The Absent-Minded Dissertater

Item 1: It's miserably hot and I headed to campus today (in my Wicked t-shirt, as noted below) to pick up an interlibrary loan, return some books, and make some photocopies. Got everything done that I wanted to get done by noon, so I decided to come home for lunch and today's writing.

But when I got home, I discovered that my very last interlibrary loan had just arrived, and was ready to be picked up. Grr... Back to campus tomorrow to do some microfilm.

Item 2: [This is just sad, really.] Dr. Mellow once told me that he once recalled a book from himself. Went to the library, very upset that Book X, which he needed desperately, was checked out. So he filled out the little recall form in order to get Book X asap. Then he went home and checked his email, which had a message from the library saying he had to return Book X, as it was being recalled. Turned around, looked at shelf, and sure enough, Book X is sitting right there.

Sadly, I can now relate. One of the interlibrary loans I so desperately needed for chapter 6 arrived last week. I read through it, aware that I had read it probably 6 months before, taken notes on it, but that I was looking for different information now. I see that pages 170-180 would be particulary helpful to me, and make a note that I should photocopy those pages. That's when I hit the bookmark. On a sticky-note, tucked in the back of the book, is written "copy 170-180 before returning". In my handwriting.

So much for my much-lauded organizational skills.