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!)