just breathe

Not only are we super busy in the thick of Summer Reading--this is week 3 of 6--but now I am getting nervous and trying to get prepared for ALA Chicago. I'm excited for the roundtables/lectures/speakers, etc., it's the logistics that are bugging me out. I am riding in with a friend and fellow librarian, SmuttyNovelHound, early Saturday and am already pondering how to accomplish these things:
1. dropping SmuttyNovelHound's stuff off at her hotel
2. finding parking for my car during conference
3. finding my friend's condo post conference
4. finding parking again Sunday morning
5. making it back to the conference in time for a Sunday session that I am directly involved in, and finding parking!!
6. finding parking again Monday morning
7. getting the hell out of Dodge before the traffic gets bad when we head home Monday!

I am reading all the ALA websites, stalking ALA on Twitter, but nothing prepares you for the shittiness that is parking in Chicago, ESPECIALLY during a conference. I'm just prepared to show up early and eager, appropriately dressed, in comfy shoes, and just hope the other kids on the playground are nice to me...

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