Steamed like a Clam

Not the happiest morning today. 

I like to listen to books on tape on my way to work - it's a long drive and it passes the time nicely. I would listen to books on CD, but the hick-town library to which I am a slave has not progressed to CD's as of yet. I think they're just getting rid of their record collection (yes, that's right vinyl), so I shouldn't expect too much. 

Anyhoo, I was on the last side of the last tape of The World Below when all of a sudden it just ended mid-paragraph. I looked for another tape, rewound and fast forwarded the tape a few times and came to the conclusion that there must be more tapes that are not in the box. But, there are only 4 cassette-holding spots in the box, and it says very clearly on the catalog information that there are 4 cassettes in all. 

I work in a big city. So, I checked the big-city library's online catalog this morning - there are supposed to be 6 cassettes (unless the one I had was abridged and this other one is full-length, but then that's some really pathetic abridgment to end mid-paragraph without any wrapping up or closure, and really, not making sense at all....). My conclusion is that they've always been missing these other cassettes, and the library just doesn't know it. 

Now, I wasn't the first person to get out these tapes - there are about 8 earlier due date stamps before mine on the library check-out sticker (yes, my library has not progressed to the computer receipt thing yet - like I said, it's hick-town). This, of course, begs the question - why didn't anybody else notice???? Or did they notice and just not say anything? Or did they tell the library staff, and they didn't check into the issue? 

To top things off, once I'd admitted defeat on my hour-trek to work, I decided to pop the first tape of another book in. Guess what? It starts mid-tape. I've tried rewinding it and fast forwarding it, but it won't budge. I was thinking that maybe there was something wrong with my cassette player, but alas, no - that's not it. I'm fairly angry now. 

I decided to check out the 6 tape version of the book at lunch from the big-city library, but then Arthur called. He was in town and finished with an appointment early, so would I like to go to lunch? How could I turn down lunch with Arthur? I hate to be so uncynical, but really - I love meeting him for lunch. 

So - off we went, and now I don't have time to go to the library. I will try to go tomorrow. In the mean time, the suspense is killing me (ok, not really, but I don't like listening to the radio when I drive). I wonder if I'll bother telling the library staff about the books on tape, or if I'll just throw them in the return chute.
 
[Sigh]