Clown Cake

CLOWN

More of the Emmler Look-Alike Series [another]—she has such an expressive, elastic face, it’s a treat to photograph her. (I’d love to photograph all my coworkers, but mostly they refuse.)

BELOW: Circus Time--A Little Golden Book from 1948--in the glass-enclosed display case where I put more expensive books. You have to ask staff to get these for you.

Because that's a pain, I'd decided this fall to put some higher-priced (but not super rare and expensive) books out on the open display shelves. Easier. Nicer. 
Because I don't want price stickers to tear book covers, I put the stickers on top of peelable tape--it peels off without tearing, but it doesn't come off on its own.

I found a couple of the price stickers pulled off and left behind. (The point of that is, the cashiers price books without price stickers at our automatic low prices of 99¢ for paperbacks, $1.99 for hardbacks).
So... back in the closed case the pricey books go.

I always say, I don't exactly mind if people steal stuff--I mean, I don;t love it, but I get it. 
I do mind if shoplifters leave their mess behind. I hate cleaning up after people. People leave their trash sitting on shelves (empty wrappers, cold coffee in paper cups)--that's rude enough. But if it's evidence of theft, it's worse:
empty boxes and bags they've ripped open and removed contents from; price stickers they've peeled off; empty DVD cases, etc. Some people change into new (used) shoes and leave their old shoes behind--and you can imagine, they are disgusting.
I want to put up a sign:

If you're going to steal,
TAKE ALL THE CRAP WITH YOU!

Side-by-side patterns:

___________________
CAKE

I love living in the city! You see everything without doing anything. (Sometimes it's bad, . . . but it's almost always interesting.)

I'd mentioned yesterday that Mexican bakeries sell Three King cakes (sweet bread) on Epiphany--and then this guy sat across from me on the bus going home, holding one. Rosca de Reyes on the box means Wreath of Kings--the cake is an open circle, like a wreath--to symbolize a crown (I looked it up).
The ones I've tasted are blah, but I've seen recipes that look tasty.
(I kinda veiled the guy's face for anonymity. I go back and forth with how much to share photos of strangers...)

The lemon pound cake I made was well received. Croquette Jeff made bedroom eyes at me as he ate a slice.
Mr Furniture let me know he liked it by complaining that the cake I'd made for him was nowhere near as good.
True, too. At his request I'd made peach cobbler, but since his birthday is in December, I'd used frozen peaches. They were less than luscious.
I told him I'd make it again in summer when we get peaches (not that they grow here).

As I was leaving work, from outside I saw that our bullet hole had been decorated/disguised (inadvertently?) by a pointsettia. At Halloween, it'd been a skeleton.
I guess we're never bothering to replace the window? Revolving art project!