Multitasking

You know, I always sing my own praises of being able to multitask like a madwoman. But my first day back in the dear ol' HBLL really bruised my reputation. And my ego.

Story is: The tattle-tape on those d*** things for physics students were making the 3Ms beep like crazy. And if the tattle-tape didn't, the brand new textbooks did. Needless to say, the people shuffling in and out of the library were making the 3ms chirp like a cageful of canaries. So, the atrium is ringing with their song, there's a billion people stopping by the desk to ask where the Wilkinson Center is, and I'm somehow making eye contact with every sweet little RM who is desperately ready to shed his single-ness.

That, and the books are piling up at an alarming rate--even faster than they did on finals week. I seriously thought of building myself a little castle right there on the desk, and staying there until spring.

So I call Circulation to bring me a cart. But just as I pick up the phone, 3 different people set off the alarm, several more approach East with their stupid questions, and I yell after a guy trying to bring ice cream into the library. Circulation tries to talk to me:

"Library circulation. How may I help you?"
"Yeah, I'm at East and, uh..."

The alarm beeps again. I put the phone on my shoulder. "Sir? Sir? Can you walk through again?"

"Hello?"
"Sorry. I'm back. I need a, uh..."

"Hey, can you tell me where the MARB is?" Some guy, with his class printout in his hand.
"Sure," I say, shifting the phone to my shoulder again. I pull out the map, peer at it, and can't find the bloody building anywhere. "I think it's south of the library..."

"You need a what?"
"Oh my," I say, putting the phone to my ear again. "I'm sorry. I need a...uh..."

The word "cart" somehow escapes me. I stare off, wracking my brain for what it was I needed, and why I had called, and who I was talking to in the first place.

"A cart?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. A cart. Thank you."
*Click*

As I hung up the phone, I couldn't help but smile. Maybe I have a Y chromosome lurking around there someplace...