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I have a love/hate relationship with our excellent Columbus library system. I love going and getting books, and I hate the fines that inevitably result and keep me away for months at a time until I’m ready to pony up the money. I have also had a problem finding things to read for several years. I grew up on fantasy, read young adult well into my 20s, then dipped into near-future science fiction for the early part of my 3os, and for the past several years have aspired to read non-fiction. While I can blame motherhood for part of my reluctance to follow-through on this goal, really, it just seems like work. Like studying. I like to get my news and real-world information from the radio. And the internet.

Add that to the fact that my favorite down-time past time is knitting, and books and I have been in an on-again off-again relationship for some time. This is embarrassing for me. My aunt owns a bookstore, I started reading when I was 4, and I used to come home from the library with stacks of books as long as my arms. I knew the middle reader and young adult sections of my neighborhood library from scratch.

Two things have happened recently that have brought books back into my daily life. We’ve been going to the library quite often as a family – which means that MD is getting books out too and has equal responsibility for returning the darn things – and I finally realized I could check out books on cd and upload them to my ipod. This has made bus-riding and knitting so much more enjoyable and finally, I’m catching up with the written / spoken word.

Right now I’m slogging through the audio version of Nickle and Dimed. The narrator’s voice gets on my nerves but I’m one cd away from being done. But the what I’m enjoying the most at the moment is A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg. MD and I are both reading it and it’s a real treat. Stories and recipes – is there anything better? I’m getting ready to order a copy to own, which happens rarely. We have so little space already for the books that invade every corner of our home. I only buy hardcovers, and only if I must simply have them, but still, they multiply.

What are you reading these days?

Thank you wordpress for finally catching up to the times. Check out my sidebar – it’s a twitter widget! I don’t know why this makes me so happy but it does.

When Ike came blowing through these parts last fall, we sat at the dinner table and watched our big pine tree out front lean at about a 45 degree angle because of the 75 mph wind gusts. I thought for sure we’d lose it but we didn’t.

However, my guess is that it was weakened enough that all it took was another wind storm to knock it down.

This one only made it up to 60 mph twice, but it was enough.

The really freaky part was watching the wind hit it and the ground pulling up where the roots were loose.

We actually didn’t hear it come down. I went to bed at around 11 and couldn’t sleep so I went back to the window about 20 minutes later and there it was lying on the ground.

I have mixed feelings about it because in my opinion it was an eye sore and should havebeen cut down ages ago. But Jamie loves it. He hugs it and picks its pinecones and plays under it.

His first reaction was sadness. “But I want the tree to be standing up!” But we’ve promised to get a smaller, more appropriate tree that flowers and he’s pretty excited about that.

Now for the funny part. Since it didn’t fall ON anything (house/car) or in the driveway, our insurance doesn’t cover the removal. But we have a friend coming tomorrow to help us cut it up. He’s going to take the trunk but we’re going to have to deal with the branches ourselves.

MD is THRILLED to be spending his one day off a week doing tree removal, let me tell you…!

I interrupt the pity party to make the following statement: Animated Thomas videos? Not in my house sir. Seriously, is this a sign of the apocalypse or what? The only thing that makes those 15 minute insufferable episodes bearable is the cleverness of their execution. Real trains! Still shots of wooden people! Actual landscape!

My plan is to never let Jamie know these abominations exist. Between the DVR and the million and one videos we own, he never watches commercials, so it shouldn’t be too hard. Feh.

Ok – also just realized this video has been out since 2000. So why did we just see a commercial of it last night?? Feh.

UPDATED: And, I don’ t know if this is the one we saw or not. Apparently they’re all listed as “animated” but MD and I saw a commerical for an actual CARTOON. With faces that actually MOVE. It’s blasphemy!

• I forget every year what central heat does to my sinuses, and how I am permanently dehydrated all winter long.
• I am still stupidly busy at work and have two big things coming up that are making me fret. One will be over on Weds, the other will linger into next week.
• I hate that we have no money for Christmas and am already feeling embarrassed by what we will be able to give my family, which is silly because my stepmom has already mentioned that the Christmas budget is way down this year, but on a typical year their Christmas budget is probably equal to 2-3 months of mortgage payments for us. So their scaled back budget will still represent an embarrassment of riches. And it’s surreal to be giving out a Christmas wish-list when we’re just scraping by this month and next. And adding to the credit card debt while we’re at it.
• MD picked up some hours last week but hasn’t received a call about anything week, and will be laid off until Jan 2nd. Ho ho ho.

I had forgotten, and my mom’s roommate Tina is well-meaning but, um, I think her brain is permanently fried from past activities if-you-know-what-I-mean, but my mom’s friend Ruth is her Medicare guardian person. Which means she has the responsibility of making decisions and is the main family contact right now. I think she felt like she was stepping on my toes because she was ready to turn it all over to me, but I told her this is the best and C had reasons for setting it up this way.

C’s status: serious infection in her lungs – possible STAPH – and they’re doing a cat scan today to see why she basically fell asleep and wouldn’t wake up. She’s intubated and on a respirator and they are keeping her heavily sedated because she thrashes around and tries to yank everything out if she starts to wake up. They have her restrained as well.

We’ll see.

I am scrambling to pack for a trip to Philly tomorrow. I’ll be at a conference until Sunday night and I’m just pulling some clothes out of the dryer, MD is super late getting home, Jamie just finally calmed down and fell asleep, and I have to make a run back to the office sometime tonight to get the power cord to my work laptop.

But I’m blogging, because Kelly has a new blog and you really need to see it. It’s a response to the MoveOn.org “Not Alex” ad, and some of my favorite people have added their kids to it. There’s Henry of course, and Jen’s three, and Karrie’s Max. And a bunch of kids who’s mama’s are a part of the Ravelry Knitters for Obama group.

And Jamie. He’s not available, either.