Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to everyone!

I will be going over to my sister's house to watch my nephew open his presents (she lives two doors up) then driving to my mom and dads in West Virginia for the day (5 hours total). Then its home and work the next morning. I will be so glad when this holiday will be over. Its getting to the point that its just another day.

Sad News

My uncle David (mom's brother) passed away last Wednesday. He lived in Maryland and the funeral is tomorrow. My sister, my nephew and I are driving up tomorrow to go. My uncle was 65 and had rheumatoid arthritis for a very long time. He was also a diabetic and recently had heart trouble. They put a pacemaker in last sunday and he seemed to be doing better, but then he caught pneumonia and his systems just started failing. I don't think it has really hit me yet. My mom says the same thing.

Peace and quiet

My sister and nephew, along with my sister's boyfriend moved into their own place a week ago. Luckily it is only two doors down from me so I can still see my nephew. But my house is very quiet. Just me and the two cats. I think if the cats weren't here, it would be too quiet even for me! The house has also stayed clean for the most part. Now if I can get them to take the rest of their clutter, I will be a happy camper!

My house has new pipes! My water pressure has returned! Unfortunately, the floor under my water heater is rotting from the last time the water heater was replaced (and leaked) several years ago. The plumbers said it should be fine for now, but when I replace the water heater (with my water that will be sooner rather than later) he said I might want to get that taken care of. Its most likely been that way for a while, but my paranoid and anxious little brain is interpreting this as the water heater is going to come crashing into the basement! My dad told me that if it was an emergency then they wouldn't have left it that way. But still I worry. I am getting an estimate to see how much it would cost to move the water heater into the basement, but I am broke. My home equity loan will be taken up by my credit card bills. And I don't want to put anything else on it. I am hoping that all will be well til I can get a tax refund. I know everyone will be shocked by this, but I tend to worry a lot :-)

I have been reading, but titles escape me at the moment. I have so many on my "to read" pile that I need a year off to catch up!

Holiday plans

My Thanksgiving day is going to be quiet. My sister and nephew are going to her boyfriend's grandmother's house for Thanksgiving. It will just be me (single and pathetic) going to my parents house. I am looking forward to turkey, mashed potatoes, and my mom's stuffing. Then I have to drive back the same day because my plumbing will be replaced the next day! I hope to get in some reading while they are working. I hope everyone has a great holiday!

I have returned!

I have been scarce lately. There has been so much going on. Little things have just piled and piled on. I realized that the plumber has been to the house 4 times in the last month and a half for different leaks. A week ago I discovered yet another leak in the house. For future information, galvanized pipes and iron in the well water do NOT mix well. Anyway, I am biting the bullet and getting my house repiped. It will be a little pricey. But I figured it out: its about 18 plumber visits. I was also approved for a home equity loan (although I will worry til I close on it) to take care of my credit card bills. Can things possibly be looking up????

WooHoo! Rain!

We had three days of rain here in my part of Virginia. It did not eliminate our rain deficit, but it helped! I did not even mind the three gloomy, cloudy days. Now I am not so worried about my well.

October is almost over thank goodness! I had so much going on this month: plumbers, broken water heaters, broken pressure switch, a car that needed repair, a tree that needed to come down, a return mammogram, and trying to cover the desk at work when it seemed EVERYONE got a vacation but me. Lets all hope that my November is better. Otherwise, there will be no living with me.

Does anyone have any fun Halloween plans? I love Halloween, but I usually stay home. I have to hand out candy to the little (and not so little) muchkins. I have been reading scary stories and watching scary movies and listening to Halloween music. What are your plans?

Things getting better

To an extent things are getting better. I just charged lots of money on the credit cards for these things, but at least they are taken care of, or getting there. First of all, the tree is down. It looks very empty. I took a picture on my cell phone on my way out this morning so I'll try to remember to post it.

Second, the water heater is now fixed. The plumber had to come out twice, but the second time they charged me a flat rate.

Third, my car is back. The brakes work, and the seat belt comes out. It ended up needing a new battery too.

Fourth, the diagnostic mammogram is done. Unfortunately the processor was down so I am waiting for the results. I'm not too worried, but there is always that anxious feeling in the back of my brain.

I just finished Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq by Riverbend. This is the published version of her blog (which she is still updating). Riverbend is an Iraqi woman who tells how the war is affecting ordinary citizens. Well written and a page-turner. No matter what your personal opinion, Riverbend makes you think.

Rain!

I am starting to get a bit anxious. Yes, so what else is new, right? We have not had rain in a very long time and its starting to get serious. My county said they have about 119 days left of water in the reservoirs. Now this does not affect me because I have a well, but I worry about it going dry. I am trying to conserve water. I don't water my lawn and I never wash my car. I buy bottled water to drink (because my well water tastes nasty) and I take short showers.

Everyone please hold out hope that it rains soon! I wonder if thats why my tree is so brown?

Stress

Last week was stressful for me. I had gotten a call back from the woman's imaging center and something showed up on my mammogram. They are sure everything is fine, but they want to double-check, especially since it is my first one. I go back next tuesday for a diagnostic mammogram and an ultrasound. I know all will be fine, but its been on my mind.

I have to get my car repaired and that will be much money. The parts were $300. Thats not including all of the labor.

The big pine tree in my front yard, which has been there for about 30 years and actually moved with us to this house is dead or dying. I think I have to get it cut down and I have to get a professional to do it because it is close to power lines and the house. Plus I really like this tree and don't want to see it go.

And I have another leaky pipe, so I need to get the plumber back too.

This all happened within a week and a half. THATS why I have been so stressed. I am a little better now and trying to take things as they come up. I am doing yoga for my stress relief and trying deep breathing and meditation.

I am reading Archie and Amelie: Love and Madness in the Gilded Age by Donna Lucey. This is a nonfiction work about two very fascinating and troubled people in Virginia during the Gilded age. John Armstrong "Archie" Chanler was a descendant of John Jacob Astor. Amelie Rives was the goddaughter of Robert E. Lee. Archie, like most men, fell hard for Amelie. They married suddenly, and divorced seven years later. But Archie never got over her. They could not live together and they could not live apart. There is so much more too. Insanity, seances, drug addiction, etc. The story is fascinating because it is true and the people lived not too far away, near Charlottesville. I am more than halfway through.

Breaktime

As some of you might have been able to tell, I have been taking a tiny break from blogging. I have not had much to say, and there has been a lot going on in my life right now.

I will try to be back in a few days with some reviews. I am working on a booklist for my library on Christian Romance, so I have been reading a lot of those. Right now, I leave you with a view of the Shenandoah River from Harper's Ferry.

More to come!

Liz had a request for some of my favorite hiking trails. I am in Virginia, so they will be in the northern/central Virginia area. I have to look over some of my photos so that I can post some pictures too.

One that I like to visit (because it is not too long of a drive) is Prince William Forest Park. There are lots of trails that I like to hike, but one of the best is the South Valley Trail. It is quite long (about 9 miles) but I don't hike it all at once. I have picked sections to hike. In fact, this is the trail where there was the beaver activity in the earlier post. The trail follows a creek and it is quite peaceful.

Another park that I like to visit because it is not too far from my parents house is Antietam National Battlefield. I am a big civil war buff and this park is very well preserved because it was farm land then and it is farm land now. There is one trail that I started to walk on my last vacation. It is called the Snaveley's Ford trail. It goes beside Antietam creek, is in the woods, and has opportunities to catch glimpses of wildlife. I did not get to walk the entire trail, because when I was there it was starting to rain and I was afraid that it would turn into a storm.

I have pictures, but I need to find them!

More to come!

Hiking

One of my favorite things to do is to hike. Not hugely long hikes (I like modern bathroom facilities) but just to go walk in the woods for an hour or so makes me feel great. By the way, here is a book tie-in: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. Absolutely hysterical! Bryson and his friend try to hike the Appalachian trail, and they are not exactly prepared.

Lately when I take pictures, I have been fascinated by the most interesting things.

This one is a picture of an interesting fungus on a log near a creek. I took this one with the camera on the cell phone.

This one is a close-up of some ferns on the ground in the national park. I discovered my digital camera has this close-up setting and I have been playing with it.

And here is the handiwork of a beaver. This one was taken months ago.

Thats all for now!

Where have I been?

I have not posted in a while. I have been here and I've been visiting blogs. But I haven't had much to say. We are in a heat wave again and tomorrow is supposed to be 100 again. But as the cliche goes, "Its not the heat, its the humidity." So true! You walk outside and it feels like someone threw a heavy wet blanket on you!

I just finished a book that I thought was good. It was called Cataloochee by Wayne Caldwell. It is the story of the fictional Carter, Banks, and Wright families, their lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina, and how the coming of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park changed all of their lives. The coming of the park mostly just happened at the end, but Caldwell described how life was like in the mountains. It was a really good book, especially since the area is one of my favorite places to visit.

Harry Potter

I read the entire book. Yes...the ENTIRE book. It was a beautiful day saturday and I read outside on my deck. I can say that the ending to the series was very satisfying to me.

Rant Alert!

One thing that was irritating me was the comments that I read from reviewers (professional), reporters, commenters on blogs, etc. Many people are criticizing this book, and people's choice to read it. A reporter in my home town was doing a story and interviewed a small bookstore owner who made comments that we should only read GOOD books because we don't have enough time to read. Well who decides what is a GOOD book? Ok, so this series has not won the Nobel prize for literature or the Pulitizer prize for fiction. Who cares? It is a good story with interesting characters. A commenter on a blog I ran across (no one who usually reads this--it was a professional reviewer and I can't remember who it was) said that everyone he knows that reads Harry Potter does not read anything else. Well, I have read all 7 in the series now. And last year I read almost 400 books of all types. I would like to know how many he read.

The thing is, if you do not want to read the series, thats fine. But do not criticize people who DO. As I librarian and a reader, I believe that people should read what they want. If they don't want to read classics or prize winners, who cares? And those people out there who get self-righteous about only reading"good" books can stuff it. :-)

Rant Over. We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.

Allergies!

Sorry I have not been around. I've been reading everyone's blog but not necessarily commenting on it. The weather has been weird and my allergies are running wild.

I went to the allergist today and I had a reaction to every pollen tested including grasses and ragweed. So basically, I am suffering from March to about October. I am also allergic to dust mites (is there anyone who isn't?) and dogs and cats. That may explain why my head has been hurting every day. My cat Bella (see my avatar!) likes to sit with me and cuddle. What I like about my allergist is that he never even mentioned getting rid of the cats as an option. Because it isn't. I have meds to try and he is suggesting that I get injections again.

Harry Potter comes out on Saturday! I bought my copy through the library, so I am going to get up bright and early and go get it. Then I have my yoga class before I can actually start reading. The library is supposed to get our copies on Friday. Catalogers will be standing by. The acquistions librarian had to sign a non-disclosure agreement to be able to get the books early. The number of people who will have access to the books will be limited and they will be under lock and key. Its kind of exciting.

Back to the real world

I had an entire two weeks off, but it ended up not being much of a vacation. Tomorrow its back to the real world. And I already have a pile of stuff that needs done. I did nothing today but go to the grocery store and Borders. I had a 15% off coupon for my birthday. I would have liked to go outside, but the heat and humidity here in Virginia is just terrible. Tomorrow is supposed to be worse. Ick!

Hospital

My nephew had his tonsils out today. The operation was a success and he is home now recuperating. He feels pretty lousy now and refuses to swallow. He also hates the nasty taste of the tylenol with codeine. But he was very brave. He is nine and a half and there was no tears when it came time to take him into surgery. He woke up fine (no tears) and he ate mac and cheese. I am very proud of him.

Back!

I am back! Soory I did not post. My dad's computer was slower than molasses. I went to my parents (with my nephew) who are in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. I was only there for a few days, but I went to Harper's Ferry and Antietam National Battlefield. Saw some beautiful scenery and took a few hikes. Spent more money than I should!

Tomorrow my 9 year old nephew is getting his tonsils out. He is nervous but is acting very brave. It is outpatient so he will be home in his own bed and we already went to the store to pick up ice-cream! I will be sure to let everyone know how it goes.

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. I get pretty somber and reflective this time every year, thinking about increasing debt and things I have not done. But the good wishes do help me feel better!

Happy birthday to me

As of 2:03 AM on July 1, I will be 36 years old. Its another year alone, another year of worries, and another year of going into debt, and another midlife crisis. I hate this time of year. I usually spend most of my birthday alone. Tomorrow I will be visiting my mom and dad (taking my nephew) until Thursday. My mom has promised to make my favorite chocolate cake. I am going to try to get outside and take in some beautiful scenery. My dad has a computer, so I will check in.

The end of the saga

I know everyone is sick of me talking about my kitchen floor. Good news! Its finally finished. I want to thank everyone for being patient about my whining. I will try to show a picture soon.

I went to the American Library Association conference in Washington D.C. yesterday. I should say that I went to the exhibits, not the conference. Unfortunately I am too poor for the conference program. Many of the publishers were giving away review copies of books. Plus I picked up lots of bags, pens, and post-its. I have this weird addiction to office supplies. I ended up walking for about 2.5 hours straight. And thats with heavy bags on my shoulder. One of the booths that I wanted to visit (and did) was the booth for the online comic strip Unshelved. Its this great comic that takes place in a public library. Its absolutely hysterical. If you've never seen it, go visit! If you work or have ever worked in a library, it will seem familiar. If you've never worked in a library, it will show you what life in a library can be like.

I recently finished The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry. I should have a review soon. Right now I am reading a YA book called The Book Thief. I'll review that one too when I finish.

Opinions

I just realized something about myself. I ALWAYS watch what I say, even to the point of keeping my own opinions silent, to avoid hurting anyone's feelings. Now thats good to a certain extent. You can give someone honest criticism without being harsh. But there are some cases where it can go too far the other way. When you are afraid to say that you didn't like a book because someone else raved about it, thats going too far the other way. Nothing really triggered this, I guess I just thought about it as I was commenting on various blogs today.

TGIF!

Thanks for the tips about my e-mail address! I forgot to click the little box that says "share" on my profile. Its there now. I am so glad that it is Friday. I am ready for a peaceful weekend. Unfortunately, its supposed to be in the 90s.

There is no longer a huge de-humidifier in my kitchen. The floor is officially dry. Now to wait til the 25th to have the laminate installed. It feels like there is a little uneven spot in the middle of the floor, almost like it was slightly warped, but I'm trying not to worry so much about that. The water people said the subflooring was fine.

I just finished All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris. Its the 7th book in the "Southern Vampire Series" This time around, Sookie Stackhouse, waitress and telepath, is hired by the vampire queen of Louisiana to go as part of her entourage to read the humans' minds. This convention is not all fun and games. There is quite a bit of political manueverings and Sookie has to do all she can to make sure that she gets out alive. If you haven't read the series, its best to start with the first one, Dead Until Dark. They start fairly light and get slightly darker as the series continues. I highly recommend them.

Near Accident and More Floor Issues

I almost wrecked my car yesterday. I was taking the back way into work because there was a traffic back-up my usual way. I was heading one way on a two lane road, when all of a sudden this old "lady" made a left hand turn crossing directly across my path! I had no time to slam on the brakes. I could not swerve to the right because being a back road, there was no shoulder. My instinct was to swerve across the opposite lane of traffic into someone's front yard. I had to do this because the car behind the old lady did not stop either. I was afraid that if I hadn't swerved I would have t-boned her car and killed her husband. I am the type to dwell on things. I kept thinking "what if..." and "maybe I really did have time to brake?" I need to learn to stop dwelling on what MIGHT have happened and be grateful that nothing DID happen! Especially since if anything happened to one of the people in the car, I would have felt terrible even if it was not my fault.

Now more on the floor! I know everyone is sick of hearing about this. Not half as much as I am, dealing with it! The giant fan is out of the kitchen. Now there is plastic blocking off underneath my kitchen cabinet with a big old humidifer running. I know this is important. They need to make sure it is really dry under there., especially since it does not really get the air. But it is kind of hard to get to my sink (although NOT impossible--you kind of have to go at an angle). When I sent a text to my sister to give her a heads up (since I am working 12 to 9 tonight) she just said "How are we supposed to make dinner." I am getting so stressed dealing with this. There is nothing I can do about it. If the floor is not dry, mold will grow again. And I know she understands this too, but I am SICK of the appliances being in the dining room, and I am SICK of eating microwave food.

Saturday I will go to my second yoga class. I went last saturday because my yoga center offers a free beginner class. I LOVED it. It really helps relieve my stress. The atmosphere is low-key and non-competitive and the price is reasonable. Last week (afterwards) I thought I would have to re-register, but she told me how much of a check to write, asked if level one felt right (definitely!) and said she would get me registered this coming saturday.

Enough ramblinhg! I am going to get ready for work (new public computers installed today!) and possibly check in tonight.

Stress easing

Sorry I have not been around. My house has been stressful. The kitchen is still in disarray but the water mitigation people are coming back tomorrow afternoon to make sure that everything is dried. They may have to cut out a piece of the lauan (sheet of plywood on top of the subflooring) but my flooring people can take care of it. Things are slowly coming together. The stove had been moved back into the kitchen because my sister could not take microwaved food another day, but I moved it back out today. The carpenter bees attacking the side of my house have been treated for, so hopefully the woodpecker pecking the house will stop. I have not had much time to read, but I have read a bit. I read The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff (I think). He explains the Tao philosophy using characters from Winnie the Pooh. It makes it so much easier to understand. I had to read the Tao Te Ching in college and it was hard to understand. This makes it easier. It is also pretty short too.

More Stress

I never realized how stressful it is for me for things to be messed up. My kitchen is now torn apart worse than ever. I am paying my sister to paint my kitchen. We decided this a while ago. Since the appliances are in the dining room, she got started with peeling the wallpaper and started priming the walls, and she planned to get the areas behind the appliances while they are out of the way and do the rest after the floor is taken care of. It makes sense. I was going to suggest it myself before she got started, but now the microwave is on the floor while she started priming (my nephew wanted to help so that may be why everything is in transition right now. But its really painful for me to have everything such a mess. And my insurance guy is coming Monday morning at 10 AM to re-evaluate and take pictures, etc. So I have to get everything back off of the floor tomorrow.

I know for most people, this seems like nothing. There are people with REAL problems out there and I am complaining about a little mess in the kitchen. But I think the fact that I have not really eaten very well for the past few days is starting to affect me. And now with the microwaves out of commission along with the stove, its just going to get worse!

More house problems

To continue my plumbing saga: the flooring people came today to install my laminate flooring. Unfortunately, when the pulled the old stuff, there was mold and mildew underneath. AARRGGHH! My insurance company gave me the name of a company to come out and clean and they came this afternoon and spread some biocide (i think thats what it is--it kills mold). Luckily so far the mold is just in a small area on top of the old vinyl flooring. But they said that there might be something underneath my kitchen cabinets. My insurance adjustor is coming back out monday and we'll see where we go from there. In the meantime, my stove and refrigerator are in my dining room, and my kitchen still smells musty. I keep telling myself that it may take a bit of time for the smell to go away, but I am stressing myself out.

NASCAR

I have nothing against NASCAR. Its just not my thing and I really don't understand it. My sister just (9PM) called me on her cell phone. They are currently in Charlotte NC at Lowe's Motor Speedway watching a race. She had to call me just to show me how loud it was. I have come to the conclusion that I would be ABSOLUTELY miserable at a race. My idea of fun is sitting in the nice quiet, peaceful woods and listening to the birds sing, or the water trickling. To each his own I guess.

Spam Posts

What is the deal lately with Spam Posts? For the second time in a week, I've had an anonymous comment with this bizarre statement. It looks like spam because it makes absolutely no sense. I may have to change my comment settings. Its getting annoying. Does anyone else have this problem?

I need suggestions! I am doing an internet searching class at my library at the end of June demonstrating how to tweak search engines to find what you want. Like using the advanced search options, limiting to a domain, choosing key words, etc. Here is my problem: I need good examples! I'm having trouble thinking of a good search topic or topics. Something beyond just a simple subject search. I had thought of doing a search for the history of one of the national parks and the people who were displaced, but that is MY interest. Someone else may not be as interested. Any ideas?

Stressed

There is another leak under my kitchen sink. That means another $150 to the plumber on my credit card. I wish I was rich. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take.

Book Dealers and Library Book Sales

Today my library branch had their twice-a-month book sale. Since we really don't have storage space, we have a book sale the first and third fridays of the month. Every now and then, my branch manager has a "special sale" where she sells collectible books, currently bestsellers that were donated to us and so on. The prices of these are quite reasonable. I bought a couple of recent best-sellers for $2.50 each. The prices of the more collectible books vary. There was one that was $5 and another that was $10. I believe she checks online sellers and compares prices. Every other book sale is just a regular old sale where hardbacks are maybe a dollar.

Well today began her special sale. Which means she had enough of this stuff in her office that she could have on of them :-) As usual when the door opened the hordes came rushing in. And one guy stood there for at least an hour or so complaining about the prices in the sale. Because he could not sell them for a profit!! The nerve! The gall! The chutzpah! It's unbelieveable.

He has the right to re-sell the books he buys from us. That's fine. But he does NOT have the right to demand that we lower the prices so that he can make money. By the way, my branch manager refused of course!

My Favorite Place

So yesterday I had to drive to Front Royal, Virginia to pick up my nephew. He had been visiting my parents for the weekend and my sister had to go somewhere. We usually meet in Front Royal because its about halfway for the both of us. It was sunny so I left early and went to my favorite place: Shenandoah National Park. And here is why its my favorite place:

This is just one of the breath-taking views all along the skyline drive. I can always find a peaceful place to sit and enjoy the view. There are tons of trails to hike too. Yesterday I went on a fairly short one (1.3 miles) called the Fox Hollow Trail. It is a trail that goes into one of the old hollows where families lived before the government turned the land into a park. Its an absolutely beautiful park. I highly recommend a visit if you ever get to Virginia.

I return!

I just realized that I have not posted since the end of April! I have been reading your blogs, but have not had much to say. Today I went to a used bookstore and found interesting old books. One is the Foxfire book which is full of old-timey mountain crafts etc. Another one is on Bacon's Rebellion which took place in Jamestown. I know, I know...boring. I actually majored in history in college, and having been born and raised in Virginia, this kind of thing fascinates me. I look looking in used bookstores and trying to find treasures!

Speaking of Jamestown, the Queen visited the lovely state of Virginia this week. She stopped in Richmond and gave a speech to Virginia's General Assembly in the newly restored capitol building. I was at work, but Governor Kaine gave leave to state employees. Since the library was open, I got 8 hours of holiday leave. The next day she went to Jamestown and toured the historical area. I believe she went to the Kentucky Derby today.

And now for the continuation of my floor saga. The insurance is going to cover replacing my laminate flooring. It is the kitchen that is damaged but the flooring goes all the way into the dining room and back the hallway. My insurance company is going to cover the replacement of the kitchen floor but not the rest of course. If the subflooring ends up being damaged (which I won't know until the pull out the old laminate) then I will have to call them back and get another estimate. I am HOPING that everything is fine! I went to a flooring company and of course the laminate in my house is so old now that the company does not make that color anymore. But I found something REALLY REALLY close. I can live with it. Their estimate and the insurance company estimate is really close, so I do not have to pay for much above my deductible. So my annoying sister starts nagging and saying that I should call the insurance company and say they cannot match it and see what they say. Uhh...no? This repair and claim is minor. I am NOT going to nag and risk getting my premiums increased just for something this little. I want them to be there for anything MAJOR that happens, and since we are dealing with a house filled with 30 year old pipes, anything can happen. My dear sister just annoys me with her nagging and then she cops an attitude when I tell her I'm not going to nag. ESPECIALLY since I got the check in a week and a half!

Enough rambling!

House Repairs

The latest in my home repair saga is the laminate flooring in my kitchen. Last month, I discovered a leak under my kitchen sink. It was a slow leak and I did not discover it until it had seeped under the laminate flooring. Now the floorboards are buckling. So friday, may day off since I work this saturday, I get to have the claims adjuster give me an estimate. Then I get to have the floor replaced. What fun! And my county raised the real estate tax seven cents.

I have realized that to own a home means you will forever be broke.

I've been reading but no real reviews yet. I just read Jodi Picoult's newest: Nineteen Minutes. Its eerily timely. Its about a high school shooting. Its good, but read it when you are ready. Its tough just after Virginia Tech.

Diatribe

I just heard on the news that in between shootings at Virginia Tech, this psycho sent a package to NBC with photos and a video. I just watched clips of it online. Words fail me. Sometimes my life is not always great. We all have problems. But we don't buy guns and kill people. I am confused and ANGRY. And my heart goes out to the families and friends of the victims.

Memorial web site: http://rosa.hosting.vt.edu/index.php/memorial/

Virginia Tech website: http://www.vt.edu/

Virginia Tech

I'm still shocked by this. Yesterday I was glued to the news web sites and today I was reading to find out more about this guy. WHY? As my sister says, we'll never know why. One of the bloggers on MSNBC has gathered a bunch of links: http://clicked.msnbc.msn.com:80/archive/2007/04/16/152692.aspx

Why?

I was in Borders today, heading out to my car when I saw this cute little blonde girl maybe about 2 walk toward the Happy Feet display. From the distance I heard her dad say "Carmen Electra don't touch that." Why would you do this to your child?

Stranger weather

Believe it or not, it snowed last night! I woke up at 7AM, looked out my window and my car was covered in snow! Its April for Pete's sake!

I have decided that the "genius" who invented heelys (you know, those sneakers with wheels in the heels) should be smacked! I was grocery shopping this afternoon and these three kids kept rolling all over the grocery store. Their parents were oblivious. I think its an accident waiting to happen. I hate to see one of them bump into a senior citizen and cause them to fall.

I'm back

Sorry I've been gone. Thanks for sending out the APB Liz! I've been visiting blogs but have not had too much to say. My allergies are driving me crazy and I've had daily headaches. Now there is a chance of snow flurries tonight. I refuse to believe it.

My family (sister, nephew, and sister's boyfriend) left for vacation today. 10 days of peace and quiet! Just me and the two cats. I'm really looking forward to it.

I just finished reading Righteous: Dispatches from the Evangelical Youth Movement by Lauren Sandler. Its non-fiction. Lauren Sandler reports on the rise of Christian evangelical youth movement. She traveled all across the country visiting such groups as skateboarder missionaries, a Seattle mega-church, a small religious college and so on. Quite the page turner. I don't have the same opinions as many of the groups that she talked to, but the book makes for fascinating reading.

Hooray for Spring

I have not felt much like posting the past week or so. Theres just not much going on. I am so glad that it is spring. Of course today it was cloudy and chilly, but at least things are starting to bloom.

My family has been grumpy today so of course that sets me off. I seem to have this annoying little habit of channeling other people's moods. If they are grumpy, I am grumpy. And I can't get out of it like they can.

The end is nearly at hand

I just realized that I have one month til taxes are due! WooHoo! Then I can trash forms! Unfortunately my boss won't let me have a bonfire. Too bad.

I just finished listening to a funny mystery. Its called Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb. Its about a murder at a science fiction convention and pokes gentle fun at science fiction and fantasy fans. I like fantasy but I appreciate the humor. Jay Omega, new science-fiction writer and engineering professor is visiting his very first convention. While there he meets the famous fantasy writer Appin Dungannon. Dungannon has legions of fans who adore his character. Unfortunately, he is also a first-class jerk. And when he turns up dead at the convention, there is no shortage of suspects.

Monster Name

I don't know why, but this just speaks to me :-)

Get Your Monster Name

I am an idiot!

As you might have remembered from an earlier post, my CD burner stopped working when I installed Windows XP. I bought an external DVD burner. I chose the Sony because it was a name. I had enough hard disc space. My processor is fast enough. I thought I had enough RAM. I connected it and it froze when trying to burn a disc. Upon further examination of my machine I do NOT have enough RAM. I am an idiot. I have tried to look around to see if I can expand my memory in my PC, but it is so old, it appears to be too hard to find. I have the original box and egg carton material to re-pack it, but I do not have the little plastic baggies that everything came in. I guess I will try to return it to the store, but part of me thinks it was my own stupid fault for not checking my computer and that maybe I should suffer with losing the money. Plus, I don't know what to say to the store. "Sorry I have to return this. Everything is in the box, just not in the original plastic bags. No, its working fine, I am just stupid."

I went on a field trip yesterday with some other librarians in my library system and some people from the local museum. We went to the new American Civil War Center in Richmond on the site of the old Tredegar Iron Works. Then after lunch, we visited the Library of Virginia to see their special collections. It was absolutely fascinating. I have always been fascinated by history. I majored in history in college and Virginia is rich in history. Among the items he showed us was a paper signed by Lord Cornwallis during the battle of Yorktown, right before he surrendered, a history of the world printed in 1493-type hand set. It was before the printing press, and a collection of papers from George Washington. It was so interesting to see his signature on an original document. I know it sounds corny, but this is the kind of thing I love.

Beautiful Weather and a Review

After last night I was not sure I wanted to go back to work, but I did. And everything was much calmer. Yesterday, the head of circulation found a few books in the stacks with the insides razor-bladed out. They were not popular titles or subjects. I had not heard of them. It was vandalism plain and simple. This goes along with the DVDs and CD's that were stolen out of their cases a couple of weeks ago. And then the teenagers were running wild again. Our security guard was busy all night running them off. And my co-worker (whom I really like working with) was chattier than usual. Today was better. It was quieter. Its the weekend and the weather was sunny and warm so the teenagers did not hang around either.

I just read a teen book called London Calling by Edward Bloor. Teenager Martin Conway has been attending a private Catholic school that he absolutely hates. So when he gets the opportunity to do an independent study project instead of attending class, he jumps at the chance. And he knows just what his topic will be. The antique radio from world war 2 left to him by his grandmother. One night Martin falls asleep with the radio on and is awoken by a British boy who died more than 50 years earlier and he needs Martin's help. Martin is sure that it was just a dream. But the "dreams" continue and they are amazingly vivid. Its almost like he is in 1940 London during the Blitz. And when Martin realizes that the people and events that he is dreaming about are real, he begins to wonder: is he going back in time, or is he going crazy? And just what can he do to help the British boy? The book is a quick read with interesting characters and good historical detail.

Grant me patience!

Today was a very stressful day. Between covering chat reference this morning (we are part of a cooperative and answer chat reference questions from public library patrons across the country), signing people up for tax appointments, and listening to loud annoying teenagers (I'm not saying ALL teenagers are loud and annoying, just the bunch that came in the library today), it was all I could do to keep from running out the door screaming. Tomorrow is another day.

Our weather hit the 50s today. I'm told it was nice out. Luckily the snow is just about melted. I want spring time.

Winter Weather

Ok. So I get up to go to work yesterday and watched the local news. The weather report for today was a wintry mix switching over to rain. Especially north and west of Washington D.C. I am south of DC. The impression I got was that it would be mostly rain. So I get woken up by a phone call at 9 AM this morning. Its my mother. She says that my nephew will be staying an extra day because of the weather outside. "Ok," I told her, "Its supposed to be just rain." And she said look outside. You are supposed to have gotten 3 inches of snow so far. So it snowed til after 12, and then switched to rain off and on for the rest of the afternoon. I think we were all taken by surprise.

So I spent the day reading and watching movies. I watched the first season of Wire in the Blood. It's a British mystery show about a police inspector and the psychologist who helps her solve murders. A little violent but really good. I also watched the movie Red Eye. That one was also good.

Right now I am reading Storm Front by Jim Butcher. Its the first in the Harry Dresden series about a wizard/detective in Chicago who gets called in to solve mysteries that involve the supernatural. It is now a show on the SciFi channel.

Stress

I need to know how to handle stress because I am not doing such a good job right now. There is always someone around. I can't get any peace at work or home and when I DO get a day off, I have to wait for idiot repair-people.

Billy Blanks Kicked my Butt

I have been trying new exercise routines lately. With Comcast's ExerciseTV on Demand I have been able to try new instructors and workouts before I buy them. I also get them at the library. Yesterday I did Billy Blanks's Bootcamp Workout. Exhausting! And it was only "Basic Training." I am SO out of shape.

My new washer has finally been delivered. My phone is still not working properly. Here in Virginia, we were hit with a sleet storm. So originally my washer was due to be delivered this past wednesday. Unfortunately, the sleet and below freezing temperatures took care of that.

And congrats to my 9 year old nephew. He just got his gold belt today! Its just above white belt, but he just started and worked hard for it. The school's name says karate, but it looks like they are teaching Tae Kwon Do.

When it rains it pours...

Why is it that when one appliance needs repair they all need it? Last week I had to get my car fixed. This week I had to buy a new washing machine. The cold water won't shut off in the washer, so last evening I went down to the basement to see a huge mess of water on the floor! Luckily we don't have carpet downstairs and we borrowed a shop vac from a neighbor. The washer is probably 10 years old and needs to be replaced, but I hoped to have it last a little longer. So today I went shopping for a washer.

In addition, my phone died. I can call out (although there is a LOT of noise on the line) but any calls coming in vanish into the great beyond!

Both the phone company and the washer people are coming wednesday afternoon. Ok. Now here is the real problem. We are supposed to have amajor winter event tonight and tomorrow. Unfortunately we are on the ice line (as usual). With my luck, I STILL won't have phone service or a washer on wednesday! The one bright side is that I have cable internet so at least I have some way of communicating!

I just finished a great book: The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. David is a 12 year old boy who just lost his mother. His father has remarried, his new stepmother is expecting a baby, and they have all moved into his stepmothers ancestral home. In the middle of this turmoil, David begins to hear the books whisper amongst themselves. Then one night, an opening appears in a tree in the garden. And David finds himself in a strange new world. A world where fairy tales exist but are very different than the ones we have been told. A world where beasts roam and where David must use every bit of bravery he can muster to find his way home. This book was written for adults, but teens could definitely read it. The Young Adult Library Services Association recently gave the book an Alex award. This award is given to adult books that would be of interest to teens. The Book of Lost Things is an entertaining fantasy.

Taxes and customer service

Has anyone noticed that people seem nastier lately? I have had the rudest people in the library this week. If things don't go exactly their way, they demand to speak to the manager. Like the lady who put up a poster to advertise a meeting in the library. She put up 2. One was removed by us. We have very little wall space. She also put it up with packing tape. We aren't really supposed to use tape on the walls at all. When the situation was explained to her she demanded to speak to the branch manager (who just happened to be at a meeting). Then there are the people whodon't say thank you or anything after monopolizing my time to look up phone numbers. I don't mind looking it up. Its my job, but when there are a line of people behind you, at least says thanks! And the teenagers have been more wild than usual this week too. And just the other day my nephew said to me "don't people say excuse me anymore?" And he's 9! He understands better than some adults!

And I absolutely hate tax time at the library. The tax volunteers who are there 3 times a week are very nice. But I am SO tired of explaining that the appointments are all taken for the next two weeks. Call back on Monday morning and we will start with appointments for the week of the 20th. And trying to explain why the state of Virginia decided not to send forms to libraries this year. No, we weren't happy either. I'm sorry you have to drive to pick them up. You can find them online. Oh, you don't have a computer. etc. etc. etc.

On the bright side, I just finished Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. This came highly recommended by Carolyn. I'll have a review soon. It's a great book and pulled me right in.

Happiness versus money

You know, you can have a job that lets you make tons of money, but if you are not happy there, then you might as well be poor. My sister (hereafter known as DS) is a day care assistant. She is good at it and she likes it, but she does not make much money. She just got a call from the public school system about a part-time paraprofessional job opening. And all she got from her S.O. and our mom was not to get her hopes up. Her S.O. wants her to get a job at the post office. D.S. would be miserable at the post office. She has a realistic view about her finances. Why can't people realize that sometimes a job is not just about the money? Even if she cannot take the job, its worth it to call and interview and GET HER NAME OUT THERE! I am finished venting. I am frustrated for her. FYI-I was excited for her.

Good News

First for Harry Potter fans: the publication of book 7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, has been announced. It will be released on July 21, 2007. I have already pre-ordered my copy from Amazon.com!

My car is not as bad as I thought. It needed new spark plugs and wires. It should be ready tomorrow.

Is it the full moon?

I know there is a full moon at the end of the week. Could that be causing my anxiety? I am much more anxiety-ridden than usual. The car, the weather, messing up a notarization? Just worrying.

So far so good with my car. It has sputtered a bit but has not stalled again. I've been trying to baby it. And I just have tomorrow to get through.

The weather: They are calling for winter weather again tomorrow. Normally I would be a bit nervous, but I am supposed to work til 9PM tomorrow. And I hate driving at night anyway.

Notarization. This is not really a bit deal. I did not mess anything up. I followed my state rules. I helped this sweet old lady with a real estate closing today. Just notarizing her signature. Basically, I check her ID, put her under oath, and watch her sign. Well the title company messed up some things on the docs and put the wrong date, etc. Since I am responsible for the wording on the notary statement (ex: sworn and subscribed before me this___ day of ____.....) I changed the date to the correct one. And she changed the date in the document to the day she signed it. Exactly the way it should be, right? So why am I worrying? OY! I get so annoyed with myself!

I just finished a fun book today. It is called King Dork by Frank Portman. High school student Tom Henderson is a self-described dork. He is in a band, he's trying to learn how to play his guitar, and trying to deal with teachers who give dumb assignments like copy out the first chapter of The Catcher in the Rye. When he finds his deceased father's copy of the book, he attempts to discover more about his father all the while trying to survive high school. The best part of this book is Tom's trying to survive high school. The extreme torture of gym class, the embarrassment in front of the opposite sex, the ridiculous homework assignments...we've all been there. The language is a bit frank, but overall, a great read and one that adults will especially appreciate.

Cars and worrying

I was driving to work this morning in 25 degree weather and after having stopped at a traffic light, my car stalled on me when I tried to move again. People behind me were honking their horns. And of course the light is one with a short turn signal. My car started right up again, but I am afraid it is going to happen again and I cannot get the car in to the mechanic until friday! I don't have another car and my sister has different hours than me, so I can't borrow hers. I'm just so afraid that it will stall on me again. I hate worrying. My family is getting annoyed with me. I can't help it.

Exercise

Exercise is not my favorite thing to do. But I force myself to do an hour a day. I would prefer to walk, either in my neighborhood or hiking in a park. However, since it is dark when I get home, that is not an option. So I do DVD workouts. Recently I discovered Exercise TV on Comcast Cable on demand. Its great. I have more exercise options, and it keeps me from getting sick of my DVD collection.

Journal

Journal: The Short Life and Mysterious Death of Amy Zoe Mason by Kristine Atkinson and Joyce Atkinson
I just saw this book on the new book display today and checked it out. It is a mystery in the form of someone's journal. But not just any written journal. Its just like someone had made a journal out of an altered book. Amy Zoe Mason is a wife and mother to two small children. She remains in Houston with the kids in order to sell their home while her husband is in Massachusetts starting his new position. Amy uses collages of pictures, words, and printed e-mails to describe her life and marriage while her husband is away. At first everything seems normal, but then signs in the journal point to something bad yet to come. This is marketed as if it were a real journal found by the authors in an old desk. Its almost like you are peeking into someone's life. It is an interesting concept.

It also brings to mind other books that are similar. One is the Griffin and Sabine books by Nick Bantock where you can read the correspondence between Griffin and Sabine by actually pulling out letters and postcards.
PostSecret : Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives compiled by Frank Warren is another one. Frank Warren asked people to write a secret on a postcard and send it to him anonymously. He posts some of them on his blog Postsecret. This book is a collection of some of cards that he recieved. And finally there is Found: The Best Lost, Tossed, and Forgotten Items from Around the World compiled by Davy Rothbart. In Found Magazine people send it notes, letters, pictures, etc. of things that they have found. The book gathers together some of the best of them. I would like to do a book list of books like this, but I need to find some more titles. Any ideas?

An Unpardonable Crime

An Unpardonable Crime by Andrew Taylor
Historical suspense.
The time is 1819. The place is London, England. Two strange Americans arrive and suddenly a bank collapses. A man is found brutally murdered and another disappears into the slums of the city. And a young boy named Edgar Allan Poe is sent to the village of Stoke Newington by his foster father to attend school. At the same time, a poor schoolteacher, Thomas Shield, gets pulled into these events and must try to make sense of everything before his life is destroyed.
This is another one that does not move very fast but this is a book that you don't want to be rushed. The mystery may not be very surprising, but the characters and atmosphere in this book are wonderful.

**********

We've had our first snowfall of the season today. Thursday's three flakes do not count. I made it back from the grocery store alive. It was very crowded and I really did need to go. I just got the word that schools are closed tomorrow and my boss said that the library will open an hour late tomorrow. That means that the "little angels" will be in the building all day to use the computers. Everyone please wish me patience.

The dreaded "S" word

The weather in Virginia is weird. The other day we had temperatures in the 70s. Todays high was maybe 35 and they are calling for snow flurries tomorrow afternoon. We don't DO snow in Virginia. At least I don't. And I am supposed to work til 9 tomorrow. What fun.

Apparently one of the "problem children" who live behind our library came in and said that the library was crips property. Our branch manager just said, no its library property. This is why I never want to be in charge. I am a big wimp. I'm not sure I would have known what to say. This is why our security people are so important. They have the experience of dealing with problem teenagers. Two of them work for the juvenile detention center and one used to work for the sheriffs department in another city. The interesting thing about our gang activity is that my library is NOT in a major metropolitan area. I guess its happening everywhere.

The Secret Supper

The Secret Supper by Javier Sierra
Literary mystery
This is one I would recommend for people who liked the Da Vinci Code but maybe wanted something just a little bit more literary. The time is 1497 and the city is Milan. Leonardo Da Vinci is putting the finishing touches on one of his greatest masterpieces: The Last Supper. But the Pope is concerned. There seem to be some things in the painting that might be heretical. Why don't Jesus or the apostles have halos? Why is there no meat on the table? Why is he facing away from Christ? Father Agostino Leyre has been sent by the Pope to find out the truth. Is Leonardo a heretic? And just what is he trying to say?
This one is good, but moves a bit slower than The Da Vinci Code. It is more of a suspense than a thriller, but worth it!

Mad Dogs

Mad Dogs by James Grady
Suspense/Thriller
The premise for this book is interesting. Deep in the state of Maine, the CIA runs a secret mental hospital, especially for those cases of agents who have gone insane in the line of duty. Our story focuses on 5 such patients. One day when arriving at group therapy, they find their doctor murdered. They KNOW there has to be some kind of conspiracy going on and they know that they are going to be the prime suspects, so they set out to escape the hospital in an attempt to prove their innocence. Because who is going to believe a group of mental patients? Actually this is book is very funny in parts. There is some violence and language, but this book is highly recommended (by my supervisor too!).

Book Reviews coming

I HAD planned on reviewing two books today. But Comcast had issues and I just got online at 11:30. So...maybe tomorrow.

Duh!

I've been wondering why my blog has not been visited much. Then I get a comment (thanks Carolyn!) that my blog was not on my profile. Apparently I forgot to check a little box and that kept my blog from showing up on my profile. Duh! I'm blaming the medicine. The prednisone is making me less loopy and I can deal with the leg aches as long as I walk a bit. But I'm still itchy and this is getting quite annoying.

Itchy

Well I've had 3 doses of prednisone and the poison ivy is slowly improving. Unfortunately the medicine makes my head ache and my muscles ache. On the whole, its better than itching. Its strange how different medicines affect different people. My co-worker gets wired on prednisone. I seem to be a bit more cheery than usual at first, but then it goes away. Luckily I have not gotten too grumpy and mean yet. Then I am also taking an antihistamine which knocks me out cold. I went in to work for an hour to do training then came home and slept the rest of the afternoon. Its a good thing its the weekend!

Medicine!

I love western medicine. My dermatitis has spread. I think its poison ivy, its not getting any better and its spreading so I called my doctor back. I am taking prednisone for about 9 days? I also have an antihistamine which is stopping the itching. The prednisone is supposed to cause sleeplessness but the antihistamine is supposed to cause drowsiness, so maybe they will cancel each other out. The only problem now is the headache side effects, but right now I'm not itching so I'll deal with it.

Contact dermatitis

I woke up yesterday morning with my face red and itchy and my eye swollen. The doctor';s diagnosis: Contact dermatitis. I'm a bit better today, but my eye looked like someone hit me. I have no idea what caused this. She said it does not look like poison oak or ivy, but it's driving me crazy. I can't wear my contacts because my eyes are bothering me and trying to work with my glasses on gives me a headache. I am not hiving fun.

Unseasonably warm weather

Here in Virginia, it got into the 70s on Saturday. Unbelievable. This is why everyone at work is sick. You wake up and its 32. By the end of the day its in the low 60s. And the worst thing is that I cannot enjoy it because I am stuck inside at my desk all day.

Not much else happening here.

Weeding

No, not the garden. The library. Weeding is when you get rid of books in your collection. It could be because of age, condition, out-of-date information (especially medical and legal) or just plain not checked out. There was an article in the Washington Post yesterday about Fairfax county public library (not my library) weeding books from their collection, including some classics, like Dr. Faustus, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and To Kill a Mockingbird. If you are interested, you can read the article here but free registration is required. People are up in arms about this. The problem is that the article is slanted. It makes it sound like the library is getting rid of ALL copies of these books. That is definitely NOT true. The director of the library system explains. There are actually quite a few copies of some of these titles. For example, they own To Kill a Mockingbird in lots of different editions, including paperback, hardback, sound recording, and videorecording. In regular print, they own 149 total copies, 57 of which are currently checked in. Thats just ONE edition! That does not include sound recording or Large Print.

The fact is that most libraries do not have the storage space to keep all of the titles that they have ever bought. If certain titles don't check out over a length of time, we have to evaluate and determine whether or not its worth keeping on the shelf. Usually if its a classic, we try to keep it on the shelf, but sometimes we just don't have the space to save 20+ copies of one title. We also check to make sure that it is available in at least one other branch in the system. We have also sent titles to our off-site storage facility. In my branch, weeding titles is especially important, because we are SO cramped for space. And in cases when you are dealing with health information, legal information, tax laws and so on, its actually important to get rid of the really old books so that people do not get wrong information.

Truthfully, I hate weeding books, and I would guess that most of my co-workers feel the same way. But its one of those things that must be done. By the way, we DON'T trash them unless they are in REALLY bad shape. If we must get rid of books, we sell them in our used book sale. The money then goes back to the library.

I felt compelled to write about this when reading all of the comments posted to the article. Especially when I read the directors response about how the article was misleading.

Rant over! I know some people will disagree with me, and believe me, I understand. It pains me to get rid of books myself!

Happy 2007!

Now comes the hard part: remembering to date my checks with 2007! I hope that this year will be happy, healthy and prosperous for everyone. I usually don't do resolutions. It feels like I am setting myself up for failure. But I am going to try to eat healthier and stay out of the vending machines at work. This weeks goal is to eat all of my servings of fruits and veggies. Unfortunately, I did not do this today, but I start fresh tomorrow.