Adventures in reference

Also. Today I did my shift on the reference desk. A man came looking for an item- he said he just wanted to see if it was in the open stacks. It's not- we only have one copy and it's in the secure stacks. Then he told me he had written the book and wanted to know why it wasn't in the open stacks, because he saw lots of books on the same topic and they were, in his words, "corny".

So I gave him a bunch of reasons, but mainly just said that if we only have one copy, it stays in the secure stacks. He was unsatisfied, so I directed him to the "real" reference librarian sitting at the other computer. She chatted with him and he left looking happy with his answer, so I asked her what she had told him.

And guess what? She told him the exact same thing I did. Do I not seem trustworthy or something?

Things I've loved looking at today.

This dress.

I just discovered the Synagogue-a-Day tumblr feed. Images shared come from the William A. Rosenthall Judaica Collection at the College of Charleston Special Collections. An interesting mix of buildings from all over the world.

Listen to this Storycorps segment.

Like I really need another obsession...

So, maybe I haven't talked to you about it yet, but I am utterly obsessed with Pinterest. It's weird how something so simple can be so absorbing.

If you haven't ever used it, Pinterest is like a virtual pinboard. You can "pin", categorize, rearrange, and gawk at links and pictures you like. If you'd like an invite, let me know! I love seeing what friends are saving and sharing things that I love. It's like Facebook for the visually oriented. Or something.

Did I mention that I love it? Because I do. You can look at my boards and things that I've pinned, by clicking the red button at the top of the blog that says "follow me on Pinterest".

DO IT.

OK. I know this is about my hundredth post today.

But I just have to share- I am continually having the most awkward run-ins with our managing director (basically the acting head of the library). He is awesome and I am awkward, that is why our encounters are awkward.

One time I was working on the reference desk and he was down there just chatting with people, and I think trying to get an idea of what the reference desk is like and he was just sitting with each person there and asking them what they do and how they do it and blah blah blah. And I was running back and forth like a chicken with my head cut off because there were a million people with crazy problems that day. And he kept trying to catch me so he could sit and chat with me, but I was trying to help one person for seriously 30 minutes straight. I can't remember what their deal was. Anyways, I ended the shift feeling like I had completely brushed him off...which I didn't. At least I didn't mean to. I hope he didn't feel that way, or they'll never hire me here if a real job does open up.

Anyways, today we were coming back from lunch at the same-ish time, and I was walking towards the building in front of him, and I guess he was trying to catch up with me so he could open the door for me, because he's polite like that. But when there's someone walking quickly behind me, that makes me speed up. Because I'm crazy. Anyways, I got to the door and opened it and we exchanged hellos and as I was opening the inner door, he chastised me for opening my own door! In a nice and joking way, but...dear self, don't be so dense and awkward in the future.

Hopefully our next encounter will be awesome and he'll be all "OMG you're so amazing! Wait, you're just an intern?! We need you here full-time forever!"

A girl can always dream, right?

I just remembered something that made me laugh. A couple of weeks ago, someone gave a talk in church about parables (well actually, everyone that day spoke about parables, it was pretty intense).

Anyways, I guess he wanted to define and exmplify the uses of parables by sharing his favorite one. His favorite parable just happens to be Les Miserables. The musical, not the book (because who reads books these days?!).

Can you guess where this is going? He spent his entire talk telling all the ins and outs of the plot of Les Mis. It took FOREVER. And...he even ended up quoting most of Javert and Jean Valjean's vocal duet/fight ("I am warning you JAVERT! I'm a stronger man BY FAR!") where they sing overlapping parts you know?

So obviously, there are some pretty strong moral lessons that can be drawn from Les Mis. But those lessons could be conveyed by a short summary. I don't need you to quote the whole libretto at me- also? It just makes you look like you didn't prepare a talk and so decided to fill time by telling a really long story. I could be learning something valuable and edifying during all that time!

But maybe it's just me...maybe I WOULD be learning something if I weren't so hard-hearted! (*snert*)

(and none of this really tops the ward attended by a friend of mine where every month, people have been heard to quote Miley Cyrus, Dave Matthews, Kenny Chesney, and others...)

Also, I put a picture of Enjolras because...he's obviously the best Les Mis character. OBVIOUSLY.

You guys, ALL the good jobs open up when I'm not looking! I'm ticked. Today I saw the perfect job listing (archivist, working with lots of AV, in ATL at the Carter Presidential Library- I'm an archivist, I've worked with tons of AV, ATL is close to Chattanooga!) but I just can't bring myself to apply because if, on the off chance that I actually got it, I would have to leave my internship about 5 months early, and I know they would understand me leaving, but I just cant bear the thought of leaving so long before it's over! I was so excited when I got this because finally I would have some kind of experience that lasted longer than 4-6 months. I need to get a solid year on my resume.

Job application mental block ftw. ARG.

In other news:

"Crazy, Stupid, Love" was both crazy and stupid, but also confusing (not in a bad way) and entertaining. And oh honey, I never though Ryan Gosling was attractive until I saw this, but (pardon the expression), ROWR. ALSO, the character with whom I share a name is A CREEPER. I don't care if I'm giving you spoilers, but I am just so appalled because she has something unsavory going on inside her brain that drives her to give naked pictures of herself to a THRTEEN-YEAR-OLD BOY.

This morning I spent 30 minutes ironing and trying three different shirts before settling on one.

THAT IS TOO LONG.

I think it's time to start up the lay-out-your-clothes-the-night-before plan, because that is a crappy reason to be "late" to work (although it's hard to be late to something where my schedule is whatever I say it is...it's the principle of the thing).

Two nights ago, my body had an epic battle with itself.

As a result, I barely slept.

The next day (which was yesterday), I almost passed out in the bathroom at work (or I might have actually passed out, I'm not sure? I don't remember, and I had kind of propped myself against a corner in case I *did*, so I don't really know what happened. All I know for sure is that my body hates me). So as a result I left work early (only an hour early...lame) and went home to watch old tv on my computer. All I wanted to do was sleep, but it was so early still that I knew I would wake up in the middle of the night all chipper and ready to go. So I took one Benadryl (only one) knowing that (1) my allergies have been acting up (though that's unrelated to this incident), and (2) Benadryl does something terrible to my brain that makes it unable to function.

And then.....I slept for 13 hours straight. Go me!

In other news:

Don't laugh at me, but I kind of loved Cowboys and Aliens. It was a classic, formulaic Western...but with ALIENS. What could possibly be better? I'll tell you what, nothing else that's in theaters right now. Big theaters I mean, not independent theaters. It was fun, it had Harrison Ford, and it also had (spoiler) a giant alien ship exploding. Fantastic.

Although, this was what I saw the afternoon before my body exploded. Either it was trying to tell me something about the movie, or I'm not supposed to eat theater popcorn anymore.

You need to watch this movie.

It's hard to watch- I left with a headache from too much crying, but it's good.

I'm starting to really love Kristin Scott Thomas- she's been making some really wonderful movies (in both French and English, or in this case, a mix of the two) over the last few years.

In this, the young Starzynski family (along with tens of thousands of others) who happen to be Jewish are rounded up by the French government and deported to camps in Germany and Poland. Just one month later, another family (not Jewish) moves into the apartment vacated by the Starzynskis. We follow the Starzynski's daughter, Sarah, as she is shuttled from place to place, desperately trying to escape so she can go home and find her little brother who, when the police came to "arrest" the family, she locked in a closet so he would be safe. We also see how Sarah's story becomes tied closely to the other family who took over her apartment- the Tezacs. Is that confusing? Sorry. I don't know how to describe the story without giving away too much. A wonderful, emotionally draining movie.

A small movie- written by the main actress, Brit Marling, and the producer/editor/cinematographer Mike Cahill, while they were still in college.

It's sci-fi, but not. The kind of sci-fi where yes, there is something extraordinary going on in the background of the story, but that is not the focus. The focus is on lives and how they converge (or, as with Rhoda and her family, diverge).

On the night that a planet identical to Earth is discovered, a drunk-driving Rhoda (just graduated from high school and on her way to MIT) runs into a car carrying John and his family, killing all but John. She goes to prison. She is released four years later and goes to John's house to apologize, but he does not recognize her, so she loses her nerve and tells him she works for a cleaning service and is going door-to-door offering free trials. She becomes his regular cleaning woman. They eventually start a relationship. She still can't tell him. She wins a trip to go to "Earth II" as it's now called. Some more stuff happens.

Brit Marling is both pitiful and devastating as Rhoda. She should not be sympathetic, but she is so obsessed with making amends and yet so unable to take the necessary steps. She is paralyzed by her inability to face the devastation she caused in John's life. It was interesting. It was enjoyable.

I'm halfway through my internship now. Do you know what that means? That means it's time to gear up for another round of job applications! Yippee!

Here is my problem though. Before I got this job, I spent 5 months sending in applications. Five months!! Now I realize there are people who have been trying for much longer to get a job without success, and I'm grateful it only took me that long. And when this one did pop up, it was kind of a whirlwind- barely a month from the "let's set up an interview" phone call to my first day of work (including trying to keep up with a full course load, packing most of my belongings, and making a cross-country move).

But anyways, back to the problem. So. Last time it took forever long to finally snag a position, and I'm having a hard time judging how long it will take me this time. I want to give myself enough time applying so that I'll end up with a position starting round about the beginning of March. How early is too early to begin? How late is too late? I do have more experience now, so maybe it won't take as long?

Also, the other problem. There is almost nothing I hate more than the job-search process. No matter how tough-skinned I think I am, I still die a little bit inside every time I get an email saying "we're sorry, you weren't among our most qualified applicants". Sigh.

Dear self-

Stop spending so much time on the internet, especially social media sites. You're creeping people out. And yes, I see the irony in writing a blog post about this.

Sincerely,
Your self.

ALSO, I have this new pair of shoes that I haven't worn yet- I think a pair that my mom bought then decided she didn't want, and so instead of returnin gave them to me...she does that sometimes- anyways, I've had them for like two months and decided to wear them today with my all blue/teal/black ensemble (the shoes are bronze) thinking "metallics go with everything!!!!"

As I was walking into work I looked down and was confused for a second, thinking "why did I wear brown shoes with a black skirt?"

Bronze=brown. Wardrobe fail.

Let's talk about movies.

It's been a while.

Zookeeper doesn't merit a picture, but I saw it. Don't ask me why. I guess that's one of the consequences of being an anti-social hermit (that's kind of redundant) in a "big" city. Anyways...talking animals, Kevin James. It was pretty blah. The highlight was Rosario Dawson who I actually really like, and I'm not sure why she did this movie. She needed money I guess.



Harry Potter 7.2 was...great, of course. I've heard lots of whining about story changes, but hey, guess what, this is a movie, not a book, and it's not exactly like they're playing around with great literature- I've almost always enjoyed the movies better than the books in this series- Harry in the books was annoying enough, an that was at least slightly toned down in movie-Harry. Anyways, I don't care about the changes, and those of you who were with me at the last movie (or maybe it was the 6th one) know that my mind was completely blank as to what came next (they found all the horcruxes? what?). So ANYWAYS, this last movie was at least tied for me with the 3rd (and still the best) installment. I love Ralph Fiennes, he's vulnerable AND terrifying in his snakey self. Also, maybe I cried a bit. Don't judge.



First, before I talk about this movie, let me say that I do not recommend it. To anyone. Let's talk about why.

But first, some background. This is about a young "beauty queen" moved to Salt Lake in the late 70s. It's unclear why- she wasn't going to school, and she's not a Mormon, and to hear her tell it, all she did was hang out and party. Wholesomely, of course. So she tells this story of how one day she's driving around town in her white corvette and pulls up at a light next to a red corvette driven by what she describes as the most attractive man ever seen. In the whole world. Of course we then see a photo of Kirk, the object of her desire, as he looked at the time, and he is nothing as she described him- kind of this large geeky marshmallow of a man. They went on a few dates. Then, according to her, he just disappeared one day without a trace, and without a word to her. He had been kidnapped by those Mormons!

She moved to California to work and earn money to hire a private investigator to track him down. According to her she was waiting tables and working three jobs. We find out later she was working as an escort (though she claims she was...innocent...until she and Kirk finally consummated their love) and posing for some (and when I say some, I mean A LOT) of unsavory publications.

Anyways, long story short, she finds out through the investigator that he's in England, "forced" on a mission by those Mormons! She takes her "friend" Ken, some pilot she hired, and a hired bodyguard with her to England to track Kirk down and save him.

They find him, and here there are two distinct stories. According to Kirk, he was chloroformed, stuffed in a trunk, kidnapped, taken to a cottage in Devonshire, chained to a bed, and raped repeatedly by Joyce (the beauty queen). I should add here that the pilot she hired corroborates the chloroform story to an extent- when he saw that she had brought chains, handcuffs, and a bottle of chloroform to England with her, and when he was told that these things were all to help them rescue Kirk, the pilot luckily came to his senses, decided he didn't want to be involved, and went home to LA.

According to Joyce, he came willingly and acted as if he had been brainwashed, and she took him to the cottage to nurse him back to health with her love, which "nursing" she says was consensual. She claims that he made up the kidnapping story because he was terrified of what those Mormons would do to him if they found out he had had relations with her (because Mormons are scary like that).

So. That's the meat of the story. It is really a fascinating story, mainly because this Joyce is truly living in a different world of her own creation (she was arrested in the late 80s for stalking him- hanging around his office. She says his "fat Mormon wife" told the police it was stalking because she was jealous)- she still claims that she is completely in love with Kirk, and will be until she dies. She's never had another relationship since that time (according to her). I think she's also agoraphobic so he never leaves her house, and rarely has for years.

Most of the movie is an interview with her- these are the highlights- she cries and rages and just goes on and on about the injustice of it all. She's charming in her delusions, but watching her is also quite sad. She's had a difficult life, most of the difficulties being of her own making, but that makes her no less worthy of pity at the least, and empathy at most.

Herein lies my first problem with the movie. I'm not a filmmaker, but it seems to me that making a documentary, a serious documentary that looks closely at one person/their life/their actions requires a large bit of empathy on the part of the director. It didn't seem like this director, Errol Morris, had any at all for Joyce McKinney. Yes, she displays a lot of attention-seeking behaviors, but she is also kind of a tragic figure. If nothing else, the empty second half of her life, spent mostly alone in a farmhouse in rural North Carolina, should evoke our pity. Morris doesn't seem to have pity, let alone respect for his subject. He pulls together her interview in a way that magnifies the crazy, turning this into a comedy more than anything else.

When in reality it's a sordid story of (probably) unrequited and unreasonably long-lasting "love", kidnapping, rape and, well, that's enough, isn't it? A comment that I read about this made the point that if the genders in this story were reversed, no one would be laughing. But as it is, the idea of a woman raping a man seems laughable and impossible to most people. Guess what? It's neither. It's possible, and it's as deadly serious as any kind of sexual abuse.

Ok. On to problem two. Sorry this has gotten kind of heavy- if you've read this far, you deserve a medal. Leave a comment and I'll think about making you something awesome just for being a trooper. Anyways, my second problem. Wrapped up within the story about Joyce McKinney and her eternal love Kirk is a mini-anti-Mormon movie. The Mormon "expert" they interview is someone who is clearly antagonistic towards the church, and some of the things they talk about are just ridiculous in their untruth. The things that ARE true are treated in such a way that they seem absolutely ludicrous, which would happen if you talked about any religion's doctrine in that way. In the end, if I had known about that aspect of the movie, I would not have gone- I would rather not pay money to support something that tears down not just individuals, but entire belief systems.

So, to summarize, "Tabloid" treats a very interesting subject, but does it with so much disrespect all around that it's created in me a new desire to be more diligent in self-educating myself when selecting what I watch.

One last note about this- Joyce has been showing up at screenings of "Tabloid" all over the country to heckle and rage at the screen and generally cause a ruckus (it seems she's not too happy with the way she was depicted either). I kept expecting her to jump up near the end and yell "I'm Joyce McKinney!!!!!" as she has a few times, but I was disappointed.

Heck yeah, I MADE this, sonnn

zigzag quilt top II, a photo by maegil on Flickr.

Two more things...

I should probably just make that the title of my blog because I feel like I keep making posts titled that...

Anyways, first, there's an apricot tree in my backyard and I just noticed today that there were ripe apricots on the ground. What?! Where are mine? So I looked up at the tree to see if there were any pickable ones. To my utter disappointment, all of the beautiful, edible ones are at the very top of the tree. It's a pretty tall tree. Bummer.

Second (and last),

I found out/decided yesterday that I'm going to Hungary in two and a half weeks. WHAT?!

p.s., this is not a joke, this is real life.

Two things

Two things that made me smirk inwardly on the way to my office this morning.

First, as I was getting through the employees only door (I don't know what to call it), there was someone right behind me. I waited and held the door open for him, mumbling as I did so "here you go!" (if mumbled statements can be punctuated with exclamation points). His response? "You're welcome!!" Whatever dude, *I* held the door open for *you*.

Second, as I was getting off the elevator on my floor, there was an older man walking past the elevator alcove- he's a staff member, but I have no idea what he does or who he really is. Anyways, as he was walking past, he looked at me with the most highly raised eyebrow I've ever seen- a look that said "YOU? Again? Really. Wearing that?" And any number of other smarmy statements. It was just so unexpected I had to laugh.

ALSO. I drove to work today b/c I have errands to run during lunch, and they've been re-painting the lines in the parking garage- section by section, so they'll gate off a section for a couple of days with movable metal barricades while they paint it. Anyways, I tried to turn a corner and didn't quite make it and totally ran into one of the barricades this morning. Luckily it's a very light metal (apparently) and I just kind of shoved it aside. With my boat-car. That was actually the thing that made me laugh the most this morning- there were people around, what can you do but laugh? So that's really three things. Not two. Don't judge me.

Last night I had a dream. Some background first- I have a cabinet full of things that I can't catalog because I don't have a way to watch/listen to them- things like audiotapes, betacam tapes- obsolete AV formats. So if I have something that's not labeled, I just add it to the pile. The pile is big. It's waiting for someone who works in the basement who can play them to have time to do so- this is a problem because he is busy. Super busy. And some of these things have to be baked before they can be played- I don't even understand really.

Anyways, last night i had a dream that he actually came to take my shelves full of items to actually listen to them. I was really *really* excited. What do you think is the meaning of this dream?

I think it means I need to find more exciting things to occupy my time/thoughts.

ALSO

We need to talk about something else today. Namely, this movie:

I got tired of waiting for *someone* to decide when she wanted to watch it, so I finally gave up and went on my own this weekend. And hoooo boy. I loved it! Sooo much!

I'm not a Woody Allen fan typically. I find him personally very annoying and since most of his protagonists are just different permutations of, well, himself, I tend not to like his films.

That was certainly true here (that Owen Wilson's character just seemed like a taller, beefier version of Allen), but here it was charming instead of obnoxious. It's obvious that his life just is not working out, and the Universe's solution- to cast him back to 1920s Paris each night (while his fiance spends time with the delightfully unbearable Michael Sheen) is the perfect antidote.

So really all of this just gives an opportunity to meet charicatures of many of the famous residents of Paris during that era- Hemingway, Dali, Bunuel, Stein, Picasso, etc...And it's just. So. Funny.

Also, it made me happy. That's all!

I waited too long to buy midnight HP7.2 tickets and I am seriously bummed out. I wanted to go!! Boohoo :(

I just sat in on my first meeting ever where someone's been fired. Er...sort of fired. Her "job has been eliminated" and the reasoning makes sense and there are other positions that are being made available to her if she wants them. But it's still kind of shocking.

Also it means there's absolutely not a future for me here (at least no in the near future). And that's fine, because it's what I was thinking anyways. It's good to know it for sure though- it makes my soon-to-start job hunt a little easier. I had been hoping that the rumblings I had been hearing meant they would be adding people, but the new initiatives etc... are the reasons this job was deleted- to make room for a diff. FTE to perform different work without adding people. Who they'll be hiring within probably a month or two. And I would apply but I definitely don't have the supervisory or project management experience for the new job.

This frees me up to go to the UK!!!! Woot.

Aaaanyways...

Do you ever do that thing where you run into people you know but haven't seen for a while and say to each other as the conversation winds down "hey we should get together sometime! Call me when you're in town again!" and then realize that you don't have their number and they don't have your number but say nothing about it?

It's happened twice already this week. It's not that I'm rude or anti-social. I guess I just always assume that I'm way more excited to see people than they are to see me so I just leave it up to them to do the realizing and ask for my number if they really want it. I think the other part is that I know it's not really ever going to happen anyways- this happens a lot with friends who are married- I mean when are we going to find time to hang out? I'm not going to hang out with the husband (inappropriate- even if we were friends before), and the wife has kids to take care of, and it's just weird hanging out with most couples (when I'm a single) so...who are we kidding? (If you think I'm talking about you, don't worry, I'm totally not- if you're reading this and you're married with kids and I still hang out with you, it means we are "best friends of ever" (to quote Leslie Knope)).


(Bears love friends)


What do you think? Am I a bad person who should be more pro-active in friend-making and -keeping? Or am I just being realistic? Or am I just the only person who does this?

This has been such interesting listening- I need to find the original piece that prompted this discussion, but it's a discussion between a book critic who feels that YA lit has become rather dark and, in some cases, unacceptably so for its intended audience and a YA author who strongly disagrees. The book critic originally wrote something somewhere (that's what I need to find) that prompted a sharp reaction from parents/librarians/etc...

After listening to this, I actually agree more with the book critic than the author (who really came across as not the best advocate for the case she was trying to make).

The critic cited studies that have found strong correlations between teens' exposure to high-risk behaviors via books with their actually adopting those behaviors. The author took umbrage with that and harped on the fact that "correllation is not causation". While this is true, correllation is indicative of a relationship- it might be that the books influence the behaviors or it might be that kids who practice the behaviors are attracted to a certain kind of book.

It seems that a lot of the outcry in reaction to the original piece was because readers (I guess) thought the critic was advocating censorship- I don't think that's true, and I don't think that's the solution in any case. What I DO think she's advocating is that more care be taken in selecting books for YA readers. Some readers may be able to handle certain issues or types of books better than others- the biggest issue here is one that I think most YA librarians already practice- trying to match the right book with the right person.

I don't know if I'm making a lot of sense- just listen to the discussion- it makes more sense than I can.

Nothing says Independence Day like eating take-out alone on your couch while watching fireworks on TV.

My life is awesome.

So I've been listening to Julia Child's "My Life in France" and all I can think about is moving to Europe. This is really bad for my focus.

Oh wait, I've always had a problem staying on task so this really isn't an issue. Whew.

Also, I spent a while last night looking at library jobs in the UK and I'm totally qualified. If they want to deal with all the junk that comes with bringing someone from outside the country to work.

This is why I don't approve of hair-feather-extensions. Also, it's delightful that fly-fishermen take their hobby so seriously- one man quoted in this article calls the trend "sacrilegious".

Oh another reason I don't approve- we are not owls, we are not Steven Tyler, and we are not in the movie "Rock-A-Doodle". Do you want to be mistaken for any of those? I don't.

I tried to upload an image of the..."female" lead from Rock-A-Doodle but Blogger is being crazy right now. Suffice it to say, you do not want to look like a sexy chicken. Or a chicken that someone tried to make look sexy. How can you look sexy with a beak? That entire movie is a travesty. IT'S ABOUT AN ELVIS CHICKEN.

The Green Lantern was....so terribly cheesy. I love Peter Saarsgard (sp? I'm too lazy to look it up right now) and he was probably the best part of this movie- the only actor who wasn't trying too hard, and he looked disgusting. But what an awesome characterization- his character pre-mutation (like at the party mid-movie) reminds me most forcefully of someone with whom I recently went on a date. And with whom I will never go on a date again.

Anyways, the movie. Oh yes, Mark Strong as Sinestro was also pretty good. But aside from that...purple aliens, blue aliens, aliens shaped like giant killer bees- it was like a new installment in the Men in Black franchise, but broader and weirder and not nearly as entertaining (as the first MiB, I can't speak to the later ones, not having seen them myself, but that should be a statement in itself- that I didn't see them). Oh yeah, and greener.

Also, I like the oath he speaks to the ring- there are the makings just in that of a spectacularly epic space-crime saga, but everything else about this movie falls SOOOO far short of that potential. Also...the good guys fight using the force of will, and the bad guys have harnessed the power of fear (which, apparently, is yellow)- that premise I know is part of the source material, but it just seems so dated.

Ugh. Watch it. If you're bored.


This movie was...meh. The same story as The Perks of Being a Wallflower (which is better) and Speak (but without the violent central premise- this is also a better story), and Born Confused (but not about second-gen Americans- this is also better)- that story being "American teenager has identity crisis but is saved by love/friends/family/relationships and art". Each of the stories mentioned about is both less-trying on my patience and more sincere than "The Art of Getting By". I am starting to really like Emma Roberts, but not even her spunk could save this bore.

There are also a lot of really awkward moments in this movie.

Skip it.



Super 8 is my favorite blockbuster-type movie so far this year (probably soon to be replaced, or at least tied, by HP7). It's not perfect, but it has all the things I love about Spielberg (heartfelt stories, honest characters, and nostalgia that somehow seems fresh) and all the things I love about Abrams (come to think of it, it's probably more his touch that takes the nostalgia and makes it seem fresh and shiny and new, and his love for explosions and big noisy things, and conspiracy theories, and awesome jokes) and smashes all of these things into a gem of flawed delight. It's hilarious, it made me jump (a lot), and it was better the second time I saw it. Also, it's two movies in one- there's a zombie movie in the credits.

Definitely definitely watch it. (with a wary eye for the surprisingly foul mouths of 13-year-olds)

Last night my cable went out. Not all the way- there's still a sort of picture, but it's covered with static and moves up and down constantly. And the sound is crazy.

ALSO since it was installed there has been an "HD technology" fee on my bill. I don't have anything HD. At all. For a TV, I have a giant boulder-like remnant of the days when television sets were three dimensional. It does not have HD picture. Anyways, you know me, and it took me a while to call them to actually remedy the billing issue. The person I spoke to recognized that that charge is bogus and shouldn't be there and offered to credit it to my account for the past three months. I've had Comcast for four months now. So what about the charge from the first month? "I'm sorry ma'am, it's just our policy not to go back further than that, and plus, you could have told us about it earlier." True, BUT.

I will explain to you why this ticked me off so much. First, don't tell me it's "just policy". Explain to me please the reason for this policy. Tell me your computer system locks out refunds past three months. Anything, give me a good reason. The claim that "it's just policy" is just a way for you to sound official when you really have no idea why things are the way they are. Second, it REALLY chapped my hide (or cooked my grits) that he would place the blame on me. REALLY, it's my fault that you've been over-charging me for four months? It's my fault that, even though I told the woman I spoke to when first setting up the account that I DID NOT WANT HD service, because I don't have anything that can show HD picture, the man who came to install the box etc... installed the *wrong* box, which caused me to be charged the wrong fee?


Yes, I waited a while to call and rectify the issue because I AM BUSY. But it is not my fault that there is a breakdown of communication within your organization, nor that your personnel are somehow simultaneously incompetent AND patronizing.

UGH. I wish there was something I could type (or, like, a font size or something) that could adequately express the depth of my frustration.

Anyways, his solution for the billing issue was that I have the wrong box, so I need to take it to the office and exchange it. Which thing I cannot do ASAP because someone is coming tomorrow night to hopefully solve the reception issues. (at least, I can't take it because then I would have to hook up a new box and if the issue persisted what if it was because of something I did? I want the technician to take a look at it and see it exactly as it was when it went out, and as it has been since then.)

Now that THAT'S over with...

Maybe I'm going to see Super8 for the second time today. DON'T JUDGE ME!

I totally have a good reason too- see there's an extra scene at the end of the credits that I didn't know about when I went to see it the first time, so I totally missed it. There. Good excuse right? It's worth the price of another movie ticket to see that scene...I think.

Anyways I'm ok with giving J.J. Abrams more money.

In other news:

1. The expected high today is somewhere in the 90s and I still haven't turned on my AC. Living in a buggy basement does have it's benefits- if being constantly chilly is a benefit (whatever, in the middle of summer, it's totally a benefit).

2. I learned not to date people who are 13 years older than I. If they are that old and have never been married....there is definitely a reason.

3. This is not news, more a piece of advice- don't ever ever barge onto an elevator before you wait to see if anyone needs to get off first. It happens to me EVERY DAY at work, and the people doing it are always either moms with strollers or more mature (i.e. elderly) folks who should certainly know better. It's rude. SO RUDE. It makes for very awkward situations. And I hate it.

I went on a date tonight. It ended with this exchange:

Me: "So if I ever decide to become a mass murderer, I'm set"
Him: "Yup, well, good night!"

(We were talking about my trunk- it's huge)

I don't know why I say the things I do.

Oh btdubs, I had my first cranky library patron the other day. It was awesome. I felt like I was back at BYUIS for a second because now, after two years away, the cranky customers are by far my best memories. Oh and Mad Cow Disease.

Anyways I was on my weekly reference desk shift and this elderly woman came up and said "I'm looking for a talk. It was by a general authority. And it's about flirting or something."

Classic.

She eventually gave the name of the speaker (or who she thought the speaker might have been) along with two other talk requests. I worked with her for maybe 5 minutes max, but every passing second made her more antsy and more angry.

She even started doing that huffy thing some folks do when they're upset- fidgeting, sighing loudly, tsk-ing, giving unhelpful suggestions.

I was eventually able to find two of the talks she was looking for, she gave up on the third- apparently she was in a hurry (except she wasn't, after she was done, she just wandered around the library aimlessly).

As we were finishing up, she told me "I would have found them myself, but our basement flooded and destroyed all our church magazines. As well as my demeanor."

Obviously.

Even though I have a job till February, I still look at job postings...like every day. So many of the interesting ones want an advanced degree in a field other than Library Science (in addition to the MLS). This has got me thinking already about the future date when I'll have to break down and get to work on something like that. I'll definitely wait until I have a job that will pay for it this time, but I have no idea what it should be. Guess the job will determine that.


Maybe I'll just go the Noah Wyle route and study everything forever. He's not just a librarian, he's THE Librarian.

Two things:

Two very important things.


First, on Sunday, Emmy and I went to see Les Mis for her birthday (nearly a month early) (but it's a birthday month so it's ok). And it was spectacular, of course. It has been forEVER since I've seen a fully staged version of Les Mis. Actually, come to think of it, I'm not sure I ever actually have- I've only ever seen either the super bare-bones rotating stage version that toured for a long time or the concert version so this was kind of a treat. Yeah I loved it. Yeah, maybe I cried a little. I DO THAT, OK?! We went on Sunday bc it was the only day I could get tickets, but they were awesome tickets. I ended up buying them from a couple who has had season tickets for nearly three decades and consequently have seen most of the shows that come through our fair city, and so just sell the ones they don't want. Orchestra section tickets far to the front at less than half the normal price. Go bargain-hunter me!

On the walk home from the theater (because it's only about three blocks from my house), we were...propositioned? by a group of young men. Well really just one. We were walking past the Salt Palace (SLC convention center for you out of towners) and stopped at an intersection to wait for the light to turn. There was a group of three young men just hanging out in front of the Salt Palace- if you're not familiar with the area, let me say that this is a completely bizarre place to be hanging out. Kind of off the beaten path, it takes up an entire block, and there's just not too much around. Anyways, they saw us and caught up and while two hung back, one (who, as I've said before, looked like an escapee from the Jersey Shore) ran up to us and asked us "why the f[***] [we were] walking away from [him]" (because he had tried to flag us down). He was clearly not...ahem...possessed of his full faculties (at mid-day on a Sunday- where do you even find alcohol at that time in Salt Lake?) so we attempted to ignore him and just kept walking. He asked us if we were Mormon (yes) and apologized for "the eff word" and proceeded to tell us that we can't live our lives in fear and being scared of everything, we need to learn to have fun. Because our religion has everything to do with why we were ignoring him...except actually it was because we weren't interested (who would be?). Anyways, he asked us in the middle of his rant if we were seeing anyone, which gave Emmy the opportunity to tell him she was married. He asked me if I was married (no) and then, literally leering and leaning over me, said "what about you? are YOU seeing anyone?" He basically ran me off the sidewalk- I had to jump away to avoid him falling on me.

THEN he proceeded to tell us that he only wanted to know because if we WERE married or seeing anyone, he just wanted us to know that they (husbands and boyfriends) aren't sincere. They're "just doing it because people tell them to". Oh and followed that up with "Because I am SERIOUSLY attracted to both of you". So flattering. Anyways there was more and blah blah blah that's all I feel like typing.



The second thing. Last night I was at FHE (church activity) because I thought to myself "well it's probably not super healthy for you just to spend every night of the week crocheting and watching TV alone in your apartment, you should probably get out and actually meet some people". So I went, saw that only the teenagers were there (did I mention that my ward now is composed almost entirely of LDS Business College students? It's a two-year school. For the vast majority of them, this is their first ever experience away from home. They are still in their TEENS for heavens sake. I am old. I have two degrees. I have a job. We don't have a lot in common. I like to whine. I'm trying not to) so I went outside once they started migrating for the "activity" (whiffle ball or something ridiculous) and grabbed my bike so I could make a quick escape around the corner to my apartment to be alone with my old lady habits.

Right when I was about to ride off, this girl ran up to the group (she had been outside with some guy doing acrobatics in the grass (I mean that literally, they were doing flips and cartwheels, I'm not trying to be coy), and he, not realizing the grass was wet, tried to do a flip, slipped, and landed on his shoulder. Now it was pointing out all weird-like.


They were both worried it might be a broken collar bone. Anyways, she came running up to the group asking if anyone had a car to drive him to the hospital because he broke something. He, however, was still walking around and not looking too bad, so I think everyone just assumed she was over-reacting and just kind of ignored her plea. I told her I lived just around the corner and would be right back with my car to take them. So I did- two minutes later (I'm really fast on a bike :) ) when I got back he was looking much worse for the wear. By the time we got him, his sister, and his acrobatics-partner into the car, and got on the way to the hospital, he was basically weeping in pain. We had to take a detour to his sister's house to pick up his insurance card first though- I'm not sure he appreciated the wait. Anyways, we got him there, they gave him some drugs, and found out he tore some ligament in his shoulder- no broken bones. And I got some blissfully quiet reading time in the waiting room (which is good- I got a start on my book club book (which should make Kari happy because we've started about three different book clubs and they always fail because I never read the books- I just have this mental block against reading books when I have to. It's a problem) which I am *loving* so far.

Anyways, the whole thing made me feel like an old mom. I just feel very far removed from that first trauma of seriously injuring yourself, and that helpless feeling of not knowing what to do when someone you care about injures themself. Not that I'm magically a nursing genius with age, I just feel so much calmer about things like that now. My first serious injury- I had someone with me in the ER, but when I had to go back and have surgery, I had no one, I took the bus to the hospital by myself. I went to surgery prep alone, and I went into recovery alone. I dealt with it, it passed, and the world didn't end.

I hope that this kid and his acrobatics partner get together though- he was talking to his mom on the phone as I drove them home, and going on and on about this girl and how much they have in common and how "cool" she is- he was still on the drugs, but it made me laugh (and it made her giggly). Cute.

I saw X-Men: First Class this weekend. I was not dissatisfied at having spent money on this, but that may only be because my expectations were kept so low by the last few movies. Mostly I was happy to have an excuse to stare at James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender for a couple of hours.

All that said, it was a fairly goofy movie with a disproportionate number of go-go boots and very mini miniskirts (but I'm pretty sure that's an accurate representation of the time period).

I don't really have much else to say about it.

All of my biggest crushes right now are opera stars (I'm looking at you (figuratively) Rene Pape and Bryn Terfel).





I really need to get a life...

My greatest sorrow in life (for today at least) is that I cannot eat and crochet at the same time.

The church is not so much concerned with whether the thoughts of its members are orthodox or heterodox as it is that they shall have thoughts.

Last night I heard yet another NPR piece about "Book of Mormon: the musical" (they love it, of course) which featured some rather misplaced humor from the show's producer, Scott Rudin, in discussing an experience he had with a former member while watching the show (the man became very emotional and Rudin laughed about the silliness of it on the air). Anyways, they played a clip from one of the songs right after the interview, in which the end of the chorus goes a little like this: "I am a Mormoooooon/and Mormons just believe!"

This, more than anything else I've heard about this show, riles me up and tells me that as many times as Trey Parker and Matt Stone claim they've read the actual Book of Mormon and as much as they claim to have studied Mormon culture, they still understand nothing about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I consider myself a fairly intelligent type of person, and I have never, not since I left the mists of childhood and became a sentient adult, been the sort to "just believe". I know dozens of highly educated, reasonable individuals, who nevertheless believe strongly in the Church and especially in the doctrines of Jesus Christ. Have we all fallen victim to blind belief? Does the Church itself encourage that kind of following?

To answer that, I'll quote Hugh B. Brown, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve during most of the middle of the last century-


"There are altogether too many people in the world who are willing to accept as true whatever is printed in a book or delivered from a pulpit. Their faith never goes below the surface soil of authority. I plead with everyone I meet that they may drive their faith down through that soil and get hold of the solid truth, that they may be able to withstand the winds and storms of indecision and of doubt, of opposition and persecution...

"I have been very grateful that the freedom, dignity, and integrity of the individual are basic in church doctrine. We are free to think and express our opinions in the church. Fear will not stifle thought. God himself refuses to trammel free agency even though its exercise somtimes teaches painful lessons. Both creative science and revealed religion find their fullest and truest expression in the climate of freedom.

"I admire men and women who have developed the questing spirit, who are unafraid of new ideas as stepping stones to progress. We should, of course, respect the opinions of others, but we should also be unafraid to dissent - if we are informed. Thoughts and expressions compete in the marketplace of thought, and in that competition truth emerges triumphant. Only error fears freedom of expression.

"We should be dauntless in our pursuit of truth and resist all demands for unthinking conformity. No one would have us become mere tape recorders of other people's thoughts. We should be modest and teachable and seek to know the truth by study and faith...We must preserve freedom of the mind in the church and resist all efforts to suppress it. The church is not so much concerned with whether the thoughts of its members are orthodox or heterodox as it is that they shall have thoughts."

And that's all I have to say about that.

I finally got to see the "Cave of Forgotten Dreams". I love going to the downtown theater by myself (even though it seems hopelessly pathetic). It's close enough that I can go on my bike and breeze past all the diners and trade-conference-attendees that generally clog the streets in that part of town.

(quick summary for those who have never heard of it, this is a documentary about Chauvet cave in Southern France where, in the early 90s, three hikers discovered a pristine cave containing by far the oldest (32,000 yrs old) cave paintings known. Since its discovery, the cave has been sealed- only a few researchers have been allowed access- to preserve the environment within the cave that has kept the paintings in such good condition for so long)



Anyways, I enjoyed it. I think I had maybe glanced at some photos before of the cave before, but never really paid attention. That's probably a good thing though because I, in my state of ignorance, felt like I was discovering it for the first time with Werner Herzog and his supporting cast of anthropologists and paleontologists as my guides. This is worth seeing just for the footage of the paintings. They are spectacularly beautiful, painted with an understanding of their subjects as well as an artistic interpretation that we tend to think can only be displayed by our modern artists. I think that a lot of our shock and awe at the beauty of the images themselves comes because we forget or can't possibly understand that the people who painted them were probably very similar to us. Sure, different lifestyle, they still had Neanderthals to contend with, etc...but fundamentally I'm positive that they were motivated by the same things that we are. No amount of technology can change the nature of our basic concerns as human beings- survival, relationships, etc...



Herzog manages, even with this epically fascinating (and at times rather dry) subject, to find little flashes of humor. What I love though is that he presents to us the absurdities of some of the guest stars without derision- it seems he's rather fond of the old perfumer with the crazy eyes and the anthropologist who dresses like a mountain cave man in furs and leather (for no apparent reason). There's an interesting parallel between the interest in the lives of the creators of the paintings and the lives of these modern characters- it's the same interest, and we (I) feel the same drive to know more about/understand more about both groups.

At one point, Herzog is interviewing an anthropologist who used to be a circus performer (which is kind of fabulous) who is surprisingly eloquent. He makes what for me was the most poignant point in the film. He says that "past is lost". That, to me, is the greatest tragedy of any profession dealing with the past (like I do, though the more recent past)- the loss of those lives and their lessons. It is painful and it is hard to accept.



Though that was the lesson that stuck with me the most, I think the point Herzog tries to make is exactly the opposite- that the past is not truly lost, not in this case at least, because those ancient artists left behind something of themselves in their paintings. They left evidence that they lived, and they left evidence that they interacted with the world in which they lived, and they left evidence that they understood the world as it is- full of wonder.

(All of the pictures I've added to this post come from the French Ministry of Culture's website dedicated to the cave. Go there to explore a map and images of the cave, as well as to find out more about its history)

Yes, my world revolves around food.

I'm feeling really excited about tonight. "Why?", you ask? Well mainly all of the excitement revolves around my own pitifulness, but I will attempt to explain.

The other night, I went to Settebello (awesome authentic Neopolitan pizza place downtown- if you haven't been, you need to go, and make sure you order something covered in pancetta and arugula, they just make everything better) with my fall-back friend. It was amazing. That is not the point of this story. It's attached to a gelato shop where they serve gelato that is good but not amazing (although if you go, have the ricotta w/balsamic glaze- sweet and tangy and, ok, kind of spectacular)- after having been to Pitango gelateria in DC's Chinatown, I don't think anything else will ever compare (so I add here, if you're ever in DC, please do yourself a favor and go- hopefully it will be the end of summer and they'll have their seasonal pear sorbet which tastes like fresh pears fallen from heaven and carried to your mouth on a soft summer breeze...and I don't even like pears).

ANYways, after dinner we got gelato (because we are gluttons) and walked around the block while we ate it. It was a beautiful night. Unfortunately, this is not the most awesome block in town- the other three sides are empty lots and apartments that seem to belong more in the slums of Rio than downtown Salt Lake. When we got to the North side of the block (200 N. between 200 and 300 East) we noticed a narrow Victorian brick house stranded in the middle of this wasteland of a block. On the front was a sign that read "Bread Paradise". Yes please. I want to go to there. It's a tiny German bakery that (according to the internet and its wealth of reviews) is amazing. So ever since that day I've been wanting and trying to go but it's always been closed.

Finally I got it right- I went today during lunch and got a pretzel roll/stick/thing with cheese, a chocolate pastry, and a french baguette. Needless to say, it lived up to all the internet had been telling me, and I think that I've found my new addiction with the pretzel stick.

Anyways, having that baguette, and spending more time on the interwebz than anyone should, I got to thinking. A friend posted a recipe she had made from a blog called "Smitten Kitchen" the other day, and as I was browsing around, I found a recipe for onion soup that (despite the fact that I had just eaten) had me drooling. See it (and the fabulous pictures of cheese covered soup) here.

Oh, brief interlude here to say that a girl with whom I work loaned me seasons three and four of the BBC period-dramedy series "Lark Rise to Candlefor". Think Cranford meets...well Cranford. Kind of an ongoing and slightly sillier version, but I love it. Since I got it I have been super-excited to just coze-up on the watch and gorge myself on it.

I think you can see where this is going by now, and if you can't, then you obviously need to spend more time around me because I am very predictable.

Anyways...onion soup (super cheap to make)...awesome baguette (for croutons for mah soup)...period television show (because I don't have ENOUGH escapist tendencies)...It's going to be an awesome night.

All I'm missing is the cheese. Good thing Whole Foods is nearby...

Dear Anthropologie,



THANK YOU! For being the home of a thousand amazing dresses that I want to buy. (Also though, it's kind of torturing me because I want to buy them all. And I can't.)

Sincerely,

Me.

Should I cut bangs again? Or no? Discuss.

Note to self: never donate blood at work again! I had an appointment for 2:15 and didn't get out until 4- that is WAY too long to spend waiting to bleed for 6 minutes. That's right- only 6 of the 120 minutes I took away from my desk were spent at the purpose for which I went. Useless, chatty phlebotomists. On top of that, I'll probably end up passing out later this evening- I realized that it's probably been almost 10 years since I donated...that just doesn't seem right because I've always been so pro-donation, but that was the last time they had me in the system- 2002, when my address was still Whispering Pines, NC. That seems like a thousand years ago now. High school...



ANYways, Cave of Forgotten Dreams is playing now at the theater here downtown- I'm super excited to see it- look it up! It's about a cave in France where, in the early 90s, some...I don't know what they were...random cave explorers- oh I just remembered- it was something crazy where they were hiking or chilling in another cave and felt a breeze coming through what they thought was a solid wall- they went searching and found this huge cavern that contains what are thought to be not only the oldest, but the best preserved and most beautiful cave paintings in the world. Soon after, the French government restricted access to only a lucky few, basically locking up the cave (and probably with good reason- to prevent damage to the paintings). Rumor is they're getting ready to create a sort of park centered around the cave and opening it to public access and (one would think this was related) so opened up the cave to Werner Herzog and a small film crew so he could make a documentary (in 3d no less!) of the cave. Something about this cave seems fabulous and mysterious and i want to go to there, so I'm excited to go see that here in the next week or so.

My student loans aren't small, but listening to stories about kids graduating with 60,000-100,000 dollars of college debt, it makes me feel SO MUCH BETTER about myself and the choice I made to go to UT. I'll already be paying this off for years to come, but i can't imagine the burden I would be feeling right now if I had to pay back four times what I have to. Go me.

Now as long as I can resist getting a credit card, I'll be pretty good to go. As long as I can get another job when this one is over.

Coffee...erm I mean...Hot Chocolate Talk

Have you ever become friends with someone out of the goodness of your heart and had it turn against you? Discuss.

(I feel like this has happened a disproportionate number of times in the last year and it ticks me off)

So...

When I was in D.C. last summer, I was as bad as keeping up with my blog as I always am, partly because I was *way* too busy being a self-important city-dweller.

So instead of blogging, I kept memos on my phone of things to blog about when I had the time. I just remembered this as I went through and deleted old memos that have built up and found this:

"Title: Fff [side note, you have to give it a title or it won't save.]
Rude fitting room attendant
Cry me a river [this is presumably about some time I heard someone blasting this song and it reminded me of one of my first college roomates who, after breaking up with her boyfriend from home, locked herself in our room for three days and listened to this song constantly.]
Man steals gfs socks
Communist chic bag says "let us build, not destroy" [apparently I saw this and thought it was ironic, considering the end result of most Communist governments]
Tortilla cafe in Eastern Market [an area of D.C. maybe I wanted to go there]"

So there you go, a glimpse into my life last summer.

you guys, today was a supremely frustrating day. BOO.

First, for the last few days, my power has been wonky. I notice it the night before last when the furnace, the stove, and the fridge were not working. Someone came to fix it yesterday and when he left everything was working. Two hours later, I'm pretty sure the furnace stopped again (because last night was the coldest i've been since i got here), and by the time I woke up, everything that was not working the day before was working, but everything else was down. This includes most of the lights and ALL BUT ONE of the outlets. I had to get ready in the dark and walk to work with wet hair. When I got home today, NOTHING was working. The same man came back and realized the problem was in the meter box behind the house- a problem for a power-company employee. One came (very quickly, actually, I was kind of impressed) and confirmed that one of the two main breakers into the house was broken. He then proceeded to tell me that he could not fix it, we would have to call an electrician to fix it, THEN the power company again to come reconnect the power after the electrician worked on it. So who knows when that's going to happen. He rigged it so right now everything but the stove/oven is working which is good enough but I'm still stressed about it. All my food that's been chilled and defrosted multiple times!

Second, I came home in a hurry today because I knew the maintenance man would be coming by at 4:30. I undressed in a hurry, but in the process of taking off my awesomely beautiful new J. Crew boots, the zipper snagged on my tights. My $20 spanx tights that I just bought. Try as I might I could not dislodge it, or even move the zipper at all in either direction. The only solution was to tear the tights off the zipper. My expensive tights. They now have a huge hole in the right shin area. Bummed. Out.

Third, my computer is broken. Mostly it's fine, but the hole where the plug goes- the little jack in there is loose. The computer will only charge if I hold the cord in very weird positions. This is especially a problem as it takes a lot of my time to stand there holding the cord so it will charge, and this is even harder to do WITH NO POWER. I've had to send frantic "I can't turn in this assignment on time" or "I'll be missing class bc my comp is dead" emails to my professors. Not the best impression. I AM A MESS.

Fix my life please.

Is it normal for adult siblings to still hurt each other (emotionally, not physically...though I'm not sure the poking and play-wrestling will ever stop)? I feel like I should be past that stage- the stage of giving or receiving hurt, but every once in a while something happens that makes me question entire relationships. It just doesn't seem reasonable to me that two adults should be able to be so petty, defensive, judgmental, or quick to anger. I am as guilty of all of these things as either of my brothers, and I wish that weren't true. Of any of us. Of course, those aren't the only causes, there's also the fact that, even coming from the same background, we can all see the world so fundamentally differently. If the pain given or taken arose from a difference in principles or values, that would be more understandable. But when it is the result of assumptions, accusations, and a basic failure to listen, it seems so much worse.

I guess the basic question here is really this- why does life hurt so much sometimes?

But really, tell me- doyou still have situations like this with your siblings? Or am I abnormal? Maybe I just take things too seriously.

How to prepare for a job interview

How do you prepare for a telephone interview? I don't know about you, but I:

1. Washed my hair. Because they can see what it looks like.

2. Took a useless trip out to "run errands" but in reality only ended up dropping one letter at the post office. It felt more productive to get out of the house than just to sit around biting my nails all morning, ok?

3. Did some stress baking. I made a batch of pizzelles (waffle-like italian cookies). Like the picture, but mine were flavored with orange oil and zest. I'm planning on making some chocolate-almond ones tomorrow before my other interview.



4. Put on makeup. Because they can see what it looks like.

5. Brushed my teeth. THREE TIMES. Because they can smell my breath.

6. Got a comfortable chair that allowed me to sit upright, rather than my regular lounge chair or exercise ball. It felt more professional.

7. Placed said chair in front of my french doors that look out on the forest and opened the blinds. I figured that would be more peaceful to look at than my messy bedroom.

8. Printed off the job announcement and wrote some questions to ask.

9. Also wrote my strengths and weaknesses. Not because I'm obsessed with myself, but because I've been asked in every interview I've had in the last few years to talk about them. I'm always stumped by that one, so I figured I would go into this one prepared. (Guess what they didn't ask me about this time?)

10. Sat in my chair, looking out my windows, phone and papers in lap and pen in hand...waiting.

Trying to find a job is STRESSING ME OUT.

I haven't left the house in three days because of the snow.

Glee hasn't been on tv for A WHOLE MONTH.

I thought classes started tomorrow, and if it weren't for my department's student affairs coordinator, I would have no idea that they actually start today. THAT was almost a disaster. Once, at BYU, I actually did miss the first day of a class because I couldn't find the HRCB on the map (stupid, right?). I was mad.

Did I ever write about Black Swan? Because all of the above things are not good, but they're not exactly ruining my life. Do you know what did ruin my life? BLACK SWAN. If you are even thinking about watching it, DO NOT. Don't get more curious because I said that and go see it anyways. I am telling you, if you want your life to continue happy and carefree as it has hopefully been to this point, by all that is holy, DO NOT watch that movie. I thought to myself "Ooh, psychological thriller...ballet...what could possibly go wrong? This sounds basically amazing." Little did I know what awaited me was basically a few explicitly, agressively, and violently sexual encounters woven together by things like...oh, Winona Ryder stabbing herself repeatedly in the face with a metal nail file...and...a daughter beating up her mother and breaking her hand by slamming her fingers in a door- over and over and over again...and....lots of terrible bloody self-mutilation. Toned down, this could have been a great movie about one girl's descent into madness (although she really started the movie in madness so maybe descent isn't the correct word...). As it is, it's a two-hour shock-fest, where the shocks are indeed shocking, but have tenuous relevance to the story itself. Blurg.

A couple of months ago, in going through theshelves of the Hunter Museum's library, I found a copy of selections from "Alice in Wonderland" with original illustrations by Salvador Dali. I knew it was something special and valuable because of the way it was packaged- or not packaged because the original box was missing, but basically a series of folios in book cloth folders. I was curious about it so I asked Frances (the 80-some-odd year old librarian) about it and she said "oh yeah, that's not even all of it- during the construction part of it got moldy in storage, so I just got rid of the box and some of the sections". That shocked me because limited edition books of that type are worth a pretty penny new, and this is at least 40 years old. Anyways, I was just sitting here watching Antiques Roadshow and got curious, did some searching, and found out that a complete version of that same book is worth at least $8000. And part of ours was tossed. Because of mold. GAH FRANCES!!! The best I can do is strongly urge them to get a new box for it. Oh it just makes me sick to my stomach. It did at the time and it still does now.

Mold can be treated. Blurg.

I'm getting really tired of finding new job announcements, getting excited about them, and then never hearing anything. Ever. I just really want to get a job at the Yellowstone archives, ok?! Why don't they realize that.

All of this is making me really, really anxious. That and other anxiety-producing aspects of my life are NOT GOOD FOR MY BLOOD PRESSURE. Or my cortisol levels :)

Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, etc...

This is my year of blog supremacy.