Mood:
celebratoryTopic: "Painted Toenails?"(4)
Frodo is a frequent visitor at The Book Exchange in Marietta, GA. He mentions this not as a "plug" in behalf of a small, but growing, business, although he is enamored of the pluck shown by the owner, but because it is the source of his personal pledge to read at least one book by everybody. From Tom Clancy to Victor Hugo, Frodo mixes mood and opportunity in order to select used copies at greatly reduced prices.
Frodo is keenly aware of the fact that, like Sam, he could go to the extensive and impressive public library system and select books for free. However, Frodo doesn't like being put on waiting lists, or waiting in line while some overweight Republican commences a discussion about the latest book on Oprah's reading list. Frodo does not care about Oprah's reading list. Frodo knows what he wants when he sees it, and planning has little attraction to a Hobbit wrestling with Gollum.
As stated previously, Frodo admires the ownership of the little used-book store. The owner has regular visitations by authors, albeit most of them are ladies who write books that would make Frodo blush. She also has read a lot of books which Frodo has not, and she is not sanguine about an opinion or two noting that some authors write like others, and Frodo "might like" this-or-that author. Recently, Sam paid a visit to the shop and happened to mention Frodo to the owner. Since Frodo had never introduced himself by name, the owner struggled trying to imagine exactly which of her customers would actually be a Hobbit. Before Sam departed, Sam made a comment in support of Barack Obama, and was informed by the owner that she would be serving as a "hostess" again at the Democratic Convention. For the second time, she would travel to the Democratic Convention and serve as a "guide" to press and politico alike. She told Sam that she and a friend had rented a small house in Denver, and that they were calling it their "Obama Cabana."
Frodo made a point of driopping by during his lunch hour the next day. As he stood at the cash register he remarked about the upcoming visit to Denver. The startled owner tried desperately to figure out how this customer had any idea about her personal plans, and it was not until he remarked about Sam that she put two-and-two together. Frodo, as he exited, again wished her well, and told her to wear a "white carnation" so that Frodo could have all the Hobbits watch for the owner of The Book Exchange. It was her tactical error to laugh and to tell Frodo that she painted her toenails like "little American flags" while on duty at events such as the Convention.
So, dear reader, look for the smiling lady with the short blonde haircut, with toenails painted like "little American Flags," and amaze your friends by telling them that she owns a bookstore frequented by the Hobbit himself.
Do you think she might knock 5% off Frodo's next purchase?
