Sunday, September 18, 2011

Anthropology

You know how you're walking along and then all of a sudden something happens and you go "I'm blogging about this"?
Or is that just me?
Well, that's beside the point. The point is- I had that happen about four times today. And instead of putting them all on seperate posts, which takes way too much time and effort, I figured I'd just put them all in one post and hope it makes some sort of sense. You all are smart. I'm sure you can figure it out.

So, our story begins at about 1:30, when my mom, Philip and I ended up at this library book sale. It's the last day, and it was 50% off today. Not the best price, but hey. $1 a book is about as cheap as you can get at Goodwill, and there was a much larger variety.
Anyway.

We were standing around, looking at these card game rule books for Christina, when these two worker people walked past.
Note, for this story, it is very important that you know that they were teen girls. (Also know that while I am making fun of teenagers here, and weeping for my generation, that in no means am I trying to be mean to these two girls.)
See, we were standing in the same aisle as they had the "Sociology and Anthropology" books.
Here is their conversation:

Teen one: Anthropology... What's anthropology?
Teen two: I dunnoooo... Um... I know it's a store? That sells skirts and stuff?

Okay, yes. There is a store called Anthropology, and yes, it does sell "skirts and stuff" as she mentioned.
But.
These books?
WERE NOT ABOUT A STORE THAT SELLS SKIRTS AND STUFF.
No, it was about the 'original' anthropology, which happens to be the study of people and of the behavior of different societies. (I've known that since I was about eight, when I read "Love, Ruby Lavender" which is an excellent book y'all should read.)

Okay. To be honest... No. The definition of anthropoloy didn't just leap into my brain when I read the sign. But on the other hand? It only took me about five minutes to remember what it was.
Oh, and if she had asked me, and I hadn't known the answer?
"I don't really remember, but I know it's a scientific study. Why don't you go over and figure it out?"

Anyway.
My mom and I finished looking at the books, and we went to check out.
Now, my mother had put me in charge of packing the books into this paper bag, and, not to brag, but I have mad packing skills.
I'm not even kidding.
You give me... 25 books and two cliffnotes and a computer game, and I'll get them all to fit into a single paper grocery bag. Even if they're big books.

Unfortunately, people do not understand my mad packing skills and seem to think that I'm an octopus. Or an alien. Or something.

So, checking out at rummage sales and bag days are always interesting.
This was no exception.

As they unpacked our books, to see how much we had to pay, one of the women looked at me and said
"I think I'm going to use another bag. I have no clue how you got these all to fit."

Like I said.
Mad packing skills.

Okay. Here I want to take a small side break and note a couple of the books that we got at the book sale for me. Why? Because I got quite a few cool ones. I'm only going to talk about... oh... Three or four of them, though.
First book:
Tooth and Nail. This looks really cool. In case you can't read the cover, it's a book for learning SAT words. But it's a mystery novel. Not a word list.
And the coolest part of this?
No, not that it cost $1.50.
No, the coolest part is that... I know a lot of these words already. Words like.. Subtle. Decrepit. Context. Commendable. Innovative. Tedious.
Get the picture?
Anyway, yeah. That's the coolest bit about that book.
Next book.


Abarat by Clive Barker.
Awesome book.
Marvelous characters.
Fantastic... pictures?
Yep! Clive Barker has illustrated all the Abarat books so far. (Which is part of the reason that they take so long to get out.) And the illustrations are AMAZING. I love them.
So. I have my own copy of Abarat now. :D
Next book.

Forgotten Realms: The Avatar Trilogy: Book One.
Okay. Okay. Call me a geek (I won't deny it.) Forgotten Realms are a bunch of books that are based off of the fantasy role playing game that you all know I'm avid about. Aka- Dungeons and Dragons.
The reason that this book in particular is so epic is that I had books two and three to this same trilogy, but they hadn't had the first book at Goodwill when I got them. Now I have it! That means... I have... This entire trilogy, the entire "Preludes" trilogy, two random books, and my moms copy of the first one of the first series. (Which were the first ones published, not necessarily the first ones in the... Time... sequence? If that makes sense?)
Oh. If anyone wants to read any of these books, I have a surefire way of finding their location in a bookstore/book sale/Goodwill.
Technique? Find the geekiest looking guys. You know... The Star Trek ones. Chances are they're looking at SciFi. And for some reason, they lump Sci Fi and Fantasy together, even though they're completely different genres. So, find the geeks, and you'll find the geeky books. Simple.

Moving on.
After we checked out, we went to Barnes and Noble to get Slaughterhouse Five, which is what I'm reading for my literature group next.
We got out of the car, and my mom picked up Philip to put him in the sling. As she picked him up, she said the second memorable quote of today:
"You are a stinky baby! Such a stinky baby! You smell like death!"
Just so you know, that is the first time I have ever heard anyone reference the smell of a four month old child to death.
Interesting how my mom's brain works...

Anyway, after we got the book, we got in the car, and went home.
Oh. One more thing quote, also from my mom, from on the way home:
"My college grades weren't great... Sure, there were things I could have done better. ...Actually attending classes, for one thing..."
Yeaaaaah... xD

Anyway, so I've been home now for about an hour... I wrote my name in all my new books (kind of an obsession with me, I write my name in all my books), and came upstairs, and wrote this blog post.
Brilliant.

Now, I'm off to write my own books (either Reaper or Illegal [aka, Morbid's book or Amanda/Gavin's book] I'm not sure which) and then down to do Western Civ (FOR FUN) and then to read other books, then to come upstairs and eat.
Wow.
I read a lot.
No wonder the SAT words aren't unfamiliar...

4 comments:

Bekah said...

"You smell like death."

Sounds like something I would say.

I officially love your mom by the way =P

Jenna said...

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHA!!
Anthropology.
Pfffffft some people may just never learn the difference between anthropology and Anthropologie. I agree with you, it makes me weep for our generation.
Great post!!!

Anonymous said...

Cool post :) I don't really know anything about Anthropology, woops... Can I be forgiven for not knowing about the store? We don't have a store called that where I'm from, lol :P
Click on my name to go to my profile and see my blog if you like :D

Rose said...

i must be agenius.
no, really, i must be.
because i know all of those words! *snooty face*
mind you, i do not hav mad bag packing skills.
i feel like a failure.
fantastic post, as always, and just so you know, you are one of the very few people whos post i would actually read all of when it is that long (: