Taking a Dive

Tomorrow, I’m going to jump out of an airplane. On purpose. Of my own free will. What the hell is wrong with me?

I blame breast cancer.

Somewhere along that shitty journey I had a realization. That “bucket list” I’ve been carefully curating all these years? It turns out I actually have to do something about it. I can’t just go around saying “someday” anymore. Because no one knows how many “somedays” we have left. All the experiences I want to have won’t just fall in my lap. I have to get off my ass and work to make them happen. And with COVID still being very much a factor, who knows what regulations might come into play down the road.

And #1 on my list, ladies and gentlemen, is skydiving. Has been for years. So I booked myself a tandem jump with a local skydiving company back in early July, when the date of August 27 seemed a comfortingly long way away. Now, suddenly, it’s freaking tomorrow. TOMORROW, people.

I’ve paid my fees. I’ve read all the FAQs on their website. I’ve been stalking the weather daily. At this point I don’t know if I’d be relieved or disappointed by a weather delay. I’ve signed a waiver that’s so complete that I wouldn’t be surprised if it bequeathed the company my first born and my second born. I’ve made sure my will is up-to-date. I’ve alerted my ICE (in case of emergency) contacts that they may be called into duty. And I’ve made Daniel promise to take care of the cats...just in case. He said I was being overly dramatic. I said I was being brutally practical. And...maybe a little bit dramatic. Just a bit.

And I’m going to experience this by myself. Gonna hop in my car and drive about an hour away. Park in the lot, present myself to the jump-out-of-an-airplane-on-purpose instructors and hope for the best. Because you know what else? If I’m going to start knocking things off my bucket list, I don’t see the need to wait until someone can go with me. I have funds. I have vacation time, and I have a list. Let’s go.

(All the same, if anyone hears a long shriek followed by a splat at about 3:00 tomorrow...you’ll know it’s me)

Rotary Presentation

Well, here I am again. I have a shiny new blog and the novelty hasn't yet worn off. I expect it will at some point, and I'll make the most of it in the meantime.

As part of my business librarian duties, I'm sometimes asked to speak to different organizations on various library-related topics. This morning I got myself up for a 6:30 a.m. speaking engagement for our local Rotary chapter. 

6:30. In the morning. Where's the coffee? And I don't even like coffee all that much. I drink what my boyfriend calls "coffee-flavored sugar." More commonly known as mocha lattes (or caramel macchiatos) from Starbuck's. The cats were thoroughly disgusted when the nice, warm human threw off the blankets and got out of bed. The boyfriend slept through it, and the mouse didn't seem to care one way or the other. Stuffed a sunflower seed in his mouth and darted back into his hidey hole.

Unlike the cats, I don't mind an occasional change in my wake-up hours (something my teenage self would be completely appalled by). A few weeks ago I got up at 3:00 a.m. to accompany a friend to pick someone up at O'Hare. Totally worth it. 

So there I was, up and out the door at six o'clock on the dot with the sun just beginning to peek over the horizon. I live one town over from where I work, and my route takes me through a lot of farmland.  I can't remember the last time I had such a beautiful commute. The early morning mist hadn't yet evaporated from the fields, and everything had that soft and brand new feeling.

Very calming for a vaguely nervous public-speaker-to-be.

My speaking engagement was at Country Inn & Suites. Of course I ended up at Comfort Inn. Who thought two hotels located back-to-back was a good idea? Thank goodness for phones with email capabilities. A quick double-check and I got back in the car and drove a couple thousand more feet down the road. 

Directional challenges aside, I made it right on time. It turned out I recognized some of the Rotary members from other places.  I always appreciate familiar faces in the audience. The presentation was a slam dunk (if you don't count a couple minor technical difficulties, including when I misplaced my flash drive...on the podium) and I ended up not even needing my carefully prepared note cards. 

I suppose I'll always be a bit nervous about public speaking. When I first started hosting programs at my library, I used to be devoutly thankful that I wasn't the presenter. I just had to stumble through their intro and then get out of the way. Look at me now.

This was Mary's idea

Hello!

I've always enjoyed writing.  And I (usually) enjoy poking fun at myself.  And I tell a heck of a story, with only a few minor embellishments.  Strictly for the sake of entertainment value.  You understand.  

My good friend, Mary, keeps telling me I need to start a blog.  Apparently my Facebook status updates make for good reading.

I've had a book blog for years.  I used to have a personal blog, but when I started thinking about my professional brand--and remembering that everything is Google-able these days--I went back and looked at it.  Yeesh.  Took that sucker down so fast I'm surprised I didn't burn the Internet.  Someone once said that if you look back at what you've done in the past and you cringe, it means you've grown as a person since then.

I must have grown a lot over the past few years.

Anyway, this is a fresh start for the more mature, responsible, respectable me.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go jump in a puddle and eat some cookies.