Open letter to the year from hell

Dear 2007.

I'm so glad you came to visit us, but I must say, I'm glad you are going. You see, you weren't a pleasant guest. You ate all the chips and drank all the beer. You left your dirty underwear on the living room floor, and never put the toilet seat down when you finished in the bathroom. So, to honor your departure, I would like to write down here everything I didn't like about you. I hope you never return, or at least if you do, please do not act like a frat boy.

1. Friends (or lack of true ones). I learned from you, 2007, that those who must state they are "a good friend" are usually not. Those who never mention it, but are always there, are the ones I should have give more attention.

2. Chaos. From ice storms to flooding bathrooms, and from vehicular accidents to friends' divorces, we have seen our fair share of your wild side.

3. 2007, you drained me financially and mentally. I have nothing left to give, even at this special time of year (read: Christmas).

There you have it, dear 2007. I'm not sure I've ever entertained a year quite like you, and can say for sure that I hope 2008, as reassuring as those even numbers are, is as gentle a lamb as you were a lion.

So long, 2007. May you rest in the knowledge that you definitely made us miserable - something we thought 1999 had already accomplished.

I'm not dead, but this blog is

It's been 5 months since I last said anyting, so I just wanted to say for the record that I have been incredibly busy ("who hasn't?" you ask). Therefore, I will save you the excuses why I haven't been here and simply share with you some of the enlightening things I have been doing:

Librarianship. Let me just say one word: wow! Programming for teenagers is difficult. They are a finicky bunch, and though I should already know this and be ready for it since I have my own fickle teens, sadly, I am not. I have enjoyed it though. I look forward to going to work each evening and helping customers find information, schedule a presenter, fill out the requisite paperwork, etc. It reminds me why I got into the profession and why I stress so much in Grad school.

College. Grad school is a job in itself. I can't imagine working a full-time job and trying to get through school with good grades. I get burned out and procrastinate halfway through the semester, so much so that I usually shoot myself in the foot by not doing things to the best of my capability. Whatcha gonna do?

Keeping up with personal relationships. It's hard enough juggling kids, work, and school, but then there is all the drama that has come with having a medium-sized circle of friends. How does it work? How do we get all of our favorite people together in teh same room when they don't all get along? How do you tell one set of friends you are seeing the other set that evening without someone getting their feelings hurt? *sigh*

So, in an attempt to keep all of the balls in the air, something always falls to the ground is damaged. Hopefully, whatever it is can be superglued back together and is no worse for the wear.

A

Taking a breath

The semester is finished, and I passed with flying colors. This was an amazing semester for several reasons. First, it was the first semester of what has been my goal since beginning college in 2001. Back then, I took my first class, Intro to Psychology, just to see if I could do this "college thing for old people" when I was at the ripe old age of 30. Going back to school was one of the biggest hurdles I had ever faced. I found that class after class filled something within me that I had lost: my independence and the ability to fight personal demons that had always told me I couldn't succeed on my own. Second, this semester, while working in a very challenging position as a professional in the library field (finally) was bittersweet as I could finally see the inside world of librarians and the field of information. Third, grad school is DIFFICULT! Much more so than I thought, and yes, I thought it would be a challenge. However, I love reading the endless material published about different aspects of library science. I learned so much about this world of information. I ensconsed myself in a new world of acronyms like FRBR, MARC, ERIC, and a new technical language that includes indexing, tags, subfields, and descriptors. I wont even try to encapsulate it in a few paltry paragraphs here. My mind is still spinning on everything I learned.

The summer semester starts June 4 and I am currently enrolled in a class on Young Adult materials and selection processes which shouldn't be anywhere near as technical as this semester. This is a break, believe me. As a Young Adult librarian, this will be both fascinating and informative, and will hopefully give me some tools to use on the job because right now? I'm a fish out of water still.

~ A

Gullible

I was inspired by this and thought I would jump in and voice my opinion as well. Like TKW said in the link above, with the exception of work-based email, nobody can track an email once it hits web-based email accounts (Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, etc). Not Bill Gates, Microsoft, Pepsi, or the American Cancer Society. Nobody is paying 3 cents, 5 cents, or handing out $50.00 Abercrombie gift certificates just for passing on an email.

Seriously, it takes just a few seconds to check the accuracy of an email and saves the trouble and time of those who receive them - many of whom are too superstitious and ignorant about email that they continue the cycle of these internet hoaxes (some of which I have seen several times over the past 6 years since I've had my email address). Though Snopes is but one of the fact checking sites out there, I am a fan of truthorfiction.com which I have been using for about 5 years. They've never led me astray. In fact, think about it. If it sounds too good to be true, IT IS!! Stop sending these emails, and furthermore, STOP BELIEVING THEM!

I can't figure this out...

... but I love it!

Wishes, Three

1. I wish I hated peanuts. They are evil, addictive things that beckon to me as I walk by the bowl. In fact, I find reasons to walk by the bowl and grab one or three. For instance, "Hmmm, I wonder what that sound is coming from the kitchen. I must check it out." And like magic, my hand is full of broken shells, and I am cramming the salty goodness into my mouth!

2. I wish Spring would sit and stay already! I'm so tired of the cold. And snow in April after weeks of 80 degree days? Good grief! Spring is teasing me with warm temperatures that lull me into a false sense of security only to catch me without a jacket or coat when the weather snaps with barely a few seconds notice before snow starts falling - again. Then Spring laughs her evil laugh, and I can hear it. She can bite me. (I am a creature of habit wherein January should be cold and blustery, and April should be warm and sunny with a slight chance of tulips and Easter bunny sitings. Therefore, do not remind me of my past joy when I once welcomed a blizzard with open arms weeks ago - that was then, this is now. So, Hah!)

3. I wish grad school were easy. I thought it would be candy and roses and fluffiness and Kumbayah. But alas, no. It is reading and reading and reading. Then there are papers, discussion postings, quizzes, more reading, journal entries, concepts, reading, and oh so many theories to learn. Blech!!

What's the old saying? Oh yes. "This too shall pass." Eventually we will be vacationing in sunny San Antonio with all of this behind us (me), and bitching about the heat. I hope...

Caught

Bookish

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Non-Reader
Fad Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

The Big One of '07

Being from a geographical location that sees bizarre weather at least twice a year, I was completely skeptical when all I kept hearing repeated was, "looks like we're in for some nasty weather." I mean, come on. Everytime it looks cloudy, the consensus runs the gamut from F5 tornado to a blizzard depending on the season. So when Friday morning dawned an ugly grey and it started sprinkling during the 30 minute drive to OU, I started wondering just how bad it might get, never truly believing the possibility of an ice storm.

Orientation was slated for 10:00 to 5:00 p.m., and at 10:40, just as the lecture really got started, the Dean popped her head in and announced the campus would be closing at noon. What? Due to rain?? I was still in disbelief until I hit the steps of the library exit and saw the chunks of ice falling as if some huge Icee machine from 7-Eleven were spewing from the depths of hell.

Much to my surprise (and dismay) those who had believed the weather reports as apocalyptic, ran out and drained the stores of produce and meat (click on each picture to get a better idea.) I was taken aback by this because the roads, though treacherous to those with little or no driving skills, were not impossible to navigate as long as one is not in a hurry. I admit however, that driving on solid ice is not for the faint of heart, however, if we stop and think about it, the Northeastern U.S. sees much worse every winter and they do just fine. So, on our outtings, when people remarked on our adventurous nature, we politely reminded them that this wasn't entirely terrible weather*. In fact, I truly enjoy being out when the world is unusually slow and quiet. I also enjoyed shopping stores that grudginly stayed open, browsing at a leisurely pace without being jostled by others.

Perhaps I am selfish because instead of appreciating and reflecting on the beautiful, sun-filled days of summer during a storm like this, I enjoy having a day or two like this that keeps everyone else in so as to have something to remember during one-hundred degree summers when I'm sitting in traffic, overheating or pushing my way through crowded stores among grouchy, sweaty shoppers. And although I may be crazy enough to hit the streets when everyone is safe at home, like anyone else, I also LOVE coming in out of the weather and sitting in front of a blazing fire, playing board games, and drinking cappucino with the family. Yay! Bring on the snow and sleet, I'm game!






*Unfortunately, the death toll for the midwest due to this string of storms has reached the dozens, many due to car accidents on rural highways. While I feel terrible for the families of those involved, I myself was fortunate enough that I didn't have to drive on highways, freeways, or anywhere else that required more than 30 miles an hour.

Brrrr...

How many ways can you say "IT'S REALLY FRIGGING COLD!!!"?

And So It Begins...

Very soon my dream of the last 5 years will come to fruition: I will start the Library and Information Studies Masters Degree Program at OU. It's been a long, bumpy road worth every second. The sacrifices seemed endless as did the studying, the costs, and the worrying that I would never see this day. Huge sigh of relief can be inserted here followed with renewed breath-holding as the final leg of this journey begins.

Great Reading Room at Bizzell Library, OU