Saturday, May 30, 2009

Visiting the Acacia Branch

My two oldest girls and I are at the library. We are at the Acacia branch, to be exact. Yesterday evening we went to the Mesquite branch. The difference between the two is striking.

This Hogarth print captures the general impression of entering the Acacia branch, especially around 3:30 PM on a school day. It's then that the ne'er-do-wells are out of high school and the bums (or those who look like they're on the verge of becoming bums) are waiting for the Circulator. The Circulator is the local free transit system that "circulates" through Sunnyslope (though it must go farther afield since I have seen it moving about Desert Ridge).

My wife says that she doesn't like going to the Acacia branch because of the "weirdos." She enjoyed the month-long closure of Acacia for remodelling because it was a good excuse to go to Mesquite.

As for me, I prefer Acacia. It's closer; the children's area is smaller (so my own children's wandering range is restricted); and it has more "colorful characters." That's how I like to think of the weirdos.

One of the colorful characters commented on the great beauty of my children. This toothless man with a tattoo on his forearm was sitting on one of the small walls outside the library. He was chatting with a bibulous woman about Heaven know's what (admitted: I don't know that she is bibulous; but it fits my sense of the scene). And he was struck by Gianna and Stella and told me, "You did right there."

True, my good man, true.

2 comments:

Home Ec Lady said...

You and Alishia certainly did do "right". Now you had better be watching those beauties at both libraries! It's about time you blogged again.
Love,
Sick in Bed
Kiki

faithsalutes said...

that is why i go to burton barr...for the stench and the color.