Sherpa Blanket and Kryptonite Lock and Books

 Some time ago I found a Sherpa blanket blanket on freecycle.org.  We exchanged a few emails trying to decide when I should pick it up because the weather looked iffy.  We eventually decided on the weekend.  On the morning I was going to get the blanket someone offered a Kryptonite lock.  Surprise!! It was the same guy.  He'd stick the lock in the same bag.

What could go wrong?  How about a spell which transformed the parkway into a parking lot?  So it was after a detour that allowed me to spot a used book shop and the cheapest gasoline in a 15 mile radius that I finally arrived at Beechwood Street.

I parked in front of the house, but seeing the house number across the street I figured I'd walk a little way, getting a little aerobic exercise and saving a smidgen of gas by parking in the first available space.  

Beechwood street is numbered randomly, not the way normal suburban streets are numbered with odd numbers on one side, even numbers on the other with numbers increasing or decreasing in a regular pattern,  I thought my mind was failing because the numbers didn't make sense.  Fortunately, a lady who had just pulled out of her driveway, told me that I was probably looking for a house that way as she pointed in the direction where I had parked. 

It turned out that I had parked right in front of the correct house but I'd been fooled by the sign number of the house on the other side of the street.

On the way back I stopped into the book shop.  I'd been there browsing around for a few minutes when the owner was surprised that I was there.  After the usual what type of book are you looking for I browsed around for quite a while.  

I told the owner that there were some books in the wrong sections.  He didn't care.  The only thing which really appealed to me was a boxed set of John Dos Passos' U.S.A. trilogy.  Usually prices are negotiable.   In this case he checked on line and raised the price from the price in the books.  I passed. 

I'd said something early on about looking for engineering drawings for a class.  He mentioned that when he increased the price.  It was his right.  I passed.