"Explore on two wheels."

That's a quote on a sticker I received from Adventure Cycling Association. Pretty cool, eh?

Recently I've been thinking a lot about biking. It all started with a dream I had in which I continued a journey started (and amazingly completed, I might add) by Ann Keefer, the aunt of an adorable boy named Larry. She walked 600 miles to raise money for the Lowe Syndrome Association. In my dream, I continued her journey in Indianapolis and ended in California. However, I was not on foot, I was on a bike. The dream was so vivid I have not yet forgotten it, nor the inspiration it caused after I woke up. I don't know whether or not I will be able to actually reach my goal of a cross-country charity bike trip but the idea of it has opened up a possibility that has changed my mindset. The logistics of it are so immense, I'm not even sure where to begin but nevertheless, I have.

I am working on fixing up my bike, I'm starting to get in shape, I'm doing crazy amounts of research and reading, and setting little goals. For instance, my first goal is to be able to carry my bike down my apartment stairs. Baby steps, right? :)

I'm remembering how much I love biking. When I was a kid, my bike was one of my best friends. I remember clumsily learning how to ride a bike with my dad's help in the backyard. I remember the first banana-boat bike, which I cruised around on, sharing the seat with my best friends. My first ten-speed was a momentous occasion. When I saw the bike in a garage sale, my parents very lovingly purchased it, along with a helmet. Each day I would look forward to hopping on my bike and rolling around the streets, never knowing what I would see or who I would run into. There's nothing like it. The wind in your ears, no limit to where you can go, it was exhilarating. When I was in college, I got a fantastic mountain bike hand-me-down from a roommate. With a splurge of a brand new set of tires, an old portable CD player, and a few excellent mixes, I shortly became in the best shape of my life. So what's the appeal now? The open road. Independence. The ability to "explore on two wheels." I want it and crave it like never before.

I picked up a book today which has a quote I was struck by. The title of the book is "How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle : Reflections of an influential 19th Century Woman." by Frances E. Willard. Frances was an extremely important woman in late 19th century. She was extremely vocal and quintessential to the woman's suffrage movement and believed that bicycle riding was something women could learn and enjoy as much as men. She first hopped on when she was 53, visiting a friend in England. This quote is what she believed a bicycle would actually say to its rider:

"There has been but little authentic talking done by four-footed animals; but that is no reason why the two-wheeled should not speak its mind, and the first utterance I have to chronicle in the softly flowing vocables of my bicycle is to the following purport. I heard it as we trundled off down the Priory incline at the suburban home of Lady Henry Somerset in Reigate, England, where I was staying.

"It said: 'Behold, I do not fail you; I am not a skittish beastie, but a softer, well-conducted roadster. I did not ask you to mount or drive, but since you have done so you must now learn the laws of balance and exploitation. I did not invent these laws, but I have been built to conform to them, and you must suit yourself to the unchanging regulations of gravity, general and specific, as illustrated in me. Strange as the paradox may seem, you will do this best by not trying to do it at all. You must make up what you are pleased to call your mind--make it up speedily, or you will be cast in yonder mud puddle, and no blame to me and no thanks to yourself.

"Two things must occupy your thinking powers to the exclusion of every other thing: First, the goal; and, second, the momentum requisite to reach it. Do not look down like an imbecile up on the steering wheel in front of you--that would be about as wise as for a nauseated voyager to keep his optical instruments fixed upon the rolling waves. It is the curse of life that nearly everyone looks down. But the microscope will never set you free; you must glue your eyes to the telescope forever and a day. Look up and off and on and out; get forehead and foot into line, the latter acting as a rhythmic spur in the flanks of your equilibriated equine; so shall you win, and that right speedily.

"'It was divinely said that the kingdom of God is within you. Some make a mysticism of this declaration, but it is hard common sense; for the lesson you will learn from me is this: every kingdom over which we reign must be first formed within us on what I as a bicycle look upon as the common parade ground of individual thought.'"

Two excellent stories

I have two very funny experiences from the library during the past week. These kids...I swear.

First, I was off in the stacks looking for a specific book the other day. I heard a child yelling from across the room. She wasn't yelling because she was mad or frustrated or wasn't getting her way. She was firing her family. "Grams, you're fired! Mom, you're fired! Dad, you're fired!" and so on. It was hilarious! I can't help but wonder where this kid picked it up from. The Apprentice? Talk at home? Elsewhere? She couldn't have been much over four years old.

Second, yesterday I had a program with kids age 11 and older. It was a lot of fun! There was a point in the program when one of the boys, 14 years old, stood up and here is what followed:

Boy: "Did you know that if a woman could lay all her eggs she would have 500 children?"

Me: [pause while I searched his face for some explanation of what the heck he was talking about] "Do you mean female chickens or birds or something like that?"

Boy: "No, I mean like ladies and stuff."

Me: [pause again. And again. Trying not to look amazed and terrified:] "Women don't lay eggs."

Boy: "You know what I mean, like inside their bodies and everything."

Me: [Change the subject! Change the subject! Change the subject!] "Well it's a bit more complicated then that but why don't you have a cookie and tell me about the project you're making!"

I mean...seriously??!? SERIOUSLY??!? There are no words.

Out of nowhere

Have you ever been so strongly hit by a memory that it almost knocks you over? The kind where every detail is so vivid you can practically smell all the little smells and hear every subtle nuance of a person's voice? A memory that may have happened 15 years ago but could have just as easily happened 15 minutes ago?

This has been happening to me a lot lately. I couldn't say why, but as usual I have several theories. It's so strange to me because the acuteness of the details is so striking it evokes both a wonderful and an awful feeling at the same time. It's like that itch you get that you just can't scratch. You know, the ones where you can feel a little quiver on your arm and you go to scratch, only to find the spot is just a half an inch away from there. So you move, then it moves, and so on. Very unfulfilling.

I don't have much else to say on the topic, I just thought I'd throw some musings out to the universe...

A long-awaited review

I feel it's about time to share my experience with "The Descent." Swank and I decided to catch a late night movie, and he graciously agreed to indulge me in my passion for scary movies. I got my nachos and sour patch kids (it was a late dinner that night) and we settled in for a good, old fashioned horror flick. When movie started it began with the obligatory jump-out-of-your-seat moment within the first 5 minutes. We knew we were in the right theatre at least. From then on out it was a series of endless jump-out-of-your-seat moments mixed in with unbelievable claustrophobia, gore, and general terror. About 45 minutes into the movie Swank turned to me and whispered, "I don't like movies like this." We both giggled nervously and continued to watch in awe as bizarre looking cave-people hunted down 6 women in the dark with various broken bones and completely understandable psychoses.

That's when it happened. I turned to my partner in crime and said, "do you want to go? I'll stay if you want to stay but I could go too." I couldn't believe the words coming out of my mouth! I've stayed through every movie I've ever gone to, good or bad, scary or cheesy. Not to mention, my obsession with scary movies should have had me twitterpated from the moment I sat down! Needless to say, we decided to leave and there you have it. I left my very first movie in the middle because it was actually too scary. THAT in itself is kind of scary if you ask me.

I have to qualify my statement of "too scary." It wasn't the kind of scared I get where my adrenaline pumps and my eyes water (i.e. Blair Witch Project, "look at my eyes! look at my eyes!") It was more the kind of scary akin to holy crap I'm stuck in a cave, I don't know what's up and what's down and these weird Golem-like creatures are eating my friends. It's hard to explain. Or maybe you get the idea.

HOWEVER, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that I will be renting this movie so I can watch it at home and see what happens at the end. No doubt at all. I also have to mention that it was awesome to see a movie with all of the leads (except the stupid cave people) as strong women and no men coming to the rescue (at least within the first hour or so). It also further solidified the fact that I will never ever EVER go spelunking. I have no idea why that appeals to anyone on earth, except for maybe the stupid cave people. Stupid cave people. I hate the cave people.

'Tis the season

It's the month of insanity right now. Everyone kept telling me that August was a time to relax and recuperate. What?! That could NOT be further from the truth. This whole month has been a whirlwind from beginning to end. No rest for the wear I suppose.

For some reason unknown to me, this is the week of screaming children. Sure we get the occasional yelp or two, the random tantrum from an unhappy toddler, that's no big deal. We all just kind of smile and go about our business, kids will be kids after all. To a certain extent, we become slightly immune to it. It's no big deal! But when there's two or three screaming children a day, you can't help but notice and wonder, "is there something going on in the world that I don't know about?" At the same time, most schools around here start very soon so everyone's a little extra anxious in general. The circle of life, right? Well, something like that.

On a different note, I am planning on going to see a movie tonight and I'm hoping it's going to be that seemingly scary movie "The Descent". I'm pretty psyched because I'm OBSESSED with scary movie! I can't get enough of them! I'll post a review if I end up going.

Worst.

1. I have Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee going through my head.
2. I just created a big long posting about good things, performing, my job, music...and it was all LOST. I'm not going to re-create it because my neck hurts.
   

Recall of Highsmith toys

Our library gave out this prize to summer reading participants. We just found out yesterday they were recalled due to a potentially high amount of lead. We have put a posting on our website, put up signs at all of our branches as well as noticed several news agencies in the area. It seems like a pretty big deal (as it should). I've heard Highsmith is coming out with another official statement tomorrow. Here's a link to the original article:

http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006608050330

Also, here is the release from the Indiana State Department of Health. However, Indiana and Kentucky are not the only ones who use the Collaborative Summer Reading Program, created by Highsmith. It is used all over the country.

http://www.in.gov/isdh/news/2006/08-04.htm

Pretty scary, right? I think so.

Back to the grind

Well I recently returned from a fun-filled vacation with the fam. It was a whirlwind and I loved every minute of it! ...well, except for the heat maybe, but many dips in the pool helped that quite a bit. It was so wonderful to see everyone and catch up. I always leave these times feeling like one of the luckiest people on earth to be a part of such an energetic, funny, phenomenal group of people EVER! Yay for us! Okay, enough of the mush. I have to say though it's one of the greatest feelings to have your neice running toward you with arms outstretched, grinning, and shrieking "Sassy! Sassy! Sassy!" So hard to beat.

There was no rest for the weary upon returning from vacation. Early Friday morning I attended a day-long workshop with some other area librarians for a chance to read some recently published picture books, discuss programming ideas and eat mediocre food. Mmmm. I have a new favorite picture book (this has a tendency to change just about every week...sometimes more frequently). The book is Emma Kate by Patricia Polacco. I have a soft spot for elephants, as well as imaginary friends. Who doesn't?

Tonight we had our first Family Sing Along and it was a blast! Lots of fun-filled times of singing, dancing, playing guitar, marching and all around craziness. I was so excited for a chance to use my guitar and do some singing in a program and it was well worth it!

Well I think my cats are plotting against me so I better go break them up before some terrible happens. Monkey and I had a difference of opinion yesterday. He thought it was a great idea to jump up onto the computer desk when I was typing up emails. I didn't agree so I nudged him off. He tried to grab hold...of my arm. I have 4 nasty scratches to prove it. I yelled some obscenities and then went back to typing. My new tactic is to use his, um, lack of intelligence next time. All I do is mimic our family cat from my childhood, Kitty. Kitty had a very specific meow right before she barfed. I find that if I start meowing like Kitty Monkey starts to freak out and runs around trying to find the new cat. Not the sharpest tool in the shed. But it gets the job done with no injuries (at least to me).

Now am I a grownup?

I am so proud of myself. I have officially purchased, moved up 3 flights of stairs and installed my first washer and dryer. (I don't count the last ones because I got them for free, and other--wonderful--people moved and installed them for me). It was an adventure to say the least but I did my first load last night. When I was running the dryer as a test, I opened the door at the front to see what happened. I was overcome by a smell that I thought was something burning. I looked behind the dryer to make sure I hadn't done something really stupid. That's when I realized the smell was only coming from inside the dryer. I suddenly realized, "oh my god! That's heat! That's actual real bonafide heat! I won't have to run the dryer 5 or 6 times to get my clothes dry!" I've had to run a dryer several times for such a long time it's hard to get used to.

Mohawk-aliscious

I don't know if I'm just now noticing it or if it's a new trend but I've been noticing a lot of young kids (around 3 and 4 years) with mohawks. I love it!

Two MORE reasons

Two more reasons my cats are so weird:

1. Sammy actually tried to get into the shower, while it was on.
   
2. My hair is long enough now to get pulled up into a ridiculously high ponytail with a little elastic band. I have a tendency to just throw them on the bathroom sink when I'm finished with them. No matter what, they always end up inside the cat's water bowl by the end of the day. Why? I have no idea.
   

Another day another move

It seems as though this move will never be over. Once I think I have everything organized, I get another big ticket item and have to start all over again from scratch. For instance, I was lucky enough to catch a co-worker before a huge move out of the country and she practically gave me her washer and dryer in basically perfect condition. However, I had to move them. My wonderful and oh-so-gracious Chris helped me with this and it was just the two of us. Hauling a washer and dryer up three flights of stairs is NOT FUN and I am forever in debt to his assistance. The washer and dryer now take up a whole closet off the kitchen which means I had to find a new location for the litter box. I put it in another closet and had to move most of those contents out. Now I once again have an apartment in complete shambles. Very frustrating but at the same time I'm very lucky to have such helpful and generous people who are willing to be there for me when I'm in a bind.

The cats are loving the new apartment, as I expected they would. I am able to keep the windows open when the weather permits it and they adore that.

The library's summer reading program is coming to a close. It has been a whirlwind of a summer but I've enjoyed just about every minute of it. I love the fact that the kids are recognizing me and asking for me at the library. It is so much fun!

I'm having internet connection issues so I better log off before I lose all of this. More later...

With hope and love

Please keep teb and her family in your thoughts and light a candle in remembrance of teb Thursday at 8pm EDT.

Teb's Troops

Brainy Girl

Mooville

Tidbitz

Don't you just love it when people make plural words cool when they add a "z" instead of an "s"? I mean, seriously. Would I be nearly as cool as I am if the title of my blog was "Sassy Days"? Uh-uh. I didn't think so. Also, the title of this post. Tidbits? Nope. Tidbitz. You know it.

One thing I realized tonight at work. Super cute. I have one program that is only for ages 9 to 15. They're almost always all boys. I realized tonight that I can see them all as grown adults, maybe 20s or 30s. They just look like small, perky adults. Weird, right? But super cute.

It's been too long

Sorry for not posting in about ten million years, it's hard when I don't have internet at home. Hopefully that will change soon!!

A few things

Movie Review: The Devil Wears Prada
I went to see this with MK and overall it was pretty enjoyable. We both laughed and generally left feeling like we liked the movie. However, there were some underlying "lessons" that neither of us agreed with. You can probably guess what they were when it comes to dealing with the fashion industry, self image, money, etc. The movie did not deal with certain things well, but I can't speak for the book. All in all, Meryl Streep is one of my heroes and she did a phenomenal job. Good rental. 2 1/2 stars.

I've tried to keep up what I'm reading/what I'm listening to but I have just gotten way behind. Here are a few recaps:

Print books

The Demonata : Lord Loss (Book 1), by Darren Shan
I LOVED this book, but I adore scary movies and books. It's pretty gory and gruesome, not for the faint-at-heart or those sensitive to things like scary demons. It's considered a young adult book but it could easily be an adult book, it just has a teenage protagonist.

It's kind of a funny story, by Ned Vizzini
Really really good. This novel is about a teenage boy who is dealing with severe depression and ends up checking himself into a mental hospital because of his suicidal ideations. This is an extremely well-written novel with one of the most honest portrayals I've ever read. It's also got some light-hearted and very funny characters.

Audio books

The Earth, my butt, and other big round things, by Carolyn Mackler
Fantastic! This is about a girl dealing with a weight problem and other typical adolescent issues. It's hilarious and a classic. I highly recommend it!

Freaky green eyes, by Joyce Carol Oates
A dark and emotionally tumultuous novel, Freaky green eyes delves into the issue of child and spousal abuse from the perspective of a young teenager. I was so struck by this novel, it was so...it was just so good. Hard to listen to, but nevertheless worth it.

So I'm not very good at describing books and reviewing them, but I like to share. I have some others that I'm dying to start but I have to finish up the family books first. I'm really looking forward to the book discussions for family vacation, but to those of you in the family reading this, please lower your expectations because I have no idea what the heck I'm doing. Yes, I am a librarian. No, I have never led a book discussion before. Eep!

Other than all that, things are peachy! The boys are good (Sammy and Monkey are balancing each other out in size. Both big boys, Sammy losing weight and Monkey gaining some muscle, both good things). Work is insane but I'm lovin' it more each day. Kids are starting to recognize me both in and out of the library and that feels awesome. I love it when kids will ask for me or track me down in the library just to say hi. Too cute!

The apartment is insanely messy and I still haven't totally unpacked. I'm wondering right now if I ever will. No, that's not true, I know I will, I'm just taking my sweet time.

That's all. :)

The best sandwich ever

Ingredients:

2 slices of whole wheat bread, toasted
Garden herb cream cheese
Green leaf lettuce
A few slices of cucumber
1 small tomato
1/2 avocado (Yes, that's right an entire half)

It's the best!

A quick note from my neck of the woods

Well, I don't have much time to write. It seems like time goes quicker and quicker everyday. Maybe it's a summer thing, maybe it's an adult thing, maybe it's a life thing. Either way, time is speeding by me rather quickly. Things at the library are really good but 100% insanity everyday. You just never know what to expect. One minute we could easily house 150 people under the age of 2, the next minute we could have virtually no one. It's slightly predictable but always a whirlwind.

This Friday is the big fat concert. I have never been a co-coordinator of a concert before and let me tell you, it's a lot of work! My co-worker and I have been busy wrapping up all the loose ends to get everything ready for the big day. We are so excited to see The High Strung perform in our very own parking lot! It's going to be an amazing show! Those of you in the area, you should definitely come! It's at 6:30 with the music starting at 7pm. Yes!

I have this memory that time went a lot slower when I was a kid, maybe under the age of 10. Does anyone else have this memory? What is it that causes that perception? I'm wondering if it's because of the mere anticipation for various events like Christmas, birthdays, end of school, beginning of school, etc. Do we not anticipate as much as we age or is there just more to fill up those waking hours? It's probably just a matter of working full time. Evil.

I'm waxing philosophical again. I better take a nap before I strain a muscle.

I do NOT heart moving

In fact, I hate it with all that I am, and then a few more of me. Thank goodness up and down that I have such wonderful friends to help out. A HUGE shout out to Dawn, Charles, Chris, Aunt Kim & Jeanne for helping me out, it was a massive endeavor (at least it seemed so). But now things are getting there. I still have some stuff in the old place to take to Goodwill, as well as my food. Darn, I knew I was forgetting something important. Food's kind of important. Stupid food. I hate food.

It didn't help that I got super super sick this weekend. I started having a very sore throat on Thursday but by Friday it was basically gone. Nope, it reared its ugly head in full force. After moving, I started losing my voice, started developing a fever, muscle aches, massive congestion, the works. I got about an hour or so of sleep. So Saturday, the day I was SUPPOSED to be cleaning the old place and setting up the new, I was at home in bed sleeping all day long. Same with most of Sunday. Sunday evening I was able to go over and finally pick up the cats, which was an endeavor I tell you what. By Monday I went over and did the cleaning and most of the throwing away of old stuff. It was bad timing because of the move, but good timing with the 3 day weekend and thank goodness I didn't get sick during the work week!

It's been a madhouse around here! Summer reading has officially started and there's barely a moment to sit down and get regular work done. But at the same time it's fun to see kids so excited about reading. Yay!

On the upside of the moving extravaganza, I absolutely ADORE my new apartment!! It gets lots of direct sunlight (which the cats can't get enough of), a huge balcony, a huge walk-in closet and a great view of sunsets. It's the greatest!

That's all for now.

Potential momentary hiatus

Hello!

I just wanted to make a quick post saying I might be a bit MIA for a while. I'm at home right now feverishly packing up all that I own. Each time I move I swear I get better at it, even though I get a little more nervous each time. My next step is to turn off the computer and pack up all the wires. I am not going to have Internet for a while at my new place so I'll only be able to post during lunch break at work. I'll try to keep it up to date! Eventually I'll be getting Internet.

Be back shortly!

'Tis the season

Of bad drivers and season finales.

Seriously. What is the deal with all of those awful drivers out there? I tend to blame it on the weather. But if I see *one* more driver who refuses to use his/her turn signal, I might blow a gasket and do something really harsh...like stick out my tongue...or yell profanities with the windows up. Sigh.

But on the upside of things, it's been an exciting few weeks of TV (and otherwise) entertainment. I'm totally addicted to audio books and it has provided me with an easy way to pass the time while I'm driving (even if I am dealing with road rage). It has also allowed me to feel like I can actually catch up on reading from all those years I hated doing it. Yes, I am a librarian who hated reading until she was about a junior in high school. Currently I'm reading Acceleration by Graham McNamee which is super creepy and very well done.

On the TV side of things, first it was the Grey's Anatomy season finale (whoa), ER's season finale (double whoa), next week is the Lost season finale (I can't wait) and last night C and I watched the mini series of Battlestar Galactica (me for the first time). Of course, I LOVED it. Now I'm thinking, "Great. Now I have 3 shows I have to plan my week around. One of these days I'm actually going to have to break down and use my VCR."

A new world of telephone fun and etiquette

I love it! Today I was able to say some really fun words when I was on the phone with a customer. A woman called up, here is the extent of our conversation:

Me: Children's, this is Sally. Can I help you?

Customer: I hope so. My son is insisting that the Captain Underpants series [by Dav Pilkey] is on his school's "accelerated reader" list. Is there a way you can tell me if this is true because I have my serious doubts.

Me: Absolutely! I'll just pull up the list online and I'll check...

*Pause while I open the list online*

Customer: [to someone at home] Throw the dead fly in the trash can...how did you get that fly? I've been trying to get him all day!

*Pause while we both have a good laugh about the dead fly*

Me: Well, believe it or not, your son is right. Captain Underpants is on the list!

Customer: Really?! Wow! Can you tell me which titles? We have ALL of them.

Me: Sure thing! There's The Adventures of Captain Underpants; The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby; Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets; Booger Boy, part 1 and 2; Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants; Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman...the list goes on.

Customer: Oh, Professor Poopypants! We know that title well. My 5-year-old can't even read and he can quote this book because we talk about it so much at my house! Thank you very much for your help!

Me: No problem. Have a great day!

Ha! I love the fact that I got to say Professor Poopypants at my job!! Best ever!!

Desperately Seeking Monkeys (Not of the feline variety)

I have recently opened myself up to the world of audio books and let me tell you what, it is such a wonderful world, and that's just based on one experience. After a recommendation from a co-worker, I checked out the audio version of "The Sweet Potato Queen's Big-Ass Cookbook and Financial Planner" and I now no longer have interest in music because I just can't wait to get in my car (regardless of the length of time I will be in there) so I can hear what hilarious thing will happen next. This book is HILARIOUS!! I don't often laugh out loud to books or spoken word when I'm by myself. Not because I'm not enjoying myself, it's just unlikely for whatever reason. But I have done everything from a giggle to an outright guffaw while listening to this book. If you get the chance, definitely listen to this and be sure to get the version with the author reading it herself. I'm not sure, there may not be any other versions, but just in case I thought I'd mention it. You'll understand the title of this blog post when you get to the 4th or 5th CD.

Things at work have continued to increase in speed and frequency but it's been amazing. Yesterday and today I spent the mornings at two different elementary schools plugging our summer reading program and it was so much fun! It amazes me that I don't get flustered in front of a group of 300+ kids. In fact I felt eerily comfortable. Recently I've been thinking a lot about how much I miss performing, be it in choirs, musical groups or musical theatre. I'm not the greatest actress but I really enjoy being on stage when I'm doing something I'm confident doing.

Well that's all there is to that. I'm about to leave for a party. My friend is hosting it. When asked "what's the occasion for the party?" she replies, "I got a new blender!" Fantastic!

Cute!

A little girl, about four years old, came up to the desk. Here is the extent of our interaction:

Little girl: Can you help me find a true story about a butterfly?

Me: Absolutely! Let's take a look... (I begin to pull up the library's online catalog)

Little girl: I can count to 90 without anyone's help! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 29, 90, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35... (the little girl promptly leaves after being distracted by a lego).

Best ever!!

(Oh, and just to let you know, Sammy is currently licking a piece of cardboard. I really do feed them, I swear!)

Cats and popcorn

I have two very strange cats.

• Cat A (we'll call him "Sammy") walks around in the other room, the one you are not in, and talks to himself (at least that's what I call it, he coos and meows and hums)
• Cat B (let's call him "Monkey") eats plastic and licks my patio door... I'm not kidding.

And now for something completely different, I went on a search last night looking for giant bags of pre-popped popcorn because today at the library we're having a family movie day and showing "Aladdin", the Disney version. You can't have family movie day without popcorn! I was hoping I wouldn't have to mess with popping agregious amounts of popcorn today. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find giant bags of pre-popped popcorn? It's really hard! I'm still hoping against hope that it might work today, I have my favoritest favorite checking Sam's Club for me. He's a star! If that doesn't work I'm going to be filling the entire building with the smell of microwaveable popcorn which I find to be a nauseating concept. Oh well. Such is the life of a children's librarian, right?

Summer quickly approaches

Since I've been a librarian one of the big changes I've noticed is my complete 180 degree turn regarding my attitude toward summers. During school, summer meant time for several things: relaxing, putting in a few more hours at a job, catching up on some reading, swimming, hiking, etc. When I have been employed full-time in the past (before my current job) summer has not held too much meaning other than a change in the weather and more reasons to take vacation days. Now, where I am currently employed, summer has taken on an entire new meaning, a life of its own.

As you may already know, summer is the quintessential time of the year for children's and young adult librarians. It is a time of increasing programming, more performers than usual, an influx of children and teens in the library, and general chaos. For a while I was plain and simple nervous. I was looking as these two months as a trial by fire situation. I knew that I would have my first gray hairs by the end of the summer. Well, that is all still the case but now instead of nerves and fear, I am getting more and more excited. I will more than likely be exhausted most of the time but still...I get to do programs with names like "Backyard Bugs" and "Slither and Slink", as well as a talent show for teens! How excellent is that? This year's summer reading theme is "Paws Claws Scales and Tales" and you know me and animals...what a great theme!

I wish I had a good reference question story to pass along but at this moment, I got nuttin'. However, we do have a pretty excellent program coming up. A group of elementary school kids who play dulcimers are performing at the library. They're called "Swingin' Dulcimers." Quite a name, right?

Awwwwww....(just had to share)

Yum-Yum highlights

Change is good, y'all

I'm back I'm back! I apologize for the long delay in posting to my blog. I'm sure everyone has been on the edge of their seats just salivating at the opportunity to read a new post from li'l ol me. :)

Lots has happened! I went to Boston for a library conference. It was amazing! I hear Terry Trueman AND Jon Scieszka speak, I was in the same place as Ella Jenkins (though alas did not hear her sing) and ran into an old friend from grad school. It was an amazing, albeit exhausting, trip. I highly recommend the city if you have the means. Boston rules!

Things have been going along swimmingly around here. Work is crazy busy but incredibly fulfilling. The cats are ornery as ever. I've met someone very special to me (many of you have met this person). AND it's almost summer! Today's high I believe was 73 degrees. Although I've been inside for the majority of the day, I'm still in a much better mood. I like winter but I don't like the ickiness of between winter/between spring weather. Ew!

As you've noticed, I've changed my blog template. I decided it was time to start looking different. I was getting very sick of the old background. Change is good! I also have some pictures to post but I don't have them handy so I'll get around to them later.

A quick shout out to Aunt Norma! Thanks for the article, it was hilarious! You might be surprised as to how many cranky patrons with no manners librarians run into on a daily basis! Yikes!

More to come...

Kids these days

Slightly funny, slightly scary phone call came to the library the other day. A girl, about middle school ages (10-11 years old) called in and asked "how do I find the meaning of a word?" Whoa. I mean, is that serious? It's scary when a person that age doesn't even know what a dictionary is. Turns out she was looking for a word specific to a book by Gary Paulsen, Hatchet, but still, is that really a question you need to ask? Frightening, I know.

I'm getting more and more jazzed about my trip to Boston next week! I leave Tuesday and come back Saturday for a jam-packed weekend of librarianship at the Public Library Association conference. I can't wait!

One more funny story. I got into a giggle fit with a 2-year-old yesterday. We were walking by each other and just laughing and smiling. She was laughing probably because I was laughing. I was laughing because she was smearing chapstick all over her face. Ha!

A librarian is NOT a babysitter

I have yet another story to add to the multitude that already exist regarding the treatment of children's libraries as daycares. We're not, people. We are not daycares. Libraries do not act in loco parentis (I learned that in grad school...impressed?)

Earlier today, there was a small child of about 3 or 4 years old running amok in the children's area (as they do). Normally I don't think much of it because first of all, it's pretty typical behavior, and second of all, many parents don't seem to notice it when their child starts acting like a sociopath because they are busy looking for the next DragonBall Z DVD in the series. Go figure. However, I noticed pretty quickly that this child was different because there did not seem to be any sort of parental unit or guardian checking out for him.

One of my co-workers walked over to this little boy and said "Ummm...where's your mama? Is she here?" The little boy responded, "she dropped me off." Immediately a red flag and fire engine sirens went off in my head. I was getting ready to call the police. However, he continued with, "my mama put me on the elevator and pressed the button and stayed downstairs." Whew! At least she was in the building! Apparantely there had been a miscommunication between parental units and both thought the other was upstairs with the little boy. No harm done. But there are many people who believe the librarians exist to babysit children. We entertain, we educate, we inform, we do other REALLY impressive things...but we don't babysit (at least at the library anyway).

Another thing I've noticed? I've started to put "y" at the end of many words, mostly nouns. The other day, I held up a vest to my sister and said, "do you want your vesty?" Yeah, I'm not sure what to think about that...

One last once:
There must be some sort of school project going on because I've had reference questions about Thailand, Kuwait, Lebanon, Bangladesh, and other countries that I probably spend at most 30 minutes a year thinking about. Bizarre!

I couldn't resist

I just had to...I mean, how cute are we?? I don't know which one, but this is me getting silly with one of my cousin's twin baby boys. (Sorry Jenn, I am a bad cousin and still can't tell Dex and Jax apart).

Strange phenomenon

Florence is weird. Or maybe, I'm weird. Either way, something weird this way comes. I'm unsure whether it is where I live or not, but I'm finding that things taste differently than they used to. I automatically blame it on the geography since everything else about this town is weird, but maybe my tastebuds are changing in my old age.

For instance, I drank a Sunkist today. Granted, I normally drink diet sodas but I thought I'd splurge and drink a regular. It's Friday, after all. However, it didn't taste like orange soda. It tasted more like...Chinese noodles...but liquid. And then I splurged again (since I couldn't finish the Sunkist...would you drink Chinese noodles? I didn't think so.) and bought a bag of Pizzaria Pretzel flavor Combos. Best ever. But once again, a strange thing happened. It didn't taste the way it should taste, it tasted more like a garden salad, or maybe just spinach leaves. It was really weird.

Now I kind of feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone, but without the awesome theme song. Instead, I have "Copa Cabana" going through my head. Doesn't quite match. Is it a full moon tonight or what?

Reference question of the week

A 7 or 8-year-old approaches the desk:

"Do you have any kids books?"

Me...in my head: "Um...we might have one or two."

I turns out he wanted a picture book about a black lab. And I found one about a black lab named Sally! best ever!

Sorry I've been MIA on the blog-scene lately. Work has been wonderful, but taking up most of the space in my brain. You know how when you get in touch with someone you haven't spoken with in a long time and then when you talk you have so much to say, you just don't say anything? Well, it's kind of like that.

There is a good piece of news. My co-worker and I got a wonderful band to do a concert at the library for teens in June! They're called The High Strung and I think they're going to be a real hit. They're going to ONE library each STATE for the summer and they're coming to the one I work at! Yay!

I'm working on some more pics so I can have an actual interesting blog someday... :)

Uninspired

I got nothin'.

Sorry, I'll get there, but I'm just not feelin' it.

Except this:

cats + plastic = heaven...for them (and a mess...for me)

Reference question of the week

"Do you have any books on places?"




Turns out, this patron wanted some books about Jamaica. Library patrons are so weird and vague. However, librarians are usually just as weird but specific. Strange world we live in.

Oh yeah, and by the way. Today was highly, highly superior to yesterday. I think I turned over a new leaf while I was sleeping last night. Woke up in a fantastic mood and continued the day feeling sparkly and a-okay. I don't remember my dreams but I must have solved some big existential dilemma I was having subconsciously. Either that, or I married Johnny Depp and please...who WOULDN'T wake up in a fantastic mood?

Worst. Day. Ever.

Suffice it to say, I think the honeymoon might be over. Does embarassment qualify for worker's comp? It should if it doesn't. No need to go into details, it was just a day with a bad program, low blood sugar and annoyances from beginning to end. Tomorrow will be better. It has to. Sorry for the ootey (a great new word I picked up from my co-worker) posting.

Monkey, tell the world how I feel about today. Good boy. 

To live alone

Things I like about living alone:

*I can eat the last piece of Havarti with dill cheese and not feel guilty about it
*I can watch whatever I want on TV
*I can eat ice cream for breakfast and not have to explain myself
*I can experiment wth decorating and furniture arrangement whenever I choose
*Dancing. Enough said.

Things I do not like about living alone:

*Carrying groceries from the car to the apartment by myself
*No one to watch scary movies with
*Sammy and Monkey are not the greatest conversationalists (sp?)
*No one to help with housework
*No one to help with bills

Is he the cutest or what?? 

Best of friends 

Did you see that Sammy? Whoa! 

Bird-cats

In a post from a while ago, I wrote about how Sammy is a cat-pigeon hybrid. Well, I've got another one. Monkey is another hybrid. A cat-parrot hybrid. Believe it or not, everytime I come home from work, the gym, or just to get the mail, Monkey scurries up to the head of my armchair and yowls until I walk toward him at which point he climbs up my shirt and perches, yes perches on my shoulder while I walk around in my routine (setting down my stuff, taking shoes off, feeding the boys, etc.). He's a gorgeous, albeit weird, creature...he fits in nicely. :) Monkey and Sammy are now together 24/7, whether I'm home or not. There's lots of grooming, laying around together and tons and TONS of playing, or should I say rough-housing. This is super cute, until it's time for bedtime at which point I end up throwing something like a sock or a pillow at them just to get them to "take it outside" (or at least out of my bedroom).

On a different note, I participated in my first program at the library. It was called Winter Fest and it was attended by between 35-40 kids ages 6-10. It was a lot of fun, and quite exhausting. We played relay races, made crafts, decorated cookies, drank hot chocolate and had a great time. I have a very, very busy couple of months ahead of me. In fact, I think I'm just going to be busy all the time at my new job...a breath of fresh air compared to where I used to be.

Welcome to the family!

Well, I officially have two cats. My co-worker lovingly calls me "Sally Two-Cat." Monkey has been a wonderful addition to my teeny apartment. He's super loving, super playful, and absolutely gorgeous. I promise to post pictures once I finish a role and put them on CD. Sammy is sometimes a little unsure about what to think of Monkey but he's starting to understand that Monkey is not a threat, as well as the fact that Monkey is not a dog. It's kind of a new concept for him. It'll be interesting to see who becomes the dominant cat in the household. At first I thought it would for sure be Sammy but now I'm questioning that.

Work has been wonderful, if not slightly overwhelming. I'm finding that I have a lot of ideas and thoughts but it's crucial to narrow those down to concrete ideas and thoughts. This is something else my co-workers are very helpful for. They have much more experience than me and are able to reel me down to earth when I fly off into oblivion (which I do moreso than I care to admit).

I also get a bit overwhelmed when I think about how much literature I have yet to even hear about. I spent a lot of time in my youth hating reading (yes, I AM a librarian) so I have a lot of time to make up for. I'm hoping that my knowledge of children's music literature (thanks to MK and her many years as a choir director) will slightly make up for my lack of children's literature in general. I'm sure it'll all even out eventually. We all have to start somewhere, right?

A good story from today: A little girl (probably about 3rd grade) came up to the desk.

Girl: Um...where are your Biscuit books? (Biscuit is a cartoon dog character)
Me: I'll show you! Right over here.
---About 10 minutes pass, girl walks up to desk again.
Girl: Um...I guess I was confused. Where are your Junie B. Jones books? (another popular character)

I don't know if that was as cute and funny to you as it was to me, but I got a real kick out of it.

Me and Lucy

I know everyone's seen this already, but I just had to include it in my blog. It's me and the Gooster. Best ever!!

Long time now blog...again

First thing's first. Pretend it is yesterday (Monday 1/16) for a minute: HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCY!!! BEST DAY EVER!!! My neicey turns one today!!! Yay!!

Okay, back to the present. For those of you who actually read this mess (well, I'm sorry for that), and I'm sorry for the lack of updates. It's been a crazy couple of weeks. I am deep in the throes of children's and young adult librarianship and I LOVE it!!! Sure, I haven't actually started doing all that is my job but I have nevertheless been super busy getting the lay of the land, observing, training, and getting to know my co-workers (who are awesome, by the way). I don't yet have too much to report in terms of how the job is going or any good stories but I will keep everyone posted.

However, I have some exciting news. (GMK, get ready to roll your eyes)...I'm getting another cat! Life in the apartment has been quieter, but actually kind of lonely with just me and the Sammy cat. Sammy is very lovey-dovey and starving for attention but I can tell he's also a little bored. The director of the library I work at has a cat she wants to find a good home for and after seeing a picture and hearing his description, I decided it was time for me and Sammy to have another addition to our furry family. The new cat's name is Monkey and he is drop dead gorgeous. Monkey will be arriving on Saturday and once I get some pictures, I will post them to the blog because you're definitely going to want to see them. Yay for cats!

Now while I know it is for the best for Levi, I miss him terribly. I love that dog so much and while I have no regrets about my decision and I know he's happy, I still miss him everyday.

Well that's all for now.

So long old friend

Well, I am now officially sans dog. I dropped Levi off at his new place of residence yesterday. It has been so sad it's hard to really swallow. However, I take a lot of solace in these facts:

• He has loving, caring, affectionate owners with a great sense of humor
• He has a huge backyard that will give his nose something to do for hours on end
• He has more than one owner and therefore does not rely on just one person to let him out
• He won't have to deal with an exhausted Sassy at the end of her day

And from my end, I get some comfort when I think about this:

• I won't have to deal with the gut-wrenching guilt when I can't come home for lunch
• I will now be able to go out with friends and not constantly worry about how he's doing
• I will no longer have to make sure I'm giving enough attention to both Sammy and Levi (a very difficult feat)
• I won't have to worry about what I'm going to do with him when I visit family and friends who don't live in Florence.
  

Both of us are going to be better off with this situation but it doesn't really take away the sadness. That'll go away soon, I'm sure of it. And my guess is Levi is already adjusting very well to his new surroundings. After all, he no longer has to deal with a temperamental, spotlight-stealing cat. Such weirdos.

And so begins 2006

First off, I have to tell you about one of the first dreams I had of 2006. I dreamt that I had a giant black bear as a house pet. Rather, an apartment pet. Not only was the bear full of energy and wild, he was obsessed with and fixated on pickles. Why pickles? I don't know. Why not?

Well, I have officially finished two days at my brand spankin' new job. It's going to be a complete whirlwind for the first month. They have virtually every hour of everyday of January filled with training, observing, planning, etc. I also have a few programs scheduled that I will be running! One of them is even centered on Dr. Seuss! Best ever! They were also very excited to hear that I am a musician because they have always wanted to utilize music in programing but have not had the opportunity.

I've (already) been so busy with work that I have not had time to come home to take care of Levi during lunch. It makes the decision to give Levi to my friends in WL all the more obvious as the right choice. Okay, that was the most awkward sentence ever written. But you get my drift. It was a good decision and it's going to benefit all parties. Most importantly, Levi. I'm going to miss him but he is going to be so much happier.

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