Awkward Moments in a Kush Life

I have been having the best time! When we moved out to Wisconsin there wasn't any rush for me to start working. So I've been very casually looking for jobs, and in the meantime I've been preoccupying myself with city explorations, reading, and being a homemaker. There aren't many people who say they do that any more - homemaking. It's quite lovely.

Lately in the mornings, I will get up at my convenience (which happens to be very early, unfortunately), take some time to read the Book of Mormon or a General Conference talk to get me in a groove before I start my day, eat breakfast, clean up the house a bit, sit outside and read until its too hot, run errands around town when needed, and work on random projects until Scott gets home. Some days I open the window in the morning, if its cool enough outside (Milwaukee is rather muggy and thus uncomfortably warm in the summer), and hear a bird chirping or listen to the breeze... and then I sigh and think, "How can I work from home ALL the time?" I'm working on figuring that out.

Since I've gone through many books in the last month, I made a point to stop by the public library. And WHAT a library it is! A two-story building (no pun intended) with an expansive collection of fiction, non-fiction, children's library, movies, and books on tape. The library has lots of quiet space, including study rooms and meeting spaces. Possibly the best thing about this library is that it is part of a network of libraries that pools resources. So I can put a hold on a book for free, to be sent from one of the partner libraries if I can't find it in house. This network also means that my library's e-collection on Overdrive is GINORMOUS. They even have several copies of new books that have just been released. It's a beautiful thing!

*Off topic: I used to think I would never prefer reading on my iPad over reading a physical book. I love flipping pages and seeing my progress. However, after reading several books on Overdrive, I've changed my tune. The convenience of checking out a book is divine, and if the book is especially long (and mine often are), you don't have to worry about holding the book all lop-sided until you get to the middle. I'm sure Overdrive is saveing fingers from arthritis.

In addition to having a jaw dropping collection, our new library has pretty great programming. The library hosts several book clubs throughout the year, and a summer concert series outdoors. Every Wednesday afternoon in the summer they play a kids movie, and every Friday afternoon they host a non-kids movie. The first time I went to the Friday afternoon special I watched The Second Best Marigold Hotel. I walked in a little bit late, and found that I was the youngest person in the room by about 40 years. I felt like I was literally sitting with half the senior center. The entire room looked over at me when I started laughing at Maggie Smith's jokes about dying. Meanwhile, I had no idea why they were laughing at Richard Gere's jokes about aging. That's what you get for watching a movie about a retirement hotel with the senior center, I guess.

Then, this last Friday I went to see The Longest Ride. I was encouraged because it looked like there were way more cars in the parking lot this particular afternoon, and so I guessed that the younger crowd had come out to watch this Nicholas Sparks movie with me. Not so. It was just me and my older peeps again.

Imagine watching a movie about an older man remembering his WWII days with half of the senior center. The room was in tears, laughing when Alan Alda's character, when being told that he was in the hospital to make sure he got all better said, "I've had a heart attack, a hip replacement and two knee surgeries; how much better can I get?" The laughter was empathetic, on their part, which made it rather contagious.

It should be said, that I do NOT recommend The Longest Ride. While Scott Eastwood is mighty fine to look at (strikingly similar to Hot Guy #5, for those friends who knew me in college), the acting and dialog felt forced. Also, there was unexpected nudity, more than is really appropriate for a PG 13 movie in my opinion... try watching THAT with your grandma. I spent a good portion of the movie casually looking at the floor. The rest of the crowd did not seem to be looking at the floor, but then again I could only see the two or three viewers nearest me.

Isn't my library great?! These movies aren't even out yet on video, and my library shows them for free. The August movie schedule just came out. Anyone want to see I am Big Bird with me? We can be spring chickens together.