Ha!

I found this bumper sticker while perusing campaign memorabilia and it made me laugh aloud. AuH2O - 64.
Do you know what it means?

Sorry if the last post was confusing. I finally found a genre (albeit a small one) that interests me and makes me actually want to finish the book. I hadn't been able to get into a book for awhile. Anyway, the book I mentioned before was written by a public librarian, and she ranted about the people she met through the years with her job. I am reading another book written by a public librarian, but he is much nicer and much more balanced. He doesn't have an agenda, he just tells his stories. Much better.

I had a wonderful weekend with my parents, though I'm still catching up on sleep. That means this post is going to be short. :-)


And I cannot wait for this weekend!

In Which I Review a Book. About Libraries.

I just finished reading a book called The Library Diaries. It was recently published, and there is some controversy surrounding it. I think the lady who wrote it lost her job, and I had heard negative reviews, but I wanted to check it out for myself. It's kind of an expose` of public libraries, and after reading it, I know why the author lost her job, and personally, she kind of deserved it. Though I agree with some of her points, this book was not written in the best taste. It is very negative and critical. To do this type of book well, it must include both positive and negative stories and it must have a good dose of humor. There is very little uplifting or positive about the book, and the humor and style it does have is not enough to counter the negative tone. Also, I really have issue with some of her points. Especially the epilogue which is simply a call for eugenics. I agree that it is a travesty to see children who are not cared for or loved, and I am definitely against the entitlement society that we have created, but I will NOT endorse deciding who can and cannot procreate. That is a dangerous, dangerous slope to tread upon. She also included a chapter against hunting and complained about "turbo Christians." And, she doesn't like the poor, but she also doesn't like the rich. She simply didn't appreciate the small Midwestern culture that was in. In fact, she seemed unable or unwilling to appreciate it. Though her book had some truth, the manner in which it was presented was off-putting and a bit tactless on her part.

My Dear Wormwood

I got accepted to U of M today. Yay, now I have options. It's a really good school, but it's currently my last choice. I still haven't heard from U of I, but they are notoriously slow. I probably won't hear until March. Most of the librarians I work with went to U of M, and they are glad that I got accepted. :-)

I went to a production of the Screwtape Letters last night. It was very good. I had read the book several years ago, and it was good to have a refresher. The actors performed it in a reader's theater format, and they recited the book exactly, though they didn't do all of the letters, as there was definitely not enough time for that. It was divided into 5 different "Screwtapes," 3 girls and 2 guys. They all did a good job, but one guy totally mastered the evil eyebrows. It was amazing. He and one of the girls were my favorites.

I need an accountability partner. I need someone to keep me accountable for my dishes. It is so sad, but it's going to take a lot of work to get into the "do the dishes every night" mindset. Sigh.

I am also watching Daniel Deronda. I hope to finish it tonight. And seriously, I think the hair people had it out for Jamie Bamber. The look does NOT work for him. They also messed with David Bamber (who is not related to Jamie), but it fits with his character better. He's good at playing sleazy, gross characters. (He was Mr. Collins in the long Pride and Prejudice.)

Well, I am going to do my lunch dishes.

TTFN, Ta ta for now.

In the Valley of the Shadow

My hometown has suffered its first war death.

Whosits and Whatsits Gallore

My friend and I saw New in Town last night. We went to the late show, and there were only about 6 of us in the theater, which was nice, as I am not the quietest movie watcher. :-) It is a cute movie, and I really like how it treats both the corporate and factory aspects of industry. It does a pretty even job of showing both. And, the hero is a widower, which was a different approach, and I appreciated it. Some of the supporting characters are caricatured, but you end up loving them. Especially Blanche. :-) Overall, I recommend it. I believe shopping and ethnic food is on the menu tonight. :-)

I received my official letter from IU yesterday. It matched me with an academic advisor already. I'm still waiting to see if the other schools accept me and if they provide financial aid. As of now, U of M is my last choice because I don't think they have a good special collections/rare books program. They lump it in with their preservation, and it's not a big program. IU and U of I have better programs, so they are my top two right now. But, I really don't know what I want to do, so who knows. Well, God does. I just trust that He will show me what His will is and that I'll end up at the right school.

I'm finding that this is a growing and moving on process. I have been very comfortable for about 5 years now, and I am going to have to move on to something very different. I am looking forward to the challenge though, and I am excited about new opportunities to meet people and volunteer and make an impact in my new community and hopefully eternity.

I absolutely love Celtic music. It is definitely my favorite genre, though I prefer the upbeat pieces over the "soothing." Soothing music often does not sooth me. Instead, it can often put me on edge.

Oh, my tie came yesterday too!

Bookmobile Lady

I think I'd like to drive a bookmobile. I don't think I'd like the driving, but it would be really cool to work on one. However, I would not want to be on an urban bookmobile. More like a very rural bookmobile route between western towns that are too small and remote to have a library. I don't know if those even exist. I'm so all over the place when it comes to my vocation. I know in general what I want to be, but I'm not sure on the specifics. I was really impressed by the rare books/special collections at IU. When I talked with the assistant director, he wanted to make sure that I knew that most big institutions hiring special collections librarians want them to have 2 Master's degrees and a reading knowledge of French, German, and Latin. It was at that point that I think I bugged my eyes. I only know Spanish. We talked more though, and since I am interested in smaller institutions, I may have better luck. Also, I like the South, which is a bonus. He said that most graduates from the North and Midwest are not willing to relocate to the South. Which is a pity, as I think Southern culture is beautiful.

I realized that no matter where I end up going, grad school is going to be hard and different. It will be so different from what I'm used to. I won't have any more liberal arts classes, and the views and culture at a large state school is so different from where I went to school. I'm going to be the weirdo again. But I should be used to that. :-)

Catching snowflakes in your teeth.

Tying the Knot

A double Windsor knot, that is.

I bought a skinny beige tie on ebay last night. Dad said he'd teach me how to tie a double Windsor. I have a shirt that just feels like it needs a tie, so I bought one. I guess I'm going a tad punk/emo-ish. Ha.