Misc.

Seasonal
Like this guy, Phil and I found Jones Soda's Candy Corn flavor pretty gross. Caramel Apple was not as close as I hoped to Slice's experimental apple flavor that I drank like crazy during the year or so it was out, way back in the '80s -- but it's not bad. P said the 11 year-old didn't think much of Candy Corn, either.

Rainy Saturday at the Library
T joked that it would be a slow day -- that no one would leave their houses in the rain -- but we were hopping all day long.

I'd like to take a moment to offer future public and school librarians a phrase to memorize. Repeat after me: "We probably don't have a book just about ____, but I bet we can find some information." And then you go on to all that Reference Class stuff about The Reference Interview and ask about the project, whether they checked the encyclopedia, and if teacher is allowing online resources. On Saturday, folks came up to ask if we had a book on: yeast, badgers, the Transcontinental Railroad, some current football player, and Malcolm X. We do have several whole books on the last. It seems it's just natural for people to begin their query "Do you have a book..." without considering their topic may not merit a whole book in their small neighborhood library.

As well as homework help, I did some computer 101, some computer trouble-shooting, and a tiny bit of reader's advisory. I'm still not so good at that.

Plain Folk
We (and dozens of folks we know) made it to the Folk Festival on Sunday. Friends who went Friday and Saturday, when it rained and rained, talked excitedly about performances they enjoyed, but didn't mention the crowd size. Driving by the 7th Street exit Friday night, right before the event was to begin, I noted a lone police car, ready to direct traffic, and two Official Volunteers in golf cart -- and that was it. My stomach kinda dropped: Oh, no, poor Richmond, looking pathetic through no fault of it's own.

Sunday, the crowds seemed healthy, especially for big-name acts like Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars and Ralph Stanley. We had lunch near the latter's stage. I very much enjoyed the Cambodian dancers: shiny costumes and stylized movements used to tell a simple melodramatic tell. Plus, two dancers played monkeys. We took in Eskimo, Cowboy, and Tibetan music, too.

On the Muzak at an East Henrico Ukrop's: "I Love Rock and Roll," and "Boy Meets Girl"