Cops and Books

I've been meaning to get a library card up here and am reminded of it every time I pass the library. The only reason I haven't yet is because I've still got several books that I bought that need to be read.

All week I'm helping out with the First Responder class downtown at the Yreka Fire Department which is directly across the street from the library. The library is a big white old western style building with the word "LIBRARY" at the top over big brown doors. Curiously though, on the lawn of the library is a sign that says "Yreka Police Department". I always figured the police station was attached to the library and was situated in the back- that's where all their patrol cars are parked.

Today I was looking out the fire station window at the library across the street and realized it wasn't that big of a building. You couldn't possibly fit a police station and a library in a building that small. I asked a couple of the guys that were sitting around and they responded that that's no longer the library. It was the historical building of the library, but it is now the Yreka Police Department. How confusing! And here I was going to just walk in and ask for a library card. Imagine my embarassment when I walked through the front door of the library only to be greeted by a cop.
"May I help you ma'am?"
"Uh, I'd like to get a library card?"

How embarassing. Maybe I should do it anyway just for kicks. But now I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face. I guess the library is now located up the road a ways. But they don't take the sign down because it's a historical landmark. There's also weird signs on some people's houses, but they're just houses, not what the signs say. This reminds me of a book I read when I was a kid called "Sideways Stories of Wayside School" or something like that. Or maybe it's the Twilight Zone I'm reminded of.