Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

We did it! ChicagoBoy and I did our first 5K together this weekend with his sister. Neither of us are runners--ChicagoBoy is an open water swimmer and way more athletic than I am--so our goal was just to finish in under our time goals. My goal was 55 minutes. I finished in 54.50!! And ChicagoBoy's goal was 30 minutes. He finished in 27-something. WE. DID. IT.  These are the outfits I cooked up for our Turkey Trot (pun intended). Turkey feet and turkey faces, and turkey feathers too. ChicagoBoy was such a good sport for wearing these. I love this guy. 

Let's not pretend we're celebrating some wonderful shared meal between new-found friends. Let's just focus on the fact that we have a holiday rooted in us feeling grateful (and overeating)and just be thankful for everyone and everything that has made this year better. And don't mention the election, please God, just don't. This year I'm thankful for my youngest nephew, Alex, talking in sentences; that I've been an aunt for 12 years! I'm thankful for this beautiful, long fall, and for the cold late November nights too. I'm thankful for my family and my friends, especially L, who died and came back to us this spring. I am thankful for ChicagoBoy, who makes me feel so loved, and who made my Grinch heart grow 3 times this year. I'm thankful for each breath and every step, and for the sunrises and sunsets. Thankful for a job I love. I am so blessed. I hope you all count many blessings this day too. Happiest of happy Thanksgivings.

I am so glad to have today off. I worked a couple hours on Sunday, a 13 hour day Monday--covering vacations and with an extra long Board meeting tacked on to the end of my day--and worked a 12 hour day on Tuesday. I own you, Wednesday!  Doing grownup stuff this morning:  Oil change Buying some last minute groceries to take to ChicagoBoy's Packing the car Then I am heading out to ChicagoBoy's later this morning, so I can hopefully beat the traffic, and start roasting the pumpkins for my pies. I just had a super domesticated fantasy-moment where I imagined him coming home, opening the door, smelling the deliciousness of roasting pumpkin, and smiling with satisfaction that he's nabbed such a resourceful woman. NO WAY! I mean that's great too, but I love that this boy loves my brains AND my cooking.  Can't wait to see my sweetheart. It's been 2 weeks and that is too long these days! How did we used to only see each other once every month - 6 weeks. Y

You guys, I think I just booked reindeer for our Library's Santa Visit!! This has been one of those weird things I've wanted to do since I've been here, but honestly always forgot about as we were scheduling the craziness of December, i.e. Santa's visit and our Gingerbread House program (which brings in over 70 people--which is A LOT for us!) And there I was, at a library breakfast meeting, when someone said they'd used this farm before... So, I am waiting to hear back from the reindeer owner. He promised an email or call tomorrow. So, fingers crossed...it's all I want for Thanksgiving. Well, that and an engagement ring. You guys ChicagoBoy is having an engagement ring designed as we speak. What the what!?!!!??!?!

I am at a loss today, how our country could elect this bastard, Donald Trump.  The only thing that is keeping me from bursting into flames--tears was my whole ride to work--is Stephen Colbert. I am praying for kindness and rationality as we move forward, but more importantly I am using this election as a springboard to figure out how to make the world a better place.