Happy Monday, I suppose.  I could use one more day.  I know I say that every week, but it’s true.  Last week was so hectic that I feel like I need more recovery before I’ll be human again, but it’s not in the cards.  As I mentioned last week, I started off the week on a business trip.  I had to drive to a client site last Sunday evening, and I worked there until Wednesday, including pulling one day that lasted, with one break, from 7:00 a.m. until 3:30 a.m. the following day.  Yipes!  So my reading was slow early in the week, but I made up for it over the weekend.  I really should have put in some time on adulting sorts of things, like folding laundry, grocery shopping, meal prep, and continuing my decluttering efforts – but I didn’t.  I just… read.  I mean, I did other things too.  Actually, we had a pretty typical weekend.  Library – check.  Playground – check.  Birthday party – check.  (This time, it was the son of a friend from my old job; he turned six and had a party at a bowling alley.  Nugget won his first ever bowling game, and Peanut gorged on ice cream and cake and went to bed with a tummyache.)  We also added in a not-totally-typical activity: a walk to the Lee-Fendall House, which is a historic mansion and museum in our town, for a children’s “hands-on history” event.  The kids dressed as Alexander and Eliza Hamilton, like ya do, and they were obviously the hit of the event.  They got petted and squealed over by all the museum volunteers, and they loved every minute.  And now it’s back to the grind.  I have big plans for gardening and spring fun next weekend, but I have to get through five long workdays first.  Wish me luck…

Reading.  Thanks to blowing off all adult responsibilities and just reading all weekend (well, when I wasn’t parenting) I actually have a pretty productive reading week to report despite the business trip-induced snoozes early in the week.  I finished Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret while on my travel; it was okay, but a little out there for my tastes (rather like PM herself).  Next I turned to The Glass Ocean and read a bit while I was away, but more out of an unwillingness to ever be “between books” than because I actually had time for it.  It took me from Tuesday through Saturday, and I finished it feeling a bit underwhelmed.  In fact, the whole reading week would have been underwhelming, but David Litt’s White House memoir, Thanks, Obama, saved the weekend.  I blew through it from Saturday evening to Sunday afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Ended the weekend curled up with Moon Tiger, which has been on my library stack for six weeks now.  I’m not far enough into it to have opinions about the story, but the writing is lovely.

Watching.  I have something to report!  I’m still on my TV hiatus, recovering from an epic week in which my mom and I watched ten hours of television, but Steve and I had a date night on Friday and saw Apollo 11 at our local multiplex.  It was wonderful.  As we were walking out of the theater, I told Steve that I can’t remember the last movie I enjoyed that much.  The whole thing was fabulous, but what struck me most of all was the ingenuity and the sheer audacity of everyone involved in Project Apollo.  It takes some nerve to think, “Send a man to the moon?  When we’ve never left near Earth orbit?  And then bring him back safely?  Mostly using slide rules?  Shoot, let’s go for it!”

Listening.  The usual.  Lots of podcasts, and some Decemberists.  Nothing earth-shattering (or moon-visiting) to report here.

Making.  Well, I made a LOT of work product last week.  Including eighty pages of single spaced typed interview notes.  I know you’re impressed.

Blogging.  Another bookish week coming up for you!  On Wednesday, I will have my reading round-up for March, and on Friday, my favorite poem to share for National Poetry Month (and I know I share it every year, but at this point I think I can safely call it tradition).  Check in with me then!

Loving.  A couple of weeks ago (I think it was a couple of weeks ago, anyway, time seems to blur around the edges for me these days) I took Nugget to a play date at the home of a friend who had recently left his class and gone back to his old preschool.  The other parents offered me coffee, but I’m trying to cut back, so the other mom mixed up a pitcher of ice water with cucumber slices.  I felt like I was at a spa – well, a spa featuring playground sand and foot acupressure using matchbox cars – and it reminded me how much I love cucumber water.  I usually have sliced cucumbers around for putting in everyone’s lunches, so I’ve been tossing a few into my glasses of water and loving the refreshing taste.  It’s the little things in life, right?

Asking.  What are you reading this week?