pilfering from the county library

so i checked out this book, read it slowly (out of style for me) and had to renew online.  my renewed due date was jan 20, on which day i was in bend waiting to meet a friend who is massively pregnant... waiting for her to call... waiting so long i thought surely she was having the baby because why else would she ditch me?  (turns out her 10 minute doctors appointment turned into a 2 hour appointment.)

anyhow, i ran out of errands to do so harvey and i were sitting in the car outside the library for a good 25 minutes, just chilling.  i finally got out, put harvey on the leash, and we walked to the front of the library.  i dropped the book in, read the instructions that say "deposit two at a time", and thought to myself "what if you only have one book?  then what are you to do?" and chuckled to myself.  i opened the slot a second time to make sure that the book dropped in all the way (an obsessive habit that i thought would pay off, but turns out it isn't worth the extra second and a half).

anyhow, all this story climaxes when i start to get emails last week from the library saying that the book is now overdue and would i please be a good library patron and bring it back to them ASAP.  what?!?  i am not a book thief!  i got two of these emails and then called to inform them of the vivid memory i have of returning the book and that i KNOW it is there.  they said they would check and let me know.  just now i get an email that it is not on their shelves and would i please search my house and car again.  ahh!  a perfect library record ruined.  and i am pretty certain that all of this is coming back around to bite me because i was critical of my friend megan's library patronage and misuse this summer, ridiculing her for accruing over $15 in fines.  

the book was the tree of yoga, which was supposed to teach me let things go and to seek harmony within myself.  i am unsure that iyengar (the author) knew the feeling that plagues me of having a tainted library record, otherwise i am sure he would have dedicated a chapter to forgiving yourself, and the library.

quick confession

we haven't posted much, because there hasn't been much worthy of sharing.  life feels like work, work, work, time with harvey, maybe time with each other, and then comes wednesday. wednesday is our one full day off together and so far each week we have carved out time to go to breakfast.  it is a new tradition that we are treasuring.  there is so much less pressure on breakfast--the food is cheaper, the dress is more casual, the talk is more lighthearted and silly. plus, if the food wasn't that great or the server treated us less than cordially, we have a whole day to redeem our date instead of a date night ruined.  

my job at the nordic center has a rhythm to it that is comforting, although the afternoons tend to pick up too much speed.  my coworkers are mostly all laid-back and sarcasm abounds so i am content.  i even get paid to ski every now and again.

a few weeks ago there was a little boy who kept peeking his head around the door into the "kitchen".  i caught him and told him he better watch out or i would put him to work.  this lead to an extended conversation on the merits of each gift he received for christmas, his favorite television shows and movies, and stories about his dog.  with each topic, he would become more and more excited. harrison is his name and he is about 4 years old. he promised to come back and visit me on the weekends and since then he has made good on his promise, coming to see me three weekends in a row. according to his mom, during the week all he talks about is going to the ski place so he can see the "burrito girl" (such a prestigious title, i know).  

today his heartfelt confession took the cake: he came up and ordered hot cocoa with his dad.  i poured the chocolate and turned to him and said, "would you like whip cream?".  his response, which came pouring out at rapid speed was, "i love you!"  with that he ran off with his hands over his mouth and left his father and i standing at the counter laughing. looks like next weekend when he comes to visit i might have some explaining to do about my heart belonging to another equally adorable and sweet guy.  

what's your name?

perhaps my most favorite of all times in life is the pause after a family meal, in the time after having eating a delicious feast but before the first person breaks away to start the dishes.  during those time is when the best family stories tend to emerge as we all sit around with full bellies.

one of the (infinite) joys of getting married is that you get to inherit a whole families collection of stories and cherished memories.  this is a facet of marriage i didn't see coming, but that i adore.  my favorite overstreet family story took place years before brandon was even in the world, and yet the story is repeated and known by everyone down the line.  brandon's brother justin's middle name is trevor and like most kids, he only heard "justin trevor" when he was in trouble.  when justin was young and the family cat would get into its own share of trouble, justin would apparently say "kitty trevor" associating trevor with misbehavior.  i always chuckle at the remembrance of this story.

brandon and i have decided to carry on the trevor tradition and have bestowed that as a middle name for harvey.  we have no reason to give him a middle name other than that we need something to say sternly when he is making bad choices.  if you hear us stammer "harvey trevor!" you should know that we are having puppy problems.  although we may find it hard to throw out the trevor piece without a smile emerging at the corner of our lips as we think of justin.