Princess and the pea

There's just so much that could be said about preparations for our library's visitor tomorrow. It's funny, because every joke we've made has been topped by the truth. I've been hesitant to repeat things I've heard for fear that it's just wild exaggeration, but no: we really have been asked not to use the locked staff bathroom, as it has been prepared for the princess.

Earlier in the week I came across one of our facilities guys painting a hallway in the basement. "Dude, don't you have something better to do?" I asked snarkily, "The princess isn't coming in the basement."

"Oh yes she is," he replied. He pointed with the brush behind him, "She's coming in that door, turning right here, and going down to the media studio." He was painting the first ten feet to the left, then turning around to go down the corridor she is actually walking through. I guess that explains the distinct stopping point in the clean carpet just outside my area: it's around a corner.

On the up side, I was told that there is a slush fund for visiting dignitaries, so a lot of the carpet cleaning and bras rail polishing that's been going on isn't coming out of our budget. But a lot of the front office folks (as well as our painting friend) have been putting in major time on this: that can't be cheap.

Maybe this could be developed into a strategy to get deferred maintenance done: invite a princess every year to visit a different department of the library. Of course, in my area the duck tape would undoubtedly gum up the works in the carpet machine.

After our movie tonight we decided that yes, we'll get dressed up and go. You never know, she may need a map.