'Tis the Season

Having been on a mini vacation between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I find that I am in overdrive trying to get everything done. I returned from my trip to a package on my my desk -a book to review from LJ. Fortunately it must have only just arrived as the due date is 12/24. I hadn't yet read my book discussion book and that was for this past Wednesday. Sometimes I feel like I'm back in school reading my assignments right before they are due (oh, right...I never read my assignments). At least now I read! I have also been shopping like a fiend. I participate in the adopt-a-family program and feel very strongly that the kids all receive bicycles (and helmets). I am acutely aware of how fortunate I am. I can still hear my grandmom's voice saying, "you're a lucky, lucky girl" and I can't imagine what it must be like for the parents to have to ask for gifts on behalf of their children. When I think about how much I can blow during any given trip to Disney on funnel cake, cotton candy, pins, and whatever strikes my fancy, or my ebay habit, or amazon, I feel compelled to give back. So...I've been a busy, busy girl. Then yesterday we discovered a family fell through the cracks and needed adopting, so off to Toys 'R Us we went 6 days before Christmas (yikes). I learned all about Polly Pockets, though, and found a Barbie in a swanky living room set that didn't seem demeaning, plus assorted board games.

I have been exchanging gifts with friends, receiving awesome toys and books. I received some promises; I have a date for 2 hockey games in the new year and I'm going to be taught to play Mah-Jongg. How thrilling! Disclaimer: If your gift was not mentioned, above, it doesn't mean I'm not pleased by it :)

The other great thing about this time of year is that it is the annual selection of the book thong. Each year Bead Lady makes beaded book thongs (those string book marks) for the branch and we can select the one that most appeals to us. The beads are all different. You would think that you could have too many, but you can't. We all have multiple books going and variety is nice. I chose mine today and I love it. It's in the LJ review book. Tomorrow as I'm reading I'll probably absent-mindedly roll my new book thong through my fingers like rosary beads, appropriate given my genre. Thanks, Bead Lady.

I probably won't post again until next week. I know that I will unwrap more gifts that will make me smile, but I am most grateful for the gifts that can't be unwrapped. Thank you for your time, friendship, counsel, comfort, and encouragement. Merry Christmas.

I'm Back

I have returned from my trip to WDW and all is calm, all is bright. My lament that I would not see the Wishes fireworks was for naught. I saw them 3 times. Once from Main Street, once from one of my favorite restaurants, 'Ohana where they pipe in the audio track (did not know that), and then finally from just off the monorail. The whole trip was awesome. We went on a Segway tour of EPCOT that was amazing (and was on my list of 43 Things). I had never been on a Segway before. The castle was more beautiful than the video I posted could ever convey. I made this trip with my parents and my usual traveling companion. My parents had not been to the Disney parks in a long time and we thought it would be fun to show them what our typical trip is like with the added bonus of Disney Christmas. We brought them to all of our favorite restaurants, etc. I bought my mother Mickey ears. She chose the Year of Million Dreams with silver ears and flashing lights edition and she became a rabid pin collector. The best part was that she loves spinning rides but my father and I can't spin, but AJK can so they went on the carousel, Dumbo, Astro Orbiter, and the tea cups. Watching them on the tea cups was fabulous. We also got rides, separately, in the front car of the monorail. Each moment was perfect (well, my parents did heckle Tigger at lunch...but he was a good sport)...other than that...My cold is gone. My eye infection is cured and my knee is much improved. Best of all, joy has returned and I feel like my old self. Now I can start to enjoy the new car. The miracle of Pixie Dust.

When You Wish Upon a Star

Tomorrow I leave for a mini vacation. Not that I'm placing much pressure on this vacation, but I hope it will fix everything. You know how when you screw on a jar lid and you don't align the threads? It goes on, but not quite right. That's how I have felt since the accident. Things haven't been quite right. I get all my tasks done but I don't really concentrate and I'm not filled with joy. My knee is not entirely healed (my apologies to AC for even voicing a complaint about that) and then I got a cold and then an eye infection. An eye infection! Where did that come from?! Here's the good thing...my vacation is essentially joy rehab - Walt Disney World. I will be spending 3 days getting sprinkled with Pixie Dust, enjoying fireworks, gingerbread, and the magic of Christmas all at the Happiest Place on Earth. I can't wait. The castle has new icicle decorations this year. How can I not get my joy back? Here is a video of the castle lighting.



While we are at WDW, we will be attending Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. That should be a hoot. It is a special ticketed event with parades, cookies and hot chocolate, snow on Main Street, etc. The one thing that I don't think will happen this visit because of the holiday fireworks is the Wishes fireworks. Wishes fireworks are my favorite. They are choreographed and narrated and tell the story of wishes and hearts' desires. Of course they always make me feel very grateful and there is a part towards the end that makes me cry, on cue, every time. I even have the CD of the show and I cried at home at the "right" spot. Also, at the finale I am usually overwhelmed by the fireworks and the tears stream. You probably won't want to watch the whole video, but this is a way for me to have it now. Even in my not quite right state watching this video made me tear up, so maybe I'm on the mend.

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.

Fantasy Football

I must report on Fantasy Football because we just closed Week 9 and I am NUMBER 1!!!!!!! You read that correctly, top of the heap. I know at the beginning of this season I admitted that my knowledge consisted of things like 1) Don't run a dog fighting ring, 2) route for Green Bay, and 3) stop commenting that the guy with the ball should run away from the other guys not into the dense pack. However, I have carefully studied my roster, moved my players around, read reports, etc. and never dropped below 4th. I maintain no grand delusion that I will remain at #1, but I for this week - here I am.

TP

This is FH's desk...

and Fred's. Next time give us candy :)