On Updates (and the Lack Thereof)
Sunday, March 30th, 2008I have neglected blogging again. Damn.
Last week, I spent most of the week in downtown Chicago, at the New Reference Staff Orientation that Chicago Public Library holds every year or so for new-ish staff. It was a lot of fun; we had two days of conference stuff, one day of touring libraries around the central and south districts and one more day of conference stuff. The touring was a lot of fun; I got to see a number of other branch libraries that I normally wouldn’t, including the beautiful Hall library (where Langston freaking Hughes used to come) and a host of others. More than anything, those four days restored my faith in my job, because in all honesty, I’d been feeling rather out on my own lately. I suppose that’s a symptom of just going “work, home, work, home,” etc. I met many new (and new-ish) librarians and library associates; I met the Commissioner of Chicago Public Library; I met wonderful senior staff and branch heads. All in all, it was a marvelous experience and reminded me why I’d gotten into this line of work. It’s renewed my faith in my choice of careers and I’ve promised myself I won’t let myself run dry as I think I had in the last month or so.
I have also started exercising again.
It’s been years (how sad is that?) since I had an exercise regimen and as a result, I have become what John Cleese used to refer to as a “pepperpot”. However, I don’t want to be one. While I wish I had the metabolism I had when I was eighteen, we all know which hand fills up first when you wish in one and defecate in the other.
Part of the reason is that two of the branch heads I met last week have run in at least four Chicago Marathons and it reminded me that when I was eighteen, I wanted to run a marathon. I’ve a long way (a very long way) before I can hope to complete such a trial, but it is my hope that I can stick with regular exercise and eventually, perhaps I can run a marathon.
There are a lot of things I’ve neglected with my schedule and blogging regularly is one of them; however, I want to get back in the habit of doing more than going to work, coming home and flopping down on the couch with a DVD. That way lies peril and ill health.
In other news, I have now had my new car (a silver 2008 Nissan Sentra with a stick shift) for almost three months and I still don’t have a name. Suggestions would be appreciated. Don’t bother with “Silver Bullet” (that was the name of my old Volvo) or “Silverado” (that was my sister’s old car). My car needs a name, so help me!