Field Trip

Today was a monumental day, indeed: I took my first post-hospital, non-medical field trip. I didn't go to a medical office, a doctor's visit, a testing lab, or any other place. For such a landmark event, where would a geek such as me choose to go on this, my inaugural outing?

Why, the library, of course.

James and I maneuvered my less-than agile self into the car, with bum leg propped on a squisht 70's-vintage gold-and-orange velour pillow (holdover from the Hancock apartment), and off we went. The first excitement of the day was the fact that James was able to use our shiny new handicapped parking tag for the first time -- that's right, prime parking, y'all! Right in front and ready to go. I hopped (literally) into my wheelchair and into the library we sailed.

People are oddly nicer to you when you're in a wheelchair -- they hold doors and say "excuse me" and whatnot. It's odd. I wish people were that nice to each other, regardless of circumstance, but we take what we get. At least folks are nice SOME of the time, I suppose.

I wheeled about, followed by my trusty 6'6" book carrying slave. The library is, of course, nominally handicapped accessible. However, you'd be amazed at how difficult all the study spaces and reading chairs and rolling cards and the like make it navigate. As I'm not the most graceful chicklet in the universe as it is (surprise!), I'm afraid I found myself stuck more than once as I rounded corners. Ah well, it was a learning experience.

I did find a number of interesting tomes, and it's quite the eclectic combo of books, I have to say. Being low to the ground via the chair made me notice a number of books I generally overlook. Also, as I told James, it's a different thing when you're browsing and able to sit right there in the aisles as you review and choose. For those of you who are interested:

• boy meets girl by Meg Cabot
• Close to Perfect by Tina Donahue
• Diary of a Bad Year by J.M. Coetzee
• Take a Walk on the Dark Side by R. Gary Patterson
• Death Makes a Holiday: a cultural history of Halloween by David J. Skal
• Fun Rooms by Ana G. Canizares
• Right on the Money by Steve and Annette Economides

Stay tuned for select book reviews, to follow.