A Very Library Christmas (part one)

[raven]

It's a known fact that I stumbled into my role as committee chair. Fell over the chair, in fact. From non-official hanger-on to actual member to bona fide voted co-chairperson, I never actually wanted the job. To be perfectly honest, I thought it would be a pain in the arse, eat up all my time and firmly cement my total lack of street-credibility.

It has been and has done all those things. And although I have my moments of wondering what the hell I'm doing here - (case in point - the other day, I talked a first-year through using the computer to check out a book. "Your number, yes. Your name. Press Enter twice. Scan - bleep! - press F2, you're done. Okay?"

A beat. She looked at me and held out the book. "Now what do I do with it?"

"Read it," I said wearily) - but most of the time, I'm actually pretty glad I'm doing it. It made for a really original reference, for one thing, and it means I spend so much time breaking up the mini-Scoobies from fighting I'm actually getting quite good at it. As I say so often, as long as they're in there they're my responsibility. The moment they cross the threshold, they're not, and they can hit each other all the way down the corridor if they want to.

All of this preamble is unnecessary, really, but it brings me nicely into the morning's Christmas gift-exchanging and general niceness that accompanied it. I came in late, to start with, and being as how you never set a good example, laden down with ten overdue books to shove into Henry, and ambled towards Politics in a dazed frame of mind. I walked into Sam, who had a card for me. I smiled, accepted it awkwardly, dropped my file and carried on. Five steps later I walked into Cath. "Present," she said effieciently. Laden down with this unexpected bounty, I went on and managed to not walk into anyone else.

Later, we did it properly - gifts and cards and suchlike, except only half of it because Miranda and I are holding off until tomorrow with gifts. Cath and Sam made up for it all in enthusiasm. What they gave each other was mystifying, but I believe the Rasmus (a Finnish rock band Sam is somewhat enamoured of) were involved somewhere, as was a talking frog called Ian. Well, not talking exactly. But it croaked. I thought it was adorable.

Cath gave me a Pucca notebook (to match my bag and purse, natch) and I loved it so much I resolved not to write in it. Much too pretty. And Sam gave me a large poster of Bushisms (that I have left in the library office. Crap.) and...

A Terry's Chocolate Orange.

I think that wins Best Comic Timing of the Year Award.

She gave one to Miranda too, along with Feet of Clay (Discworld) and later on we shared the chocolate - the four of us, and Mr Evans. Because he was there, and if we hadn't given him the chocolate he would have stolen it.

Installment two comes tomorrow, when Miranda and I do the gift-giving thing. She, Cath and I have conspired over Sam's present, and I got Miranda's tonight after some angst. It's all done, thankfully. Everyone else gets chocolate, with the honourable exception of the residents and amchau.

There is nothing else of note, except I may be suffering from unwanted festivty. Before she went to Oxford, Sarah said, "Iona, you're not being nearly as much of a Scrooge this year," and I am forced to concur. Still not going to the Christmas party, though.

Comments

[balthaser.livejournal.com]

Come to the christmas party? I'm going =) as a sort of gothicy fairy if I can pull something together in time.

[bekkypk.livejournal.com]

Is the bushisms poster made up to look like a newspaper? Because i have one like that, it's hiolarious, i used it to block out the full-length mirrors on the wardrobe doors at uni because i don't like mirrors >_<
xx

[eternalwings.livejournal.com]

I did want to get Iona that one but had to get her the a to z one instead as virgin had sold out *cries* I knew you'd leave that in the library.
The chocolate orange was good timing even if I say so myself lol.
What have you got me!!!!!! I don't like the conspiring !!!!! IT CREEPY!!!!
Do you think Mr.Evan's deserves a chrmbo card of the lot of us? Just a fun idea I had

[bekkypk.livejournal.com]

:D I've not seen that one. I do like the one i have though :D
xx

[eternalwings.livejournal.com]

It very funny, it have a different aspect of bush for each letter of the alphabet.
(p.s Like the icon, quistis!)

[bekkypk.livejournal.com]

I shall have to look out for that one then :D
haha thankies, i've had this icon since i got my journal nearly 4 years ago (though somebody added the letters for me :D) quistys my ff8 fave :D
xx

[eternalwings.livejournal.com]

I liekd Quistis too, but Seifer and Zell always had a certain lovable quality to me. The fighting all the time was sooooo cute! I know, I know, my slash brain working overtime on that one!

[bekkypk.livejournal.com]

Hahaha :D I always thought Squallxseifer was cute in the right hands :D but i'm no good at writing slash, only reading it, so i used to write het instead. Seifer went with Quisty eventually, after my mate wrote the cutest fic about them called "an unlikely dance" :D
xx

[amchau.livejournal.com]

Your Winter Season/Christmas package went in the post today, so let me know when it arrives. Everyone at school kept handing me cards today, too-- all of them with shiny silver or gold bits on. That seems to be this years' theme.

We should have a phone conversation sometime this week. When's good for you?

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Yay for parcel! - and ooh, there is badness when it comes to time. After five tomorrow is just about the only time - I'm flying out on Thursday morning. Which is totally of the blah, as I wanted to wail to you about Angel. :)

[amchau.livejournal.com]

After five-- I'm guessing that although your post is dated 15th Dec, becuase it was still 1.49am you're thinking of Wednesday (ie. today) as tomorrow. After five today is good. In fact, there are worse times than *at* five today. So I'll call you around then, and you can wail to me about Angel.