February 17, 1991

Sunday is a day of rest, even when I have to get up early to tend to my little Eddie guy.  JoAnna sleeps in until 9.  I'm thinking about an uninterrupted day at home until JoAnna talks about going shopping, all of us.  I suggest we check out the Land's End outlet and what a bonanza.  I pick up three pairs of pants, two shirts, and a turtleneck.  JoAnna scores two skirts, two tops, and a sweater.  This amazing haul totals less than $150.  During our stroll through the mall, we run into Kathy Wiese and her boyfriend..  She now works at Eddie Bauer -- the East Towne store.

We fix tacos and burritos for supper and then settle into an evening to TV.

February 16, 1991

I wake up around 5 feeling completely rested.  When Eddie starts fussing, I volunteer to give him his bottle.  He goes right back to sleep, which gives me some uninterrupted time of reorganizing my notebooks.

I get a little bit tense before we leave for the circus, mostly over concerns about my bowels.  And sure enough, as soon as we reach our seats at the Coliseum, I have to locate a rest room.  Fortunately, one good grunt completely evacuates my bowels.

Both Andy and Eddie behave like angels.  Andy pulls one of his shy-boy stunts, and at the last minute, refuses to board an elephant after I've spent $8 for tickets for the two of us.

Otherwise, it's an uneventful day, one that provides no opportunity to be by myself until 9.  JoAnna buys a TV and figures we can set it up immediately.  I tell her otherwise, but she won't believe me.  I predict this second TV won't be ready for viewing for days.

Post-WWII Downtown Sumter, South Carolina (Postcard)

Downtown Sumter

February 15, 1991

Jo leaves early for Milwaukee.  I volunteer to drive Andy to daycare.  An overnight snowfall leaves Madison streets in very poor condition and prevents me from getting to work on time.  As soon as I walk into the library, I see Sharon storming toward the exit, pushing the vacuum cleaner with a ferocious determination.  For the second time in two weeks, we have no cleaning service.  When I call Don Gibson, a recording tells me that the number has been disconnected.  Figuring that I dialed a wrong number, I try again.  Same result.  I call an operator and she informs me that the disconnection is due to lack of payment.  I then shift into crisis mode, talking to Joel and Hank about the library's options and am a bit put out when they put a resolution of the problem entirely in my hands.  It's a relief to find Don at home and a bigger one to learn that my crisis is news to him.

It's a long day.  I'm so tired that all I care about is going home and sacking out on the couch.  I'm in bed before nine.

Forever Valentines: Are We a Match or What?

February 14, 1991

I start off the day's specialness with Valentine cards and pictures of Andy and Eddie placed strategically on the dining table.  At lunchtime, I stop at Middleton Floral to buy a corsage for JoAnna, but naturally they're too busy for any additional orders.  Not wanting to walk away empty-handed, I purchase one dozen red roses.

JoAnna and I meet Larry and Martha at the Top of the Park.  We arrive first and immediately order drinks.  "Are you going to order a martini?" JoAnna asks   The waiter takes her order then walks away.  I wave him back to be more specific, but  he still brings me something "different", a martini with a twist instead of an olive.

Dinner at the Blue Marlin is outstanding.   I order a filet mignon stuffed with oysters.  As the evening progresses, I occasionally wonder if it appears obvious that I've had too much to drink.  I'm not in the mood to give it much thought, though.

February 13, 1991

The work pace at the library has slowed down considerably.  Today I think I must be forgetting some important task.  But when I ask myself, "What am I overlooking?", nothing comes to mind.  I certainly don't need to develop my ETN notes anymore.  I have more than enough information to impart to my students.

I take an extended lunch to run errands.  I buy circus tickets, Valentine cards, picture frames, another notebook for my reorganization project, then browse the jewelry stores in the mall for gift ideas.  JoAnna will have to do without another bracelet or pendant.  Fearing I'd pick something outrageously expensive, I didn't even ask to look at anything.  I return home before JoAnna, which means I get to prepare supper:  chuck roast, potatoes, carrots & onions, oven-baked.  Great results.  The evening is spent with the boys, reading them books and giving them baths.

February 12, 1991

I'm up early, but not as early as JoAnna.  Eddie wakes up at 5, and she decides to stay up.  She scores big points by fixing me a pancake breakfast.  I leave the house at 7:30, which gives me enough time to review my lecture notes over a cup of espresso.  Never again -- the espresso, that is.   Session 2 goes very smoothly.  My only criticism is that I spend too much time yakkin'.  I allow only ten minutes for discussion.  They call me Mr. Information Overload.

Andy seems surprised at me earlier-than-normal arrival at daycare.  He doesn't want to leave at first.

The board meeting goes well.  The members react calmly to the news of the cash drawer pilfering  I stay late to type up the minutes.

February 11, 1991

I have the morning off since Liz and I have switched evenings due to the board meeting  tomorrow.  When I'm not with Andy, I spend time at my desk continuing the seemingly endless notebook reorganization project.

During the afternoon, I meet with Chuck Foulk, a Middleton police detective.  We decided to "bait" the cash drawer with an electronic device.  After closing, Dave Kromm takes so much time setting up and testing the device, I find myself glancing at the front door every ten seconds.  Don Gibson shows up before the coast is clear.  I wonder what is going through his mind.  Just as I'm ready to leave, I hear a knock on the front door.  It's Greg, Dave's partner.  He left a photocopy of the baited dollar bills behind.  Is this the Keystone Kops or what?

Downtown Syracuse Between the Wars (Postcard)

Downtown Syracuse

More downtown Syracuse.

February 10, 1991

After a routine Sunday morning drinking coffee and reading the newspaper, JoAnna and I take Andy to the movies.  He spends most of the time at Home Alone sitting in Mom's lap.  The seat is a little too big even for a tall 3 year old.  Surprisingly, he is very attentive the entire time, an absolute angel, actually.  Back home, I return to my notebooks and JoAnna makes supper.

At the Car Wash (Whoa Whoa Whoa Whoa)

1940s Downtown Johnson City, Tennessee (Postcard)

kentuckydogdude Flickr photo.

Downtown Johnson City.

LINK

February 9, 1991

Waking up early provides me with the opportunity to put a couple of good hours into my notebook reorganization project, once Eddie has been fed, that is.  I load up our newspapers in the van, stop at the library to do the same, then deliver them to the Boy Scout drop-off location at Fish Building Supply.  We all go out for breakfast at Perkins.  Unable to find an open parking space, I almost agree with JoAnna's suggestion to drive to Copper Top, but then I remember it was Andy who made the choice of restaurant earlier in the week. "Why don't you go inside and find out how long the wait will be?"   JoAnna follows through on my request, under protest, mumbling something about letting a child make a decision.

During the early afternoon, Barb cruises the mall, while Mom and Dad and the boys shop for groceries.  Once we return home and put everything away, I wash the car and Barb washes the van.  Andy helps.  It's a quiet, uneventful evening at home.

February 8, 1991

Donovan Kramer and I meet at the Durrant office to discuss the outline of the workshop we'll be team-teaching next year.  Back at the library, I read the latest issues of Library Journal and Booklist and talk to police chief Larry Fass about a response to the library's theft problem.  A plan will go into effect on Monday.

JoAnna fixes chicken for supper, and I throw caution to the wind and pour myself a martini.  I'm just in the mood, I guess.  I'm looking forward to some bedtime snuggling with JoAnna, but Eddie continues to fuss until his usual time.  The first two times he falls asleep in my arms only to wake up as soon as I place him in his crib. The third time I let him sleep in my arms for nearly a half hour before transferring him.  For the third night in a row, Eddie then sleeps through the night.  Yes, indeed, "a man of substance".

1940s Downtown Houston (Postcard)

Central Houston

LINK

Our Legacy:  Revitalization and the Challenges Ahead.  (Houston History)

Waller study calls for downtown revitalization.  (Houston Tomorrow, 12/23/2009)

February 7, 1991

There's so much to cover at our Area Leaders staff meeting that little time is left for our long-range planning discussion.  I come up with a spur-of-the-moment assignment:  make a list of all the things the library should be doing (and should have) within the next five to ten years.  I started my own list a few days ago.  I think this will be a more productive approach than a focus on 8 dry roles.  Before cutting short my workday, Sheila talks to me about missing money out of the cash drawer and Sharon about the LSCA grants she is writing.

My early return home gives Barb an opportunity to enjoy a walk on another unseasonably warm afternoon.   I fix supper -- pork chops, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli and cauliflower.  For the fifth night in a row, Andy's in bed before 9.

1940s View of Kellogg Boulevard in St. Paul Minnesota (Postcard)

LINK

255 Kellogg Boulevard East

St. Paul Minnesota:  History in Images.

Third Street/Kellogg Boulevard from outhistory.org.

February 6, 1991

Yesterday was my long day.  Today it's JoAnna's turn.  She leaves the house early.  I drive Andy to daycare, stopping at Hardee's on the way back to Middleton to pick up a breakfast biscuit.  I work on a couple long-range plan "looking around" information sheets:  Middleton and comparative demographics, other area library resources.  As it turns out, I spend very little time on workform & assigning point values of the eight library service roles.  I pick up Andy, too.

Andy's been great about going to bed, but Eddie maintains a fussy, sometimes inconsolably so, attitude until 11:00.  I'm so relieved to hand him over to JoAnna when she walks in the door.  Just to make me feel even worse, she soothes his feelings within minutes.

Downtown Des Moines Between the Wars (Postcard)

Then....

...and now.  (From WikiTravel.)

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LINK

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