Friday, July 28, 2006

The Winch Who Stole My Catholic Encyclopedias

This has been an odd and bizarre week. But finally someone has come and collected the most bizarre item we have received in bookstore history. I say this with confidence.

Here lies the story.

Yesterday we received like 30 boxes of books. The day before that we received roughly the same amount. We have been drowning in books. Really really drowning. Yesterday as Victor's bringing the last box he says with a curious look, "This box has a chain in it." Hmmm we look at him, but don't think much of it being as we are drowning in work.

A few hours later we are receiving catholic encyclopedias for a FSM order, when we open up box 2 of 2 we find, instead of catholic encyclopedias, this piece of equipment.



Hmmmm you say? Yeah I know. There were included in the box two large hydraulic shafts, two chains, and a steel hook. Early on in this discovery I declared this equipment to be a jackhammer. Upon further investigation, it is a hydraulic industrial winch. For several hours we all called it a wench, which is not the same thing, nor is it a hydraulic wrench or witch. It's a winch.

Even more interesting is that the packing slip for my encyclopedias is inside the box with the winch. Hmmmmmm.

The catholic publisher was just as confused as we were and so the winch became IHOP property and a cheery British man just carried it away.

Oddest thing we have ever received, and now that it's gone I kind of miss it. It would have made a nice bookstore pet.