Thursday, October 9th

Thursday, October 9th

Omaha Public Library Millard Location 

A Discovery of Witches pages 148-178

Making one of my first stops for the project at the library seems like a natural fit. I hadn’t been to the library for ages since I get the majority of my books from the half-price bookstore or AbeBooks.com and I was a little shocked by how bright the place is. I clearly spend too much time in low-lit bars and restaurants. 

I walk around to find a comfortable seat but the best I can do is a hard orange chair that’s too close to the ground and has no arms. Do they not want people to stay and read? Or are they trying to prevent what happens soon after I arrive–a man falling asleep behind me and snoring. Loudly. A librarian finally comes over and knocks on the table next to him to wake him up. “Sir, are you okay? You can’t sleep in the library in case there’s a medical event.” Interesting! I never knew you couldn’t sleep in the library. Not that I’ve ever been tempted. Of course, I’ve never been tempted to sleep in my car before but now that I’m in the throes of perimenopause, I sometimes take a car nap every day of the week. 

Once the snorer has been dealt with, I can more easily concentrate on my book. It’s getting hot and heavy with the witch and the vampire, as is expressed in this cringey line: He leaned toward me and slowly kissed me once, twice in the French manner. First of all, that sentence isn’t even grammatically correct. And second of all…in the French manner? Yuck. There’s a lot of talk about wine, it’s revealed that the vampire is actually 1500 years old, and we find out that the witch has some adrenaline disorder which I don’t really think is a thing but whatever. Apparently the vampires can smell it. 

I consider looking around for more comfy seating, but I’ve made the somewhat dubious and likely not sustainable decision to try not to go to the same place twice, so there doesn’t seem to be much of a point. Pros of the library: it’s mostly quiet (I’m guessing the snorer was an isolated incident), it’s plenty bright enough for my old eyes, and it’s a quick trip from both my office and home. Cons: both my ass and one foot have fallen asleep due to the awkward chair and they don’t serve beverages.