April 1, 1992

Wednesdays on NBC.  

Last week I rose to the occasion on Monday and Tuesday, the Nuts and Bolts workshop.  Next week I'm hoping I can do the same.  And why shouldn't I be able to ?  It's 90 minutes compared to a full two days.  Actually 90 minutes X 2 but a week apart.

March 25, 1992

JoAnna enjoyed watching this show.

Wrapping myself around a cliche, I feel as though the world has been lifted from my shoulders.  My summary comment to anyone who dared to listen:  "This commitment had been looming very large during the past two months."  As a result of its unqualified success, I feel a carryover exhilaration from yesterday and have a little difficulty focusing on any tasks today.

 Andy spends the day at Eddie's daycare, and again he's Mr. Sociable.  After a day and a half, he seems to like this place better than Little Red, which, to me, is cause for some slight concern.  I really think that Andy misses the presence of his little brother during the day.  At Kids Play, he obviously enjoyed the occasional contact with Eddie.

March 24, 1992

The New Yorker

However, staying asleep remains a major challenge.  In some ways, I'm more concerned about the second day's performance, since these are the notes I've barely had a chance to review, but after day one I have a much increased faith in my ability to ad lib effectively.  And fortunately, it turns out to be a well-placed one.

Lunchtime today is a bit more hectic.  Kim Olson is babysitting Andy in the morning, but I need to get him to Steppingstone for afternoon supervision.  Showing an extraordinary adaptability, he is actually very excited about getting into this new experience.  We arrive at naptime, and by the time I leave, a very aggressive young girl named Missy to share Andy's cot.  Suddenly I have no concerns about how he will adjust to his new surroundings.

At the end of the two-day workshop, I am basking in the glow of extremely positive remarks from many of the participants.  I just can't believe how well the workshop turned out.  What would have happened if I'd given it a major major effort?

Before picking up the boys, I stop at University Bookstore to look for something that will help me reattached the muffler to the bottom of the car.  The last time I took the Nissan in for a tune-up, Jeff told me about this likelihood.

March 23, 1992

TIME

When it's time to throw off the covers, I feel like a wet washrag.  As if I haven't experienced enough tension over this 2-day workshop.  I feel as though preparation time has been cut to the bone due to domestic intensities, such things as the closing of Kids Play, the search for new daycare arrangements, JoAnna's campaigning for county board.  Time I should have been revising my notes, collecting materials, and smoothing out my delivery was spent keyboarding calendar squares and more generally avoiding any last-minute review.  What's the result?  Despite a few minor stumbles as I look at my notes for a hint of where to go, I am extremely pleased with my performance.  Had I been too rehearsed, I might not have been able to add the necessary note of spontaneity to the workshop.

March 22, 1992

Biggest-grossing movie of the year to date.

I wait for the roof over the garage to collapse.  During the previous melt, I spotted at least four different sources of drips.  Even though the temperature reaches 40, there is no meltdown.  JoAnna does doors during the afternoon and Madison's Mel Gibson sits at the computer inputting constituent data.  I volunteer to make supper.  My oven-fried chicken gets rave reviews, as usual.  (I'm such a kitchen stud.)

Looking ahead to a long day tomorrow, I decide to go to bed early.  Just as I'm sawing some major z's, Andy joins me.  For the rest of the night, I feel like I'm counting the minutes until it's time to get up, get dressed, and get to the Wisconsin Center.  I'm sure I catch a few winks, but it feels like I've been up all night.  My dreams seem to segue with a very uncomfortable reality.

March 18, 1992

Wisconsin Blue Book 1991-1992

As a result of weeks and weeks of avoidance, I'm forced to spend as much work time this week, Eve's first week on the job, focusing on last-minute preparations for next week's workshop.  I have to do this at work since JoAnna has such a busy work schedule with the legislature in session, not to mention her campaigning for county board.

Andy and I are asleep, the TV tuned to Nick at Nite, when JoAnna returns home from work.

March 17, 1992

The New Yorker

I stay home for most of the morning and instead of reviewing my notes for next week's 2-day workshop, I do chores, print some calendar squares, and wonder how (un)prepared I'll be when the time comes to make my presentation.

At the council meeting, Sandy gives me instructions as to what to report.  Fine, but what's wrong with her mouth.  I feel a little uncomfortable talking about what Joel has told me no one wants to hear anymore:  how increasingly busy the library is.

March 16, 1992

TIME

Andy is still determined to give his dad as much grief as possible.  To get him out the door and into the car, I have to prod him every inch of the way.  I yell, I threaten, I growl.  Not until we walk into daycare is he his sweet little self again.  I don't feel I'm starting the day on the right emotional note, but the day goes well.  Eve seems to enjoy her first day as Middleton's new children's librarian. I spend most of the afternoon and early evening working on my Nuts and Bolts notes.  With JoAnna at a meeting, I make some chicken wings, using a secret ingredient -- crushed corn flakes -- in the breading.

March 13, 1992

Opens in 2nd place for March 13-15 weekend

I go back to work, almost reluctantly.  Seems like someone's in the fast lane for early retirement. And with a wife who wants to do and be it all, who's a better candidate than me?  The funny thing is, after 4 1/2 days off during the past two weeks, it seems like there's nothing to catch up on.  I am getting nervous about my seeming lack of preparation for the Nuts and Bolts workshop, but I'm hoping that inspiration and concentration will carry me through those two days.

During my lunch break, I drive to the Hill Farms branch of the credit union.  I grab a lunch to go at Hilldale.

Wednesday, March 4, 1992

I cruise through the day, taking a little side trip thru the first two sections of my Nuts and Bolts notes and relieving the anxiety of being insufficiently prepared for March 23 and 24.  I still need to spend a lot of time meditating, becoming more familiar with the main points of each of my five or six sections.  I may be doing some major cramming that last weekend.

After work I pick up the boys at daycare.  Today is the first chance that Andy has to see Eddie's new place.  He doesn't seem overly impressed, and the more I see of this Steppingstone location, the less impressed I become.  After turning onto Vernon Road, I realize that I've forgotten Eddie's coat so we circle back.  After supper, Eddie goes to bed early and Andy and I watch Dick Van Dyke on Nick at Nite.

Monday, January 20, 1992

Yesterday I stopped at the library to pick up the rest of our computer.  I also went through my mail so I could jump right into more important tasks today.  Business booms during the late morning and into the early afternoon.  The phone rings constantly.

"Are you open today?"

(It's Martin Luther King Day.)

We expect to be inundated throughout the day, but the great mass of humanity never appears.  From midafternoon on, the library is unusually underpopulated.  I stay until nearly 8, working on too many different things at one time.  Mostly I want to get my Nuts and Bolts handout materials organized.  Unfortunately, I make very little forward progress.

Friday, January 10, 1992

I meet with Donovan at his office in the morning.  With 2 1/2 months to go until our workshop, it appears to be in good shape as far as preparations are concerned.  We review our notes for each of the dozen or so sections of our 2-day presentation.

During the return trip to Middleton, I'm tempted to make a stop at Half Price Books.  I resist; I still have enough music to tape without adding to it.

The afternoon at the library is relatively quiet.

The family goes to Pizza Hut for supper.

November 15, 1991

Andy runs into the bedroom at 6:30 to watch Ninja Turtles.  We leave the house before 8, which means that I get to the library before 9.  I reprogram our voice-mail message to stress the point that we are if they have called during our regular hours, which are stated at the beginning of the message.  I continue to work on my Nuts and Bolts notes.  During the afternoon, I think about slacking off, but the upcoming magazine project requires my initial attention.

Andy and I go grocery shopping after a visit to the brown store.  Supper is pretty casual for the two of us.  Andy insists on sleeping in my bed, his privilege whenever JoAnna is not home.

November 13, 1991

Requesting a copy of "Moving a Library", which I never read when I originally headed up such a project, has provided a much-needed spur to my Nuts and Bolts note-taking.  Why do I picture myself carrying Donovan during these two days in March?

Midafternoon JoAnna calls to ask if I can pick up Andy.  She has a bunch of work she wants to get done before her San Diego getaway.