The Last of Your Questions!

I ate too many homemade chocolate-chip cookies (brought in by an evil co-worker today) so I'm going to skip my dinner break and write up a blog post instead.

This morning I had one of those all-too-rare wonderful runs where you practically have to pry yourself out of bed with a shoehorn but when you get outside and the cool morning air hits you, you suddenly realize the wisdom of exiting those soft sheets in favor of something better. On tap I had 4-to-5 x 2000 meters, followed by 3 by 200 meters, at the track. I had promised myself the night before that, in the interest of preventing another overly-difficult long run like last weekend's, I would do this workout on the conservative side. Looking at its description glaring up at me off the spreadsheet that contains my McMillan marathon plan, I didn't think staying conservative would be difficult.

But it was difficult! My pace on the 2000s was about 10 seconds per interval faster than I was supposed to stick to, and even as I got into the fourth iteration I knew I could continue to nail them at that pace with ease. I really wanted to do the fifth one, but the too-fast pace I couldn't seem to stop running, and the fact that such a workout takes a long time when you factor in warm-up, cool-down and recovery intervals and I knew Dan and the kids were probably waking up at home, prompted me to keep it to just four 2000s. Even so, once the 200s were done and I started home, it was a 10-mile run.

This makes me really happy. We'll see how happy I am, though, after Saturday's 20 miler.

And now the last of your excellent questions (plus one of my own that I was surprised no one asked):

From Chris K. at The Manly Runner:

What does the future look like for Librarians these days?

This is where I work. Don't think it's going out of business any time soon.

If you read the popular press and some library press too, it sounds like we librarians are doomed. Everyone's on the Internet, a smart phone or a Kindle now, the reasoning goes, and thanks to these devices and Google they don't need libraries or research help from anyone. I don't think this is true.

Here are my reasons: 1) People do need research help. True, they don't need us for quick stuff like "What day and month did the Civil War end?" or "How do I get to the McDonald's on 28th St.?" (though you'd be surprised how often we still do get questions like that). But there's a lot of crap on the Internet, too, and lots of people welcome our help in learning how to wade through it to get to the really valid sources of solid information. 2) People like our opinion on what to read next (see Caroline's question answered in my last post!). 3) Our information and services are superior in many cases and they are also FREE. Starting later this year, you'll be able to check out library books FREE to a Kindle. You can already do this on Barnes & Noble Nooks and iPads and home computers. 4) There are still a lot of people without the means to have a computer at home or a smart phone in their pocket. We are here to help those people.

So you see, I'm feeling pretty good about my job security despite gloomy predictions of its demise.

One word to describe your partner in crime supermom Erin?
GOLDEN

What race will you BQ in?
I will BQ in Houston. If it's one of those everything-comes-together days, I will also BQ at Top of Utah.

What does your hubby do for a living?
Big smiley face for this question--I love talking about my husband! Dan is a physicist. He is about nine months away from securing his PhD in physics from the University of Colorado. Right now he is working at the National Institute of Standards & Technology, a government lab, in Boulder. Physics is a second career for him. Before, he worked in the corporate world as a computer programmer/software developer for twelve years. His ideal post-doctorate job would be something that combines physics and computer programming. Needless to say, he is very smart. But he's also personable and social, which I think will give him an edge in job seeking. He likes to talk to people and is good at translating tough concepts into plain English.

From Jill at Run With Jill:

When will we meet up? :)
Whenever we can! Let's get Julie involved too. Maybe we can do a hike!

Were you surprised to learn you were having twins?
Yes, it was a very dramatic moment. I had an ultrasound at eight weeks of pregnancy because I was worried I was having a miscarriage. I remember the doctor was looking at the ultrasound screen, which Dan and I couldn't see. "Well," she said, "there's nothing wrong. But did you know..." and she swung the monitor towards us..."that you're having twins?"

And there they were, two little peanuts, clearly visible even to my ultrasound-illiterate eyes. I looked up at Dan. His mouth had fallen open like that of a fish. It was only our second month of trying to get pregnant. We had hit the jackpot.

Were your twins "hard" when they were newborn? Is it "easier" now?
They were hard, but I know it could have been worse. We didn't have to deal with any kind of prematurity complications, disabilities, colic, feeding issues (beyond a little reflux for Will) or anything beyond the normal infant difficulties. Once we got them on a sleep schedule, it felt much more do-able. I don't know what we would have done without the night nurse we hired two nights a week after the family help ended. We had to dip into our savings for that, but it was so worth it. Each year gets easier. Now, I'd say, it's no different from having two kids of any age.

Are your twins best buds?
Yes, for the time being. I'm so lucky they play so well together. I think they will always love each other and stick up for each other, but I do expect eventually that Ruthie will have her friends and Will his friends. They are very different little people. I can't wait to see how their relationship evolves and changes over the years.

From Max at Max Weller on Homelessness:

If YOU had unlimited authority and an unlimited budget at Boulder Public Library, what changes would you make to better serve the patrons? (Feel free to include complimentary coffee and donuts on the bridge, which might even lure me back to BPL.)
Each of the things I'm going to name here has political, structural and/or budgetary complications involved that make it difficult to get done in reality. But since you used the word "unlimited" here I go!
1. I would get the cafe back (not sure about the donuts and coffee on the bridge, but maybe sometimes!).
2. I'd get the computers out of the entry way and create a dedicated lab with a dedicated staff person to oversee/troubleshoot there.
3. I'd simplify our Web site (happy to say this is coming for real, though I'm not sure how soon).
4. And yes, I'd crack down on bad behavior by adults who should know better and I'd include a hygiene provision in our Standards of Conduct.

And here's the question I thought someone would ask because I get it all the time:

Where did your name (Terzah) come from? How do you pronounce it?
My name rhymes with "Persia." (There are other Terzahs out there--I know some of them through the Internet--who may pronounce it differently, but that's how my family pronounces it.) It's a Hebrew name (you'll find it in the Old Testament in various places, usually spelled "Tirzah"), but in my case has nothing to do with my ethnicity (I was raised Catholic, am Irish/German/Dutch/French in ancestry and my family on all sides has been in this country for several generations). It was my great-grandmother's name and is also the name of my aunt.