- There was no heat in Reference this morning. The custodian came and scraped off the roof. Heat now?? Dunno--it is, as usual, 112 degrees back here either way!--Headache Woman has not come back in the workroom to give an update recently.
- I'm supposed to know how rejected email overdues work??
- It's Rodentia Time, so we had extra people here for a program. Not to mention the giant, woman-sized woodchuck. It's Quick Study again. She just needs to say 'no.'
- I met Steven Toboloski.
- Signup day for Story hours. [We're going to Lisa & Greg's for dinner?? They were signing up the boys for storytime. Good thing: I'd forgotten about dinner. Must call Jenny about Spring Crop at the resort town to the north of us... When will I wrap presents and get the house organized for tomorrow?]
- People are returning damaged material all over the consortia and no one at circ knows what to do about/with it. Like I do??
- Waves of hysterical laughter at Unshelved today. Maniac and I are throwing our arms up overhead and giggling over candy canes. She was even eating one at the time.
- Head injury at the front door, when a kid landed on ice. Accident report, visualizing lawsuits....how does the damn camera work?!? Blood everywhere.
- Realization of yet another scheduling gaffe: meeting our pastor re PowerChurch Monday morning at 9 but already have a date with Katherine in towards The Big City at 10:30 to give over her Xmas AND birthday gifts.
- Uhh, Sunday School.......when to look at lesson and plan....?
- Embarrassingly enough, my legs hurt from scrubbing the bathtub. That's all I did that was remotely physical yesterday. I refuse to count shopping as physical activity. I thought I was using elbow grease, not quad grease!
Saturday, January 31, 2004
Saturday at work
It's 1:30, just got back from lunch and I haven't touched any cataloging. Everything I've done has been cleanup. The boss left me two big stacks of goofups, plus other assorted questions (obviously she's back from Budgetland). Other fun stuff:
Friday, January 30, 2004
Grr
I just checked the thermometer -- a very cool thang that uses radio waves or some such to connect to a techy reader in the living room -- the front porch is currently 1.4 degrees. And I'm sweating. And the tub is not as clean as I'd like. Hence...grr. And I'm no longer as clean as I was....
Anyone who has more than two bathtubs to take care of is insane. And I actually like cleaning bathrooms!! But these 90-kajillion-gallon things are impossible to clean. OK. Enough. 'Cuz I love that I can LIE DOWN COMPLETELY in the tub, all 5'8" of me. Flat (well, mostly). Woo-hoo. So I'm not complaining.
I am, however, going to vent by making yet another blog. heh heh
Anyone who has more than two bathtubs to take care of is insane. And I actually like cleaning bathrooms!! But these 90-kajillion-gallon things are impossible to clean. OK. Enough. 'Cuz I love that I can LIE DOWN COMPLETELY in the tub, all 5'8" of me. Flat (well, mostly). Woo-hoo. So I'm not complaining.
I am, however, going to vent by making yet another blog. heh heh
Couldbegood
- Expatriate Milwaukeean
- Random Ikea-ness (for testosterone addicts): The Game
- Narnia junkies
- Wow cool: Bible History (everything Bible, without too much creepology)
- Librarian Without Walls Great quote from her:
Not to know is bad.
Not to want to know is worse.
Not to hope is
unthinkable.
Not to care is unforgivable. /blockquote> - A new programmable screwdriver?!
- Then there's the Periodic Table of Condiments That Periodically Go Bad.
- I think these are required blog links: Library-Land , Lipstick Librarian and Library Chronicles (with lots of library blog links). Sample from the latter: "Imagine dealing with a pack of problem patrons in the tech lab who need to do complicated things but have no idea how to move a mouse. Now imagine taking a class with these people. That's where I am right now."
Is Illiteracy so bad? - Billy Joel's Piano Man hits the library here. (1/16/04 entry)
- Long entries, but very real library stories.
Getting there
Well, I've installed comments, so the three of you ( hee hee ) can talk to me now. However, I can't seem to get the links to look right. That appears to be my next challenge. Slow but sure.
It's good to be sitting in the sun in the office (at home) because it's REALLY COLD today. The thermometer said -16.8 (that .8 makes all the difference you know) at 7 this morning. So what did I do this morning? Grocery shopping, baby shower shopping (that stuff is PRICEY--I forgot!), filling the gas tank. Yipes.
My meeting last night with Kate was productive, I think. We'll see, but at least I feel better about all the work I do (been doing) at church. Kind of fired me up to call re starting up with the baking again, altho' Kate suggested the confirmation class could do that as a service project. I wonder if she knows that once they are confirmed, they go into a setting in Sr. Hi with no "god-stuff."
In any case her background is....well, it makes the last few years at First Presb. seem like a breeze. She's been there done that--didn't just buy the T-shirt, she got the whole dingdang store!
I'm even fired up about Prayer Chain, although I shouldn't be. However, if we CAN get people to recognize this as important, her round-the-clock suggestion is so...wow.
Sparky was great this morning. A nice change from yesterday morning. No screaming. And shopping for baby stuff today made me realize how FUN babies are, when you don't have to be sleep-deprived and clueless and panicked about everything under the sun. I'm telling you, I'm beginning to see why people should have children before they think about what it means!
It's hard to worry in the sun.
It's good to be sitting in the sun in the office (at home) because it's REALLY COLD today. The thermometer said -16.8 (that .8 makes all the difference you know) at 7 this morning. So what did I do this morning? Grocery shopping, baby shower shopping (that stuff is PRICEY--I forgot!), filling the gas tank. Yipes.
My meeting last night with Kate was productive, I think. We'll see, but at least I feel better about all the work I do (been doing) at church. Kind of fired me up to call re starting up with the baking again, altho' Kate suggested the confirmation class could do that as a service project. I wonder if she knows that once they are confirmed, they go into a setting in Sr. Hi with no "god-stuff."
In any case her background is....well, it makes the last few years at First Presb. seem like a breeze. She's been there done that--didn't just buy the T-shirt, she got the whole dingdang store!
I'm even fired up about Prayer Chain, although I shouldn't be. However, if we CAN get people to recognize this as important, her round-the-clock suggestion is so...wow.
Sparky was great this morning. A nice change from yesterday morning. No screaming. And shopping for baby stuff today made me realize how FUN babies are, when you don't have to be sleep-deprived and clueless and panicked about everything under the sun. I'm telling you, I'm beginning to see why people should have children before they think about what it means!
It's hard to worry in the sun.
Thursday, January 29, 2004
More Nina...
Go Limp (Simone-Comfort)
Oh Daughter, dear Daughter,
take warning from me
and don't you go marching
with the N-A-A-C-P.
For they'll rock you and roll you
and shove you into bed.
And if they steal your nuclear secret
you'll wish you were dead.
(refrain:)
Singin too roo la, too roo la, too roo li ay.
Singin too roo la, too roo la, too roo li ay.
Oh Mother, dear Mother,
no, I'm not afraid.
For I'll go on that march
and I'll return a virgin maid.
With a brick in my handbag
and a smile on my face
and barbed wire in my underwear
to shed off disgrace.
(Refrain)
One day they were marching.
A young man came by
with a beard on his cheek
and a gleam in his eye.
And before she had time
to remember her brick...
they were holding a sit-down
on a nearby hay rig.
(Refrain)
For meeting is pleasure
and parting is pain.
And if I have a great concert
maybe I won't have to sing those folk songs again.
Oh Mother, dear Mother
I'm stiff and I'm sore
from sleeping three nights
on a hard classroom floor.
(Refrain)
One day at the briefing
she'd heard a man say,
"Go perfectly limp,
and be carried away."
So when this young man suggested
it was time she was kissed,
she remembered her brief
and did not resist.
(Refrain)
Oh Mother, dear Mother,
no need for distress,
for the young man has left me
his name and address.
And if we win
tho' a baby there be,
he won't have to march
like his da-da and me.
The best parts: she mixes up verses in the midst of the song and giggles throughout.
Oh Daughter, dear Daughter,
take warning from me
and don't you go marching
with the N-A-A-C-P.
For they'll rock you and roll you
and shove you into bed.
And if they steal your nuclear secret
you'll wish you were dead.
(refrain:)
Singin too roo la, too roo la, too roo li ay.
Singin too roo la, too roo la, too roo li ay.
Oh Mother, dear Mother,
no, I'm not afraid.
For I'll go on that march
and I'll return a virgin maid.
With a brick in my handbag
and a smile on my face
and barbed wire in my underwear
to shed off disgrace.
(Refrain)
One day they were marching.
A young man came by
with a beard on his cheek
and a gleam in his eye.
And before she had time
to remember her brick...
they were holding a sit-down
on a nearby hay rig.
(Refrain)
For meeting is pleasure
and parting is pain.
And if I have a great concert
maybe I won't have to sing those folk songs again.
Oh Mother, dear Mother
I'm stiff and I'm sore
from sleeping three nights
on a hard classroom floor.
(Refrain)
One day at the briefing
she'd heard a man say,
"Go perfectly limp,
and be carried away."
So when this young man suggested
it was time she was kissed,
she remembered her brief
and did not resist.
(Refrain)
Oh Mother, dear Mother,
no need for distress,
for the young man has left me
his name and address.
And if we win
tho' a baby there be,
he won't have to march
like his da-da and me.
The best parts: she mixes up verses in the midst of the song and giggles throughout.
work minutiae
Gift Books today. Can't face that bloody list again as I wait for The Box Lady to unpack the 8+ boxes from Baker & Taylor. Once I've caught up gifts I think I'll shelf-read or something.
The next Cataloging meeting should be...uhm...interesting. We'll have people from the other two parts of the new system there, and undoubtedly someone's inner (outer?) child will erupt about something. The potential for problems magnifies if Aging Hippie and RPL people are both there as well. I will sit near the door, and not between any of these people!! ;-) God forbid Compulsive Director With Too Much Time On Her Hands sends some wackiness in by Messenger as well.
The next Cataloging meeting should be...uhm...interesting. We'll have people from the other two parts of the new system there, and undoubtedly someone's inner (outer?) child will erupt about something. The potential for problems magnifies if Aging Hippie and RPL people are both there as well. I will sit near the door, and not between any of these people!! ;-) God forbid Compulsive Director With Too Much Time On Her Hands sends some wackiness in by Messenger as well.
Weird
"Help Yourself" (by David Pelzer). To go with a story from Iraq about garbage in the streets of An Nasiriyah and no one making a move to clean up. And Nina Simone sings in my headphones, "Ain't no use baby, you're too doggone mean." Sometimes it's hard NOT to believe in Harmonic Convergence....
.... or serendipity. (St. James PC, Littleton) Except that usually means good stuff, yes? So is there a word that means the opposite but the same idea of serendipitous?
.... or serendipity. (St. James PC, Littleton) Except that usually means good stuff, yes? So is there a word that means the opposite but the same idea of serendipitous?
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Nina Simone
Oh. My. God.
Four Women: The Nina Simone Philips Recordings from Verve
Here's a sample of one of the songs that just about slayed me:
Images
She does not know
Her beauty,
She thinks her brown body
Has no glory.
If she could dance
Naked,
Under palm trees
And see her image in the river
She would know.
But there are no palm trees
On the street,
And dishwater gives back no images.
(think a capella, smokywhiskey voice, nightclub jazz, the real thing......)
Four Women: The Nina Simone Philips Recordings from Verve
Here's a sample of one of the songs that just about slayed me:
Images
She does not know
Her beauty,
She thinks her brown body
Has no glory.
If she could dance
Naked,
Under palm trees
And see her image in the river
She would know.
But there are no palm trees
On the street,
And dishwater gives back no images.
(think a capella, smokywhiskey voice, nightclub jazz, the real thing......)
... and then there's this one...
Big 30 Test Results
Sociability : 62%
Gregariousness : 50%
Assertiveness : 54%
Activity Level : 62%
Excitement-Seeking : 50%
Enthusiasm : 74%
Extroversion : 58%
Trust : 66%
Morality : 78%
Altruism : 50%
Cooperation : 50%
Modesty : 38%
Sympathy : 66%
Friendliness : 58%
Competence : 70%
Neatness : 50%
Dutifulness : 70%
Achievement : 38%
Self-Discipline : 58%
Cautiousness : 46%
Orderliness : 55%
Anxiety : 66%
Anger : 74%
Depression : 54%
Self-Consciousness : 78%
Impulsiveness : 50%
Vulnerability : 58%
Emotional Stability : 37%
Imagination : 50%
Artistic Interests : 82%
Emotionality : 74%
Adventurousness : 54%
Intellect : 58%
Liberalism : 50%
Openmindedness : 61%
From similarminds again.
Basically a broader view of the previous test.
Now.
Must. Get. To. Work.
Sociability : 62%
Gregariousness : 50%
Assertiveness : 54%
Activity Level : 62%
Excitement-Seeking : 50%
Enthusiasm : 74%
Extroversion : 58%
Trust : 66%
Morality : 78%
Altruism : 50%
Cooperation : 50%
Modesty : 38%
Sympathy : 66%
Friendliness : 58%
Competence : 70%
Neatness : 50%
Dutifulness : 70%
Achievement : 38%
Self-Discipline : 58%
Cautiousness : 46%
Orderliness : 55%
Anxiety : 66%
Anger : 74%
Depression : 54%
Self-Consciousness : 78%
Impulsiveness : 50%
Vulnerability : 58%
Emotional Stability : 37%
Imagination : 50%
Artistic Interests : 82%
Emotionality : 74%
Adventurousness : 54%
Intellect : 58%
Liberalism : 50%
Openmindedness : 61%
From similarminds again.
Basically a broader view of the previous test.
Now.
Must. Get. To. Work.
Similar Minds
Once again stealing a page from Amy.
Here are my Big Five Test Results:
Extroverted: 54%
Introverted: 46%
Friendly: 58%
Aggressive: 42%
Orderly: 50%
Disorderly: 50%
Relaxed: 38%
Emotional: 62%
Openminded: 58%
Closeminded: 42%
The Big Five is currently the most accepted personality model in the scientific community. The Big Five emerged from the work of multiple independent scientists/researchers starting in the 1950s who using different techniques obtained similar results. Those results were that there are five distinct personality traits/dimensions. Here are your results on each dimension:
Extroversion results were medium which suggests you are moderately talkative, optimistic, sociable and affectionate.
Friendliness results were moderately high which suggests you are good natured, trusting, and helpful but possibly too much of a follower
Orderliness results were medium which suggests you are moderately organized, reliable, neat, and ambitious.
Emotional Stability results were moderately low which suggests you are worrying, insecure, emotional, and nervous.
Openmindedness results were moderately high which suggests you are creative, original, curious, imaginative but possibly not very practical.
Overall (of the Big 5 factors), you scored highest on Friendliness and lowest on Emotional Stability.
OY. OY. Crack me up. "Not practical." Ha ha ha. "Friendly," ha ha ha (ask people at work about that). "Low emotional stability:" bang on target. ha ha ha
Time to use that medium-level orderliness to pound out some UK records....snore.
Here are my Big Five Test Results:
Extroverted: 54%
Introverted: 46%
Friendly: 58%
Aggressive: 42%
Orderly: 50%
Disorderly: 50%
Relaxed: 38%
Emotional: 62%
Openminded: 58%
Closeminded: 42%
The Big Five is currently the most accepted personality model in the scientific community. The Big Five emerged from the work of multiple independent scientists/researchers starting in the 1950s who using different techniques obtained similar results. Those results were that there are five distinct personality traits/dimensions. Here are your results on each dimension:
Extroversion results were medium which suggests you are moderately talkative, optimistic, sociable and affectionate.
Friendliness results were moderately high which suggests you are good natured, trusting, and helpful but possibly too much of a follower
Orderliness results were medium which suggests you are moderately organized, reliable, neat, and ambitious.
Emotional Stability results were moderately low which suggests you are worrying, insecure, emotional, and nervous.
Openmindedness results were moderately high which suggests you are creative, original, curious, imaginative but possibly not very practical.
Overall (of the Big 5 factors), you scored highest on Friendliness and lowest on Emotional Stability.
OY. OY. Crack me up. "Not practical." Ha ha ha. "Friendly," ha ha ha (ask people at work about that). "Low emotional stability:" bang on target. ha ha ha
Time to use that medium-level orderliness to pound out some UK records....snore.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Cut and paste
This from Amy's blog dated yesterday:
"A neighbor down the block, whom I've never met, is cleaning the 2" of snow that we got today off of his driveway.Crack me up.
With a leaf-blower.
An electric leaf-blower.
It's about 23°, with wind chill of 16° thanks to the 6 mph winds, and he's blowing the snow off his driveway."
Monday, January 26, 2004
Snowy Monday
It's nice to have three days in a row off work. I got quite a lot done this weekend, and in spite of the blowing snow, I may even get to the grocery store today yet.
My reading logs are now all caught up. I am working on THE LIST--authors I want keep up on. Unfortunately, I haven't updated that database since 1999, so that is turning into a morass. Plus, of course, I have added about 15 new authors in catching up the last two years' reading... which means I have to get a complete list of their books put together.
The easy way of doing this is to use Novelist. Unfortunately, sometime in the last couple of weeks, Novelist has lost our subscription, so I can't get there from our library website. Lots of libraries subscribe and provide online access, of course, but I need a library card to use it. sigh
So I'm using FirstSearch and swearing at publishers again. Why do they have to release 7 editions of the same book? I could probably broaden that to catalogers, since I know a few of the separate entries are just double-entered: same book, cataloged twice. Annoying.
So in preparation for starting on that, I think I should go get some sort of snack: let's see, how about celery and low-fat cheese. Yum.....sigh again.
My reading logs are now all caught up. I am working on THE LIST--authors I want keep up on. Unfortunately, I haven't updated that database since 1999, so that is turning into a morass. Plus, of course, I have added about 15 new authors in catching up the last two years' reading... which means I have to get a complete list of their books put together.
The easy way of doing this is to use Novelist. Unfortunately, sometime in the last couple of weeks, Novelist has lost our subscription, so I can't get there from our library website. Lots of libraries subscribe and provide online access, of course, but I need a library card to use it. sigh
So I'm using FirstSearch and swearing at publishers again. Why do they have to release 7 editions of the same book? I could probably broaden that to catalogers, since I know a few of the separate entries are just double-entered: same book, cataloged twice. Annoying.
So in preparation for starting on that, I think I should go get some sort of snack: let's see, how about celery and low-fat cheese. Yum.....sigh again.
Friday, January 23, 2004
WORK
I am about halfway through this list of 584 UK records for items we own, correcting the anomalous British cataloging fields, including weird subject headings. My estimate is that 80% of the "problem children" are Large Type. And a lot of those are those horrible junky paperback romances, a la Harlequin, from about 1965. I have a list of about 30 that I have to find so I can finish the 260 and 300 fields (and some of the 245 fields too!).
Who can I thank for this? Ugh.
My favorite Reference question of recent memory: How long should it take a man to shave using an electric shaver?
Anybody wonder why I love my job? That is such a perfect question, and completely unanswerable. If it had been a kid, I probably would have suggested using that as a basis for their next science experiment.
I've given up RM for the time being; I'm listening to Celia Cruz today, Series 32 (after trying the Eurhythmics and a disc of Billie Holiday covers yesterday). "Guantanamera" and "Soy Loco Por Ti America." whee. Next up, Nina Simone. Or maybe I'll just replay Celia.
Back to the list....
Who can I thank for this? Ugh.
My favorite Reference question of recent memory: How long should it take a man to shave using an electric shaver?
Anybody wonder why I love my job? That is such a perfect question, and completely unanswerable. If it had been a kid, I probably would have suggested using that as a basis for their next science experiment.
I've given up RM for the time being; I'm listening to Celia Cruz today, Series 32 (after trying the Eurhythmics and a disc of Billie Holiday covers yesterday). "Guantanamera" and "Soy Loco Por Ti America." whee. Next up, Nina Simone. Or maybe I'll just replay Celia.
Back to the list....
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Humanmetrics.com
Just took the Jung Typology test at this website. I am apparently an Inspector Guardian. Here are my scores:
Introverted: 22
Sensing: 1
Thinking: 1
Judging: 56
This profile says:
"Inspector Guardians look carefully and thoroughly at the people and institutions around them. Making up perhaps as much as ten percent of the general population, Inspectors are characterized by decisiveness in practical affairs, are the guardians of institutions, and if only one adjective could be selected, “superdependable” would best describe them. Whether at home or at work, Inspectors are nothing if not dependable, particularly when it comes to examining the people and products they are responsible for—quietly seeing to it that uniform quality is maintained, and that those around them uphold certain standards of attitude and conduct.
These quiet, no-nonsense Guardians have a distaste for and distrust of fanciness in speech, dress, and living space. Their words tend to be simple and down-to-earth, not showy or high-flown; their clothes are often homespun and conservative rather than of the latest fashion; and their home and work environments are usually neat, orderly, and traditional, rather than up-to-date or luxurious. In their choice of personal property (cars, furnishings, jewelry, and so on) price and durability are just as important as comfort or appearance. Classics, antiques, and heirlooms are especially valued, having achieved a certain time-honored status—Inspectors prefer the old-fashioned to the newfangled every time. Even on vacation, Inspectors tend not to be attracted by exotic foods, beverages, or locales.
Their thoroughness and orderliness, combined with their interest in legality and standardization, leads Inspectors to a number of occupations that call for the careful administration of goods and services. Inspectors feel right at home with difficult, detailed forms and columns of figures, and thus they make excellent bank examiners, auditors, accountants, and tax attorneys. Managing investments in securities is likely to interest this type, particularly investments in municipal bonds and blue-chip securities. Inspectors are not likely to take chances either with their own or others’ money, and the thought of a bankrupt nation, state, institution, or family gives them more than a little uneasiness. The idea of dishonoring a contract also bothers an Inspector —their word is their bond—and they naturally communicate a message of trustworthiness and stability, which can make them successful in business. With their eye for detail, Inspectors make good business men and women, librarians, dentists, optometrists, legal secretaries, and law researchers. High school and college teachers of business administration, home economics, physical education, civics, and history tend to be Inspectors, as do quartermaster officers in the military. "
Others "like me" include:
Thomas (Christ's disciple)
George Washington
Andrew Johnson
Benjamin Harrison
Herbert Hoover
George H. W. Bush
Jackie Joyner-Kersee (U.S. Olympic athlete)
Evander Holyfield, heavyweight boxing champion
Jack Webb (Joe Friday)
Fictional ISTJs:
Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh)
Fred Mertz (I Love Lucy)
Puddleglum, the marshwiggle (Chronicles of Narnia) Cliff (Cheers)
I think that falls in the category of 'nuff said. ;-)
Introverted: 22
Sensing: 1
Thinking: 1
Judging: 56
This profile says:
"Inspector Guardians look carefully and thoroughly at the people and institutions around them. Making up perhaps as much as ten percent of the general population, Inspectors are characterized by decisiveness in practical affairs, are the guardians of institutions, and if only one adjective could be selected, “superdependable” would best describe them. Whether at home or at work, Inspectors are nothing if not dependable, particularly when it comes to examining the people and products they are responsible for—quietly seeing to it that uniform quality is maintained, and that those around them uphold certain standards of attitude and conduct.
These quiet, no-nonsense Guardians have a distaste for and distrust of fanciness in speech, dress, and living space. Their words tend to be simple and down-to-earth, not showy or high-flown; their clothes are often homespun and conservative rather than of the latest fashion; and their home and work environments are usually neat, orderly, and traditional, rather than up-to-date or luxurious. In their choice of personal property (cars, furnishings, jewelry, and so on) price and durability are just as important as comfort or appearance. Classics, antiques, and heirlooms are especially valued, having achieved a certain time-honored status—Inspectors prefer the old-fashioned to the newfangled every time. Even on vacation, Inspectors tend not to be attracted by exotic foods, beverages, or locales.
Their thoroughness and orderliness, combined with their interest in legality and standardization, leads Inspectors to a number of occupations that call for the careful administration of goods and services. Inspectors feel right at home with difficult, detailed forms and columns of figures, and thus they make excellent bank examiners, auditors, accountants, and tax attorneys. Managing investments in securities is likely to interest this type, particularly investments in municipal bonds and blue-chip securities. Inspectors are not likely to take chances either with their own or others’ money, and the thought of a bankrupt nation, state, institution, or family gives them more than a little uneasiness. The idea of dishonoring a contract also bothers an Inspector —their word is their bond—and they naturally communicate a message of trustworthiness and stability, which can make them successful in business. With their eye for detail, Inspectors make good business men and women, librarians, dentists, optometrists, legal secretaries, and law researchers. High school and college teachers of business administration, home economics, physical education, civics, and history tend to be Inspectors, as do quartermaster officers in the military. "
Others "like me" include:
Thomas (Christ's disciple)
George Washington
Andrew Johnson
Benjamin Harrison
Herbert Hoover
George H. W. Bush
Jackie Joyner-Kersee (U.S. Olympic athlete)
Evander Holyfield, heavyweight boxing champion
Jack Webb (Joe Friday)
Fictional ISTJs:
Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh)
Fred Mertz (I Love Lucy)
Puddleglum, the marshwiggle (Chronicles of Narnia) Cliff (Cheers)
I think that falls in the category of 'nuff said. ;-)
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Nothing getting done at work
....mostly because I don't feel too great--plugged-up head and runny nose. Also had to work Circ. for an hour, and it took me an hour to answer emails when I first got here. And I slept crappy last night. So there's my excuse(s).
One of those email strings I've got flying through the 'box is re "why catalogers don't do their work." Well, that's a bit brusque; it's really about why we aren't properly trained and why we don't stand up for ourselves and demand better training.
And I'm still fighting with these stupid Chilton's books--they don't seem to have the dates-covered noted anywhere. Apparently, I'm supposed to flip through each of the 5 books and note the dates myself. Grr.
Then there's Demco; called Jody this a.m. and she said she'd faxed me last week, and she'd send it again this morning. That was almost 2 hours ago: the fax is about 4 feet away from me. No faxes have come through. Aargh.
On the up-side, we saw Cheaper by the Dozen yesterday (a comedy of errors in that, too). Cute. Not at all like the play or the original book, but cute. VERY clean, can't quite figure out the PG rating.
One of those email strings I've got flying through the 'box is re "why catalogers don't do their work." Well, that's a bit brusque; it's really about why we aren't properly trained and why we don't stand up for ourselves and demand better training.
And I'm still fighting with these stupid Chilton's books--they don't seem to have the dates-covered noted anywhere. Apparently, I'm supposed to flip through each of the 5 books and note the dates myself. Grr.
Then there's Demco; called Jody this a.m. and she said she'd faxed me last week, and she'd send it again this morning. That was almost 2 hours ago: the fax is about 4 feet away from me. No faxes have come through. Aargh.
On the up-side, we saw Cheaper by the Dozen yesterday (a comedy of errors in that, too). Cute. Not at all like the play or the original book, but cute. VERY clean, can't quite figure out the PG rating.
Sunday, January 18, 2004
Playoff Sunday
...and haven't seen a bit of football. Sparky & Z are upstairs with their GameBoys, I've been typing up my reading log for 3+ hours. I was almost 2 years behind! So it is taking me awhile to catch up the word processing, and then I still have the cards to do...but those don't take as long. Doing the log online will make this whole process a little easier. I hope.
We just got a notice that we have a -- GASP! -- sign in our yard. I want to know if everyone with a builder's sign got cited, or just people with Woodridge signs, or just us.
The week ahead: The Beast's in Vegas, Sparky's off school tomorrow, there's a Homeowner's Assn. meeting Thursday night that I've decided to go to as a result of the sign situation, of course we need sitters for two nights, maybe there's Bible Study Friday....and the usual weekly humdrum.
Sparky needs to get something for Z off the Internet.
We just got a notice that we have a -- GASP! -- sign in our yard. I want to know if everyone with a builder's sign got cited, or just people with Woodridge signs, or just us.
The week ahead: The Beast's in Vegas, Sparky's off school tomorrow, there's a Homeowner's Assn. meeting Thursday night that I've decided to go to as a result of the sign situation, of course we need sitters for two nights, maybe there's Bible Study Friday....and the usual weekly humdrum.
Sparky needs to get something for Z off the Internet.
Saturday, January 17, 2004
Cataloging
I hate serials. And I hate Chilton's. But most of all, I hate Gale. They own everything now, so I've had two stupid publishing thingies with their stuff this week: Large Print and Chilton's. Can't I just catalog in peace? Please.
(and apparently the toilet isn't leaking...just my brain)
(and apparently the toilet isn't leaking...just my brain)
Friday, January 16, 2004
Plumbing
Drag. The toilet in Sparky's bathroom is leaking. It's one way of getting the plumber back over here to ask about the stupid pipes in the basement! Just called [the builder's agent], so of course he's probably calling back right now.
On another annoying note, the boy won the 3-foot Bugs Bunny at F@mily Re@ding Night. Wish they hadn't told him first; I would have just said to find it another home. I have to go pick it up at school, since he's off to daycare after school and it will just get ruined in that process [of riding the bus and stuffing it into his cubby]....
My throat is not improving, very scratchy. Like the sky, my life this afternoon is shades of gray. And Dr. Pepper, even with a little rum, is not conducive to 40 winks--they should be caught, not just chased. Ugh. Time to hit what passes for stores in this area.
On another annoying note, the boy won the 3-foot Bugs Bunny at F@mily Re@ding Night. Wish they hadn't told him first; I would have just said to find it another home. I have to go pick it up at school, since he's off to daycare after school and it will just get ruined in that process [of riding the bus and stuffing it into his cubby]....
My throat is not improving, very scratchy. Like the sky, my life this afternoon is shades of gray. And Dr. Pepper, even with a little rum, is not conducive to 40 winks--they should be caught, not just chased. Ugh. Time to hit what passes for stores in this area.
Friday Morning
I'm trapped in the office at home. So I should be trying to make some sense of it. Or something. But I'd rather figure this out instead....ha ha ha.
Sparky asked to take his GameBoy to school today because Alex D. is bringing the instructions for Zelda(?) to daycare. I foolishly agreed without thinking and then had to work hard to convince him that it was a BAAAD idea based on the last time he took a GameBoy to daycare. He isn't happy with me. He says I "annoy" him when I yell at him (but he wasn't pouting OR using 'that' voice). I tried to explain that I wasn't really yelling at him about this, I just wanted him to think through what could happen if this GB got stolen like the last one. sigh This parenting thing is harder than I thought, and I even thought it was going to be hard. Can't wait for adolescence!! {snort}
So today: I told The Beast that after Lauri & Beth finish my house, I was going to go back to bed. I have another sinus headache starting AND a scratchy throat. I sense illness on the horizon, which I can hopefully cut off at the pass today. Then there are those chores I should do (KMart and Meijers).... we'll see how I feel by lunchtime.
Maybe I'm just sick because work has been so frustrating this week. I swear that I am going to lose it with people who not only ignore that I've got on headphones but also ignore the LEAVE ME ALONE hat. I hope we actually do get these office panels this spring/summer. Maybe that really will work like the boss says.
Sparky asked to take his GameBoy to school today because Alex D. is bringing the instructions for Zelda(?) to daycare. I foolishly agreed without thinking and then had to work hard to convince him that it was a BAAAD idea based on the last time he took a GameBoy to daycare. He isn't happy with me. He says I "annoy" him when I yell at him (but he wasn't pouting OR using 'that' voice). I tried to explain that I wasn't really yelling at him about this, I just wanted him to think through what could happen if this GB got stolen like the last one. sigh This parenting thing is harder than I thought, and I even thought it was going to be hard. Can't wait for adolescence!! {snort}
So today: I told The Beast that after Lauri & Beth finish my house, I was going to go back to bed. I have another sinus headache starting AND a scratchy throat. I sense illness on the horizon, which I can hopefully cut off at the pass today. Then there are those chores I should do (KMart and Meijers).... we'll see how I feel by lunchtime.
Maybe I'm just sick because work has been so frustrating this week. I swear that I am going to lose it with people who not only ignore that I've got on headphones but also ignore the LEAVE ME ALONE hat. I hope we actually do get these office panels this spring/summer. Maybe that really will work like the boss says.
Sunday, January 04, 2004
My coworkers: a key
"Professionals" (i.e. degreed librarians)
The Boss—90% of the time I have absolutely no problems with the boss. I respect her a great deal and understand (some of) the pressure she’s under from all sides. She’s interesting, funny, and a good manager.
The Schedule Nazi—Need I say more? She’s actually a pretty nice person, but ditzy as they come. She has been known to be intensely passive-aggressive with staff members, particularly Miss W. and Techie. I don’t want anything to do with her scheduling duties, so I mostly don’t complainout loud to her. In the past year, she has gotten more and more flaky about scheduling, especially her own hours. She is also the Children’s Room Nazi, and the Peekaboo Internet Scout. [in the reflog, she is Librarian K]
Crazy Cat Woman—Every library seems to have one. Ours is the biggest hypochondriac in the world. She’s over 60, single (divorced for many years), now dating someone,has lived in an apartment for decades purchased a condo in the summer of 07, and her dad drives her everywhere she needs to go. You do the math. She’s also detail-oriented and picky, and will talk your ear off at the drop of a hat. [in the reflog, she is Librarian F]
Techie Librarian—A.k.a. the Ordering Fiend, depending on the day. Most of the time we get along fine, probably 90% of the time, unless we are just totally not in agreement. She has awesome-cute kids, and is now working about 20 hours a week, starting in 2007. [in the reflog, she is Librarian H]
Weight-and-Exercise Man—The youngest librarian on staff, he’s an absolute riot. His work ethic isn't what others on staff expect, but I think he was the best asset we had. He resigned in February 2006 to go work at another library. I’m blaming that partially on Crazy Cat Woman, with whom he shared an office and debated politics. He speaks 3 languages, including Spanish. He is missed a lot, at least by me! [in the reflog, he is librarian N]
Music Dude—Formerly the part-time evening librarian he is now (as of 2007) working full-time. His main responsibility is the YA area, but he also works on the library webpage among other things. He is one of those guys whose outside and inside don’t match: he looks quiet and somewhat boring, but he’s actually a blast and has a fabulous dry sense of humor. [in the reflog he is Librarian D]
Maniac— The cataloger who retired and "willed" me her job. She returns now to sub for the reference staff when we’re short. She doesn’t do anything slowly, and she is consistently sure of herself whether she’s dealing with deaf old women or potential gang fights. She takes no guff off of anyone, but sometimes she gets a little on the annoying side. [in the reflog, she is Sub Librarian, and sometimes Librarian D when I get confused]
A-Man— I'm not sure which list to place A-Man. He is a former page (shelver) who has graduated from college now and is considering what to do with his life. His aim, eventually, is to go to library school, but he's not sure. In fall 2007, he went away to work for Americorps for a couple of years. He may be back.
Andy ILL Tyrant—She started on staff working at the circulation desk, but now has her MLIS (2008). She has picked up the hours that Techie gave up when she went part time, and she also does a LOT of the program planning. She is a lot of fun; We are scheduled together a lot, and she is the Librarian in Charge of the Interlibrary Loan 'stuff', hence her name. She shares Crazy Cat Woman's office; someone has to!
Non-degreed staff (these folks run the circ desk--among other things--with a couple of exceptions)
MEMtech—Works circ, but also does all the item entry for processing new materials. When I’m done with new materials (matching them to records or cataloging them from scratch, and also classing them), MEMtech gets 'em. She is the nicest person in the world, and my best back-up, Woman Friday if you will. She rarely gets angry, never gets annoyed at my frequent flakiness (or doesn’t show it), and remembers every new procedure I've passed along.
Complainer Tech—Somehow this woman thinks I’m her best friend. Gossipy, negative, argumentative, overly-sensitive…. Once MEMtech gets done with item entry, CT does all the labeling before sending the materials out to the circ desk for further processing. We try to keep her out of the public eye; she is (ahem) "easily misunderstood" by patrons. And staff.
V—Used to work for World Book as an editor, now works for us doing all the yucky odd jobs we can come up with. She was born in 1912 but is sharp as a tack. She remembers everyone’s birthday, knows a ton about the high school pages, and is in love with Lance Armstrong. She’s the first person I saw with the LiveStrong bracelet on. I hope to have half the energy and brainpower when I'm 75 that she has now!
Miss W—Head of Circulation, she knows everyone in town. She and The Boss are palsy-walsy, and she’s a huge gossip. I like her, but she pains me quite frequently on a work basis. She’s one of the Gang of Three, probably the leader. Grew up in this town, knows everybody and is the “favorite” storytime leader. She and The Children’s Room Nazi butt heads virtually every day. A h-u-g-e gossip; did I mention that?
The Box Lady—She unpacks all the materials we order, sources them, and generally deals with the jobbers and prepping. She works at the circ desk, has done so for nearly 20 years. She’s a co-leader of the Gang of Three. I’ve never met any woman who can laugh louder than her. She’s a big-hearted woman, and she looks and acts like a leprechaun. Oh, and she’s the Magazine Queen, as well.
Supplies—She orders almost anything we need to replace (or whatever). Consequently, she always has a million notes stuck to her work area. She is the final member of the Gang of Three. I should explain that the Gang vacations together, and one of my pet peeves is that they plan their vacations at the circ desk computers while we're open.
Custodian/Janitor—One of the quietest people I’ve met in this particular job. He used to be the maintenance guy at Sparky’s daycare center when Sparky was 4 or so. He’s lived here in town his entire life, graduating from high school with Classy (see below). Not much to say about him, except he really can fix almost anything.
Quick-Study—Our token Southerner. She’s about 5’6” and 95 lbs., half of which is her hair. She is a kind-hearted person with the self-esteem of a turnip, andsmarter than she will admit gradually figuring out her value in the workplace. Like Maniac, she doesn’t do anything slowly, and working next to her tires you out even though you never actually do anything. Her husband is a complete jerk. She works part-time elsewhere so that her family can eat.
South America—Born and raised in Peru, although I think her ethnic background is Italian. In any case, she speaks about 4 languages, including Spanish of course, and brings an interesting cultural point of view to the staff. She used to work for a major airline (in customer relations), and she is smart, liberated, and bossy.
Book Clubber—One ofTthe circ staff person people who isare currently working on her their library degree. I like her: she's funny, smart, erudite, well-traveled and normal. She and Quick-Study and Sout’ Sider work on Mending together, and she does one evening storytime and an adult book discussion.
Sout’ Sider—Our other Spanish-speaking staff member. She is everyone’s mom, and really takes people under her wing, protecting them and advising them as needed. She watches her grandkids during the day and works in the evenings for us, so she's on the go for 13 straight hours every day. She's a hoot.
The Prankster—Did you just find an erotic novel propped up on your monitor? A partially-shaved Barbie doll in your locker? Everyone knows who did it. She also has been known to take pictures of staff members and use them as blackmail for assorted things. Don’t let her know your deepest fear; you’ll be hounded mercilessly, unless your feelings are hurt by it. Started working on her library degree in the fall of 2007.
Classy—This woman apparently can roll out of bed and look like the perfectly clothed and coifed woman, and somehow not make you feel shlumpy or hateful toward her. Her husband is a criminal attorney, so he’s always fun to invite to a party—he tells great stories! Classy is just simply a class act, discrete, kind and unflappable. And smart. And kind.
Teen Catnip—Energetic, fun, and completely not shy about busting up a group of kids by redirecting their attention toward something useful, she has cut back her hours and now (fall '07) works primarily as a 'sub' when others are sick. Too bad: she was excellent with the teens. By spring '08 she has had to give up all her hours.
Argent—Must be the quietest person on staff, Argent hails from (guess) Argentina, but has lived here for several years. She has a preschool son. And that's about all I know about her. I don't think I've ever worked with anyone quieter!
Teener—Replaced Teen Catnip in coordinating after-school drop-in activities for teens, and is much more subdued but equally good with the middle school age group. Has run several programs, but works at times and places that make it hard for me to really get to know her.
Newbet—Shares the same name as someone else on staff, I work with her less than two or three hours a month, and only vaguely know what she looks like. Our staff is getting too big!
The Boss—90% of the time I have absolutely no problems with the boss. I respect her a great deal and understand (some of) the pressure she’s under from all sides. She’s interesting, funny, and a good manager.
The Schedule Nazi—Need I say more? She’s actually a pretty nice person, but ditzy as they come. She has been known to be intensely passive-aggressive with staff members, particularly Miss W. and Techie. I don’t want anything to do with her scheduling duties, so I mostly don’t complain
Crazy Cat Woman—Every library seems to have one. Ours is the biggest hypochondriac in the world. She’s over 60, single (divorced for many years), now dating someone,
Techie Librarian—A.k.a. the Ordering Fiend, depending on the day. Most of the time we get along fine, probably 90% of the time, unless we are just totally not in agreement. She has awesome-cute kids, and is now working about 20 hours a week, starting in 2007. [in the reflog, she is Librarian H]
Music Dude—Formerly the part-time evening librarian he is now (as of 2007) working full-time. His main responsibility is the YA area, but he also works on the library webpage among other things. He is one of those guys whose outside and inside don’t match: he looks quiet and somewhat boring, but he’s actually a blast and has a fabulous dry sense of humor. [in the reflog he is Librarian D]
Maniac— The cataloger who retired and "willed" me her job. She returns now to sub for the reference staff when we’re short. She doesn’t do anything slowly, and she is consistently sure of herself whether she’s dealing with deaf old women or potential gang fights. She takes no guff off of anyone, but sometimes she gets a little on the annoying side. [in the reflog, she is Sub Librarian, and sometimes Librarian D when I get confused]
Non-degreed staff (these folks run the circ desk--among other things--with a couple of exceptions)
MEMtech—Works circ, but also does all the item entry for processing new materials. When I’m done with new materials (matching them to records or cataloging them from scratch, and also classing them), MEMtech gets 'em. She is the nicest person in the world, and my best back-up, Woman Friday if you will. She rarely gets angry, never gets annoyed at my frequent flakiness (or doesn’t show it), and remembers every new procedure I've passed along.
Complainer Tech—Somehow this woman thinks I’m her best friend. Gossipy, negative, argumentative, overly-sensitive…. Once MEMtech gets done with item entry, CT does all the labeling before sending the materials out to the circ desk for further processing. We try to keep her out of the public eye; she is (ahem) "easily misunderstood" by patrons. And staff.
V—Used to work for World Book as an editor, now works for us doing all the yucky odd jobs we can come up with. She was born in 1912 but is sharp as a tack. She remembers everyone’s birthday, knows a ton about the high school pages, and is in love with Lance Armstrong. She’s the first person I saw with the LiveStrong bracelet on. I hope to have half the energy and brainpower when I'm 75 that she has now!
Miss W—Head of Circulation, she knows everyone in town. She and The Boss are palsy-walsy, and she’s a huge gossip. I like her, but she pains me quite frequently on a work basis. She’s one of the Gang of Three, probably the leader. Grew up in this town, knows everybody and is the “favorite” storytime leader. She and The Children’s Room Nazi butt heads virtually every day. A h-u-g-e gossip; did I mention that?
The Box Lady—She unpacks all the materials we order, sources them, and generally deals with the jobbers and prepping. She works at the circ desk, has done so for nearly 20 years. She’s a co-leader of the Gang of Three. I’ve never met any woman who can laugh louder than her. She’s a big-hearted woman, and she looks and acts like a leprechaun. Oh, and she’s the Magazine Queen, as well.
Supplies—She orders almost anything we need to replace (or whatever). Consequently, she always has a million notes stuck to her work area. She is the final member of the Gang of Three. I should explain that the Gang vacations together, and one of my pet peeves is that they plan their vacations at the circ desk computers while we're open.
Custodian/Janitor—One of the quietest people I’ve met in this particular job. He used to be the maintenance guy at Sparky’s daycare center when Sparky was 4 or so. He’s lived here in town his entire life, graduating from high school with Classy (see below). Not much to say about him, except he really can fix almost anything.
Quick-Study—Our token Southerner. She’s about 5’6” and 95 lbs., half of which is her hair. She is a kind-hearted person with the self-esteem of a turnip, and
South America—Born and raised in Peru, although I think her ethnic background is Italian. In any case, she speaks about 4 languages, including Spanish of course, and brings an interesting cultural point of view to the staff. She used to work for a major airline (in customer relations), and she is smart, liberated, and bossy.
Book Clubber—One of
Sout’ Sider—Our other Spanish-speaking staff member. She is everyone’s mom, and really takes people under her wing, protecting them and advising them as needed. She watches her grandkids during the day and works in the evenings for us, so she's on the go for 13 straight hours every day. She's a hoot.
The Prankster—Did you just find an erotic novel propped up on your monitor? A partially-shaved Barbie doll in your locker? Everyone knows who did it. She also has been known to take pictures of staff members and use them as blackmail for assorted things. Don’t let her know your deepest fear; you’ll be hounded mercilessly, unless your feelings are hurt by it. Started working on her library degree in the fall of 2007.
Classy—This woman apparently can roll out of bed and look like the perfectly clothed and coifed woman, and somehow not make you feel shlumpy or hateful toward her. Her husband is a criminal attorney, so he’s always fun to invite to a party—he tells great stories! Classy is just simply a class act, discrete, kind and unflappable. And smart. And kind.
Argent—Must be the quietest person on staff, Argent hails from (guess) Argentina, but has lived here for several years. She has a preschool son. And that's about all I know about her. I don't think I've ever worked with anyone quieter!
Teener—Replaced Teen Catnip in coordinating after-school drop-in activities for teens, and is much more subdued but equally good with the middle school age group. Has run several programs, but works at times and places that make it hard for me to really get to know her.
Newbet—Shares the same name as someone else on staff, I work with her less than two or three hours a month, and only vaguely know what she looks like. Our staff is getting too big!
[originally posted approx 6/05; updated 3/06, 7/06, 9/06, 3/07, 5/07, 10/07, 4/08]
Thursday, January 01, 2004
My Family
The cast of characters. And boy aren't some of them indeed characters! I'll preface it by saying that it sucks getting old, and it sucks being the youngest sib. Then again, life just sometimes sucks in general.
The Beast’s Family:
DIL—Born 1930. Has diabetes, controlled by diet, as well as apnea. Has just been told he’s in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, and heart failure. Still has issues with his mother, who was terribly controlling and mean. I love him dearly because he's always been gallant and kind to me.
MIL—Born in 1937. Smokes, has had several heart attacks, and her knees are bad, but otherwise in startlingly good health. She has also had a minor stroke recently, along with shoulder replacement (followed by the obligatory "Why didn't I do that sooner??"). She can be obtuse, but I treasure her.
BIL—He was born in 1969, dated the same woman for nearly 8 years, and then they split when she forced him toward some kind of commitment. Otherwise, he’s an absolutely great guy. Smart, fun, argumentative, loads of music knowledge, very involved in social issues.
{{Originally posted October, 2004; updated substantially in April 2006. Names added and other updates made in January 2007, and again in October 2007.}}
Dad—Died in 1994, born in 1919. He was born on a homestead claim that was never proved, and built his first house when he was 16. He went on to build several other houses, including the one in which I grew up, along with loads of other buildings. He had a terrible, terrible head for business and trusted people far too much. Raised in a VERY strict religious home, he loosened up a lot over his lifetime, but he never learned to tell jokes properly. Which made them even funnier. I'll cop to being a total Daddy's Little Girl in all the best ways.
Mom—She was born in 1921. Everything is failing: she has diabetes, has had several strokes which have stolen much of her cognitive ability and the use of the small muscles in her left hand, is depressed (although who can blame her?) and is now having bladder-control issues. We had to move her to a nursing home at the beginning of 2007 after several bouts of major depression, serious panic attacks, and another stroke. She seems somewhat happier now, although very vague some days. Our relationship is fraught, though I am thinking that is mostly from my side at this point in our lives.
The Oldest’s family:
Marie—She had one knee replaced in fall of 2005 and can't understand why she waited so long. She’s also got terrible food-induced allergies, which she’s fought off for 25 years. And high blood pressure, and mitral valve prolapse. She was born in 1943. She is the sensible one, but I’m finding out of late at what cost that sensibility has come.
Jan—Her husband. Has had prostate cancer and beat it (his father died of it). Is losing his hearing but not really accepting that fact. He has become in many ways a dirty old man. Embarrassing—he’s also ADHD/OCD.
Elizabeth—The oldest grandchild. She was born in 1969, and the equivalent of my sister in many ways, except for the family tree. She is also a librarian, in academia. She and KO married in July 2007.
The Oldest’s family:
Marie—She had one knee replaced in fall of 2005 and can't understand why she waited so long. She’s also got terrible food-induced allergies, which she’s fought off for 25 years. And high blood pressure, and mitral valve prolapse. She was born in 1943. She is the sensible one, but I’m finding out of late at what cost that sensibility has come.
Jan—Her husband. Has had prostate cancer and beat it (his father died of it). Is losing his hearing but not really accepting that fact. He has become in many ways a dirty old man. Embarrassing—he’s also ADHD/OCD.
Elizabeth—The oldest grandchild. She was born in 1969, and the equivalent of my sister in many ways, except for the family tree. She is also a librarian, in academia. She and KO married in July 2007.
KO—What a good person! I couldn't be more pleased in the man Elizabeth chose as her husband; he's definitely worth the wait. He proved himself in January '07 by driving with Elizabeth straight through 14 hours so she could be with her sister in a crisis...while is was seriously ill with the flu.
Katherine—She was born in 1972 and in the summer of 2005 married a guy she met online. She is uptight, and very very internalizing. Doesn’t smile much, easily frustrated and also impatient. Getting to know her better has been…interesting. She smiles more now that she's married than she has in the past 10 years.
Katherine—She was born in 1972 and in the summer of 2005 married a guy she met online. She is uptight, and very very internalizing. Doesn’t smile much, easily frustrated and also impatient. Getting to know her better has been…interesting. She smiles more now that she's married than she has in the past 10 years.
Alan—DV's husband and quite the calming influence on her. He's a great guy whose hobbies are miniature railroads and redoing his '50s-era tract house into a livable, Wright-esque home. He's done almost all the work himself, and now DV is working with him on it. Between them, they own half the cats in the state!
The Fun Sister’s family:
The Fun Sister’s family:
Ellen—She died in 1994 (two weeks after Dad), born in 1946. She was the troublemaker as a child, always the one who instigated others. She developed aplastic anemia in the mid-60s--a death sentence she somehow beat through strength of will and the power of prayer. She died of lymphoma when her youngest son was a freshman in college.
Dean—Her husband. He lives with his mom, who is in her 80s. In the span of five years his wife, father, and brother died of cancer. He’s an alcoholic, was one before Fun Sister died. He used to be my favorite; now I just feel incredible sadness when I think of him.
James—The oldest grandson. He was born in 1973. Unmarried, a bit socially inept. But, he is one of those people who always land on their feet, no matter what: skateboards, cars, falling off roofs…nothing fazes him. He is inventive, very smart, and probably on his way to being an alcoholic like his dad, grandpa and uncle. He works so that he has money, quits when he’s ahead, and “invents” and goofs off till he’s broke then gets another job repairing machinery in factories. Is semi-dating a girl, the first I've ever known him to date.
Don—He was born in 1975 and was his mother’s favorite in many ways. In his 20s he bore a striking resemblance to Marlon Brando -- the Brando of the '50s, when he was gorgeous. He drives a truck for a living. He is the Caretaker, the one who keeps the family—such as it is—together. He has a dry, ironic sense of humor and tends to disappear into the woodwork until he says something hysterically apropos and biting.
The Cool Sister’s family (in England):
Jean—She was born in 1949. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in about 1998, which was changed to Multiple Systems Atrophy in 2006; she is failing rapidly. She tends to take Mom’s side in every discussion of “what we’re going to do with Mom.” She’s still the Cool One, though. It's heartbreaking watching her decline, physically and emotionally.
Reg—Her husband. He was born in 1943, so he is several years older than her and was still playing on a local soccer league up until a couple of years ago. Very smart, very fun, loves life, and learning. Very into envrionmental awareness: they never had a dryer until the PD got really bad, and he composts as much of their garbage as is possible.
Rosellen—Their oldest daughter, who was born in 1979. She is a physicist now working in unrelated fields doing statistical analysis for the government, but incredibly brilliant, and also one of the nicest people I know. Not sure what her goals in life are. She also loves to ride the unicycle, juggle, play sports, and organize programs for underprivileged kids.
Marguerite—The middle child, born in 1981. Married in 2004, very earnest and young and self-absorbed. Always thought she’d be a perfect preschool or kindergarten teacher: she loves kids. She is currently into Good Works and art. There are mother-daughter issues galore here.
Dean—Her husband. He lives with his mom, who is in her 80s. In the span of five years his wife, father, and brother died of cancer. He’s an alcoholic, was one before Fun Sister died. He used to be my favorite; now I just feel incredible sadness when I think of him.
James—The oldest grandson. He was born in 1973. Unmarried, a bit socially inept. But, he is one of those people who always land on their feet, no matter what: skateboards, cars, falling off roofs…nothing fazes him. He is inventive, very smart, and probably on his way to being an alcoholic like his dad, grandpa and uncle. He works so that he has money, quits when he’s ahead, and “invents” and goofs off till he’s broke then gets another job repairing machinery in factories. Is semi-dating a girl, the first I've ever known him to date.
Don—He was born in 1975 and was his mother’s favorite in many ways. In his 20s he bore a striking resemblance to Marlon Brando -- the Brando of the '50s, when he was gorgeous. He drives a truck for a living. He is the Caretaker, the one who keeps the family—such as it is—together. He has a dry, ironic sense of humor and tends to disappear into the woodwork until he says something hysterically apropos and biting.
The Cool Sister’s family (in England):
Jean—She was born in 1949. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in about 1998, which was changed to Multiple Systems Atrophy in 2006; she is failing rapidly. She tends to take Mom’s side in every discussion of “what we’re going to do with Mom.” She’s still the Cool One, though. It's heartbreaking watching her decline, physically and emotionally.
Reg—Her husband. He was born in 1943, so he is several years older than her and was still playing on a local soccer league up until a couple of years ago. Very smart, very fun, loves life, and learning. Very into envrionmental awareness: they never had a dryer until the PD got really bad, and he composts as much of their garbage as is possible.
Rosellen—Their oldest daughter, who was born in 1979. She is a physicist now working in unrelated fields doing statistical analysis for the government, but incredibly brilliant, and also one of the nicest people I know. Not sure what her goals in life are. She also loves to ride the unicycle, juggle, play sports, and organize programs for underprivileged kids.
Marguerite—The middle child, born in 1981. Married in 2004, very earnest and young and self-absorbed. Always thought she’d be a perfect preschool or kindergarten teacher: she loves kids. She is currently into Good Works and art. There are mother-daughter issues galore here.
Ben—Marguerite's husband, who is several years older than her. He is bossy, argumentative, smart, and somewhat of a pain. On the other hand, he is a kind person, organized and helpful in almost any circumstance. DOES NOT want children of his own. We'll see.
Jesse—The baby of this family, whos was born in 1984. He has received his degree in Religion and is now struggling to figure out what to do next. A really nice, good kid, not afraid to be religious, but also very normal. Still being molded by experience. Can’t wait to see what he makes of his life. He also loves kids, and does a lot of youth programming with his sisters and on his own. I have felt somewhat responsible for him since dropping him on his head when he was 4 months old.
The Brother’s family:
Del—He used to be my idol. Nothing he did was wrong and I always stood up for him. That ended a few years ago when I realized how selfish and snotty he is. He was born in 1953 and has told Marie and me that his wife is an alcoholic, as was his first wife. And he’s had his bout with it as well, in the late '80s. He’s finally—quite late—getting a clue that life is serious business. I think he’s probably within about 5 years of a heart attack, he’s got high blood pressure, his back is shot, and he’s got bad circulation in his hands from years of fighting fires. Diagnosed with diabetes in 2006.
CC—His wife, since 1998 (I think). Very nice, she gets along well with all of us, probably because her family is wacky too. She had only left the state she was born in once in her life before moving 3,000 miles to marry my brother. They met online. She loves to read mystery books.
Ham—The son, from brother’s first marriage, born in 1984. He’s very much still an adolescent, raised by a woman who lived in bars and went home with (or brought home) anyone she wanted to sleep with. Cece has always gotten along very well with him. Like Jesse, he's still trying to find his way: right now, his plan is to get a degree in Criminal Justice and join a police force. He moved out--to Cece & Del's great relief!--in October 2007.
My household:
Me—Born in 1963. Was told when I was about 40 that I was unwanted by my father when mom was pregnant. That changed; Dad & I had a great relationship. I have environmental allergies, less severe than the Marie's food allergies. I had a full hysterectomy in 1997 because the doctors suspected the fibroid tumor was cancerous. It wasn't.
Beast—Same age as me, basically. He played football in Texas (in high school) and he played elsewhere in college and has the body now to prove it. Probably will have to have surgery(ies) to correct joint problems in the next 5-10 years. Looks Beasty, but is really a teddy bear. Mostly. Except when he's angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.
Sparky—The light of our lives born in 1993. Smart. Cute. Funny. I’m biased. But the best part is that he is definitely healthy by all counts, praise God. Looks a great deal like his granddad (my dad), especially when he's snarling with anger. He is going to be a wonderful man someday.
Jesse—The baby of this family, whos was born in 1984. He has received his degree in Religion and is now struggling to figure out what to do next. A really nice, good kid, not afraid to be religious, but also very normal. Still being molded by experience. Can’t wait to see what he makes of his life. He also loves kids, and does a lot of youth programming with his sisters and on his own. I have felt somewhat responsible for him since dropping him on his head when he was 4 months old.
The Brother’s family:
Del—He used to be my idol. Nothing he did was wrong and I always stood up for him. That ended a few years ago when I realized how selfish and snotty he is. He was born in 1953 and has told Marie and me that his wife is an alcoholic, as was his first wife. And he’s had his bout with it as well, in the late '80s. He’s finally—quite late—getting a clue that life is serious business. I think he’s probably within about 5 years of a heart attack, he’s got high blood pressure, his back is shot, and he’s got bad circulation in his hands from years of fighting fires. Diagnosed with diabetes in 2006.
CC—His wife, since 1998 (I think). Very nice, she gets along well with all of us, probably because her family is wacky too. She had only left the state she was born in once in her life before moving 3,000 miles to marry my brother. They met online. She loves to read mystery books.
Ham—The son, from brother’s first marriage, born in 1984. He’s very much still an adolescent, raised by a woman who lived in bars and went home with (or brought home) anyone she wanted to sleep with. Cece has always gotten along very well with him. Like Jesse, he's still trying to find his way: right now, his plan is to get a degree in Criminal Justice and join a police force. He moved out--to Cece & Del's great relief!--in October 2007.
My household:
Me—Born in 1963. Was told when I was about 40 that I was unwanted by my father when mom was pregnant. That changed; Dad & I had a great relationship. I have environmental allergies, less severe than the Marie's food allergies. I had a full hysterectomy in 1997 because the doctors suspected the fibroid tumor was cancerous. It wasn't.
Beast—Same age as me, basically. He played football in Texas (in high school) and he played elsewhere in college and has the body now to prove it. Probably will have to have surgery(ies) to correct joint problems in the next 5-10 years. Looks Beasty, but is really a teddy bear. Mostly. Except when he's angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.
Sparky—The light of our lives born in 1993. Smart. Cute. Funny. I’m biased. But the best part is that he is definitely healthy by all counts, praise God. Looks a great deal like his granddad (my dad), especially when he's snarling with anger. He is going to be a wonderful man someday.
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The Beast’s Family:
DIL—Born 1930. Has diabetes, controlled by diet, as well as apnea. Has just been told he’s in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, and heart failure. Still has issues with his mother, who was terribly controlling and mean. I love him dearly because he's always been gallant and kind to me.
MIL—Born in 1937. Smokes, has had several heart attacks, and her knees are bad, but otherwise in startlingly good health. She has also had a minor stroke recently, along with shoulder replacement (followed by the obligatory "Why didn't I do that sooner??"). She can be obtuse, but I treasure her.
BIL—He was born in 1969, dated the same woman for nearly 8 years, and then they split when she forced him toward some kind of commitment. Otherwise, he’s an absolutely great guy. Smart, fun, argumentative, loads of music knowledge, very involved in social issues.
{{Originally posted October, 2004; updated substantially in April 2006. Names added and other updates made in January 2007, and again in October 2007.}}
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