World's Best Used Book Sale

-in Blair, Nebraska.

The public library was doing a clearing of old books, and everything was, ten cents each. I spent six dollars, and have a car filled with books. Do the maths.

Blair is a lovely city. I'd been there once, years ago but had forgotten just how much I like it. We took a wrong turn coming out of town and ended up in Iowa, but that was an adventure as well. The sandbags were still in place along the road, and in spots the river was only inches from pavement. In other spots, it left behind a black silt that stunk like a neglected fishtank, and looked in places like the surface of the moon. It really was something to see in person-I cannot imagine what those poor people are dealing with. The mould issues must be nightmareish.

Rather than turn around, I though we should indulge my son's cheese obsession with a trip to the Council Bluffs Hy-Vee where they offer the most exotic selection of cheese ends I've ever seen. I probably should have thought twice before purchasing an Atlas of World Cheeses for Danny, but now that I have, he's determined to try them all. Council Bluffs is closer than Europe. I resisted the Sticky Toffee Cheese (I'm sure I'll regret that) but came home with some Stilton, Pecorino Romano, and other decent stuff. I also came home with some Crispin hard cider. I've never had a hard cider I've liked, but I'm hopeful this will be the cider that changes my opinion.

I nearly forgot-the room being used for the book sale housed the old card catalog. I asked if I could show Danny how we looked up books when I was a child, and was permitted to go have a look. Unfortunately, the cards are all gone, and the drawers are instead filled with an odd assortment of items, all labeled on the outside. Imagine my surprise when the file labeled, "mustaches" held packets of stick-on mustaches. The drawer for pipe cleaners held, (you guessed it) pipe cleaners, and so on. I must admit, I was a little envious they had a drawer filled with mustaches. I used to have packets of doll heads hanging on my bulletin board, but that was years ago when I thought they might be useful for something. I don't think they were ever useful...but I'm sure I could find a use for mustaches. God, I just want a wooden card catalog. I'm not the sentimental type, but seeing it nearly made me weep.

Ten cent books. I'll get a post of the better finds up when I lug them in from the car.