the library again. Then end... They hate me now because I don't like TIE-DYE! Thus, the title of the blog is now explained, this was a total Tie-DIE moment for me because it was the Tie-Death of my tie-dye ness.

Homeless Emergency

I don't really freak out anymore when a homeless person walks into the library. Seems like an everyday occurrence to kick someone out for sleeping, being drunk, or just plain crazy. We have our regulars like Red, Marty, and this other really weird man that I am afraid of. He usually comes in and acts really normal, if carrying around a teddy bear and talking to it is normal. Now to get to the point of things sometimes our homeless men decide they should pull the fire alarm, TWICE! IN A ROW! This happen the other day and it totally freaked me out.



Just shelving books in the stacks and wondering why we had books on learning to wrestle in the library all of the sudden I heard the piercing and annoying sounds of the fire alarm along with bright lights flashing and blinding me. I turn to the circulation desk to see my manager freaking out, but hurrying to silence the alarm. This happen again in about three minutes.



The worst part about this occurrence was what happened afterwards. First, the fire department didn't come, but our alarm went nuts cause it kept beeping (three beeps) every time any door in the library was opened. Rosy decided that it was too annoying to stand for a whole day and created a "muffler" for the alarm. I put muffler in quotes cause it wasn't a muffler it was a fake bomb-looking cover made of masking tape, paper, and rags. Probably one of the scariest things to see when you walk it and here this "bomb" beeping. Please view the picture below:
Need I say more...

Diego the Clown

"Would you like to work at the library?" Ask my librarian friend when I was 16. "Hmmm," I thought to myself, "I do love books and libraries and I need a job, OKAY!" And so the adventure began in 2005 and I haven't left since. The other day while talking to my manager she had a great idea, to start writing down all my wonderful adventures. So here is goes.

Clowns, scary right? Well, not for my little 5 year-old-friends Diego that always comes into the libray with his two older brothers. There is Enrique who is probably the most annoying of the three (I think its because he is the middle child) and Juan who is the older brother that is always doing homework. Diego is probably one of the cutest little hispanic kiddos you may meet. Now will follow a conversion with Diego that will explain the title of this blog:

C: Hey Diego, did you have a good day at school
D: No, I don't like going to school, but sometimes Ms Moore lets us listen to soulja boy. Carlos!
C: Yes Diego?
D: I got a cool new pool this weekend
C: Awesome. did you swim in it all weekend and jump in it.
D: No, silly it is kinda small but I did see a clown in the pool
C: (these are internal thoughts) Holy Mole, why is this kid not freaking out about this right now! If I was a 5 year-old and saw a clown I would be scared for life. "Thats cool, what did the clown do?"
D: Nothing I just saw him once and then I didn't see him.
At this point of the story it is Diego's turn to use the library computer and the conversation ends. Then I turn to Jesse (Co-Worker) and tell him the story. We laugh the rest of our lives about it and then change Diego's patron record to "Diego the Clown."