#15 - Visit Babbitt's Books

Every now and then when your life gets complicated and the weasels start closing in, the only real cure is to load up on heinous chemicals and then drive like a bastard from Hollywood to Las Vegas.

-Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

At the outset, let me assert that no heinous chemicals are involved in this story. Unless you count whatever they put in Steak 'n Shake onion rings.

So, it is Valentine's Day 2009. I had arranged to meet this girl who had stood me up a couple times previously. With no answer from her within my allotted two hour time window, I was a free agent. A pissed free agent to boot. Typically in these situations I go and see a movie. Not being in a movie mood, I decided instead to drive the 160 miles from my house to Bloomington-Normal IL and visit Babbitt's Books - #15 on this little list.

I know what you are thinking, movie or 3 hour road trip starting at 8:30 at night. Six in one, half a dozen... I understand, and normally I am not this spontaneous. However, it felt like the right move at the time.

For background, I went to Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington for college. Babbitt's was this great used bookstore in Normal just up the road. It was perfect. Kind of dark, shelves completely crammed, only one narrow lane down each row because there was a line of unshelved books on the floor on each side of the aisle. You would have to dig through those books to find a treasure. That is where I bought a sizable chunk of my current library.

And that smell, that beautiful musty smell of old books. Other than impending rain, I think that is the best smell in the world. Yep, I just sniffed a book. Oh, it is a high.

It was in Babbitt's that I decided that if I get rich, I'm opening a used bookstore. I'm unfortunately not foolhardy enough to try it without a safety net. But that was Babbitt's, a very special place to me, and why it warranted inclusion on this list. We now return you to our impromptu road trip - already in progress.

Stopped off for the aforementioned onion rings and a vanilla coke. Then commenced the run up Interstate 55. Relatively uneventful trip up. Only thing is I wished I had burned a copy of Led Zeppelin IV before I had left. See, told you I wasn't spontaneous. Made pretty decent time.

Pulled into B-N about 11, got a little gas, and tooled around, re-familiarizing myself with the area. Drove down past Illinois Wesleyan University. Found myself a Best Western at the end of the main drag. The front desk guy was helpful enough giving me directions to the closest Wal-Mart since I needed a toothbrush and other supplies. Of course though I got turned around pulling out of the motel, and by some quirk of fate, found the other Wal-Mart in B-N.

Bought a quick snack at the Circle K on the way back to the motel. While at the Circle K the previously mentioned Sally Stander-Upper calls me. Claims she was in a car accident, she is OK, dinged up her foot, but wondered if I wanted to meet. Said "Sorry, but I'm in Bloomington." Back to hotel for sleep.

Aside: Just to put a thirty on Sally - I later met her, she is a nice girl, but she kept pulling the same stunt so I washed my hands of her.

Next day - Sunday, get up, check out, grab a paper, have breakfast at the Denny's. Went to downtown Normal - and I could not find Babbitt's. Doh! I remember the building where it was. Not there. This being a little flaw in my plan. Make sure Oz exists before you go, Dorothy.

A bit crestfallen, I drove down to IWU and started to walk around. Most everything was right where I left it. The frat houses, the gym, my dorm building. The Subway which was my typical Sunday night meal. Subway, Simpsons, and D&D. God, I was a nerd.

I spotted my old dorm room (#124), but didn't want to look in the first floor window since Dolan Hall is now co-ed and being a Peeping Tom would have ended my little trip pretty quickly. I took a decent 45 minute walk around campus. Remembered pretty much what everything was or at least what it used to be.

The real surprise was the new Ames Library. Opened in 2002 (I graduated 1998), it is simply friggin' awesome. Five floors, a ton of books, computer labs, a printing center, group study rooms, lots of individual study corrals, bunches of comfortable couches and chairs. I was insanely jealous to put it mildly. The library when I went there was nice, but nothing fancy. I remember having to often go down to Illinois State in Normal to get some fiction books that I wanted.

What bugged me the most was that I could not remember what used to be where the library is now. Luckily when I got back the Alumni office graciously told me it was a bunch of private houses. That was what I had thought but it is nice to be sure.

After some rather pleasant reminiscing at IWU, I decided to make another attempt at finding Babbitt's. Since when I made this list I had googled it and got a listing. Back to Normal! I get into the downtown Normal area and park. As I do, I look back over my shoulder and spy - yes - Babbitt's. I'm like - it was not on that side of the street. I head in, and it is definitely different. Bigger, less cramped, better lighting. And the smell was less somehow, more diffused I guess in the bigger space.

The guy at the counter confirmed that they had moved a few years before. They had been where I had remembered them being. But for all the changes it was still a great bookstore. I made several nice purchases, including a first edition of Starman Jones by Heinlein, a nice three novel set of Captain Horatio Hornblower, a few other miscellaneous paperbacks including The Drowning Pool. I do love used bookstores. It is always a bit of an adventure, you just never know what you are going to find.

After over an hour at Babbitt's, I decided to start heading home. Took a final walk around the little downtown area that Babbitt's is in. My luck continued because I stopped into the CD shop there, and found LZ IV - only Zeppelin they had. Karmic.

Powered by Zeppelin, I made it back to St. Louis - again in decent time. Certainly much better than in college. I chalk the difference up to having the V8 Mustang now as opposed to the '84 Pontiac "shitbox" I had back then. I should note "shitbox" was my roommate's term. I'll always think of her as Carmencita.

All in all, it was a very pleasant trip. It struck me that I spent 4 years in Bloomington-Normal but I really never explored the town much. I hardly ventured off campus - out of the "Wesleyan bubble" - except for my sojourns to Babbitt's or the revival movie theater in that same downtown area. And it did sadden me how some things had changed. For instance, the Steak 'n Shake that Saved My Life wasn't there anymore. But that is Progress I suppose. You can't stay in one place forever. Otherwise I wouldn't have left Wesleyan, nor would I be doing this list. But is nice to occasionally look back. So, thank you Babbitt's - for staying in the same place in my heart even if you can't stay in the same physical location.