Monday, September 24, 2012

Overheard at the Book Store...

Whatever McKay's business model is, they should franchise it. I've never been there when the parking lot didn't look like they were giving dollar bills away.

They draw an oddly People of Wal-Mart crowd for a used book store, which contrasts (sometimes hilariously so) with the reliably goth/hippie/alt./nerdy staff that you'd expect to find at a mega used book store in a college town.

In there the other day, wending toward the front with a basket full of Flashman novels and back issues of MHQ, I passed the audiobooks section and saw two little old ladies poring over them. One, dressed in a teal pantsuit with a matching felt dumpling of a hat on her head (a hat that had what looked for all the world like a dead bird and a bunch of flowers affixed to one side of it,) sported the spackle-like makeup and hair dye of one determined to not go gently.

She turned to her friend and blurted, and not in her inside voice, mind you, "Edna! See if they have that Fifty Shades of Grey book!"

I am not often caught at a loss for words, but there you go.

22 comments:

Boat Guy said...

You were at a loss for words because there are no words in that case, there is only escape...and maybe some memory-scrubbing once safely at home.

Ancient Woodsman said...

Interesting marketing line - "one of a kind shopping destination" at "each of our three Tennessee locations".

Anonymous said...

Hot time at the old retirement home tonight! I wonder what will be their safe word?

Gerry

Lewis said...

The fire may be banked, but the embers are still burning.

staghounds said...

You go, old girl.

Tamara (remotely) said...

Heh.

I hope to live long enough to scandalize some youngster myself someday.

rickn8or said...

Tam, I wanna be there when you do.
I'm sure it will be epic.

og said...

Old broads need loving too. Good on 'em.

Anonymous said...

She saw you coming. She was just messing with you. Had to be that.

God, I hope that's what it was.

Mike James

Anonymous said...

On the topic of McKays and franchising...

They don't list it on their site, but there's a McKay in my Virginia town. Granted, while the sign out front says "McKay Used Books", it's technically "Richard McKay". I can't tell if there's a connection or not. Neither company acknowledges the other, but the signage is similar, as are the shelving structures.

Chris

Anonymous said...

Uh, guys, the worst kind of dirty talk I have ever heard I heard from my two aunts when they were about 80 or so, and I was in my late 30's. Maybe they figured that by then niece was maybe old enough to hear some truths of life. Some old people have had rather scandalous pasts (and yes, I think I'd maybe rather not have learned that of my aunts).

I think they might have found that book to be somewhat boring, had they lived long enough to read it (I have read bits, got it for free, and I have never refused free books. Not sure if I will manage to read all of it).

Anonymous said...

Oh yes, both aunts were pretty drunk that evening, which might explain a bit their loose tongues.

KM said...

That goes beyond Cougar...
I think we're into Sabertooth range here.

NotClauswitz said...

Nowdays Seniors and Nursing Homes have a higher rate of said "communicable diseases" than High Schools and Inner City Youts'...

Anonymous said...

"Monster Hunter Quarterly"? Is that the trade magazine for MHI?

Ed said...

When the old gals get together it's more like fifty shades of grey hair, some blue, some pink, some even lavender.

RabidAlien said...

Anon2:58...that was my first thought, too! LOL

Drang said...

1) Military History Quarterly. Originally it was a hardcover. I have the first 5 or 6 years stashed in the garage someplace.

2) I believe it was Heinlein who said "Every generation thinks it invented sex." There's really no reason to think so today, of course, although having some little old lady who looks like she should be putting on the annual church rummage sale express an interest in such things can certainly be jarring...

Jon said...

The local used bookstore here, Bookman's, gets the same weird mix of normal folks, People of Wal-Mart and alt-whatever types while having a *very* "we're not your normal sort" staff. Interesting.

mikelaforge said...

Same type of loons hanging around the Edward McKay(apparently no connection)store in Fayetteville NC.

markm said...

It *is* possible that the little old ladies have heard *of* the book, but don't understand anything they heard *about* it. One of my grandmothers, if she were still around, might have picked it up just because it seems to be famous, but would probably have to read three chapters before she caught on - and then her face would be redder than her dyed hair!

OTOH, my other grandmother (in her pre-alzheimer's prime - say, 85 or 90) would have understood exactly what it was about before she went looking for a copy, and probably would have included quotes in her letters to family...

Justthisguy said...

One of the things the Internet has taught me is that girls can be just as nasty as boys, if not more so.

Do some reading on asstr.org, sometime. A lot of the more revolting nasty stories there are written by gals.