This post is brought to you by Tuesday randomicity, as inspired by Suzanne.
1) I'd like to start with the word "randomicity" which I feel should be spelled "randomocity," but is not. This is a minor annoyance in my life and I'd like everyone to take a moment to get pissy about it with me.
2) The fire station in our town has been extensively renovated in the last year. They used to have a Dalmatian dog statue in front of the fire station, but in the remodel, it had disappeared. Last week, it returned, freshly painted, and I only noticed because Hannah the Dog sprang into full pointer mode about half a block away from it. She was very hesitant to approach it, but when I went up to it and showed her that it was a statue, she instantly become uninterested. When we first got her, she wouldn't even cross our street for weeks because one of our neighbors has two lion statues in their yard, so I think this is so much progress and I'm so proud of our little scaredy dog. Also, yay! for the Dalmatian making a comeback.
3) A few months ago, I wrote a bit of a tangent about how I have a bit of a worry that the library is going to call me out for overusing its resources. I know, intellectually, that this will not happen and that they like having repeat patrons and Deborah even commented on that post about how the library will never kick me out. Ha. So when my phone range yesterday and it was a phone call from the library, I think you will know that I absolutely panicked.
It turns out that my email was getting bounced back (hotmail was being weird?) and Mary the Librarian wanted me to know that I had an overdue book and that I had a hold book available. I was mortified by the overdue book, but excited about the hold and told her I'd stop by later that day. What service our public library offers.
4) My father-in-law and brother-in-law dropped off our dining room table this past weekend! It used to be the kitchen table in my in-laws house and my father-in-law and his wife didn't want it in their new house, but I wanted it desperately. Going from a table that seats four to a table that seats six is going to be a game changer. You'll note that our dining room now has this table and the cardinal picture from my in-laws' old house. I asked my husband if he felt like he was in his old house now with all this surrounding him and he took a moment before he said it is such a different environment that it's not the same at all.
I am pleased to report that I think the rug is large enough that we won't need to buy a new one, which was a concern of mine. I am less pleased to report that this change in furniture has freaked out the dog who, as of when I'm writing this, still refuses to go in the dining room. Apparently this is just a bridge too far in her comfort level. Changing entire pieces of furniture is unacceptable.
What's random in your life today?
As you know, I also STRENUOUSLY object to the spelling of "randomicity" to the point where I refuse to acknowledge its existence. It should be (I think) "randomOSITY," as in "generosity" or "monstrosity" or "curiosity" all of which I now recognize end, in their adjectival forms, with "ous." NONETHELESS, I will persist in spelling it "randomosity." And I think you should also persist in spelling it the way you want to. This is how language evolves, after all!
ReplyDeleteYour new table is lovely, and I especially love the chairs. My kitchen table is a hand-me-down from my in-laws (as are several decorative cabinets, both couches and two loveseats, two chairs, a desk, and a buffet). I do sometimes wonder what I would buy if I didn't have these provided for me, considering we don't necessarily have the same style. But it is hard to beat FREE, especially when the free furniture in question is higher quality than I would prefer to pay for.
Tirades about the English language are always welcome here!
DeleteWe have a fair amount of hand-me-down furniture and furniture purchased from estate sales and to be honest, I really love it. I love the history of it all. I love knowing my grandmother's uncle made the piece in the guest room. I love knowing my late MIL picked out this table and ate her last meal on it. Older stuff is generally better made, too, so it's all good on my end!
I love the new table, too. That is hilarious that Hannah isn't a fan, though. Change is tough for us all. But the table does look lovely and I assume she will acclimate.
ReplyDeleteI am a big proponent of public libraries! I had to chuckle about your thought that they might reprimand you for overuse of the system. I remember talking to a librarian years ago and she mentioned how government money for the libraries is based on use, so the more books that go out from our branch, the better positioned they are to get funding. I'd be using the library a lot anyway, but it makes me feel extra virtuous now that I know simply by checking out towering stacks of books, I'm helping my local branch thrive.
Yes! Of course the librarians want me to check out all the books - that's how they prove they should stay in business! I'm just full of neurotic, unfounded worries, that's all it is. My husband was talking about how we all subsidize others with our tax monies and told his class that we're all subsidizing my use of the public library because he's never met anyone who uses the library as much as I do and I'm super proud that I am an example in his class!
DeleteI have to confess that I didn't even realize "randomicity" was an actual word. But I have to agree, I like "randomocity" or even better, "randomosity" (I think that one's the winner.)
ReplyDeleteHannah cracks me up. So she was scared of the statue? It's funny how animals are like that- my sister had a similar issue with their cat- someone gave them a doorstop that was a cat statue, and it freaked the cat out so much they had to get rid of it. You'd think they would realize it's not real- somehow they would sense it, or smell it- but they really get freaked out. Animals are funny.
Oh, that poor kitty! So scared! I think you're right and it IS the smell - the dalmation statue looks like a dog, but doesn't smell like it. She just was so uncomfortable by it.
DeleteI haven't taken her to campus for a year or more, but there is a bust of some noteworthy guy from campus history near one of the classroom buildings and Hannah could not go by it without barking at it, hackles up, the whole thing. Just too confusing for her!
One step forward and one step back...the dalmatian is in and the table is on the "suss" list.
ReplyDeleteOur dog has gotten a lot more chill about squirrels in the last year which is surprising. At first I thought that since she's getting older it possible that she doesn't see them as well as she used to, but she will take after chipmunks that are at the furthest edge of our yard, so that theory doesn't pan out.
The good news is that she DID lay down next to me in the dining room when I was eating lunch today, so I think she's finally realized that the table is here to stay and she better deal with it!
DeleteHannah has NOT gotten more chill about squirrels, chipmunks, or cats. Maybe she could take some lessons from your dog.
While you are worried about over-using the library, I'm over here wondering if there is an award for most books checked out? Surely we are in the top decile of library users since we check out about 20 books/week and I almost exclusively read ebooks from the library! But I do not have a relationship with any of the librarians. I think eventually they are going to get to know us since we are there every Saturday morning but I have yet to go up to them and introduce myself/ask for book suggestions!
ReplyDeleteOh, my! You probably do win a prize for checking out all those books! You should get a frequent flyer badge!
DeleteWow, I love that table! So pretty! Too funny about your dog and the dalmatian/ table! hahaha!
ReplyDeleteThe dog is officially okay with the table now, so that's a relief!
DeleteMy parents have a little dog statue beside their fireplace, and it has a little bone that lies in between its paws. Barkley once went over to the dog, took the bone, and walked away with it. I wondered what went through his head. "Boy, is that dog ever lame."
ReplyDeleteThat table is lovely! Your dining room is really pretty.
One thing I am going to miss when we leave Calgary is the library app. I love that there is an app that I can just put things on hold and check status.
Ha ha ha at Barkley taking the bone from the statue. "If you don't know what to do with this, dumb dog, I'll take it."
DeleteBack in the depths of the pandemic when we could only check books out for pick up, and we could only do that via the internet, I did get a phone call from the library after one book check out order. I was told that I had too many books out - I think the limit was 100 - and they would check out this order, but that I needed to return books before I checked any more out. So the next time, I checked out books from a different library branch. Only this time the librarians at that branch put a note with my book pick ups that said essentially the same thing... I thought it funny that even though I was clearly breaking the rules, they didn't have the heart to not fill my order.
ReplyDeleteOh, man, in early days of the pandemic, I had four books from the library and it was closed for like a month before they started allowing us to do curbside pickups. It was DIRE in my house. If I'd been allowed 100 books, I would have LOVED it (and also probably misused my borrowing privileges, too).
DeleteOh, I totally read it as "randomocity" in my head LOL
ReplyDeleteNo, there's no such thing as overusing the library, dear ;) I am sure they're excited to have such "loyal" customers (because libraries love book lovers, didn't you know? Haha.)
I love the "new" hand-me-down dining room table - I would have taken that off your in-laws hands as well. It looks great!
Intellectually, I know that librarians love repeat patrons. I do. But there's a small part of me that still sees librarians as authority figures who can strip away my books from me! I really need to get over that. Ha!
DeleteI've never heard of randomicity, and neither has spellcheck. Therefore, you can use your preferred variation. 😇
ReplyDeleteAwesome. We'll try and get my version in the dictionary soon!
DeleteI love this post and thanks for making me giggle. You are funny to be afraid of overusing the library. (But I do understand your logic) And seeing Hannah not care about the statue now is awesome...but now she's gotta work on the new dining room, which is lovely by the way!!
ReplyDeleteShe's okay with the table now, so we've passed the milestone. I guess it's good for me to know that she's going to freak out when we make big changes to the house, so we can plan for her to get some adjustment time.
DeleteI LOVE THAT TABLE! What a nice little piece to have in your own, and one with so much history and sentimentality attached to it.
ReplyDeleteI kinda love that you are worried about overusing the library! That just shows how much you use it, and use it so well!
I vote for randomosity, too. Let's petition the Google and the dictionaries. ;)
ReplyDeleteAlso, love your approach to furniture. There was an article in the NY Times this week about "fast furniture" and how it's essentially the furniture version of "fast fashion". I just have furniture that was purchased for a home about... um... 14 years ago? I don't like it but why get rid of it? It's functional. (I am not a Stylish Person, in my furniture or my clothing...)