Muggles, Everywhere

Okay, I'm not a Harry Potter rabid fan.* I like the movies; they're entertaining, and the kids are cute. But today's outing made me feel all like I was dealing with a bunch of idiots with no magic in them at all. Phooey!

Today, leaving Borders (a bookstore or a coffeeshop is the only appropriate public place on a day like today--private places include bed, or the couch with a steaming beverage and a home-made scone) after picking up a couple of promising new books I made a mild joke to the two checkers, who had been flirting around pretending to "straighten" the crap piled on tables in front of the counter but who both stood there while ringing me up (cause they really needed both cashiers to ring up my two books). My joke wasn't the best in the world, but it was mildly funny. However, because they didn't get it, it caused them, no doubt, to roll their eyes as though I were the nutty one after I left.

I said: "be careful over there in Sci-Fi-- there are Naps waiting to attack you." After half a second, wide-eyed, as though I were giving a real warning of a real hazard, and me repeating "Naps" and her finally getting it, and sort of lamely smiling (a gotta-humor-the-crazy-old-customer smile) she and her flirting-not-working partner sort of laughed. Of course, since I'm a masochist, I had to make it worse "I caught one while I was over there; they're trouble you know. Those nap attacks."

Like I said, I could almost feel the sarcastic "what a nut" smiles as I was walking away. Hey man. I'm hilariously funny. I'm no Eddie Izzard, but I have made many many people laugh. My students usually LOVE me (and not because I give them As or wear low cut cleavage inducing blouses. It's my sense of humor they love). And while the nap joke wasn't my best ever, it rated more than an eye-roll. Stupid Muggles. Not getting the jokes we superior intellects tell. Phooey. Reeedickulous.

And no, sorry Terry, no good coffeeshop posts today. The Starbuck's down the street from my house is not nearly as interesting as the coffeeshop in Shreveport. I don't know why. It was mostly full of people doing "work-related" stuff; job interviews, discussing a house-closing (much to my distraction and annoyance. I got very little work done). There was one guy huddled in the corner with his laptop, who didn't appear to have even bought anything, who I caught staring at me a couple of times while I was reading my article on Domestic Violence in India (it's for my dissertation chapter). Maybe he thought I was funny-looking. Or maybe it was really HIM who cursed me with the nap that is now weighing down any chance of further dissertation work. Damn evil Slitherins.

*Odd references in the post which only a Harry Potter fan would actually get to the contrary.