A reason for Brad (one of many)

We have a fireplace in our apartment. The real kind requiring real wooden logs as opposed to the fake kind that never actually burn.

And so today when our apartment was freezing, I decided to use the fireplace by filling it with our our junk mail. (Free fuel. Sweet.)

My plan was working perfectly until our smoke alarm went off and I stepped back from the fireplace to see smoke against the ceiling.

I. Panicked. I am not good in a crisis. I imagined fire trucks coming, a crowd gathering, and the issuing of a hefty fine for all the trouble.

I called Brad.

He could have lectured. He could have been angry.

He laughed. And then he told me how to open the flue.

An hour later he came home and Febreezed the place.

I really love that guy. And. I need him. Apparently.

Skulking

We went to the library yesterday.

I love the library.

Claire played in the children's playhouse, and Karlee read a book. Grace and I read "My Little Pony" stories. That is, I was helping Grace read them. We were not each reading our own "My Little Pony" story. Just so that's clear.

Grace was sounding out "said" when Claire toddled over and requested, "Go potty."

Claire is not toilet-trained. She just thinks it's a blast to sit and swing her legs. I was trying to politely deny her inconvenient request for toilet-time until she lifted her dress above her head to reveal her completely naked little patootie.

For real.

Claire had ditched a newly dirtied and pungent diaper in the children's playhouse at the public library. I will not go into detail. Your imagination will suffice.

I will say that the following factors lined up in my favor:

1. The children's area was empty.
   
2. Karlee was there to help me.
   

The remaining factors were not in my favor:

1. The women's restroom was closed for cleaning. Not with an easel-like yellow sign, either--for that I would have trespassed. There was a freaking blockade across the door.
   
2. The library does not seem to believe in trash cans.

Karlee helped immensely, carting children off to the car, allowing me to handle the mess. I finished and was relieved. I took a final survey of the scene.

I noticed TV's.

They are on the ceiling throughout the building.

They display live video feed from the children's section. I imagine it's to allow parents to leave their children and observe them while they look for their own books.

I wish I'd seen them earlier.

Do you think going back in a year would be too soon?