What Were They Thinking?

One of my tasks is technology instruction for the patrons and to that end, I have created a series of workshops designed to introduce patrons to computers, the Internet, and searching the Web. As I taught my series, helped patrons from the desk, and offered other bibliographic and technology instruction in different formats I realized that I needed to write a new workshop that was even more simple. I've been writing the Seriously Simple Computer Skills class to cover the basics. So I sat looking at my keyboard attempting to place myself in the place of the truly misplaced...there is no "Any" key, "dot" is the period key, "at" is above the 2, you get to the above things by holding down the Shift key...But yesterday I encountered something that was truly astounding and represents a decided lack of understanding about Web sites. Not only that, how is it possible that this person had never, ever, heard or seen this (what I will share in a moment) ever before? My patron had been sent to the library by his employer to retrieve his own W2 online. Typical. The Web site he had written down (that was told to him) that he could not access was:
http cohen //wwww.2express.com
Get it? http cohen...how about semi-cohen or cohenoscopy, does that help? Jeepers. Patrons say the darnedest things. My next workshop may have to be on an Etch-A-Sketch or Magna Doodle.

Shopping and Shopping

I can't believe Christmas is almost here. I've been shopping up a storm but I have not been running myself ragged. As many of you know, I love amazon.com, but I also love other Internet shopping. Mostly I love the hunt. I love finding an item at the best possible price. Many times the best possible price happens because of the tremendous buying power of amazon.com combined with no tax and free shipping. At other Internet sites, I always look for coupon codes before I closed the deal. The other day I helped a friend buy a video game for her husband. I directed her to an electronics site I like because amazon.com did not have any copies available. The store was listed as an amazon.com alternative seller, but by going directly, shipping was cheaper and they had a deal that by paying through Google Checkout you saved $5.00 (and no tax). Tonight I was shopping on the company site for a product and did a quick Internet search for a coupon code and found one that saved me 30% (again, no tax and they offered free shipping). I was really surprised when the coupon worked. Finding the perfect gift is great and not paying full retail is even better! Tonight is my last chance to order from amazon.com for receipt before Christmas so I better finalize my purchases. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

This Really Happened-Just now

Patron: The machine wouldn't let me...like, I couldn't...you know...get on
Me: Let me check your card. What PIN were you using?
Patron: So the other lady what was here...
Me: What PIN did you try?
Patron: That other lady said I could get on a computer.
Me: What PIN did you try to use?
Patron: PIN?
Me: What is your phone number?
Patron: So the thing is that my sister's number might be it.
Me: What is your name?
Patron: I have alot of phone numbers.
Patron: [states name that matches card]
Me: What is the phone number?
Patron: [states number that is not in the record]
Me: What is Your number, I'll update your record.
Patron: [gives me last 4 numbers only]
Me: What is the beginning of the number?
Patron: 239
Me: [I chuckle] "hi, you're nice what's your number?... and you say?" [patron finally gets it and gives me a normal number in the proper order]

WAS THAT SOOOOO DIFFICULT?

Let Me Bend Your Ear About Mine

Final update...on Thanksgiving eve day I went to the ENT for my most recent appointment. I had another hearing test consisting of word recognition and pure tones. I thought I might have some additional improvement over the last test. This time I had 100% word recognition at 15 decibels. We had been testing at 65 dB. In the pure tones test I was in normal range in all but the last three tones. On the third highest frequency I was right on the line. On the 2nd highest, I gained back 15 dB that I had lost and in the highest frequency, I have finally gained back 5 dB. Small victories. Even if I never improved from this moment, my high frequency loss would be manageable. I can use a phone and listen to music. The loss is still in the moderate to severe range for those frequencies but I have gained back the ranges that are spoken word and that is most important. Rush Limbaugh had to have an implant to correct his loss. My ENT decided not to do the second treatment of steroids into my ear. Too bad, that made my knee feel great! I did tons of research and discovered that patients with my condition have an associated increase risk of stroke (150% increase). I have some things to work on. I don't go back to the ENT and audiologist for a year. I hope you all had plenty to be thankful for last week. You know I did.

Snow at the Library

This year I have already seen snow twice. The first time was a couple of weeks ago at Disney World at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Through the magic of Disney, snow fell on Main Street. I know it was a special foam blown from the rooftops to drift magically upon the Very Merry Partiers, but as long as you don't catch it on your tongue, the illusion holds. This morning I experienced my second flurries and they were as unmagical as could be. Before we opened, ScheduleMaster and I were RFID tagging the literary criticism books that are shelved at the end of Fiction. These books are filthy; not the good kind that makes people want to ban books either. This filth caused flurries of brown dust snow with each book we moved. Gross. I prefer Disney.

Christmas Shopping

This past weekend I went on the annual Christmas shopping trip to Orlando with the Queen of TR and Grannie Annie. We had a blast. The outlets were crowded and so were the malls. I have oodles of empathy for the hearing aid-wearers who have problems in crowds and loud places with echoes. I had to put an earplug in on several occasions or leave a store because the sounds were too intense. We went to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and saw the lighting of Cinderella's Castle with the icicle lights. I know I mentioned it last year, but the enhancement of the castle with the ice is spectacular! On Wednesday I had a follow-up appointment with the ENT and audiologist and I have improvement. Word recognition is back to normal from 10%. Low tones have hit the normal zone and mid tones are almost there. High tones still score as moderate to severe loss. So I have room to improve, but, having improved means I'm not in the percentage who won't improve. In 10 days I'll be retested and I'll have the ear injection again and we'll keep watching.

Lucky, Lucky Girl (Again)

Two Saturdays ago I was sitting on the couch reading and I noticed that my left ear was picking up whooshing noises. Over the course of the day the sounds got worse and included other white noise and my ear also felt sort of full. I thought maybe my Eustachian tube was clogged like when I had allergies when I was little. My mother says I used to tell her I had bluebirds in my ears. So on Sunday I went over to my parents to have my father look in my ears and he thought I should try a decongestant. A couple of days of that with no improvement, and in fact, a decline in my hearing and I was concerned enough to do research (of course), try a neti pot technique I read about, and consult my physician again. He recommended an ENT. I went to the ENT on Monday and after an exam and hearing test I was diagnosed with Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Boom! Just like that, almost deaf. I wear ear protection when I work with power tools, I don't have my MP3 player loud, I use noise-cancelling headphones on the airplane, I even keep earplugs in my purse for movies and concerts. SSHL is what used to be nerve deafness. Anyway, my ENT asked me to return in the afternoon for an injection of Prednisone directly into the Middle Ear, which he said would have a 30% chance of success. Based upon my research, however, I believed the chance would be higher. The procedure was 3 days ago and I can now hear a dial tone and words through the phone, although the voice messaging system voice doesn't sound quite the same in both ears. I can hear the words through my headset if I play a video, even if the tone sounds a little weird. There's still whooshing but I am interpreting this as being in the 30% so, with luck and whatever other forces people believe in that surround me, perhaps I'll have a full recovery. We are all a little wigged out about it, but to have reached 40 without any other health crisis, I know I am fortunate. Keep your fingers crossed that I remain my grandmom's lucky, lucky girl. I really need it this time.