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my poor little blog

My poor, poor, little neglected blog. I almost feel like it's a friend I've lost touch with. I should just give up. I only post a smattering of times a year. I suppose though, even if no one else reads this, I might as well keep going. It'll be nice when I'm old and lonely to look back and see that I was once young and lonely.

The library has started a blog! Well, I don't really think that one post constitutes a blog, but we'll get there. I'm in charge of it, so I've come up with a plan. For every post I write on the work blog, I will write a post on this blog. It's only fair. I don't want to show favoritism, you know.

I've decided I have a problem

I'm going to admit it. I might have an addiction to acquiring books. Not reading them, but holding on to them for EVER AND EVER. Like Lenny. I see a good cover or topic or author and I'm like "I've got to have this book right now. DON'T ARGUE WITH ME. RIGHT NOW. I don't care that I won't read it for several months because I've already got a gazillion books to read before it. I'm taking it and no one else will ever be able to read it." And then I hold on to the book for a very long time, someone else wants it, I feel bad, and then I try to sneak it back to the library when no one is looking.

My second problem (this one is not so much a problem but something I've noticed and is causing me a tiny bit of stress) is that I'm reading more non-fiction. Like, almost all of the books I've read in the past month have been fiction. Except for "Darth Vader and Son" and "Vader's Little Princess". I keep finding interesting non-fiction books to read! What else can I do? I decided to also get a sci-fi book a few weeks ago just so I could break up the monotony. It was good and now I want to read all the sci-fi. But I have to finish my stockpile of non-fiction first.

On another note, I designed my department's yearbook photo this year. Apparently it's very exciting. We got about 12 copies and everyone kept asking me if I had seen it yet and did I want to see it and they'll leave it on my desk for me. I made it very easy for them. I didn't want to see it. I know what it looks like. I made the thing. It's embarrassing to see my work in a format that other people will be able to see. I want to be anonymous. K. I'm going to go read now.

W

huh.

I've noticed (and if I'm wrong, please correct me) some of my college friends started blogs around the same time that I did. I was searching (read: creeping) on some of them the other day and noticed that a lot of them stopped blogging in 2010. Or, they blogged extremely intermittently. Now, I'm not so good at this that I blog once a week (some people blog every day. yikes) but I'm wondering why this happens. Real life? Lack of interest? Maybe you're on some other form of social media that I'm not invited to see?

The break that was supposed to be very productive, but instead I did absolutely nothing but watch Dr. Kildare movies.

I guess that about sums it up. At the beginning of my holiday break, I looked at my gigantic pile of unread books (maybe 15... not THAT gigantic) and decided then and there that I would read them all over break. And I didn't read a single word. As much as I kind of regret not reading, I came to the conclusion that I needed that break. No, I didn't need a break, I NEEDED a break. If I hadn't taken time off from thinking and doing, I may have gone off the deep end. I wound myself up too tight and needed that time off from work to unwind myself.

I spent a lot of time with my family and felt like a complete outsider the entire time, but there's nothing new about that. I spent time with friends, which was nice. And I watched all the Lew Ayres Dr. Kildare movies. I don't know if I've ever mentioned my love for Lew Ayres before. Just know. He's awesome. Lionel Barrymore? Awesome. The way they moved Laraine Day out of that series because she was an up-and-coming star? Maybe not as awesome. Definitely unexpected.

My lofty goal for this year is to read 65 books. I've got 5 relatively long books that I'm reading, but none of them are grabbing my attention in the way that I like books to. I'm going to read them as quickly as possible so I can start other books that I might really enjoy. I'm going to finish The Mysteries of Udolpho today. I've got 400+ pages left, but I'm gonna do it. It's supposed to be one of the archetypal Gothic novels. The book is mostly detail and description, and the action is so fleeting that I feel like I'm missing a lot. Sentences are about 4 times too long, and I keep getting stuck reading and re-reading because every sentence sounds the same. Apparently it was redone as The Veiled Picture; or, The Mysteries of Gorgono and most of that flowery useless stuff was removed. Since I'd already started the longer version, guess I'm going to stick with it. Let it not be said that I ever gave up on a book. Except Valley of the Dolls. That book drove me crazy.

W

makerspaces.

Alright, I keep talking about how much time passes between each of my blog posts, and I guess that's because I'm actually busy. I don't feel like I have the time to sit down and watch even a two hour movie. And while that's not exactly true, I understand why I feel that way. I just feel like I have a ton of stuff to do all the time. I can never relax.

I have SO many projects at work that I'm constantly being pulled in different directions. I really enjoy what I'm doing, but sometimes it gets the better of me. In the spirit of organization, I started to make a folder for one of the projects I was working on. Easier for me to find all that stuff in one place than in notebooks scattered ALL OVER my desk, right? Well, I sat there at my desk the other day thinking, "which digital collection management system am I forgetting? I know I'm missing one, and I can't remember the name of it." It drove me crazy for about 5 minutes, until I found the program on my work computer. [eyes closed, deep breath, stop freaking out].

I think now is the perfect time for Thanksgiving Day break, although I have to go back to work today anyway, because I forgot something. Story of my life.

But makerspaces! I was going to tell you about makerspaces. That's another one of the projects I'm researching. Makerspaces are basically areas of a library, usually, that offer programs and technology for people to learn new skills/find new interests, make connections, problem-solve, be creative, and generally do stuff. It all depends on what the makers of each makerspace want to teach (or more accurately, what the people who are using the makerspace want to learn). I'd be interested in seeing what kinds of creative activities our college students might be interested in. It's still just an idea we're tossing around. As I've been researching and listening to webinars, I'm learning about the success some libraries are having and practically drooling over some of their programs. 3D printer? Yes please! Programs on screenprinting, soldering, computer building and bike repair? Stop making my mouth water. Now, I understand that not all programs would work for all libraries. But a little part of me is hoping (and praying, wishing, and dreaming) that our students would welcome these kinds of programs. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.


W

Vinyl signs.

I'm making signs for work and it's exciting to know that all the extra vinyl my aunt gave me several years ago is coming in handy. I'm almost out! I may need to purchase my own stockpile of vinyl, as I'm nearly out of all the good colors. And yes, I have to cut out each letter by hand. It's a lot of work, but I like it. 

This is the template that I used to create the first sign. I altered the letters a bit as they were too detailed to hand-cut on a small scale. This sign was either 24 or 25 inches square.

 

I made another that says 'Movies' and am going to be starting a third soon that says 'Faculty Publications'. Since I'm running out of colors, I'm kind of glad there will be a lot of lettering to do. I'll have less space for the stripes so I can make the most of the colors I have left. After that one, I think I'll be done unless I can scrounge up some more vinyl.

Dresses.

So, haven't posted in a while. Not that anyone is actually reading these, but it makes me feel better to imagine that somewhere, in some dimension, someone hears me. I realized I have too many interests to focus on one thing. I'm working on designing signs for work, cataloging books, removing rust from old coke bottles, chainmaille, reading sf/f books, and buying dresses. DRESSES. Sweet juju mogombo, I'm buying dresses. To actually wear. I can't tell if maybe I was hit on the head or if I'm maturing. Gak. Going to Washington, D.C. next weekend and I can't wait! Maybe I'll bring a dress to wear. hmmmm.....

TBR

Whoa, December already? 
Let's not talk about the gap in posts, let's get right into the swing of things. As I was reading one of the many blogs I subscribe to (and constantly question where they get the time to constantly blog as well as wondering how they get so many subscribers, seeing as how i have possibly a negative number at this point, ha) I read about the TBD double dare. It lasts from January 1 to April 1, i think? Basically just a New Year's resolution ("I WILL read more books this year") but I'm going to do it. I have about 60 - 70 books at home silently begging to be read. So it's happening. Everything from the medicinal uses of leeches to the rise of American film to Irish folk stories to Nero Wolfe mysteries. And it's all going to be read. Well, most of it will be read. Well, a lot of it. Well....some of it. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love to read. There just aren't enough hours in the day. ::sigh::


W

New work!

Today is a cruddy rainy day. I have the day off. I was able to sleep in (and I definitely needed it, because I'm getting over a cold and I've been keeping myself up all night coughing) and generally just bummed around. It feels good.

 

I figure I'd finally post these three new beauties. I've been holding onto them for a bit and have just gotten around to taking their pictures. I have Common Foxglove (for those of you who remember that 'Eve' episode of The X-files, two of the Eve clones poison their father with this. I remember learning that Foxglove is also known as digitalis. It's definitely one of my earlier tv memories.)

I also have Hippeastrum. It's greek for Horseman's star, or knight's star. It's commonly known as the Amaryllis, but that seems to be a misnomer. If you buy an Amaryllis around Christmastime, chances are you've got yourself a Hippeastrum. No matter, it's a beautiful flower. Oh yeah, it's also poisonous. Well, the bulb is. 

And then I have Hellebore. I think I base most of my life off of television, because when I think of Hellebore, I think of an episode of Bones, The Devil in the Details. You know, the Christmas rose? It's also known as black hellebore. This one is also, you guessed it, poisonous!

I like poisonous things. I enjoyed making these. I got to experiment with different colors schemes and I think they all turned out really awesome.

W

Education never ends, Watson.

So I've been saying forever that I'm going to post pictures of things that I'm working on, and I'm not going to disappoint today. Please ignore how bad the pictures are, it's a crummy day outside and my kitchen is filled with smoke.

My driving rabbit and nautilus. You can see my two embroidery hoops, a 7 inch and a 4 inch. The 4 inch hoop is so tiny but I find it really easy to use.

Here is a close-up of my driving rabbit. I love his little paws.

And a close-up of the nautilus. He proved to be more difficult as I lost my reference drawing for a few days. I ended up filling in an entire section of his shell in black and when I found my sketch I had to undo it all. I haven't decided what to do next or what colors to use. I also have yet to read the book I wanted to read, but I guess that's acceptable, considering the debacle with the turkey today. Plus I finished a puzzle. A Norman Rockwell dual cover puzzle, no less. Having Wednesdays off is awesome.

W

boom boom boom...muffins

It's not that I'm crazy, so much, as it is that this quote is just too catchy, and I have it stuck in my head constantly. I haven't even watched that episode in weeks. I guess Shawn really would make catchy commercial jingles. So, job well done.
I've determined that most people have the ability to keep up a regular pace when blogging. I can't say the same. I finished reading a book this week, and I've started another. So at least I'm not completely slacking!  I finally finished reading Sarah Vowell's Unfamiliar Fishes. I love her books. I found out about her through my printmaking professor, who remarked once (after a particularly snarky comment by me) that I reminded him of her. We (and by we, I mean, my entire printmaking class) listened to an excerpt of her on NPR's This American Life. It was amazing. There I was, laughing OUT LOUD in class while she lamented over marching band. Meanwhile everyone else tried hard not to listen. They smirked at some parts, but mostly just didn't find it funny. Weirdos.

So I decided to learn more about her work. I've read Assassination Vacation and The Wordy Shipmates (thank you, public library!). During one of my staggeringly numerous trips to Borders in the past few weeks, I saw this one.

Here, a picture for you.
And it was a total 'yep'. It was interesting and informative and I laughed out loud way too much. I kept trying to explain the funny parts to my mom, who wasn't there, and you just had to be there, I guess. Whatever, it was good. She's definitely got a life-long reader in me.

My next challenge will be Great Sea Stories, which I could not find a picture of (at least, not the copy I have) but it is proving to be a good read. I still have several thousand squares to crochet, and I have yet to figure out what to do with my embroidery. I finished the rabbit and the nautilus, and am now going to venture into using color (with disastrous results, no doubt), but what do I do with them? Of course, once I can, I'll post a picture of them. They're cool.

adventures in embroidery

So, I've been feeling like my creativity is... well, stifled isn't exactly the right word. I feel like I've put my creativity in a box because I'm too busy to find a place for it, and the box is slowly making its way up the stairs and is almost in the attic, where it will no doubt come to rest and begin collecting dust. I've been working on some embroidery for a while and I think I'm going to finish it or come very close to finishing it tonight. I also have a lot of yarn and need to crochet a few more squares for a quilt. I'm not going to make the quilt, I'm just making the squares. My mom works with a girl who is going to crochet them together, so I'm going to be helping out the homeless, rediscover some creativity (or at least, some artistic motivation) and get rid of my extra yarn. I'm killing three birds with one stone. So that's good.

North Avenue Irregulars/The Picture of Dorian Gray

I watched two amazing movies in the past week. Do you love screwball Disney comedies? Cause I know I do!
      North Avenue Irregulars (1979) is one of the best movies pretty much of all time. To keep it short and sweet, a new minister in town enlists 6 churchwomen and one reluctant male churchgoer to help fight their town's gambling problem. Yeah, it's as crazy as it sounds! This movie is about as campy as it gets, including a 60's-ish band called Strawberry Shortcake and hi-jinks that lead to an off road derby type car crashing spectacular. It's the best thing ever. Ever. EVER.
       It's so the best movie ever, because it has Edward Herrmann (pastor Michael Hill) in it. And he's so young! Cloris Leachman (Claire) is also in it, and she's pretty much as hilarious as ever. Look out for Carmel, the pastor's daughter - it's Melora Harden!! She's got to be, like, 9!
       Clearly I have some free time.

I also watched "Picture of Dorian Gray" with Hurd Hatfield, Donna Reed, and ANGELA LANSBURY. It's so beautiful, Hurd Hatfield plays Dorian Gray so well that you'd never know he wasn't like that in real life. The role really type-cast him forever, which is unfortunate, but the other surprising thing is he's not British.  He's from NYC. Never would have guessed that. I guess that's awesome acting for you. The other fabulous thing about this movie is that it has a commentary by a film historian, who gives you great tidbits about the movie, filming, and the actors, but also, ANGELA LANSBURY is on the commentary.  I loves it.

Peter and the Wolf

Remember that Walt Disney special where Sterling Holloway narrated Peter and the Wolf? No? Just me then? Ok well, it's pretty much the most amazing thing to happen involving Prokofiev EVER. If you haven't seen it, you should. If you haven't heard Peter and the Wolf, might I suggest listening to Claudio Addabo's version (narrated by Sting)? There are two parts (out of three) on Youtube and I'm kinda perturbed the third is nowhere to be seen, as I got nearly 15 minutes in and then realized I was very soon going to be angry....because I couldn't listen to the end... NEVER FEAR! I have interlibrary-loaned it.
           Interlibrary loan? What's that? If you were one of the people who got their MLIS degree online, you might not know what interlibrary loan is (and clearly I'm not saying this to the general MLIS online degree'd public,  but one person - and you know who you are). To clarify, let's imagine your library doesn't have an item you want. Your library may be part of a larger library system (like my county's M.A.I.N. library catalog) and can request that item from another library in its system. Colleges and universities use the same type of system, but they can request from all over the freaking place. Btw, I've decided that interlibrary loan is now a verb. You may have been saying it for years, and to that I say Woot! but now I've stated it, it's on the internet(s, kara) and it's real now.
         Also, apropos of libraries, Wil Wheaton just wrote the most super-amazing thing about librarians ever and it seriously warmed my heart. I'm not a *real* librarian with a degree and all, but I work in a library and I do catalog and reference and all other types of librarian related things... and I'm glad to have him on our side. Plus, he just got cooler, if that was possible. 

Wendi

The cataloging fiend

is what I have become. I learned how to catalog DVDs on Friday and have so far cataloged 50, which I think is pretty good. It takes me about an hour to completely catalog 8 books, but DVDs take longer, I think. DVDs are a lot tougher, too because they have so many more steps (well, it feels like they do). Finding the Dewey numbers sometimes takes forever! I have about 50 more DVDs sitting on my desk, ready to be cataloged, and I will tackle them tomorrow - unless we have a snow day...again. I'm still that kid who gets excited about snow days, but really, all I'm thinking about now is that I'm the dork thinking about all the work I need to do and how a stupid snow day would totally throw off my plan of finishing the DVD cataloging tomorrow.
        
        Cataloging a DVD is very boring, would you like me to tell you? Ok non-existent people reading my blog, here it is. First you have to find the call number. Easier said than done. Some you find on OCLC (Online Computer Library Catalog (or Center, depends on who you ask)), or on the internets somewhere, or compare it to your catalog, or create it using the DDS (Dewey Decimal System, for those of you not in the know). Then you find the MARC record on OCLC (basically, the universal book/media record for that item). Some DVDs have ISBNs that you can search and find a record. Some don't. Those that don't - and even some that do - must then be searched by title, year, material blah blah blah. Oh wait, sometimes you get hundreds of search results, too. Then you scream and your head spins around, and when it comes back around to the front and your eyes focus, you see the correct choice and click it... or you search for a while, give up and ask Maryanne for help (that's usually what I end up doing, she's so good at this stuff!)
         Ok, so you've found your MARC record. You put in the call number and take out several fields of junk and useless information. You click some buttons to make it official, create a card (::sigh::, yes, my library still prints cards for the card catalog that sits in our office and does nothing except look cool)... You print your labels (one for the side, one for...the same side, because in our library DVD labels both face out), making sure to add DVD before the call number. You label the disc TML (for Taylor Memorial Library, where I work....duh) and you put a TML sticker on the back of the case and a copyright infringement sticker on the front. You put a barcode on the back (which is actually really fun, love those barcodes) and then you import all the records into Workflows. We use a version of Workflows that came out around the same time that fire started becoming popular, but it's what we have and it's gray, so I like it.
        Add the labels to the DVD case, putting plastic protective stickers over the labels. Import the records into Workflows and add the barcode and put DVD in front of the call number....again. Make a list of each DVD you catalog, including title, year, time, and call number to give to Carol. Then, line up all the DVDs you've just cataloged and pat yourself on the back. That was hard work. You deserve an ice cream cone. Get me one too, while you're at it.

Wendi

Well, it's been a while. What can I say? I've been busy (and maybe a little bit lazy). I've been thinking a lot on which direction I should take this blog. If I'm my cranky, sarcastic self, people are going to start thinking that all I am is a Debbie Downer (and we all know that's only 80-90% true). But I don't want to be all life-affirming and inspirational either. Cause, you know, ick. Nobody reads this anyway, so I'm not all that concerned. Also, I can't exactly complain (or brag, for that matter) TOO much about work or anything because people don't really like that. So what good is this blog, anyway? To recap, I can't be too happy or too sad, I can't complain, and I can't brag.

I got a new laptop over the holidays and I have to say, it's pretty much amazing. I find I carry it around and keep it on so that when I see something I want to know more about, I just search it. I told my mom that, like any little kid, at some point I'll lose interest in it because I'm a kid and it's basically a toy. She looked over at my dad, who was still playing with the police scanner he bought two weeks ago and said, "yeah, exactly when does that happen?" We're all looking forward to the day when we don't have to strain to hear the tv over the sound of the scanner. Although, it's sort of like listening to an old-time radio show. Last night we listened to a riveting 'program', if you will, regarding a robbery, IN MY TOWN, at a bank next to the Taco Bell at the same time my mother was at Taco Bell getting dinner. And she didn't see anything. I don't know if the guy got away. That's the problem with the police scanner. It always ends on a cliff-hanger.

study in futility

hmmm...it's been a while. but then again, it's not like there are very many people who follow my stupid blog, so I guess that's not a problem. I guess I always join things too late, after everyone has already set everything in stone, and I'm trying to squeeze in and find a place amongst people. I've been realizing lately how everyone I've ever met has these awesome lives, filled with friends and art and events, and I've got....nothing. So self-pitying aside, here's some stuff that you'd be able to see if you check my Facebook... sorry, even I was laughing at that point.


This is a polish chicken, in case you were wondering.


A squirrel having a heart attack. It's funny cause it's true. hmm, wait a minute. That didn't make sense.

I accidentally called this little guy Cyril before I realized I had named him Cyril the Squirrel. Had no idea until I told a coworker and then I was like, "crap. Cyril....the squirrel."


W

ok so jewelry is taking a back seat.

but only for a little while. I'm just enjoying being goofy with pen and ink. First I drew a giraffe, but didn't want to finish his markings, so I made him white. Steve said I should pretend that it's an ancient relative of the giraffe. But then I was like, "hey. parachuting apples." and so I did it.



Then I drew an octopus. I love sea creatures because hundreds of years ago, people thought they were sea monsters. And I figured it would be quite a predicament if he had a lollipop in each hand. Which to eat first?




Then I was drawing with my neighbor and he wanted me to draw rabbits parachuting from the sky and I realized they would probably need some sort of goggles and gloves while they're parachuting. So then I drew that one.




W

Printings people leave behind

will be the theme for my next set of jewelry pieces. There is so much crap that people print out and never come get. Anything that comes through as student printing and isn't picked up in 3 (count em' 3) days becomes property of ME. Nothing personal, of course. Articles and recipes and book chapters that people forget about? They're mine. And to start off, I have a lovely nearly 500 page BOOK about countries near the Philippines that I can meander through.

In other news, we now have had a baby squirrel literally stuck in the library, some droppings - well, ok. not some droppings... more like a lot of droppings in every room of the library from an unnamed creature (hopefully a mouse), and a raccoon trying desperately to get into the library. This place is becoming a wildlife refuge.

Wendi