Self Service Library. Tank tops and Muffin tops!

Week before Xmas:
Nick, me, Nana(June), Ben, Jack, Dad,
Mum, Max and Valerie.

Max on Xmas morning!

Over the xmas break I took our youngest son to the library to return about 10 overdue books and possibly take out a couple more. We were met by the latest waste of our council tax - 2 'self service' machines. These were 5 ft high metal boxes with scanners and buttons on the front of them. For those of you familiar with this latest technological advance please accept my apologies for my lack of technological know-how (something my long suffering family have to put with on a daily basis). The two librarians, who used to be behind a desk with a computer and date stamp to hand, were on this day helping everyone with this latest 'invention'. When asked, by myself, whose idea this was, I was given the answer that someone in the county council at head office had the idea. This will supposedly cut down on man hours, probably costing several thousand pounds each, and alot more expensive than two helpful librarians. The thing is I want a person to stamp mine and Max's books, I want to see ink being pressed from the inkpad onto the inside cover full of dates, I want to talk to library people about the books I've read, about to read or order etc. " When am I going to know when to bring the books back", I asked, after we had chosen a few books, scanned them (you can do this in piles now!) I realised I didn't have a date stamp. Another button was pressed and out came a receipt, about the same size as a store till receipt. Great, now another piece of paper scrunched up in my overflowing purse, not overflowing with twenty and ten pounds notes I might add but mixed up with other receipts that I shove in their on an almost daily basis.

The Xmas break has been a stretch, not just for the old bank balances but for my ever expanding waist, if this is really an apt description, for my mid-drift that appears to be drifting every where but IN. I blamed my swelling stomach on a change of 'pill' but after talking to my little sister Carole, blunt but truthful talking prevailed- it must be all the little extras I had been nibbling over the festive season. Surely not I exclaimed, bread sauce, cranberry sauce, turkey, brussel sprouts, roast potatoes and stuffing in a sandwich several times after xmas day cannot be the reason for this bloating! Never! In the sales I bought several pairs of skinny jeans in all manner of denim and the like fabrics, oh dear, skinny was not the reflection that greeted me in the full length mirror in our bedroom - I have discovered 'Muffin Top' and it is not a pretty sight! Another thing I have discovered is the tank top. These not only keep you warm (old lady talking) but can help to cover up the middle area. Enough said.