almost never daily

latest read

2012-01-26T11:16:00.001-05:00

Well, I am supposed to be on my 8th book of 2012. Here however is the first one I've finished:

the glamorous librarian life: at the end of the day it's about poop and teeth (or lack thereof)

2012-01-24T09:39:00.000-05:00

Every day, sweet little library patron nuggets.

The man with the bull dog – the man who poops when he wakes up, oh yes, he told me so – and at the sound of the first fart on the toilet, the dog leaves the bathroom after delivering the newspaper to said man. But yesterday morning, the man was just farting in the kitchen. He wasn't ready to poop. Just yet. The dog got the newspaper however because he heard (or smelled, hmm) the farts. The man laughed and laughed as he told me. It is a cute story. If you can get past the part about the poop. I cannot get past that part. At all. Old man poop. You don't want to think of it either. Nuggets.

Then there is the regular lady who, if I had time, I would start a blog entirely in her character. Oh wait; millions already exist (find any source of poetic-ish spam – one with bits and pieces of text from all over the webs sewn together with malicious content – and you've found the closest thing I can think of that is like listening to her talk). A nugget from Saturday, a nugget so dear to me:

She is very interested in what we the staff read, which is normal and expected of course. She thinks I like to read Mysteries, because I did a book discussion a ways back on Rebecca (which is a gothic romance really, not a "Mysteries"). But that is a different story. So Saturday she sees a stack of books at our desk and reads the spines, giving her two cents about each title here and there. She gets to one called Anna and the French Kiss and after reading it out loud says "Well I wouldn't know about that. I haven't had a date in 19 years." At this point, she had my full attention (we the staff want to know desperately the point in her life that she went Crazy Pants (read: not Schizophrenic) because sometimes she is totally Sane; we know she was married, we know she has hipster children that live in Brooklyn, we know she was an elementary school teacher). "I'm also missing teeth." I laughed. She glared one of those 'you stupid bitch' glares. She drifted away. I am still laughing. And maybe you had to be there. It was really funny.

we went to the fair last weekend

2012-01-21T02:13:00.001-05:00

All wide-eyed:

the carpenter

2012-01-08T21:21:00.000-05:00

Some children are attached to stuffed animals, blankets, pacifiers. George has taken this plastic screwdriver everywhere this weekend. To nature, to grandpa's, to nature again.

To do, 2012.

2012-01-05T01:06:00.001-05:00

Be outside more, more, more. This is super easy to say in January, when the weather is perfect. But we had such a fun time over last weekend at three separate parks and from the looks of it, there should be enough shade to keep us happy in August:

This next resolution has been a small "goal" for Steve and me for at least a couple of years. We love the little city that we live in and we'd love to make a little blog about living here. So we'll see about that. It would incorporate his photography (and mine, dammit!), things to do and places to see; yes, places, places places, etc. We find our city limits unique and we want to share.

NEXT.

I got married almost two years ago (01.11.10), went to Social Security that same January to see about changing over my last name, was intimidated by the line and never went back. Or, I would have gone back, except I threw away my passport, original marriage license and birth certificate by accident shortly after I left the SSA which screwed me up in a bad, bad way. Anyway, I'd love to officially change my last name. All of my important documents were replaced so I think I might attempt it again soon and stand in line no matter how long or smelly.

And then there is NEXT.2

We still don't have wedding bands, wtf. That needs fixing. Even my engagement ring is hidden away because the diamond in it is loose. One of the creepiest library patrons ever asked me if my marriage fell apart since I no longer wear my ring. Ewww, sad.

So here we arrive at yet another resolution of mine:

Be a better gift giver.

Seriously. My gift giving this past Christmas was lame. It was gift-card-kiosk-at-the-grocery-store-lame. Lately I'm bad about timing gifts for birthday packages and getting cards in the mail if at all. I hate this about myself! Especially since I was once a very with-it giver of gifts.

And then, celebrate more. Steve and I are way too "meh" about our anniversary and birthdays. I'm tired of our nonchalance.

Finally: master the art of laundry. Or the art of doing laundry diligently.

Oh, I can't stop with that. I'd love to bake and cook more this year. I'm kind of sad at how perfectly okay we are with eating out. Growing up, to eat out was a special thing. Now it seems that almost the reverse of that is true: eating a really good home cooked meal is special. I'd like to change that up this year.

Okay, I'm done. Happy New Year, people!

helen keller in the liberry

2012-01-03T15:01:00.001-05:00

"There's this woman writer, she writes like Danielle Steel. Romance! Her name is Helen Keller. Do you have any books by her?"

"Umm." Umm. I know. It's a really bad, frowned upon word. But I'll tell you something. You can buy time with it. I totally condone Umm as an empathetic tool to look just as stupid as the stupid person you're helping. Meanwhile, you can gather your wits about you – suppress that tremor of giggles that's about ready to blow your nose off your face – and find composure. "We do have Helen Keller's autobiography but I'm not sure that's what you're looking for."

"Speak louder honey I can't hear you."

"Umm."

I'm still thinking of more New Year's Resolutions; actually I have about 17 I just need the time to write them down. I keep reading them by people who expressly hate making them. If you don't like resolutions just don't fucking make them, understand? Do not say "I hate making resolutions because they're bound to be broken, but I'm going to go ahead and make an exception for this Facebook/blog post." No. Do not say that.

resolutions, take one

2011-12-31T16:02:00.001-05:00

Blogging more is definitely one of my resolutions for 2012. (I accidentally typed resoulutions and thought I could probably do PR for a semi-large Christian fundamentalist church, or "campus," like they are called in these parts. University of the Jesus. Resoulutions. #1 Git your heart out of hell in 2012.)

Blogging more. Yes. But do you see how easily distracted I am? Not just by my own crazy crackers brain, but by this adorable boy? Gah! Here he is, flapping his mouth about...

Like always, Madge:

Read more.

Listen to more.

Start taking care of this body a little better.

And, for fun: find a scent.

Hope you all have a safe and exciting New Years Eve and Day. Gwyneth Paltrow wants to help you out with that hangover. So, you should probably listen.

christmas 2011

2011-12-26T23:34:00.000-05:00

I'm late in wishing you all a Merry Christmas, or a happy whatever-you-celebrate, wherever-you-are.

Hope you got that excavator you asked for! George sure did.

Santa brought me an iPad. :)

top ten things of 2011

2011-12-21T11:28:00.001-05:00

Enjoy.

10. The first anniversary of my marriage was way backin January (01/11/11 – not too shabby all those 1’s) and though Steve and Istill don’t have wedding bands to show for it outside my engagement ring, allis well. I delight in saying “my husband” when I tell others about him –strangers, coworkers (who might as well be strangers!), friends.

9. Our new house. We quietly packed up our things andleft our old house – a mere 7 or so blocks away – to a slightly bigger,Spanish-style home. The new kitchen is a place where two adults, onerambunctious toddler, and two big dogs can “be” without bumping into eachother, cupboards or appliances. There’s a swimming pool out back. There’s a working fireplace (and unfortunately a very warm winter thusfar). Life is good on O, our street.

8. George (not that he ranks #8, but I’m doing thisboth chronologically and from memory). He was a crawling drooling littlechub in January and still very much a baby. By his first birthday inJune, he was walking. Now he is running, talking and loves spending timewith his books, tools, dogs (the cats get chased; sorry cats), and beingoutdoors, collecting sticks, pine cones and pointing out the dog poop we’vemissed. UH-OH! POOPOO! He has a sweetness and tenderness about himthat is genuine; a concern for others that I learn from. Ooof, I love mybaby.

7. When George turned 1, my mom came to town. She was able to spend some quality 1-on-1 time with George and I’m grateful forevery ounce of it. In August, my dad, little sister and again, momcame. I always struggle with missing my family – it’s like an illnessthat I manage without prescription drugs. They are so freaking faraway! My husband(!) always buys vehicles with 4-wheel drive. Recently I asked him why that was; we live in Florida and there’s really littleneed for it. “You never know when we are going to move to Oregon.”

6. There was a family reunion to Captiva, a gorgeousbarrier island on Florida’s Gulf, in August. Captiva is paradise. We stayed in a cottage right on the beach. Food, family, fun. Afterthe festivities, we drove through Sanibel, vowing to come back soon. Areyou reading this Steve.

5. While not a highlight by any measure for goodreasons, one of Steve’s uncles unexpectedly passed away and we went to northFlorida for his funeral. North Florida is completely different from SouthFlorida – up there, it is the South. There are hills and thickaccents. We went up to his uncle’s property after the funeral – acres ofshaded land – and though I never met the man, there was a very welcomingpresence. You could feel the love. I met some of Steve’s family I’dnever met. It was a nice coming together, even though it was a sadtime.

4. In September we went to Montana, and though it wassomething I was openly dreading, it was not a half-bad trip. George metthe mountains, and if he had his way, he’d never have left all that fresh airand open space. I predict the boy will move out West if we do not. He covered more ground than I knew possible.

3. Shortly after Montana, we went to Portland. Georgemet extended family and a couple close, dear friends I’ve known all my life. It was an incredible time. George was happiest exploring the great outdoorsor snuggling with his aunts or playing with my parents. We went throughout Portland and though it wasbrief, I inhaled enough of its air to keep me happy until…spring? Summer?

2. Return to reading and listening. What? Ididn’t do so well with my reading this year and the past few years I’ve all butneglected music. Both broke myheart. In October, I decided to dosomething about it. Reading requirestime, and I’m able to listen to a lot of books on my commutes which cansometimes take 2 hours of my day. Icheck out the physical copy of the same book I’m listening to so that I canread when time permits. I also turned tothe library’s music collection to reintroduce myself to music from 2009—present. Working off Best-Of lists from NPR Music andRolling Stone, I’ve been able to add quite a few albums to my collection. It feels good.

1. This.

Out of 2500 applicants, 50-odd people were chosen toparticipate, and Steve is one of them (see second 38). The juror, Todd Hido, has been an idol of hisfor a long time. Steve said to me “justto have my photos in front of him was enough.”

Well, and there you have it.

great while it lasted

2011-12-09T10:46:00.001-05:00

I got pregnant in September 2009 and shortly after my period went into hibernation. For 2.25 glorious years. Yesterday, it came back.

Merry Christmas Madge.

tummy smummy

2011-12-03T06:06:00.001-05:00

George is throwing up. :( But so genteel about it. When I used to barf as a little girl I was such a terrible, terrible drama queen.

I'm awake, can't sleep. Washing sheets, Googling "toddler vomiting without fever", faintly smelling the vomit on my clothes -- it smells like his baby spit-up of days long gone by.

Okay, just had to let the blogosphere know about his condition. Signing off.

(more recent reads) (memoir city)

2011-12-03T03:30:00.001-05:00

from top to bottom: laugh, cry, a little of both.

Around the yard

2011-11-21T14:26:00.001-05:00

The morning rat race is better with books

2011-11-17T11:42:00.001-05:00

recent reads

2011-11-16T17:10:00.001-05:00

Out the office window

2011-11-16T17:04:00.001-05:00

No longer afraid

2011-11-15T12:16:00.001-05:00

Anticipating photo flash

2011-11-15T12:14:00.001-05:00

Blimps.

2011-11-14T14:47:00.001-05:00

pretty day off

2011-10-21T14:35:00.003-04:00

The visit to Portland was incredibly fun. It went way too fast and then it was messing with my head: move back here! Like, tomorrow! Just throw caution into the wind, fill up the Volvo and get going. What are you waiting for? Listen, head: we're working on it.

Just finished reading Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House. Spooky! Loved it. Am considering joining a Goodreads group wherein members must read 50 books a year. I think I've clocked in about 8 this year so far. Ugh.

Back later, with more.

bread and yes, pun-of-gods

2011-09-29T11:59:00.000-04:00

This has been such a long week. Somehow, Steve's alarm clock radio is tuned into a preachy-Christian station. Two mornings ago I learned that there are four types of bread in the bible. The first is the daily bread. Then I kicked Steve in the leg and he snoozed the alarm. But I'm still curious about the three other types of bread. What could they be? For example, like, pumpernickel? Or, more general: sweet breads? Jesus Christ! What kinds of breads are in your book.

My week is still stuck on Tuesday morning, at that precise moment of the four breads. I've gone forward. Hell, it's Thursday.

Next week I'm taking the two boys to Portland, OR for a family visit. I cannot wait for this trip. That might explain why my week is stuck on breads.

Holy shit! Just blog about breads and enough time passes: lunch break. Thank you God.

my humbug

2011-09-13T22:45:00.000-04:00

Getting in the holiday spirit, ahead of schedule.

2011-09-08T16:03:00.001-04:00

Hello New Blogger. Hello September. Hello Montana. Hello Yous.

On vacation this week in Montana. George LOVES the great outdoors. He has trekked all over his grandpa's acreage in Big Sky, studied everything in his path, listened to every bird, tasted rocks, and inhaled all the mountain air he could at this high, nose-drying, booger-making altitude.

Also, his hair is turning blonder by the minute.

I've been trying to read, but there's this very distracting picturesque view surrounding me. I'm thankful to be away from work. And instead living in a mountain quiet, with my two favorite boys.

does your gut hang low

2011-08-18T15:58:00.000-04:00

So it's no secret that after you have a baby, your body changes.

My belly is still home to an extra 15 pounds of George cushion. It's no secret that 15 pounds is, umm, noticeable. You might see me and think, "Ohhh. Muffin top." Of course the muffin top is totally worth having George in my life (however my arms, let me tell you, my arms are actually hawt stuff from carrying that silly boy around). Here's the point of this. I know that I need to make some changes in my life to get rid of some pounds. Right before I got pregnant, I used to run that same number of pounds in miles. Ouch. But the best part of my tummy fat is that it is NOT symmetrical. I repeat, it is NOT symmetrical. One slab of belly flab hangs a little lower than the other. I am fascinated, fascinated, fascinated by it. I will miss it when it is gone. But at the same time, I won't.

Toodles.

Look! A cheese dick sunset photo!

2011-08-14T13:32:00.000-04:00

We were in Captiva last weekend and I cannot get it out of my head.

boy oh boy

2011-08-14T00:28:00.002-04:00

Here's George trying a sliver of Parmesan cheese for the first time.

(This reminds me. When I was a girl and the family would go out for pizza, I'd be so hungry for it that I'd dump gazillions of Parmesan into a cupped hand and sustain myself on it until the pizza came to the table.)

This is George on Parmesan:

Also, he's got a thing for slurping on water. It stays in his mouth for a time and then it comes back out. Especially when new teeth are in the mix. Hence the wet shirt*.

*Outfit explanation: if George is wearing Polo, that means it was a gift from his grandpa, who loves Ralph Lauren for boys more than you love wine, or chocolate, or whatever you please (once, when we were in a very upscale retail establishment, I think it was K-Mart, a total thug was giving George props for wearing Polo). One of the "teachers" at his "school" loves to pop his Polo collars and roll the sleeves a little to "show off his muscles" as you'll notice, above.

snoozing is losing

2011-08-10T22:57:00.001-04:00

Thought I should drop a line, during this fine (mild?) August, to let y'all know how things are going.

Well it turns out things...they are hard! Life is hard. Shit! Being a working mom is crazy hard. I suck at it. I wish I could figure it out, but I don't see that happening. One day at a time. One day at a time. One day at a time.

I just sat outside wearing one of those Off clip-on fans (the mosquitoes are terrible this summer). What a piece of crap. I got bit the bleep up. There's a welt on the corner of my left eye that looks like a tear drop tattoo.

To bed, to bed. Seriously, that's about it.

quinoa

2011-07-28T23:04:00.000-04:00

We had quinoa for the first time tonight and this is how Steve described it: "Tastes like mushy popcorn with little pubes in it." Ladies and gentlemen, Steve. Oh, so we're clear...he's not a foodie.

But George loved it. Me too!

Here's my wish list:

take more photos
blog more photos
become a little more connected with my profession
read more
walk more
dark chocolate - I want that now

Some of my photos are missing here because I deleted some Picasa web albums by mistake. Guess what. I'm too lazy to fix it.

they lasted on his feet about this long (1,2,3)

2011-07-14T09:52:00.000-04:00

sunset from library. or, as the smart ones say, liberry.

2011-07-14T09:51:00.000-04:00

you've all seen this but you haven't seen THIS

2011-07-11T09:49:00.002-04:00

dreams for July

2011-07-04T13:37:00.001-04:00

First of all, I had this crazy fantasy that I would blog every day in July.

So obviously that didn't happen! But here's what did...George got real sick last week and is finally on the mend. He had an upper respiratory infection that was slow in settling in and then, happy to stay. We were supposed to be in Montana this week but the trip has been postponed to the next federal holiday weekend, Labor Day.

My book discussion for My Antonia went really well; in fact, surprisingly well. I loved the book myself and enjoyed facilitating the talk - there was a lot to talk about y'all. I was so concerned we'd get off topic, but we didn't. You never know. So, another book jacket:

From almost never daily

My summer reading has been pathetic to say the least. In fact, I haven't done that great this year. Urgh! But I'm on a high now, so hopefully it will carry me to dozens of books.

We're watching Big Love, Season 4. We watched the entire series of Battlestar Galactica recently (omgomgomg).

I had never heard the Adele song, Rolling in the Deep, until yesterday. If you want to live under a pop culture rock you should probably have a baby. If it is happening now I won't get to it for a couple of years.

That's it! Oh, wait. Yesterday we went to a park and ran into this fellow. Hello Peacock!

From almost never daily

George, hard at play (then, I came home from work!)

2011-06-23T20:38:00.001-04:00

From almost never daily

happy birthday george

2011-06-17T21:23:00.004-04:00

From almost never daily

My camera battery, tested the night before, totally DIED the moment guests started arriving for George’s first birthday. Argh! Thankfully, a lot of folks had cameras and sent me some photos. This one is my favorite! To be honest, George was tired and not in the best mood for his party. But when we sang to him, he made this smile. And then he sampled some buttercream frosting, which he felt was a wonderful way to wrap up his first year. But wait! Then came the presents. He really loved those presents, too.

Here’s a very quick recap of how his first year began:

Saturday, June 12, 2010. My water broke at 4:44 a.m. “My water broke!” I said it very dramatically. “Did you pee yourself?” says Steve.

I delivered George at 9:40 p.m.

He came out yelling! Like he was making an announcement, a loud grand entrance. And then, not more than two seconds after he was born, he peed. I had this feeling about me that George was a very strong, healthy boy. And then I cried. I shook all over. I was overcome with warm fuzzy love.

I am not the same Madge as I was when you met me. And George is the best, ever, ever.

ahem, is this thing on

2011-06-07T09:56:00.001-04:00

Dear Blog,

I neglect you so often. It's a good thing you don't need food or water or you would be dead.

Love, Madge

---

That there was a letter to my blog. Now it's time to face Tuesday.

Oh, I wanted to share that we saw a tow truck company called Camel Towing. Genius.

And, George turns 1 next Sunday. WTF. I promise pictures. We moved and, last night...my awesome husband hooked up our computers while I slept, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. So I have photos to share from previous months.

so here

2011-05-05T12:52:00.001-04:00

Feeling listy:

· Missing Portland (this encompasses family, cool summers, roses in bloom, the campfire + wind + straw smell at the beach – which isn't Portland, but whatever).

· Reading Half a Life by Darin Strauss. This review from Entertainment Weekly hooked me (read: I recently went on a trip with a couple of friends, one of whom brought along Half a Life. The book is slender enough that the three of us devoured it in three days — and beautifully written enough that we spent the rest of the trip discussing it).

· Addicted to Osama bin Laden news.

· We're slowly moving to a new house – Steve is making some repairs before we move in, so we're in two places right now. Living in two places is not a good feeling. At all. My brain is way too delicate for such things. Speaking of brains…

· George accidentally whacked me in the nose with his hard little head last night. I made silly crying sounds because I thought I really was going to cry. And then he laughed at me. So how can you cry when George is laughing? You cannot. But I will tell you: today my brain feels swollen.

· I'm starting a book club at the library. I have this excited feeling about it, even though I might suck at facilitating it. First up: My Antonia, next month.

are you there god

2011-04-30T09:36:00.001-04:00

It's me, Margaret.

The library is, apparently, my life's calling. @#$% me!

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yummy going in, it's the lingering taste i could do without

2011-04-26T22:55:00.000-04:00

More of the same here. Sleepy, busy. But tonight: all of the above with garlic breath.

George

2011-04-13T00:32:00.002-04:00

rwoar

2011-04-09T01:49:00.001-04:00

Tigers, tigers everywhere...

Just finished this number:

From almost never daily

Now well into this number:

From almost never daily

+++
For years I was a staunch hater of e-readers. Really, up until about last week. But then I bought one (a Nook Color) over the weekend. And now? I really, really like it. Backstory: I guess you could say we get a lot of questions about e-readers and e-books at the library, since we offer downloadable e-books. And yes, I could answer most of the questions, but I wasn't pleased with my circuitous, Sarah Palinish answers. I decided it was time to get one of my own since reference librarians are expected to, like, know everything. Something else happened last week, too. I realized I had another need for one. If I had an e-reader, I could read in the dark, disturbing no one else. HUGE. So I went to B&N and scooped up a Nook. We are inseparable.

yes, i still have four pets

2011-03-26T22:38:00.000-04:00

This is the one that loves cardboard boxes more than cat treats:

revenge of the bodies

2011-03-24T09:23:00.001-04:00

So, it is true: stressful weeks turn into sick days. Even though taking care of a sick George is tough, I am glad to be home with him.

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and so it goes.

2011-03-22T17:35:00.000-04:00

Adventures in working mothering:

ring ring

Me: This is Madge, how can I help you?

Steve: Hey it's me – are you missing something?

Me: Uh? No?

Steve: You sure?

Me: FUCK.

Steve: You left your breast pump in the driveway.

There is one word to describe my mistake. The word is OUCH.

o'motherin

2011-03-21T22:54:00.000-04:00

This was taken on St. Patrick's Day, and it belongs right here on my blog:

I had one of those mornings today where I hated that I decided to go back to work. I had to wake George up for daycare, early - too early for him. He was sound asleep. No matter my cooing and baby rubs on his tummy, he stretched and rolled about to get more comfy. He was, as we say often at our house, "out." I finally pulled him up and into my arms. He was disoriented and still so sleepy, one cheek bright red where it snuggled into the bedding. I thought - jeez - not only am I plucking you out of your sweet dreams, but here - let me throw on some lights and freeze you out when I change your diaper as fast as I can. I told him I was the worst. Then we dashed out of the house together into a very windy, very dark morning. At this point, he was awake and judging by appearances, happy.

As you can see -- George loves daycare, which I call "school" to make myself feel like he's at the Yale Preparatory for Infants with Working Moms. He is fabulously happy there, however. And he takes wondrous naps so the early mornings always have a silver lining.

But still. My Working Mom brain is a series of cotton balls strung into a loose wad and thus, my day at work felt as though it held no purpose. I do important things there, sure. Though all I could think about today was how George stretched into a small prayer of getting a second helping of sleep. And then I snatched it away.

Torture.

loving it

2011-03-21T21:48:00.001-04:00

You must think that when I post book jackets "Oh, she's reading again. Big whoop." WHOOP there it is:

From almost never daily

this friday...

2011-03-14T23:56:00.001-04:00

We are moving into a slightly bigger pad. This is the front porch. Ooh, aah.

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headbands on baby girls

2011-03-09T09:51:00.001-05:00

Am I the only one who absolutely hates these?! Especially if the baby has no hair. They make ME INSANE.

currently reading

2011-03-05T22:26:00.000-05:00

And not because of the cover, even though it makes me happy.

lucky

2011-03-05T09:54:00.001-05:00

Yes, there's the whole working every-other Saturday bit that blows, but my boys always come and meet me for lunch. That, friends, is the best part of the day.

must walk more.

2011-03-04T13:33:00.001-05:00

Because, interesting is everywhere.

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monsieur adorable

2011-02-26T23:33:00.001-05:00

They say we have the same eyes, but mine are not this cute.

bright eyed

2011-02-19T06:20:00.001-05:00

Phew! I've been awake for nearly four hours and it is 6:15 a.m.! No complaints...I'm not tired and was able to accomplish quite a bit 1) before I'm off to work and 2) while George is sleeping. I thought I might even have the luxury of posting as the coffee brews and the train horn blows. (No doubt the latter will wake up baby.)

This week I must get my camera battery charged (pathetic, no?) and take some photos! I've been relying on my Droid for the job, but try as I might...nothing beats a Nikon. And when the battery has some juice, I have to remind myself to become a Flickr Pro once again! Account lapse...grrr.

Still reading the same book...my pace has slowed due to lack of reading time. I might sneak a bit in right now.

Good morning!

finally! a good read

2011-02-16T22:49:00.002-05:00

I've been a loser about the reading, so I decided to do something about it. I read a short staff review on powells.com about Tom Rachman's The Imperfectionists, which hooked me here: "It really is as good as you've heard it is, and if you haven't heard someone raving about it, let me be that person." Okay, okay! I checked it out. On Valentine's Day, George was under the weather so I stayed home with him. Many naps were taken snuggled up to yours truly. I read while he dozed. While I'm only about 1/3 through it, I love it. Fair to say the reading is back.

From almost never daily

it shouldn't be allowed

2011-02-16T00:40:00.000-05:00

Today I went to a meeting in place of my boss, a meeting of all the library managers in the land...so I was a little out of my element but not by much. When the meeting agenda was passed out, it had been typed in Comic Sans. I was unable to concentrate after that. I couldn't even take notes. I was thinking the career path I chose for myself was a complete comic sans. There were some passionate discussions; thought-provoking and all...but the common denominator was Comic Sans.

To back pedal, before the meeting, there was the infamous lunch-before-the-meeting. It was at Olive Garden, which is the Comic Sans of restaurants. I fell a little bit in love with a manager from another library who interrupted everything for her soup refill. This is boring! Let me have more of that minestrone, would you! Another manager ate those infamous bread sticks with her mouth open. I sort of fell out of love with her. Another manager pointed out a little tiny gargoyle amongst the decor. She wondered why Olive Garden would spend money on something like that, because she doubted most people notice it. Because it is Styrofoam and probably cost fifty cents.

Now, I'm really jumping. At the break, in the middle of the meeting, there were refreshments. There was a candy bowl filled with chocolate truffles, all wrapped in different colors. There was a chart, next to the bowl, explaining that the red wrappers were dark chocolate, the blue wrappers were milk chocolate...etc. We. Are. Librarians? We. Can. Read. Most likely? But thanks for the chart.

Comic Sans.

almost never…monthly?

2011-02-09T21:14:00.001-05:00

Well, it happened: this blog came to a screeching halt. Except that it's alive in my head. I write here a lot, you know, you just never see it. I have so little time these days to write! It's kind of killing me.

George is crawling. He is standing. He is...mobile and happy. And eight months old this Saturday. Unreal. Here's a photo of him from last weekend...and the weekend before that and then, his first Christmas.

More to come, soon, I hope. xoxo

january

2011-01-10T14:52:00.001-05:00

First cold of the daycare experiment. I am home with George; technically we're at an intracoastal park enjoying the choppy wind (he is sleeping; I'm drinking coffee from a drive-thru). I'm in agony over his misery, but at the end of the day I know he'll feel better soon. Right? Ugh.

Need some reading material pronto! Suggestions?

First wedding anniversary tomorrow! Whoa.

That's all!

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take two

2011-01-07T08:44:00.001-05:00

Here's to Friday. Ain't nothing special about it
when you have to work on Saturday too.

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sigh

2011-01-05T17:53:00.001-05:00

There's a coworker of mine on Facebook who always sublimely bitches about work and her little pals that are in on the joke often comment on her status, just vaguely enough so that you could never correlate who or what it is they hate so much. But damn are they ever haters. (I stopped taking work so seriously when I started working in this library. The gossip is so dull it's not even worth eavesdropping. My ears did perk up once when the crazy alcoholic circulation assistant went to the looney bin after a nervous breakdown. He was such a dick that I took pleasure in it. But that's the best I've got after 4 years in this job).

I could care less about them haters, and what I say next has nothing to do with said coworkers ranting on FB. But I'm thrilled to have a blog where I can anonymously vomit out there that I had a shitty day, that I hate the crushing walls of a room quieting when I walk in it, of people scattering away like roaches when I come near...it has been one of those days. It feels like the world is spinning in its usual way and I'm just above the ground enough so that when I put my feet down I end up very far away.

snoozefest

2010-12-22T19:32:00.001-05:00

Quieter now. I'm printing out labels to affix to the financial newsletters. Aren't you jealous?

I opted not to bring my phone/camera out to the floor...but I might sneak a photo soon.

go home peeps! i'm trying to live blog.

2010-12-22T19:00:00.001-05:00

do you fax stuff?

how much is a photocopy?

find me any movies you have starring jackie chan.

i cannot find bend it like beckham.

how do i print in color (x2)?

can i see instyle magazine?

i need help on the computer.

do you have any movies about the holocaust?

can i borrow your scissors?

disaster

2010-12-22T18:25:00.000-05:00

1,000 little liabilities happening all around me. Gulp.

away in the manger

2010-12-22T17:00:00.001-05:00

View out office window. See the manger scene? Life is awesome.

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sunny office

2010-12-22T16:56:00.001-05:00

Office door in the late sun. No public welcome here.

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liveblogging from the library

2010-12-22T16:54:00.001-05:00

It is painfully, painfully slow at the library and I'm here until 9 p.m.

What's that ya say? Blog all about it bout it? Okay, if you insist. Christ I can even sneak a photo here or there. Dude we're gonna have fun.

xoxo.

I miss it here. Oh, how I miss it here.

2010-12-21T23:54:00.001-05:00

Quickie updates:

George is tremendous. He is incredible. He is love times infinity squared to the power of love (HL&TN math). He is now six months old. And he’s eating oatmeal! Like he’s been doing it his entire life (haha!). It is the cutest thing to watch his mouth make an O in expectation of the spoon. He’s a very happy baby – he seriously stops strangers in their tracks when he smiles. I often look at him and wonder if he’s truly mine? I swear he seems like a gift to the world; world peace is in his dimples.
My reading is nonexistent at this time. I keep checking out books (like Great House, Room) and somehow return them, overdue, without having read a single page! I resolve in 2011 to read more. And to cook more. But we’re not there just yet. I’m going to stretch out the last days of 2010; this was by far the best year of my life…I’m in no hurry to move on.
The Coochie-in-Law remains on my coal list; you just wouldn’t believe her! Urgh! It is complicated and it is simple. I hate her. <---- Strong words! Loaded words. Sadly, true words.
My brain is severely embarrassing these days. Within a week, I locked my keys in the car, backed into a car (oh yes) and showed up for work at the wrong time. I remain positive that my brain will self-heal.
I’ve taken to wearing a gold duck charm around my neck.
And that’s mostly it…I’m sure I’m forgetting huge things but that’s all I can think of now.

whoosh!

2010-12-17T14:35:00.000-05:00

Life has been unbelievably crazy; I wish I had more time to write about it.
***

oh lord

2010-12-06T12:47:00.001-05:00

My new life: sitting on the carpeted floor of my office with my lunch (today, a cuban sandwich) and my breast pump.

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this much

2010-12-05T22:25:00.001-05:00

I love you Geegers.

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gobble gobs

2010-11-26T14:19:00.001-05:00

Thankful for this little turkey…I hope your holiday was hearty and full of happy.

updates from a working mother

2010-11-19T14:39:00.000-05:00

Well, folks, here goes: I am starting back to work full time on Monday. I came to terms with the hardest decision I ever had to make, scrutinized the positive and negatives and well, here you have it. Steve's cousin works at a hospital and the hospital offers childcare for their employees and employees' families. We fall in the latter category. George will be one of three babies in the infant room (sounds like something out of Brave New World). It's clean. It's as close to in-case-of-emergency as you can get. And it is surprisingly cheerful. Every single toddler in the building was delighted to meet George. Steve's cousin means the world to me; she has been looking out for George since he was in the womb. She was at the hospital when George was born. So - she's not just oh, like some kind of cousin. She's genuine family. And her office is just a few steps away from the childcare center. She has been known to pluck children from the center and sneak them into her office for lengths of time. Now she gets a little family member!

Work remains...work. But before I left on maternity, I was just a couple of months into a new position. I have a lovely little office with a water view, a brand new library that I'm assistant managing, and patrons that are, for the most part, the modern-day Jeffersonian yeoman. This means reference questions are actually...frequent and farm-like. The featured editorial from Library Journal a few weeks back was about how difficult it is to get a librarian job; the forecast graying of the profession didn't really happen (between budget cuts and ancient librarians not retiring, a good job is hard to find). It came down to this: if I left my career, I wasn't sure I'd ever get back into it. Honestly. And I didn't want to have any regrets about quitting; and if going back to work is horrible and too much for George? I can always quit down the line.

victory

2010-11-17T02:42:00.004-05:00

Saturday night was terrible. Completely, completely terrible. Here, I’ll take you there:

~~mother-in-law~~ coochie

Because I am gracious by default, I grinned through an awful evening. It wasn’t until I got home, safely under blankets, that I cried my brains out. It sure felt great. After the cry, I got out of bed and sat down here, at this very computer, and began writing a blog post I never published about (surprise!) hating my mother-in-law. I didn’t publish it because general paranoia set in – what if she had the wherewithal to Google things thus finding out my undying hate for her? But I don’t have to worry about that…she isn’t interested in much beyond the tip of her nose. I go through peaks and valleys with her – in the end, I’m always trying to be that bigger person and remind myself of her her redeeming qualities. Lately, though, they are few and far between. The bigger person will be eating her Wheaties, thank you. Especially with George around.

Enough of that. Same night, I’ve cried, I’ve hated. I’m at the computer (I already said this) and hopelessly distracted by an instant win game I never win: a free month of Toaster Strudel. Toaster Strudels (strawberry) are my crack so why wouldn’t I take a shot at a free month of them? I effing won the game much to my pleasure. And well, if you need a screen shot to take you there, I happen to have one:

I am 31 years old. I won a prize. It made me feel better.

fail

2010-11-15T12:36:00.000-05:00

@Corley - thanks for noticing my best shot. You are doing great.

cheeky

2010-11-08T01:23:00.000-05:00

George.

reminder for the future: always have camera in bag

2010-11-06T15:27:00.000-04:00

I wish I brought my camera with me today...I'm at work, holed up in my office and the view across the canal is stunning: there's a bounce house the size of an m-effing CASTLE over there. God I love you, Florida. You and your bounce house birthday parties. BOUNCE HOUSE!

cold front!

2010-11-05T14:55:00.001-04:00

The low tonight is expected to be a whopping 47 degrees. Thank you, thank you! I'll take it, Florida. So he can comfortably weather the chill, we're gonna put George in his fuzzy wuzzy jammies after his bath. Yes!!

Reading, albeit very slowly, A Friend of the Family. Every comma is like a little present, a generous pause to make you stop during each sentence and say hallelujah! There is some good writing up in here. Ordinarily it's not something I'm sure I'd ever pick up, but I requested it after reading a review of it from a reading group publication. Love reading obscure reviews.

There's laundry growing out my ears, so I'd better get to that.

from the woman who looks like Steven Tyler

2010-11-04T12:28:00.000-04:00

"I looked up from my computer and saw him. He started jiggling his man boobs, like this."

Don't you wish you worked in a public liberry? Because there's far more to it than books. There are man boobs jiggling.

three years ago i was in NEW YORK

2010-11-03T15:07:00.000-04:00

In Central Park, to be exact...

rituals

2010-11-02T17:55:00.001-04:00

I have many. Or I dream that I have many.

Here's just one: coffee. Enjoying it, not really making it, is a ritual. And I'm still drinking decaf. That flavor! It just reminds me of my freshman year of college, when I started drinking coffee black. When every single day was rainy and chilly.

Rituals in my past life: starting at the back of the September issues of Vogue, Bazaar and devouring, scouring every single page.

recap

2010-11-01T05:31:00.000-04:00

Halloween!
You were a let DOWN.
4 sets of trick-or-treaters?! C'mon! Can't you do any better than that?

However, George went to bed at 8:30 p.m., which was WONDERFUL. He's still sleeping. And I would be, too, if that, um, Costco hot dog + cool beverage meal deal I had yesterday afternoon had not woken me up violently about an hour ago. If I could belch any other flavor than hot dog right now I would be a little grateful.

warm

2010-10-27T13:57:00.002-04:00

All that sunshine on my face just now felt absolutely lovely.

should have slept

2010-10-23T08:28:00.001-04:00

It wasn't until 7:15 a.m. that I realized I did not have to be to work at 8:00 a.m., but 10:00 a.m. instead! Damn. A morning to sleep in and poof! Gone. But at least I was able to snuggle with my George, who by the way is the Snuggle King. He's like a little burrowing owl. Anyway, I couldn't just go back to sleep, even though I hardly slept last night.

I went through a fantastic reading spurt during my heavy nursing days, when George wanted nothing more than to eat every 1.5 hours. It was brilliant on my part - I sailed through books quickly and because I was a hormonal jungle gym, all books consumed became golden sharp memories (still thinking of American Wife). But the spurt dead-ended with Sloane Crosley's How Did You Get This Number. I was laughing hysterically at parts but then I sort of forgot I was reading it...sparkle and fade.

I have a few books checked out right now from the library - those that might not interest you (infant sleep) and those that might:

A Friend of the Family: a novel (Grodstein, 2009)
Castle: a novel (Lennon, 2009)
Fury: a memoir (Zailckas, 2010)

I'm sneaking reads at work since I'm there part-time hours, when the library is slow and my boss isn't there to judge me.

Coming up this week:

Tonight - Halloween Party w/family
Tomorrow - Open House / heading over to the in-laws
Friday - BIRTHDAY MANIA! I've always wanted to say, when asked my age, that I'm thirty-won-derful. AND NOW I CAN FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR.

4 squared

2010-10-21T12:37:00.003-04:00

Jane is a love bomb. She often splats right on top of the keyboard. F11! I've got you memorized.

Dean is fiercely protective of our home. Not untypical: "BARK!" "But there's a baby slee-" "I don't care. There's noise amiss down the street. God woman, if it is a vacuum cleaner, help us all. We'll get the baby out first." "Thanks, Dean."

Cole is a black blob of total heart.

D. Sergei remains kitten-like playful in a cat's body that should have been a dog.

doing okay for 30

2010-10-15T14:57:00.003-04:00

30 Things Every Woman Should Quit Doing By 30

[source]

Buying clothes from the junior section. (cannot. fit. them! the junior section and my body were never friends.)
Forgetting her parents’ birthdays. (okay i never forget them, i'm just late in celebrating them.)
Making out with her BFFs at bars for attention. (i hate bars! there. i finally said it.)
Making out with her boyfriend at bars for attention.
Filling her bed with stuffed animals (really, even one is too many).
Carrying a torch for anyone she hasn’t seen in the last five years.
Rebelling against her parents for the sake of rebelling against her parents.
Declaring an entire gender “all jerks.”
Holding a grudge against anyone who wronged her in high school. (i will always hate you, Lauren B.!)
Skipping regular gyno exams.
Going to bed without washing and moisturizing her face. (i never do this.)
Being “that person” who had a bit too much to drink at the office party.
Crushing on Justin Bieber.
Thinking she’s got it all figured out. (HAH!)
Calling her father “daddy.” (creepy macphelersons)
Engaging in sibling rivalry.
Trying to get by on her looks. (HAH! mom gut is so hot.)
Living paycheck to paycheck. (errr. uhhhh.)
Expecting a man/knight in shining armor to swoop in and save her. (well, he does. every single day.)
Aimlessly jumping from job to job. (not me.)
Using MySpace to pick up guys. (don't have a MySpace; pick up guys from crib/floor/stroller/car seat. my achin' back.)
Expecting a man to do all the wooing.
Wishing she had someone else’s life. (no way! horn toots for madge's life!)
Expecting everyone to drop everything because it’s her birthday ... (maybe for my 40th. i never really celebrate my birthday big...)
... or because her “boyfriend” of two weeks dumped her.
Measuring her self-worth by a number on the scale. (no! way! i measure it in MCDONALDS CHEESEBURGERS.)
Being cheap. (i'm not cheap by any stretch, but i'm also definitely not materialistic or a conspicuous consumer.)
Quitting a job without having a new one lined up first (especially in this economy!).
Blaming her mother for all her issues.
Romanticizing her 20s. (i actually had a conversation with steve last night about a conversation i had with two library employees in their very early 20s. my conversation with them was painful. i told steve i was so so so happy to be far far far away from 22. ugh.)

moms fail

2010-10-14T16:23:00.000-04:00

I never sent out birth announcements for George. Gah!
I have no idea what he's going to be for Halloween. Gah!

But I've got the photos covered, at least.

oh, to live under a rock

2010-10-09T00:51:00.000-04:00

I am the last person to have ever seen this, because I'm clocking in at viewer #30,298,818. But it doesn't make me love it any less.

tiny update

2010-10-06T00:30:00.004-04:00

I just thought I'd mention that I'm working part-time. For now.

I'm playing catch up with the work email. This little grammar bomb was mass-emailed to quite a few of us libarrians and deserved a larger audience, so I'm sharing it with you:

Re: computer classes

How many do everyone teach per month?

--from a colleague that has an MS in Library Science, a higher salary than yours truly and an email signature in 12 pt COMIC SANS.

My brain just threw up a little.

kind of sucky

2010-09-24T02:30:00.000-04:00

I have to call my job's sick line before 8 a.m. each day to report that I'm not coming to work. I haven't officially quit, am temporarily begging to keep my position until late November, though unsure about it; found out my first request to stay at home was denied. Going with a Hail Mary, but I strongly don't want to go back to work. I have such issues. WHY DON'T I JUST QUIT! Hello, hello.
The shittiest teacher I ever had in high school has a fan page on FB. She has a lot of fans. I just saw this and spent some time reliving painful Madge moments.
It is 2:30 a.m. I should be sleeping, hello!

champagne is one of the many reasons that it is difficult to becoming a sober*

2010-09-22T16:21:00.000-04:00

Pepper steak is one of the many reasons that it is difficult to contemplate becoming a vegetarian.

-- Le Creuset Cookbook, (Chalmers, 1980)

I read that and thought it deserved a bigger audience. So I'm sharing it with all four of you.

(I haven't had a drink in over a year! Because I was pregnant and am breastfeeding like a zealot. When all is said and done - and there is quite a bit of time ahead of me, yes - I'm going to buy a case of Veuve).

booger flickr

2010-09-16T16:32:00.002-04:00

I added this photo to my Flickr photostream. It is not my photo. It was from a magazine; I actually scanned the original page a couple of years ago but recently found the photo online. I mention the source on Flickr. But I still feel weird about it, like I'm plagiarizing. I added it because it is Pyrex (my crack addiction).

Dude, it has 222 views and 28 faves. I wish some of my own photos were as popular. But I don't use Flickr to its full potential what with the tagging and groups and all that. [Do you like how I insinuate that if I just pimped myself more, I'd automatically take more popular pictures? Haha.]

smells good anyway

2010-09-16T16:22:00.000-04:00

Searing meat terrifies me. Hot oil jumping out of a Dutch oven? Panic. Cold sweats. Why am I such a pussy in the kitchen? Time to change, Madge, time to change. I will face my fear!

I just seared a chuck for dinner. I think it went well. Clapping for myself.

king george III!

2010-09-15T19:34:00.000-04:00

All the boys are sleeping. In the case of George, this should be a good thing. But he takes such late naps these days that around 1am he's all smiles and giggle pants and wants to cha-cha (any perfect mother would tell you I am a bad mother for having him up so late). It's hard to resist. Regardless, I am letting him set the schedule. I can't cram his needs into my wants, so I just roll with it. We somehow get enough sleep, naps, etc. The kid smiles. That's the only indicator I need for happiness and mom-is-doing-okayness. And before you know it, I'll be telling him when we do this and that (bedtime, reading, homework, up by 7!, to sleep by 8!). He'll complain about it and I will get to tell him that one day, not so long ago, he was the KING OF OUR HOUSE.

The weather is slowly but most definitely changing here. I know, boring topic, but still. This means that (at least for me) I get to go outside during the day again! I'm very sensitive to the heat - like, we all are, okay? I get so exhausted in extreme temps. This dates back to my childhood. I literally turn into a slug in the heat. I wonder why, when I first moved to FL, that I thought running in the summertime afternoon was a good idea. It was not a good idea. I wish I could have those runs back. But there were only a few of them until I wised up. I'm looking forward to taking long walks with George - maybe even walking to town (gasp! a mile+ each way - it seems long enough). I just love when it cools down here and that is starting to happen. I know, I know, it's still 87 bajillion degrees right now but I swear we can feel a change in the air. Plus, October is next month. Do you know what that means? The man and I turn one year older, Halloween approaches (Kimberlina celebrates another year of marriage!), gah! I can't wait.

Here's to October, sleeping boys, smiling because you aren't wearing a poopy diaper anymore, and the animal-like way you know the seasons are changing.

burial at sea FAIL

2010-09-15T17:04:00.001-04:00

Florida turns nothing up but the awesome. I love my state.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/burial-at-sea-fails-when-body-surfaces-off-916976.html

happy 3 month birthday, georgie.

2010-09-12T01:14:00.000-04:00

madge and the case of recycling that went too far

2010-09-09T15:24:00.001-04:00

Once upon a time I had a boss who, even though she was born well after The Depression, saved every last bit of clamshell packaging and repurposed it to storage little bits of office supplies. Imagine opening a drawer to find all of your things sort of compartmentalized by flimsy-ish plastic wrappers -- it gave me The Depression.

you know life is good when you fall asleep in the bath

2010-09-08T02:37:00.003-04:00

This is most likely a trait inherited from my side of the gene pool. Though Steve does fall asleep in the tub, my dad has been known to fall asleep in the shower. Like, standing up and all. In my childhood, it wasn't uncommon to hear my mom say, "I've got to go wake up your dad for dinner. He's in the shower."

generals

2010-09-06T15:57:00.000-04:00

coupons!
the newspaper
thrift shops
Montana at Christmastime
six consecutive hours of sleep
Jane, hunting bugs
postage stamps
beach picnic
turn in the weather
americanos
organizing little sweet things
Memphis, Savannah
North Carolina
kicking soda
drinking water
eating fruits and veggies
oh and

baby product recalled

2010-08-30T11:15:00.001-04:00

I know, you’re as surprised as me. This baby hammock was recalled last week. If you bought one for yourself or as a gift, go here.

General observation: If your product photos must feature a baby doll instead of a real baby, I’d advise you to…rework your patent.

Oh baby

2010-08-26T15:30:00.001-04:00

This is George. Dimpled, chubby, and smiling. Very distracting. He’s starting to giggle.

He’s sleeping now or otherwise I’d be poring over him, careful not to fall into his dimples.

Maybe you can help me.

I was scheduled to return to work next week. On Monday, I went to my boss and had a sit-down with her. I said, simply, I need more time with George. And she was very understanding. I filed paperwork for another 90 days off – though it hasn’t officially been granted by the powers that be, I’m certain it will work out. I won’t have to return to work now until December. But here’s where I need some advice.

I don’t know that 90 days will be enough “more time”. But I don’t know if I want to throw in the career towel, either. I vent about my work here, but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it. I am in a good position to go upward places within my library – and this only benefits George (excellent health/dental care benefits, private school ain’t cheap, etc.). But do I love work as much as George? Are you crazy. I was raised by a stay-at-home mom and I think I turned out pretty effing awesome. I was never in daycare. The same goes for Steve (who is exponentially more awesome than yours truly). We put a lot of stock in this. A lot.

I have a few months to think this over, but I need some input from you. Let me know what you think about going back to work or staying home. Ask me tough questions. I can afford to stay home, but barely. Or I could go back to work and spend a lot of money on daycare and Kleenex (for me), and have a little money left each month to spend on coffee. Because I will probably have to wake up at 4:30 a.m. every day and be expected to like, deal with the public with a somewhat cheery disposition.

Oh and then there’s the whole part where we really want to have more children. Like, stat.

another mind eff

2010-08-20T20:00:00.001-04:00

I am always amazed at this bit-o-history:

Beethoven’s funeral was March 29th, 1827.

20,000 Viennese citizens came out to pay respect. Wha-huh?

mind eff

2010-08-18T12:30:00.001-04:00

October is just as close to August as it is to December.