The deal (with myself) was to hold off on blogging until the essay I had to finish was done. So here I am, having kicked essay butt.
And, um, I don't have much to say at the moment, except that I have been loving the Movie Mob. Vote Meowzers!
I promise I will have more interesting things to say once I get some of this darn paperwork done for these job applications. Yeah, yeah--I'm grateful there are even any job openings, but it makes absolutely no sense to me that I have to apply online and then fax or mail paperwork repeating what I just put in the application. Senseless. Illogical. Expensive. Ooooh, I just heard my mom's voice in my head: "Welcome to Academia!" Hmmmph.
7/07/2009
7/06/2009
Talk Amongst Yourselves
Man, it's really rough when I've got a bunch of family drama (nothing too bad, just silly) going on in the background and the frustration of having met Mr. Great-Conversation-but-Totally-Off-Limits (not for really moral or legal reasons, lest anyone's thoughts head in that direction) this past weekend, and I really can't talk about either situation here. Or just about anywhere. Sigh.
So I'll give you a discussion topic: Boundaries. Specifically, what to do if some of the really nice teens in the teen group you oversee (say, at a library) invite you to come with them to a post-meeting movie next time around. Most of the group going is girls but there are a few boys, if that matters. Does it violate an authoritative boundary to go? Or any other kind of boundary?
What say you, blogfriends?
So I'll give you a discussion topic: Boundaries. Specifically, what to do if some of the really nice teens in the teen group you oversee (say, at a library) invite you to come with them to a post-meeting movie next time around. Most of the group going is girls but there are a few boys, if that matters. Does it violate an authoritative boundary to go? Or any other kind of boundary?
What say you, blogfriends?
7/03/2009
A Friday Five in front of the Fourth
Well, for those of us in the United States, tomorrow is Independence Day--yippee! Apparently, this year I will be celebrating my status as a public servant by walking as a fairy tale princess* (carrying a large foam-board book I made) in the local community's parade. I'm hoping it's not un-American to be thankful that this year's 4th is not one of our usual blazing hot ones. . . because I will have shorts and a tee on underneath the dress and cape, thanks to the diaphanous skirt. Oh, and serious makeup. The Board doesn't know my performing background, and probably wouldn't guess that I have "work makeup" and appropriate makeup for many other occasions. Hilarious.
Gotta say, though, I do like parades. Here are five reasons I do:
1. July 4th's parade is neat because we get to see all our firefighters in their freshly washed trucks (instead of racing down the street to some emergency on any other day). Sometimes they have their families with them, and you can tell the kids who are having a blast being on top of the truck.
2. The other cool thing about the July 4th parade is that there are community ones going on all over, from the next town over to the states on the other side of the country.
3. Community ones are great because all the residents are lined up along the main street--some neighbors who don't normally see each other get to chat, and even some former residents come back for occasion.
4. I think a lot of people across the country would agree that spectacles like the Rose Parade and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade are interesting to check out, even if it's just to see how they're going to top themselves each year.
5. Having grown up in Philly, I gotta say--it's just not New Year's Day unless the Mummers are strutting.
Now, I'm off to do some princess-librarian primping. Have a great weekend!
*Yes, I'm linking to the commercialized version, because that's the costume the Board bought. And YES, I do get the "Someday My Prince Will Come" irony. . .
Gotta say, though, I do like parades. Here are five reasons I do:
1. July 4th's parade is neat because we get to see all our firefighters in their freshly washed trucks (instead of racing down the street to some emergency on any other day). Sometimes they have their families with them, and you can tell the kids who are having a blast being on top of the truck.
2. The other cool thing about the July 4th parade is that there are community ones going on all over, from the next town over to the states on the other side of the country.
3. Community ones are great because all the residents are lined up along the main street--some neighbors who don't normally see each other get to chat, and even some former residents come back for occasion.
4. I think a lot of people across the country would agree that spectacles like the Rose Parade and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade are interesting to check out, even if it's just to see how they're going to top themselves each year.
5. Having grown up in Philly, I gotta say--it's just not New Year's Day unless the Mummers are strutting.
Now, I'm off to do some princess-librarian primping. Have a great weekend!
*Yes, I'm linking to the commercialized version, because that's the costume the Board bought. And YES, I do get the "Someday My Prince Will Come" irony. . .
7/01/2009
Word Search
The state's education job site makes an applicant (such as myself) jump through all sorts of hoops in order to apply for jobs posted on the site. It would be far too easy to allow applicants to post their resumes--noooo, they want the bigger picture, so let's make everyone post about themselves piecemeal. Where did you go to school, and when? Let's see all your certification test scores! Here are six mini-essays to answer in 300 characters or less!
And the big one: We want to see if you can use full sentences and write coherently about a topic we give you--3000 characters or less!
I've had the worst writer's block in trying to answer the Big Essay Question--even trying to decide which of the topic choices I want to use--or about a week now.
There has been stalling. There has been staring. There has been purchasing of inspirational background music (from the local used CD shop) for writing, which may or may not be a veiled attempt to call upon my late friend who was my main writing support in high school/college and is probably too busy hanging out in the DJ booth of Heaven (with St. Cecilia) to hear my pleas.
Final desperate act: Change of scenery.
Before I went to work at the bookstore today--the first time I've been there in two weeks--I packed a snack. . . and the printout of the BEQ, folded over, with my official writing pen (blue ink for creativity) clipped to the page.
Maybe I didn't complete my response to the BEQ, but I did get outlines done for both of the two topics I thought I might choose. That's the other problem: too many choices.
But I think I'll just let that work itself out when I sit down to flesh out the outlines.
Tomorrow.
And the big one: We want to see if you can use full sentences and write coherently about a topic we give you--3000 characters or less!
I've had the worst writer's block in trying to answer the Big Essay Question--even trying to decide which of the topic choices I want to use--or about a week now.
There has been stalling. There has been staring. There has been purchasing of inspirational background music (from the local used CD shop) for writing, which may or may not be a veiled attempt to call upon my late friend who was my main writing support in high school/college and is probably too busy hanging out in the DJ booth of Heaven (with St. Cecilia) to hear my pleas.
Final desperate act: Change of scenery.
Before I went to work at the bookstore today--the first time I've been there in two weeks--I packed a snack. . . and the printout of the BEQ, folded over, with my official writing pen (blue ink for creativity) clipped to the page.
Maybe I didn't complete my response to the BEQ, but I did get outlines done for both of the two topics I thought I might choose. That's the other problem: too many choices.
But I think I'll just let that work itself out when I sit down to flesh out the outlines.
Tomorrow.
6/26/2009
The Friday Five: Once Again, It's O.K.
I'm sneaking in a post between storms. We got hail again--my begonias took a beating--and it's a freaky pink sunset out there right now. Better stormy today than tomorrow, when I'm herding teens for the library's children's carnival thingy.
It doesn't feel like Friday, maybe because I didn't work at the bookstore yesterday as I normally do, but that's O.K.
If the storms come back and I have to shut down the laptop, I might not finish typing my essay for the state education site tonight, but that's O.K.
And here are five more things that, by my decree, are perfectly O.K.:
1. Declaring yourself tonight's Jeopardy! champion because you got the final jeopardy question right. (19th century American Lit? It's in the bag!)
2. Putting maple syrup on sausage without a single pancake in sight.
3. Deciding you need a bigger TV just so you can see your program while all those darn tags keep popping up. (Thunderstorm warning? Move outta the way! I can't see half the cast.)
4. Going up and down the stairs at work a million times and counting it as a workout.
5. Feeling as if a little part of your childhood passes away when a celebrity of your childhood passes away. . . regardless of the circumstances.
Hope your weekend is double O.K.!
It doesn't feel like Friday, maybe because I didn't work at the bookstore yesterday as I normally do, but that's O.K.
If the storms come back and I have to shut down the laptop, I might not finish typing my essay for the state education site tonight, but that's O.K.
And here are five more things that, by my decree, are perfectly O.K.:
1. Declaring yourself tonight's Jeopardy! champion because you got the final jeopardy question right. (19th century American Lit? It's in the bag!)
2. Putting maple syrup on sausage without a single pancake in sight.
3. Deciding you need a bigger TV just so you can see your program while all those darn tags keep popping up. (Thunderstorm warning? Move outta the way! I can't see half the cast.)
4. Going up and down the stairs at work a million times and counting it as a workout.
5. Feeling as if a little part of your childhood passes away when a celebrity of your childhood passes away. . . regardless of the circumstances.
Hope your weekend is double O.K.!
6/25/2009
Pleasing Some of the People Some of the Time
The Challenger from the Library PC Turf Wars was back in the (corner desk) saddle yesterday. . . and completely ready to explode after screwing up the log-in for another computer--the patrons aren't supposed to log off when they're done, just close any open apps--and then not being able to print what she wanted. The reference librarian who is the computer guru had left for lunch right before I came in.
Two of my co-workers were trying to get the screwed-up computer back online, and were struggling with unclear directions, so I offered to sit down and work through it. Figured it out pretty quickly, so that was good.
Then, I patiently worked with the Challenger on her printing problems. Turns out it was the same old problem--there was a job holding up the queue, and nobody at the circ desk, where the printer is located, seems to understand how to resolve the problem (most often by hitting Continue). The Challenger was getting all flustered from going back and forth from the computer to the printer and coming up with nothing. (Kinda serves her right for picking the computer farthest away from the circ desk.) I often wonder if elderly people, feeling that life is short, get impatient and short-tempered as a result. Or maybe it comes from not feeling well.
Once I brought her print job (jobs--it printed 3x) to her, she was happy as a clam. For the moment, anyway.
So there you have it: I had to fix both problems when nobody else on staff could. I wish word would get around about that sort of successful thing instead of everything I seem to do "wrong."
Well, this afternoon I bought eight pounds of hot dogs, tons o' buns, and chips for the kids' carnival this Saturday. 'Cuz I'm the only one with a warehouse member's card. That oughta make somebody happy with me.
Two of my co-workers were trying to get the screwed-up computer back online, and were struggling with unclear directions, so I offered to sit down and work through it. Figured it out pretty quickly, so that was good.
Then, I patiently worked with the Challenger on her printing problems. Turns out it was the same old problem--there was a job holding up the queue, and nobody at the circ desk, where the printer is located, seems to understand how to resolve the problem (most often by hitting Continue). The Challenger was getting all flustered from going back and forth from the computer to the printer and coming up with nothing. (Kinda serves her right for picking the computer farthest away from the circ desk.) I often wonder if elderly people, feeling that life is short, get impatient and short-tempered as a result. Or maybe it comes from not feeling well.
Once I brought her print job (jobs--it printed 3x) to her, she was happy as a clam. For the moment, anyway.
So there you have it: I had to fix both problems when nobody else on staff could. I wish word would get around about that sort of successful thing instead of everything I seem to do "wrong."
Well, this afternoon I bought eight pounds of hot dogs, tons o' buns, and chips for the kids' carnival this Saturday. 'Cuz I'm the only one with a warehouse member's card. That oughta make somebody happy with me.
6/24/2009
You Gotta Read This Book
Because it was cheaper to fly out of BWI, I took the train from Philly. . . and wound up way early for my flight. Luckily, I had Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to keep me occupied. It was hilarious--I must've been grinning the whole time I was reading it. And the pictures. . . you'd die laughing once you found out what "Kiss Me Deer" means, for example. It's especially enjoyable if you can't stand Mr. Collins.
Plus, it was a great conversation-starter, just as I had guessed. It worked on a middle-aged couple who happened to be sitting next to me in the waiting area at the gate. I went to stash the book in my carry-on when it was getting close to boarding time.
Husband: Wait, can I ask you what book you were just reading?
Me: Oh, it was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Wife: (Laughs) Is it like the original story?
Me: Sort of. (I take it out of my bag to show them.) They put it as co-authored by Jane Austen. It's about 95% of the original story, using Jane Austen's words. . . only England is being attacked by zombies, and the Bennet sisters have been trained in the martial arts to fight them. (Reading the blurb on the back) 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you'd actually want to read.' (Now the husband is laughing.) Yeah, there's even a fight scene at a party where they team up and kill the zombies.
Wife: We have a teenage daughter--do you think she'd like it?
Me: If she's read the original Pride & Prejudice, she'll appreciate it more. But probably anybody vaguely familiar with the story would like it.
Then we were speculating whether Masterpiece Theatre would do a series on it. I hope so!
(See, even on vacation, I can't stop recommending books.)
Plus, it was a great conversation-starter, just as I had guessed. It worked on a middle-aged couple who happened to be sitting next to me in the waiting area at the gate. I went to stash the book in my carry-on when it was getting close to boarding time.
Husband: Wait, can I ask you what book you were just reading?
Me: Oh, it was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Wife: (Laughs) Is it like the original story?
Me: Sort of. (I take it out of my bag to show them.) They put it as co-authored by Jane Austen. It's about 95% of the original story, using Jane Austen's words. . . only England is being attacked by zombies, and the Bennet sisters have been trained in the martial arts to fight them. (Reading the blurb on the back) 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you'd actually want to read.' (Now the husband is laughing.) Yeah, there's even a fight scene at a party where they team up and kill the zombies.
Wife: We have a teenage daughter--do you think she'd like it?
Me: If she's read the original Pride & Prejudice, she'll appreciate it more. But probably anybody vaguely familiar with the story would like it.
Then we were speculating whether Masterpiece Theatre would do a series on it. I hope so!
(See, even on vacation, I can't stop recommending books.)
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