tidbits

sometimes annoying things are good, or how i outsmarted first-come first-served.

so, most of my library reading is manga, which comes in volumes. the problem is, when a new volume is on order it's listed separate from the old volumes, but when it comes in and is combined with the other volumes, your hold on that volume becomes a general hold on all volumes. so then, they try to give you the first one that comes in even if it's not the right one. this sucks because the staff looks at you like your retarded when you tell them the book they try to give you is the wrong one, even if you try to explain the problem with their system. sometimes you get all excited and go to get you new hold, only to find it's the same book you just turned in earlier that day.

but this time i caught the two holds i have that just came in before some other volume came in so i won't have to look like an idiot. also, i had had the second hold on them both but since i got it switched and the other person didn't, i'll be getting the copies coming for the main library downtown, handy because they typically are ready first and won't have to travel around since that's where i pick up my books. so for now, yay for library system glitches.

and if you are reading this and have a problem with my reading so much manga, i just want to say that unlike some people i do read real books, so don't worry about me or try to find me real books to read. i'm doing just fine on my own, thank you.

stupid-ass broken phone cost me money

our phone is broken. not our actual phone mind you, our phone line. in retrospect our house phone has miraculously not been ringing off the hook with telemarketers who want to consolidate our debt, sell us crappy overpriced products for charity, offer us more credit cards, and generally mumble in broken english at us since the big wind storm a few days ago. we didn't notice this until my mother tried to call home and got a busy signal, which makes no sense since we have call waiting. we even tried plugging the fax machine into the regular phone line, but still no dial tone. so, yes, one of our two phone lines is out, and it's the one that matters (fax line doesn't matter so much since the fax machine is on the fritz and won't pull paper right so it can't print faxes, only useful for sending them).

we aren't in any major hurry to get this fixed because no one calls our house who doesn't have the cell number of whoever they want to talk to, except those damned telemarketers. only apparently, my boss has my two numbers written in totally different places, which is why it's a toss-up as to which number he calls when he wants me to come in and work because someone called in. i learned this today when i returned a missed call i had from him on my cell phone, and i got the impression that he's been trying to call me for a couple of days. and i even missed my chance today, because my stupid phone had somehow gotten turned to vibrate so i didn't notice he'd called until he'd already gotten someone else to cover it. and i really needed the money, too.

next post (maybe): too far for public transit. it has to wait because it requires pictures, and i don't have time right now for all that. this is the promised post about another kind of building, by the way.

p.s. if anyone has some clear return address labels that you print on the computer (avery brand is what i normally use), can a borrow some? they are kind of pricey, like cost notably more than white ones, and i hate to have to buy a whole pack for the 12 i need to send out my christmas cards. but i can't use white because my envelopes are off-white.