Best and Worst

Top ten worst of 2005

10. Gas prices.
9. Working and living in a budget.
8. Using my Christmas bonus for stupid tires.
7. Transitions. Change is just hard. Plain and simple.
6. Living for the weekend.
5. My apartment (it's just too small)
4. Learning the hard way
3. Trying to find a schedule
2. Working 40 hours a week. Who thought that was a good idea?
1. The decision to give up Levi.

Top ten best of 2005

10. Librarian's Index to the Internet
9. Working and living within a budget.
8. Getting a Christmas Bonus!!
7. Knitting
6. Lost
5. Family Blogs
4. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman (the whole trilogy)
3. Sammy and Levi
2. Being an aunt!!! Best job ever.
1. Teb's Troops

New year, new changes

As is so common, I am realizing how much has changed just within the past few months, let alone the past year. It's hard for me to believe that just a year ago I was deep in the throes of graduate school not even considering the next step. Had someone told me "you will be the director of a college library in Florence, Kentucky," I would have responded, "yeah right, get over yourself." And yet, here I am. Sometimes I don't know how I got here, but here I am. It has been a phenomenal experience with lots of learning and networking opportunities.

And I am now starting a new year fresh and ready to go. Tomorrow is my last day at the college and Monday I start as a children's librarian (yay!). I've had one relationship end which was a big change, but a good one and the best for all involved. I decided this past weekend to give my wonderful, loving, compassionate and slightly crazy dog to a wonderful family in West Lafayette. That will probably be the biggest and hardest change of all, believe it or not. I am not worried about Levi, he adapts very well and he loves people so I know he'll do very well in the long run. It will inevitably be harder for me than for him. But I've always got my Sammy boy. He's the best cat on earth (not that I'm biased). And who knows? Maybe this'll make way for another perfect (and low-maintenance) kitty in the future. It's hard to say.

The best lesson I've learned this year is to take it one day at a time. You never know what's around the bend and no matter how much you prepare for one scenario, it's often the case that a situation arises that you never even imagined.

I've also learned how important my family is to me. Their support, encouragement and love has helped me more than I can say during this time of confusion and anxiety. I know that while I am farther (further?) from some of them geographically, I feel closer to them than ever and I always look forward to our time together. Cheesy? Yes. Sincere? Absolutely.

I have also learned the value of compromise. The more time goes by, the more situations I am in which challenge me academically, professionally and personally. I believe each person has a core set of values and beliefs that they cannot (and should not) compromise, but beyond that, it is important to be flexible and considerate of other people's core set. Every situation is a learning opportunity and every person offers a new perspective and worldview.

I am slowly learning about limitations. Everyone has them and we might as well respect our own. It makes life much easier to deal with when you're not going outside of your limitations.

One lesson I have yet to learn: cooking. Well really, anything dealing with kitchens. Stupid kitchens. I hate kitchens. I second MK's wish for a Star Trek Replicator. *sigh* If only...

And finally, there are few things in life that are more important than people. All we have is each other so we might as well be good to one another. It may sound goofy or obvious, but all too often we take it for granted.

Well that's my thought for today. I better go eat some raisins.

Some of these may look familiar

Officially official

Well, the word's out. I am officially leaving Beckfield College and venturing onto new professional highways. It was an incredibly hard decision, for I have made some wonderful connections both personally and professionally while working at this college. But, I was offered a position as the Youth Services Librarian at a branch of the Boone County Public Library in Walton, KY. I specialized in children's and young adult services in grad school and I felt a strong pull to accept the position. I have always said I want to be a children's librarian, now's my chance to actually see if that's true! :)

My first day will be January 2, 2006. I'm incredibly excited to start my new job but it's even harder to leave than I had expected. This position was everything I didn't know I needed when I left grad school. It gave me opportunities that helped me understand what it means to be a librarian, and helped me realize how proud I am to say, "I am a librarian." It's such a wonderful profession and I can't imagine myself anywhere else at this point in my life. ...except maybe the Caribbean...or perhaps South America...no, probably the moon. I could see myself on the moon. No, that wouldn't work either, I'd miss MK's and Granny's home cookin' too much.

I'm guessing that I'll now have some excellent stories to post on my blog. Working with children and young adults has a tendency to foster humorous stories of the absurd. Perhaps I'll rename my blog to just that. "Humorous Stories of the Absurd." No, doesn't quite fit as well as "Sassy Daze".

Online shopping

Many of you know that iGive.com is an online shopping organization where certain percentages of your purchases go to LSA (or other charity of your choise). Well, I just read the Kentucky Library Association's newsletter and discovered a similar site, but for public libraries. Here's the excerpt from In-Fo-Cus:

"As you think about buying holiday gifts online, you can raise money for your local public library at the same time. Shop for the Library is a fundraising program available at no charge for use by any U.S. public library, Friends group, or library foundation. Every purchase initiated from the site (www.shopforthelibrary.net) generates a commission for the library of the user's choice. More than 700 merchants are participating, including big retailers like Macy's, Gap, and Circuit City. Benefits include: no cost to the libraries, other than local promotion; no additional cost to library users--they simply support the library through everyday online purchasing; and easy-to-use optional one-time software download ensures the library gets a commission. Promotional materials for participating libraries are available on the web site under the 'about' link. The project is a joint venture of i2i Communications and TopMoxie."

bored

tr.v.

bored, bor-ing, bores. To make weary by being dull, repetitive, or tecious: The movie bored us.

n.

One that is wearingly dull, repetitive, or tedious.

[Origin unknown.]

Bored

adj 1: tired of the world; "bored with life"; "strolled through the museum with a bored air" [syn: world-weary] 2: uninterested because of frequent exposure or indulgence; "his vlase indifference"; "a petulent blase air"; "the bored gaze of the successful film star" [syn: blase}

[from Dictionary.com]

Now...guess what kind of day I'M having.

An article from KnitNet, an online magazine for knitters

Three hours from Nice on a northern Italian mountaintop, the art collective "gelitin" has installed a giant knitted bunny that will grace the landscape for the next 20 years. The launch of the work took place on a Sunday morning in September when a procession left the town square in Artesina, Piedmont, for the mountain.

Artanova reports that the 200–foot-long toy rabbit lies on the side of the 5,000 foot high Colletto Fava. Gelatin, it reports, designed the giant soft toy and say it was "knitted by dozens of grannies out of pink wool". Group member Wolfgang Gantner said, "It's supposed to make you feel small, like Gulliver. You walk around it and you can't help but smile."

Gelitin expects hikers to climb the bunny's 20-foot sides and relax on its belly.

Here’s the Artists' statement:“Rabbit [:] The things one finds wandering in a landscape: familiar things and utterly unknown, like a flower one has never seen before, or, as Columbus discovered, an inexplicable continent; and then, behind a hill, as if knitted by giant grandmothers, lies this vast rabbit, to make you feel as small as a daisy.

The toilet-paper-pink creature lies on its back: a rabbit-mountain like Gulliver in Lilliput. Happy you feel as you climb up along its ears, almost falling into its cavernous mouth, to the belly-summit and look out over the pink woolen landscape of the rabbit’s body, a country dropped from the sky; ears and limbs sneaking into the distance; from its side flowing heart, liver and intestines.

Happily in love you step down the decaying corpse, through the wound, now small like a maggot, over woolen kidney and bowel. Happy you leave like the larva that gets its wings from an innocent carcass at the roadside. Such is the happiness which made this rabbit.
i love the rabbit the rabbit loves me.”

http://www.knitnet.com/sampler/current/page2.htm

Well, it gets kinda weird at the end of the article, but I just loved the idea of a giant knitted bunny on a mountain so much, I had to share. Maybe that's what northern Kentucky needs. A giant knitted furry creature to brighten up the town.

Good idea, bad idea

Good idea: Taking your dog on a long winter hike.

Bad idea: Wearing jeans with holes in them on aforementioned winter hike.

A new level of geekdom

Well I have done it again (or I am about to). I have once again proven my geekiness when it comes to my animals. But hey, what can I say? While it may be kind of creepy, they're kind of like kids! :) I splurged on some special items at PetSmart the other day for Sammy and Levi. I'm not going to divulge the secret just yet, but needless to say, many of you will be getting some (hopefully) very funny Christmas pictures this year.

A different thought: Northern Kentucky has no idea what to do with snow. I was joking with my aunts the other night about this happening every single winter. Everyone acts terrified and worried about any upcoming snow. For days and days, the news people fret and frown about the impending doom that is winter. Then, it happens. It snows. The entire area virtually shuts down and everyone goes into hibernation. And for what? ...for 3 inches!! What gives? I was wondering what my family in Minnesota and Wisconsin would think of our reactions down here to such a small amount of snow. I imagine there would be much pointing and laughing involved. My co-workers sarcastically call it "the white death" and that seems to be how many people treat it. I was watching some snow plows this morning on the way to work. They were just basically driving around. Not much plowing was involved. Weird.

Cousins cousins cousins!!

I know the family will all see this twice now, but I just had to brag about how adorable this family is!! I can't believe I actually share DNA with some of these cuties! :)

Cat Hybrid...?

When Sammy first came into my life and he was checked by the vet, the vet informed me that Sammy is part Siamese. This apparantely accounts for his serious vocals. I swear, he has at least 150 different meows for different moods/occasions/desires/needs, etc. For the longest time I have tried to describe one particular sound he makes that I think is so adorable, it makes me want to just curl up and take a cat-nap with him on my lap. The other day, I figured out what it is! Sammy coos! It sounds almost identical to your everyday run-of-the-mill pigeon sound. It's not a purr, not a meow, it's an actual coo! I love it and it is one of the many reasons I can't imagine not having Sammy around me on a daily basis.

A new day for Levi

Levi, as you can tell, is a bonafide hound dog. He is the sweetest dog on earth, but he can also be the loudest if he feels it necessary. When I first adopted Levi, he immediately began showing his tendency towards the anxious, nervous side of living. I lived in an apartment complex and would often come home to hearing loud "rooooooooooos" of a beying hound dog. This was not an option. I tried several attempts at training and ended up relying on a citronella spray collar. It did the trick immediately. A citronella spray collar does just as it says--it sprays citronella whenever it detects a loud noise (a bark) from the dog's neck. The citronella is completely harmless to the dog but it tastes and smells nasty. (I imagine even worse for dogs who smell everything we do times ten, and many things we don't smell). I believe it not only kept him quiet, it also may have calmed him down a bit. The more he would bark, it seems, the more anxious he would get.

Well, it is now been about a year and a half since Levi came into my life. He has calmed down significantly and he does not seem to suffer from separation anxiety anymore. And, he knows the collar so well that if he glimpses a flash of it, he immediately runs into the bedroom and "goes to bed" in preparation of me leaving for work. It was a monumental occasion last week when I (nervously) put away the collar and hoped for the best. He's such a good dog!! Not a peep came from my apartment. What a wonderful dog!

Ha!

If you're bored, you must check out this site:

http://www.jenw.org/home.htm

My personal favorite is Kitsy Babcock : Library assistant.

Thoughts on a book

Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman.

Excellent! By far, one of my all-time favorite authors. This book changed the way I look at spiders. Lots of fun and very interesting to think about! It's always hard to classify Gaiman's books, he's very...unique. He's written everything from graphic novels to young adult novels to adult novels. There is a very thin line between young adult and adult novels.

Happy happy happy!!!!!!!!!

I woke up today with a smile on my face because it's basically Friday, it's snowing, and tomorrow is my favorite holiday of the year: Thanksgiving! I am still like a kid when it comes to snow. I just adore it. I especially love the first *real* snow of the year. I love wearing sweaters, scarves, mittens, long coats, I love bundling up and cuddling with my little furry guys. Sometimes I don't even need a blanket if I've got the boys keeping me warm.

Where I work, we have casual Fridays. Most of my co-workers wear jeans, comfortable shoes, etc. So today, I treated it like Friday thinking I wouldn't be the only one. ...I'm the only one. Oh well. Worse things have happened in the working world. At least I didn't come dressed in a Halloween costume cause that would be quite unfortunate.

I don't really have too much else to add to this post except I'm thankful for everyone in my life!

A smattering of semi-boring material

Well I almost put Sammy up for adoption today. Okay, not really, I just had a bad moment with him. (Ultimately, I am so attached to him, it would take a LOT for me to part ways) Truth be told, it was my fault. I was playing with him, moving my hand underneath a chair cover and he was chasing it around. Unfortunately, my cat-like reflexes are not, in fact, cat-like at all. He scratched me REAL good on the palm of my hand. You know, the kind of scratch that makes your finger go numb and the skin around it very sensitive. It hurts! No, Sammy's a good boy. Crazy, but good. Such is the price to pay for sharing your house with a lion.

Work has been very challenging the past week, but challenging in the good way. I've been going through a "standards and assessment" work book published by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) because my boss asked for me to evaluate the library now that I've been here for about 6 months. It has been quite an eye-opening experience. Remember how I never thought I'd write a mission statement? Well this is similar. One of the required courses in school was "Evaluation of Library and Information Centers" or something to that effect. That was actually one of my most valuable classes and taught by one of my favorite professors.I re-arranged my apartment which I think has helped me de-clutter a lot in my life. I go through phases where I just throw a whole bunch of junk away and I'm in that phase this week. It's pretty liberating but I still have a lot of work to do.

The lunchtime poet

So I seem to have developed a new hobby. Poetry. Hold on, it's not as impressive as you think. You see, I come home for lunch just about everyday. I save on money (theoretically) and I get a chance to let out Levi and let him run around a bit. The past week or so, I've noticed that I have begun making up little poems while I fix myself lunch. Usually, they're about Levi and Sammy, maybe out upcoming plans, perhaps a strange happening from the day. Entertaining? Absolutely. Funny? You bet! Slightly crazy? Um...

I would recite some to you but most of them involve not-so-nice words and sometimes disagreeable themes. But take my word for it, they make me laugh!

I also did something today I thought I would never do. I remember like it was yesterday. I was in grad school and our assignment was to write a mission statement/goals and objectives for a fictional library. I hated this assignment and truthfully did not see the relevance in it. I never believed I would be in a director position ever, let alone my first job out of grad school. So you guess it, I wrote my first mission statement. And you know what? It wasn't that hard. It shocked the socks off of me. One important thing I learned from getting my MLS is there's no need to re-invent the wheel. Library science is all about sharing. It helped a lot to read the words of my predecessors.

And you know what? I am truly proud to say, "I am a librarian." It's a nice feeling. I've never felt it before in terms of what I do with my time.

Gotta go...I think my refrigerator's gonna blow up...

Another failed attempt

Contrary to popular opinion (meaning mine), Rice Chex not only can but will burn in the microwave. Yes folks, I have once again failed an attempt at "cooking." Which I suppose is an accomplishment in itself now that I think about it.

The reason I put the term cooking in quotations is because I use it very specifically. Basically, I determine "cooking" as any act which requires more than the most minimal of efforts as well as using some sort of heat source. Although with this definition, I suppose vacuuming could also be considered cooking. So be it.

In my defense, when I follow a recipe and when I have all the necessary ingredients, I am actually not a bad cook (unless chicken is involved...that's always a disaster). It's just that those two things very rarely happen in the same instance. Hence, burning Rice Chex in the microwave.

Best pumpkin carver EVER!!

The Pumpkin Gutter

Long time no blog

Oops! I haven't written in quite a while. Sorry about that.

But wait a minute...you actually read this junk? I don't know why...

Well times down here in Florence are moving along same as mostly usual. In my last blog entry, I mentioned Levi taking to licking my furniture. He stopped doing that (thank goodness) and is now whole-heartedly attacking any and all tupperware that he can sink his nasty little teeth in. Believe it or not, he's destroyed more than his fair share of plastic containers. I'm just glad he doesn't actually EAT them.

And what about Sammy, you may ask? Well, surprisingly enough, he gets more and more lovable and loving each day. Almost aggresively so. It's endearing...yet a little scary at 4:30 in the morning. And he has now developed a new habit (he was probably jealous of Levi getting all the attention). He's now licking my bathroom floor. And no, I have not spilled anything! :) It is the strangest thing ever. He also hates it whenever I take a shower. He sits on my toilet seat (seat down...I should mention) and yowls. Note--he doesn't meow...he YOWLS. I think he gets really worried about me in all that water. I know how all dogs and cats are weird, but it seems like Levi and Sammy are *exceptionally* weird. I know I'm biased, but come on!

Let's see...what else. Kevin introduced me to a pretty decent new sandwich. Peanut butter, honey, raisins and sunflower seeds. Believe it or not, it's pretty decent. He's told me about some combinations that he used to eat. For instance,

"Have you ever had a peanut butter, Fluff and pickle sandwiches?" (Fluff, by the way, is what happens when marshmallows get sick...people think it's "food" in a jar)

"Ew."

"No, seriously, they're really good! How about mayonnaise, M&M's and cottage cheese?"

"Oh my gosh that's the most disgusting thing I've ever heard of."

Okay, so I'm not remembering the combinations exactly and I totally made those up but the combinations he comes up with are always some sort of trio of processed death. Gross.

Back to bibliographying...bibliographologing...bibliographologizing...

making lists of books.

And one more...

Levi's new favorite pasttime:

Licking my furniture.

Random Lists

Things I refuse to buy with generic brands:

Ketchup
Dishwashing machine liquid
Doggie toenail clippers

Sammy's new favorite snack:

Uncooked pasta

Levi's all-time favorite snack:

Cardboard boxes

My favorite time of day:

When I get home from work and the boys act as though they haven't seen me in years.

My least favorite time of day:

Right after my favorite time of day when I realize how much work I still have to do.

A Milestone for Me

I have been enjoying beyond words reading the blogs of my sister and cousin, both who are raising wonderful children, documenting all of the precious milestones these unique and wonderful babies are experiencing.

And now...a milestone for a 25-year-old. A couple of months ago, I bought myself a crockpot. Yesterday, I finally broke it out of its box. Today, when I came home for lunch, I prepared a genuine meal to cook while I was at work. Nothing fancy schmancy, just a simple chicken recipe I got out of a book. Just stuck the ingredients in the crock pot, turned it on, and left.

When I got home from work, I experienced a sensation I had not felt since...I don't even know how long. I felt like I actually came home...to a real, true home. When I walked through my doorway, I was overcome with the comforting smells of dinner cooking and a huge smile ran across my face. It was overwhelming. As most of you know, anything even remotely having to do with the kitchen has been a struggle for me for some time. So while this little moment may not seem like much on the surface, it was an immense relief, like a load had been taken off my shoulder. I just had the realization that I can actually take care of myself, and I'm not just fooling everyone. It's amazing what some chicken and spices will do. It sounds kind of cheesy, but it was actually kind of profound.

On that note, I think it's time to do some knitting.

What a week

Do I have a story for you! I came home from work yesterday to a cat walking backwards, hiccupping and uttering yow-me instead of me-ow. When I made my way to the kitchen, there was a shattered bottle of whiskey on the floor, with most of the contents gone.

Okay, I'm totally lying. At least, about the cat part. Sammy managed to get on top of the counter above my stove and knock over a small bottle of whiskey. I promise, I'm not a lush, I just had that hanging around since I was in Bloomington. Needless to say, I spent a while cleaning broken glass and nastiness from my kitchen floor last night. I'm just glad that neither Levi or Sammy had any cuts or scrapes on their paws or noses. They're both fine...and Sammy did not get drunk...thankfully. My guess is if that happened, I'd have a lot more to clean up than I already did.

After much deliberation, I decided to forego my opportunity to sing with the May Festival Chorus. It was a tremendous honor to be chosen but it just does not work with my schedule in the least. Next step will probably be church choir. That's nothing to sneeze at!

As far as work goes, I have completed the barcoding project. At least, one portion of it. I have barcoded every book in the collection (except the legal journals, those will not be circulated). Next step is to give barcodes to all the students and faculty. Yay! We're almost legit! I'm just kidding, we are definitely legit. And, as DB always says, "compared to what?" So true Paco, so true.

I think dogs can get hairballs

You know what I hate? Local news previews. Do you know what I'm talking about? Those 10 second previews to stories on your local news "tonight at 10." I have no idea why, but I have to change the channel whenever they appear on TV. I don't even have a witty metaphor or anything cute to say about it. I just think they are awful.

My DVD player broke.

My CD player broke.

The pipe behind my toilet is leaking.

My drier smells of old cottage cheese and death.

I could vacuum every waking hour and I still wouldn't get all the animal hair out of my life.

**But...**

That's all okay because:

My computer has a DVD player AND a CD player.

I rent...ha!

There's not really a solution to my drier. It could be worse...I might not have one.

I love my animals too much to worry about shedding.

And...my hair is looking really cute today. There's just not much more to it. :)

Sunday evening

I'm not totally sure why, but I really enjoy Sunday evenings. I have very distinct memories of Sunday evenings dating back to when I was a kid. I have learned in my later years that many of my memories are exagerrated or downright wrong so forgive me if this falls into one of those categories.

It starts off with the smell of shampoo. I remember after bathing, I would walk downstairs to the living room and ask my mom to dry my hair. She would gladly oblige and we would commence with our somewhat weekly ritual. She always used to blow the hairdryer down my back, giving me chills and goosebumps at the same time, inevitably causing a giggle. Once my hair was sufficiently puffed up and dry, we would go back to the living room. Somehow the whole family would wind up in this same room. Sometimes we were all doing different things, homework, reading a magazine, organizing papers, but nevertheless we would all plop ourselves down and watch the evening news, followed by Jeopardy! I don't know what it is about this memory except that regardless of whatever else was going on, we were all there. I still think about that from time to time.

It's been a good Sunday for me. I've been hanging out with the boys, watching Levi chew on his rawhide and occasionally Sammy. I've also chosen today to be laundry day. I bet I did about six loads of laundry. I love my washer and dryer! However, if I do too many loads in one sitting, I have to be careful because one of them begins to put off a certain...um...odor. I won't go into anymore detail than that. At this point, I have a half-dried load in the dryer and a load in the washer which will just have to wait until tomorrow unless I want to have the insides of my nose burnt off and my eyeballs melt. Okay, so that's a little much but it seems like that sometimes.

That's all. I've gotta go to bed. It's a two week break between quarters at school so I'm going to a strict 8-5 schedule since I will not be needed for reference duty. Sleep is needed!

Website and concert dates

May Festival Chorus
http://www.mayfestival.com


Friday, October 7 8pm
Saturday, October 8 8pm
"In October 1965, Erich Kunzel made his CSO conducting debut at a sold-out 8 O’Clock Pops concert at Music Hall. This weekend he celebrates his remarkable 40-year career with works by close friends and collaborators John Williams and Steven Reineke and performances by another phenomenal musical partner, Frederica von Stade. Maestro Kunzel conducts the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the May Festival Chorus, under the direction of Robert Porco."

Saturday, November 12 Choral Workshop 10am-4pm
"The May Festival hosts the 3rd Annual Choral Workshop. Members of the Greater Cincinnati community are invited to rehearse many popular choruses from Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the world-renowned May Festival Chorus and Director of Choruses Robert Porco. The workshop is free to all participants. Attendance is limited and by reservation only. Reservations will be taken starting September 15. Please call (513) 744-3229 for more information."

Saturday, December 3 Carolfest 1pm AND 4pm
"Cincinnati’s favorite holiday sing-along featuring Robert Porco and the world-renowned May Festival Chorus returns to Music Hall."

Friday, December 9 Holiday Pops Concert #1 8pm
Saturday, December 10 Holiday Pops Concert #2 2pm
Saturday, December 10 Holiday Pops Concert #3 8pm
Sunday, December 11 Holiday Pops Concert #4 2pm
Sunday, December 11 Holiday Pops Concert #5 7pm
"Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops welcome Judy McClane, Eric Kunze, Daniel Narducci, the incredible CCM Musical Theater students, the world-renowned May Festival Chorus, the clogging Santas and so much more. Bring the family and lift your holiday spirits!"

Friday, March 10 8pm
Saturday, March 11 8pm
"Mahler himself said, and listeners agree, that his symphonies are about life, death, “everything.” In his Resurrection symphony, he describes the suffering, renewal, hope and the ultimate joy of eternal life with some of the most inspiring music ever written. Paavo Järvi leads soprano Latonia Moore, mezzo-soprano Lilli Pasikivi, the world-renowned May Festival Chorus, under the direction of Robert Porco, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Resurrection."


May Festival 2006
Friday, May 19 8pm
Saturday, May 20 8pm
Sunday, May 21 7pm
Friday, May 26 8pm
Saturday, May 27 8pm
"America’s premier choral festival features five different concerts spanning two weekends. Music Director James Conlon leads the world-renowned May Festival Chorus and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra."

"QT" with Sammy

My apartment is quite calm this week. Levi is spending the week with Kevin & co. so I can go to the Kentucky Library Association Conference in Louisville. yay! It's nice to spend some quality time with Sammy, but I have to admit, I really miss my little puppy (okay, so he's not so little and he's not a puppy but still...). However, I am so excited to attend the conference. I know I'm going to learn a lot and get countless opportunities to network. I feel so...professional.

Speaking of libraries (was I?) I just have to say I am starting to feel like I am really starting to (beware of unabashed horn tooting) feel a difference in work. We are now subscribers to two large online reference databases and I am in the process of barcoding the whole collection in order to work toward circulation once again. Because of various issues, the library is currently a non-circulating library. Once I have all the materials and patrons entered into the database, it'll be much quicker and easier to keep track of materials. There's just something so satisfying when I hear that mechanical *beep* whenever I brush the scanner past a barcode. Ahh..technology.

On a different note, I was recently accepted into a chorus in Cincinnati called the May Festival Chorus. It is a volunteer group of about 150 singers and they frequently perform with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Pops. I was accepted Friday night and after receiving a copy of the rehearsal schedule, called my parents (they often bring me back to earth when I'm feeling as though I'm on a perious and scary death flight to Jupiter) and decided to turn down the offer. However, while I was at work, I received a phone call from the manager of the chorus saying congratulations because not many people are accepted after their first audition (sorry about the continuous horn tooting). This ego boost accompanied by the fact that I haven't been able to stop thinking about it, encouraged me to go home after work and study the schedule to see what it is really like. Once I looked closer, I discovered that while it is at times a very demanding schedule, it is not demanding for the whole season. It is mostly like any other group, with rehearsal once a week for a few hours. It will be a nightmare for two weeks in May but other than that, it's just a slightly more demanding chorus than the ones I have been in in the past.

So I called my sister. I asked her if she thought I was crazy. I told her the whole schpiel (sp?) and she said I'm not crazy. She must be right! :) Of course, she followed it by saying, "well, you are crazy, but not because of this." Ahh, sisters.

Now I am officially a member of the May Festival Chorus. I believe it is one of the most prestigious ensembles I have been a part of and I am looking forward to it tremendously. I'm glad I took the time to really study the schedule. Otherwise I would've not been able to stop thinking about it.

Well I'm half writing this, half watching TV so I think TV has now won the battle. More to come.

Want to foster an animal? Support a no-kill shelter from Chicago? Read on!

Want to help the animals left homeless by Hurricane Katrina?

PAWS Chicago coordinated a group of volunteers to travel to the Humane Society of Faline County in Bauxite, Arkansas, right outside of Little Rock. The volunteers have picked up 60-75 homeless pets from the shelter. These animals were directly affected by Hurricane Katrina.
We are looking for foster homes for the animals being transferred from Arkansas.

Foster Families
If you are able to foster an animal for a few weeks or longer, please visit our website at http://www.pawschicago.org/ to sign up to be a foster home.

Monetary Donations
We are also in need of monetary donations to help with supplies for the animals. If you would like to make a donation for the Katrina Pet Rescue effort, please visit our http://www.pawschicago.org/ to donate on-line or send your check to: PAWS Chicago ATTN: Lisa Dawson 1110 W. 35th Street Chicago, IL 60609
**Make sure to write on your check "PAWS Chicago/Katrina Pet Rescue".

In-Kind Donations
If you are interested in making an in-kind donation of towels, blankets, pet food, etc., items are being be accepted Monday through Friday from 10AM to 4PM at the Lurie Family Spay/Neuter Clinic located at 3516 W. 26th Street in Chicago

Another opportunity to get involved

I got this email from my friend in New York the other day. If you can help in anyway, either let me know or contact the organization direclty.

"i'm sure most if not all of you have been following the devastation of hurricane katrina and horrific situations that people now find themselves in. my friend sarah wanted to help and developed the following idea:

we assume that many people who have been evacuated to houston, lafayette, and surrounding areas have other places they could stay around the country (i.e. with family and friends), but have no way to get there. it was sarah's idea to coordinate transportation from these shelter locations to other hubs (atlanta, chicago, tallahassee, new york, dallas, nashville, etc.) and then other transporation still from those locations to less-centralized areas, until these evacuees get to a safe place where they can stay and the shelters can be emptied. so far, we have a website, a toll-free number, and lots of people who have volunteered to help. we have delegated specific jobs to people who have volunteered so far. this is what we are still looking for:

STAFF:Development director: This person would be in charge of coordinating fundraising efforts, specifically money for chartering buses and paying for gas.

501(c)3 connection: Anyone who has a connection to a non-profit who might be able to have us raise money under their umbrella (since we don't have our own non-profit status yet) would be EXTREMELY helpful.

Public Relations: This person would be in charge of media management (press kits, interviews, etc.)


OTHER NEEDS:

BUSES!!!! BUSES!!!! BUSES!!!!!! This is our most immediate need. We are currently gathering information about where people are and where they need to go. now we need buses to get them there. the buses would have to go to the houston area and then take people to central hubs. this could mean if you know an organization that has a bus (church, choir, church choir, etc.) and would be willing to lend it, contact them. if not, raising money to pay for a bus would also be helpful. we have someone who is working on making arrangements with bus companies once some money is raised.

Kinko's Account: this project is going to incur some copying, faxing, and fedexing costs. we are dreaming of someone who would be willing to open a kinko's account for us and pay for it. we don't expect this to exceed more than a few hundred dollars, and of course whoever is in charge of it would be able to monitor it, etc. (i.e. it wouldn't be a blank check.)

Drivers in other locations: once we get our mass transit to major cities, we will need individuals WITH VEHICLES AVAILABLE to take other people on the next leg of their journey. we do not know exactly where these areas will be yet, as we've been operating for 48 hours, but we're working on it.


if you believe that you would be able to be helpful in any of the specific areas listed above, please let me know ASAP. for more info, check our website: www.katrinacaravan.org, which is being updated as frequently as possible.

thank you to everyone!

~emily

Just in case you might want to

Donate to the ASPCA Animal relief fund:
http://www.aspca.org

Donate to the Humane Society of the United States hurricane relief fund:
http://www.hsus.org

I gotta get out of bed...

No, this post is not about laziness. In fact, quite the opposite. I am seeing a new side of myself emerge lately. I'm not sure why or how or where it came from but it's both good and frustrating. I feel myself more and more drawn to community service. I have always enjoyed volunteering at odd jobs here and there but lately my passion for service has gone way beyond the extracurricular activity level.

During the hurricane Katrina disaster, I am constantly thinking of what am I going to do? What am I going to do? How do I help this situation? In an ideal world, it would just be a part of life that with any nationwide disaster, all focus needs to be on helping the situation at hand and everything else (like work) needs to take a backseat. But this is not the case. Ultimately I think that's fine because our southern friends do not just need a bunch of random people hanging out waiting to be told what to do. They need trained workers, skilled in these types of situations.

But here's the thing. What I have been focusing on is not the people or the evacuation. Yes, that is a terrible, horrible situation and I have sympathy for everyone involved. But what I cannot stop thinking about is all the animals that may have been abandoned in those homes; all the strays; all the animal shelters that can't just evacuate 50 dogs and 300 cats on a greyhound bus. I just can't stop thinking about it. Once again, back to an ideal world, I would be able to head down there to help in any way I possibly could to keep the surviving animals okay. But I can't. What can I do? I can send money. That is NOTHING to sneeze at. I know from volunteering with non-profits that donations sometimes make a world of difference, regardless of size. But this will not lessen my need to DO something.

I am reminded of an Indigo Girls song in this situation:

"Clearing webs from a hovel
A blistered hand on the handle of a shovel
I've been digging too deep, I always do

I see my face on the surface
I look a lot like Narcissus
A dark abyss of an emptiness standing on the edge of a drowning blue

I look behind my ears for the green
Even my sweat smells clean
The glare off the white hurts my eyes

I gotta get out of bed and get a hammer and a nail
Learn how to use my hands
Not just my head I'll think myself into jail

Now I know a refuge never grows
from a chin in a hand and a thoughtful pose
You gotta tend the earth if you want a rose."

All I can focus on right now is what I can do locally and donate to those who are able to physically be in the areas that need it most. I'm contacting local animal rescue foundations, humane societies and animal shelters. Gotta start somewhere.

Another fantastic example of "stuff on my cat" 

There just aren't words. The more time goes by, the bigger a kick I get out of this site... 

Have you ever had one of THOSE days?

Yeah, well, I'm having one of those days. I'm not going to go into many details. Suffice it to say that...well...I can't really go into any details in order to protect the innocent. Work schmerk. Is that okay? I think I just woke up on the wrong side of the liberry. It was a day where it felt like me against the world.

I had a really nice weekend, though. It was somewhat colored with the funeral of a close family friend but it was a lovely ceremony and I was very happy to be there for the family. It was also great to spend some QT with Aunt Kathy and Grankie! (While we all are great travelers, we may need to take a class or two on navigation). Then again, we were dealing with construction, traffic and frozen ham sandwiches. Grankie had her hands full. :)

I am looking forward quite a bit to this upcoming weekend. What do I have planned, you might ask. NOTHING!! I have virtually every week in September taken up with traveling, visiting family, conferences, etc. so I'm looking forward to a weekend when I get to take care of everything I have neglected to do around my apartment. Believe you me, I can't wait for everything I have planned on my weekends, but I can't forget to do things like vacuum (especially with a cat AND dog), organize, pay bills, lounge, read, etc. If I don't plan for them, I probably won't do them.

Wow, I just realized how boring this post has become. It's pretty remarkable. Maybe I should explore this option of life as a sweet potato after all.

My life is so hard... 

My twin cousins with my new twin cousins! Ah! 

Today was a seemingly big day!

The library got a brand spankin' new photocopier today! There's not too much else to say about that, but it's great and it allowed me to re-arrange the remaining space which opened up the room quite a bit!

I'm really excited for tomorrow. I am attending a professional development course through the Greater Cincinnati Library Consortium for most of the day. It'll be from 10-4 and it's called the "Reference Resource Review." I know I've found myself in the right profession when that makes my eyebrows raise and causes me to read on. To many my guess is that would be an immediate "turn the page!" moment. But I think it'll be a wonderful networking and learning opportunity and I am very much looking forward to it.

I also found out that through this consortium and because I am a professional librarian, I get 50% discount off tickets to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra concerts! (Try saying that 3 times fast...I have a hard time with getting it out once). Through learning this, I also learned about a chorus in Cincinnati that I might audition for. It depends on whether or not they are even auditioning new members or not but I really like the idea of being in a chorus again. I absolutely loved being involved with the Bloomington Chamber Singers and the Louisville Chorus (not to mention Joyful Noise Chorus!). My love for singing in a large chorus is second only to singing as part of a small ensemble (duet, trio, etc.).

Well waddaya know! I've got some stuff to say after all. :)

Weird, strange dog

Levi is really really weird. I have a folding chair sitting out because it's what I do some lifting of weights in (don't get too impressed...I don't do it very religiously). Tonight when I was lazily watching TV, I also watched Levi climb up on said chair, stand there and whine. I still don't know why exactly he was whining but I'm pretty sure he got over it. Now he's sneezing uncontrollably. And I thought I was a mess...

This always happens...I start to write an entry and then realize that nothing happens and I have nothing to talk about except my minor injuries and slightly abnormal pets. Oh well...maybe tomorrow...

The reason I don't cook:

It was a wonderful weekend. Kevin came to visit and we were having a wonderful time. The only time I try to cook is for someone else. Believe it or not, I actually enjoy cooking for other people. Everything was planned out. I decided to make raspberry chicken and a big fresh salad. The chicken was going well; just stir up some spices and raspberry vinegar, pour on the chicken, and broil it in the oven. I was working on the salad, chop chop chop. Halfway through the cucumber, I cut my thumb. It wasn't anything major, but had it been just a tad more voracious, I would not have a tip on my left thumb. Gross! The salad turned out okay but the chicken...well...here's the deal: everytime I cook, I pick out a recipe with chicken thinking "chicken's not that hard, I can deal with that." And it never fails, the chicken turns into cardboard, sandpaper, beach towels, pick your extremely dry item. Can someone please tell me how in the world to cook chicken in the oven without it getting so dry?? This becomes more and more of a mystery as time goes on.

Other then that, the weekend was really nice. We saw "Wedding Crashers" today, it was pretty good. I'd give it 2.75 stars. Very funny, I love both Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, plus there's a cameo with Will Ferrel, who I also love.. However, it's definitely a rental.

Well I thought I had some more to say, but apparantely I don't. Have a wonderful wonderful week to all who read this!

But...but...wait a minute...that's not fair! That's a sign for the public library!! :) 

GrandMama Kaye and baby Lucy...awwww..... 

Cutest family ever!! 

Dex and Jax...welcome to the family!! 

Sassy the Mighty Exaggerator

No real reason for the subject heading, I just freestyled it earlier and it stuck. Ha!

Two things I hope I never get used to while living in Florence:

1. Watching the bottom of an airplane fly over my head.
2. Canadian geese (they're so cute and dangerously sure of themselves)

One thing I hope I do get used to while living in Florence (because it drives me crazy right now):
1. People pronouncing "Cincinnati" as "Cincinnatuh" I mean, what's the deal with that anyway?

A book was stolen from the library the other day. I know it often happens but it still was somehow quite shocking. Perhaps it was an honest mistaken. Perhaps it wasn't. Either way, I hope I get the book back. It was a really good one...I should know...I picked it out! :)

Oh my gosh, could you GET any cuter?? 

Revenge of the bugs

I apologize for my delay in posting. Thanks for the reminder Aunt KJ! :) It's easy to forget about every once in a while.

So I was sitting at my desk yesterday at the end of work when a student was asking me a question. She glanced down at my arm, her eyes opened wide and she said, "what happened?!" I hadn't noticed anything until I looked down and saw a large red welt. It was then that I actually physically felt it. I have no idea what bit/stung me, or when but goodness it must've been really mad! Today at work people kept making remarks about the big red bump on my arm. Every once in a while, the nursing faculty ask for volunteers to help students with learning simple procedures. Today there was the chance to get my blood pressure taken. I went to have it done and she could do the arm that was closest because she was so freaked out by my arm. Ha! We ended up finding a better location and I have really healthy blood pressure. Yay for me!

Everything's fine at this point. It's still swollen but the resident family FloHo physicians said that if it's still bad tomorrow, they'd look at it. I'm sure it'll be gone by then. I had forgotten why I hate bugs so much. It's because they bite and sting me. You know how some people seem to get bitten more than others? Well that's me. When I was in college, my junior year I lived in a large house with 4 other girls (mistake #1). One of the girls decided to bring a dog home from the shelter (mistake #2). One of the other girls decided to bring home a mattress from the street (mistake #3). Needless to say, we had a major flea infestation. And who got bit from head to toe? Who woke up every night scratching relentlessly at little teeny bumps ALL OVER?? You guessed it. Me. My blood or skin must be like chocolate pudding or ice cream or really good steak to bugs. Maybe they put out some sort of newsletter tracking those of us who taste the best. Oh man, can you believe what would happen to the world if bugs were able to publish?

Here's a really good phoned in reference call:

Caller: "Yeah. Do y'all have a liberry over thar?"
Me: "Yes ma'am. This is the library and I am the librarian."
Caller: "Yeah. Well do y'all have any French students?"
Me: (pause) "Well, I don't think so, but I'd have to check to be sure."

Priceless. I love my job!

One giant step for Sassy...

It was a very, very eventful weekend. I believe I am now officially an adult. Okay, well that's debatable but nevertheless, I must argue my point. My 4 wonderful aunts and muscle-laden boyfriend did me the wonderful favor of hauling my new washer and dryer into my humble abode over the weekend. It has been a non-stop laundry fest ever since that fateful Saturday. I think I'm on my 7th load right now. Sure, they're both at least 600 years old and the dryer has a bit of a funk to it, but overall they're perfect and perfectly suited for my simplistic lifestyle with my hairy and smelly animals. Usually I try to run errands, go to the gym, etc. after work but today I actually rushed home after work to do laundry! I know this feeling will fade as I get used to it but I am going to take advantage of it while I can and wash my entire apartment. If I could fit my carpet in there, I would! Thank you to all my wonderful aunts for all your help!!!

On another note, I received quite the honor today. I got an email requesting that I meet with a writer from the school paper to be interviewed. They actually want to do an article about me! Li'l ol' me? I'm not sure what I'll say. Maybe I'll talk about my new washer and dryer. Or maybe I'll replete the interviewer with stories of the wacky times of Levi and Sammy. No, I'm just kidding. All joking aside, I am quite honored to have the opportunity. I really do love being a librarian and I honestly like talking about it so it'll work out well.

Well, Levi's giving me that "look" that says either I let him out or I need to go grab the carpet cleaning spray. Better go...

Librarian Daze

Well I officially entered true librarian geekdom yesterday (not that I wasn't already happily residing within this territory). I actually conducted research about...research. Yes, it's true. Metaresearch. It's a whole new level for me. Of course, I have to add that it was really research about LEGAL research which is virtually nothing like any research I have ever done before. It's not intuitive and not a small feat to learn. I commend those who actually trudged through law school forced to read some of this legal stuff which is not the most thrilling of information (at least to these untrained eyes).

On another note, I think Sammy is officially schizophrenic. He goes into these fits of running around the house at about 45 miles per hour, attempting to squeeze himself into tight spaces, jumping to random spots and generally looking insane. Yesterday while in this bizarre (yet entertaining) mode, he tried to jump up on the kitchen counter where his food bowl sits. He missed. He missed, fell on the dishwasher and hid under my kitchen table probably in embarrassment, confusion, and maybe a little pain (he's fine). He's either over-confident in his athletic abilities, or slightly "off" in the head...maybe a combination of the two. Either way, it's quite a sight to see a 14-pound cat fall. At least he's getting exercise.

Oh yeah, and certiorari? What's the deal with making things more complicated than they need to be? I know basically what it means, it's the idea that the Supreme Court has the discretion to consider many issues, but it's just too similar to Sheri Oteri, the actress on SNL. Then again I'm probably pronouncing it wrong. Gosh life is a challenge.

Another day, another item destroyed

Levi got a hold of another one of my washcloths. By the time I found it, it was actually 3 washcloths. He's such a terd. I suppose it's better that then my favorite shirt or my breakfast.

Things at work are going pretty well. I have new automation software which is AWESOME and has made my life as a librarian 65% easier. I can just download the information directly from the Library of Congress. There's a lot of data entry but it's still so much more efficient than an Excel spreadsheet or an Access database.

I went to the gym today and had forgotten that I put "Pines of Rome" by Respighi (sp?) on my mp3 player. It came on while I was plugging away on the treadmill. It is a phenomenal piece and you should listen to it whenever you need an inspirational boost. There's a quiet lull in the middle but don't get discouraged, it picks right back up. Oh my gosh I'm plugging an orchestral piece. That's weird.

On a final note, I am tre excited to go visit the Indianapolis chapter this weekend! Yay! Three cheers for Peggy Babcock!

hip hip...hooray!!
hip hip...hooray!!
hip hip...hooray!!!

:)

this is exactly how i'm feeling today. i got no sleep last night, my day was crazy busy. i swear to all of you who read this, i will be calling everyone soon. i feel so disconnected but i'm getting a schedule, slowly but surely. thanks to everyone who sent emails, cards, or gave me a ring on friday! that was sweet! I will be calling you all soon. But look at this face, do you really think she can hold a civil conversation? yeah, i don't think so either. :)

time

i don't really understand how we're supposed to do it. what i mean is, if you work 40 hours a week, how does anyone have time to themselves? let alone, family and friends. it's such a scary thought. i spend 8-9 hours at work a day. i love my job, i really do. after my day is over, i go to the gym. by that time, it's anywhere between 7pm and 9pm. then there's bills, taking care of my boys, keeping track of my money (which believe me, is no small task for me), and cleaning my house. oh yeah, and eating. my time to myself is important so i try to do some quality stuff that i enjoy, but at the same time, my family means the universe to me. i'm getting adjusted more or less but i keep finding things i want to do. i want to be involved in music. i want to take a tap dance class. i want to ride my bike around. i want to take levi to every park in town. i want to do this, i want to do that. but i keep coming back to the same question...when?

i have to send out my profound respect to people who know just how to do this and are able to raise children at the same time. my own parents, my sister and brother-in-law, my grandparents, and all my aunts and uncles who no matter what found a way for all of us to be together. even if a lot of us are in different cities or different states, i feel like we have a connection that crosses all borders. no matter where i am, i know my family is standing beside me, helping me, guiding me, supporting me and loving me. and i am standing next to each and every one of them doing the very same thing.

whoa...deep breaths...hold the violins...

okay, i guess i should explain this. i just watched "hotel rwanda" for the first time today. i guess it made me count my lucky stars to be where i am and who i am. i guess it just kinda made me homesick. ha! not only am i the crazy cat lady but i'm also a 25-year-old librarian who still gets homesick! oh well. i guess there are worse things i could be. i mean, i could be a chihuahua...or a sweet potato... or joan rivers! oh man i could even be a stegosaurus, which means i would be extinct. but then maybe i would be worth a lot of money because i am clearly not extinct because i am typing on a computer. i'd be the last living stegosaurus and the first literate stegosaurus. so i'd be the rarest form of all, the last first literate stegosaurus. but then i'd probably get into a situation like E.T. was in. no, i better just stick to who i am. i'm pretty good at that.

What a hard life... 

absquatulation (noun)

Definition: The action of going away suddenly and squatting somewhere; making off, decamping.
Example: "If the actress does not make an appearance soon, her fans will imagine a total absquatulation."
(that's for you Aunt KJ) :)


Isn't it the greatest word ever?

Nothing really remarkable happened today. It was a good day, it's a short week, and life is good! What more can I ask for?

Best word ever

absquatulation

Chew on that for a while. :) Well it's July 4th, and as usual, there is a barrage of fireworks displays all around the town. I walked outside to see if there was a view from my apartment complex and I could see so many fireworks! I was joined by a nieghbor of mine and we struck up some small talk. She's a nice lady and she's always thought Levi was super-cute (always a bonus). We chatted on, mostly about dogs and she told me she's thinking about getting another dog but that it needs to be small and have small...ahem...stools. Yes, she said it. Apparantely she wants the dog to be litter trained. Personally I've never heard of such a thing but I say more power to her!

Because of the fireworks, Levi has spent most of the weekend hiding. I've tried to entice him with his favorite yellow squeaky ball but to no avail. It will distract him until another *boom!* sends him cowering into my closet. He doesn't just hide, he shakes. He's been quaking in his...well, he's just been quaking I guess. The phrase "shiver me timbers" keeps popping into my head for some unknown reason. But alas I have yet to hear those words (or any, for that matter) uttered from Levi's mouth.

However, Sammy is another story. I swear to you, this actually happened. He's a very vocal cat. He has at least 650 different meows...a day. It's really quite remarkable. However, he sometimes does things like lick his chops while he is meowing. This very thing happened and out came the phrase, I kid you not, "Go away." Yes that's right folks, my cat has now learned to speak. This is a frightening concept for I believe that he will now attempt to take over the world. ...or Kentucky at least ...okay, probably just the kitchen but still it's kinda weird right?

Alright fine I'm the crazy librarian lady with the crazy talking cat and the crazy scardey dog. I admit it. But hey, at least I can read.

A piece of advice...

If you're feeling a little blue, do not, I repeat, DO NOT watch the movie "Sybill." While it's a good movie, it is not a pick-me-up.

Just chillin'... 

I seem to be having a hard time deciding on a true theme for this blog. Sure, my job is a big part of my life so I have a lot of stuff about library science, but that's not all I have interest in writing about. So I guess it's going to be a mishmash of subjects.

I just found out that a good friend of mine is going to be a daddy! It's hard to believe really. He'll be a wonderful father, I have no doubt, it's just weird to think of myself as the age where some people get married, have kids, and do that whole sort of thing. I may do the same someday, it just still feels like a whole different universe.

Speaking of dependents, Sammy (the cat) decided to wake me up this morning at 5am. He didn't do this by meowing or yowling. No. In the true spirit of the Sammy-way, he came at me, butt-first, sat on my head, leaned over and proceeded to both bite and lick my ear. Gross! Once I swatted him off the bed, he ran at top speed over to my dresser, on top of the TV and straddled it (which, let me tell you, is quite a sight to see a 14-lb cat with his weigh equally distributed on two sides of a TV). He is quite the hellion in the morning. Levi, on the other hand, would prefer to sleep as late as possible (I can't say as though I blame him). Sure...they're my "kids", but I can lock either of them out of my room at 5am and not have any doubts.

A good reference question:
"What day is Good Friday on?"

a little geeky librarian humor...

Announcing the New Built-in Orderly Organized Knowledge Device, Otherwise Known as the BOOK!

It's a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use even a child can operate it. Just life its cover. Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere--even sitting in an armchair by the fire--yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM.


Here's how it works: each BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. These pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence. By using both sides of each sheet, manufacturers are able to cut costs in half.

Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. The book may be taken up at any time and used by merely opening it. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet, and move forward and backward as you wish. Most come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of any selected information for instant retrieval.

An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open the BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session--even if the BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers.

Portable, durable and affordable, the BOOK is the entertainment wave of the future, an many new titles are expected soon, due to the surge in popularity of its programming tool, the Portable Erasable-Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Stylus...

from http://www.ifla.org/I/humour/humour.htm#book

My first experience with preservation

Yeah, it didn't go so well. A faculty member donated a young adult book to the library. To put it nicely, it was not in the greatest condition. Pages falling out, the cover was extremely worn on the corners. Personally, I love old books, even ones that are falling apart. There's just something special about them to me. However, for a library that hopes to move toward circulating part of its collection, it's not such a good thing.

So first I tried to glue the pages back into the binding using a special book binding glue. Apparantely the book's pages were not acid free (something I should've known right away since the pages were yellowish-brown and very brittle) so the glue seeped into each page individually making them extra dry and crackly. Okay, bad choice. Next I tried using book binding tape to put the pages back into their seams. Because of my spectacular skills as a seamstress, NONE of the pages were aligned and most were at least half an inch away from the cover of the book. As you know, they're either supposed to be flesh with the cover or shorter. Finally, to top it all off, after I taped and glued these suckers back in, I reviewed my work and noticed the pages were...yes...out of order. I HATE BOOKS!! Okay, no, I don't hate books. But I was so frustrated I had to set the book somewhere far from my reach and work on something else. Otherwise the book was destined to be destroyed. Oh well.

Other than the preservation disaster, I have to say I really like my job (knock on wood). I feel like my skills are being used, people respect and appreciate me and value my professional opinion...it's so bizarre. Plus they're paying for my way into the American Library Association's annual conference this weekend in Chicago! I'll be able to geek out with other library geeks all weekend! Yes!

A fun new search engine

Today at work, I ran across a search engine that exclusively searches for acronyms. How awesome is that?!

http://www.acronyma.com

Oh, and, coincidentally, I did NOT get paid today. I got the dates wrong. Stupid pay check. I didn't want one anyway so there. Okay, that's a big fat lie.

My project today at work was creating short bibliographies of credible online resources for various subject areas. I worked mostly on law and business websites today but I'm going to continue in the other areas as well. For those of you who might read this and know of a site that would be beneficial in any of these areas, please let me know! Here are the areas I'm researching:

law/paralegal
business
economics
human resources
management
computer applications
medicine/nursing
general sciences
general humanities

I'm getting to the point at work where I'm ready for more responsibility. I've got a giant folder filled with resources I think the library should collect. However, I also have to research space savers because the library is...well...tiny, and we're rapidly running out of room. They're starting to train me to help out with the bookstore (textbooks) as well. I'm beginning to realize that they want me to do a LOT. It's good because that means I'll never be bored and that's 10 times worse than being too busy. I just hope it's a manageable workload. But I know I'm getting ahead of myself.

Oh my gosh it's past my bedtime...TGIF everyone!!

One point for the good guys!

A couple of days ago, I posted a website that was a petition to try to amend Section 215 of the Patriot Act. Well guess what! It happened!

From the American Library Association webpage June 17th, 2005

Sanders Amendment passes: library users again free to read

(WASHINGTON) Today, in a stunning 238-187 victory, Rep. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) amendment to the House Science-State-Justice Subcommittee (SSJC) appropriations bill passed. The appropriations bill funds the Justice Department and Sanders’ amendment bars the Department from using any of the appropriated money to search library and bookstore records under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act.

Like the Freedom to Read Protection Act (H.R. 1157) also sponsored by Congressman Sanders, the Sanders Freedom to Read Amendment restores legal standards and warrant procedures for investigations of library and bookstore records that were in place before passage of the USA PATRIOT Act. The text of the amendment reads, “None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to make an application under section 501 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1861) for an order requiring the production of library circulation records, library patron lists, book sales records, or book customer lists.”

Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act dramatically expanded the scope of materials the FBI can access with a warrant from the government's secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or "FISA" court. This section gives the FBI the power to search for any "tangible things (including books, records, papers, documents, and other items)" in any location without having to name the subject of the search, permitting “fishing expeditions” in library records. Millions of people across the country, including librarians and booksellers, are concerned about the chilling effect of this legislation, which encourages users to self-censor their reading choices. Seven state legislatures, 44 state library associations, and 381 cities and towns representing nearly 62 million people have passed resolutions expressing their concerns with Section 215 and other specific provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

“Library patrons should be thrilled that their champion, Congressman Sanders, has finally prevailed,” said Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the ALA Washington Office. “People from every political persuasion supported this amendment, and we are grateful that members of the House listened to librarians’ concerns.”

"Sanders Amendment Passes: Library Users Again Free to Read." American Library Association. 2005.

http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2005/june2004abc/sandersamendment.htm

(Accessed 17 Jun, 2005)

Dog geek in heaven

That's right, I've finally found at least one crowd where my geekiness is wholeheartedly welcome here in northern KY. After work, I came home, put Levi in the car and off we went to the Pioneer Dog Park in Covington, KY. It was wonderful! Levi got a chance to act like the puppy he is without me yelling at him. There were all sorts of dogs there from schnauzers to rottweilers and everywhere in between. There was even an Italian Greyhound which I have to say is the wimpiest looking dog ever. It looks like it would break in half if you looked at it crooked.

Other than that, there's nothing but a whole lot of suckiness around here. Work was long and frustrating, I have a million loads of laundry to do, I really need to do some straightening up, and I still haven't had dinner. But on the bright side of things, I'm pretty sure I get paid tomorrow.

When you're feeling bad about something, just imagine yourself as either one of these animals. You'll either feel empowered or glad that you're not that dog... 

the immortal questions of life

why are clear plastic utensils so incredibly small?
shoe horns. what's the deal? who uses those anyway? and why is it a horn?
and speaking of utensils, how come they don't make a stronger version of a spork? those are awesome and i would use them all the time.
who thought it was a good idea to allow the work week to be 40 hours and 5 days? it's just absurd! and i've only been doing it for a few weeks!

well, i had a bunch more questions but i seemed to have forgotten them all. something odd happens to me when i leave work. my smart switch is turned to the "off" position and i have a hard time creating sounds that are anything other than monosyllabic. food. more. sleep. now. i'm usually okay at work but that's debatable of course. it appears that i also have a hard time capitalizing. very strange...

okay, i'm boring myself now. hopefully no one will read this unless they are about to go to bed. actually, that sounds pretty good. but first i should go find something i should do and then not do it. yeah, that sounds about right for a wednesday night.

Protect reader privacy!

Sign this online petition to protect reader's privacy from the USA Patriot Act Section 215. The protection against Section 215 is set to expire in December of 2005. Let our representatives know how we feel!

http://www.readerprivacy.org/index.jsp

For more information, check out the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom,

http://www.ala.org/oif

Woe is me

This weekend, I regret to inform you, Kevin and I found out that Pizza Hut does NOT deliver to my apartment complex. You can imagine the despair we experienced upon receipt of this knowledge. I'm seriously considering moving back to Bloomington. This just goes against all laws of human nature.

Sammy 

Levi the Wonder-Hound 

Getting back to normal

Well I guess it's about time to change my Blogger profile. I actually graduated school...believe it or not...and I am now a full-time college librarian. It's all kind of surreal. It happened so fast I barely had time to sit down and make sure I was remembering to pack my toothbrush. I am now a bonafide Kentuckian once again and proud of it. Of course my heart will always belong in Indiana being that I am a TRUE Hoosier. When I was getting my master's, one of the assignments in my reference class was "What is the original meaning of the term Hoosier?" I don't remember exactly but I do remember that there was at least 3 different answers. Basically, we come back to the fact that nobody really knows what a Hoosier is, but we're all (varying degrees of) proud to be one.

My boys are doing fine. When I say boys, I mean Levi and Sammy, my 4-legged furry companions who get me through the day. They're both shedding like crazy and Levi is constantly trying to fit Sammy's entire head (if not more) into his mouth, but it's worth it. They remind me of the importance of unconditional love and forgiveness, not to mention the importance of vacuum cleaners, stain removers, cat nip (kitty crack as I call it), and the amazing power of a brightly colored squeaky ball. I bet I spent $30 each on toys when I first got my pets. Turns out all I needed was a squeaky ball, a little laser pointer, and some plastic bags. Go figure.

Times have been rough all around these days. Times of transition, uncertainty, insecurity, vulnerability, and just general chaos. But these issues of mine pale in comparison to recent news. My sister has just been barraged with bad news of loved ones. It's just hard to understand how and why these things happen. The phrase "it's not fair" has never had a more powerful meaning and less level of appropriate illustration of emotion as they do right now. I just don't get it.

I wondered the other day if maybe this is just what happens when you grow up. You are more aware and more in tune with what is happening to those around you. And as you grow older, your circle gets wider and wider and therefore you are aware of more and more people and more and more potential for things to go wrong. But it's a delicate balance. I believe that it's crucial to be aware of all sides of the experience. It breaks my heart to think about what people go through on a daily basis. But at the same time, the strength I see is inspiring. To see people band together for a common cause, to see them support each other with no questions asked, and to see the unbreakable bonds of family and friends is what makes me certain that there is in fact good with the bad.

Plus I always always remember how much life is around me everyday. I have the most gorgeous, phenomenal amazing neice there ever was; my gorgeous, phenomenal amazing cousin is expecting equally gorgeous, phenomenal amazing twin boys; Levi thinks Sammy is so gorgeous, phenomenal and amazing that he tries to eat Sammy whole; and above all else, my family. There aren't even words to describe how much joy my family, immediate and extended, bring me on a daily basis. I wouldn't be where I am without them. ...Velveeta cheesey anyone?

Please forgive the long entry. I sat down at my computer thinking I didn't have much to say...guess I was wrong. Hopefully now that I'm back on track, I'll have better entries. Ciao...

A radio debut...

I've done my share of performing. I'm by no means a professional but I have had my time on stage in various venues. It all began with my musical debut as Moses in my church play "Moses and the Freedom Fanatics." There I was with my sponged-on five o'clock shadow, oversized robe, sandals and my very first solo. Since that fateful day in fifth grade I now find myself part of a 10-part a capella group Kaia who just completed its first radio performance. To say the least, it was bizarre. I'm so used to interaction with the audience that going to this room of essentially dead space was surreal to say the least. Still, it was a worthwhile experience and there are few things I support more than public radio.

I have to cut my entry short because my dog is currently attempting to consume a washcloth for his after-dinner mint. Gross...

A glimpse into my Thursday...

I'm cleaning my house. Okay, fine. I'm slowly putting things into small piles and moving the piles from room to room while watching "Pirates of the Carribbean" on my DVD player. It's been a strange day. I am supposed to be graduating with a master's in library science in May but I have no job and soon I will have no money. I'm not the first to experience this, I know, but that doesn't make the anxiety any less. I applied for a job today that I thought I never would. I'm sure it's a fine job but I just never pictured myself in an academic setting. I thought I'd be with the people...in a public library. I suppose I still can. It's either that or cleaning cat cages for the local cat hospital. I don't think I'm quite there yet...
I'd rather be...