Politics

Last night I watched some of the Convention. In between speeches I had commentary on and the Queen of TR, who was playing a game on her laptop quipped that it sounded like NPR. She wasn't far off, I had the PBS broadcast on. Lucky for me they taped the Gov. of Massachusetts while they were talking so we went back to him and heard his speech in full. I was impressed, of course, with what he had to say and I wondered what cabinet position he would be offered in an Obama administration. Then I thought about my own family. My grandpop only went to school up to 4th grade and then became a blacksmith apprentice in Italy. He left, alone, as a young teen to come to the U.S. and Canada where he had some family. He neither read nor spoke English. He was in the country illegally but always worked. Having lived in the U.S. and Canada, he eventually met someone and wanted to build a life in the U.S. but the quota of Italians from Italy and Canada was full so he went to Cuba and became a citizen and came back under the Italian quota from Cuba. He married my grandmom continued to work hard as a stone mason, became naturalized as a U.S. citizen, and raised 2 sons including a doctor. One Sunday he took my grandmom for a drive in Princeton, NJ to see the work he was doing near a new school that was being built in the woods by a French order of nuns. They were impressed by the tranquility of the school and wondered what sort of girls would go there. Years later, their baby boy would send his baby girl there. That's the beauty of the American Dream.

As I listened to the speeches last night I couldn't imagine why everyone doesn't like to do the right thing, the things that benefit everyone. Then, this morning, I realized that it's like driving. When you are on a road and see a "lane closed ahead" sign there are two types of drivers. One driver moves over immediately and then lets others in. Sure, the whole process slows but everyone gets where they are going on time and never has to stop. Then there is the other driver. He sees the sign and races down the lane to get ahead of everyone else and then stops traffic while he nudges in. He doesn't really gain but he prevents anyone from getting more than he does. Meanwhile, we all lose because traffic is at a standstill because we had to deal with his antics rather than go slower and alternate and we all win. I think the cooperative driver who ensures we all get to work on time is the Democrat.

The Patron

I was just summoned out to the Circulation Desk because a patron wanted to see me. I went out to find an elderly, African-American gentleman named Karl. He lit up when he saw me so I gave him a big hug and that made me feel great. He said he was at church nearby and felt compelled to stop in just to see me to say hello. I met Karl 7 years ago during the week before I closed on my house. We discussed the weather and he said it would rain on the weekend and I told him I didn't want any rain. He said we needed it but I told him I was moving into my new house on Saturday and rain would mess everything up. Karl said he would, "talk to the Man Upstairs" and hold off the rain. It didn't rain that weekend and he has been one of my old men boyfriends at work ever since. At one point I hadn't seen him for awhile and I started to worry, as I'm sure many do who become attached to older patrons, that I might find him listed in the obituaries. I was on the verge of searching for him when he showed up again, much to my relief. He always makes me happy to see him. I may have mentioned before that patrons either love me or hate me. Today the love is winning.

Facebook

I know I have not posted here in quite some time. I apologize. Things have been very strange in my online world. This blog has been an exception to the rule, but generally, I attempt to maintain my privacy. Not everyone has my personal email address. I don't plaster photographs of myself all over the Internet in a Flickr account. Even the images I use for this blog and my Ask-A-Librarian avatar are not true images. Anyway...I deviated from my usual protective sphere and I now have an active Facebook account. Not to worry, I also use my caricature as my photo there. At each phase in my life, I tend to drop people when I get my new people. I have trouble with object permanence as it relates to me. If I go away, I assume people no longer remember me and I don't maintain contact with them. There have been a few exceptions over the years, but very, very few. But here's Facebook, this explosive social networking tool and people from my past are contacting me with requests to friend me. It is so bizarre! The other bizarre thing is to have people from all stages in my life in the same space. Because of my awkwardness about people remembering me or remembering me favorably, I have not been reaching out but rather accepting invitations. I did, however, contact one of my high school classmates who was on everyone's list but mine so far. It had been weeks and she still hadn't accepted my invitation. I thought, "great, 1986 called, your subscription to Inner-Loser has been renewed." Finally today she friended me. On the one hand, I wouldn't have cared if she had never reached out to me, but having reached out to her, I felt left hanging. So now I feel better. Facebook is a strange place. I'm playing virtual Scrabble with 3 friends from college. The group of 4 of us from college with the most turbulent history interact peacefully there. I do virtual gardening to save the rainforest with past and present LCLS employees, friends from high school and college, and people I used to supervise at Barnes & Noble. There are people who friended me but have never contacted me again even to say hello. It's just WEIRD and yet I can't stay away from it.

There's No Place Like Home

I don't know if others feel this way, but the longer I'm away the happier I am to come home. My trip was successful and interesting...and did I mention long? Two and a half weeks! ALA was fine - no magic bullets to fix our woes, turns out we already are implementing many of the same ideas that other places are. I was glad to find out that certain challenges are universal and are not the result of our actions or inactions. The most amazing thing that occurred at ALA was that I found myself seated at a FOLUSA-ticketed event next to a vendor who was the first cousin of the father of the boy I took to my senior prom in NJ. When I told my mother she reminded me that's why I should always be on my best behavior because you never know who knows your mother!

Las Vegas was awesome. Our suite (remember, Mirage Penthouse) was incredible. We had a doorbell, Do Not Disturb was a lighted sign, the drapes were on automatic switches, there were jets in the tub, and turn down service included orchids. The Cirque du Soleil show, Kà, at MGM was amazing. That show was not my favorite but there were some incredible moments. Cirque excels at taking ordinary activities and making them extraordinary and there was a hand shadow section that I could have watched for hours. We at dinner at New York New York in the Nine Fine Irishmen. I have never encountered an enclosed space that was so loud. The live band must have had nuclear powered instruments. The food and drink was good but the sound was nauseating.

The rest of the California road tour was good. I had a facial in Ojai. I drank complementary chardonnay by the fire in my room at the Seal Cove Inn. San Jose was fun. Disneyland was excellent, but we like ours better. The Grand Californian was gorgeous, same architect as Wilderness and Animal Kingdom Lodges.

Here's the neatest thing that happened in the airport in Houston coming home...I saw a book display that featured Katherine Neville's The Eight and I thought that was weird because the book is 20 years old. Then I noticed a sticker that invited readers to go to the Web site to read excerpts from her new book. Finally a new book, and a sequel to The Eight, even. I said to the Queen of TR that I would give anything to review that book. So I returned to work on Monday with nothing to read at lunch and the back doorbell rang. There was DHL delivering a book to me from Library Journal. I opened the package and it was The Fire by Katherine Neville due out this October and I am the reviewer! I am so excited.

I am unpacked but the house is now a wreck. There's no place like home.

California Here I Come

The trip to California is almost upon me and I am not entirely ready. My packing thus far has been research-based. I have printed out 6 packing list templates from online, referred to 1 I had saved on my computer, and read 3 books about packing luggage. Isn't that enough?! Last night I transferred hair gel into a smaller bottle. Today I will map out my wardrobe for the trip. I leave early Thursday morning. I hate packing.

Some things that I have discovered recently are that blonds do not have more fun, but they buy a boatload of video games! I never bought this many when I was the grape sorbet librarian. Coincidence? No, it's the blonde hair. I have been playing Professor Layton on the DS and that has been really fun and will be the first video game I ever finished. Grand Theft Auto is mighty cool, but as I have told people, I have not yet built up the intestinal fortitude to bludgeon innocents to death. I also am neither stealing cars nor driving recklessly. I have been told that I am really playing Grand Auto and yesterday, I was downgraded to "Auto." It's true. So far the most violent thing I have done has been to punch a street vendor by accident when I meant to ask to purchase a hot dog. Guitar Hero for the DS came out on Sunday. Mine arrived yesterday from Amazon (I love you Jeff Bezos!). So far...I'd say it's harder than you'd think. I played at Toys R Us on Saturday and was surprised. TFM played with mine this morning and he was more jazzed about it than he expected.

Here's an update on my purchase from thesomethingstore.com...I received the Eggling. For those of you who don't click the link, the Eggling is an eggish container for seeds to create my own little garden. I think mine will be flowers. More as that story develops.

Finally, the birthday group went to Char for Smashlers birthday and I ate kangaroo. That was my 10th new restaurant for 2008. I need 12 for my list of 43 Things and I haven't gone to CA yet. I think I'll meet my goal. The kangaroo was tasty. I don't need to eat it again, though.

I hope by the time I get home today elves will have packed my luggage.

Sucker for New Things

My name is __________ and I'm a sucker for new things. I think I should find a meeting to attend. This morning on the way to work while listening to NPR I heard about this Web site that sells something. That's all there is to it, it just sells "something." For $10 you place your order and something arrives but you don't what it will be until you open it. You might get an iPod or a coffee mug. The thrill is in the surprise and shipping is free (I love free shipping). So, of course, I went to the Web site this afternoon. What would you expect such a store's Web site to be? www.somethingstore.com, duh! and I researched it. As everyone who knows me knows, "researched it" means I shopped. It's true, I plunked down my $10 (love PayPal) and gave it a whirl. I will let you know what I get.

In the meantime...my first Kiva people (the Peruvians) have paid off their loan and I had the opportunity to cash out or reinvest. I chose to reinvest in Baku, Azerbaijan in a woman who needed a refrigerator case to display her meat in the butcher shop she runs out of the front of her house. I chose her, in part, because the Star Trek movie "Insurrection" took place in a village called Baku. Socially conscious and geeky, all rolled into one tidy package.

Today I finally reserved the rental car for the ALA/California Adventure. After much deliberation and excruciating evaluation of vehicles to determine which car is large enough to transport all of the luggage needed to accommodate 2 people on such a long trip while balancing fuel efficiency, a decision was reached. What a great summer to choose a scenic motor tour of California. For my Fall vacation I will be dropping twenties out of a hot air balloon all over Idaho. I think it will be cheaper.

No Score and Seven Years Ago

Seven Years ago today I moved into my house. My very own house. They say that time flies when you are having fun. It must be true, although when I mentioned to my mother that my house-aversary was coming up and that it would be seven years, she was surprised and said she would have guessed four. Although I was not officially out of my house until seven years ago, I certainly spent a great deal of time away at school and a couple of years living with my grandmother. I moved out when the time was right. I never felt a need to flee. My mother never missed me when I was away at school until I was on my way home but she really had a hard time when I moved out even though my house is exactly 3 miles away, door to door. I left plenty of dishes, cooking, and decorative items for their use, but she cried and cried when she found my crackers in the cupboard. It's weird what we respond to. My house is nothing like I ever imagined it might be but it seems perfect for me. Maybe in another seven years I'll get some of the projects done that I started right after I moved in.

P.S. The 15th is the 32nd anniversary of my First Holy Communion. I don't know if there is a card for that but I do have an amazon.com wishlist.