More Tales from Behind the Counter
Last night at the books store:
1. A lady came in looking for a book for her oldest grandson, who is 7, to read to his younger brother. When I asked her what kind of book, she told me that she wanted something he could read to his younger brother. I asked what his interests are. She said she didn’t know, but she wanted the kind of book could read to his younger brother. I showed her where the kids books are, since we don’t actually have a section of books some kid could read to his younger brother, that she could look at. She said that was no help, because she didn’t have her reading glasses with her.
I asked her if there was anything else I could do for her, and she said I could find her a book her grandson could read to his little brother. I wanted to give her a copy of Atlas Shrugged or Finnegan’s Wake.
2. An old guy said he wanted to see about ordering some movies. I told him we only order books, and he said, “Yeah, I mean books.” He wanted A Coal Miner’s Daughter, by Loretta Lynn, which I could only find as a DVD or VHS tape, because it’s a movie, and we can’t order, because it’s a movie. I asked him if he was sure it was a book, and he looked at me blankly, then pointed at a shelf of paperbacks and said, “No, it’s a book, like those. Those are books, right?”
Then he asked for some other title, one that was, much to my surprise, a book. Unfortunately, it was out of print. I told him that, and he asked what that meant. I explained that meant our distributer didn’t have any, and wouldn’t be getting anymore. He asked me, “Well, how do we go about ordering it?” I told him we don’t. I almost told him to go to the used bookstore and check there, but I like the people at the used bookstore, and didn’t want to do that to them.
3. I guy called on the phone and asked if we still had a book that he had ordered. He apologized for forgetting to pick it up, but he had gotten distracted during the holiday. The holiday in question? Last Christmas.
And the big shopping rush/freakshow is only starting. More to follow, I'm sure.
1. A lady came in looking for a book for her oldest grandson, who is 7, to read to his younger brother. When I asked her what kind of book, she told me that she wanted something he could read to his younger brother. I asked what his interests are. She said she didn’t know, but she wanted the kind of book could read to his younger brother. I showed her where the kids books are, since we don’t actually have a section of books some kid could read to his younger brother, that she could look at. She said that was no help, because she didn’t have her reading glasses with her.
I asked her if there was anything else I could do for her, and she said I could find her a book her grandson could read to his little brother. I wanted to give her a copy of Atlas Shrugged or Finnegan’s Wake.
2. An old guy said he wanted to see about ordering some movies. I told him we only order books, and he said, “Yeah, I mean books.” He wanted A Coal Miner’s Daughter, by Loretta Lynn, which I could only find as a DVD or VHS tape, because it’s a movie, and we can’t order, because it’s a movie. I asked him if he was sure it was a book, and he looked at me blankly, then pointed at a shelf of paperbacks and said, “No, it’s a book, like those. Those are books, right?”
Then he asked for some other title, one that was, much to my surprise, a book. Unfortunately, it was out of print. I told him that, and he asked what that meant. I explained that meant our distributer didn’t have any, and wouldn’t be getting anymore. He asked me, “Well, how do we go about ordering it?” I told him we don’t. I almost told him to go to the used bookstore and check there, but I like the people at the used bookstore, and didn’t want to do that to them.
3. I guy called on the phone and asked if we still had a book that he had ordered. He apologized for forgetting to pick it up, but he had gotten distracted during the holiday. The holiday in question? Last Christmas.
And the big shopping rush/freakshow is only starting. More to follow, I'm sure.