Irony at The Family History Library

Just returned recently from a trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. What a loooong fun week of researching!! This was not my first trip to the Family History Library but it was the longest trip. I came well prepared. There were lists of documents that needed to be copied. There were films that needed to be checked. And there were the more the difficult problems to RESEARCH. I tried to balance each of my goals with time limits. But, of course, I ran out of time. There is never enough time in SLC.

One the second evening, my cell phone went off while I was scanning a document. I almost did not answer the call but I took it. The gentleman on the other line identified himself as a US Census worker and he asked if I owned a certain house. I almost fell off my chair. Was he kidding?? Really, a census worker calling me while I am INSIDE the Family History Library. It was a legitimate call but the irony was a bit unnerving. Did this census bureau worker know that I use census data frequently? Did he know that I was in a place dedicated to helping one find one's ancestors? Real life is very strange sometimes.