The Book Bandit

 I'm kind of regretting calling myself boring as a bad thing because I do seem to have things that are out of the ordinary happen.  I'm ok with going back to boring.  If it seems like something eventful happening, it's not a good thing. 

I know I can drop my library book off at the library down the street but I had a mishap with two libraries trying to charge my mom $28 for a book I returned last summer. She took out a book for me and I read most of it.  It was from a former Republican, Stuart Stevens and it was actually Corinne who told me about the book.  I knew the due date was close and I kind of got the gist of the book so I walked it back one morning.

About two weeks later, I get a notice that the book was overdue.  It actually came from the Wauwatosa library so I thought maybe it hadn't arrived yet.  I wasn't sure.  

Then the next notice was one for $28 and I made some phone calls.  West Allis was not the least bit helpful so I called someone at the Wauwatosa library and left a voice mail.  At that point, my mom went to the library and talked to someone.  When they told her that she would have to pay the fine, she flipped them her library card and walked out.  I think she said that she hated Trump too.  I'm not sure.

When the woman from the Wauwatosa library called me, I explained that I walked the book back and put it in their slot.  She then proceeded to tell me to check my car and to check my closet because sometimes people misplace things.  I misplace a lot of things but was she not listening to the part where I said I walked the book back and put it in the slot at the West Allis library?  They have one in back that will give you a receipt but it was out of order.  I listened patiently though because they were trying to charge my mom and not me.  I thought, great listening skills, lady.

I thought we're not paying the fine and if anyone will pay the fine, it'll be me.  What do you know?  We never got a notice again.  I was also told that when someone returns a book to a library, say the West Allis library, it doesn't go back to the Wauwatosa library.  All those books go back to their downtown location and they sort it.  Hunh.  I don't see where something could go wrong in that process now, do you?  My nephew works for a library in Florida and he said basically, things get misplaced.

I happened to stop into the East Library one day last fall and I thought this is a nice library. I actually didn't know where my own library card was anymore so I asked if I could get a new one.  I've only checked out a few books from their library and have always brought it back to that location after what happened.  They were nice enough to help me with my card and with getting set up with their online services.  It wasn't as big as the library that's down the street but sometimes a small library is less complicated than a big one who can't get their books straight.

Now I can get online books for my mom and she can read it on her Kindle.  

My sister sent us a book called The Book Thief last summer and gave us the money to pay the fine.  She's a real comedian.  We used the money to buy a pot roast for when they were here.  

I thought it was bad when the library was going to fine for a Madea Goes to Jail DVD I took out when we moved here, but that was total insanity.

Don't judge me. I like Madea.