Hello! Welcome to Week 4 of Project 52. Another whirlwind week, but such is my life these days. The early part of the week was spent in the office, though I did spend an hour at a crash course in ergonomics, where I learned that I pretty much move and sit incorrectly. While not new knowledge, now I am aware of how to correctly lift and drop things and sit at my desk. While I’m committing my day-to-day posture crimes, I now know exactly how I am ruining my body. But I digress.

I mentioned in my last Project 52 post that I was headed to the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. I’ll write more about it later, but here are a few highlights so far.

Photo 1 (from left): This is very nearly my first view of the overwhelming exhibit hall. Admittedly, I spent more time on the publishing side of the exhibit hall. The lure of free books was just too great. I mailed home two full boxes of new titles. Most I’ve never heard of, but eh. I’m sure there are a few gems, and I can always donate them to the library. I met many Young Adult authors and aspiring writers too. It’s a genre I am not terribly familiar with, but I’m willing to give it a shot. I skipped most YA and middle-grade books while I was growing up.

Photo 2: Make Magazine had a mesmerizing booth. A little robot was creating perfect circles on a large sheet of paper. I could watch it for hours. It reminded me of the Spirograph I played with as a kid.

Photo 3: Downtown Seattle. Specifically, Pike and 6th. The majority of ALA Midwinter was at the Washington State Convention Center. This photo was taken after working up a sweat hauling books around the exhibit hall. We decided to take a little breather outside. The cool air felt fantastic, and I witnessed a puffy jacket-clad pit bull strutting down the street with a traffic cone in its mouth.

Photo 4: This is Teisel, the biggest Bengal I have ever encountered, and one of my roommates for this trip. He seems to like me OK. He’ll plop down on my legs from time to time and allow me to pet him. He’s named after a MegaMan character.

Photo 5: This evening, I had dinner with a lovely mix of book enthusiasts, bloggers, YA authors and aspiring authors at Gordon Biersch. I splurged on the lobster and crab macaroni and cheese, and it was well worth it. Can’t go wrong with havarti cheese. And lobster. I had a few nice conversations, and made a few connections. One aspiring author was originally from Palos Verdes, close to my hometown of Carson, CA. Another woman also came up from the Bay Area, specifically Castro Valley.

Goodbye Week 4! I suppose I will continue posting weeks-in-review. It’s easier, and I am enjoying the opportunity to reflect on my past week. It helps me feel more grounded and more present. I may limit myself to three photos per Project 52 post though. It’s getting a bit crowded up there.

Here’s to being on track with these Project 52 posts too!