Yesterday was pretty quiet at work -- one of those blessed days when I can sit and read a book and not feel too guilty because IT'S MY JOB! I'm almost finished with Jeff Gettleman's Africa memoir. I have just a few pages to go and then I'm starting a book called "Station Eleven" that a co-worker recommended.
Every once in a while I'll be sitting at my desk reading and someone will wander past and say, "Gee, I wish I had your job!" Not in a detectably snarky way but sincerely. I have to admit, my job can be pretty great sometimes. As I told one of our administrators not too long ago, I've done the high-powered career thing, the working-all-hours, my-job-is-my-life. And I'm done with it. Now I'm working to live, not living to work.
Besides, I really do have to know about our books, right?
I was amused yesterday to find the missing "Indiana Jones Explores Ancient Greece" book in our returns bin. I guess Indiana decided to emerge from wherever he'd been hiding and someone dropped him back at the library. He's back on the shelf for now, but I still think he's ripe for discarding at some point in the near future.
One of the students (I assume) hung this beautiful watercolor of a lobster on a wall in a student gathering spot with a sign that said "VANDALIZE ME!" No one has taken them up on it yet. At first I couldn't figure out why someone wanted to surrender their art project to vandalism, but then I saw that red semicircle in the upper left corner -- obviously a ring left by a can of paint. Heartbreaking!
By the way, I must acknowledge that I
Olga seems much better after her episode of gastrointestinal distress. Last night she ate almost a whole can of food, and drank water, and she seems perkier overall. This dog, with her habit of quickly eating all sorts of found items while out on her walks, is a source of constant drama. Nine out of ten times whatever she eats doesn't bother her at all, but occasionally she gets something -- chicken bone, animal poop, a morsel that disappears so quickly I can't even tell what it is -- that makes her ill. Of course I try not to allow her to eat such things but she moves much faster than I do when it comes to what she perceives as food. It's all part of living with a dog.
(Top photo: Finchley Road on Sunday afternoon.)
That’s a beautiful bit of artwork. I couldn’t vandalize it either, despite the paint can ring. Too bad Olga’s speed at devouring found objects hasn’t slowed down along with everything else. Glad she’s OK. So nice that Indie came home.
ReplyDeleteShe still eats with an urgency that is surprising! That instinct hasn't waned!
DeleteThat's a good painting, and the semi circle doesn't really detract from it.
ReplyDeleteI've known dogs like Olga, canine vacuum cleaners, and so quick you never knew what they'd got, batteries, corncobs mittens, endless anxiety and drama.
I'm surprised they couldn't fix the painting somehow, but maybe that ring is just too pronounced.
DeleteIt sounds like the Indiana Jones book is popular.
ReplyDelete"Let's get a petition together against Mr Reed's removal of the Indiana Jones book from our library!"
For some reason I have heard of Consider the Lobster.
I don't think it's popular, really -- but it gets checked out once a year by the Fifth Grade for a class project. Like I said in an earlier post, at this point Indy is a little long in the tooth!
DeleteAnd Consider the Lobster is itself a riff on Consider the Lilies of the Field. Great literary forebears, Steve!
ReplyDeleteI did not know that!
DeleteUsually dogs wear muzzles to prevent them from biting people and indeed other dogs. If Olga wore one it would stop her from ingesting waste food etc.. Her muzzle could be pink with rhinestone decoration.
ReplyDeleteDogs are scavengers by nature, so she's just fulfilling her evolutionary purpose. A muzzle, however, is NOT natural!
DeleteI am rather in awe of that lobster. I think it's a tremendously well-done painting.
ReplyDeleteMe too! Couldn't they rescue it somehow?
DeleteI kinda like the vandalism idea, though I would hope the artist has an original of their work for posterity's sake.
ReplyDeleteI think this IS the original. They'll probably do another.
DeleteThat is a marvelously painted lobster. I hope it doesn't get vandalised.
ReplyDeleteSo far, no one has touched it!
DeleteI took in a dog which had been dumped. He always, always devoured his food like he hadn't ever been fed before, and could not be sure of getting fed again. I think that being hungry does that to a dog. People too, I imagine.
ReplyDeleteI think dogs have a very instinctive drive to eat everything and eat it quickly.
DeleteI once had a dog that seemed to never have gastrointestinal distress from something he ate until the night before a vacation trip with him riding for long hours in our vehicle.
ReplyDeleteHa! Maybe that's just when you noticed their gastrointestinal distress!
DeleteI love that part of your job is to read books. What a great way to spend a day at work.
ReplyDeleteSo glad that Olga is feeling better.
That is a very cool lobster painting.
It IS a great perc of the job, no question!
DeleteI like the view you have of living. Yes, the reporter's job was interesting but nuts.
ReplyDeleteYou never knew what was going to happen on any given day!
DeleteI like the lobster painting. No would care about the semicircle up in the corner. It doesn't take away from the painting.
ReplyDeleteBest part of my library jobs was all of the books to read!
It seems like they could find some way to work it into the image. I think it's such a shame to discard the whole painting.
DeleteI loved Station Eleven - I hope you enjoy it too. I'm glad Olga is better! I myself have felt puny the last couple of days due to something I ate - only I don't really know what it was, so I'll most likely do it again. Ha!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see so many positive reviews of "Station Eleven"!
DeleteWOW the lobster is magnificent! and by "vandalize" I think they mean " take home with you", That is fabulous !
ReplyDeleteHa! I am tempted to take it home! I wouldn't want to have to pay for framing, though.
DeleteThat's a great painting, even with the pain can mark. I doubt that I would have noticed it if you hadn't pointed it out. I did hate the movie "The Lobster" though so I wouldn't want an image of one hanging in my place. :) I loved, loved, loved "Station Eleven."
ReplyDeleteI never saw that movie, but I remember reading about it and how strange it is.
DeleteLooks like that lobster (which is gorgeous!) grabbed hold of a piece of plastic polluting the sea.
ReplyDeleteGlad Olga is better. Our dogs eat all kinds of shit - including shit! Their fav is manatee poop that washes up on the beach.
Ha! That's such a dog thing to do -- eat manatee poop. LOL
DeleteThat is such a great painting. Whoever the young artist is, he is talented. Your title startled me a bit when I read it. Sunday afternoon, David and I were telling a friend about a truly awful movie we saw several years ago called "The Lobster". I see from Margaret's comment that we aren't the only ones who thought it was awful.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm tempted to try to watch that movie! LOL
DeleteThe kid that painted the lobster is gifted. It's wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I am so impressed! I hope it wasn't too difficult for them since I guess they're going to have to do it again.
DeleteStation Eleven is excellent. It's one of several apocalyptic novels I re-read right after the start of lockdown in 2020. I like the genre anyhow but this is one of the best I've read.
ReplyDeleteOh, I didn't realize it's that old! I thought it was a brand-new book possibly even inspired by Covid.
DeletePublished in 2014!
DeleteI thought Station Eleven was wonderful and would like to read it again someday. She has a new one coming out in April!
ReplyDeleteYou need to add The Chrysalids (John Wyndham) to your school library.
Glad Olga is better. Yes, dogs will be dogs when it comes to gobbling up gross stuff.
We have a couple of John Wyndham books -- "The Day of the Triffids" and "The Midwich Cuckoos" -- but not "The Chrysalids."
DeleteI'd give anything to paint so well. And I would have turned that ring into part of the art. Somehow. Accidents are opportunities waiting to happen, I think someone said. In this case, definitely.
ReplyDeleteSo glad Olga is on the mend. That's a huge relief.
You can't keep a good dog down!
DeleteI have a thing for artwork relating to lobsters which is a very art deco theme
ReplyDeleteThey're always interesting in art -- like Salvador Dali's lobster telephone!
DeleteI wonder why the artist couldn't paint the red half circle off the picture. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.
ReplyDeleteYes, best job of all.
ReplyDeleteThat's a really wonderful painting of a lobster. I would never have notices the arc of red, probably would have thought it was intentional. As for Station Eleven, it's on my list to check out of the library though we did watch the mini-series of the same name which I really enjoyed.
ReplyDelete