Yeserday we had two programs at the library. The first was a puppet show at 2:30 and the other was a storytime at 4 pm. For pr's sake, one of the tv networks sent a cameraman over, who stood recording the vast numbers of people using the library. (I imagine they were publicizing the summer programs we offer in the county.) So many people arrived for the puppet show (mostly bitchy suburban mothers with doublewide stollers), that they started to get twitchy about fitting in the meeting room, which is out in the lobby. A half an hour early, they lined up and completely blocked the book drop. People had to weave through the crowds and give their books to the Info desk to check in. Finally hq opened the doors and allowed people to sit down until every nook and cranny was filled. Argh.
Of course, the eighty gazillion kids trashed the kid's area of the library, and herds of them milled about after the puppet show was done. One of the highlights was the entrance of Dewey, our mascot dinosaur. The PR director dressed up in the mammoth, super-hot and cumbersome outift (this big lumpy green thing, complete with a red pirate scarf on his head to show he's down with the hip hop kids or something.) When wearing the costume, you're not allowed to talk, which would be difficult.
As soon as she came out as Dewey, a gang of Asian kids surrounded her. "Hey! What are you?" they shouted. We explained who he was. "Can't you talk?" No, we replied. "I see something in his mouth!" (Which was the PR director's face, trying to breathe.) She covered her "mouth" with her puppet hands and shook her head, and then tried to dance in order to distract them. "Hey! Say something!" the kids yelled, and started poking the dinosaur in the side. "Is it a boy?" Yes, we said. "Talk! Talk!" Poke. Poke. Then they yanked on her back and kept searching under her tail for dinosaur genitalia. "Please don't poke the dinosaur!" I growled, but to no avail. Had I been wearing the outfit, I would have started knocking them down and cursing like a trucker. She had more patience than me, and just took it. No dinosaur would have tolerated being bullied by elementary school kids. Come on, Dewey! Squash those kids! But no. I couldnt watch it anymore, and finally had to walk away from the spectacle.