Bookish

Whoooo Can Read?--Wednesday, 6/24/15

I was surprised how well this Reverse Inspiration aligns with my outfit, given that we are operating in different seasons.

From queeninbetween.blogspot.com

Here is my summer version with a mixed-media short-sleeved tweed top and Mary Janes.

*Black and white tweed mixed media top (JNY)
Bright pink pencil skirt (JCP)
Pewter owl pendant (Kohls)
Black Mary Janes by Hush Puppies

I've been on a ballet flat kick recently, but for whatever reason, this outfit called for my old standby.  Maybe owls and Mary Janes both contribute to a nerdy/librarian vibe or something.

Speaking of libraries, my mom told me recently that someone at work tried to get her to kill a spider, citing her well-known phrase, "The only good spider is a dead spider."  When she was resistant, the guy who was there to do story time for their children's summer reading program intervened.  He was dressed up in a safari outfit, so it seemed funny to me that his solution was to get the spider to crawl onto something that he could take outside because he doesn't like killing things.

(Of course, it reminded me of the gigantic wolf spider in Robert's bedroom at his mom's house a gazillion years ago when I was visiting.  I mean, the thing was so huge that I could see it clearly halfway across the room without my glasses on.  Robert kept catching it and releasing it outside and catching it and releasing it outside because the spider kept returning to the room.  When I was finally like, Kill the damn spider already, Robert took it outside and was gone for a long time.  Obviously he didn't actually kill the spider; he just took it so far outside its territory that it didn't find its way back into Robert's bedroom.  That worked.)

This incident was shortly followed up by a prank by one of my mom's co-workers.  When she opened her little cubicle where she stores her purse, etc., they had propped up a full-page spider photo from a magazine in there.  (Luckily my mom just finds these pranks amusing, so no one had to die.) 

In related news, Robert and I also finally got library cards at the Coldville Central Library.  It's a surprisingly small (and old) building downtown, a bit under a mile from our apartment.  I learned from the librarian that all the public libraries in the state have reciprocal agreements that let you use your local library card to check out materials at any library.  I could even register my Coldville library card online with the Snow City system so that I can access their online book request system (but not their downloadable content).  I'm hoping that the Coldville system will have enough of the materials I want that I won't be doing that, but it's nice to know that you card will work for you anywhere. 

To counteract any lingering creepiness from my Mom's library story, let's scrub your brain with the soft, snuggly, lovely delight of bunnies!  In French, no less!

In other news...Robert and I tried out our new gas grill last night with buffalo burgers and veg kabobs.  Easy, fast, and scrumptious.  I'm a convert!  It was kind of nice to outside because our A/C has stopped working so it was cooler outside than inside.  GRRR.  I'd been saying for days that it wasn't working right and Robert finally believed me after (1) it reached 75+ degrees inside and (2) he saw the monstrous electricity bill for the month, which suggested that the A/C had been running non-stop (without doing very much cooling). 

We had been planning to exercise/watch Castle, but instead we went outside for a walk after dinner, in the opposite direction from the dog park, which is the direction we've explored before.  It was fairly cool walking along the river, but I still got a little bit sweaty, and when we got home to our warm/humid apartment, I was really grumpy.  But we got the fans set up and running and I cooled down OK.  (Robert had knocked over one of the fans when going out to the balcony where the grill is set up and it developed a weird sound.  He reports that he fixed it "in the time-honored way" by whomping the side of it.  Worked like a charm.)

The maintenance guy was here working on the A/C when I got home this afternoon and he said something that makes me wonder whether they've fixed the problem of it not getting cool enough in here or only the problem of the compressor running constantly (without cooling).  I guess we'll find out in the next couple days.  The temperature inside has gotten 1 degree warmer since I got home, so I'm not feeling very hopeful.  But Jesus Christ, if it's only 80 degrees outside for a high, it shouldn't be 78 degrees in your apartment!

I am in a MEGA GRUMP mood this evening due to this A/C nonsense, computer nonsense caused by them cutting off the electricity to work on (and I believe not really fix) the A/C, and three different annoying things that happened at work today (and are still ongoing problems; it's not going to be over when I go back to work tomorrow or anything).  Bah!  Time to go watch some Orange is the New Black and remember that things could be a hell of a lot worse.