Saturday, July 31, 2004

Thursday, July 29, 2004

I love the Internet

Mood: A little freaked out

Just found a comment on my memes page from earlier this month (see it pays to check in with haloscan once in awhile) from a guy I was seriously crushed over in high school. His dad Googled his name and found my site because when I mentioned this guy I used his full name. I'm mildly embarrassed, but since I've seen and talked to him off and on for the last 20 years, and I'm (mostly) over the crush, I went ahead and emailed him. At least he was considerate enough to just ask if I was [initials] rather than breaking my cover. Such as it is. hah

OK, in line with all that--and I did think of this earlier, before finding The Comment--I'm posting my vac photos online, once I figure out how. But since many of them have family members and lots of other "connected" people in them, and since I don't want to do the permission solicitation from all of them, y'all will have to let me know if you want to see them. Email me (see left) and I'll let you know where they are. But give me a couple of days, ok?? :-)

Signing out. Trying to remember how many other crushes I've revealed with full names. And grateful I've never used the Psychotic Former Boss's name anywhere ... although I do Google her regularly...

Toilets

Just discovered something momentous (this is what blogs are for):

American public toilets are about 4 inches lower than most British public toilets. This is slightly disconcerting if you are really in a hurry and not paying attention. Which, I must say, is the way most people use bathrooms, I expect.

2 things

Mood: Good
Hair: French braid because I took a bath in my giant bathtub last night and didn't take a shower this morning so my hair isn't all that clean.  TMI?

1. Al Sharpton rocks.
    Mr. President, the reason we are fighting so hard, the reason we took Florida so seriously, is our right to vote wasn't gained because of our age.  Our vote was soaked in the blood of martyrs, soaked in the blood of [civil rights activists] Goodman, Chaney and Schwerner, soaked in the blood of four little girls in Birmingham. This vote is sacred to us. This vote can't be bargained away. This vote can't be given away.

    In all due respect, Mr. President, read my lips: Our vote is not for sale.
2.  This Overdue Comics from last week is funny.  And in line with a conversation I recently had. 

Now, about this pile of junk on my desk.

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Flash

Mood: Just plain tired
Hair: Hasn't been brushed or combed in over 16 hours; what would your guess be?

Yep, long day, long trip.  Lots to think about, lots to think about.  I noticed more subtext this trip than usual.  Why?  Hmmm....  It's going to take awhile to process it all.

Good news:  blogging improves offline journal-keeping.

Speaking of which: BLOGGER changed again.  Ack.  Looks a bit cooler.  And it looks like I can upload images easier.  Look out! :-)

Tuesday, July 13, 2004

I'm off (no kidding)

Mood: Pretty good, thanks much

I'll drop ya'll a line once in awhile.

Time to go boss kids in swimsuits around for 3 hours again. With a headache. My, that sounds fun.

Tweesdee

Mood: OK
Hair: air dried (i.e. Medusa)
Listening to: George Frideric Handel, “Water Music Suite” (Wassermusik) and “The Musick for the Royal Fireworks” [also known as “The Music From My Wedding”]

It’s 8:50 and I’m just about halfway through the reserves.

I have a caffeine withdrawal headache. I’m trying to make sure I don’t have it while we’re gone, since I won’t be able to find “my” drink easily on vacation. Which means today I’m cranky. On the good side, that may keep people away. I haven’t put on the Leave Me Alone hat yet. That’s for later. If necessary.

Here’s the list, in no particular order:
Reserves done 10:30
Clear cart of ‘weird stuff’ done 11:10
Label shelves for T to work with while I’m gone done 3:50
Take old D&B to post office No can do; the box they sent isn’t big enough 11:00
Tidy up work area: shelves, desk and floor done 3:15
Empty fly box done 2:00
Go over Icode1 list looking for stragglers done 10:40
Task note re fairy tales books on order done around 1:00
By the way, I thought that caffeine exacerbated hot flashes; I’ve had more flashes since I QUIT the caffeine! Ugh. They are especially nasty when it’s clammy-muggy weather. Y'all needed to know that, eh?

EDITED throughout the day

Monday, July 12, 2004

Manchester Airport

Mood: Good
Hair: Pony

Not that I'm a connoisseur of world travel, but this airport has the best website I've come across in the past couple of years! It has everything; the only downside is that it's a bit slow to load. However, I'm at home, so it could be because I'm on a slow (modem) connection...[because we aren't scheduled for T1 availability for 4 years! Yes, we live in hillbilly-land.]

I'm waiting for it to load the terminal maps so that I can figure out where we can meet Elizabeth on Thursday morning. Naturally, we are landing at different terminals, but it does appear that the two in question are at least connected. I have found The Meeting Point in Terminal One; the question is whether it's easier to meet there or in Terminal Three.

Oy this is slow.

OK, it's Terminal One. There. Aren't you glad you read this today?

Pre-trip pleasure yesterday: purchasing two books: Spiral Guides London and The Rough Guide to Britain. The latter has a front-cover blurb from Bill Bryson. How could I pass it up?? The former is spiral. Bendy. Fits in my purse. Maybe we won't look SO much like tourists...hah! Oh well, at least the bendy part is good.

Swim practice, ho!

Saturday, July 10, 2004

Sore feet, Relays, Housewarming-->TIRED

Mood: Whupped
Hair: Wet and clean

I'm going to bed as soon as I blog. This is my reward for being a good adult today...

Up at 5 to check the Dolphin hotline. Yep, the meet is still on. So I dress and wake up Sparky who somehow gets his swim trunks on the right way with his eyes half-open.

We're on our way to the grocery store for Krispy Kremes and grapes [for breakfast] and then to the pool by 5:45. I help set up the food-for-volunteers tent. In the mist. The grass areas are waterlogged, slippery and muddy. Whee. It could be a fun day!

Call The Beast at 7--and wake him up--to tell him that Sparky races early: Event 6. So he needs to get crackin'.

I head to the Bullpen at 7:30 for my 3-hour shift. Pay attention: that's important. After a slightly rocky start, we moms get ourselves sorted out. It's a little rougher than normal because all the events are relays, which means 3-4 kids per lane instead of just one. Chaos reigns when the 6-11 age groups are around. Although, honestly? The 12-14s aren't a lot better.

At 10:20 I go watch Sparky's race and discover that the "3-hour shift" was actually taken as a commitment to do the whole meet. I'm too flabbergasted to speak. Well, no actually, I think I did say, "Well, that's just totally not very honest or fair." But since I was really enjoying myself, I dutifully went back to work. With the other 5 moms who were doing the same thing...

Anyway. Sparky raced at 8:15, 10:20 and 12:15. His team did NOT COME IN LAST ONCE! They also didn't come in first, or anywhere in the top three in any race. But he did ok. I guess. :-)

I was on my feet from 5:45 until about 12:30 straight. I have a not-too-bad burn on the tops of my shoulders and collarbone area, and a tan-line (faint though it may be for anyone without milky white skin!) on my feet. Hurrah.

Came home, ate something. I literally crashed out for two hours while the boys finished spreading the mulch that was delivered yesterday. Then we went to our friends' housewarming party. Home by 7:30, where we realized that the VCR was recording the wrong channel for The Amazing Race. So we only caught the last half. Rats.

My. Feet. Hurt. I'm tired. Good night.

Friday, July 09, 2004

For a fun time...

...or not...
I just updated our Dewey books according to the changes made since DDC22 came out last year. The reason I even thought of it is that I discovered that Iraq isn't current (shock and awe for sure!). And it actually still is wrong, as of the beginning of this month. Ugh. The minutiae that is my job.

I've also realized that I will be here over the weekend pulling strings together so I don't leave my work area under a heap of miscellanea for two weeks. It gets trashed over a weekend, with people leaving 'questions' for me all over. Imagine what it will look like after 2 weeks!!

The good news is I get to go home in 15 minutes. But first I have to police the kids' room for awhile longer. Pretty easy duty today, now that the downpour has stopped outside.

Happy weekend all.

Swimming

Mood: Good
Hair: the 40s look (barrette, etc.)
Listening to: Sam Phillips Martinis & Bikinis

As I was typing in the last entry, my "boys" showed up.

First, let me say that I spent last night from 4:30 until almost 9 at the pool, for another swim meet. Forgot to bring cooler, non-work clothes to change into, but that's ok. By the end, everyone was wrapped in blankets and sweatshirts. The swimmers were blue. (OK, some were painted blue, but anyway....)

The Beast was only able to see one of Sparky's races, then he had a meeting at church.
ASIDE: Before he left, he actually fell asleep waiting for Sparky's race to start. He dozed for about 5 minutes before I woke him up. Yes, he's tired. Yes, he desperately needs a vacation from his life...
Sparky upped to four races this meet. He came in dead last in every one, but he didn't seem to care.

So, fast forward through the rest of last night and this morning (I'll get to it someday, if I have time)...

Sparky & The Beast appeared behind me here at work. I turned to find Sparky with THREE ribbons for the races last night. He actually somehow won first place in the 50 m backstroke! Everyone else must have DQ'd, because he was definitely the last one out of the water. He got third for 200 m medley relay, and fifth for 50 m freestyle. Mind you, that would make him LAST, since there were only three and five lanes in use, respectively, for those two races. I don't think he's figured that out. I'm not telling him! He's so proud.

And I'm a proud mama.

There's always a song

Sam Phillips: "I Need Love"
    I left my conscience like a crying child
    Locked the door behind me put the pain on file
    Broken like a window I see my blindness now

    And I need love not some sentimental prison
    I need God not the political Church
    I need fire to melt frozen sleet inside me
    I need love
SERENDIPITY

Thursday, July 08, 2004

Kronos Quartet

I've been trying to listen to "Night Prayers for the past half hour. It's too weird for me, at least at this time of day.

What I've done today:
1. Moved the Dewey numbers, by tens primarily, from ICode1=1 to ICode1=the first two numbers in the call number. So 343 would be ICode1=34. I don't have to do it manually. Just in chunks. I've gotten through the 400s. Since 10 a.m. (5 hours ago).

2. Meanwhile, I'm cruising through the 900s looking for dead Dewey numbers. As a special favor for two other librarians here who are doing a grant of some kind. ?? My head and eyes really hurt after looking solidly at the computer for 3 hours.
I have to go to the local retirement center now and 'splain to them where to get books, and how to decide what to throw away. In 40 minutes. Yeah, right.

Then I'm off to a swim meet, where I will be volunteering for...something. I never signed up, so they will assign me something. Hope I know what to do!

Is there a hat I don't wear?

Pondering

Mood: Good (tired)
Hair: Air-dried, with gel (pretty scary-looking)
Listening to: "We'll Be Together" Sting (10:15 AM)

If it weren't for the video, this song would be as creepy as "Every Breath You Take." What is it that he feels (felt) the need to write such stalk-y songs? However, the visuals have overridden the words in this case, because I really do get the giggles whenever I hear him singing, "Call. Me."

Listening to: "Russians" Sting (10:30 AM)

Did he just write this? Oh, no, cuz he mentions Reagan, but what to make of this?
    "There is no historical precedent
    To put the words in the mouth of the President
    There's no such thing as a winnable war
    It's a lie that we don't believe anymore"
How prescient. Or maybe we've just gone backwards. Or never moved at all.

Listening to: "La Cucaracha" Kumbia Kings (11:00 AM)
Pretty funny. On top of the humor in the original. ROFL. Not sure if they meant it to be so hilarious, though.

Listening to: All Mixed Up Kumbia Kings (11:35 AM)
Good title for this album, but can someone explain the differences between all these mixes:
    Kranium Mix
    Hip Hop Version (ok I think I actually understand that one)
    Dance Mix
    Ol' Skool Mix
    Menudo Mix
    Butta Mix
    Booty Mix (I understand the name and concept, but it's not very booty-ish.)
    Borrashhho Mix (Three H's. Really. And more booty-ish than the last one.)
    Merengue Mix (Understand the concept here, too. And it's really a Merengue, altho' somewhat faster than I would expect to do any merengue-ing!!)
    Miami Bounce Mix (Got this too--I think.)
Don't really think I'll be listening to these guys again: "Only bitches drink for free." Indeed. Again, I suspect the humor here is totally unintentional; I smell a lot of testosterone...

Listening to: Anthology Ray Charles (12:00 noon)
Clearing my palate. eccchhh
Even has an antidote to the three version of "La Cucaracha" in "Let's Go Get Stoned," possibly the most elegant elegy on the subject.

[45-minute commiseration about death of siblings with coworker...]

Lunch. Late.

Wednesday, July 07, 2004

Home again home again jiggedy jig

Got a call about 2 hours ago from a church friend inviting us to the concert in the Square tonight. I told him I doubted we'd be there.

Because....tonight we finally get to watch The Amazing Race. We had to watch World Poker Tour last night (well, plus TAR was on too late for Sparky to watch: 8:30-10). And I will begin making packing lists.

Aside from which, our feelings about our church are kind of .... um, bad right now. We really need to make some decisions for Sparky's sake because he supposedly starts confirmation this fall. But that's an entirely different blog entry.

Anyway, I'm going home. To find something to eat. Salad? Chicken-something. Shees, I really hate cooking. I need a household cook.

LIST OF ONGOING PROJECTS

Mood: OK
Hair: shorter than yesterday, blown-out

My life at work, when I'm not cataloging books. Like this week. Notice the careful alphabetization:

Check “where do I find….?” Handout [ONGOING]

Demand orders [WEEKLY]

Fairy Tales [TIME PERMITTING]

Fixing UKM records [TIME PERMITTING]

Go through DDC22 checking numbers against what we have on the shelf; eventually I will have to move all the wrong ones [ONGOING]

Go through reserves [SEMI-MONTHLY]

Keep a handle on continuations (with JF) [ONGOING]

Keep a handle on the Telecourse tapes [ONGOING]

Keep track of Cataloging Maintenance Requests [ONGOING]

Move biographies (have not done this systematically, just moving things around when a new bio on someone arrives) [ONGOING AND TIME PERMITTING]

Original cataloging [MONTHLY]

Run list of fake books and add analytics (Vera job?) [TIME PERMITTING]

Update “New Books” list on NIC [MONTHLY]

Update “Upcoming” lists from LJ Online [MONTHLY]

World War II recat [TIME PERMITTING]
Just so everyone is clear that I'm OCD, this list is duplicated on my hard drive arranged by classification (e.g. [MONTHLY]).

I call this--inside my head--my If I Get Bored HA HA HA List.

Saturday, July 03, 2004

Time to go

Just, very nearly, about fell down 13 steps into the library basement because I was backing up with a sign. That would be bad. The Beast would have to choose between visiting me in the hospital and visiting his dad, who was driven in via ambulance today after either a) not keeping close-enough tabs on his insulin; or b) having a stroke.

Other than that:

* * * * *HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!* * * * *

Weird names

Is it just me, or is this an awful (last) name for a girl to have: Dildine.

Yeah, it's probably just me.

Saturday

Mood: Good
Hair: Midwestern clip-up

I'm at work.

It's Reserves time again. 615 outstanding holds. No cataloging will be done today. That's ok. There's not much to do, just a bunch of puzzles (which are awful to catalog). Anyway, all children's stuff must wait, because I'm passive-aggressive: The kids' librarian is a putz, so I make her wait for her new materials. She, of course, has no idea at all. Bet I can put them off long enough to not get around to them before I go on vacation!

I'm on various desks all day today, so I won't be able to get into the workflow zone at all. Drag.

Last night, while reading in bed--windows open--I was serenaded by neighbors listening to..."Paradise By the Dashboard Light" about 1/4 mile away from me. I could hear each word. And moan. And pant. Clearly. The song is somewhat different when you hear it wafting into your bedroom between fireworks blasts at 11:20 p.m. I was enjoying the irony because I've been listening to Meat Loaf all this week at work. And I haven't heard ANY Meat Loaf for about five years, up until L's Mix (from Amy) arrived a few weeks ago.

Once the song ended, I gave up on the book (Secrets of the Code), plugged in the earplugs, and crashed.

Now. Reserves. [head down, bull through them]

Thursday, July 01, 2004

OCLC SUCCESS!

WOOT WOOT

IT WORKS! I just exported three OCLC records! Yee haa

I love July; somehow it's all come together at last.

Tube strikes

So, 14 days before leaving for the U.K., this happens. Hopefully it will all be settled by July 24 ... ? I especially didn't love this photo!

On the other hand, maybe we should just count on using this transport service instead. This is actually a pretty funny website all the way 'round, and I've just wasted 15 minutes giggling maniacally instead of hiking myself out to the circ desk as scheduled. Oh, well.

For days when the brain cells are popping...

...send your ideas here.

Or get one from someone else and GO with it.

End of the month

Items added in June:

1,006.


April = 845
May = 635
No wonder I've felt really pressured!