World · Record · Readathon · Blog

Signs that the Marathon is over: the Children's Room is no longer squalid and stuffy (although the refrigerator still reposes there); Everyone on Team McArthur has clean hair; there have been no sightings of the media lately; the food prohibition is back in place (phooey!); everyone wants to know if we're OFFICIAL yet.

Personally, I no longer have an excuse to say, "I can't be held responsible for what I say or do" because of sleep deprivation; I can read whatever I feel like, and finally have the attention span to stick with it; I don't have someone fun to visit with 24/7; the vacation from laundry and shopping is over.

What an experience! I almost wish it hadn't happened yet so we could go through it all over again. Bugs just don't have the same appeal somehow!

As Froggy said, "I'm awake! Awake! I want to go out and play...." A long bubble bath and a walk on the beach have restored my energy. A truly "awesome" experience. Thanks, Julia for keeping our blog up to date, and to everyone for doing his or her part to make it happen. What a great community we have. Bring on the bugs!

Julia has summed it up perfectly--I couldn't have done it better.

Many thanks to all who took part, from Team McArthur members; to our long-suffering families; to our witnesses; to the many contributors of great food, drink, AND coffee; to the community members who came to watch and root for us; to the many people (mostly unidentified) from the online world who posted supportive comments (and fed the Laurie v. old professor guy debate); to the incredible library staff who kept things running; to the library patrons who put up with the discombobulation so gracefully; to Nate, who started it all; to my mother, who gave me The Puzzle 10 years ago; to Rudyard Kipling, Louisa May Alcott, and the rest: it was great.

Next year we eat bugs.

"We shall defend our record, whatever the cost may be, we shall read on the beaches, we shall read on the library grounds, we shall read in the fields and in the streets, we read  in the hills; we shall never surrender."

 It’s always nice to break two records in one day…one for most hours read aloud consecutively, and one for longest shower. :-D

I truly can't believe it's finally over. I almost don't want it to be...106 hours? What? Let's go for 160!!

I was trule fortunate to be shut in the library for four days with such a great group of people. It's only been a day (even less) since my realease, and already I miss Peter's random exclaimations, Sally's unshakable patience and good humor, Bobbi's unquenchabe cheerfulness, Vicky's mothering and book rants (Laurie+Jo Forever!) and Ben's being there to blog away with me, correct my spelling, and teach my keyboard shortcuts. I was so very lucky to have the experience of a lifetime with such great people. And that’s as mushy as I’m getting on here. ;-)

 

I’ve made some many lovely memories this week…and I’m only too glad to share some of them with you:

 

• Methods emplyed to stay awake(sugar and water)
•  “I can’t believe she married HIM!”
•  Die-Beth-Die!
•  movie quotes madness at 2 am
•  the alarm
• “GO TO BED!”
• the video post from hell
• the tent city
• a passage of passagenes
•  the puzzle!
•  “Sally, don’t leave the room!!!”
•  “You shall have to run, said Gandalf-TURN OFF THE FAN!”
•  Meet my friend Mr. Webster!
• “Do you want to take the camera and film that…?” "......."
•  the embarresment of food
•  our lovely witnesses
•  pizza @ midnight
•  five minute bathroom runs
•  Our feet..yuck 
•  "We're on Google!"
• “They read 106 minutes”
•  knocking over the board with two minutes to go
•  making lots of noise
•  I Am NOT Sleepy, And I Will NOT Go To Bed
•  three minute shampoos
•  blogging like mad
•  my nighttime declaimings
•  The Slightly Smelly, Somewhat Sleepies
•  SAT prep books
• 15 hrs, 40 mins
• Peter's accents
• Evangline
• "Oh, for blinking!"
• Sally's laughing
• Bobbi's coughing
• Thakn yuo
• "JUST THROW IT, WHAT THE HECK."
• "And I'm the hare!"
• The doorbell
• Vicki
• The dissapointing kazoos
• The very early witness

 

As you can see, I look back on my 106 hours with fondness, etc.

…is it too much to hope for a reunion next year? 115 hours, guys, whadda ya say? It's either that or the bugs.

( And now a walk down memory lane )

 

 

 

 

FIVE MINUTES!!!!

 

 

TEN MINUTES!!!

 

PS...the alarm is going off again...how fitting. :-D