yay!

I want a t-shirt that says "I survived the Big Read"! The last bus trip wound its way through the state with by far the most needy travelers of the four trips we took. It didn't help that it was raining in Montgomery and we were all drowned rats for the afternoon. I hate walking around in wet shoes, plus some places had the AC pumping and that, combined with wet clothes and hair, left some of us with a chill only displaced after a second glass of wine at lunch :)

But, it's over and now there is just the paperwork to be filled out!

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On a different note, Sunday was Summer Reading Kickoff at the library and our new program for adults TOOK OFF! KT had some momentary concerns about no one signing up and I'll have you know she was working it like a presidential candidate out there and we had over 100 people sign up and everyone is VERY excited about this new program! I think the summer is going to be great! Our summer reading, on all fronts, gets bigger and bigger every year so I hope we can keep up the momentum.

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Eeek! I'm mildly freaking out because the organizational meeting for my new genre-reading book group is next week! What if it's like last month and no one shows up?!?!?! KT did tell me that several people were asking about it at summer reading sign up and seemed excited about the prospect of an evening book group so I'm trying to keep the freak out to the bare minimum. I think it will be fun and different from other library book groups. I'm hoping at least a few members of the male gender will be interested. KT doesn't have any men in her book group and most of the other librarians I know who run book groups don't have any either. I know you men read, so what's the deal? I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for sure!

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I have 3 petsitting jobs in the next 2-3 weeks so I'll have to be away from home but I will be making some much needed extra cash. For gas certainly, but also to pay for my lawncare. My usual person, whom I called OVER a month ago, has not yet shown up and there is now some prime hay in my yard. I've been pulling right up to my front steps because I'm anxious about being bitten by snakes. They are no doubt populating the overgrown areas of my yard and I just can't deal with that. Not to mention mice, rats, spiders and all the other lovelies that I don't want migrating into my house.

Last week I stopped in at Jack's for some meal or other and there was a lawncare business card taped under the drivethru window so I jotted the number down and called today. I got a prompt call back and he said he would drop by in about 45 minutes and I told him that would be fine. I tidied up a few things in the kitchen (the house is getting cluttered again!) then hopped in the shower, figuring I still had about 30 minutes before I could expect him. When I got out of the shower, Binky was slinking around the room, head and tail down, looking for a place to hide. Well, sh!t, he must be here. I slung some clothes on and sure enough, a truck was just beginning to back out of the yard. I ran to the door in my crooked, hastily donned clothing with a towel wrapped turban style around my wet hair. I told him I thought I'd have more time and apologized for almost missing him.

OMG, I didn't even have my glasses on and could still tell that this person quite possibly one of the most handsome men I've seen in real life. Stupidity-inducing handsomeness. Which is always what you want to see when your clothes (your PLUS SIZE clothes!) are on crooked, you have a towel on your head, and you're squinting because you left your glasses on the counter in the haste to get to the door.

He is very nice, but also very expensive. I'm not sure how I'll pay for this the whole summer. But he will be mowing the lawn even if I have to start selling my possession on eBay! You want to know the most embarrassing part. I'm having to pay almost $100 dollars extra for an initial bush-hogging fee since the first cut can not possibly be made with a lawn mower! I suspected that would be true, but it was still mortifying to have it confirmed. He said he'll cut it twice so I won't just have "hay laying around all over the place" (and that is a quote!) and it will look nice. I'm really kinda put out with the lady who said she would be here a month ago. She's cut my grass for the past 3 summers and then just dumped my business with not a word. I'm writing a letter to let her know that I've procured another lawncare service because I could just see her showing up and then getting two bills for this. Then I would be pissed off instead of simply

put out.

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I hope you've made it to the end without getting too bored with the lawncare discussion, but it's summer in Alabama so outside of gas prices and humidity, keeping your lawn under control is pretty high on the list of homeowner complaints. Or at least it is on mine! :)

Afternoon ya'll!