I'm Peeved

I go from saying nothing in eons to making two posts this afternoon. Here's the scoop...Our branch had to have new pictures taken for new IDs this afternoon. It seems we will be set up with IDs that will require us to scan into things or things that will require us to scan our IDs and therefore we will join the ranks of Lanyard People. I find this highly objectionable on so many fronts. I enjoy my name tag that says, "____ _____ Library System" and my name. It clearly identifies that I work here. I also have a gold 5-year pin that I have proudly stuck through my badge. It reflects my commitment to my job. The generic swipe ID that hangs from a lanyard does not sit prominently in a way that proclaims, "I am here so that you, Patron, might know I work here, and can identify me to help you." The swipe ID is functional for me and confusing to you. It forces people to stare and try to determine whether that person is even an employee. If the ID clips to belt it forces us to go crotch stalking. We are supposed to be more accessible to the patrons. The movement is to do away with Reference Desks yet we become anonymous in a sea of office workers wearing pass cards. Years ago when every employee in hospitals started wearing scrubs, patients began having a hard time. They reported all sorts of problems because one minute a janitor in cranberry scrubs is emptying the trash and the next a nurse in maroon scrubs is changing their dressings. Fine distinction. Then the secure pass IDs with tiny print made it impossible to know whether the approaching person was a nurse, doctor, student, volunteer, or orderly. Nothing like feeling completely out of control. So now we might be joining those ranks. I suppose we might be permitted to continue to wear our LCLS name badges until "they" decide they will no longer order them and they disappear by attrition. Perhaps I'll request a handful of replacements. At $1.00 a piece...priceless.

Finally a Post

I find I am suffering from the same syndrome on this blog as I am with some of my email friends and that is that I have not written for so long that it is easier not to write anything than to decide what to include. I'm tempted to blast out some headlines at the risk of sounding like Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire." On Thanksgiving Eve I picked up my brand new car, a 2008 Honda Accord EX-L V6 sedan. The color has a dumb name - Polished metal metallic. A little redundant. It's a pretty awesome car, though. I did not intend to get a new car. On October 26th a red light runner at Bell Tower and Daniels crashed into me. In my nearly 23 years of driving I have never been involved in an accident. This one, despite being a side impact, deployed the airbags. Anyway...State Farm totaled the car and I had my rental (the exact vehicle I requested), and a check for more than I probably could have traded it in or sold it for based on the NADA I calculated, within the week. State Farm was terrific. When I bought the last car, also a Honda Accord, I said it would be the car to take me into my 40s. I missed by a few months. This new car will take me into my 50s...Eeeek!

On another note...This past week in Fantasy Football my winning streak came to an end when I was stomped by the Colombians. I am, however, still in 1st place in the league for the 4th week in a row. TFM is in 2nd place where we hoped he would be. At least for a week we are 1 & 2!

Finally, it may be immodest to mention it, but I am profiled in the current issue of Gulfshore Life magazine in an article about local book clubs. I made sure to give information about our book discussion kits for the side bar. There is even a picture. My mother is thrilled.

I had much to be thankful for last week. I hope you did as well.