Things I take for granted

Recently I was reading Mimi Smartypants (one of my favourite sites to peruse) and she talked about Chicago's public library recently instituting a hold system for books. Wow, weird! We've had that system forever (or at least it seems like it.) I suppose our library system isn't as large as Chicago's, but nevertheless, I'm still surprised. I used to be quite the bookish kid - my brother and I used to take out stacks of books from the library and read them for hours at a time. (When you're kind of a klutz athletically, at least you can be smart academically!)

These days I rarely visit the library. Lack of time, lack of convenience, I suppose. (I used to just visit the branch closest to my house on the way home from school. Now - I'd have to drive!) I think I take the hold system for granted though. Instead of going to the library for a specific book, I tend to go and just browse the fiction shelves for books by authors I've enjoyed in the past, for recommendations by friends, or for staff recommended reads. On the rare occasion, I will actually look up a book and place it on hold, but then I'm bad about picking up my holds too. I know - how lazy can you get - first they bring the book to you and then you don't even go and get it.

I've always found comfort and escape in a good book. In Mexico last year, I finished three books while laying on the beach drinking mojitos, enjoying the sunshine ... ahhh... kinda wish I was there right now. Anyway. I feel like I hardly read any more and it's hampering my vocabulary. I don't even have any good snarky things to say. Maybe I should make it a goal to read more books - but that's a tough goal to keep.

It's funny how life gets in the way of enjoying life sometimes. Most days when I get home from work, I'm tired... and there are so many things to do already. I'm constantly playing catch up on cleaning, for example.

I really should make better use of the library, you know. In Medicine Hat I had to pay $8 for a library card. Yes, I know that isn't a lot, but here, libraries are free. FREE! It's like music to my ears.