Apparently, as far as I can tell, we sell a lot more "Classic" books than most stores. In fact, most stores have a relatively small percent of their space devoted to Dickens and Austen and Hemingway and such. 

In fact, I think that's probably why we sell more classics. We devote a fairly large space to them. It's one of those things where one shelf doesn't have much effect, but two or three bookcases do. But you would only know that if you took the chance to give that much space to classics.

I think when you do things on your own, you tend make mistakes that turn out not to be mistakes.  

 

Another thing I do that seems unusual is that I basically automatically reorder every book I sell. I don't know how this works--or rather, how long it will work. Because it would stand to reason that I'd be constantly expanding my selection. And we really are running out of room.

However, there does seem to be a self-correcting mechanism somewhere in play. Books become unavailable and so drop off the list. I also do drop some titles over time. Just enough, apparently, to allow the other reorders. 

Here's the thing I'd love to ask other bookstore owners. How well do you know a midlist book will sell if you don't reorder them? I'm not talking about bestsellers; those I know you reorder. But that interesting book that took a couple months to sell....how do you know it won't sell every couple of months from then on? Get enough of those rolling and you have a constant flow.  

 

At the doctor's, I compared their weight measurement to our scale at home. To my surprise, the professional scale was actually half a pound less. I guess, in the hour or two between measurements, that's a plus or minus. Not meaningful. 

My BMI is 24, just under the upper limit of 25. But I'm 72 years old, and the internet actually suggests there might be a benefit to being a couple points over. But I like being as slender as I can manage.

It was funny. The nurse started to say something like, "Everyone I see over the age of 70 is..."

"Overweight?" I interrupt.

She shakes her head. "No, the opposite. I see very few overweight and especially obese people, almost none after the age of 80."

I mean, that may just be her observation, but I never would have guessed it. 

For some reason, going to the cardiologist is nowhere near as nerve-wracking as seeing my regular doctor. Basically, about my heart there is no difference that I can tell. As I always say, if I didn't KNOW I'd had a heart attack six years ago, I wouldn't know I'd had a heart attack. No symptoms that I can discern.  

Both doctors said I'm in great shape.