Amazon discontinued the ability to create images using their SiteStripe feature and in their infinite wisdom broke all previously created images on 12/31/23. Many blogs used this feature, including this one. Expect my archives to be a hot mess of broken book cover images until I can slowly comb through 20 years of archives to make corrections.

Saturday, May 28, 2005

How Much For That Asshole Who Broke My Window?

So it started out OK today. I mean, yes, I am working on the Saturday of a holiday weekend and my back is killing me from....ummm...woman-related issues - but really it ain't all bad.

Then I go to get the library ready before we open. Walk around, turn on all the computers etc. and what do I see? A big, gaping hole in one of the back windows in the children's area. Glass everywhere.

I am not happy.

In fact, I'm seeing red, breathing fire, and swearing like a longshoreman.

So I call the police - the same cops I've notified on 3 different occasions to patrol my back lot because I have homeless and drunks (or drunken homeless) sleeping back there. Now, in that exact same area - viola! Broken window.

Then I get to call facilities management at headquarters where they get to notify someone to come and board up the offending window. Thus ruining their holiday weekend and mine.

The Boyfriend seems to think I should just stop caring. I mean, this technically wasn't a hassle for me - I just made some phone calls. Still, the whole thing just cheeses me off. Here I am trying to help people with few resources when the library itself is so strapped for cash we could probaby qualify for food stamps - and some asshole breaks my window!

Boyfriend: "You know Wendy, there are some things you can't control. All you can do is help people the best you can, and concentrate on customer service. The rest of it can just go to Hell."

He might be onto something there. And this wonderful guy is taking me outlet mall shopping tomorrow - so it's all good.

In other news - I'm trying to read Summer Fancy by Anne Avery, but my mood just ain't right. I think I need a contemporary. Maybe a Harlequin SuperRomance....

3 comments:

Mary Stella said...

I don't think it's possible to filter our caring impulse. You care about your library and your customers and this was a violation. You might be able to not let it have a huge negative impact on you in the sense that it stays with you a long time, but if you try to shut down caring about it at all, you'll shut down caring about other things, too. Good for you to be such a champion!

Wendy said...

Mary:
I tend to take these sorts of incidents personally because my fool parents instilled the notion of common decency into my young impressionable mind.

I mean, it's just plain rude to destory property that isn't "yours." And yes, the public library technically belongs to "everybody" - but that doesn't give one person the right to ruin it for everybody else.

But I have a new window today - so all is now right with the world. I am one with the universe again :)

Lilith Saintcrow said...

Well, you're fighting the good fight and trying to keep the library together on a wing and a prayer. You have a right to be upset. And what kind of asshole would break a library window? That's like breaking a church window as far as I'm concerned.