Well, I rode my motorcycle on Thursday, to work and to choir practice, did all of Wednesday and Thursday's mail and stuff and Friday was clear. I wasn't feeling well, the right foot still hurts in moving but bears my weight just fine. My sinus problem comes back with the cold weather or the total pollenization by growing green stuff and the fungus and mushrooms blowing up in the yard. Still I am the guy in the home, and I get to move the furniture for the little woman - what were all those pushups and chin ups for, more than my looks. So the home is shifted and reworked and set up, and cleaned up. This is the time I notice all the STUFF we don't need, but are so fortunate to own (or someone would say). I also vaccum and try to make the computer cave organized enough not to shame my wife. Then sleep for tomorrow Winter will return to Western Washington - Global Warming anyone? that bear over there is white for a reason. I sleep restlessly with a clogged head that hangs so heavy.
Still, with the new morning of the LAST workday of the week, I get up to get going, no motorcycling this morning - Seattle is threatening rain and snow - and King County thinks they are in charge, who are we to protest? I don't do the walk to the dock either, my sinus problems won't get better in the whipping cold wind. They cram everyone on one ferry - to save twenty thousand dollars this month - the budget is rapidly running out. At work we put thirty-two new books in circulation, and twelve new CDs. I have thirty-nine donations that I download the MARC records for, three British publications I haven't found records for will have to wait. Our last morning hour the cabinet makers show up with the new nine foot long Staff Reference desk, only needing one more hole drilled for power cables. It is impressive - I keep thinking I could get a castle built for me if I wanted it, but this will do. I empty the old desk and then decide I don't want all that junk going into the new one, so I could organize it couldn't I? That and all the normal library stuff for closing out Friday, seems I have to schedule interviews and testing for new inmate library clerks - I must drive them away with my lack of charm and personality.
Home and my wife is happy and worn, she has been finishing the home, and cooking and preparing. At six I start opening the door and greeting everyone in my best Korean - and it isn't that good but I always tried to learn the polite phrases and the proper time to use them, so the person listening to my poor pronounciation won't be totally lost. Total audience of eighteen women and one man (token male leadership from the church - the women have their own leader of the group, and his wife is here, too). I get to eat, the picture above, squid, clam on half shell, spiced pork, mixed vegetables and noodles, rice with barley and seaweed soup - Coffee from America. I am always well fed. They celebrate one lady's birthday, I print out two copies of the picture (aren't computers wonderful?) and I talk about Army Service and military careers with the Deacon, he did twenty-three years in the Republic of Korea Army as an officer, but I was a paratrooper and in the American Army. The devotions start with singing hymns, prayers, small sermons and the good gospel message. My wife hands me her mobile phone to talk with my daughter-in-law in San Diego, her husband is coming home on Sunday - from a long deployment on the other side of the Pacific, she is excited and happy and it adds to the joy of the day.
We have a pile of cars outside, sixteen pairs of shoes on the porch, and happy well fed people about to depart - taking the extra to their homes to share. Life is good, even for reclusive almost monklike Library Keepers.
