Busy December

No new information in libraryland, so I have directed my attention towards getting ready for my two week vacation. I am not going anywhere, besides going to Spokane for a couple of days. Family is coming to visit me though, and I will get to spend some good quality time with the ones that live here already. I am REALLY looking forward to it.

I finally rode my bike again yesterday, after a week off. I didn't feel prepared for the extra cold weather, even though it was mostly sunny. Yesterday was pretty rainy, so it was a good day to get back on the bike ;) I was a little tired during, but it went well. I am impressed that I am still riding in December, although the weather isn't much different right now than it was in September; 47 and raining.

Most presents have been bought. I actually have some wrapping paper that I like. Cards are made and ready to be filled out--ok, those might be a little late getting to people.

Mentee is still MIA, which is sad. She ran off the day before she was supposed to visit her son. We all felt that she sounded sincere when we talked to her, that she was ready to settle in and do better.

I worked at the University District Service Provider Alliance holiday dinner for youth on Monday. I got to see a few of the kids I know from UDYC. This year I helped in the general store, where kids that didn't have a Secret Santa got to spend fake money on stuff like warm coats, sleeping bags, toiletries, gift cards, and a few highly sought after electronics. Last year I was a table captain--someone who made sure that the rules of conduct were followed, but also just hung out and spent time with the youth at the table. This year was definitely less interactive, but I still had a good time. Costumes were required, so I went as an elf--striped sleeves and socks, green knee pants, red circles on my cheeks. I should have taken a picture, but I seem to be photo-deficient lately. No excuse, really.

Chaos in Libraryland

I hinted at the changes that might be coming for my job and while I still don't know exactly what they will be, they definitely will be.

Right now they are working on a re-organization of managers and what, for the sake of space, I will call assistant managers, although there are several job classes in actuality. After they figure out where all those people will go, they will move the rest of us around. I highly doubt my branches will be my branches any more. It makes me sad to think about. I love my coworkers and my buildings and (most of) my patrons. My schedule will also be different, but I am not terribly worried about that, since we will be open fewer hours and I don't forsee a lot of hardship there.

Since we still don't know any specifics, many of us are anxious, even though we know it will turn out ok in the end. Rumors and speculation are flying all over, which isn't conducive to doing your job. My mental state is all over the place. We likely won't find out our fates until around January 2nd--that is just before the 30 day limit admin has to notify us of changes.

On the upside, Comixtravaganza is happening this year. There will be some things happening at Central and South Park--I will link to them later on, the calendar isn't updated yet. We are having the draw-a-thon at the University Library on January 23rd, starting at 2pm. Matthew Southworth is going to hold a drawing workshop before hand (here is a review of Stumptown by him and Greg Rucka). Zanadu Comics is helping sponsor (Thank You Perry!), so the awesome Sean is coming to hand out door prizes, help judge and hand out the winning prizes. I am excited that I get to have this last hurrah before the changes hit.

Adventures in DIY

Today I had a 3 hour shift filling in at Capitol Hill. I took it as an excuse for an adventure and I took the bus and got to the Hill about an hour before the shift started. I wandered down Broadway from Olive to Mercer. A lot has changed since I lived in the 'hood about 4 years ago. New buildings have gone up, businesses have moved or been replaced, but the people are the same and so are many other things. I stopped in at Crossroads, Urban Outfitters and QFC, then made my way upstairs in the Broadway Market to check on whether the photo booth is still there. Score! It is and it has color photos. Oddly enough, it only takes credit cards, but that is ok too.

Which comes to my big plan for holiday cards. I wanted to do this last year, but couldn't get the boys to take me seriously and we ran out of time. This year, I am just dragging them to do it--and I already got them both to agree. What they don't know is that I intend to take them to Hana for sushi afterwards. Of course, that is as much a treat for me as it is for them.

Oh yeah, so the holiday cards. I want all three of us to cram into a photo booth and take 3 silly pictures and one "serious" or "normal" one. Then I want to scan these 4 pictures in to the computer in a square. Either I will get them printed at Costco or on my own printer, which doesn't do a bad job if I have the right paper, and put them on some cards I am making. I will be sure to post photo's when I am done.

I have been doing some crafting lately, making notepads for xmas presents. I took a book binding class at the Zine Unconference back in March, and I was pleasantly surprised that I remembered how to do it. I even modified it a bit to work with a wrap around cover.

The blue cover is one that I made in the class. I made the two smaller ones today. My tools are behind them--I never knew how useful an awl was before I bought this one. It has really made my life easy in a lot of ways. And I love this paper cutter. I got it for less than $30 at Costco a while back. It has a blunt edge cutter on the right and a wheel cutter on the left. The blunt cutter is better than the "real" paper cutter we have at work. I hope it lasts.

I have also been experimenting with simple screen printing, using an embroidery hoop, some fine mesh curtain fabric and acrylic paint. It is definitely possible, but I need to find the right kind of paper to use for the stencils. Newsprint get ink on the paper and bleeds, and paper bag is too thick. Maybe magazine paper...

***

The reward for my Broadway adventure? A hecka lot of rain and a bus that just never came on the way home. I was soaked. But it was totally worth it.

Cold and Cluttered with a Chance of Cleaning

It is Sunday and I haven't even started the coffee pot yet. I got derailed last night when I asked Dr. T what he had to do today and he replied that he had to go to rounds at 6:30. AM. Sigh. I was going to make a big breakfast, but big breakfast for one is just not as exciting.

I came home wanting to go out last night, but ended up getting cold and I just took a bath, bundled up and went to bed fairly early for a Saturday. Proof I am getting old I suppose. I haven't ridden all week because of being sick and various errands that I had to do, so it is probably best that I didn't make that big breakfast. Tuesday I will start again.

Individually, Dr. T and I are both clutter bugs. Together, we are a mess ;) He has newspapers and receipts and junk mail everywhere, and I tend to have yarn and whatever I brought home from work sitting around. After a few days it begins to feel claustrophobic. We both need to change our ways, but that means we have to work on it. The clutter really isn't very charming. I should turn on some lights and start cleaning... and maybe some heat. It is cold in here.

Being Sick and Veteran's Day

I am home sick today and I feel regret about it. I got a free day off yesterday, which was wonderful, and now I have another because I feel rotten. I really like going to work lately. I love my branches and what I do, even with the rabble. Well, here's to feeling better tomorrow.

Dr. T has been feeling sick all week. I would like to say that I am a good girlfriend and have been taking care of him, but in reality, I have barely acknowledged his sickness. I just keep doing my thing and in my mind he is fine until I ask him something and his nasally tone comes back to me and makes me realize that I should probably offer him some tea or something. He is pretty self reliant and tends to do those things for himself when he wants them. I know it is nice to be taken care of sometimes though. Like right now. But he is away on call tonight, so I am on my own.

Being off yesterday made me think about all the veterans in my life and there are a few. My dad and step-dad, several uncles and two of my cousins have served. Actually, one of my cousins is still serving. He is stationed in Japan and pilots harrier jets. It is what he has wanted to do since we were small. He has a wife and their two children are growing up abroad and from the look and sound of things are adapting quite well. I envy them their travels--and I know they are loving it.

Another cousin who has served in the reserves got called up twice to go to Iraq. He had some really interesting stories there that I would repeat for you if I could remember them well enough. He has had some recent health trouble that ensures that he won't be going back. He is a brave man and I have always admired him.

I found myself wondering why we are in Afghanistan and what our presence in the Middle East even means anymore. The politics of the situations are lost on me these days while I am worrying about mayoral races (yay McGinn!) and city budget cuts (thanks to the city council for giving an additional $863,000 to the library budget today). Now that those two things have settled and the initiatives and referendums are where they should be, I can read a bit more about foreign policy again.

Blue Skies

This morning I went down the the Seattle Municipal Building and went up to the 17th floor. I spent 2 hours stuffing envelopes and chatting with the staff of Department of Neighborhoods, P-Patch. This was the last of my 8 hours (actually puts me at 10) of volunteer time for the P-Patch that we have to put in each year. While I was there, I was able to get them to change the picture on the Ballard P-Patch website so that it was no longer the wrong location--something I had been talking about with the site coordinator for months, but we just couldn't seem to get done. Now I have the right contact so I can also update the blurb. So much can get done when you are in the right room!

Another thing struck me while I was there. Working at Seattle Public Library, I am also a city employee, although it is somewhat different. We have a different bargaining unit, since we have a different union, but many things are the same. I mentioned the library several times in my conversations with the p-patch folks, but never came right out and said that I work there. They all asked which p-patch I belong to, though. It felt weird to be there for 2 hours without telling them that I also work for the city, but it never felt right to come out and say so either.

I met my dad for lunch down at the Pike Place Market after volunteering. We met at the pig and ended up at Cafe Campagne. Dad got the pre fix and I chose the cassoulett. Everything was really good. The cassoulett was a stew of white beans, sausage, pork, duck confit, and lamb; perfect for a cold day. We left there and went in search of a cookie. After only half a block we smelled something delicious and went into Le Panier (I know, a french kick...) and got 2 slices of fruit tart. We took them over to the benches overlooking the waterfront. Starlings begged for crust and we sat chatting about life, love, work and politics. It was a nice day. The sky was blue in the morning and it just started to spit rain as I headed home.

Wearing different hats

I am feeling more alive today, although I am trading the being tired and grumpy for stomach upset. I won't beleaguer you today with my whining, just know why I am still not quite myself.

I need a costume for Saturday. There is a costume party a bunch of friends are giving and they are REALLY into the dressing up thing. I have dressed up in the past and had some fun with it, but lost my momentum over the years. Last year I didn't even bother.

I looked through my costume box (doesn't everyone have one of these?) and found that I really have 2 choices, both of which will require the aquisition of some accessories. I can be a pirate BORING! or a steam punk. The second one is cool, but I am not sure that it is recognizable. I hate it when people ask: So what are you, anyway? Are there any recognizable steam punk characters besides Agatha Heterodyne from Girl Genius? Maybe Nausicaa or Sheeta from Castle in the Sky. But none of those lend to good costumes. Maybe I will just make a sign to wear that says "What? You don't know?" and leave it at that.

****

Lots going on in Libraryland. I am taking on more responsibilities while trying to be more organized and lessen others so that I don't get overwhelmed. It is working so far. I am redesigning and taking over updates on my Instruction Committee intranet site. That will only be a lot of work at the beginning. I have done two branch sites already, but the editing interface is pretty different for the committee site. I have been playing with that and learning about the difference between publishing pages and team pages. I have made a few small changes to start with and plan to make more sweeping ones when I have hang of things.

I am also "weeding" our Flickr account. Our paid subscription is up and we aren't going to renew. The free option only shows the most recent 200 pictures, so I will be choosing the "best" and deleting the rest so that the good ones show up on the blog.

Grumpy Weekend

The weekend was a little stressful for me. The boys don't seem to be talking. They talk in my general direction instead and seem to hope that the other boy will hear.

For example: The Boy asked if there was any soda. I told him he should ask Dr. T (because he had bought some and said it was for that purpose). The boy went back in his room without saying anything.

Me: huh, I don't think he understood was I was saying.

I heard a grunt from Dr. T.

I called to The Boy: There is soda, you just have to ask Dr. T where it is and if you can have some, because he bought it.

The Boy came back out, looked at me and said: Can I have some soda?

Me: Ask Dr. T.

The Boy: Dr. T, can I have some soda? (sort of looking at him, but then looking back at me)

Me: Please.

The Boy: Please?

Dr. T: I think there's some in the cupboard...

Dr. T didn't look at either of us as he said it. He went to get it, but this whole exchange left me feeling like I am in the middle of some silent treatment that is going on. The problem is, everyone forgot to tell me. Or maybe it includes me and that's why they didn't tell me.

Both boys were total bumps this weekend. Except that Dr. T had football and I dragged them both to Bed Bath and Beyond (which still solicits "watch out for the beyond section" from The Boy) and Costco. The crowds do not put me in a good mood and going to Costco sort of did me in. We were supposed to go to a pumpkin carving/autumn party after that, but both bailed on me and when I got home, they were both in the same place as when I left. Total bumps.

So I was grumpy all weekend. On Sunday I didn't even take off my pj's or step further out of the house than to take out some recycling. I did make some amazing bread and The Boy and I made dinner together on Sunday--breaded halibut. Yum.

Loose End Roundup

My flickr account occasionally gives me little gratifying (or not) gifts. A few weeks ago someone from Schmap!! asked if they could use one of my pictures from a recent hiking trip to Sol Duc Falls in their online travel brochure/app. Why not? So I said yes and it is one of the many featured here under Olympic Peninsula. I feel like it would have been more useful if they had at least tagged the location where the shot was taken. If you know me, and want to look for the photo, it is under my maiden name.

Speaking of Maiden Names, I have been considering going back to mine for years. Every 6 months or so I look up the how, why and when, then look at the cost and put it off a bit further. $150 isn't that much to pay to change your name, but then you have to send a certified copy of the name change to every creditor and institution that you do business with as well, and each of those suckers costs $5. Then there is the passport. Mine doesn't expire until 2012. To change your name on it is the same as getting a new one. And what about my certificates and degrees? I guess I could just file them away instead of having them on the wall. So I keep putting it off. Maybe it can be my alter ego, my superhero name. I can have it embroidered on my undies. >:-P

I had a whirlwind of news on my mentee last week, that put me emotionally through the ringer--mostly today when I sat down to put my contact log together. She called her social worker and said she was going to turn herself in and wanted a foster care placement. The social worker found one but in Covington, so when the time came, Mentee refused to come in because Covington is so far away. I am on a fence about this--the reason she ran away last time was because she was stuck out in Shelton. Maybe she is just being realistic about her ability to live out in the middle of nowhere? But understandably, the social worker threw her hands in the air and said "whatever! Figure your own sh** out" (my interpretation). That basically means she will have to turn herself into the authorities and go to detention, then get another placement. This is another black mark on her record of abandoning her baby. She won't answer the phone when I call, or she sometimes does, but hangs up on me. We never got to make the bond I was hoping for and for a while she thought it was my job to spend time with her. I am sure that colored things. Or maybe she worries that I would turn her in. It hurts that I can't help her or her son. I can't see him unless she gives permission, so I don't know how he is either. Anyhow, I will keep her in my thoughts, but I am going to stop feeling guilty (or try to) for not being closer to her. For now, it is out of my hands.

I am still riding to work once or twice a week, despite being sick or tired or just grumpy. I am starting to feel fit, rather than just staying the same, which is helping motivate me through this ugly fall weather. Random thoughts I have had while riding: REALLY glad I bought the rain pants from REI and coat from Second Ascent, I love how the leaves look on the library lawn after it has been mowed, I really don't mind the rain--it feels like home.

Fall Gratification

The rain is here. It isn't phasing me one bit. Not that I like getting drenched, but for some reason I don't mind it this year. Plus we have been having some bad ass unpredictable storms that make the season feel exciting.

***

I do a lot of reader's advisory at my branches. Many of the queries are subjects that I can speak to well, like Juvenile fiction for boys and girls. I can totally help a kid or their parent find that kid their next book. YA fiction? Yup, got that one. Occasionally someone wants adult fiction though and often I am not helpful (enough). I don't have a lot of time for reading outside of YA and J and I rely heavily on the recommendations of friends and colleagues when I do. I seem to read more non-fiction than fiction in the adult arena as well, which is terribly unhelpful in adult reader's advisory.

A woman came in yesterday asking for a non-violent, "well written" mystery. Everyone's definition of "well written" is different and I was trying to tease some more info out of her, but she kept saying "I don't usually read mysteries," and I am thinking "but what doooo you read?" Finally I got her to tell me of a mystery author that she had read everything by (I know, right?) and found her some read alike authors using our LibraryThing app on the catalog. I felt lame at that point, but she seemed happy--but one can never tell. We don't have a survey that shows up at your home after an encounter and gauges your satisfaction with our service. We just have to hope the person comes back at the right moment and tells us.

And right after that, a woman came up and thanked me for helping her the week before. She was looking for some books by Virginia Woolf and I had found her one book and one book on CD. She told me that she found VW's "stream of consciousness" style to be cumbersome and asked me what I thought of her writing. I hadn't read VW since college and a lot of what we dealt with in her writing were snippets in class. In small doses Woolf is inspiring (or depressing) and beautiful, but when you read the whole, it could become a chore. I related it to certain musical artists, where you didn't enjoy their music, per say, but you did enjoy the works that came later by other artists who were influenced by the earlier one. Yup, I was feeling pretty intelligent. Probably one of the most stimulating conversations I have had with a patron since I started at SPL (outside of Intellectual Freedom).

I think my head is back to its normal size now.

***

Not a lot going on at home right now. Dr. T and I are settling in to domestic bliss. The Boy's football games have moved days so I only have one more I can go to later in the month. This makes our weekends much more laid back, as much as I would like to be there to see him play. It is dark and rainy out so I am not doing much gardening, although I think I will have a second crop of potatoes in my planter. It is so easy to grow potatoes that I think I will continue doing it throughout the year to supplement our potato addiction.

I will be in another wedding. Sister U is getting married next September and it is fun to watch her and her beau plan. They have a blog where they throw up all of their ideas, both serious and silly. I kind of hope they get the comic book hero cake though.

Onigiri and Bento

I have been fascinated with certain aspects of Japanese culture for many years. (It must run in the dad's family). They just make everything so cute! I saw this blog post about making a suck up bento box and I just wanted a bento lunch box so bad. Then my cousin posted this video.

The combination of the two sent me over. I spent one afternoon out looking for bento boxes on the North end of Seattle. Everything was either really expensive, or really cheap looking.

My cousin saw my struggle on Facebook and since her husband is stationed in Japan and she and their children are there, she offered to send me a bento lunch box! Shipping from the base is the same as US postage. I got a whole box of fun goodies a couple of weeks later. Two bento, fishie sauce holders, fun paper cups to put food in and onigiri molds.

Today we tried out the onigiri molds. I read a lot about it before hand,(this was the best site) which was probably overkill because this is one of the easiest Japanese foods ever to make. I wasn't sure I would like the molds, because it sounded so easy to make without them--occasionally something that seems revolutionary just adds its own problems to processes. Not here. The molds made it super easy and we didn't have to burn our hands. We wore gloves anyway and it helped keep the mess down.

These are our finished product. You can check out our set on Flickr to see all the pictures. Basically, you dip your onigiri molds (or your hands) in water, then sprinkle them with salt. Press in warm (or hot, if you are feeling masochistic) japanese style rice, filling about half way. Add your filling--we used salted salmon and pickled veggies--then add more rice over the top. Press down with your dipped and salted top mold, then press it out of the mold. You can wrap the finished onigiri it in seaweed, fukikake, sesame seeds, or whatever suits your fancy. If you are making them for later, you might want to pack that part separate, as the seaweed tends to get a strange texture after sitting. Here is The Boy enjoying one of our first onigiri:

What's Going on with Your Sick Self?

I am home sick today, bored with Facebook (gasp!) and just put away my grocery delivery. I always wondered what would happen if Amazon Fresh went to the wrong door and didn't get an answer--evidently they just put it in bins and leave it in the usual non-attended spot. Thank goodness, I didn't want to think about having to go pick them up somewhere. Amazing! All I know is that no-one knocked between 8 and 9am and there were the bins, all stacked up. You know what else is amazing? They have never once forgotten something in my order. The one time there was a mistake, it was my fault. Somehow I ordered 3 bunches of 5 bananas. It was right there on my list. If only I had noticed sooner.

Enough about my grocery bliss. I am home with a cold, and I think it is the first time ever that I have been home sick and wish I was at work. This is definitely a head cold. Mentally I feel fine. Raring to go, really, and here I am, stuck at home so I don't pass this on to my co-workers or patrons.

There has been a lot going on lately. Talks of cutting hours in the library, professional development opportunities (a webinar spot in early January and a panel spot later in January), a blog post controversy--not here, obviously, but over there and over there. Can't figure it out? That's good. You shouldn't be able to. We are actually working things out to every one's satisfaction, it seems.

I have been holding off on picking the last of the tomatoes--there are a lot of them, really--but I can feel how cold it is getting at night, and if I don't pick them today, there might not be a tomorrow. I wonder if anyone would notice if I wandered over there in my jammies?

What else will I do today? Probably sip tea and read The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. This book is worth staying home. It is YA, but adults will love it, too.

And I guess that according to the new FTC rules, I should mention that I got this book from the library...

On a Lighter Note

THE 99 THINGS MEME (or as many as I feel like before I peter out, which will probably be only half) Stolen from Pop Culture Librarian (some answers will remain the same, 'cause I am lazy like that). How many of these have you done?

1. Started your own blog. Duh.

2. Slept under the stars. Yes, many camping trips, many times

3. Played in a band. Oddly, after my brother's wedding 7 years ago we went out to a bar for the after party and the band invited 3 of us on stage to play an instrument. So yes, I played the trumpet very badly with a band.

4. Visited Hawaii. I was 5 and went with my mom and grandparents. I remember little crabs running in and out of holes as the waves rolled in and out.

5. Watched a meteor shower. Many as a young'un. Mostly with my little red aunt.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity. I have, usually to KEXP.

7. Been to Disneyland/world. Yes! Once as a teen and once with my son last year. The first time was ok, the second time was a blast!

8. Climbed a mountain. Yes, a little one that didn't require much effort.

9. Held a praying mantis. Yes. When I used to wrangle carts for the grocery in Wenatchee. One year a bunch of them flew in, and for some reason liked to land on the carts. I removed one so it wouldn't get squished and it sat on my shoulder for several hours.

10. Sang a solo. Yes, not well. Choir from 7-10th grade.

11. Bungee jumped. Nope

12. Visited Paris. No, never been to France. There are quite a few similar questions below, so I am going to not bother answering them.

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. I watched a storm that was over the sea while I was safe in my grandma's house.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.Yeps.

15. Adopted a child. Nope

16. Had food poisoning. More than likely.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. Never been to the East Coast

18. Grown your own vegetables. Yes, currently as you all know.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France. See above

20. Slept on an overnight train. Yes, on a trip to Chicago when I was a child.

21. Had a pillow fight. Duh.

22. Hitch hiked. I would say no, but there were a couple of times when we ended up stranded where we had to hitch a ride. I was always with a parent though, when I was a child. One was a disasterous canoe trip, once our van hood flipped up and broke the windshield on I-5 when we were on our way skiing, and another time our van broke down (different van) on the highway and we got a ride to a gas station.

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill. Mental health days are necessary from time to time to keep you healthy. Not often though.

24. Built a snow fort. Yes, both as a child with my sister and brother, and with my son when he was little.

25. Held a lamb. Don't think I have held one.

26. Gone skinny dipping. Yes.

27. Run a marathon. Nope, closest I have gotten is a sprint triathlon.

28. Ridden a gondola in Venice. See above (I know, it isn't France, but I don't care)

29. Seen a total eclipse. A couple.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset. Duh.

31. Hit a home run. Both kinds.

32. Been on a cruise. Only one of those ones around the Sound.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. I don't think so. Maybe when I was younger with my Dad. But that might have been somewhere else.

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. Nope

35. Seen an Amish community. Nope

36. Taught yourself a new language. Any languages I've learned have been taught to me. I can't imagine learning a language by myself.

37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied. Getting pretty close. I was feeling better before this furlough. Talk to me in a month.

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person. Nope.

39. Gone rock climbing.Nope. Nope

40. Seen Michelangelo's David in person. Nope

41. Sung Karaoke.Yes--best times have been in the private karaoke rooms at Seattle's Best Karaoke or the similar place in the ID.

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt. Yes, when I was married and drove to Oklahoma after the wedding, we stopped in Yellowstone and saw the geyser.

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant. No, but I have given a meal to a stranger on the street (person asking for money)

44. Visited Africa.Nope. And meme writer, it bugs me when people just say Africa like it's one monolithic place instead of a continent with a jillion different countries. In case you were wanting my feedback. (agreeing with PCL here)

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight. Yes, I don't remember when though. Probably a trip to Ocean Shores. Definitely down at Richmond Beach.

46. Been transported in an ambulance. No, thank goodness. I did have to take The Boy to the emergency room when crazy aunt let him take the rap for missing medication. That was fun.

47. Had your portrait painted. Nope

48. Gone deep sea fishing. No deeper than the Sound. Probably not deep enough.

49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person. Nope.

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Oh my god, no, ok?

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling. Nope

52. Kissed in the rain. Yes, and in the snow and in the sunshine...I could go on and on

53. Played in the mud. Ok, now the meme is just getting stupid.

54. Gone to a drive-in theater.Yes, lots of times. The first one I ever went to was Carrie (my parents were a little sadistic, my sister saw Aliens when she was 4 or something).

55. Been in a movie. Probably not.

56. Started a business. No, unless you count the freelance wordprocessing etc. that I did after I graduated from undergrad. That was pretty sporatic. I also did some house sitting. Neither was premeditated though. It usually just fell into my lap when I needed some money.

57. Taken a martial arts class. Nope unless you count play fighting with my cousin who was a black belt in tai kwon do.

58. Sold Girl Scout cookies. I buy them occasionally. Walk alongs I think--the carmelly ones.

59. Gone whale watching. Not on purpose, but I have seen whales in the water just like, on accident.

60. Gotten flowers for no reason. I have bought them myself for no reason other than I wanted them.

61. Gone sky diving. Nope, be looking for the suicide note if I ever do.

62. Toured the Everglades. Nope

63. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London. Nope

64. Broken a bone. Nope, just my front tooth.

65. Been on a speeding motorcycle. Yes. Boyfriend 10 years older when I was 16-18. Also, last steady before Dr. T, but he didn't speed. Never driven one myself.

66. Published a book. Had a poem published in a scam contest. Trying to get my money--it worked.

67. Bought a brand new car. Not myself, but my ex-husband did when we were married.

68. Had your picture in the newspaper. Yes, for sports stuff and playing with a goat at the fair when I was a kid.

69. Visited the White House. Nope, see above

70. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. Nope, well, fish.

71. Met someone famous.Yes, Paula Abdule when she was in Oklahoma for bulemia rehab--she came into the coffee shop I worked at. One of my co-workers husbands found out she was coming in and freaked her out by waiting for her to come in, then pouncing. He was weird.

72. Joined a book club. Yes, but they never lasted long

73. Lost a loved one. Yes.

74. Had a baby. Yup, but just The Boy. I think that is all I have in me.

Surprised I made it as far as PCLibrarian. But there you go.

Babies Having Babies

My mentee was picked up on her warrant yesterday morning. She didn't have her child with her, but he was tracked down later in the day and is now in custody. My mentee is likely out of detention by now, but I don't know where she is or where she will end up. I have been playing phone tag and email tag with her social worker for the last day or so. The social worker's emails have been cryptic and uninformative, even though that used to be her preferred mode of communication. Now she seems to want to talk on the phone, but hasn't been available at the same times I have.

So I am frustrated and feeling ineffectual. My mentee's cell phone just rings and rings. I know that her family, what little she has, does not show support for her. She has messed up and I don't know how badly. She is only 17 and has never had a good support network. The foster family she lived with, that she lost her placement with, was the closest thing she had. She wasn't ready to be a parent, but she was doing pretty well, and now she may have lost custody.

Just biding my time until I can do something.

Missing My Coffee

Day 4 back at work and day 5 on a detox diet. The hardest thing has been no wheat products. If you know me, you know that I love to make scones and bread. Not really worth it without good flour--no offense to you that can't have it, I am sure I would make do with some gluten free substitute if I had to. But it is only a short while--and getting shorter as we speak.

Not just because time keeps movin' on, but also because I don't feel like going for a month, or two weeks even. I am thinking that a week is good enough. My digestive track reset itself right away, and actually wasn't too bad the week before. I think I just have to remember to eat at the right times, eat better portions, eat more whole foods. Baking at home is a good way to do that. Gotta stop grabbing the odd pastry with my coffee when I treat myself. Cut back on the rushing around and stay home more. I am not sure I will ever get the hang of that last one.

****

Work has been great. Wallingford is beautiful! I will take some pictures next week and add them to flickr. Everything is streamlined and new. We have 2 self check out computers that actually work and a staff only computer at the desk, which is streamlining delivery. The librarian's desk is way across the room, but it is good that I can see half the room and the circ staff can see the other half, so no shenanigans! We wave at each other every now and then, or dial the I/C and tell each other when we want our breaks. As the day goes on, I find more reasons to go hang out by the circ desk.

In the more general sense of my job, I feel change coming. Not sure what yet, but something.

****

Dr. T and I found some cabinets that work very well. They are behemoth in size and are challenging for putting things in that you might want to find again, like food, or dvds, which is what we are using them for. I am sure we will figure it out though. Hopefully Dr. T will be able to get The Boy's bed uncovered by the time we get home tonight.

Eh? Whats that you say?

Rereading my last post, I realized that I never mentioned that Dr. T has moved into my humble abode. The basement seems a little smaller, but much more lovely. Also, no more of that pesky packing a bag to stay over, not being sure where my shoes are and getting woken in the morning by delivery trucks at the Lake City Library. I know, he lived right behind a library. Meant to be, no?

He has been a real trooper wedging himself into my place. He got rid of a lot of his furniture and we have bought a lot of new things to try to get his stuff in here. Right now we are looking for "the perfect storage cabinet." We have found a couple on Craigslist, but either they are taken or they aren't quite right. We found our new kitchen table right away though. I closed my eyes, clicked on a link and there it was.

Ooh, funny somewhat related story. It was rent time, and we had never nailed down a price for having Dr. T here. My landlords are awesome and good neighbors too (here they shall be called LL M and LL A, because I am librarian and we like acronyms). They have been very kind in keeping my rent affordable through the last 3 years. LLM came through to bring in the mail and say hi around rent time and I asked him how much he wanted. I will preface this by saying that I just got in from a 9 mile hike and was sweaty and dehydrated. I swear to you I thought he said a bajillion dollars. My brain went foggy and I mumbled something about having to talk to Dr. T about it and how I didn't think it would be that much. We exchanged a couple of pleasantries and he went back upstairs.

I was in a total funk. I had thought I had paying my student loans and getting a lesser paycheck because of the furlough licked and backed into a corner, but here were a few simple words that made me feel like it was 6 years ago and I was unemployed again with now way in hell to pay the bills. That monster was rearing its ugly head. I pouted around and when Dr. T came home I told him the news. He looked at me a bit funny and we decided to talk to LL M after dinner. I kept putting it off, thinking it was going to be the worst, but finally we went up and talked to him. I asked how much the bills were every month (because the increase was only supposed to include half the utilities) and he showed me. I asked him a couple more questions, then finally burst out with "but how does that add up to a bajillion dollars?" He started cracking up and said "no, I said $125 more a month." I almost died of embarassment. Dr. T made a joke about how I get my hearing tested every 6 months (which happens to be true recently). How silly.

The 11ish O'Clock Ride

This was the mantra I kept saying to myself so I wouldn't forget to post about my ride home from sandpoint at 11pm the other night:

Sepia tones

detour

boom!

around the corner and across the bridge

Don't I know you?

Fremont, a blue light

lots of bikers without lights...

into ballard

boom at FM

seafood fest, no buses!

Abby rentals setting up tables

rode up 24th :(

Home!

Can't you just see the moving pictures in your head? No?

I stayed at my friend's house for about 3 hours longer than I had planned. It was obviously full on dark when I left and the section of the Burke Gilman Trail near their house is unlit. I took another route, down Sandpoint way (the street lights gave everything a sepia tone wash) and planned to cut accross the UW parking lot to meet up with the trail further down. There was some sort of construction going on at the entrance to the parking lot, so I detoured down a sandy road, which came out in yet another parking lot. There were some people gathered around a muscle car at the far end of the lot letting off fireworks (boom!). I kept going and eventually crossed the pedestrian bridge near Hec Ed Pavilion. I rode down the trail from there and saw a patron I know from the library who was carrying multiple shopping bags. I nodded, but I don't think he noticed. I passed through Fremont, thoroughly enjoying the canal way, as usual, and noted the blue light on the bridge, which I would suppose warns boats not to run into it. I also noticed in the relatively unlit portion after Fremont, that there were quite a few bikers that had no lights--I did and was glad for it. As I rode into Ballard past Fred Meyer's, there were more booms from a car parked near the docking bay. I am not sure what the cause of the noises, since they didn't quite sound like fireworks. As I rode up Leary to avoid Shilshole, I considered taking a bus the rest of the way and stopped to peruse a schedule. There was a sign taped over it saying that service had been detoured due to the Seafood Festival happening the next day. Darn it! As I rode past Market and 22nd, there were people from Abby Rentals setting up tables for the next day's revelries. It was odd to see them out so late. I rode all the way up 24th (a long slow hill, although not terribly steep) and was very happy when I made it home.

I worked all weekend and now I have today off. So far I have accomplished...putting on my pj's, watering my outside plants, spending too much time on Facebook and writing this blog post. My goal is to clean up the rest of the camping stuff and do the dishes. Wish me luck...laziness is worming its way in.

Good Weekend, Ready for the Next One

The bachelorette party was a blast. Neighbors was the perfect cap to our night. The pictures are up on Facebook and that is where they will stay. No reason to draw attention to the incriminating evidence. I was good! Mostly...

The shower also went off very well. We made Sister M fill her mouth with bubble gum and wrapped up Grandma in toilet paper and they both smiled about it. Sister M was inundated with sexy lingerie and kitchen appliances, only the happy couple will know if they use them together. The families got to meet each other and everyone had a grand time.

I got back on the bike yesterday after a week off. I actually don't remember which day I rode last, so it might have been longer. I had so many errands to run last week, I just couldn't swing it. The first ride back was not hard. In fact I felt stronger on the hills than I have in the past. I made it up my goliath without stopping, which I couldn't do for the first couple of weeks I rode.

I am leaving on Friday to pick up The Boy from diabetes camp. I am staying the night in Spokane and picking him up in the morning. Then we will stay in Spokane for the night and go camping for a few days on the way back. I am looking forward to a few days away from work. And a few days with The Boy. This is only the second time I have seen him this summer--busy teenagers...

Plant a Seed

Tonight is the bachelorette party and tomorrow is the shower. I thought I was done with everything, but ended up running a last minute errand on my break today. God I hope this goes well--I feel like I am putting on a program, instead of hoping that people come, I hope they have a good time. That is one nice thing about RSVP's.

I went to see Robin at the University District Farmer's Market today, where she was the chef at the "Ask a Chef" booth. She is on season 6 of Top Chef, so make sure you watch (Bravo)! I am so proud of her. Some of you know that I was a waitress in another life and she was the owner/chef at Crave on Capitol Hill. That was during my unemployment days and she gave me a job when I had never waitressed before. I was going to barista for her--that I have a lot of experience at--but when the restaurant went to open she was down a server and there I was. I was there for about 2 years, waiting tables and adding up payroll. So I stopped in to see her and heard her give great advice on how to cook squash flowers, which makes me want to go home and try the same with my pumpkin flowers since I have so many starts on there. The garden is really chalk full right now--the corn is past my waist, the snap peas are almost over--I think I will replace them with beans that were offered by a neighboring p-patcher--I just planted a few more lettuce seeds for the next harvest and the potatoes and pumpkin plant (grown from a seed from last year's plant) look wonderful! I will post pictures later--I have been a bad picture taker this year.

Almost Crazy, Almost There...

Once again, too long between posts.

Planning wedding showers and bachelorette parties is time consuming! I am done with everything (crossing my fingers) except food. Usually I go all out with cooking and yumminess, but I have to work. My 4 hour shift this Friday miraculously turned into an 8 hour and I get to work on Saturday too, and suddenly I have little time for shopping, let alone cooking. Amazon Fresh, take me away! Maybe the miracle will reverse itself. Wish me luck.

The 4th was fun, although we saw few fireworks. We went down to some of Dr. T's friends' for a bbq. The food was amazing--some had been on the bbq for 2 days! Yum, so good. We stopped at the dollar store on the way home and had fun scouring the aisles for useless and useful times, the first to poke fun at the second to make use of. That place looked like a mob had hit though; there was stuff all over the floor in all the aisles. What amazed me was the freezer section. Red Baron Pizza....

Today was wonderful! I met up with a friend and walked down to Fremont. We perused the Sunday Market, I got some new sunglasses--let me tell you about this in a moment--and had thai for lunch. We also stopped in a couple of really cute boutiques and I think I got someone a very sweet something. That's all I can say...

Sunglasses...I have been holding onto a pair for YEARS that were non-prescription for gods knows why, until I could finally use them now that I have contacts. YEARS. I have been using them for several months and aside from a scratch, they have been great. I wear them biking even. Well, not anymore. I accidentally set off the alarm at work the other day, partially due to my bike gloved fingers refusing to press the right buttons and my bike being unmanageable in the scuffle to turn the alarm off. Somehow (or just my usual me-ness) I set the sunglasses down in the water fountain and left them there. I didn't notice until it was time to leave. And of course they were gone. I wouldn't even have known where I left them except that a co-worker mentioned having seen them there. I hope some &*^%$ person is enjoying the hell out of them.

The Boy's basketball camp was successful--if successful means "kicked his ass everyday and made him want to go back for more." He came home and his ass was in bed except for dinner--but then he got up every morning, got himself ready and caught the bus to SPU on time. It is the most responsible I have seen him in...well...ever. He had good stories about his games and his teams got a couple of awards: 3 on 3 champions and Shooting league champions. This one might be a keeper.