This morning I took the train in to Manhattan to visit the City Hall Library, as part of the work on my new project - a book about the specialty Libraries of Manhattan. My first visit was to the City Hall Library on Chambers Street. The status is that I'm working with a publisher in Pennsylvania that likes the concept of the book, but would like to see a few sample chapters. My first two books were somewhat technical, so I have to prove that I can write for a general audience. I'm happy to take that test.

Just before the hurricane, I got an email from a library in Westchester County, inviting me to come work for them on projects with their online catalog and digitization. This will be a half time job for six months. I enthusiastically accepted, so I will begin my work there after Thanksgiving. I'd always hoped for some kind of part time thing, so this turns out to be absolutely perfect.

Little things I've noticed

I go days now without even picking up my cell phone.

I have to think twice to remember what day of the week we are on.

The constant feeling that I'm forgetting something. Well, I had that when I was working too.

I am now exactly two months into my retirement. I was anticipating this very relaxing time when I could catch up on my backlog of Sunday Times, alphabetize the spice rack, and make some sense out of the closets in this house. Actually, I have done all of that. I didn't anticipate that call that came late in September to catch the next plane to Arizona because my dad was dying. That took a week out of my life. Then the day after I flew home I get the news that my mother was rushed into surgery the night of my trip home and came within an inch of joining dad. That story took a turn for the better, but she is just now home this week. Feisty as ever. I am working with a publisher on what will potentially be my third book. So far they're on board with the idea, but I need to give them a couple of sample chapters to make sure that I can write something non-technical. I know the answer to that, but I'm happy to oblige, so I'm setting up interviews for that project. To further my writing career, we took out one wall of the upstairs library room and converted that into an office. My prize graphics were already hanging there, but we took out the book case and added a nice hardwood desk. Last week, the hurricane hit our island, taking a tree down, but it fortunately fell into the front lawn instead of somebody's house. We're out some money, but we never lost power. Another week of retirement gone. So, after the two month mark, I'm waiting for the relaxing part to kick in. I'm ready.