Back to work

Well, it's Monday & we are all (except sleepy Marcie & vacationing Shannon) back to work, still basking in the afterglow of our victory. I want everyone all over the world who reads this blog to know Henderson District Public Libraries is the greatest library organization in the world with the greatest staff in the world. This feat could not have been accomplished without, first of all, the backing of our administration There are not many organizations that would have contnued to listen to me after I said "Let's break a Guinness World Record" There are not many co-workers who would have gotten up in the middle of the night to watch our team read, all the while giving encouragement & support and with no extra compensation. This same staff, along with family and friends, slaved over hot stoves & ovens to bring us home cooked meals and home-baked goodies. Without foot & back massages and male strippers, we would never have been able to endure lack of sleep & basic sanitation. I will never be able to repay all the kind words & high fives we received last week. Before I start bawling & short out my keyboard, may I say THANK YOU to everyone. I am proud to be a part of this wonderful organization.

Crazy Maizie's On the Cover!

I am so thrilled! Our fearless leader, Mae (also called Aunt Crazy Maizie by her nephew), is on the COVER of the Las Vegas Review-Journal!

Quick! Go buy 10 copies! or 100! Or 133! (Just for symbolism's sake, you know.)

Pictures Worth 1000 Words

As the biggest geek in the group, I was sure that I'd be the first to log back on here and post again, but I see the indomitable Marcie beat me to it. It is amazing how one's perspective changes when your hair is washed and dried, you are showered, and back in your own place. I probably won't wear a baseball hat for a month at least.

AND YOU CAN GO INTO YOUR BATHROOM FOR MORE THAN 5 MINUTES AND NO ONE CARES!

Sorry for that shout, but I'm sure you all understand.

A bit anticlimactic perhaps, but there are still photographs to be posted, and we'll be doing that early next week. Highlights include:
1. The Pillow Fight
2. The Macarena
3. The Thunder From Down Under
4. When We Stopped Reading

Thanks one more time, everyone, for reading this week. We who could not leave the room got a HUGE kick out of reading your comments and kind words.

And now, before I fall asleep for 12 hours, I'm going to go get a pedicure so my "tooties" will look good and smell good as well.

Ciao!

A Brief, Brief Note

I have so many things I want to comment on and so many things to say...however, my bed is calling.

I never knew a shower could feel as good as the one I just took did! :)

I want to make sure my team knows I love them all...if I had to be shut up in a room with five people for five days, these were definitely the people to be there with!

All of our supporters, ranging from our amazing HDPL family, to our family, friends, volunteers and sponsors...if we could put your names in the book, right along with ours, we would! You all did so much to keep us going and there's no way we would ever had made it without you! We cannot possibly thank you enough. I have such an appreciation for everything everyone did for us this week!

I'll blog again soon, to relay some more of my thoughts...but for now, sleep beckons!

100 hours 33 minutes!! We rock!!

100 HOURS 33 MINUTES, BABY!

We did it! That is the record to beat!!!

Feeling a Little Down Under?

Here for the best pickup EVER are several members from The Thunder From Down Under Male Revue. They are here to get us through the final grind, so to speak.

The Thunder are here acting as Ambassadors of Good Will, since the previous record-holders hail from the Sutherland Shire Public Library, Sutherland Shire, New South Wales, Australia. Lends a little closure to this whole process, doesn't it?

Check below for comments from Our Best Surprise Yet!

a few perhaps final thoughts

There is a slight lull in the action now, so let me take advantage of the peace to post maybe for the last time.
My team is fabulous. We all knew each other prior to this event, but we never really "knew" each other. I have come away with new respect and awe for each of you. You are all troopers, you are all patient, you are really nice people. On our island, no one would be voted off.
We are getting all the glory for this event, but it would not have been as delightful or even possible without the support of our HDPL extended family. To any other libraries out there in BlogLand, this is the greatest library administration and staff in the world. I knew that before this event, but now everyone should know this fact. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Many of our helpers did without sleep, slaved over hot stoves and ran many errands to make our ordeal happen. A special thank you and credit must go to Kristy Price, the greatest library PR person in the world. "
This was her finest hour!
I think a special guest has arrived, pardon me, I will report back later.

A BIG THANK YOU!!!!

We are down to our last few hours and I wanted to take a moment to thank all the HDPL staff, family, and friends who donated their time, support, energy, and delicious food!!! We could not have done this without your support!!! I am so very proud to be part of the HDPL community!!!

I especially want to thank Kristy Price. She certainly went way above and beyond the call of duty and her hard work was marvelous and greatly appreciated. Thank you Kristy for setting up each of the sponsors, getting our name out to the news media, providing us with numerous food and treats, and spending countless hours of your own time in here with us (and that is just scratching the surface)!!!! Your dedication to our cause and your hard work was truly amazing!!! You certainly inspired me and I know I speak for all of the Guinness team when I say "Thank You."

P.S.

We have the COOLEST Tee-shirts from Chipotle to wear today. They rock! Designed especially for us!

I Want to Be Philosophical

But other folks have already said everything...which is fine with me, since I was getting about 6 hours sleep while they were posting!

Earlier in the week, I mentioned that I get to play Hermione at our Harry Potter party in July. However, if I were to channel the spirit of anyone in the books/movies right now, it would be...Severus Snape. Without going into detail, I will say that we currently have the same hairstyle...Plus, outside Miss Know-It-All Granger, Snape would be the best to play.

I'm kind of rambling right now, but I'm feeling pretty good. I took Marcie's advice and stood up for the last half hour of my shift last night. I was kind of rocking back and forth the entire time, but there was never a moment when I thought I would fall asleep.

The thing that I was most concerned about coming into this week was us all getting along. We had SUCH a good mix of personalities, though, that there was never an irritable moment. And THAT is saying something. Despite my little Real World saying at the beginning of the week, there was never a moment when it stopped being polite.

The thing that most encouraged me was in the wee hours when I'd get up to spot Marcie, who was a trooper. I'd heckle her, just to let her know I was paying attention and pulling for her, really, and then Mae would get up to spot me, and of course she's ALWAYS cheerful. Between the little dances she does, and the flailing, it's fairly easy to stay entertained, even while reading. It was just great to know that there was someone else there with you when all you wanted to do was curl up and sleep...

WOOT!

We can almost taste it

We are shortening our reading blocks today to one hour. When everyone gets up & functioning, we will probably switch to 1/2 hours. Marcie is reading right now & I'll relieve her at 9:30.
The schedule we set up worked very well, it gave everyone lots of down time. It is too bad we could not spend more of the down time sleeping, but hey, as Joan Vaughan says "Sleeping is for sissies"
In less than 4 hours we will be at 100 hours, and folding our tents & heading home. We are all better people for this experience. I can't wait to wow people at my next cocktail party " I'm in the Guinness Record Books"

Woo Hoo

We are so so so close to walking out of this room! :)

As much as I love everyone in here, I am really looking forward to stepping out that door. I can't wait for a shower and for sleeping in my own bed.

Thanks again to everyone who has been so supportive to us and our cause. We would have never pulled through without everyone's help, so you all need to give yourselves big pats on the back!!

It feels like such a relief to know we are so close to being done. I got five hours of sleep last night, but the lack of sleep all this week is starting to catch up with me.

100 hours or die!!!

The Last Day

This is it! The day we have been striving for all week, actually since January. Slowly our team of 6 are rising. Every morning we awake like it is Christmas morning. What surprises will there be awaiting us. New foods, new people, new surprises from Kristy. I'm sure given enough time, Kristy could supply snow for us. We all have very mixed emotions about ending our adventure; we are all anxious to return to our normal standard of living & loved ones, yet this entire week have been a fabulous experience.

90 hours down

Hi folks, It's 2am ish & I am Joan's standby. My shift starts at 3 am, which will be our 90th hour of reading. It's now fairly quiet in our little corner of the world for the past week. I will never be able to be in this room again without a very broad smile erupting on my face. Happy images of jigsaw puzzles, ice cream freezers, and very pleasant meals will immediately fill my mind. I can now add 2 more hours to my8.5 hours of sleeping time logged. Hopefully, I will be able to sleep after my reading shift. Sorry for the disjointed thoughts, I'm at the end of my energy reserves.

Significant Note of Time

Well, folks, there are now officially less than 12 hours to go. I am waiting for my 1:30 a.m. reading shift. Marcie is reading now. She has dark circles under her eyes, but is otherwise still quite the trooper.

If anyone is ever crazy enough to try this, here are some tips to get through the night:

1. Stand up and read (Marcie is currently employing this technique)
2. Drink water (she employed this technique a minute ago)
3. Make it interactive! (Of course, this is a Bryan thing...we were reading an Agatha Christie, and it frequently mentioned a place called Fernley Park. Well, Bryan's last name is Fearn (same pronunciation) and so when he got to any mention of Fernley Park he would have a significant pause (much less than 30 seconds, Guinness folks!) while whoever was in the room would shout it out!

Forgive those improperly nested parentheses...I've had less than 15 hours sleep this entire week, I think, and my grammar is suffering!

By the way, another heart-warming ritual we have developed is to clap (sometimes lightly if others are trying to sleep) when someone is done. Marcie will be getting a light but well-meaning clap from me when she finishes this shift, b/c you can see that it's tough!

And the Word Goes 'Round!

Thanks to the LibraryMan for the mention on his site!

This is a fringe benefit that I did not anticipate from starting this blog...I've already learned about two new library blogs!

This just goes to show that there are superheroes everywhere!

On the News!!

We made the Channel 3 news! At 11:00 p.m. Woo hoo!! Who knows, maybe you will see us on the morning news too! Now, I am off to bed, I have to be up again at 4:30.

Degrees of Separation

In the continuing word of...keyboard? mouth? phenomenon, we were picked up by the Library Marketing blog, by way of librarian.net .

It's the shot heard 'round the world, people!

Our last night

We tried to go to sleep, really we did, but somehow we got into a pillow fight after doing the Macarena. We can't sleep, the press was here - again, oh the pressures of fame. We should have our people talk to their people. We started getting sentimental about our last night together & decided to stay awake to watch the news.

On to 100 hours

Well, the silly string is all swept away, the faux champagne has been drunk & the reading goes on. Shannon is still reading & Michelle is poised to relieve her. Marcie & I are contemplating naps before our next reading session. My brain functions shut down about 15 hours ago.
We are really excited to have broken the record, but there is more work to do.
Once again, thank you all for your support.
Tomorrow I promise to more witty.

The Verdict's In...

Guinness Glory is sweeter than the salmon!

What a fantastic feeling to have broken this record!! Woo hoo!!

Can't wait for everyone to see the pictures!! :)

100 hours or die!! Go team!! We rock!!

WE DID IT!

Hoo-ah! We did it! We are in a room filled with friends and family and silly string and sparkling cider and poppers and Mae is still reading! Undoubtedly the strangest party I've ever been to, but one of the most FUN and SATISFYING.

Next goal: 100 HOURS!!!

Almost........

It is now 45 minutes to victory, you could cut the tension with a knife. I am trying to space my last potty break until the last minute because I may become so excited, who knows what will happen.
I can't believe it is here already.

Some new realizations...

1. If I'm not reading, I'm eating. Today has been yummy greek/mediterranean food from Brett. As well as cheese coffee cake that I think I'll just hide under my pillow. Basically though, if I'm awake and not reading, you'll find me stuffing something in my mouth.

2. When you're reading portions of a book you've never read, you have no idea what's going on. I had read all the Harry Potters already so when I would start reading a section, I pretty much knew what was going on. I just finished reading my first selection from How the West was Won, and let me tell you...there are a lot of characters in this book. Zeb, Zeke, Lilith, Prescott, Julie....etc., etc., etc., and so and so talks about his uncle and how so and so's daughter married so and so's son...I was totally lost. Though there was some action in the selection I was reading.

3. When you're tired...either we are getting funnier, or we are finding everything funny. The giggle fest this afternoon was definitely induced by a serious lack of sleep!

4. Puzzles don't have to have straight edges (i.e. - be square or rectangle-shaped), but they're much easier if they do.

5. When you're this close to breaking a world record, none of the above matters! You're only glad to be where you are (showers or not) with your team! We rock guys!!

100 hours or die!!

From the Sublime to the Ridiculous

When Mae said it was all downhill from here...I don't think she meant the blog topics, but there you go. : )

Bryan has smelly feet

First of all - He who smelt it, dealt it!
The odors are eminating from the male member of our group, not me. Actually there are so many foul odors in this room, it is impossible to identify their origin. We will all have to be de-loused when this is over.

I think Mae farted???

I am sitting right next to Mae (who is blogging) and it is beginning to smell. Funny thing is that when I first sat down I smelled nothing... then all of a sudden my nose started to curl up from this "odor." Hey Mae... when you "toot" please be nice and admit to the infraction, especially to those sitting within a 5 feet radius.... LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

News from the front

Things are a bit slow today, which is a good thing. I could use some sleep, but I am too stoked to sleep. This time tomorrow, this will all be over. I will miss my team mates & all the support from co-workers & friends. This has has been a once in a lifetime experience, and it is all good. We may complain (Marcie is resident complainer) about lack of creature comforts, but all in all, it was worth it. We had a major giggle eruption over the jigsaw puzzle, we discovered Shannon is a puzzle piece hoarder.
We are actually starting to talk about the logistics of shutting down the operation, that's how close we are to completion.
I have to struggle with myself not to get all mushy about the emotions I am feeling now about my team mates & my co-workers - I love you guys. Extra special credit for this event goes to Kristy, without all of her help, support & crazy surprises we would not have been able to pull this off. Enough with the mush!
Read on!

Giggle fest, anyone?

I can tell we are all getting sleep deprived... Suddenly everything is hysterically funny! Which I guess is a good thing, that when we are exhausted we are all giggly (except maybe Bryan, he has been reading the last 1 1/2 while we have been falling off our chairs), and not the type to get mad. Joan was literally in tears, we were laughing so hard. Of course, we probably won't _remember_ what we were laughing about, but at least it was fun!

Mae said she was going off to try and nap before her shift at 6, but she got caught up in doing some of our practical tasks related to our attempt. Plus I think she is just too excited about the fact that we now have only 3 hours 15 min before we break the record!

And, of course, we had some excellent food again today. I will admit giving up showers has _almost_ been worth all the great service and food we have been getting. Thanks to everyone!!!

Pretty quiet this morning....

Everyone has been fairly quiet this morning. I wonder why? I personally feel like doing some more "Flashdance" moves but I got weird looks when I did it. Early this morning I washed my hair over the trash can and then it just hit me..... Flashdance!!!!

We also saw a article and our photo in the local Henderson Home News. Everybody liked that. I especially did since it was a picture of me reading. Fame and fortune here I come!!! Though I have to admit my name was misspelled in the caption, but hey.... you take the good with the bad right?

Finally...

Shout out to all my homies who have ever read Harry Potter in a Western/Southern accent.... whether for fun or because that is how ya'll speak!!!

Good Morning

Things are still going well...we are so close to breaking this record I can taste it (it's a toss up if it tastes as good as the salmon yesterday :) ). We only have about 8 hours and 35 minutes till we break the record tonight...but will we quit there? Absolutely not...100 hours or die remains my motto!

My sleep was not as solid as Joan's last night. I got a good three and half hours or so. I'm hoping for a long nap today.

We started working on a jigsaw puzzle yesterday and I hope we're able to finish it before we get out of here. It's really cool. If we finish it I'll have Joan post a picture of it! :)

I wonder what it feel like tomorrow when we step out of this room and into the blistering heat? Heaven?

I just know I'm imagining my long hot shower and a good rest in my own bed! Maybe I can come up with some excuse to get the wonderful food to keep coming to me at my house...hmmm.

How the West (and the Record) Was Won

I just finished my 9:00 shift, and also Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Now we've started How the West Was Won, by Louis L'Amour.

Later this summer, when HP and the Half-Blood Prince is released, two of our libraries are having HP release parties at midnight. We are having characters as part of the fun. I was completely honored to be asked to play Hermione. Anyone who knew me in high school or college pretty much knows that asking me to play Hermione is pretty much type-casting. The similarities are both in personality, as well as a certain bushiness of hairdo. I do think I have better teeth, but Hermione would no doubt have researched a Teeth-Straightening Spell. (Dentus Alignus?)

I love Hermione. Women Who Know Stuff Rock.

(Marcie gets to play Hermione at her library, the Gibson library, as well. We have had some Hermione-bonding this week.)

So, in a very Hermione-like gesture, I started re-reading the books about a month ago, in order to do research into her character. (I mean, really, aren't I perfect for the part?) I only made it through HP1 and HP2 so far, but reading the snatches of these books has really whetted my appitite to read 3, 4, and 5 when we get out of here.

Sorry for the rambling nature of this post. My 5.5 hours of sleep didnt' last very long, and I play to take a nap just as soon as I get finished doing Virtual Reference at 10:00.

In other news, we have also officially entered our 4th day here, as of 9:00. GO US!

While I Was Sleeping...

Last night was a night that approached normalcy for me. Straight to bed after my 10:30 p.m. - midnight shift, and I slept like the proverbial log until 5:30 a.m. Pitiful when I'm excited about a 5.5 hour sleep, but there you go. I didn't care how light it was...I would wake up, look around, turn over, and return to blissful sleep.

At 4:00 a.m., while Michelle was reading, we surpassed the 75% mark. Tomorrow morning this time, we'll only have a few hours left.

Yesterday there were TONS of people in. It was one long extended social hour. We got shushed several times! Loren Purcell also sketched all of us individually. Perhaps he should have sketched our pretty, pretty feet instead!

Either Marcie during her current shift, or me during my upcoming shift @ 7:30, will finish HP and the Order of the Phoenix. I will wait to post our next selection, but a big broad hint is that Bryan's pseudo-western accents will fit in quite nicely. Perhaps he'll do a fake British accent himself?

Oh, and let it not be forgotten that Caryl, The Room Mom, has given us all "The Little Engine That Could" pillowcases! I have already put mine on one of my pillows! Thanks Caryl!

Simpatico

Joan Vaughan & I just rose from our sleeping bag cocoons at exactly the same moment. I think I am freaked out a bit, we must be spending too much time together. Thank God we don't all have to pee at the same time, that would be simpottyco.
It is only 12 hours to breaking the record!

On-Deck for 3:00 a.m.

I am sitting here listening to Shannon read now, waiting for my turn at 3:00. So far, no one has needed their back-up reader to jump in, which is a good thing. By the time I have read for 1 1/2 hours my voice is pretty hoarse. I suppose I could go for 3 hours if I had to, but I am glad I have not had to thus far! And looking at the clock, I see we only have 16 hours to go to break the record! Woo hoo! We ARE going to make it!

Midnight Hour

It's almost Thursday, the day we break the record. If anyone is still up at this ungodly hour, say hello.

My Tooties (aka feet) smell and feel AWESOME!!!!!

I just had the wonderful experience of getting a foot bath and spa experience from our Body Shop expert Rebecca Hill!!!! THANK YOU REBECCA!!!

Let me explain the experience: First we soaked our feet in a warm water tub and then were given a michael jackson like glove and some great smelling lotion/soap for washing. We then did an exfoliating session and were able to scrub away all the bad germs and dirt off our tooties!!! I really liked that!!!!

Next we were given some lotions to rub on our calves and legs to help improve circulation. IT FELT GREAT!!! After exfoliation and lotions we put on a refining mask over our tooties and as they sat to dry it felt so cool and refreshing!!! We then washed off the mask and put on some more wonderful smelling lotions and let them soak into our skin. Rebecca finished off the experience with a peppermint smelling spray that was applied to the bottom of our tooties!!! All I can say is WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!! I don't think my tooties have ever been so clean or looked so pretty!!!

So the offer still stands.... if you are in the local area and want to come and smell my tooties you won't be disappointed!!!! I promise!!!!!!!! =)

Foot Bliss!!

Aaaah! Foot Heaven! Rebecca, our Body Shop at Home consultant, brought in tubs, scrubs and rubs to refresh our feet! What bliss! It is amazing what little things like that mean to the team! Fresh smelling feet will go a long way to keeping us cheerful and motivated! It is amazing how spoiled one gets--things like showering everyday, washing ones hair everyday... But we are persevering! We will break the record!

tonight is pivotal

Tonight will be the most important night so far. We are all really tired & a tad goofy. If we can make it through this night, victory will be in sight. Nineteen hours to break the record. Only nineteen hours to history.

Word is Spreading

Thanks to the LibrarianInBlack (LiB) for the great mention on her site as well! The LiB reports on all things library and technology related. (Her tagline "tech librarians by default" is pretty much a description of my personal working life!)

I must say that another thing that is thrilling us, here in the Time Warp, is reading the posts from folks hither and yon...everyone announces when they see another comment from someone in another state. "Hey, here's one from Tennessee!"

So, a big shoutout to the LiB, and everyone outside our immediate library community who has commented on our site!

Power to the People

My friend Rebecca, who is visiting right now, just told me that out of solidarity she did not wash her hair this morning.

I invite anyone else to step up to the challenge! : )

It's been a while...

...since I last posted. But I'm still here...still going strong. I must say it feels really fantastic to be past the halfway point. We have less time to go than we've already spent here!! Woo hoo!!

But seriously, with all the wonderful support, from everyone, it has not been a terribly difficult feat this far. I'll admit, the timed bathroom breaks, short naps, light-filled sleep, and scratchy throat are all a small price to pay in comparison to the wealth of support we've received. Our loving volunteers have really been going out of their way to make sure we have every possible comfort that we may desire. I mean really, I don't eat this good on my own! It's also nice to have people coming in and out to support us and talk with us. I love being able to tell my story about how much I can get done in the morning in a five minute bathroom break.

Keep blogging!! I love reading everyone's comments! :)

100 hours or die!! (by the way we're down to just over 46 hours left!)

This Just In

Bryan is bored again.

Grilled Salmon and White Roses

I hope this doesn't turn into the "fried eggs we had for breakfast" blog, but I now have great visual representation of the support we're getting this week.

Jarka, and HDPL staff member, made the Guinness team amazing grilled salmon, mashed potatoes with butter (to die for), mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers today for lunch.
When paired with her pretty green dishes and place settings, as well as the white roses that the fabulous Angela brought us in the early morning hours, an amazing ambiance was created. I ate lunch with Michelle, and we felt like real people again!

The moment seemed to call for a strolling violinist...

We've been getting this kind of support ALL WEEK. This is amazing.

On The Ball

It is so awesome reading all of the comments. I'm not very adept at sharing my feelings like this. I washed my hair this morning, wow what a treat! I had a reality check this morning while reading, thought I was doing fine until I recieved a note of concern, did i need for my backup to take over?! Wow I thought that I was still reading but come to find out that I was slowing down and repeating myself and didn't even realize it. It kinda shooke me up, I'm not going to be the one to mess-up! We are going to do it! I just have to keep on the ball!

It's all down hill from here

We just passed the 50 hour mark, half way to 100 hours. Woo hoo. Tom Fay, our exaulted leader just led us in the countdown.
It's a piece of cake from here on out.
We could never have gotten this far without the full support of the greatest library staff in the world. Thank you all so much, we owe you all big time.

Livin' On a Prayer!

Bryan just did a happy dance while he was reading because we have now surpassed halfway to 100 hours!

(OK, I'm an 80s music baby...so for the uninformed, the subject line is from Bon Jovi's song by the same name...
Whoah, we're halfway there,

Whoah, livin' on a prayer!

Flying WOOT!

Cockroaches

Well leaving some lights on last night seemed to work. Nobody reported seeing any cockroaches. I wonder if it was because we left the lights on or because we were to tired to pay attention. I start reading in the next 30 minutes and am listening to Mae and Marcie trying to decide about lunch for tomorrow. They are also smelling scented candles. Now Mae is getting up to take some curls out of her hair.

Speaking of curls... Mae told us her hair dresser was coming to visit (though he has yet to show). I guess he is also the hair dresser of Marcie and Joan. I was hoping he would show so he could wash and condition my hair and then put it in pigtales (though I would settle for a bow or something).... Laugh out Loud..

Midway Shout Out to All Volunteers and Staff

Well, folks, we're starting to look a little rough around the edges as we hit our 3rd day in here. But we, the Smelly Six, would like to give a big shout out to ALL the volunteers (HDPL Staff, friends, family...everyone!) and sponsors for your support.

Folks that stop in comment that we don't look half bad, and that's because we are being WELL taken care of. Our spirits are still very high, at least from what I can tell, and that is 100% because of all the support-by-visiting, support-by-food, support-by-massage, support-by-Internet-access, support-by-television, and support-by-flowers.

THANKS!

Breaking news in the Conference room! Mae is setting up a jigsaw puzzle!!!
(Ok, it's not the Michael Jackson trial, but it's all we've got!)

50 hour mark coming up....

When I read from 10:30am to 12pm today we will be passing the 50 hour mark!!!! Yeah!!! Take that Mae... you are not the only one that gets to read at all the important times

Mae finishes book 4!!

Mae started book one and now she is finishing up book 4! Woo hoo! We are getting through the books a bit faster than we had anticipated, but we have plenty of approved books to read after we are done with Harry Potter--stay tuned for some mystery fiction and some westerns. You may notice no non-fiction--it is hard enough at this point to stay awake, without trying to stay awake reading non-fiction!

First Milestone

We have reached our first milestone. At 1:15 am Bryan reached the half-way-to-the-record mark. It's all downhill from here.
I had a good half-night's sleep last sort of night. This is getting routine. (?)

Prolific at 3:30 a.m.

Oh, and in other news, our little project got a mention on librarian.net, which is the online equivalent of being spotlighted on Dateline NBC.

Sorry if the analogy doesn't follow exactly...librarian.net is a nationally, rather, internationally known library blog, and so a mention on that site ramps you up a bit in the world of online publicity! I have been reading it for years. Jessamyn West is excellent about posting bizarre crackpot stunts in the library world. Thanks bunches!!!

News Teaser

By the way, be sure and keep up with us later today...we will break all kinds of "halfway there" records, and we will surely be very proud.

Stay tuned!

The View from 3:00 a.m.

Oy. I have just awakened to back up Marcie before I read at 4:30 a.m. I went to bed at 10:00 or so with all good intentions of going to sleep, but our...bug issues...make it necessary for us to keep more lights on than last night. It took me until around 11:00 to go to sleep. Ach.

I see that Marcie will probably finish book 4. It's so surreal to go to sleep, wondering where in the story we'll be when we wake up. It's also bizarre to see who'll be here when we wake up. When I fell asleep, Kristy and The Rebeccas were here. (It seems like there was someone else, but I can't remember...please forgive the sleep deprived if I have forgotten you!)

Now that I am awake, Angela and Reva are here, and Therese and Brett arrived shortly after I actually got up. So, a whole different set of folks...

Bryan, who just finished reading, told me he nearly fell asleep while his turn was going on, and "didn't even have the energy to do any accents." Ah, poor thing! : )

So, Diet Dr. Pepper in hand, I will occupy myself for the next while, until 4:30, when I'm "on." By the time I finish reading at 6:00...the rest of the normal world will be awakening, and so the chance for sleep is slim...

*Question: The following conditions are true, even when I am in the comfort of my own home. Why am I able to take a nap in the middle of the day, lights blazing (or sunlight streaming into the room, as it were)...but when it's dark, and the lights are still on, it takes me FOREVER to get to sleep? Psychological, more than anything else? My brain is telling me that according to the clock it should be dark?

It seems like there was this study sometime that if you locked someone in an area that had no clocks or windows (I think) that they eventually slept much less, around 5 or 6 hours at a stretch, I think. But maybe I'm all mixed up on that. Perhaps a good librarian could look that up for me...I know I access to Google and the databases, but gosh, I just can't muster the energy to find answers now...only to ask questions.

Thanks for reading!

Michelle's the Lucky Duck

She got her hair washed this evening by her ever-loving sister Donna and her loving assistant/friend Tricia!

That's okay though, because I got a massage (so did Michelle - so I guess she really is the luckiest one!).

Reading is going well. The time is still passing fairly quickly! I can't wait till tomorrow because then I can say day after tomorrow we'll be done!!

100 hours or die!

What’s the difference between a wizard and the letters S A M E K?

One makes spells, the other spells makes!

You know your too big of a Harry Potter fan if.....

Your computer says "You've Got Mail" and you run outside looking for an owl.

or

You yell into the "tellyfone."

or

You mutter "lumos" under your breath every time you turn on a light.

in all serious though let's just hope Mae sees no cockroaches tonight. I'd hate to have the police come because we had waken the entire city of Henderson with a loud scream!!

Thank you for the Massages!!!

Thanks to Shannon and her family for giving the reading team members massages this evening. They were greatly appreciated and felt gggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeaaaaaaaatttttt!!!!!!

The outside world

We are not getting too much news from the outside world. Did anything happen we should knwo about (except MJ)? How are the libraries doing?

Food for thought

I have to admit, we are eating REALLY well! A bunch of folks have brought in some great food today--Amy brought in an awesome artichoke egg frittata, Kathy H. served us a wonderful lunch chef's salad, Rachelle brought in some scrumptious stir fry and Betty gave us some delicious enchiladas. Yum! Thank you all!

Altering time and space

I have made a new scientific discovery. The thirty second reading pause lasts longer than the five minute bathroom break. How can this be?

Ice Cream from Heaven

By now, you may know that Mae and I are sharing a queen-sized air mattress. We also got the least amount of sleep, and so this afternoon, we were both there, before God and everybody, taking a snooze.

Next thing I knew, I was being awakened by a flurry of activity. Some nice lady in blue was taking our picture...I'm past the point of caring, my head was buried underneath my aforementioned orange baseball cap anyway...

Next thing I knew, I saw Mae dipping her head all the way into...

One of Those Ice Cream Bins That We Had in Elementary School! The indomitable Kristy Price had arranged for a surprise delivery from Good Humor-Breyers! The bin is FILLED with Push-ups, Chocolate and Sprinkle Covered Ice Cream Bars, Klondike Bars, Nutty Buddies...

Oh joy! Oh bliss! Oh Happy Day! Ice Cream in any form is my absolute FAVORITE food EVER!

There is plenty o' - so all HDPL staff is welcome to have some when you stop by to cheer us on!

*By the way, the mysterious nice lady in blue was from Good Humor-Breyers, so I care even less than she got the picture of potential embarrassment. I can be bought! This is my price!

Midnight/midday

Well, our sleeping patterns are already thouroughly messed up! Everyone sleeps peacefully, except for Shannon and me. It sure didn't take long for us to decide that we don't care who watches us sleep, as long as we CAN sleep!! I am up next, but I don't think I will be finishing HPIV. This one is taking a bit longer than the last, due no doubt to all the _interesting_ names that have been introduced in this episode of the series.

I Got to Finish a Book, and Marcie Didn't

Momentous things that have happened today:

1. We have been here (now several hours more than) 24 hours.
2. We have passed our 1/4 of the way mark.
3. I have broken out the hat a day early (but it's my favorite orange Life is Good hat)
4. I finished reading the third Harry Potter book! Not Marcie! (It's OK, we're still friends!)
5. Kathy Hug and Laura Jane Spina brought in the scrumptious chocolate thing that Marcie wanted me to be sure to mention. Marcie says she could easily devour the whole thing, and was standing around wielding a fork if anyone else tried to have some.
6. My throat did not hurt after reading today. Woot!
7. It is odd to be reading at the very beginning of a book at 1:30 a.m., try to get some sleep, miss the middle, and finish it at 11:56 a.m. the same day.
8. There are three things you can depend on: death, taxes, and the fact that we will still be reading and reading and reading...
9. Trying to think of an even 10 item list.
10. Marcie and I get to play Hermione in our respective libraries' Harry Potter parties, so I consider this entire week research. Which is a very Hermione-esqe thing to do.

I think I'll go take a nap, and I don't care who sees!

Yesterday, today and tomorrow

Things are much more subdued today than yesterday. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.
No one really got very much sleep last night, but I think naps will be much more precious to everyone today. We are 25% done, I think our goal is a realistic one.
The support has been fantastic. Thank you all for the food & cheers. Thanks Kristy for all the sponsors & all the long hours.
It's too early for me to get sentimental, somebody slap me.

2nd Morning

I got some rest about 5hrs, more than most everyone else. I feel pretty good. Reading in the middle of the night is not as hard as I thought it would be. We all have a different style of reading. Bryan gets the giggles and cracks up everyone else, Joan has a southern cool mint julip style, Mae has a New Jersery accent that sneaks out every now and then, Marcie gets involved into the story and is very animated, Michelle has a calm reading style very easy to listen to. I think that we are doing great! Were Going to Make it!

Joan wants to know about the News 8 guy

Joan is to shy to write this so I am doing so on her behalf (after much pestering). Does anybody who has been reading or contributing to this blog know how to get a hold of the news 8 cameraman???? Joan is DYING to know!!!!

Harry Potter Joke

Q: How many Quidditch players does it take to light up a wand?

A: Six to work their butts off and a Seeker to take the credit

Reading Aloud = FUN!!!!

I absolutely love reading aloud!!!!! It is so fun to do voices, read in a southern and western accent, involve fellow team members, visitors and volunteers by looking at them while reading. Read in different reading positions. My favorite is on my back upside down with my feet up on the couch and the book in the air.

I also still cannot stop laughing when I read about all these weird characters and creatures. To bad real life does not have these animals and people. If they did I laugh morning, noon, and night!!!

Fame and misfortune

Did you all see Shannon & Kristy on channel 8 news yesterday? Shannon was wearing her Miss Industrial Days tiara.
One night down, three to go!

Morning!

Well...last night I got a solid four hours of sleep, with an additional hour or so of dosing on and off. I feel pretty fresh this morning. I was able to use the bathroom, brush my teeth, change my clothes and wash up with a wet one in four and half minutes. You can't say my husband complains about how long I take to get ready! :)

Bryan is the goofiest reader EVER!! When he feels like no one is listening to his reading, he immediately does one of the following:
Gets really loud
Converts to a crazy (usually a southern farm) accent
Stares intently at someone until they acknowledge his reading

But it keeps things interesting! :)

Way to go team...we made it through the night and there are only three more nights to go!

100 hours or die! :)

Morning

The hills are alive (ah-ah-ah-ah) with the sound of music...(ah-ah-ah-ah)

2.5 hours sleep...feeling a bit giddy, but it's all good. : )
Thanks for all your comments yesterday. We'll see how today goes!

Not enough time!

5 minutes just isn't long enough!! It was really cutting it close to wash up and get dressed in only 5 minutes. Especially when one is suffering from sleep deprivation--partly due to some reporter showing up in the middle of the night to take one's picture whilst one is trying to sleep!

Second Book Finished!

The Lovely Marcie Smedley has just finished HP and the Chamber of Secrets! We're on to Azkaban!

(In an amazing coincidence, Marcie finished HP and the Sorcerer's Stone as well...)

cranky librarian

How do you make librarians cranky? Wake them up with a strobe light.

I awoke to blinking lights

I thought I was on the strip with all the blinking lights. Instead, it was someone taking my picture. So much for sleeping, I estimate I dozed for about 15 minutes. I am now eating donuts and drinking diet coke. Who needs sleep?

I Slept 20 Minutes!

I think...

With the aid of ear plugs and a sleeping mask, I fell asleep to the soothing sounds of Michelle reading aloud and awoke to the (not-so-soothing) sounds of Bryan reading aloud.

Somehow, when Bryan reads, it's as if we're in an episode of "Harry Potter Visits the Wild, Wild West." I keep whispering - "They're BRITISH!" but it's of no avail...

Words I've heard Bryan mispronounce in the past few hours:
1. Percy = Pearce-y
2. Seamus = Seem-us
3. Treacle = Tree-a-cul

I'm sure there will be more.

Mae just thought I was looking at someone over her shoulder...
*she sees dead people...walking around like regular people*

I can't sleep

Okay, I have tried everything, ear plugs, eye mask, even my favorite pillow, but I cannot sleep. Perhaps it's that old problem, I'm afraid I'll miss something. I don't know what could possibly happen in a library after hours, in the dark, with just a few weak and feeble librarians on guard. Still, something exciting could happen. Michelle is almost finished with her shift & Bryan is waiting in the wings. This is quite the bizzaro situation. Joan V made the observation it is a co-ed slumber party. The most bizzaro thing of all is asking permission to go to the bathroom. Bryan is now reading with a Russian accent. This is only the first night.

Bed time?

Well, some of us are going to attempt to go to sleep a little before our midnight shifts. I have discovered that I can go to the restroom, change shirts, and brush my teeth in 2 minutes and 45 seconds. There was some multi-tasking going on, believe me. I almost impaled myself on my glasses.

Word on the street is that we need more photos posted, so that will be a goal for tomorrow!

If any of you happen to have insomnia, trust me, someone in this room is awake, too!

Idiosyncrasies

Bryan is making fun of me saying peachy keen, whoo-hoo and psh.

I don't think that's very nice.

Now his wife is ganging up on my as well.

Unfair, I say, unfair!

It's getting a little late...

Things are seeming a bit more subdued at the moment. Shannon is reading strong. Mae says the second time around is a little tougher than the first. I was going to try to take a nap, but I feel like the minute I lie down I won't be tired anymore. I might be pacing the floors at midnight when I'm reading to keep myself awake. Hopefully it will be really easy to sleep at 1:30 in the morning when I finish. Things are looking good though. This day has really flown by for me, so if every day can go so quickly we'll be done in a flash!

100 hours or die!

:)

10 hours down!

We have finished the first 10 hours and are deep into Book 2, HP &the Chamber of Secrets. It is great fun to listen to the books. I forgot how funny they are. This is just making me more eager for HP & the Half-blood Prince!

Just some rambling

How much wood can a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood. Why in Quidditch do they an object called a snitch? Sounds more like a person who does a lot of tattle tailing and not a fast moving yellow ball.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Finished

We just finished our first book! Reading isn't so bad...the time actually goes by really fast when reading!

Everyone's comments are fantastic! I really look forward to reading the posts to see what everyone has to say! :)

Bryan eats 3 Carl's Jr Monster Thick Burgers

Poor Bryan, he held out for as long as he could, but hunger took over, The only food left for him to eat was either the Carl's burger or his left arm, he chose wisely.

JOAN EATS MEAT!!!!

How many think this will come true before the week is over??? I am taking bets. I think I can get her to eat some either by choice or "other means" if necessary

I am not addicted

I am not addicted, I merely cannot stop blogging.
Stop me before I type any more.

Mae's Addiction

Well Mae has been good, she has only had 2 Diet Cokes as of 3:15pm Monday. Though she still suffers from amnesia.... opening one up and then forgetting where she sets it. Mae maybe you should eat some more green veggies as it will help prevent memory loss - LOL LOL LOL

Harry Potter = LOL

During my first reading of Harry Potter..... ever. I read about the Warlocks convention of 1709, the locked leg curse of of Neveille Longbottom and about this zookeeper called Hagrid who hatched a pet dragon who he named Norbert. I laughed out loud on numerous times when reading about these. I mean come on...... how many people can read about a Warlock convention and still maintain a straight face?????

Miss Industrial Days

My dream has finally come true! My Guinness Team Mate crowned me Miss Industrial days! (30 years late, but hey better late than never!) It was a great honor!
I finally got to read. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Middle of the nights will be bad though.

Michelle Chimes in!

Well, I survived my first reading attempt! Yay! Word of advice -- when you only have 5 minutes an hour for a potty break, take your full allotment of time, whether you need it or not.

Flat On His Back

Bryan is reading flat on his back. He has actually never read any of the Harry Potter Books before, so this is all new to him.

Of course, now we are doing more watching of the Michael Jackson trial than listening to Bryan at this point...we are selfishly glad that the verdict was today, so we can selfishly steal all the glory on Friday!

Meanwhile, I'm trying desparately to get this picture aligned at the top, and haven't been successful so far. If anything looks funny with this blog at this point, blame me!

And thank you all for commenting!

Can't Wait to Read!!

Well, Michelle is almost done reading...wrapping up our third shift. Bryan will take over in about 15 minutes then, after him, it will finally be my turn!

I just want to get the first session of reading over, because I'm feeling a little anxious about it! So far everyone who's read seems to think the time goes by fairly quickly while reading. That's good...time passing is a good thing.

First two minute warning

Bryan had a two minute warning in the Paseo Verde Branch of his "office."

All My Children

The nerve of Michael Jackson to announce his verdict during All My Children. Marcie, Debbie & I were sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for Dixie to tell her son why she pretended to be dead for 3 years.

Excitement

Well, so far the most exciting things that we've done are as follows:
1. Going to the bathroom (we are timed: my average time is 1 min 30 seconds...that was probably too much information)
2. Eating lunch (Carolyn Easterby brought us fabulous lunch...ribs, chicken, and broccoli, cheese, and rice salad...for those out there judging me, she also brought SALMON, which was scrumptious and much appreciated by me)
3. Trying to remember not to leave the room. We should have those collars that shock us when we get near...Mae has had the nearest brush with forgetting so far.

Thanks to Sean, Orin, George and Vanessa in the HDPL IT Department. Thanks especially from Mae and Marcie, who are too busy and happy watching All My Children to issue a formal thank-you. They are very very happy...

Go Michelle! Reader number 3!

the voice of experience

I am the only one who has successfully completed their shift!
How are things at Gibson? Anything going on, do you miss us?
Joan says I read with a southern accent.

The News Was Here

Fox 5 news and Channel 8 news was here! They took video of us reading and of our room. Heck, Fox 5 even interviewed Mae!!! I wanna know when it is going to be my turn to be in front of the camera!? I want my fame now damnit!!!! LOL LOL LOL LOL

On a sidenote it should be pointed out that Joan V. thought the Channel 8 news cameraman was very HOT and SEXY!!! To quote Joan directly "He has really nice arms!" I am telling the truth! Honest!!! ... right Joan??? (aka Chachie)

The Children are Restless

Now Marcie is also bored. Must be that sub-30 age group that does it.

This week is going to be an eternal "are we there yet?"

- Joan the Elder, who just had 2 children this morning. Their names are Bryan and Marcie

PS Our second round of audience is in. Mae has 8 minutes left...Shannon is gearing up! Woo-hoo!

I'm not so bored anymore

I found something fun to do! I am making a paper airplane Air Force. I plan on throwing them at volunteers and fellow readers. Though I hope they don't go outside the room. That is "unrestricted airspace"....... BTW Mae has been reading for a little over an hour and I really want to squirt her with my squirt gun..... but for now I'll be nice

First Hour

Well...we made it through our first hour! It actually went pretty fast. If all the hours go so fast we'll be done in no time! :)

So far, I've just been listening to the reader...maybe I should have brought more with me to do!

In My Defense...

Six librarians...picked...to live in a room for a week...and read aloud continuously. See what it's like when it stops being polite and starts getting REAL.

Mae is reading strong after an hour has passed. We inducted Shannon as an honorary Miss Industrial Days before we started. She is currently wearing a tiara. By the way, Shannon has the best bed setup of any of us...she's got sheets, a comforter, and matching pillows. Her husband, Mike, was willing to hang curtains, but she declined. : )

Bryan is already bored, and is making a fleet of Airforce paper airplanes. I think he will be the first voted off the island.

It is amazingly quiet in here right now...though we JUST got our first actual public audience!

Please check in and see us! Thanks for all your support!

First Bathroom Visit

Joan V. is the first that needs to go to the bathroom. She has a weak bladder!!!! But the funny thing is that she was too shy to ask Tom our Library Director and volunteer monitor. She had to wait until Kristy P. came back into the room and then asked her. Hey Joan wasn't Tom the celebrity you wanted to be for the day???? Why so shy????

I'm the first to post!!!! yeah me

Is it time to quit yet? Just kidding, as I type we only have roughly 99 hours and 35 minutes left to go....... I just hope I can hold it together for the rest of the week!!!