Reading at the library never gets old

The Good Old Days are now.

-- Tom Clancy

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I grew up in a home that did not have a set of World Book Encyclopedias. That meant that when the big reports were due my mother had to drop me off at the public library for research.

I liked to go, too, because the public library not only had books and newspapers but also copies of Sports Illustrated , which always brightened a week in winter with a feature on swimsuits.

Well, it seems things haven't changed so much (about the research, I mean.) We had a story this week reporting the local surge of computer use at public libraries by those who don't have Internet access at home.

Computers are a great way to look things up fast. They're quicker than encyclopedias, dictionaries and most other reference books, and I'm sure they let you do your research and write your reports more quickly.

Why, with the time you save, you might even go check out the Sports Illustrated in the library's magazine section.

MORE GRATITUDE: Thanks to the Augusta South Rotarians for lunch on Tuesday. I meant to talk about New Year predictions, but we ended up talking about politics, squirrels and Christmas trees.

(Can you find the connection?)

NAME THAT GHOST! My Our Town blog on augustachronicle.com this week points out that the new courthouse is being built on the site of an 1885 ghost sighting. Before he begins to haunt the halls of justice, I figure we should give our ghost a name. Any ideas?

NEW YEAR MAIL: Helen Welch, of Thomson, sent a nice card and suggests it's bad luck to keep a Christmas tree up on New Year's Day.

Lloyd and Lynn Creech, of North Augusta, sent two vacation postcards from San Antonio. One shows the Alamo and the other San Antonio's Riverwalk and canal.

TODAY'S JOKE: Here's one shared by Randy Strong, of Augusta.

One night a fellow drove his secretary home after she had imbibed a little too much at an office reception. Although this was an innocent gesture, he decided not to mention it to his wife, who tended to get jealous easily.

The next night, the man and his wife were driving to a restaurant; suddenly he looked down and spotted a high-heel shoe half-hidden under the passenger seat.

Not wanting to be conspicuous, he waited until his wife was looking out her window before he scooped up the shoe and tossed it out of the car.

With a sigh of relief, he pulled into the restaurant parking lot. That's when he noticed his wife squirming around in her seat. "Honey," she asked, " have you seen my other shoe?"

Reach Bill Kirby at (706) 823-3344 or bill.kirby@augustachronicle.com.