500 Miles

Hello,

At the library I answer the phone, “Ely Public Library, Paula speaking.” On Monday the response from the caller was, “Send Malinda out. I am out front waiting for her.”

I glanced at the three people in the library at that moment. No one called Malinda seemed to be there. I hesitated before telling him that, as one of the people is not well known to me, so she could use a middle name Malinda that I had not heard before. I told him, “No one here has that name, but perhaps Bernice is the one you are looking for?”

He sighed and said, “I am in front of the Ely Nevada Library waiting for Malinda.”

I laughed and said, “I am in Ely, Iowa Library.”

He did not laugh, but commented, “It is only about 500 miles away.”

Looking up phone numbers on the internet puts Ely Public Library in Iowa at the head of the list for Ely, MN and Ely, NV. Technology is both a help and an interesting side trip for the unwary.

Now if I could just get my Christmas letter written, the maelstrom in my head would calm down. Maybe I should contact one of the other Ely Public Libraries to see if they have brilliant ideas about finishing the job. Some of you people are so good and I do not understand how you get the job done on time every year, but good for you. At least Leroy is not ahead of me although he is also talking about it.

Paula