I have become a procrastinator. Actually I am worse than a procrastinator b/c procrastinators put things off till the last minute and then get them done. I didn’t used to be this way but now I tend to put them off till the last minute and then the deadline passes and I am still left with the job undone.
Case in point: I bought my mom her mothers day card at the end of April. I brought it to PA with me at the beginning of May to deliver with my gift. But, I didn’t sign it, thinking, “Oh I will sign it when I get there.” And the card rode back to MD with me, unsigned where it sat in the back of the passenger seat until today 8 DAYS AFTER MOTHERS DAY when I finally signed it and mailed my mom her card.
As if that wasn’t bad enough today I also mailed my BIL his birthday package for his birthday on April 9th. I wish I could say I forgot his birthday and that is why it was late. I didn’t forget, I knew about it, even got him a card, but had trouble deciding on his gift and kept waiting to find the right thing, and well… it should arrive about 2 mths late. Here’s hoping that he feels that it’s “better late than never.”
After my belated post office trip, I then went to the library. A place I have been avoiding for the past month or so.
Every time I come home from the library, my husband jokingly asks, “How much will this trip cost us?”
Well, back in March, I checked out some books and when I went to return them (already overdue b/c for the life of me I can not figure out how to return my books on time… even when I make notes on the calendar I still don’t manage to get them in on time) I couldn’t find two books. I thought for sure they would turn up but was scurrying to pack for our Texas trip and just kinda ignored it.
Funny how library books don’t just magically appear and return themselves when you are on vacation.
When I got home, the books still did not appear and I renewed them in hopes of them turning up in that time.
Yes, I know it would have been smarter to renew them right away when I realized they were missing, and I thought about it, but never followed through…something about packing up my family of 5 for a 2 week trek across Texas…
So today I finally succumbed to that fact that those Clifford books were not turning up.
And I went to pay my bill.
$18.00 in over due fines
+ cost for 2 lost books
= $42.09 in library fees
My daughter asked if we could check out another book and I told her no. Mommy needs to figure out a system for keeping track of and returning our books before we take any more home.
So, while I go to work on my MIL’s belated mother’s day gift, I wanna know…what’s the most you’ve paid at the “free” library for your books? I bet I have you beat.
wow, Crystal. i'm not sure what to say. $42? ouch. what did Scott say to that? i'm glad i'm not the only one to mail gifts late, though. that makes me feel lots better, actually...
ReplyDeleteGirl, I procrasinate so much I still have not made the temp library card into the real one! It's been about 6 weeks or more! Sounds like I'm on the same path.
ReplyDeleteIt's like we are twins... haven't been to the library in months now - it's just not in the budget anymore, ha! and my sister in law's b.day was in Feb. and I am still trying to figure out what to get her...
ReplyDeletewow. i thought my $10 was bad. now perhaps my husband will see me as a stellar library patron when i share your woes. here's what i found works for me. you have to go regularly. we have a library day around here and we go the same day every week. the books go in the library bag and they are only taken out to be read with a parent and then they go immediately back into the bag. is this always successful? no! but it's better than it used to be! and i love my library's 1 week grace period for those "off weeks."
ReplyDeleteMy mother wrecked her car in the attempt to get the books to the library ontime before it closed. That was an expensive trip to the library. To be honest I have a fear of owing money to the library so a rarely get books out. It's chaeaper to buy.
ReplyDeleteYou do have me beat. I think I had a ten dollar one at one point, but it was because I was returning a dvd late. However, I totally get the procrastination thing with cards and gifts. I know I have cards that were never sent despite my best intentions.
ReplyDeleteA tip for the library...a tote bag (a big one) or a basket you could put in the van (next to the potty?) or by your steps at home so that you can keep them all in one place. Maybe someplace to keep them all together in the house and then someplace to put them in the van for the return trip.
Or, you could just ask the library to list you as a charitable contributor to the cause of literacy.
LOL I love the comments to your problem. Where does Scott put this in the budget?? Have you ever thought that buying books MIGHT be cheaper?!?! At least you can look at your library and know that you are truly supporting it - brick by brick, and new books for all :-)
ReplyDelete$1 for a movie, on one occasion. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteI was going to post this anonymously, but decided to 'fess up. I am a college librarian...and on at least one occasion I accumulated the max ($6/book) OD charge for having 9 books out, so I have you beat. Do you think the public library cuts me any slack for being "one of them"? I wouldn't know--I'm always too embarrassed to mention it! You'd think I could manage to renew them at least, but I can never remember where my card is to renew them online...
ReplyDeleteummmmm.....birthday lunch?!!!! Ha ha ha! Love you my over due friend! You are a favorite and I'll take reading your crazy words over and over again! Never a fine!
ReplyDeleteTwo thoughts:
ReplyDeleteI owed the Library $56 in high school because of major research project and my inability to figure out how to write a Bibliography and a unexpected rain storm with the car windows open...
My library system involves recording, corralling and scheduling. There is a basket that lives in the living room for library books all other kid books are in the basement family room. The receipt from the library that has all the books and there due date goes in a folder on my book shelf next to the door and we go back to the library exactly two weeks after getting the books and return them whether they were read or not. We don't go very often but thats how I manage it, or at least try to.
Haha, I was talking to my mom about this the other day.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely could not think of anything for Princess to do for her for Mother's Day. On Mother's Day, in the evening, we made a trip to Walmart and got paints and whatnot, and the next day, painted her a picture. I called her and said "Princess painted you a picture for Mother's Day... but it's still drying." She said "Mother's Day was yesterday." My response was "I work best under pressure!"
I still have her Mother's Day present sitting on my kitchen counter. I've seen her multiple times since then, and she only lives 4 minutes away from me! Oops!
You sound so much like me....I avoid the library because of that reason alone. I think I can save by just buying the books.
ReplyDeleteI probably paid close to $10 once or twice for lost materials. The most annoying part was when they were old VHS tapes or junky old books that were eventually found. I could have bought used ones and restocked the library for significantly cheaper than what they were charging me (which I would have done, but they actually have a restocking fee for each item - ughh).
ReplyDeleteMy library stuff is all done online. We go every Thursday for storytime so I just always check Thursday before we go to see what needs to go back. Movies are week long rentals and they are the ones that really add up so I just know that every Thursday something will be due.
Also, everything is online so I get emails msgs letting me know that certain materials are due soon - that's always a good reminder (and still I have overdue items!). Do you have any options like that at your library?
Glad to know I am not alone with late returns. I also know exactly what you mean about not renewing them in time. I am very bad with DVD's. I ususally forget to renew the until a day late or more. Definately not worth it when they are $1 each. But my kids do love the Thomas and Veggie Tale variety they have there. Half of my problem is that I don't have my library card available. I now have it saved on the computer. Hopefully that will help a bit in avoiding late returns. In fact I need to renew my current DVD's as they are due tomorrow :)
ReplyDeleteI put the date in my computer calender along with my library card number so that I can renew it online right then and there . . . . problem . . . they only let you renew them about 3 times . . . does the system work ? ? ? no. Ok, I now I don't go to the library any more.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Nana
I also have a $40 library fee (SOOOO not my fault, but that's a whole 'nother story) so to remedy that "situation" I've been going to the library one county over!
ReplyDeleteIf all the REALLY important stuff gets done (ya know, paying your taxes and changing the diapers before there is an explosion), the rest really doesn't matter.
ReplyDeleteThose were some crazy expensive Clifford books! Sorry friend.
Oh my goodness...I found your blog through another blog and have been reading all morning. After reading this post, I know I was meant to find you. I had my first son almost a year ago and the whole procrastination thing has gotten out of control! I still have a gift for my sister that I was to give her at her grad school graduation on May 27th sitting on the kitchen counter as a reminder to mail. I hope it goes out this weekend, but in all honesty- it probably won't! LOL!
ReplyDeleteOk- we will not even talk about the library. My son will be a year old in 3 weeks- why have I not been to the library since I was pregnant?