Breaking patterns
I'm seriously nuts about libraries. It's like a FREE BOOKSTORE. That is amazing to me. If some kind of apocalypse happens and I manage to survive, you'll be able to find me living in a library with a bedroom set and some survival gear.
It was like a first date when I went to the New Lenox library for the first time. Would it be nice? Would it have the things I need and like? Would this be a good fit? The place was very modern, clean and quiet. Nothing will every be as beautiful to me as my hometown library (I mean, gosh, I took wedding pictures there)
My cherished old library had marble and wrought iron and dirty, dusty corners, and this one looked more like the set of The Breakfast Club
I knew I'd grow to love it, though. The computer system was very quick and efficient, and though they didn't have many things at the top of my "to read" list (which are mostly books to which Alice gave ratings ratings on Goodreads), I was able to put in requests for interlibrary loans very easily. What I didn't count on was that nearly all of my requests would be fulfilled within the week.
Last night Carey had plans to go record with a new music buddy. We had a quick dinner and then I helped him load up his gear. I came back and sat at the kitchen table and contemplated watching TV all night- the kind of shows that would incur judgement from Carey. But then I remembered all those books waiting for me at the library. I walked Greta and then loaded up my backpack and filled up my water bottle. I pumped up my bike tires and put on my helmet and hit Old Plank Trail, which is a 22-mile long paved rail-trail that connects the towns of Joliet, New Lenox, Frankfort, Matteson, Richton Park, Park Forest, and Chicago Heights. http://oprt.org/maps.htm
The trail is one of my favorite things about living here. It’s beautiful, shaded, well-maintained, and it turns a 20 minute road bike trip in scary car traffic to a 10 minute leisurely ride with lots of neighborly how-do-you-dos to local joggers and dog walkers.
I got to the library and checked out my nine (!) book holds, and settled into a relatively comfy chair on the second floor near the windows but behind the stacks, and started to read the shortest and most ridiculous book I’d reserved. It felt amazing. I’d already completed my work for the day. Exercise was taken care of with the bike trip. Greta was walked, Carey was busy, and I sat and read until the library closed.
After the trip back, I cleaned the kitchen ran the dishwasher, took a long, wonderful shower, put away some laundry, and still had time to do a little more reading before bed. I felt fantastic. I realized that I had started equating watching TV with relaxing, and that was a trap, because as soon as you log in some TV time, you don’t have the energy or the motivation to do anything else, and before you know it it's time to go to bed and your night has been sucked away. I’m going to suggest to Carey that we limit TV to one hour a night and pick at least one night a week when it just never comes on.
My great night also reminded me about breaking some other patterns. I think I want to do another food reset, even kicking this one off with a juice cleanse. I want my body to start feeling the way my life has started to feel- more orderly, healthy, and.....right. This time I think Carey might be along for the ride, which I think will actually make it easier and more fun. I looked back at my tags and I haven’t done a food reset since I worked at MP: http://heatherella.livejournal.com/546217.html
I’m actually really psyched about it.
It was like a first date when I went to the New Lenox library for the first time. Would it be nice? Would it have the things I need and like? Would this be a good fit? The place was very modern, clean and quiet. Nothing will every be as beautiful to me as my hometown library (I mean, gosh, I took wedding pictures there)
My cherished old library had marble and wrought iron and dirty, dusty corners, and this one looked more like the set of The Breakfast Club
I knew I'd grow to love it, though. The computer system was very quick and efficient, and though they didn't have many things at the top of my "to read" list (which are mostly books to which Alice gave ratings ratings on Goodreads), I was able to put in requests for interlibrary loans very easily. What I didn't count on was that nearly all of my requests would be fulfilled within the week.
Last night Carey had plans to go record with a new music buddy. We had a quick dinner and then I helped him load up his gear. I came back and sat at the kitchen table and contemplated watching TV all night- the kind of shows that would incur judgement from Carey. But then I remembered all those books waiting for me at the library. I walked Greta and then loaded up my backpack and filled up my water bottle. I pumped up my bike tires and put on my helmet and hit Old Plank Trail, which is a 22-mile long paved rail-trail that connects the towns of Joliet, New Lenox, Frankfort, Matteson, Richton Park, Park Forest, and Chicago Heights. http://oprt.org/maps.htm
The trail is one of my favorite things about living here. It’s beautiful, shaded, well-maintained, and it turns a 20 minute road bike trip in scary car traffic to a 10 minute leisurely ride with lots of neighborly how-do-you-dos to local joggers and dog walkers.
I got to the library and checked out my nine (!) book holds, and settled into a relatively comfy chair on the second floor near the windows but behind the stacks, and started to read the shortest and most ridiculous book I’d reserved. It felt amazing. I’d already completed my work for the day. Exercise was taken care of with the bike trip. Greta was walked, Carey was busy, and I sat and read until the library closed.
After the trip back, I cleaned the kitchen ran the dishwasher, took a long, wonderful shower, put away some laundry, and still had time to do a little more reading before bed. I felt fantastic. I realized that I had started equating watching TV with relaxing, and that was a trap, because as soon as you log in some TV time, you don’t have the energy or the motivation to do anything else, and before you know it it's time to go to bed and your night has been sucked away. I’m going to suggest to Carey that we limit TV to one hour a night and pick at least one night a week when it just never comes on.
My great night also reminded me about breaking some other patterns. I think I want to do another food reset, even kicking this one off with a juice cleanse. I want my body to start feeling the way my life has started to feel- more orderly, healthy, and.....right. This time I think Carey might be along for the ride, which I think will actually make it easier and more fun. I looked back at my tags and I haven’t done a food reset since I worked at MP: http://heatherella.livejournal.com/546217.html
I’m actually really psyched about it.