Book Bloggers Social

I was very excited for Saturday night. The Book Bloggers Social was taking place in Midvale, and my real life friend Suey, who introduced me to book blogging and inspired me to try my own, invited me since I have a Sorta Book Blog. (Isn't she sweet!) Back in the beginning of 2009 I had jumped onto the book blogging boat and was just starting to get over the seasickness when Sebastian was born and I fell off.

I wanted to be included!! I aspire to be a real book blogger! So I worked all fuzzy week! I cleaned up my sidebars, cleaned out some old posts, blogged the stuff floating in my brain, caught up on reviews, participated in a weekly thingy, starting planning my new and improved header... And I did it all while sick.

A new kind a sick than the sick I had been for 2 previous weeks. A personal horrible sick. But it can't last through Saturday, I thought. I would surely be dead if it did, I thought.

And Saturday morning seemed to go great. I was fine. I washed my nice jeans. I found my favorite shirt. I had the babysitter (that I scheduled myself!) coming.

And the sick came back.

Scrambling to figure out how I could still go, we called the pharmacy to see if I could take anything while nursing. Go to the doctor if it's been more than 48 hours, they said. It was 48 hours...72 hours ago!

So instead of the Book Blogging Social, I had to go to the clinic. I sat down and cried.

While everyone was gathering in the restaurant, introducing themselves, and getting food, I was wrestling with the devil's own blood pressure cuff. Sob.

We had to drive to Provo for the late night pharmacy and the prescription that would save my miserable life (I'm prone to exaggeration. It makes me feel better.) so we passed the DI. My adorable husband had heard me complain that I never remember to look in the adult-type books when I'm thrift shopping, so he decided we would stop for a little pick-me-up. I hobbled and hunched a little - but WHO CARES!!

I am ecstatic to report that I found a better copy of the The Two Towers and a copy of The Return of the King that my little brother had lost long long long ago!!! (These are the 1965 printing that I inherited from my older brother that I love and thought were very very old and cool as a young girl.)

While scanning titles I overheard two ladies discussing their find of Wuthering Heights. They seemed confused by the author (Jane Eyre recognition perhaps?) and also talked about how they wanted to read Austen but never have. (!!) I didn't butt in with any Bronte information. I thought about it, but I'm really not that kind of nosy know-it-all girl. (That is just how I would feel, not what I would think of such a person. Really, I'm just a coward.) Later I found a copy of Pride and Prejudice and thought of getting it...but then remembered the ladies. After a few moments of courage gathering, I walked over to them and offered it. Told them it was the best Austen to start with. They seemed happy and I was proud of myself.

Not many moments later I found this:
I love the books that look old. I want to collect some, if only for pictures. But I don't want just any old book! I want old books I LOVE. And here is my very own OLD Pride and Prejudice. A 1937 edition. All loved and pictureless. This one is a Book Crush for more than just the contents. Karma I tell you. Happy Sigh of a Ninja.

I am still totally bummed to miss the social. But at least my night was not a loss. New books. Medicine that did end up working. We went home and watched the new Emma. More on that later. And I guess this will give me more time to read others' blogs, get my own running better, and feel not so overwhelmed, not so much the interloper, at the next social. Hah!

Do you ever, when thrifting books, feel sorely tempted to buy another copy of your favorite books when you find them?

I feel slightly crazy when I do, but that temptation actually won once this week. Sometimes it takes all my book-loving strength to walk away!