As often as I complain about etiquette and rudeness, it would be downright impolite of me not to include acknowledgment when a day happens like today, in which not only was the town of Ann Arbor socked in with fog (!!!), but several random episodes of politeness occurred as I made my way through the day.

To wit:

• A circ clerk at Ann Arbor District Library took my returned CDs and DVDs, then went back to see if a book I had put on hold was ready to pick up. She didn’t see it in the front shelving area but was sure that it was in back. She left and was gone for two or three minutes. She came back and apologized; it wasn’t there yet. I had a dollar out to pay a late fine and I handed it over to her. She shook her head no and told me to keep the buck. “For the inconvenience,” she said. I was flabbergasted. It was only a buck. But still … I appreciated the gesture, and I told her so.

• I lost my gray wool cap in a restroom in Hatcher. I ran back about an hour later on the off chance that it might be on the floor somewhere. (I’d already checked lost and found.) Some kind soul had carefully placed it on the shelf above one of the sinks. Thank you, whoever did that!

• The counter guy at New York Pizza Depot was incredibly polite.

• A woman held a door open for me.

Oh, well, everyone will probably be back to snarling and scowling tomorrow, but it was nice while it lasted.