Economy and Green Things

Article and video with Susan Hildreth, the new City Librarian talking about the upcoming budget cuts and the increase in usage of the library in the last year. Also, today she sent an email to staff saying that she and the library board and directors will be giving back the 4.5% cost of living raise they received. You will remember that the Mayor and other city executives will be doing the same.

It brings a tear to my eye to think of the higher ups being selfless this way. Too bad AIG contractors couldn't do the same. We still haven't heard what the proposed budget cuts are, but I am sure these proclaimations of self sacrifice by administration is somewhat to soften the blow. Better a 4.5% pay cut than losing one's job, for sure.

I started planting indoors for my garden. With the weather so unpredictable, I want to make sure the last frost is done before I move planting outdoors. So far I am starting tomatoes, green beans, collard greens and pumpkins with plans for corn, lettuce and herbs. We are doing an herb garden at the house this year and I will plant the veggies at the p-patch. The strawberries over there are still doing well and the irises are coming back nicely. They were so beautiful last year.

Nightmares in a Struggling Economy

I had the weirdest dream last night.

I was at my small branch, but it wasn't, all the colors were wrong. The people were right, but there was no manager; or rather, the wrong person was manager. We were having a unit meeting, where most of the staff gets in one room and we go over the things we need to be on the same page about.

The dream starts with the pseudo-manager turning to me, in an explanation about something else and says "and that is why I am going to have to let you and S (co-worker) go." I am in shock, I look at S and she just points her face to the floor in defeat--which is not like her at all.

"But why?"

"Because you didn't shelve the picture books."

My mind doesn't register that I don't shelve picture books usually. It just says "OMG, your right! I haven't been shelving the picture books!" S and I gather our things and leave the room, but then I go back and tell her "But I passed my year's probation time. You can't just fire me."

"You're not fired, you still work at the other branch." Shoot, that's true. So I hang my head and leave the meeting room. In the main part of the library, I get waylaid by a patron asking me a computer question, which I answer thinking that I am going to get in trouble for working off the clock. HA!

That is about where the dream ends. The last thing I noticed was that the library I was in was the Sprague Public Library in SLC. I am not sure how that got in there, except that the picture popped up the other day because someone made it a favorite.