Next week starts travel season for me. I'm going to Boston to the Public Library Association conference, then to Houston for the Texas Library Association conference, then to New York, then to Ohio, then to Greg's graduation and there are a few more places on the list over the Summer. It's been a while since I've done any traveling (six whole weeks by my estimation) so I'm ready for it.

The post town meeting times have been good around here. All of the libraries I work with have operating funds for another year. The cafe that tempted us with free baklava opens tomorrow and should change the social face of this town somewhat. I've had more people come to drop-in time at the technical center's computer lab this week than I had in all of February. People are slowly moving their bones. Even though it hasn't been a particularly nasty Winter, there's something about the lengthening days and the muddy roads and the returning birds that kicks people in the behind saying "Get out of your house."

My Mom visited this weekend. We set her up with a birthday blog as well as some homemade magnets that I somehow neglected to take any pictures of. She took Greg out shopping for some dress clothes (visible in this picture) as an early graduation present. I tagged along because it seemed like the thing to do. I'm not sure when I became completely and totally unable to exist in any sort of shopping environment, but after one department store and three shoe stores I was ready too die and/or kill someone. I think I used to be able to do this. I know I am unable to do it now. I wonder what other subtle changes have come over me after three years of rural living with no months-long Seattle interludes?