I pulled in front of the new Zenith Book Store soon to open on my way to have a mocha and some serious conversation at Beaners with Alanna Oswald. (We just learned that the State is not going to strip away $1.5 million in Achievement and Integration revenue as they had once planned to do) As I got out of my car Bob King the Astronomer Supreme and DNT photo journalist shouted to me from across the street, his Cannon dangling from his neck. He was there take a photo of the new bookstore, no doubt for the upcoming Monday Tribune’s business section. I backed my car out of the way so that all the bibliophiles in Duluth would have an unobstructed view of our newest independent bookstore.
Then I had my mocha.
Then Alanna and I wondered if the store was open yet or if we could get a sneak peak. Voila, the door gave way as the new owner Bob Dobrow rushed up to tell us they weren’t opening for a couple days. Still, he let us come in to smell the freshly, sanded, wood floor and the scent of ten thousand new books. It was heavenly. Then I saw the cool mugs on the shelf and told him I’d love to buy one of them. Bob’s son is a potter. The new owners hadn’t entered SKU numbers for them yet so he couldn’t take my credit card and I was out of cash. Alanna came to my rescue with some good old U.S. legal tender. I seem to have become the Zenith’s first customer. I’m not sure if I beat out the Chamber of Commerce’s customary framed first dollar bill.
Alanna took my pic to record this momentous occasion. They looked to have a good selection of my kind of books.
