2020 Diary: Building the Book Inventory

6/20/2020: Up about 5:30 AM from dreams that scattered as I woke. Prayers, Bible. A little rain before sunrise. Finished cataloguing the end shelves on the right over the TV, after reading in the Gahan Wilson books a while. After a bit I got out the end table and pulled down the Lewis books in preparation; the shelf needs much dusting. A little after 10 AM Kam came in to watch Gravity Falls; it has new special puppet interstices. Got broccoli salad for breakfast. I began to fall asleep at about 11 AM, and he went back in. Got ramen about 12:30 PM. Worked on Book Inventory and got a brainwave.

E-mail to John: But what I really wanted to talk about was the Book Inventory. This morning I hauled down my Lewis books off their high shelf, and besides noting that this exercise was good for giving the shelves a good dust off, perhaps this would be a fine opportunity to move them to a more accessible spot. They would lose their pride of display, of course, but that would be balanced by them being easier to get to. Some second-stringers (Samuel Johnson, Gore Vidal) would be just as nice looking. It would of course throw off my process (which has just been shelf by shelf, as they come), but would be worth it in the long run. I am of course talking it out here to myself, but I would appreciate your thoughts. At the moment, I have made entries for 1392 books; when I am finished, I may be allowed to die.

Wiped off the shelf and shuffled books around, going up and down on the table several times. Worked on Johnson and Vidal and Sherlock Holmes. It is 9:14 PM and I am very tired. Rosary and bed, I think, although all is at sixes and sevens.

While I was praying a dying roach crawling around on the bed shocked me awake again. When I had finished the rosary, I made short BI entries which I can flesh out later for books to fill the high left shelf. Then I moved the books from the two bottom shelves next to the door over to the bottom of the other side, in preparation to receive the Lewis books. Things look better, and I think now (10:42 PM) I am more ready to hit the hay. John e-mailed and said he’d phone me tomorrow if he gets a chance.

 

6/21/2020: Up about 5:30 AM. Prayers and Bible, then a shower and got dressed. Watched St. James service. Went out for my turns (which I skipped yesterday because of my stepping exercise up and down on the table) about 7:10 AM, then came in and expanded my entries from yesterday evening and posted them on Finder’s Keep. Put up a picture of Pop on FB for Father’s Day. Gargoyles on Comet this morning. Sorted my Lewis books by type, and now with a deep breath, I’m ready to plunge in at 9:30 AM.

Work, work, work, till a little before noon, when Andy brings me in boiled eggs, fried potatoes, and bananas. About 12:30 PM get soup and bread. Some Phineas and Ferb, a special on Star Wars on in the background as I work, and I fill in one shelf of the bookcase by the door. About 7 PM out for my turns; heard, then saw a crane flying over the house. In again, and back to work, oh so close to being done with Lewis.

Andy brought me in a bunch of burritos, half a burger, and some fries at about 8 PM. I realized that my copy of Jack’s Life was signed by Douglas Gresham; that puts me only 2 degrees away from Lewis himself. At 9 PM I was basically done with Lewis books. Hurrah! Now I must see about fitting them on the shelf.

Well, that worked out well, and a prettier shelving I’ve seldom done. Posted the BI (81 this batch), then e-mailed John. Rosary at 10 PM, swept the house, and now, if I wish, I can go to bed.

 

6/22/2020: Kameron’s 20^th birthday. Up about 5:30 AM again. Prayers, Bible. Turns at 7 AM. Found another gigantic roll of shed snakeskin, near the path where I found the other, close to the woodpile. At 9 AM I started my wash, boiled eggs, made egg salad, and started my chicken soup. Spent much of the morning talking to Kam, watching my soup, and changing the wash. Did a few books, from the lower shelf on the right side over the TV but was not very active; felt a little blah all day. The few times I tried to take a nap though, I didn’t succeed. Lungs a little wheezing, probably from book dust or seasonal allergies, but unease about Covid-19 haunts every breath. Went in about 2 PM and made cupcakes and picked the chicken. About 5 PM I made hot cheese dip, and Aunt Janet dropped by to see Kam and wish him a happy birthday and give him a card with $50 in it. A little before 6 PM I went in again and the pizzas Susan had ordered had arrived, but Andy was a little delayed at work. Susan and I sat around talking for a while, and I showed her the snake skins and she told me about a woodpecker she saw pecking at the house, and a little grass snake that had found its way into their bedroom! Andy got home and we gathered and had pizza and soda and dip; afterward we sang Happy Birthday and had cupcakes and Kam opened his presents and cards. $50 from Fred and Joanne, and some interactive toys he’d been wanting from S&A. I went in at about 8 PM and thanks to my full stomach was able to conk out asleep; woke up about 10:30 PM, prayed my Rosary, then fell asleep again.

 

6/23/2020: Up about 8 AM after waking up several times and forcing myself to lay down again. Prayers, Bible, and BI. Just before 9 AM a heavy rain started up; it has settled to a steady rain now (9:30 AM), and I think I may go in to get some breakfast.

Went in and Kam was up. We sat around and talked while I made the broccoli salad and heated up some soup for breakfast. Went in about 11 AM and we watched the end of Prince of Space 

and the beginning of The Magic Sword [MST3K movies]. Took a nap and went it about 1 PM and had a slice of pizza and some dip and chips and another cupcake. Kam also had lunch then went to play games with Joey. John called about 3 PM and we talked till about 4 PM, much about life and some about him working on a movie script for AGODP. Went in, grassed dogs, brought in the bins, then made salmon patties and couscous. About 6:30 PM I prayed rosary, then went out for my turns. Washed up and took Kam some dip sandwiches at 8 PM, then came out and worked on BI. Almost done with the shelf: Lovecraft and T. H. White only ones left. Now almost 10 PM, and I’m ready for bed, I think.

 

6/24/2020: Up about 5:30 AM after a series of dreams (in one of which I was cataloging a pair of books that should have gone right on the shelf that I’m working on, but don’t exist). Prayers, Bible. Onto the BI and Lovecraft. A little after 7:10 AM went out for turns; only did 2 because the Chis got interested. At 9 AM went in for breakfast (ramen, eggs, bread); Kam let me in, and he’d already eaten! Continued with BI and finished with shelf and put on Power of Babel by 12:30 PM. Went it a 1 PM for chicken soup and made list of Will and Ariel Durant books in Susan’s bookcase. Watched House. At 1:45 PM prayed rosary, then swept off the kitchen porch (that makes up for the missed round). Wondering whether to start another shelf – but then John called me back about 2:30 PM (I had called him earlier to ask the name of Mrs. Rector’s elective class – it was ‘Ghost Stories’). For supper made sausage and taters and cabbage. Take the rest of the day as read, with BI and a couple of pages on Omichon.

 

6/25/2020: Finished shelf with Charles Williams and Mervyn Peake today. All the other incidents apply. Kam came in in the evening and we finished The Magic Sword 

and started a Hercules MST3K. Been feeling rather low and lethargic all day. Volcanic dust? Air pressure? Still, I press on. Bed before 10 PM.

 

6/26/2020: Up about 4:15 AM from dreams. Prayed, wrote one dream up, then caught up diary. I guess I’m awake. Worked on BI and finished Madelaine L’Engle. Went out to do turns a little before 7 AM; rescued a toad out of the dog’s pool. Did one turn and it started to rain so hurried in.

Worked through Robertson Davies in the BI. For breakfast had chicken soup with dumplings, and ramen with eggs. For ‘lunch’ at about 4 PM had leftover chili and broccoli salad; did not have to make supper. After Kameron came in at about 7:30 PM I canceled my evening turns and we watched MST3Ks about Hercules. We finished off the dip. Rosary and bed about 9:30 PM.

My e-mail to John: I don't know if it's the air pressure or mold or just the rain in the air, but I've slowed down. Slowed down but not quit. Part of it might be that I'm getting to some rather complicated, deeply felt books, where it's: how can you say enough without maundering on forever? I must keep the length down, so I'm using more and more the best summations I can find (the ones that emphasize what I want), and then trimming it with my own notes. Right now, it's Robertson Davies. On TV this morning on the Comet Channel, it's War of the Gargantuas and Gargoyles. A more Babellian childhood summerfest you couldn't hardly choose. All I want to do right now is hang everything up, eat a lot, and grab as much sleep as I can.”

 

6/27/2020: Up about 4:30 AM. Prayers, Bible. Started BI work on GK Chesterton. Very stimulating. Went out for turns about 6:45 AM and it was already almost too warm. Continued work, fueled by tea and hard candy and enthusiasm. Paused at 9:30 AM to catch a few things up, like this diary.

Went in at 12:10 PM for a ramen and eggs. Finished Chesterton at about 1:30 PM. Turned the AC on. Swiped up Hilaire Belloc and church history by 2:30 PM. Time for a break, and after Dorothy Sayers, that’s all the BI for today, I think.

Finished my goal with Sayers at 4:30 PM. Now I’ll put it on FK, total it up, and be done for the day. Next goal: supper.

Rosary at 5 PM, the last of the broccoli salad (and some bananas) at 5:30 PM. Turns at 6:30 PM, then the 7th Voyage at Sinbad on Svengoolie. Bed about 10 PM.

 

Notes

Just a reminder: a turn is a revolution around the circular driveway, a respectable distance, especially on a bad leg.

Intense activity making the Book Inventory, especially because of the subjects of the batches. I’d recorded 1392 books and was not nearly done. I suppose if I get really compulsive, I could make a count of the current number; easier with the blog, but still a daunting task.

It’s odd looking over the daily routine after five years. You don’t think anything is changing, but you look back and a lot of the little details are done. We don’t watch Mystery Science Theater as compulsively as we did, the dogs are gone, and it’s been long enough that I think I could eat broccoli salad again.

Sandhill crane or great blue heron? About once a year (if I'm lucky) I'll see a great blue heron passing through. At this distance of time, I'm thinking I saw a heron; not even sure I could identify a crane, or quite tell the difference between them on the wing.