socktoberfest

socktoberfest,
originally uploaded by kennedy43023.

Who's excited? Me! Me! There are other crazy sockaholics out there :D

Go to this link for more information.

Library Humour

This comes from the PubLib listserv. Ah, library humour. ;)


Let reference librarians conduct their business in the same manner as Dr.House of the eponymous TV series -- i.e., as long as we give ultimately brilliant service, we should be allowed to insult the patrons.

Patron: "This is a dumb question . . . "
House the Librarian: "I'm sure it is, probably dumber than a lot ofthem I get. But go ahead anyway."

Patron: "I'm looking for the book by this dude, Les Miserables."
House: "Here is 50 cents. I want you to go outside to the pay phone, call your mother, and tell her there is very little chance of your attending college."

Patron: "I have the title but not the author. I guess you can't help me."
House: "No, no, I don't suppose so. It's one of those book things, isn't it? And I'm just the librarian."

Patron: "I need something on doing psychic readings on cats."
House: "Have you been this way ever since you crashed at Roswell?"

Patron: "What a wonderful job! Paid to just sit and read!"
House: "Oh indeed. If you'll excuse me now, it's my turn in the staff jacuzzi."

Patron: "Can I check out these books marked REFERENCE?"
House: "Ordinarily not. But if you're not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, we make an exception."

Get enough Houses on your staff, and you'll never have to worry about the impression of encouraging friendship.

Good luck.
Joe Schallan
Phoenix

:D Good to know that I am not the only one out there thinking this kind of stuff!

Being sick sucks

Well, duh, Anne. Of course it does. But I am still going to whine about it for a little while. I hate that I had to take off time from work because I couldn't breathe or talk without sounding like a congested man. Even now, three days later, I still can't breathe.

And now, I am bored out of my mind. I've done all of my homework for next week. I've even written my post for the next online class session (scary to have it done before the Monday noon deadline). I can't settle on any of the fun books. My parents have had to bring them to me (sometimes I wonder about their tastes). But I can't go to the library because it is my biggest pet peeve when someone who is obviously sick comes in. Grrr.

At least I have my knitting and my cat. I can be a crazy cat lady huddled in the corner. God, how depressing.

This is why I shouldn't talk to anyone or write anything when I am in a pissy mood. Or read anything. The chicklit book I just finished was supposed to be (and I am sure is) funny. In this mood, however, I just found it incredibly depressing. It was about a girl who has to move back to her hometown to take care of her dad after a car accident. She just keeps being reminded about high school everywhere she looks. It's like she can't get away from that time and people never grow out of it. Sound familiar?

" 'High school was like an extened four-year test,' Jeannie said. 'We just happened to test well, that's all.'
'An extened four-year test that leaves permanent scars.' I shook my head. 'Or requires years of therapy.'"

Well, reading that, the book doesn't sound funny at all. Hmmm.

Create your own card catalog cards

I am dork enough to think of creating my own virtual card catalog cards? Debatable. Check out (ha! I crack myself up) this blog to find out more information.

"places to visit before the next natural disaster"

So this idea started a month ago during a chat with Carolyn. I want to start a list of places to go which may or may not be around much longer. For instance, I wish I had gone to New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina hit because now it will never be the same. Here is the list we started.

• san francisco (seconded by Andi)
• holland
• most of the caribbean
• places near active volcanoes
• antarctica
• the arctic
• greenland
• iceland (if you want to see the glaciers)
• charleston
• boston (not really in the path of a natural disaster but I just want to get there)
• Savannah
• corpus cristi (simply for its name)
• places on a fault line
• australia

Think of any others?

Moderately Confused

I found this comic today very funny. Depressing but funny.

Random ramblin's of a 'rarian

After waiting for the flea guy to treat the library (yes, my library is infested with fleas which is a long story), I am now waiting for my parents to pick me up. We're travelling down to visit the cousins in TN for the Labor Day weekend. Because we are jumping on the interstate right near where I work, we didn't want to have 2 cars down here. The only thing is now I have to wait in a chemically smelly library because it is raining outside. Joy. The thing is, my family is never on time for anything. It takes me at least 3 tries to get out of the door whenever I leave. So I guess it was too much to expect them to be here right at 3.30. *sigh*

At least, the car trip will give me the chance to do some more knitting. I will just have to make the tough decision of whether or not I want to start a pair of lime green socks or a pair of dark blue ones. Choices, choices! ;)

Oh, so you want to hear more about the fleas? Ever since we opened last year, the library has been infested. Apparently, fleas are a big problem around the water. I had no idea! Anyway, the theory is that one of our regular patrons have an infestation problem. Because they are a regular, they keep bringing the little buggers into the library. We spray regularly but, when it is close to the time for another spraying, the fleas start eating the staff alive. One of the other workers is more appetizing to the fleas so I am mostly spared. I usually only have 2-3 bites per day. Yipee. I've made up some eucalyptus oil spray which is supposed to deter the fleas. I wonder if people could be doused in it?

Random Knitting Pictures

I love this yarn but can't get it to pattern up like I want. I would love the large pattern at the top and ankle to be all over the sock.

And classes begin again

Tomorrow will be my first day of class in a couple of months. Both of the classes (the online and in-person classes) have their syllabus online so I can see the assignments before the first night of class. The Foundations of Library Science program has four assignments which are worth 80% of the final grade (participation is 20%).

I started to look at the description of the assignments and really got excited about doing them. Showing my true nerdy colors, I have actaully begun the first assignment. I am 3/4 of the way done with the 500 word essay. It is along the lines of the NPR segment "This I believe" in which people state what they believe. The NPR essays cover the serious (love, war, etc) to the flipant (barbeque). The essay for class has to be posted to the online discussion board by September 12th. I think I will be able to handle it. My plan is to write about friendship.

The second assignment has two options: a) interview a librarian or b) visit a library. Sure, the assignment is more complicated than that but, hey, it is only 5-7 pages. Can you believe that? It will take me maybe an hour or two to do the entire assignment. I will, of course, interview someone because I love interviewing and oral history.

The thrid assignment consists of contributing to a class wiki! Could this get any easier?! My god.

The fourth assignment is a partner powerpoint presentation. This is the only one which might constitute a problem. True, I hate doing group projects but that is not the problem. The presenations will be given from November 12 - December 12. I will be in the country for only two of those 4 class meetings; the first and the last. Hmm, have to make sure my partner and I present on the right day.

The online class is going to be a little bit more labor intensive because we have to do so many responses to questions and do follow-up posts to our fellow classmates' responses. The responses, however, only have to be 150 words. That will be a whole lot of BS. I am not looking forward to writing the paper, though.

And to the knitting . . . :)

I started (and finished one half) of a pair of knee-high socks. I really love the yarn but I can't get it to pattern up right. It is made from the toe up. The yarn does pattern up at the gusset area where there are more stitches and at the top of the leg where there are more stitches. I started the second half of the pair on #2 needles to see if the increase in size helped. (It did not.) I guess I will just keep playing and frog the one sock if it needs it.

In the meantime, I've started another pair of socks (big surprise). This time the yarn is patterning up quite nicely. It is a bright blue, dark blue, white and black striped yarn this time. I've finished one sock and am well on the way with the other.

Still haven't blocked the light sweater I finished 2 or 3 weeks ago. This is my problem. I never quite finish a project. I will get it mostly done but not entirely. Oh, well. That will give me something to do while I avoid doing the readings for class.

I've been trying to upload pictures of the socks in various stages of completion but something seems to be wrong with blogger. Guess I will try later.

Freeload Press

Have you read this article? http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14362735/ It talks about reducing textbook costs by including ads in the textbook. I don't know about you but I would more than willing to have a couple of ads in my book if it meant I wasn't spending 60 bucks on a thin paperback!

Socks, socks, everywhere!

So I was cleaning up my room yesterday and started straightening my yarn stash. That is always a bad thing. Once I started with that section of the room, all thoughts of cleaning the rest of the room died.

I have an absolute passion for knitting socks and have tons of sock yarn in the stash. Well, I discovered some sock yarn that I had squirreled away and discovered I didn't have the #2 circular needles that I needed for the guage. Of course, I just had to run down to the Needling Yarn for the needles. With a knowing smile, Kim, the owner, told me that she just got some new sock yarn in. It's a vicious circle, isn't it? :)

I am currently working on a knee-high sock using yarn from Cherry Hill in the Monet color. I LOVE the colors but can't seem to get it to pattern up. It only has a pattern of colors in the sections where I have increased (i.e. around the gusset and the very top of the leg). I've tried #1s and #2s but it doesn't seem to make a difference. *sigh* I'll get a picture of it on here sometime.

The end of the fair = the end of summer

I can't believe how quickly the summer has passed! It always seems like the end of the state fair is the end of the summer. I know it officially ends in September but, eh.

School will be starting up again in another couple of weeks (bye, bye freetime. I will miss you!) At least this semester I have one online class so I only have to drive the 45 minute/ hour to class once a week.

There are just some things you should not discuss in public on your cell phone. For example, your failed drug test. No joke. A patron answered his phone and began loudly (is there any other volume?) discussing his drug test results with the poor person calling to let him know that he had failed the test. That job would really suck. You would have to hear a lot of complaints from lots of different people.

Blah, Blah, Blah!

So I realized that the only time I post things is when I am at work. Hmmm. . . Anyway, thought I would write something from home.

Don't you hate that depression you feel after finishing a book? It is kind of an empty feel, like you have lost a friend. Or it could just be that I have been reading too many sappy chick lit/romance books when I am not in a relationship. Oh, this drivel is making me really depressed. Luckily no one reads this ;)

Have I mentioned that I own one horse, am owned by one cat and am aunt to two dogs? No? Picture time!
This lovely creature is Java, the horse. As you can tell by his expression, he is wildly thrilled to be ridden and can barely control his excitement. Sometimes he can act scared of the strangest things. This morning, for instance, he jumped a tiny (less than 18 inches) jump which we have jumped hundreds of times like it was 4 feet! I could tell the second before we took off that the landing was going to hurt. Nothing like a good bone-jarring to wake you up in the morning. :)

I think that is enough rambling for the evening/day. On to the next day. . . .

People, in the library! *gasp*

Yesterday, it was beyond dead at work. We only had 6 people use the internet not to mention only a small number of people checking out items. It is really sad when, over the span of 4 hours, you can count the number of patrons on one hand.

Today, however, has been completely different! It was so busy that we had people waiting to use the internet, requesting books and were signing people up for new cards. I hope this is a trend that continues.

And I shall call you "Cologne Boy."

I love how some patrons lend themselves to nicknames. Some nicknames are memory triggers like "Cookies lady" for the woman who loves making cookies and gives them to everyone. Or "Newspaper Man" for the kind gentleman who comes in almost everyday to read the paper, check his e-mail and pass the time of day.

Other nicknames are not so nice. "That fox purse lady" for the woman who is sooooo proud of the bright purple and white fox purse (oh, wouldn't you LOVE to see that one?) and wants you to compliment her on it. Or the newly created one for "Cologne Boy," a man who thinks, if a little cologne is good, bathing in it would be even better. Ugh. The entire place stinks for hours after he has left. Air freshener, here I come.

And Then There Were None. . .

Well, I've finally broken down and started a blog. It seems to be a very librarian thing to do so thought I would join the fun.

Some of my background info: I'm a grad student working on my MLIS (Master's of Library and Information Science), working full-time at a small branch library, and spending my free time riding my horse or knitting.

I'm sure I'll find something interesting with which to fill this space. But that will probably happen later. . . .