Nom nom. Steak n shake. Nom nom.

This past month has been exciting and sometimes exhausting all at the same time. I was offered the job I interviewed for in New York City, but ended up turning it down. I'd never turned down a job before. I learned that turning down a job is not easy. Turning down a job that could open doors for you career-wise is even more difficult. For me, the job was an opportunity to work at a legendary place, but for hardly any money. Plus, uprooting a life (no matter how much I'm looking forward to leaving it for the right opportunity) and moving to the largest city in the country where I really don't know anybody and try to figure out how to make ends meet is a lot to consider. It's a strange balancing act between deciding how much you can sacrifice and for how long you are willing to sacrifice it. For librarians, I think this is a pretty common balance considering our very low pay and the rather nomadic lifestyle that we tend to operate under. I did a lot of research based on cost of living and commuting to and from work, plus the ability to pay off loans from school and if I could save any money each month so I could visit family who would be on the other side of the country... well, the outcome was just not in Manhattan's favor. The people were really nice and it would have been an interesting opportunity, but ultimately wasn't worth the other sacrifices I would make in order to work there for a few years. Still, I feel more confident in my abilities after getting an offer for a job. Especially from an organization who I thought would never consider a girl from Missouri.

 So, I'm still searching for the right opportunity and it will come along, I think. Somehow. In the meantime, I'm trying to just enjoy my time outside of work here. Over the weekend I went back to Jefferson City to take part in a 5k ColorVibe run through downtown. It was a blast, of course! This was just my second 5k, but it was more fun than the one in St. Louis because I ran with a buddy this time around. We went pretty quick for two non-runners whose idea of training was running twice along neighboring streets over the last month (me) and running on a treadmill a few times in the last month (buddy). We finished in 40 minutes and the after party had barely gotten started when we got to the finish area. We were both suitably colored by the time we were done. Steak n Shake was the popular after-run stopping point for lunch and was full of color runners, which was also fun. I love Steak n Shake. So gooood. I wish the one here in town wasn't so far away...and was more clean...and had a more friendly wait-staff...and a more comfy atmosphere... I basically wish the one from JC would move up here near my apartment. That'd be super.

The other night I saw the movie "The Secret of NIMH". I don't think I'd seen that since I was a little kid. I forgot how good it was. Mrs. Brisby! What a mouse! I haven't seen many of the newer animated family movies, but I have to think that the classics will stand up better to the test of time than some of these newer releases. *sticks nose in air*