it's been a month? yeesh.

Successful wedding:  check
Successful first week at new job:  check

I have not, alas, had much success in decluttering the apartment.  There are boxes of thank you notes stacked with cards that need thank you notes written and stacks of written thank you notes that need stamps and health and life insurance paperwork that needs filling out and coats draped over the backs of every chair as our awesome coat rack from Rebel.Reclaimed fell down again because I'm a moron who can't seem to figure out how to anchor the thing to the wall properly and wire hangers that need returning to the laundromat and wine glasses that can't fit in my current cupboards so are stacked in boxes in the dining room and Charles doesn't help matters as he seems to think every single thing in the apartment exists for his amusement and sometimes I just want to move because at least I'd have an excuse to get rid of about 90% of our stuff.

And you're in that 90%, Mr. Charles.

Aside from the messy home front, life is actually going alarmingly well.  Every day this week I have come home from work with a smile on my face. I show up early. I stay late. I'm reading voraciously. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up from a dream-chained to the overdues desk with 50 people screaming at me.  I've even managed to not end up back down in the circulation desk as I've made myself very available to answer questions via the phone or email.  I do frequently ask myself what it was I did to get so lucky.  And then I remember the 10 long years I put into this organization.

I deserve this.

The one thing I thought would happen if I got this job has:  I don't feel like I'm ever not working.  My brain is whirring constantly.  I've become obsessed with Pinterest which is good because I was informed by The Other Erin that it's part of my job to be obsessed with Pinterest. And while I have always had a love of teen fiction, I'm so ready to read something that doesn't involve a teen paranormal romance (I'm super psyched to read
"The Belly of Paris"-a wedding gift from someone who knows how much I love me some good food writing.  Anthony Bourdain-my mythological husband who is coming to Grand Rapids in February with my other mythological husband Eric Ripert!!!!-has called it the "Citizen Kane of foodie books" which means I'm gonna love it). Every time I wander about the internets I am asking myself if it's something I can use for the teen department. I'm optimistic my brain will eventually slow down.

I have been cooking like a fiend. Simple foods: roast chicken and braised brussels sprouts, broccoli and brie quiche, potato leek soup.  Tomorrow we're making bbq chicken, potato salad and this week I'd like to get a roasted squash soup in.  I also received a picture of an OBSCENE amount of kale young Berghoef picked up at the market this morning.  It's so big it won't fit in our fridge.  Tonight:  spicy rice, kale and beans.  Tomorrow am:  kale omelets. Tomorrow afternoon: kale soup.  Tomorrow night: roasted kale chips.

If you're in the area?  And you want some kale?

Just let me know!