Good Luck Jan!

After many years working at the DU Bookstore, Jan is moving to Omaha, Nebraska in order to take care of her mother.  In her honor, there was a dessert party today in the Bookstore's breakroom.  Jan is pictured in the above photograph showing off my famous key lime pie, which I baked especially for the occasion. The last time I baked it I never got any feedback, since by coincidence everyone had to leave for the emergency room right afterwards.  I didn't get any feedback today, either.  Once again everyone who tried it seemed to quickly disappear.  Go figure. In any case, good luck Jan!  We'll miss you!

A Retraction

I am sorry to admit that I made a serious error in yesterday's blog post.  Tony, the DU Bookstore's Quick Copy Manager, was quick to point out to me out that he was NEVER in the US Navy.  In point of fact, he was in the Air Force.  Furthermore, he served in the 82nd Airborne Division, the one that performed so heroically during the Battle of the Bulge in WW II.  And if I understood him correctly, Tony actually participated in that battle.  To be honest, my innocent little error really doesn't matter very much.  The point is that Tony is old - very old - and nothing can change that.  Deal with it, Tony!

Visiting With Tony

Tony (pictured above, talking to his bookie) is another DU Bookstore employee who is always willing to have his photograph taken.  Unlike Jan and various other Bookstore employees, he does not need several day's notice to prepare his makeup before being photographed.  Tony is - I think - a Navy veteran.  Like our colleague Wally, I believe he served on one of those three masted sailing ships like the Star of India.  And like Wally, he must be a lot older than he looks. Thanks for the photo ops, Tony!

A Shout Out To Noah!

A hearty thanks to Noah, the DU Bookstore's Stockroom Manager, for being such a good sport and always being willing to have his photograph taken for this blog, no matter how much I wind up insulting him on it (in a good natured way, of course).  Noah is a truly nice guy.  Of course, Dave B, the former supply buyer for the Bookstore, was also always willing to have his photograph taken, but he was truly insane, which makes a big difference.  Thanks again, Noah!

Becoming One With Art

My friend Valarie has told me many times that I have achieved oneness with being cheap, so I felt it was time for me to do the same with art - after all, with my world class photographs, I am myself an "artiste."  For this reason, I visited the Denver Art Museum - it was a free day, naturally  - to soak up as much culture as I could get over the next couple of hours.  Many of the paintings defied explanation, such as the one I am standing in front of in the photograph above.  I'm not exactly sure what it means, but it definitely has something to do with the 40 hour workweek.  Trust me on this. 

Valarie Goes High Tech

I had dinner with Valarie, the former Operations Manager of the DU Bookstore - not to mention the former owner of Denver's Capitol Hill Bookstore - at 730 South last night.  Valarie recently traded in her flip phone for an Apple i-Phone, with which she can send text messages and e-mails, take photographs, access the Internet, make  posts on Facebook, and send out messages into deep space looking for intelligent life out there.  Meanwhile, I recently bought a new flip phone after my old one fell into the toilet.  With dismay I learned it does not store the names and phone numbers of people who have called you, or of people you have recently called.  It even no longer automatically turns on when you open it up.  Another $20 wasted.  Valarie was not sympathetic, as she sat across the table and texted Mars.  What has ever happened to empathy in this brave new world? 

Wally At The Ready

I saw Wally standing on the DU Bookstore's truck dock this morning as I headed for work.  I asked what he was doing there and he told me he was waiting for a delivery.  I asked if he was sure the truck was on its way, and he replied that he was sure one would probably show up soon. While he was waiting, he said he would also empty the trash into the compactor.  Wally is currently an assistant in the DU Bookstore's stockroom, and now has the perspective of a stockroom employee - he judges the state of the Bookstore by the amount of trash produced, instead of by the number of sales generated.  In Wally's estimation, the DU Bookstore's business is going gangbusters.  Thanks for the insight, Wally!