Archive for November, 2006

Ten things you may not know about me

Wednesday, November 29th, 2006

I posted this on Momchops a while back, but I thought that for the benefit of those that don’t read momchops, I would let you know some not so well known facts about ME! Hmm… do I want you to know these things?

Here is how momchops found out about it…

“Adrienne tagged me for this variation on the “five things” meme. Although I don’t keep many secrets, there are a few things about the younger me that people in my life now have no idea. Some I’ll share, others…uh-huh. Sorry.”

BTW, I changed it to ten things and these are only Nazareth high school things about me.

1. I tried out for the volleyball team three years in a row before I finally gave up.

2. I was in track and field and almost hit the coach in the head with a discus.

3. I made out with the lighting guy (a 23 year old) in the back of the stage while working on the school musical.

4. I was on the bowling team.

5. I carried a bear named Oatmeal with me everywhere my sophmore year.

6. I was in the Forensics club.

7. I was told that I couldn’t be in Honors English (mostly because I hated Great Expectations) and the next year I went into “regular” English, but found it so boring that I begged them to let me be in the Honors English class. Then I got a 4 out of 5 on my AP exam.

8. I used to skip taking the bus and with friends would walk to Aquinas so we could smoke (since we rode the bus with Aquinas students). I do not smoke anymore because when I was dating my husband he told me that I had to stop smoking or he would break up with me. Isn’t he cute! 🙂

9. I rolled film for the Photography dept. as part of my required volunteer time (at least I think it was required).

10. A friend and I painted a giant sun on one of the walls in the art room, also as part of required volunteer time.

Thanks-for-sisters-giving

Wednesday, November 29th, 2006

My sister came home from NC for Thanksgiving. I had taken off all the days she was in town without prior knowledge of the days she was going to be here. Boy was I glad I did. It was so much fun to be with both of my sisters. One is still in Rochester, and the other is in Chapel Hill. Get two of us together and we’re pretty freakin cool. But get all three of us together and there is NO STOPPING US! It was too much fun, and I wish we had more time together. Unfortunately, I know that Chapel Hill is doing a world of good for my sister, since she is very smart and gets to go to school for free. Oh well. We always have DISNEY! How many days away? How about 33! Yippee skippy!

Oh Thanksgiving was lovely by the way. We brined the turkey, which wasn’t as much work as I thought it would be, and I tried to do side dishes that wouldn’t stress me out too much. My family really liked everything, and they were greatly impressed that we managed to clean our kitchen really well. Overall, I’d say it was a good time. Of course, our kitchen is a disaster again. Oh well.

And yea! Saturday I get to see Olivia‘s new house!

Cat news

Wednesday, November 29th, 2006

We’ve been talking about it for awhile, but we finally did it tonight. We put Phoebe down. I really didn’t think it would hurt as much as it did. I know I know, I’m a heartless bitch. But really, she puked EVERYWHERE, she had to be given steroids for the vomiting, that didn’t really work, she wasn’t cleaning herself anymore. Really she was a dirty icky cat. But she was really sweet too. She would let Jack lie on top of her and she wouldn’t move for a minute or two. She would go to sleep somewhere and you’d be able to hear her snoring from another room. She used to sleep in the sink and she’d play with the water (in the sink, or while you were taking a shower). She used to sleep on Jeff’s head… of course there was that awful night where she threw up on his head while Jeff was sleeping.

I guess Jeff and I were just tired of all the steroids that didn’t work, the expensive food that didn’t help and the vomit where you least expected it… on Jack’s toy train, on books, or underneath Jack’s shoes, which he got ALL OVER the bottom of his shoes and then ran around the house in without my knowledge until I scraped what I thought was cranberry bread off the floor with my fingers and very quickly realized it was cat vomit.

Gross.

Still she was a pretty good cat, and it was pretty hard watching the whole thing. Jeff and I decided that at least we could be decent enough to stay through the whole thing. She was so good through the whole thing. The vet gave her the sedative to numb her up and she stayed aware for quite awhile. They said that she would probably be out after ten minutes, but I think it was more like 15-20 minutes. We sat there and petted her the whole time. Jack included. We figured that he was too little to realize what was going on and I didn’t want to wait for Jeff in the waiting room until it was over. I really didn’t expect to cry so much, but I guess I still loved her a lot.

The vet and the nurses all seemed to agree that there really wasn’t much we could have done for her, and that she could have internal damage from the steroids. Of course they may have just been telling us to make us feel better.

Good-bye Phoebe.

Phoebe the vain

I may be sheltered… ignorant… or both.

Monday, November 20th, 2006

This morning I asked my co-worker if she was going to shop for the day after Thanksgiving sales. She said no, and then she proceeded to say that she wasn’t going to shop at Walmart on Friday or Saturday. When I asked why, she said that Walmart was going to give 5% of their profits to the Gays. Boy did that give me a wake up call:

  1. go Walmart! I thought you suck, but now you suck a little less
  2. it made me think of my co-worker in a different light. A not happy light.

Then, when I got home, I found an article on Snopes, which stated that its sort-of true. They are donating 5% of the online sales of sales initiated through the web site of the Washington DC Community Center for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People. Well tons of people will know to do that! (She says very sarcastically!) Even though I hate everything that Walmart stands for, I may have to buy something…

Okay, so maybe I just don’t care to think about all those sad individuals that think that being a homosexual is a dirty, unnatural, sin. I sort of like staying ignorant about that. Although, I guess the people that hate gays want to do the same thing. But since I’m right, I can stay ignorant, right? 🙂

Of course, I still understand that part of my duty as a librarian is to:

  1. purchase materials for all types of patrons in the community even if I don’t agree with their beliefs
  2. not criticize or think poorly of people who view things differently from me

But it seems like its one thing when its a strange patron who just wants to check out books and its completely another when its a co-worker that you really like (not in that way though, because it would be dirty 🙂 ). It sort of broke my heart to hear her say that she basically hates homosexuals… especially in Rochester. I mean we aren’t the mecca of homosexuality, but I thought Rochester seemed pretty progressive and open. Of course, this may be my sad delusional ideals protecting me again.

I’m positive that this topic is one of those “deadly sins likely to not get you another job ever again” topics, but I guess I wouldn’t really want to work in a place that wouldn’t hire me for my beliefs on this subject. I completely honor the fact that she hates homosexuals even if from the bottom of my heart I know she’s wrong, and I would treat a patron the same way. Try and be as pleasant as possible, but pity them just the same. So if my future employer couldn’t honor me in the same way, well then pphhtttt to you.

I really had to get that off my back. Oh and I still hate Walmart. I like Target much better, although I’m sure they have some dirty secrets hiding in there… just looked on Snopes. There’s an article about “banning” the term Christmas, banning the Salvation Army and carrying vibrators & not donating to veterans.

If you don’t get a chance to read the articles they:

  1. DO NOT ban the cashiers from saying “Christmas”, however they didn’t use the term Christmas in any of their advertisements in 2005 until they were pressured to start using it again… although I didn’t see Christmas mentioned on their website. I do applaud them for trying to keep in mind that NOT EVERYONE CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA!!! Well that was until certain groups pressured them enough.
  2. DO ban the Salvation Army from soliciting, but that’s because they don’t let anyone solicit at the door. We all know that when you let one person do something, more will follow. Good for Target sticking to their guns.
  3. DO NOT sell vibrators.
  4. DO donate TONS of money to all different causes, including veterans. In one part of the article, it was claimed that Target only donates to Gay and Lesbian causes, but that’s not true either.

So I can still like Target. Thank goodness. I may even go there this weekend!… but not on Friday. No shopping on Friday, except maybe to Leaf and Bean.
On a happy note, I got my poi-ple ukulele tonight, and it sounds and look bea-u-ti-FUL!

Random thoughts today.

Friday, November 17th, 2006
  • I love watching Jack dance.
  • If I could be anything I wanted, I would be these things:
    1. a terrific mommy
    2. a best friend
    3. a great wife
    4. a stupendous daughter
    5. a photographer
    6. a children’s/teens author
  • I really wish I had more time to read. I don’t get nearly enough time to read. I can barely read the two books I have for my two book groups let alone anything else.
  • I wish I knew as much about computers as everyone thinks I do. For example, last night one of the teens managed to hack the computer so that when one of us went on the Internet at a certain staff computer, porn immediately came up. It was quite disturbing for the staff member that it happened to, but the teen was quite pleased with himself. Sally was furious with him when she found out, so she was going to have a “talk” with him when he came in. I’ve never been so upset that I had to leave early. Anyway, this is not to say that I want to learn how to put porn on library computers, but I wish I knew enough to get around like that on the Internet.
  • I wish I wasn’t so socially awkward. I feel like I’m all thumbs when I try and talk to people. And yet I really do love being in the company of others. Which may explain my choice of occupation.
  • Here comes a reoccurring thought: I wish that I wasn’t such a slob. I really hate being unorganized, I sometimes think it makes me physically sick. And yet with all this sickness, work is a disaster, and my house is a wreck. I’m afraid to have people over. I continually think that we should go on TLC’s Clean Sweep, yet Jeff doesn’t think that would be a good idea. Plus I think I would be a little a lot embarrassed.
  • I hate that Jeff and I are perpetually late. We are never on time for anything. People are starting to make fun of us now. Especially family. Which hurts the most I think.

I did it. Again.

Tuesday, November 14th, 2006

I asked for $400 to present to the school district, after asking the most knowledgeable of ladies, Patty U. She knows everything! That’s why she’s such a great librarian. So anyway, this morning I check my email… and they agree! Now I have to give a really great presentation. I’m going to do power point and everything.

Now comes typical Cathy shining through. The presentation isn’t until January. Until then we have Christmas and Disney World (yippee!). So what do I do? I buy a flea ukulele. In uke berry, of course. I’m going to ask for this ukulele video for Christmas (or just buy it myself). It features a dog named Ginger, who plays the ukulele! Plus its meant for 5 – 10 year olds, so hopefully it’ll be easy enough for even me.

Here is someone on you tube playing the flea. And in this video the ukulele lovers just want people to take the ukulele a little more seriously.

Watch out kids, here comes the ukulele playing librarian!

Update: The store called. They don’t have the uke berry in stock right now, but they do have poi- ple! Even better!

I did it.

Sunday, November 12th, 2006

I asked them for money. It was scary, but I hit the send button. Deep in my heart I know its worth it. Driving forever to get there, trying to get there early, making sure I have enough copies of book lists and websites, getting enough books to look at, actually speaking for an HOUR (jeez), hanging out after to answer questions, driving an hour or more back (because it’ll be January in Geneva) and making sure that I get to work before I’m late. I think its worth getting paid for. I’m actually getting excited about speaking to a crowd about comic books again. I love those darned things! I just wish I had more time to read them, or maybe just more eyeballs.

Oh goodness. I can never get enough done on my blogs and yet I think my face is sometimes suction cupped to my computer screen. It really is a delightful image. Unfortunately, it doesn’t give me much time to practice my uke. Or play with Jack, or crochet, or read, or go to the bathroom, or clean the house. Eek. Time for bed. Say good night Cathy!

BTW

Thursday, November 9th, 2006

If you can make any suggestions about the talk I’m thinking I’d like to give… can I/ should I ask for money? Should I do a program in January in Geneva?

Should I be worried about the little crying kid? Will I end up being the little crying librarian?

Would a grant for homeschooling teens be a good idea, or am I just giving myself too much work?…

Hiya everybody!

Thursday, November 9th, 2006

Wow. You turn around and half a month goes by! I can’t believe I haven’t posted since the middle of October!

Since then I have…

  • Found out that my sister WILL be doing a special school project at my library for 120 hours! Which I am very excited about, because I already have tons of stuff I want her to help me do. The three most important things I want her to help with are:
    1. Summer Reading (for teens) – she wants to be a teen librarian, so I figured that I wouldn’t even bother having her try to help plan summer reading for the kids
    2. Help write a grant with me. Yep. I’m going to try it again. I want to talk to Ogden, Brockport and Hamlin and work with the teen librarians at each library and create a homeschooling grant similar to the one that I’m doing with Webster, Chili and Greece. We’d make educational kits, have programs, and create displays. I’ll have to ask the other librarians if they actually want to do it before I start thinking about it too much.
    3. Marketing – Find ways to market to the teens and their parents. Sally and I have had LOTS of talks about how librarians are TERRIBLE about promoting themselves. We aren’t letting people know how important libraries are and how many services we provide. I’m hoping that my sister and I can come up with interesting and creative ways to promote our services.
  • I went to NYLA and went to quite a few programs. There didn’t seem to be too many librarians from Monroe County, but I did meet a lot of other very nice librarians. One of the librarians even asked me if I would be willing to relocate to Albany to be their teen librarian. But I knew that my mother wouldn’t let me do that, because she thought my commute would be too long. Of course I wouldn’t be able to MOVE to Albany because then she wouldn’t be able to see Jack anymore. I’ll talk about NYLA more in a separate post because there’s quite a bit to talk about.
  • I was asked to speak about comic books by the Wayne School district. They want me to speak for an hour on elementary graphic novels- (roughly K-5). They want me to bring examples to share, lists for people to take with them and sharing of basic information about graphic novels (how to read them, what makes a graphic novel a graphic novel, what to look out for, artwork etc.). The audience would primarily be school library media specialists from the region with some administrators mixed in. She also asked me if I charged any fees. I think that it would be pretty cool to get paid for speaking, especially since its an hour away and I would be speaking for an hour. However I have absolutely NO idea how much I would ask them for. I’m pretty sure that I could find a way to talk for a whole hour about comic books.
  • Tonight I had my weekly Yugioh group, which usually goes fine. The teens are usually so good that I haven’t always even been in the room. Tonight they were quite animated. Two of the teens were chasing each other around and hitting each other in the way teens beat each other up when they “like” each other. Then the youngest one in the group, a ten year-old boy, started getting involved and hitting the teen guy. I thought things had calmed down so that I felt the room for a couple of minutes. I heard things get loud again, and in the couple minutes I was gone, the kid hit/kicked the teens in the testicles and the teen lifted him up and pushed him aside. The kid fell on the floor and started crying. I got back in there, he was crying and then before I could talk to him, he ran out of the room and out of the library. I’m a little afraid that when I get to work tomorrow, I have an angry note on my desk from the kid’s mom and she wants me fired. I guess it would be nice to be a stay at home mom. I’d just have to get rid of my car and I wouldn’t be able to buy more bags or shoes.
  • Oh and Halloween. I got Jack orange pants and a black shirt with skeletons on it. We handed out candy to the three kids and fifteen teenagers that came to the door. We had about 8 guys that dressed up as ladies. Very interesting. Jack had fun answering the door and eating candy.