Birds and book, day 248
So today I gave in to the geist of my zeit and stayed home. I was doubtful as to whether I was really sufficiently "ill" to justify skipping a day of work but when I found myself hiding in the bedroom because the mail truck was in the street and I didn't want that much interaction with the world, I decided that I'd probably made the right call. It's been a quiet day of not much which, I hope, is what I needed. In truth, about a month of that is what I likely need but, alas, kibble doesn't grow on trees, etc.
I was saddened to learn (via the West Seattle Blog) that Square One Books has gone out of business. They had been closed for a week of "inventory" but it seems that was just a cover leading up to closing for good. It was a nice little store, always obliging and quick about making special orders for me but in talking about the closure with Eli we both sort of realized that it was always a little bit of struggle to find something we wanted to buy already on the shelves there. Which is sort of a problem I have with Secret Garden Books in Ballard: it's incredibly rare that they have the book I want on the shelf. (I'm remembering now, of course, that the last time I went into Square One, to pick up a special order for Eli's birthday, they did have the book I'd been looking for a month previously but I decided to show some restraint and not buy another hardback on a whim. I'm sorry, Square One! Truly sorry!) But maybe that's the real dilemma for plucky independents: how to stock the books its dwindling clientele wants to buy at the time they're ready to plunk down the cash. Regardless, it sucks. With Elliott Bay fled to Capitol Hill and M. Coy long gone from downtown there's not a plucky independent within five miles, I don't think. Fuck, really.
Birds
American robin
American goldfinches
house finches
house sparrows
black-capped chickadees
cedar waxwings
northern flickers
Anna's hummingbird
crows
gulls
pigeons
Book
Through a Land of Extremes (page 140)
I was saddened to learn (via the West Seattle Blog) that Square One Books has gone out of business. They had been closed for a week of "inventory" but it seems that was just a cover leading up to closing for good. It was a nice little store, always obliging and quick about making special orders for me but in talking about the closure with Eli we both sort of realized that it was always a little bit of struggle to find something we wanted to buy already on the shelves there. Which is sort of a problem I have with Secret Garden Books in Ballard: it's incredibly rare that they have the book I want on the shelf. (I'm remembering now, of course, that the last time I went into Square One, to pick up a special order for Eli's birthday, they did have the book I'd been looking for a month previously but I decided to show some restraint and not buy another hardback on a whim. I'm sorry, Square One! Truly sorry!) But maybe that's the real dilemma for plucky independents: how to stock the books its dwindling clientele wants to buy at the time they're ready to plunk down the cash. Regardless, it sucks. With Elliott Bay fled to Capitol Hill and M. Coy long gone from downtown there's not a plucky independent within five miles, I don't think. Fuck, really.
Birds
American robin
American goldfinches
house finches
house sparrows
black-capped chickadees
cedar waxwings
northern flickers
Anna's hummingbird
crows
gulls
pigeons
Book
Through a Land of Extremes (page 140)