LSA Conference Part 1

We left last Thursday for the airport. The girls were in fabulous moods, excited for a plane ride and a chance to meet Mickey!! Both girls did great on the plane, Lainey was a big flirt as usual. Lucy had a wonderful time playing the Airport Bingo game that Grankie put together. Best idea ever!!

Overheard at the library

"Boy that kid's smart but you've gotta keep the scissors away from him. ...he's a trimmer."

Hilarious!

Best reference question of the day

I had a really fun one today. A girl and her mom approach the desk asking for fun rhyming books for 2nd graders. I first asked about poetry but they were looking more for picture books. The example they came up with was "Silly Sally" by Audrey Wood (one of my favorites!). I told them that's more for preschool age but if they like it, then we can just go grab some fun ones off the shelf. They said that's perfect. So I spent a good 15 minutes (rare when we're as busy as we are) just finding some of my favorite picture books for this girl and she was tickled pink! Here are a few of what I pulled (for those of you who have children...or just like picture books):

Mabel O'Leary Puts Peas in her Ear-y, Mary Delaney

Falling for Rapunzel, Leah Wilcox

Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes, Brian P. Cleary

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More, Karen Beaumont

Click Clack, Splish Splash, Doreen Cronin

That's all I can remember, but I LOVE them! Highly recommended!

a good one

A kid about 8 or so years old, maybe younger, was one his way out of the children's area. He stopped to tell me and my co-worker about the two items he checked out and what they were all about. He barely left room for a breath between the paragraph of information he gave us.

"YouknowwhatIgot? Igotabookaboutaminalsthatliveintheocean. Theyaresoawesomeandcoolanddiveandliveintheocean. AndIgotaBatmanvideobye!"

It reminded me of when my dad used to get on my case about not using consonants when I spoke. Very strange now that I think about it. Kids speaking patterns are fascinating and how they develop is such a curious thing to me. So intricate and complicated but they learn so quick!

Good day

Fabulous run! Fabulous! I'm getting closer to my goal and feeling good about it. Lyra continues to be a wonderful running partner but I find she does pull me when I start to slow down so I worry about my success when she's not with me at the race. At the same time I'm dealing with hills right now and shouldn't be dealing with many at the race, with it being in Chicago and all. Wind? Sure. Hills? Not so much.

I'm also starting to see a few of the same people also running. It's a very cool feeling. We always say hi and nod at each other when we're running. I feel a certain camaraderie with them, as if we're part of some club together that doesn't require any annual fees.

I'm diggin' it!

that's my dawg

I'm waiting for the day she picks the wrong opening and gets stuck. I'm surprised she can get those ears through anyway...

Pet Adoption Day!

I completely fell in love with this pup. They named him Duogee. If I wasn't maxed out on pets I would have snatched him up in a heartbeat. He was so sweet!

As I'm sure you can imagine, these little guys got adopted pretty quick. They were so adorable!!

The van is incredible. It is totally self-sufficient with running water and kennels built into the sides. It's air conditioned and heated and it doesn't run off the gas to power it. So amazing!

Behind the people standing is the display from the shelter. An Animal Control Officer was there to educate people on training and proper animal care.

Pet Adoption Day was a smashing success! We had the League for Animal Welfare bring their brand new mobile adoption van with around 20 cats and 5 dogs. The Boone County Animal Shelter also had a presence with information and training tips for those who adopted today or are considering adopting in the future. We had around 200 people come by and about 7 adoptions total. It was wonderful! The weather cooperated the whole time and I am just tickled pink it worked out so well. I saw at least 3 children run from the adoption area crying and throwing tantrums because mom and/or dad wouldn't let them take an animal home. My thought was, "well, why did you stop by then?" But then again, everyone needs to learn the word no at some point...especially when it comes to animals. I'm still getting that one down. :)

A trip to Clifty Falls

At this point, instead of Lyra drinking this gorgeous looking water, she decided to pee in it. Brilliant.

Apparantely she likes apples. Who would've thought? I was done with it anyway...

A rock made out of giant petrified chocolate cake.

See? I told you.

My friend Rebecca and I took a day hiking trip to Indiana today and saw Clifty Falls. Rebecca was nice enough to let me bring along my ornery dog and we all had a fabulous time! The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we definitely got a good workout in. Plus the scenery was phenomenal.

And so it begins...again

I went for my first run today in a while. After a hiatus of give or take 3 weeks I went back full force and it actually felt really good! It was just me, Lyra and the pavement. No music, no nothing. Distraction, yes but that's inevitable.

Since I'm totally off my training schedule (also was probably inevitable), I have no idea what I'm "supposed" to be running right now so I just went with the flow. I ran when I felt like it and walked when I didn't. It was a good start and I actually pushed myself more than I was when I was on track with the schedule. I kept saying things like "I'll just run to that tree..." then "okay, I'll just run to that patch of dead grass..." and then I'd surprise myself by making it all the way to the park bench before I started seeing stars. Of course I had to be careful not to switch and say "alright I'll start running at that tree..no that patch of grass...okay the bench..." But I didn't do that too much.

I'm dying to find some new places around here to run but the path I'm following is quite challenging. If I'm able to complete it totally I'll feel very good about myself. There are enough small hills to make me breathe very hard and turn my face red (from exhaustion...not as much from embarrassment...though sure there's some of that too).

I feel very good about it. I feel like I'm on the right path, both literally and figuratively. The cause, the 5K and the fundraising is for teb, the running is for me.

To donate, go here

Quiet Reflection

It's been a few weeks, I know. And it's been a hard few weeks but I've made it out alive. Sometimes when change comes out of nowhere with virtually no warning it can blindside you and slow you down a bit. But with every change comes learning and growth so ultimately I'm okay. In fact I'm quite good.

I took Lyra to the park today. We had a really nice time but didn't spend as much time as I would've liked. When I chose this park I forgot it rained yesterday and the trail was quite muddy so we spent some time sitting on a park bench watching the creek. After we left we went to a local park with paved trails but I just couldn't stomach it. I wanted to hear the sound of dirt on my shoes instead of cars, baseball games and bikes. But it's all good. I just wish there were some more parks around here with trails that aren't paved. But beggars can't be choosers. I'll take any outdoors I can get. Spending 8 hours a day inside just can't be healthy.

Cute pic!

I had to share, this is Lainey attempting to injest her babydoll.

one more thing

A kid just rode up to the library on a unicycle.

LOVE

Not the best running day

Well, things didn't go so well today with running. It was a day that I wish I had someone behind me pushing me up the hill or at least encouraging me. It was a day that I had pain everywhere. Not abnormal pain, just out-of-shape pain and I wasn't able to just run through it. I could have, I just couldn't find the motivation. Believe it or not, halfway through the run I actually said, "screw this, I'm going to McDonald's." ...and actually went. It made me laugh at least. I am noticing a difference but I'm at a small plateau in success which is a bit discouraging. I know, I know, I just started and I need to keep going and give it time. And I will, but it's hard to remember that when I'm comparing it day-to-day. I'm slightly worried I'm developing shin splints but I'm hoping that once again it's just pain from being out of shape and will go away the more I run. We'll see.

I got such a kick out of this picture, I just had to share.


more cat pictures

So...

Yesterday, someone stole 2 of my hubcaps. Really? Wtf? I'm sure they worth a whopping $.25...put together. Who steals hubcaps off a Mazda protege? So ridiculous. My car looks so trashy now I feel like I should just put it on cinder blocks in the front yard.

People are weird.

On a different note...

First off, running is going well. I made my first-week goal and I'm working hard toward the week 2 goal. They are small goals but I feel like $100 when I can complete them. When I took Lyra jogging, I noticed her back legs are pigeon-toed. I'm pretty sure she's the poster child for why dogs should not be inbred. She's so weird.

But on a different note, I have discovered a new literary obsession. I absolutely love survival stories. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I just can't get enough of them and I plow through them so quickly. I try to think about what it is exactly that I get out of reading them and I haven't yet come to a solid conclusion. Part of it is that it's fascinating to me to see what a single person is capable of, even if it is fiction. (although I do also enjoy the non-fiction stories as well, i.e. Jon Krakauer).

This obsession is not limited to literature. I love the TV shows, the movies, I'll take it all. Favorite TV survival show? (other than Lost, of course) Survivorman. I'm not a huge fan of Man vs. Wild. Favorite survival movie? Cast Away. Haven't yet seen Into the Wild, it's high on my list. Favorite survival book? Well, it's tough and it changes the more I read. Right now it's a toss-up between Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (I'm currently on the last of the other Brian books in the series) and Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Both amazing reads and I highly recommend them.

Who knows what it's about. But I can't help it. I love 'em.

Finally, thank you to McTodds and Ollie Boy for the music recommendations!! I'll definitely be using them!

today

And so ends the first week

Week 1 has almost come to an end. So far my biggest struggle (besides discovering that there IS in fact such a thing as a bad sports bra) is knowing how much to push and when to back off. Sure, I want to push myself so I get better and better and increase my endurance and distance, but I don't want to make myself sick, burnt out, or injure myself. Those of you who know me, which I suppose is pretty much anyone who reads this blog, know I have a touch of the hypochondria. So, I probably tend to err on the side of caution more than I should. But as my oh-so-wise dad always says, "the perfect is the enemy of the good." At least I'm doing something. I can already see it making a difference, mostly mentally, but a little bit physically. My cheeks which some endearingly call "cute" and I detest with every fiber of my being, are slightly less...puffy I guess. And that loop around the park I take gets easier to tackle each time I go out.

One of the things I enjoy the most is the variety in music. I'm always wondering what fellow runners/walkers are listening to on their ipods. I've gotten back into electronica music, so I've been listening to a lot of Aphex Twin. Also Soul Coughing, which is not electronic, but pretty rockin'. The 5% nation of lumps in my oatmeal. (that's for you Brainy Girl). So I put the question out there, oh great blogosphere, what do you listen to when you're on solo walks/runs/hikes/whatever? I'm always looking for new tunes...

Donation website

To those of you who would like to donate to this amazing cause and help me out with my personal goal of fundraising, go to my fundraising webpage.

Thank you!

Two things

1) Apparantely this is what Kentucky has to offer from its Congressman. Brilliant.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/gop-rep-refers-to-obama-as-that-boy/

2) Running is hard and it hurts. I almost made my first day goal, but not quite. I decided that day one should not involve viewing what I had for lunch...again.

The first day

Today marks the first day of my "training." I keep putting "training" in quotes because I feel like it's not official since I'm doing it by myself. I suppose I should give myself a little more credit. After all I'm a librarian and research is basically my thing so I've certainly done my homework. I have every single day mapped out (including rest days) from today until the day of the 5K. After speaking with some local experts and doing all my research I know I have more than enough time to be ready for it as long as I keep up with my schedule and at the same time pace myself. Many beginning runners quit soon into it because they try to do too much too quickly and injure themselves or become frustrated. I'm going to try to avoid this.

My biggest worry? Pain. At times I can be kind of a wuss about it but the more I read, the more I know this is a temporary situation (with the exception of injuries). I'm not exactly what most would call in shape right now so I know I'll be facing some challenges in the future. But after how much I pushed myself on the backpacking trip with J, I have a lot of confidence that I will find the strength. I also know that the more in shape I get, the less pain I will experience. I've been learning all about the scientific reasoning behind pain, lactic acid build-up, aerobic and anaerobic exercise, all that sort of thing. It's really quite fascinating and I like thinking about it when I'm running.

I've decided to start on a track and work my way up toward park running. The local parks are slightly hilly and I want flat for the first couple of weeks.

On another note, I'm really excited because J and I have 3 gigs coming up and I can't wait. We have officially come up with a name for ourselves: "Fireside Story." We're really excited to start working on some new material and to perform in the area! Hopefully we'll get some pics soon for publicity.

That's all she wrote.

A couple of good ones

I don't know what it is about Sundays that brings out the interesting folk. I had some very strange situations last time I worked a Sunday.

Situation #1:
A grown woman comes up to me with her hand held as if she's going to hand me something. I look at her and at it. She holds her hand out and says "here, I have a present." I was taken aback and just by instinct, and pure misfortune, held out my hand. The woman drops a handful of cookie crumbs, including an M&M into my hand. Had this been a 4 or 5 year-old I wouldn't have thought anything of it. But with her being a grown woman, I was significantly grossed out. I mean, why not just leave it on the floor? Or, I don't THROW IT AWAY YOURSELF. But, no harm done. Just a little internal grumbling.

Situation #2:
A man approaches me and says his wife has sent him on a mission to get books for her class project. Not an odd request, a pretty frequent one! However, he says she needs only books that start with the letter "u." Really? I was so dumbfounded I think I might have just stared at him a little too long before saying, "huh." I wasn't even sure how to search for this! I ended up finding 3 books for him and he said that was fine. I have no idea if it was what she was looking for or not.

Situation #3:
I'm not going to go into too much detail. Let me just set up the picture. Greasy teenage boy, about 14 with a 13-or-so friend hovering over him at the computer. Watching youtube, a fairly scantily clad woman doing...things. Said greasy teenage boy's hand is not to be seen. I apologize for the story, but this is what we deal with in libraries. It was no big deal. I support a healthy curiosity and normal hormonal craziness but come on! Close the door and have a blast! At the library? No thank you.

That's all for now.

A new goal

I have decided to take up running. I've been doing a lot of reading about the mechanics of running, the benefits and popularity. I've run twice in my life. Once when I was attempting the track team...a short lived experience. And once when I was in the best shape of my life physically but so much else was going on I didn't have a chance to really work at it. And finally now I have a real goal to work toward.

On Sunday, July 20 Teb's Troops is sponsoring a fundraiser in Chicago. It is a 5K run/walk to raise money for melanoma research. I chose this for several reasons. First of all, it's an actual reasonable goal. Second of all, it's a cause that is very close to my heart and my family. It is an amazing organization in the name of an incredible woman. It is because of this woman that I have such a fabulous brother-in-law and gorgeous, brilliant nieces. If I can give even a little something back, I will do it with all that I am. I have not yet registered for the event. I will be doing this sometime next week and will be soliciting donations to sponsor me running the 5K.

I am imagining this will be quite a unique experience and I am looking forward to seeing if I can push myself to the limit. I have invested in a very good pair of running shoes, I am doing lots of research to make sure I'm doing it right and hopefully I will have good results. I am spending this week doing power walking everyday just to get my heart rate up. This upcoming Sunday marks week 13 so that's when I'll start "training."

My first snag: I took a long power walk this morning and when I got home realized half of my left arm was covered in a rash of bug bites. Not fun but typical. If there is a bug within a 50 mile radius, it will seek me out and feast on my skin til there's nothing left. That's always been the case. Note to self: get bug spray.

I will probably be considering my blog a bit of a training log for myself. Read if you feel like it, skip if you don't. I'll also try to keep posting good library stories. I've got a few I'll post in the next one. It's such a wild place to work!

A good one

Okay here's a good kid story for you. It's not mine, I can't take credit for it. I have the sincerest gratitute to my co-worker R who regaled me with this fabulous story.

R was reading a fabulous story to a group of children. The book is What will fat cat sit on? by Jan Thomas. Brief synopsis: A group of animals is terrified at the prospect of being sat upon by the imposing Fat Cat, until the mouse comes up with a solution that satisfies everyone.

I don't know exactly how it happens but the last part of the book is an open-ended question to the reader. Something like what will fat cat eat next? The implication of the story is that the reader will be eaten next (I think...I haven't read it in a LONG time).

Anyway, R brings this question to the audience. "What do YOU think fat cat will eat next?" Without even so much as skipping a beat, a 4 or 5 year old boy raises his hand and exclaims "TOASTER STRUDEL!! I think fat cat should eat TOASTER STRUDEL!!"

I wonder what he had for breakfast...

I love old books

somedays

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being a librarian. 99% of the time it is completely fulfilling and wonderful. However, there is that 1% of the time that I feel like this:

An extremely brief update

I know, I know, I know. I've been very delinquent on updating this blog. So sorry to those who read this (for so many reasons).

Things are going swimmingly. I've moved to the new branch of the library. It is huge and amazing and the transition has not been without snags and snafus. Slowly but surely a routine is being developed and we're figuring things out. The building itself is gorgeous!

The boys are good. I've doubled Lyra's diet (per the vet's recommendation) so she doesn't look like a skeleton with fur. I've halved my cat's diets (per my own observation) so my they don't look like two fat basketballs with legs and tails.

That's all for now. Baby steps. It's like the gym. Once I get out of the routine, the hardest part is going back that first and second time. Then it's cake.