Best Week Ever!

You know what time it is?

Time for the St. James book sale here in town! It is, quite literally, one of the biggest events of the year here. No joke. (What can I say? It's a really small town. lol) They collect them all year long from us and then load them up to the RAFTERS in the church basement for everyone to have a go at them..........which we will read during the year and donate again for the next sale.

 (Only half the room and only half the people because this was about an hour after the doors opened. It took me that long to go through everything!)

It goes on for a few days, corresponding with their mini-fair but everyone rushes it when the doors open on the first day, trying to grab the good stuff. It's almost a boot camp type experience. You've got the frayed nerves trying to find a parking spot within 1/2 a mile of the church, the god awful heat that only a unventilated room packed to the gills with bodies can provide, the physicality of inching along pressed nose to tail with complete strangers to view what's laid out on the tables. You know what though? Everyone is totally gracious and totally into it so it's alright. You mop off your brow (and then some) when you make it back outside to the fresh air with no hard feelings, already wondering what you'll find at next year's sale.

It can be hard not to grab EVERYTHING you see - at .50 cents for most books that are older than 2 years and $1.00 for most everything else (aside from brand new hardcovers), it's like a readers paradise. I like grabbing the 'fluffy', trade paperback stuff because, for fifty cents, who cares if you read each one through in two days? I love that sort of stuff when I want to read but don't have the time to really dig into something heavy. (That Dance with Dragons book took me six months to finish!)

This here is my real prize:

Gone Girl was *just* published last month and is at the top of the charts right now and I was this --><-- close to buying it ever since then because it's gotten fabulous reviews. Found it for $5! I have no doubt if I hadn't been there when the sale started that someone else would have snatched that up right quick. I almost felt guilty when I grabbed it. I looked around, all shifty like, like I had done something 'wrong'. lol The other book was also just published so that was a steal for that price as well. All in all, it was a right good way to spend $20 and it goes to a good cause. (The book sale is the church's biggest fund raiser. Think about that. They raise their most money .50 cents at a time. Mind boggling.) Could have gotten a dozen more, to be honest, but I only read 25-30 books a year so I don't really *NEED* more than I got, you know? There's always next year's sale to grab them. :)

The Olympics are still killing me, with this getting up at 6-7am to catch the equestrian stuff live but today was the last day for jumping so I'm free and clear to go back to sleeping in! lol All told I think I've watched about 20 hours of this stuff and enjoyed it all. Our team/riders pooped out pretty early but the Brits have been rocking it, which has been great to see. 

My 'Olympics knitting' *cough*cough*cough* Ravelympics project of choice was to work on some scrap yarn blanket squares. I had high hopes (for me) of doing one per day of the Olympics but I think I'm going to have to settle for a silver in this event instead. Eight done so far with a ninth to finish up tonight so I've put in a good showing so far though. Might make it to 12 before Sunday - you never know! Aren't they just so sad all bunched up and unwashed/blocked that? I'm waiting til the end to do them all at one go though so they'll have to stay squashy for a bit yet.

The second part of the Mystery Sampler came in other day along with August's Cookie A sock club yarn so I'm all twitchy to go on to something else but I will STAY STRONG. STAY FOCUSED. EYE ON THE PRIZE and all that. (Note: no one is giving me a prize for finishing my own personal Olympics challenge. Pure fantasy on my part)