I'm going to the library today, and the impending joy of wandering free around piles of books is filling my vision so thoroughly I'm not getting anything else done. Oh, I've fixed a few minor bugs and sent some snide email and eyed the blank sections of the release notes dubiously, but all this time in the back of my mind is the happy anticipation of the library. I'm going to get more Mazo de la Roche, and various SF that AlexLit has been recommending me, and perhaps some of the interesting Japanese authors that Sei Shonagon mentioned in a recent entry. I'm also going to get a cookbook (or two -- but not more than two!) to copy down interesting looking recipes from, and perhaps an art book so I can look at pictures of beautiful things, which is always enjoyable but rarely done.

So why do I keep putting off the library, when I'm looking forward to it so much? Perhaps because I feel I ought to get some work done first, but the thought of the library is effectively preventing useful work. I should resolve this paradox by saving this file, smiling at Vivek, and running away for an hour.

I'm back! And oh, do I ever have books. A multitude of books. Cookbooks and more Mazo de la Roche, and another Klause YA book that I've been wanting forever, and a bunch of other things as well, all of them piled in the front seat of my car waiting for me to get off work and revel in them. I did end up picking up one of the Japanese authors, but most of them looked far too cynical and bleak and depressing for me. I really love our library; ever since I started going regularly a few months ago I've been reading not just more books but a wider range.

Group last night was really good; I got the reassurance I needed and felt pretty safe asking for it. Norm's on vacation this week, so there will be none of my usual Wednesday hijinks, and I'm likely to miss group this coming Sunday (for a housewarming), and I'll definitely miss it the Sunday after due to being in Chicago. I somehow expected everyone to be really mad at me about this, but they of course weren't. People are nice, as someone said last night. A lot of them really are.

Once I was home last night I cooked the chicken teriyaki thing again, which came out much better with the low-sodium teriyaki sauce. Jim liked it all right except for the green beans, so we discussed other vegetables which he wouldn't mind. I think next time it'll be mushrooms (which he likes) and water chestnuts (which are easy to avoid). I'm not sure when I'll make it again, though, as I'm down to one package of chicken and I really ought to try something new. Especially now that I've got all these cookbooks.

I really ought to focus on work, so I'm going to do go do so. I should note that Trip is sad that I'm not saying scandalous things about him here; I think the right answer to this is that we need to start spending a lot more time together so there's more scandal to talk about!