BookFool.com Expanding: New Warehouse, New Possibilities
Help! We can’t stop growing! This summer we realized we bought so many books that we can’t fit them all in our warehouse. So we’ve added the warehouse immediately behind ours, nearly doubling our space while also decreasing our energy usage.
As any Fool can tell you, it gets toasty in our current warehouse in the summer. Like really toasty. Like hot. One advantage of this new space is its low concrete ceiling and brand-new air conditioner. Our new space with the A/C OFF is between 5-10 degrees cooler than our old space with the A/C on. So we’re moving all Fools into the new space where they can work in climate controlled comfort. Most of the books have to stay in the old place and tough it out.
View from the platform.
Where should we put the coffee maker?
We also have a special secret surprise planned for those intrepid enough to seek us out. Give us a month to get it all set up, but…oops…I’ve said too much already.
Dispatches from North Dakota: The Make-Believe Cowboy
[Ed. note: DJ is one of our managers during buyback season. He has such an interesting story, I asked him to share it in a series of blog posts. This is post #1. His second hilarious post is here.]
To many citizens, North Dakota is a mystery.
Not an intriguing “who’s-that-attractive-woman-giving-me-a-come-hither-look?” kind of mystery. More like a “what’s-this-unidentified-piece-of-food-stuck-between-my-lower-incisors?” kind of mystery.
People envision ND as a cultural wasteland where it snows all year-round and everyone walks around saying “you betcha.” In fact, disturbing amounts of people I have encountered base their entire understanding of the state from the movie Fargo.
The potential inaccuracy of that film notwithstanding, North Dakota is filled with oddities and idiosyncrasies.
But tucked away in the southwest corner of the state, beyond the prairies and the World’s Largest Holstein Cow is a magical hamlet filled with geological wonders and historical country-western themed musicals.
And this is where we find our hero… ahem… me.
I’m DJ.
During the last decade or so, I have had the unparalleled opportunity to make my living primarily as a professional musician.
If you are a person who enjoys financial stability and security, a home and a hot dinner to return to each evening and/or a life free from the stench of unwashed bandmates, then this is not the occupation for you.
However, if you find yourself with an unwavering passion for your art, an itch to travel, openness to adventure and a willingness to laugh at yourself and your situation, then you might entertain the option.
It also helps to know how to play an instrument- although, sadly, this doesn’t appear to be a requirement for everyone. (I’m looking at you, Jonases.)
In 2001, when I was studying guitar as a freshman in college, I got a summer gig.
Playing music.
For money.
I was out of my mind with joy. I signed the contract, but I knew very little about the gig itself. I knew it was in North Dakota, a state I had yet to visit, but other than that, the details I had were sketchy at best.
I made the long trek through the Midwest, across the ND border and past the fields and field and fields and fields that accompanied my westerly path. Several hours into the state, flat plains begin roll and open up. But it’s not until about 5 miles before the exit for Medora that the bottom drops out and the North Dakota badlands make themselves known.
Eight years later that staggering view still makes my blood pump a little faster on my way into work.
The Show
Breathtaking as they may be, the badlands are just a backdrop for the Medora Musical. Every night from roughly Memorial Day through Labor Day, I put on my cowboy outfit and, along with the rest of the Coaldiggers live onstage band, I play breathless renditions of country classics and modern favorites while the Burning Hills Singers regale the audience with showchoir harmonies and synchronized dancing.
(cc) Flickr user minnemom
At this point you’re probably wondering if there’s someone in the show who portrays our nation’s 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt. Don’t worry, there is.
TR spent some two years out here in the 1880s and left an indelible impression on the area and its people.
So much so that a good portion of the second act of the Medora Musical is dedicated to an enthusiastic re-enactment of Teddy’s charge up San Juan Hill during the Mexican-American War.
Pyrotechnics. Horses. The works. BOOM.
All this followed by the inevitable patriotic finale, the goal of which is to have every single member of the audience leap to their feet and exclaim “I LOVE THIS ******* COUNTRY” as the mobile onstage set pieces slowly move apart to reveal a massive American flag.
Over the top? Perhaps. Who’s to say? The legions of people who flock to Medora each summer (and there are legions) seem to think it’s just what the doctor ordered. And who am I to argue?
For me, it’s just an excuse to play guitar and avoid growing up and getting one of those REAL jobs.
East Nashville Listserv – Where Art Thou?
East Nashville bumper stickers
[UPDATE: Laura has set up a NEW LISTSERV with Yahoo! Groups. More info and sign-up here.]
East Nashville is an energetic and historic place and a true melting-pot of Nashville. It’s also BookFool.com’s neighborhood.
A few years ago, some East Nashville neighbors got together to create an East Nashville listerv using Google Groups. If you don’t know, a Listerv is an email list allowing for distribution of email to many subscribers. Therefore, when one person posts an email to the group, it is sent by email to everyone in the group. The Google Group listserv is a free service provided by Google.
For East Nashville, the listerv is like a neighborly chat over the fence. EVERYTHING is discussed. For June 25th, I counted over fifty (50) different new topics being discussed! Some of those included:
- Local Organic Pest Control
- Looking for House to Rent Near 5-Points
- Wedding/Reception Venue? Please Help.
- Dog left outside Tom’s Elite in the hot sun (This is one of many daily animal postings. I posted myself when my dog ran away. Oh, and Tom’s Elite Carryout is a great new eatery on Calvin Avenue & Gallatin Rd in Lockeland Springs. Delicious baked items – nothing fried.)
- Eastland Kroger…again
As you can see, our neighborhood really takes advantage of our listserv. The number of daily emails can be overwhelming. But without the group, a lot of vital information would not be flowing between neighbors.
Listserv Gone AWOL
Yesterday, June 26th, around 10:15AM, the East Nashville Google Group and listserv was shut down by Google. According to Laura Creekmore, the East Nashville Google Group Moderator, “…Google reset its spam filters and apparently caught a bunch of legit lists in the process. They are going thru and manually reviewing them. Until they release the East Nashville list, they won’t allow any posting…”
Laura is giving updates at her site. If the neighborhood listserv comes back online or migrates elsewhere, we’ll both let you know.
In the meantime, neighbors might actually have to seek each other out to discuss area events, find lost pets, or find out when the listserv is back online.
Viva la East Nashville!
Shaving Advice from the Fools
Calvin the BookFool.com cat
According to Funny Facts, the average American spends 3500 hours shaving in their lifetime. A quick search for “perfect shave” will show you what a big deal the old whisker trim can be for a man.
Now, from our “Why is this even a blog post?” files, I present the shaving routines of three Fools. These are not paid endorsements, just the passing of our shaving experience on to you.
Lou: Once a Week + Touchups
During basic training, Lou woke up at 4:30am every day to shave by flashlight. If a soldier suffered from shaving bumps, he could obtain a shaving waiver that let him grow a beard for up to 3 weeks. But you’d better keep that waiver on you at all times.
Now Lou shaves once a week with Edge Shaving Gel and a Gillette Fusion blade with 5 razors. He applies the gel directly to the face without any prep (hot towel, etc.). He fills the sink with hot water and rinses the razor by shaking it out in the water and banging it on the counter. No after-shave or lotion. Then he does a touch-up with an electric razor throughout the week.
Kris: Electric Boogaloo
Kris’ college routine included the occasional shave with razor and shaving cream, but he found the process slow and tedious. When he joined a high-powered accounting firm, the daily shave pushed him to an electric razor. Now that he’s a Fool, he still shaves with his electric (a Braun) but only twice a week.
He likes the electric because he finds it cleaner and more convenient. He can shave while reading the paper. It’s also easier for travel.
Luke: The Sensitive Type
I was blessed with what the experts call “sensitive skin,” which means I burn in the sun and shave at my own risk. I’ve tried many, many tricks but found the following routine effective:
Run water until hot and wet a rag. Hold the warm rag against your face to soften the whiskers and prepare the skin. (Repeat as necessary.) Then, lather up with Edge shave gel for sensitive skin (with aloe) while rinsing the razor (a Mach 3) in COLD water. Someone once told me the cold water causes the razor to shrink up and become slightly more sharp. No idea if this is true, but I do like the feeling of a cold razor.
I shave in short, quick strokes, not long pulls. I go with the grain, then against it, re-cooling the razor in the tap after half a face. For the upper lip, I use a cheap electric razor. It’s just easier to maneuver and reduces the risk that I’ll shave my lips off.
I shave every 3-5 days, always before a shower and at least once on Saturday or Sunday morning. I don’t use aftershave but sometimes apply more cooling shave gel after shaving, just before getting in the shower.
The Moral of the Story
If you don’t like shaving every day, maybe BookFool.com is the place for you. We also go around in shorts and a T-shirt all day. Ties are strictly forbidden. Good to be a Fool!
Wow, thanks for visiting! How Did You Find Us?
Today we were visited by a couple wanting to explore East Nashville. They found us online, called us, and were totally pumped to explore our shelves. This may have been only the fifth time for someone to visit us like they would a regular bookstore. Talk about an adventure. Thanks for coming by!
Not your typical bookstore!
