In the last week, I have:

• Flown from DC to Chicago
• Read a 500+ page book
• Took the train from Chicago to Champaign, and then back again
• Ate my first cheeseburger in 13 years (which Ingbert toasted, appropriately, with another cheeseburger)
• Successfully defended my thesis, the link to which will be shared soon (with thanks to all that attended the event)
• Went to Kam’s, where Dan, Jeanne, and I consumed beers the size of our heads
• Participated in my last LEEP on campus day as a CAS-ter.
• Had a Symposium in my honor
• Saw a lot of old friends and didn’t spend nearly as much time with any of them as I would have liked
• Ate at old Champaign favorites: Jupiter’s, Kopi, Aroma, Esquire, Papa Del’s, Murphy’s, and the Courier.
• Slept on Molly’s couch.
• Watched the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special

And THEN I:

• Took the 6am train to Chicago
• Had brunch with the ladies
• Went to a fun game store and an amazing bakery

And THEN I:

• Took the train to the bus to Rockford
• Slept for a ridiculous and much-needed amount of time in the very cold basement
• Spent quality time with Gypsy
• Saw my sister, her fiance, and their cats for the first time in more than a year
• Visited my plaque on the Wall of Foam

And THEN I:

• Missed my flight out of O’Hare because I thought it was at 11:10 instead of 10:10
• Arrived in Seattle 2 hours later, thanks to the wonder of standby
• Was joyfully reunited with Shane after being apart for a week
• Met up with Mel, who picked us up at the airport and gave us our first taste of Seattle
• Tried local beer at Elysian Brewery and Pike Pub & Brewery
• Panicked a bit when our pet sitter lost his keys, which were later found
• Killed a number of happy hours at the Pike Place Market
• Worked on my presentation for ACRL
• Bumped into 3 friends and counting at the conference!

I’m here in Seattle through the weekend, flying home on Monday, at which point I will not leave my house until someone MAKES me do so.  I miss my cats and my own bed and not eating expensive meals.  It’s been a pretty fantastic run, though, and the time has gone much more quickly than I expected.