One Year

Yesterday, I celebrated one year in Southern California. I've either lived in or visited many places and LA has seemed like the greatest adventure of my life to date. This has probably been the hardest, most exciting, most challenging, and most incredible year of my life. I say this fully aware that life will probably only get harder, more exciting, more challenging, and more incredible. I look forward to it.

Here are a few highlights.

Life - Most of this year has been consumed with figuring out how to be a children's librarian. I can proudly say that I've succeeded. I've endured the occasional failure, learned from it and moved forward. Yesterday, I decided I love my job when I heard some toddlers squealing with delight.

I attend a small ward with amazing people. I'm grateful for the lessons I've learned from them.

New Things - New experiences energize me. This year I have visited San Francisco (awesome!), Denver (cold!), and Chicago (miserable!). I have eaten street tacos, visited the Getty Villa, and frequented Disneyland. I've been the proud owner of a refrigerator, a flat screen televisions, and a couch.

Gratitude - One of my favorite hobbies is complaining about Los Angeles. I need to suck it up and be grateful. Some reasons why:

• I have met people from all walks of life. I love it!
  
• I still have a job despite layoffs.
• I get to be around children every day.
  
• The beach (need I say more)
  
• It doesn't get cold here.
  
• The Lord has blessed me with new talents and magnified my old ones. This is probably the thing I am the most grateful for. I have done things I never thought I could do.
• And much, much more!
  

Seriously So Embarrassed

Tonight's evening commute started with a bang. One of my coworkers always drops me off at the gas station by the bus stop. Today, I saw the bus pulling through the intersection as my coworker was rolling to a stop. I was out of his truck before he was finished moving.

SMACK! I ran directly into a tree branch.

Then ... SLIRP! My brand new Clark's shoe slid through the mud. I managed not to fall flat on my face.

I nearly died ... of embarrassment. I'm sure the teen librarian saw the whole mishap. The bus driver gave me a long flirtatious lecture which included lines like "I would have waited for you. Not other people but, of course, you." and "Do you roller skate? I roller skate a lot; you have good balance."

Oh, dear! My pride hurts.

5 Life Lessons

As should happen in all weeks I learned many things. Here are the top 5.

5. The Los Angeles Green Line Train isn't half bad, and is more efficient than the Boston Green LIne Train by far.

4. Actually enforcing consequences, improves kids' behavior. I know this isn't that huge of an epiphany. It also makes kids really mad.

3. Not all plums are disgusting. A farmer at the local farmer's market actually had a delicious variety.

2. Jicama is a large root vegetable with very little flavor. It doesn't just appear on vegetable trays in sticks. A whole jicama looks like this.

This week it was $.99/lb. at Ralph's. The most important part of the lesson. Jicama is heavy. I walked over 2 miles with two jicama. My arms are sore.

1. In the event of a power outage in the workplace and a subsequent closure. RUN! Do NOT walk to the nearest exit. Otherwise, the power will return before you have had time to vacate the premises.

Lies!

This quote was published in CareerBuilder.com on September 21, 2009. I wonder if they spoke to any public librarians before printing these lies.

Jobs for Quiet people

"Librarian - It might seem obvious, but given that librarians work in a mostly "no talking zone," it makes sense that a librarian position suits quiet workers. Most of your time is spent organizing and maintaining library publications and materials, and the rest you'll spend directing people to whatever they may need."

Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com

Zupek at least needs a librarian as a fact checker. Even now this delusion of what a librarian does is making my blood boil. Even my 8 hours at work today can prove this description wrong.

• There was talking - loud even
• I neither maintained nor organized my library publications.
• "Directing people to whatever they need" generally requires what librarians call a reference interview. I can't think of one reference interview that I had when I was not speaking. It requires great people skills to draw out of patrons what they are actually looking for.
  
• I dealt with A LOT people in various capacities being required to be mature, friendly, and respectful at all times. This isn't always easy.
  

All I'm really saying is that Zupek should reconsider her argument and tell the world who we really are. We are intelligent information professionals who are able to meet the needs of our customers often in a stressful environment.

My Soundtrack

You may have noticed that I've been in a little bit of a blogging drought. One of the kids at the library inspired me with her homework assignment. She had to choose three songs to be on her soundtrack. I decided to only include the parts of the songs that applied the most. So here goes.

1. Late Morning Lullaby by Brandi Carlile

The first sign of morning is gray and alarming
It's so disappointing the day has come so soon
While the rest of the world greets the day and feels new
I will push it away just like I always do, I will be
Dreaming, dreaming, dreaming,
Your real world away

Only beautiful, beautiful bright eyes, lie
Only beautiful, beautiful bright eyes cry
Late morning lullaby
Late morning lullaby

I would darken my window so I can fall asleep
While the critics frown down on the hours
I keep that leave me
Dreaming, dreaming, dreaming,
Your real world away

Anyone who has been my roommate knows that I am not a morning person. I'm usually grumpy in the morning. If I could I would "darken my window" and dream for as long as possible. If my life were a movie, I would use this at the beginning credits.

2. Better Things by Dar Williams

Here's wishing you the bluest sky
And hoping something better comes tomorrow
Hoping all the verses rhyme,
And the very best of choruses to
Follow all the doubt and sadness
I know that better things are on the way.

Here's hoping all the days ahead
Won't be as bitter as the ones behind you
Be an optimist instead,
And somehow happiness will find you.
Forget what happened yesterday,
I know that better things are on their way.

It's really good to see you rocking out
And having fun
Living like you just begun.
Accept your life and what it brings.
I hope tomorrow you'll find better things.
I know tomorrow you'll find better things.

I know you've got a lot of good things happening up ahead.
The past is gone, it's all been said.
So here's to what the future brings,
I know tomorrow you'll find better things.

This song is a great cure to a bad day. It's a reminder that despite the little bumps, I have a great life. The glass always changes from half empty to half full when I hear this tune.

3. I Need Thee Every Hour

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

It would be remiss to not include a hymn. I think this is the song I sing most often in the shower, on long walks, or when I am stressed. I often substitute the Dutch chorus. "Heel mijn hart zoekt naar u" roughly translated means "My whole heart craves thee." I really like that sentiment.

So who's going to make the movie to go along with this soundtrack?

August Highlights

It's been a busy month. I'm taking it easy at work and spending some time planning, but other than that life has been hectic. At the beginning of the month I went to New England for Kim and Richard's wedding. This was a good kind of hectic. I couldn't be happier, and it was wonderful to be with my family and see so many friends.


Just after I got back from Maine, I decided to move to an new apartment with a roommate. I packed up my boxes, took down my pictures, and here I am in my new apartment. Photos to be posted when the apartment looks a little more settled.

Tomorrow's my birthday. I'm trying ot embrace the coming of another year.

Survival

This summer has been filled with a lot of work. A work filled summer is not something I'm used to. Summer reading has taken a lot out of me. But I succeeded. Activities included a Harry Potter Birthday Party, a Blues Conecrt, puppets, a turtle race, lawn games and much, much more. I have learned many lessons in the process mostly while scrubbing stains out of the carpet. This Jackson Polluck style painting created by library regulars is a symbol of my success. I'm going to frame it. It's called "Survival."