Union Yes at ALA! To support American Library Association employees forming their union with AFSCME, add your name here: actionnetwork.org/forms/union-...

@themountaingoats.bsky.social Today is pretty much the ideal day for a surprise Christine Fellow cover, thank you so much. (And congrats on the MCC collab, omg!)

So we are having this baby tomorrow! Six weeks early. Send any spare positive vibes you've got. (I'm OK, he's OK, we're aiming to keep it that way, but it's still very stressful!)

Applications are now open for the Reynolds Travel Grant for the Transportation Library! Learn more and apply here: www.library.northwestern.edu/libraries-co... Image: TWA Menu, 1979. Robert M. Behr Menu Collection.

Should have made the nurse wait to take my BP until like 20 minutes AFTER I bought my Mountain Goats Carnegie Hall ticket.

Good things: The toddler is obsessed with my hospital food (mac and cheese! steamed carrots!), modern medicine, squeezy boots, my village, bows.

Also send middle name suggestions, the wilder the better! We have a very normal back up option but I feel like we can do better.

At the hospital for observation until sometime between Tuesday and when I have this baby, I guess. Send pet photos, positive news, etc.

Good things: Clementines, nearly done with Christmas shopping, the toddler putting raspberries on her fingers, You Are Doing A Good Enough Job, stickers.

Become ungovernable

Good things: Singing songs for the toddler's class, we killed it at our cello recital, Beacon donuts, Lush runs, temperatures above freezing.

Good things: Small coffees, Bo growling through the window at the inflatable Santa across the street, sparkly nail polish, ugly sweaters, the toddler jumping up and down to Christmas carols on guitar.

Good things: Making waffles for work-from-home lunch, orange almond chocolate, Fox foxing around, Bo's bright red booties, notebooks.

Good things: Taskmaster tickets acquired, cranberry scones, wrapping the toddler up in my scarf, getting a parking spot, I got guys on every corner.

Take action now to protect Chicago's library budget from extreme and unnecessary cuts! action.everylibrary.org/cpl2025 via @everylibrary.bsky.social

Good things: Christmas trees, warm hats, peanut M&Ms, cheeks, the toddler has taken to spinning in circles when we put records on.

Good things: Trader Joe's, sugar cookies, Tom comes home tonight, Stranger Things, the toddler kissed Bo's back multiple times after we all got our coats on.

Sitting out @themountaingoats.bsky.social west coast tour and having some serious FOMO now that the tapes are coming out and sound SICK.

Never believe the fuckers who say "why bother, they already won"

Also, as an educator, Somali-American kids are way overrepresented among the most engaged and engaging, thoughtful and driven students that I meet. They make me proud to be Minnesotan along with them!

As a Minnesotan, I enjoy and appreciate my Somali neighbors, and deeply value the skills, compassion, and work of my elected representatives from Somali backgrounds.

Good things: People Look East, hot chocolate, cough drops, Rachel stopping by, the toddler who can't say "s" yet pointing out the window at the "noh!"

LONG RAMBLING EMOTIONAL THREAD: It's World AIDS Day. Since the Administration has decided to keep it quiet, I'd like to share my introduction to AIDS. I grew up in Seattle. My mom remarried a man who had a brother who was a King County Sheriff's Deputy. His name was Terry and he was gay. 1/x

@themountaingoats.bsky.social promise you will play Dawn of Revelation in Chicago sometime next year?

Good things: The toddler pointing at the flying fish on my shirt, making time to practice, Chipotle, red and green nail polish, clean laundry.

Good things: French toast, going to a movie by myself, the incredible staff at the Pinhook, Your Belgian Things, you’ll know.

Got to Durham about 13 seconds ago and already ran into an ICE protest, very good work Durham. Also it’s 70 degrees.

Good things: Petting TWO puppies on the way to the train, the woman at the gym who compliments my hair, swimming, charcuterie plates, the toddler is getting very good at her K's.

In addition to everything else wrong with 2025, must we have delivery robots on the sidewalks, too?

Good things: Taking myself to the Yoko Ono retrospective, a thank you note from a student, friends at the show, steel cut oats, G-L-O-R-I-A!

Good things: The hilariously large signs instructing students not to vape in the bathrooms, enchiladas, Kin, closing email for an hour, Patti Smith is TONIGHT!

Good things: Taskmaster at the gym, the toddler's pigtails (oh my god), work-from-home lunch dates, hot chocolate, notebooks.

Good things: My ex's ex's soup recipe, lost and founds, Nutella, the GBBO finale, waking up to the toddler yelling "WHOA! Wow wow WOW!" from her room.

Send a letter to Mayor Johnson and your alder: No Layoffs or Cuts to Chicago Public Library!

It is all I can do not to ask this panel of library deans talking blandly about “leading in crisis” what their plans are when ICE shows up for their students.

My daughter’s first daycare was this daycare’s other location. Her teachers there were so incredibly wonderful to her and this is beyond horrifying.

Good things: Mucca Pazza (always), Seventh Period (the jazz band of 14yo's that opened for them), leaves turning yellow, making time to practice, fake flowers.

My cello class is learning Dilaudid and Both Hands and my 20-year-old self is losing her mind.

Good things: Campfires, s'mores, South Carolina, someone dressed up as a UFO on Zoom, the train announcement "you have to get your dog."

The toddler fell in Bo's water dish, paused, then burst into tears at how suddenly wet and cold she was.

Good things: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, the toddler and her cousins, a student this morning had a pumpkin gourd on her desk the entire class, Tom made tacos, Zoombinis.

We got a World Wildlife Fund catalog in the mail and the toddler wanted me to read it to her. When I turned the page and there was a photo of a bald eagle she was SO EXCITED she stood up and made a big noise.

Good things: Lunchtime lap swim, poke bowls, rainbow unicorn socks, when the dog wants to cuddle, hand-sewing.

Good things: The toddler's tiny voice saying "no" "no" "no" then finally "ya", Great with Child, sandwiches, lunch with my colleagues, vests.

Good things: Making white bean and farro soup, making pumpkin muffins, reading books on paper, cheeeeeeeks, everyone in my house has their COVID shot.

y’all I’m going to be real, the workers at the biggest music venues in DC are trying to unionize we need IMP the parent company to recognize voluntarily that won’t happen without noise please, bluesky, do what u do best @930club.bsky.social @theatlantisdc.bsky.social @theanthemdc.bsky.social

Good things: The toddler ripping open a clementine with her tiny teeth and hands, fun research consults, kids marching, hot chocolate, pigtails.

Good things: The toddler chasing the dog with a knife (a dull one with peanut butter and supervised I promise), You Are Doing A Good Enough Job, Ethan, samosas, the clouds are moving.

Good things: The World/Inferno Friendship Society, a very necessary cup of coffee, the toddler discovered you can see the train from our window, pumpkin donuts, headphones.