While I was walking downtown tonight, I had to stop and recognize that the fountain on the square really is pretty cool.
I’m glad the plans for the new square include keeping this fountain as a part of it. As I was walking off the square, I noticed a group of people standing in the doorway of this new downtown establishment:
As I walked up and started peeking beyond the group at the door, one of the women standing there sort of looked me up and down with a real look of disdain as she continued talking to two of the other group. It almost felt like “who the heck are you that you should be looking into my precious library?” Heaven forbid someone from the public actually get a glance as to what our tax dollars are being spent upon! (The horror!) As the most of the group was swept inside and the door tightly closed behind them one of them was kind enough to walk over and say they were planning to open on Friday. She said that they library folks want to keep the design of the building secret until the opening and that they won’t even let their own staff take pictures of the building.
Yes, I did think about snapping a picture through the gaps in the paper on the window after I finished speaking with this nice lady. I thought about posting it because of the disdainful glances I received when I had the audacity to stand on a public sidewalk and look into a building that was paid for with public funds. However, after that moment of amused thought passed I decided to let them have their Secret Library. I will say this…what I saw inside looked pretty cool to me. The layout that I was able to see is different than other libraries I have seen and it should fit nicely in to the downtown vibe.
I know the guys next door at The Coffee Ethic (home of some really good hot chocolate) are excited for the library to open! (They told me so.)
Finally, I want to give some props to another downtown business…
My fiancee and I have found that our wedding has been quite the adventure when it comes to dealing with wedding vendors. Recently, the baker who we were planning to use contacted us and said that unfortunately they wouldn’t be able to do the cake for our wedding. So here we are, two months out…and nothing baked and frosted for me to shove into Amy’s face after the vows. Fortunately someone referred us to “The Bakehouse” and at first I didn’t realize it was the place I walked past almost every morning when I walk my usual morning route for exercise. (Also I pass it every time I go to O’Connell’s Deli for their outstanding chicken salad.)
Barb said that she usually didn’t make wedding cakes like this but that she would meet with us. She made some cupcakes of the different flavors and provided us a sample of the icing she uses for the cakes. I know that I’m supposed to write and be descriptive but I have a hard time writing out just how good these cupcakes tasted to me. She had one flavor…orange almond…that I actually liked so much I was going to request my groom’s cake be made from it if Amy didn’t want it in the main wedding cake. The best part of all of it is that Barb makes everything from scratch including the icing. Well, I guess that’s the second best part…the best part is that she doesn’t use peanuts or peanut products so my soon to be daughter will be able to have lots of cake. (She has a severe peanut allergy.)
So a big thank-you to Barb at the Bakehouse. If you haven’t tried her goodies, you need to stop in and try some of the wonderful things they make at the Bakehouse. It’s goooooooooood.
“… for me to shove into Amy’s face after the vows.”
Jason, every wedding that my wife and I have attended where cake was shoved into either the bride or the groom’s face has ended in divorce.
There are two conclusions here.
1. Shoving cake equals divorce or
2. Shoving cake at a wedding attended by Jim Lee equals divorce.
Your options would appear to be as followed:
a: don’t shove cake if you invite Jim Lee to the wedding. or
b. don’t invite Jim Lee to the wedding and shove cake.
Well, you’re getting an invite so I guess I better not shove the cake!
I know what you look like, Jason, and if you were given the once-over by this particular library, I can’t wait to see how they treat the “downtowners” who stop in for five hours, not having showered, shaved or changed in five days.
You know it’ll happen…
Were you wearing NASCAR racing attire, Jason?
Because I would turn out anyone that weareth NASCAR stuff too.
If I may play devil’s advocate/library defender for a moment…I had heard long ago that the SGCL was keeping the Park Central Branch under wraps until the big unveiling at the next First Friday Art Walk. I don’t know if your camera was visible as you were walking past the new branch, but if it was, then perhaps that is why you got “the look.” It sounds as if you got a decent explanation from the “nice lady” who spoke to you. The element of surprise in opening this branch sounds rather fun and exciting–why the urge to spoil it for them?
I didn’t have a camera. I was just walking past. All the pics I take are on my cell phone. As far as this woman knew, I was just some guy walking past and was looking in. There was no reason for the look of disdain.
The “urge” was just because this woman looked at me like I was beneath her.
Well, those are good pictures for a cell phone, I must say!
I can say from personal experience that the folks at the Springfield-Greene County Library District are a great bunch of people who do a lot for the community without a lot of thanks. I have seen these librarians bend over backwards for the homeless, the lonely, the “great unwashed” and the just plain crazy, just as they would for a Lexus-driving soccer mom from the gated communities of the southside. Even if you can’t peer in to give everyone a full report until Friday, many questions about the new facility are answered on their website:
http://thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/publications/libnews/prk_grand.cfm