Friday, February 28, 1992

After experiencing a most productive week, I decide to treat myself to a day off.  things get off to a less than stellar start when I discover that JoAnna didn't leave the key to the van.  I start steamin'.  Andy quickly picks up on my frustration and starts some bellowing of his own.  This monkey-see/monkey-do action forces me to put a lid on my emotions.

So Eddie experiences a first today:  his first bus ride.  I get the boys to Kids Play at 9, then walk to the Joint Finance hearing room in the Capitol to greet my wife.  She's sufficiently humbled.  I walk to the ramp and drive to Original Pancake House for a leisurely breakfast.  I order my favorite, the corned beef hash.  I pick up my paycheck and then to Kids Play for Andy's pizza party.  He's so happy to see me.  There's even an empty chair waiting for me right next to him.  Eddie is besieged the entire time he's in Andy's room.  This is their last day together.  Monday they'll start at different daycares.

After my visit, I walk to the credit union to cash my check and then to the Square to visit Shakespeare's Bookstore.  I find nothing to buy, no architecture books, no highway books.

Back home, I continue to type calendar notes.  JoAnna calls at 3:30; she won't have to work late. Martha hitches a ride home with us.  The Nelsons decide that Irish Waters' parking lot is too fill so we settle for Pizza Hut delivery.

November 27, 1991

I take the day off from work, needing an extra day away from what is becoming an increasingly less satisfying job environment.  After driving Andy to daycare and cashing my Green Bay workshop check, I treat myself to breakfast at Original Pancake House.  I buy JoAnna and book and calendar for her birthday but can't think of a special present to buy her.  Before returning home, I splurge on myself, buying some used records and books at Half Price Books.  At stop at Westgate is a bust.

During the afternoon, I tape music, letting Eddie spend the time with Barb.  I go grocery shopping then fix supper.

October 15, 1991

I wake up from a restful sleep at 1, get up for a drink of water, then sleep fitfully for the rest of the night.  Andy comes into our room at 4 and joins us in bed after a fitful  hour of his own on the couch.

At breakfast, I give in to Andy's pleading and agree to drive him to daycare.  Big problem, though.  JoAnna's taken the car, and I have no key to the van.  Andy and I take the bus, spending 15 minutes at the intersection of Mayflower and Elmwood on a cold, blustery morning waiting for its arrival.  I take the car back, stopping at Original Pancake House for a corned beef breakfast.

August 20, 1991

Debuted at #88 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending August 1, 1964. 

JoAnna has an early meeting so I drive Andy to daycare.  On the return trip, I stop at Original Pancake House for breakfast.

Your order, please.

The corned beef hash.

I have the morning off.

While waiting for the carpet man to measure the rooms, I resume my taping of 1964.

A busy afternoon doesn't allow me the opportunity to work on the budget or capital expenditures drafts.  Sheila, Chris, Liz, and I manage to squeeze in an hour's worth of Area Leaders time.  I review our phone options.  Liz requests that the library close from 9-5 on October 16 so that staff may attend the Awards luncheon.  I swallow my emotion, but for the rest of the afternoon, I wonder how I'm going to get through my acceptance remarks without blubbering.

I pick up Andy and then grab some chow before returning to the library for my evening stint.

August 9, 1991

Donovan and I meet at the Durrant office to review our notes-in-progress for next March's workshop.  Then I go out for breakfast and enjoy a leisurely meal at Original Pancake House.  Once again, there is a long wait from order to service, but calendar notes keep me occupied.

I work at the library from 11 to 2.  JoAnna and I leave for Tomahawk at 3 -- another weekend away from our boys, two in a row -- and arrive at Chuck's cottage at 6, making great time.  We follow last year's itinerary and have dinner at the White Stag, a 45-minute drive from the cottage.  The sliced heads of iceberg lettuce always get a laugh from us.  The steaks are great.  I opt for the "pound of pleasure" once again.  We stay up until midnight and chat.  Dave, Chuck, JoAnna, and I play sheepshead.

June 25, 1991

My morning off isn't much of one as it turns out.  I agree to drive Andy to Kid's Play so JoAnna can leave for work early.  She calls around 8 to say she forgot her portfolio and ask if I could bring it to her.  Sure.  After I drop Andy off, I discover I didn't take the damn thing with me, so I have to make an extra trip into Madison.  By the time I finish an order of Corned Beef Hash at Original Pancake House, it's nearly 10.  I do some putzing around the yard before going into work.  I pick up Andy and we make our regular soda stop.  It's a slow evening at the library.

May 20, 1991

I get up at 5:30. OK, it's closer to quarter of by the time I'm actually out of bed.  I treat myself to breakfast at the Original Pancake House and then wait for Kathleen's appearance at the parking lot next to the UW Student Union.  She's late so I go ahead and transfer the boxes to the room on my own.  She seems rather harried when she first appears.   Darlene introduces to a roomful of workshop participants -- 50, count 'em, 50 -- after making a pitch for continuing education certification, the master's degree program, and whatever else she can squeeze in.  Then I do my thing.  I feel very much at ease throughout the morning portion of the program.  During the lunch break, I walk up State Street with a much more noticeable bounce in my step  I feel as though I've done the best presentation possible.  I walk to the credit union to cash my mileage check for the May 2nd Merrill workshop, then pick up a sandwich and a bottle of tomato juice at Botticelli's before a visit to JoAnna's office.  Sally's there and offers the use of my wife's desk to eat lunch, which I gladly accept.  Barry and JoAnna return shortly after my arrival.

The afternoon session is not as satisfying.  Perhaps unloading the boxes and displaying the books face out on the table would have promoted a less jerky presentation.  The evaluations, though, are very positive:  20 excellent, 17 good, 3 average, 1 fair, and 0 poor.  I even consider incorporating a specific suggestion into Wednesday's La Crosse presentation.

I pick up Andy at daycare, drive to the library to drop off the seven boxes of books, and check on the progress of the parking lot project (na-da), and leave Andy alone long enough to make him think I've abandoned him again.  I catch up with him in the lobby and quickly comfort him.  He must have sprinted all the way from the children's area to the exit.