What Can Go Wrong

As I was planning our wedding, I kept in mind that not everything would go as planned ... I loved to ask people what things went wrong on their wedding day, to help me feel less like it needed to be perfect, I guess. And people's responses usually ended up being really funny stories too!

Anyway, the whole day of our wedding, things were going pretty smoothly. Sure, there were hiccups and delays here and there, but nothing as interesting as my friends' stories. I was actually getting a little disappointed that I wouldn't get a "fun" well-we-had-to-deal-with-this experience. Cuz, you know, those are so desirable.

Of course, we got what we asked for.

As we drove away from the reception, we were pretty much in the clear. I was really pleasantly surprised how well everything went and we were looking forward to starting our honeymoon.

... But first we had to get the cans off the back of our car. (I love that our car got decorated with cans, by the way. So traditional and, I don't know, wedding-like.) Anyway, we stopped in a nearby neighborhood to remove them before we got on the highway. Unfortunately, we couldn't get started again; our car engine wouldn't turn over!

Eventually El-ahrairah's dad came to jump it, but when that didn't work, we just took another of his family's cars, and off we went to bliss! And with our very own own what-went-wrong story to boot!

*Our car got a new battery the next day and it's been working great ever since!

Having fun isn't hard...

...when you've got a library card! (Please tell me that you read that to the tune of the Arthur library card song!)

I'm doing the Provo Library Summer Reading Program this year, and it's been a blast! I have a lot of fond memories of participating in library summer reading programs as a kid and as a teenager, but I missed the sign-up deadline last summer for the Provo adult program. Happily, this summer there's open registration throughout the program! And let me tell you, this one is like no other.

Ooh shiny website! You can report what books you have read here. So convenient. Also, my superhero has both fire and water powers. Sweetness.

The Provo Library is using a new online program with a superhero theme. You have a superhero avatar, which you can customize with outfits and powers that you can only unlock by reading more books. Hello gamification. There are also "challenges" designed to get you to broaden your reading horizons and exploring and promoting the library. Hello things I love! Plus, the website is well designed and easy to use—and I have come to have low expectations for a lot of sites, so that's seriously impressive.

Here's a few challenges I have. There were also a few that had me re-post things about the library on social media.

Reading books and completing challenges earns me candy, but more importantly, I also earn extra tickets for the end-of-program drawings for bigger prizes (the grand prize is an iPad). And more importantly than that, I have an exciting new motivation to read!

Oh, and El-ahrairah is getting a kick out of it too. He's not joining the program (he doesn't even have a Provo library card), but he has a ton of books he's been wanting to get me to read. This is his chance to get them on my to-read list if he can make them fulfill my challenges! A list of these summer readings is forthcoming. :)

-Owlet