Explain This, Young Person!

Ugh. EBooks.

I mean, hooray for reading and everything, but eReaders are not my thing. (For more on this, see an earlier post of mine: In My Day, a Nook Was the Corner Where You Read a Book.)

Unfortunately, it appears that they are taking over my life.

Because, guess what? Everyone and their mother received an eReader for Christmas. At the library this week, we who are "special" enough to be on the Digital Support team were bombarded with emails.

"My grandchildren just gave me a Kindle for Christmas and I'm not very good with computers..."

Ahhh! Now I get to help everybody figure out their eReader issues! I have successfully downloaded eBooks from our library catalog to both a Kindle and a Nook. I've even created instructions for library patrons to use. But if something goes wrong, I'm stuck.

If all goes well, it's very simple. But when I'm on the phone with "Bob," for twenty minutes, trying to figure out an error message without seeing anything he's doing, it can get frustrating.

It's flattering to know that people have this blind faith in me as a young person. They think, obviously I know what I'm doing. And I must confess, I do speak in a very confident tone. Really, though, I could say almost anything.

"Ah yes, your ecatalog system is not compatible with the Internet feed of your source code. The informational vortex appears to be scrambled. This is beyond my expertise!"

Full disclosure: I don't know what I'm doing. And I don't like eReaders. However, I will help you because it's my job. And I am nice. And I love books. And I love that people are reading.

So let's do this!

Year in Review

I lived through 2011.

I heard the sordid celebrity news, saw tragedy on the television screen, listened to the latest hits on the radio, read the magazine interviews.

Do I want to hear all of that again from magazines, tv shows, and newspapers? Um, no.

I get so annoyed by the "year in review" specials this time of year. The BEST! The WORST!

There are no surprises. I've heard it all before. I don't want to relive 2011. Sure, it was a good year. But I don't care what the best movies were. I saw the ones I wanted to. I don't care who gained the most followers on Twitter. Good for them I guess...

Let's press on towards the new year! Sure, this one flew by like Harry Potter on his Firebolt, but it's time to get excited about 2012!

What are you looking forward to the most this coming year?

2012

And Christmas is over. The food is eaten. The presents opened. The Christmas music wiped from all radio stations (It should definitely be on another week...).

Now we'll start seeing Christmas trees kicked to the curb. Along with ribbons, wrapping paper, cardboard boxes, and fruitcakes.

Christmas is over. But I am still partying! I have a couple more days off work, and I plan on enjoying them, thank you very much. In fact, I am eating chocolate right now. That's RIGHT, beore lunch! That's how I roll.

This week is the end of 2011, so let's pause and listen to "Auld Lang Syne."



Niiiice.. By the way, is 2012 really coming up already?

What is the deal?

I'm still writing 2010 on things. I haven't even gotten used to 2011.

Now I have to write 2012? Where did this year go, I ask?

What did I accomplish? Where have I been? Where am I going?

Hooray for the end of the year, when we can be filled with inadequacy and look forward to a new year where maybe we'll do that thing we always wanted to do.

I'm already a member of the gym, so I'm definitely ahead of the game on that one.

Any New Year's resolutions you need to accomplish this week? Quick!

Christmastime is Here

Aaaaah! Christmas!
Hope everyone has had a magical time leading up to this spectacular day. You only get to do some things once a year:

-Get to read lots of different Christmas cards. Yes, we know your child is an accomplished genius...Wow - thanks for sharing all your issues!...Who ARE these people, anyway??

-Get to sing loudly in public without people wondering why. "JOY TO THE WOOOOOORLD!"

-Get to watch lots of heartwarming movies and cry! Unless you do that year-round, in which case, pace yourself.

-Get to eat a LOT of food in the name of tradition. "These calories don't count! It's Christmas!" "Of course I'll try the dessert you made! It's Christmas!" We at the library feel very appreciated this time of year, when our beloved patrons shower us with baked goods and boxes of chocolate. Especially boxes of chocolate. I just pick out the coconut ones.


-Get to see people you only see during the holidays! Enjoy it. Stay up late, get out of your routine, and enjoy it. You can sleep in January...



-Get to go to church on Sunday on Christmas Day! No, this doesn't happen every year. But it's pretty special that it happens this year. Give me some old Christmas hymns and let's celebrate the birth of Jesus! Woo-hoo!

To all my faithful readers (even the ones in Saudi Arabia and Czech Republic who accidentally stumbled upon this blog...), Merry Christmas! Thanks for reading! May your weekend be filled with joy.

Jimmy Stewart, and Other Favorite Christmas Things

Jimmy Stewart.

Just let that name sink in for a moment. Consider his greatness.

What a guy! My favorite movie with him is, of course, It's a Wonderful Life. After that, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and The Shop Around the Corner. Black and white is the way to GO!
I would marry Jimmy Stewart. If he wasn't married. And, you know, dead.

He's one of my favorite parts of Christmas! Check out this clip of my favorite Christmas movie. Then, check out some of my other favorite Christmas things.




1. Watching It's a Wonderful Life. Swooning over Jimmy Stewart.
2. Watching White Christmas. Singing along.
3. Christmas Eve service at my church. Especially at the end when we all hold candles and sing Silent Night. Beautiful time of celebrating the birth of my Savior.
4. Decorating for Christmas. Hanging up ornaments, stockings, lights. Setting up the nativity scene. I used to spend hours playing with my family's nativity scene. It got pretty creative.
5. Baking Christmas cookies. While listening to Christmas music. And wearing a Christmas apron. And using Christmas cookie cutters!
6. Enjoying the first snowfall around Christmas. Pure magic.
7. Singing aloud to Christmas music playing anywhere. There's something about Christmas music that makes people less self-conscious...everyone can sing along!
8. Buying presents for people. Picking out just the right gift makes me so happy! And then of course wrapping them is fun too. Except my gift-wrapping skillz are pretty limited. Picture a lot of tape.
9. Looking at Christmas lights. When I was younger, my sister and I would "count the Christmas lights" on either side of the car while we were riding in the back seat.
10. Spending more time with family and friends. My besties come in from out of town and I get to hug them and hang out as much as possible!

Peering Up at the Sky. Bitterly.

Um, excuse me?

I'd like to file a formal complaint.

Against Christmas movies.

Listen, I love 'em. I love the magic. The romance. The saving of Christmas. The wonder and joy of the children. The conflict ending in resolution over a glass of eggnog and a plate of cookies. The SNOW...

That's right. The snow. In every. single. Christmas. movie. Even if everyone goes to bed on Christmas Eve with no snow on the ground, there's ALWAYS snow when they wake up.

Every time I say how much I want snow on Christmas, everyone around me shares their expert weather information. "Nope. No snow in the forecast." "We're going to have a Green Christmas."

Green Christmas?? Can there be two more depressing words? It's a cold, green, grinchy Christmas. Thanks a lot, Christmas movies. Thanks for raising my hopes only to dash them in a muddy puddle.

I want to wake up to some magic! Is that too much to ask?



No snow on Christmas is like no icing on gingerbread cookies. Whaaaat?

What Are You in For?

So yesterday I got to hang around a waiting room.

Awkward!

I had to go back to the oral surgeon so they could check out the pathetic gummy gaps where my wisdom teeth used to be. And make sure they were healing okay and such.

I walked in, and the place was packed. There were a few people standing, so after I checked in I went straight over to that huddle. Then I noticed there were about three empty chairs scattered about.

Let's see....do I want to sit next to the sleeping kid? No. The sullen teenager? No.The scary-looking bearded man? Definitely not. So I stood. And stood. And stood.

And got mad at myself for not bringing anything to do! What kind of librarian doesn't bring a book with her to these sorts of things?

Waiting in a waiting room is so awkward, because I never know where to look. I certainly don't want to make eye contact with anyone. But at the same time I need to check everyone out. People-watch.

So my eyes are darting around every couple of seconds, only to meet up with other people's eyes doing the same thing.

Maybe I should just stare down at the floor...

Then after a while the room started clearing out and I snagged a prime seat right by the table full of magazines. Then I got to read about Oprah's favorite things for a while, until I was called in.

After 45 minutes waiting, my actual appointment consisted of the dentist looking inside of my mouth and saying everything looked good. It lasted less than a minute. I am not exaggerating. I barely even sat down.

So yay for healing wisdom teeth! And the awkwardness of waiting rooms!

Frosty Is Dead

There are few sights sadder on a cold winter morning than deflated Christmas inflatables.

In the evenings, when it's dark and frosty and magical, these inflatables are, well.... Okay, honestly I'm not a fan of inflatables. But at least when they're blown up they can be kind of cute. Especially the snowglobe ones.

And when you're driving around the wealthy neighborhoods with the big houses to see their ritzy outside displays (what, am I the only one? whatever.), everything looks so perfect in the darkness. The lights, the candles, the wreaths. The reindeer slooooowly raising up their heads. Then slooooowly dropping them back down. Then slooooowly raising them up. Aaaand, well, you know.

And then in the morning? The magic is gone. It's almost embarassing to see those piles of plastic wrapping in a heap. It's like they're naked, lying there. And who wants to see the reindeer that have blown over? Come on, people, get outside and make this stuff presentable!

I found an old blog post that I wrote last year about the five types of houses decorated for Christmas. It's pretty good, honestly. I think you should take a look by clicking here.



Tonight, take a spin around and see some good Christmas decorations! Just keep your eyes straight ahead tomorrow morning. Trust me. It's not pretty.

All Gone.

Aaaand, they're out.

I have no more wisdom teeth. And let me say, it's nice to not have to worry about them any more.

The actual surgeon's visit is kind of a blur. The surgeon was, like, "You'll start feeling a little strange," and I was like, huh, I do feel a little strange and then I was awake with blankets on me. In a different room. Where I then proceeded to have conversations that I only sort of remember, like in a dream.

Monday was pretty weird, as I was numb all day and had to keep gauze in my mouth. Which made it hard for me to speak. And I got to change bloody gauze, which, not gonna lie, was pretty gross. Reason #728 that I'm not in the medical field.

Then Tuesday I woke up and wasn't numb anymore. I was sore. And swollen. And hungry. It's strange not being able to really bite into things. Makes me feel like I'm not really eating. I mean, I'm all for Jell-O, pudding, and yogurt, but I'm craving a steak!

Then Wednesday I was just kind of grouchy. Moving around seemed like such an ordeal, it was better to just recline dramatically on pieces of furniture and stare into the distance, moaning quietly.

And yesterday, Thursday, I was back at work! I was a little cloudy in the morning (yay for pain meds!), and pretty sore when I ate lunch (IF you can call it eating...), but on the whole it was nice to be back to real life.

I can think of worse ways to spend a couple days than lounging with blankets in front of the TV, eating soft foods. On the whole, I'd give the whole experience a solid B.

However, now I'm ready to be done. I'm ready to not have such a square-looking jaw. To not have to remember to take medicine. To not have to say no to crunchy/pokey/hard/delicious foods. To not bleed whenever I try to brush my teeth and to not have to feel weird stitches with my tongue.

Okay, pity party's over! Have a nice weekend, friends! And if you haven't had your wisdom teeth out yet, don't worry. It wasn't that bad. It just made for an interesting blog post.



Also, thank goodness I was out the whole time. I don't really want to know what they had to do to me to get those suckers out.

But I LIKE Them...

Oh, the good old days. When I was wise.

I certainly hope I used my wisdom to the best of my ability. I'm definitely glad I'm done with school.

Because the source of my wisdom will be ripped out of me tomorrow.

Yes, I'm speaking of my wisdom teeth.

Back in April, I posted about wisdom teeth. Back then, I thought maybe I could just keep them forever. No such luck. (Read that post here.)

So now they're coming out. And of course, when people find out they're coming out, they have to share their stories. What is it about wisdom teeth that makes everyone want to share their stories? "Nah nah nah nah naaaaahhhh! I'm not listening to your weird wisdom teeth stories!"

So that's why I'm posting today instead of tomorrow. Not sure when I'll post next. I may be too busy lounging around feeling sorry for myself to write anything. Who really knows?

Of course, I have to share this now.



Aaaand, the remix!



Wish me luck!

I'm Blind! I'm Blind! Oh, Wait.

Sometimes I do things without thinking.

I get into this automatic rhythym of doing things the same way all the time, and I'll get easily thrown by something simple.

Sometimes, when I put my contacts in, I leave my glasses someplace unexpected. Someplace I might not remember later.

Then later, I'll take out my contacts, and this is what goes through my head.

Whoa. Sometimes I forget my eyes are this bad.

I literally can't see the hand in front of my face. (waves hand around in front of face. gets momentarily distracted trying to see things.)

Okay, glasses.

Glasses, glasses, where are you...?

Oh, great.

I'm standing here blind and don't remember where I put my glasses (starts feeling around counters and sinks to find glasses. Wanders into several rooms, arms outstretched, trying to sense where the glasses are.)

How many times am I going to do this before I just keep my glasses in one place?

I am an idiot.

Hey, happy Friday everyone! And happy second day of December! You know what this means? Christmas blog posts! Get excited.

Neville + Trevor = Happiness

There has been a recent development in the life of Neville, my plant.

He has a new friend!

Meet Trevor.

This frog pot was found hanging around the library office, and it was offered to me! I stuck Neville inside and he fit perfectly. They were made for each other!

For obvious reasons, I had to name the frog Trevor. Trevor is, of course, Neville's frog in the Harry Potter series. Hooray for Neville and Trevor!

Now I can't be completely sure of this, but I think that Neville looks a little perkier since he has taken up residence inside Trevor. Not as many dead leaves, and generally not as sarcastic and dismal as he has been.

Everybody needs an understanding friend. Neville may have finally found his.

After the Beep

I'm kind of over answering machines.

While calling library patrons the other day to let them know they had books available to pick up (that they had placed on hold), I realized how stupid answering machines are.

When I call a house and nobody's home, I get one of four things (unless the number has been disconnected):

1. A typical answering machine.
"Hi, you've reached Bob. I can't come to the phone right now, but please leave your name and number and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks, and have a nice day." Do we really not know what to do yet when we hear an answering machine? Oh no, a beep, what should I say?! Please. Everyone says the same thing, and it's annoying to sit through fifteen of the exact same messages in a row. Just say your name, so I know I called the right place! ...I know this isn't realistic. We all have to be polite and say the same thing on our machines. It just gets old, okay?

2. A creative answering machine.
I use the term "creative" here loosely. Pretty sure I've never heard a GOOD answering machine message. But I have heard some different ones. Of course there's the cutesy one where the little kid garbles her words. Classic. Then there's some crotchety old man who says "you know what to do," or gives some random reason he can't come to the phone. There're the ones where everyone in the family speaks. The strangest one was where I heard parents and their daughter yelling at each other before the father saying they can't come to the phone because they're all at a family counseling session. I would not make that up.

3. No answering machine.
How do you not have an answering machine? It's not like phones are a new invention, here. How long does it take to set one up and record a typical message?

4. Full or nonworking answering machine.
Really? You're that busy your machine is full? Or you're that lazy that you can't be bothered to empty it? Better yet, "the person you are calling has a voicemail box that has not been set up yet. Goodbye!" Wait - what? Now what am I supposed to do?

I think to avoid the whole mess we should just leave texts as messages. Or send an email! Talking on the phone is so awkward anyway. Leaving messages is just ten times worse.

Guilty as Charged

Yes, I have been listening to Christmas music.

A little bit, here and there.

Every year I tell myself I'll wait until after Thanksgiving, but nobody's perfect. I'm only human. I have a crazy Christmas elf trapped inside of me, jingling to get out. Just like everybody else.

Even though I try to wait, certain circumstances require me to listen to Christmas music early. They are:

• Being stressed out. When I'm feeling overwhelmed by the world, relationships, my own irritating thoughts...I break out the Christmas music. When I'm worrying or obssessing, the reassuring voices of Josh Groban, Bing Crosby, and Michael Buble tell me that everything will be just fine.

• Shopping anytime after Halloween (sometimes before). Unless you'd prefer to bring earplugs with you, it's impossible NOT to hear the Christmas music stores start playing. I couldn't believe it when I heard it a couple weeks ago in the mall. I looked around guiltily, a smile already spreading across my face. I developed a spring in my step, a song in my heart, and a desire to buy everything I saw as Christmas presents. Hey...maybe stores are onto something here...

• When it's snowing. We had a freak snowstorm here a few weeks ago and HELLO, you just can't NOT listen to Christmas music! The situation absolutely required it! It's like when you're baking a cake and have to taste the batter. You can't always wait until the cake is done, dude.

• Going to sleep. Heh heh. All right, I'm super guilty of this one. After all, how many times in the last month have I gone to sleep? At least, like, thirty times! When I try to go to sleep, my mind sometimes decides that we have to rehash everything that bothered me or worried me throughout my day. Or I get to re-live conversations where I thought I said something dumb. Shut up, voices in my head! Calming music always helps me relax, and Christmas music is just a festive bonus.

I will unashamedly "officially" turn on the Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. Or possibly that night. When do you start?

What's There to Like?

There are those who are chronic "likers."
Either you are one, or you know one.

It's all well and good to "like" things on Facebook. But what about "liking" something just for the sake of liking it?

Here are two status updates for your consideration:

Laura loves puppies. *like*

Laura needs a ride to the airport. Help! *like*

See the difference here? In the first scenario, you like the status because you also love puppies! Yay for common ground and bonding through your shared interest of puppies!

In the second scenario, you have abused the like button. How does liking this status help? You like and then you move on. No comment, no help, nothing.

Laura made granola. *like*

Laura needs a good recipe for granola. *like*

Wait - what? Why are you rubbing my status in my face? I can't find a good recipe for granola and you like that? How about a suggestion?

Beyond the non-helpful, there's just the plain sadistic.

Laura is wearing a Disney Princess bandaid because she cut her finger. *like* (minor injury, cute bandaid)

Laura broke her toe kicking a library book across the floor. *like*

This may seem tricky, because the situation might seem funny, but the end result is a broken toe! Sympathize!

You don't have to "like" something to prove you read it. I know it's easy to use, but that doesn't mean you have to.


Think about it.

The Next Big Thing

So, the plan was to get up and write a good blog post yesterday morning, but I was immediately distracted! I realized that I could watch the world premiere of The Hunger Games trailer at 8:30 on Good Morning America, so other plans sort of fell by the wayside.

I have been waiting for this for what seems like FORever, so to finally watch the real trailer was thrilling. And, as a fan of the books, knowing the story, I got chills!

Why don't you go ahead and watch it, if you haven't already. And if you have, watch it again. And again. Like me.


If you're not familiar with the story...well, it can seem strange to explain it. It's the story of a dystopian society (click here for a definition from one of my favorite sources - Wikipedia!), with a government that maintains control by drawing names of children to fight against each other in an arena. To the death.

I know, I know. It's not the sort of book I thought I would like either. But I could NOT put it down. It's actually a trilogy, by Suzanne Collins.




You've got until March 2012, when the movie comes out (and you can join me at the midnight premiere!) to read all three books. Let me know what you think! Supposedly, these movies are expected to be the next Harry Potter (yay!) or Twilight (yuck!).

So get reading! Remember: book first, then movie. I recommend your local library.

A Smidge of Inspiration

Don't have anything particularly inspiring to say today...

So why not let the best do it for me?

Thanks to my awesome "flatmate" for sharing this with me...and now I share with you!





Also, a HUGE thank you to our veterans!

And don't forget to celebrate 11/11/11 today!

Now get out there and have a great day. :)

I'll Borrow...This One!

I'm not really good at being put on the spot. I need time to think and reflect.

That's why my mind goes blank when people ask me for book recommendations.

I know, I know, it's probably not right that I get nervous when people ask me for advice on what they should read next. But so many things are going through my mind that nothing comes out of my mouth!

I'm thinking:

I'm reading like, five books at the same time!

But would this person like any of them?

Three of them are children's books!

Maybe this person would like this one...but wait? Wasn't there language/sex/violence in it? Am I recommending a book to this person that he/she would consider inappropriate?

How well do I know this person?

Why haven't I read any good books lately?

Or I have...but will this particular person like them?

Why don't I read more smart-sounding books instead of young adult books that just sound silly when I try to explain them? I mean, I've tried to explain The Hunger Games before and people look at me like I have two heads...



So, yeah. I kind of psych myself out. And when a mom asks me on behalf of her child? Like, "have you read this book? is it too scary for a ten-year-old?" And I know I've read it, but I can't really remember and I get a little freaked out that suddenly I've become responsible for what this ten-year-old is reading because I'm a librarian...

It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it! And somebody's gotta risk a little shock when she recommends Harry Potter. Really? Still?

Let Me Reach That For You

I'm tall.

If you've seen me, you know this.

Not abnormally tall, just...taller. Like, compared to most girls.

Most times I like it, sometimes I don't.

Here's one reason why I don't: monkey arms.

What are monkey arms, you may ask? Monkey arms are what I call my extremely long arms. They seem normal enough to me, until I start to try on winter coats.

What is it with winter coats and their short arms? I'll put on a coat, and I'm liking it, and I'll reach out my arm to brush hair out of my face or grab my phone and what in the world - whose freakishly long arm is now halfway out of the sleeve?

Really?! Really.

Most times I love my arms. For reaching purposes. But there's something about having sleeves that are too short that make me feel ridiculous. Come on, I really can't buy this coat because the sleeves are too short? What are my options, here?

(And then there's trying to cover my ankles with pants. Well, let's not get into that right now. I'll just say that highwaters really aren't my preference.)



Someone please tell me I'm not alone in this? I'm sure guys don't have a problem because they're allowed to be tall...

The Changing of the Time

What?! The time is changing this weekend?

That's right. Daylight Savings Time officially ends this weekend. And that means we gain an hour! Also, it gets dark earlier...

This post is to remind YOU and it's to remind ME to not get completely confused. Because sometimes a person will forget and get up when she doesn't need to and show up to church an hour early and no one's there. I'm just saying. It could happen. To someone...

So what type of person are you?

1. Time to Sleep
This person is ready to log some extra time in the ol' sleep bank. She has been waiting for months to get this hour, and she's going to enjoy every.single.minute. She goes to sleep at her regular time (even earlier, maybe!) and wakes up feeling refreshed and just so stinkin' proud of herself.

2. Time to Party!
Whoa - we get an extra hour! This person is going to spend this hour enjoying life! He stays up an extra hour just because he can. And then is having so much fun, he stays up even later and wakes up the next morning wondering why he's so tired if he just got an extra hour...

So don't forget to fall back this weekend! I'll catch you next week when we will discuss Christmas music: Too early? That depends on how stressful your days have been!

Waiting for My Quest

So sometimes I listen to soundtracks. Epic soundtracks.

The other day I was sitting and listening to music from movies like Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean and getting antsy. I wanted to jump up and have my life match up to these soundtracks!

This got me thinking about quests.

I want one.

From what I've heard, one doesn't necessarily seek out quests. Unless you are a hero in a Greek legend. Usually, the quest comes to you. It finds you because of a letter. A mystery. A crime. A kidnapping. A treasure. A secret. A job only you can do!

Events fall into place, and suddenly you are faced with your quest. You look up slowly, burdened with the weight of your newfound responsibility. You make emotional, meaningful eye contact with several significant people standing around you, and there you have it! You and your comrades are off on your quest!

And then you have adventures. Battles. Moral decisions. Dissension among friends. Triumphs. Lessons. And such.

I'd like one, please.

Is there a sign-up sheet?

Happy Halloweeeeeeen... OoooOooooOOooo!

Well, this is it. Halloween. The big day.

I'm going to celebrate today the way any decent librarian would: I'm going to wear a Halloween pin on my cardigan!

We happened to have a bunch at work, all right? I don't typically buy decorative pins.

Now, the only question is, should I wear the black cat or the jack-o-lantern? The jack-o-lantern has blinking red eyes, by the way. I might have to switch off and wear both, depending on how long the battery lasts in the jack-o-lantern...

Hey - have a happy and safe Halloween. I'll be eagerly awaiting pictures on Facebook of everyone's costumes.

It's For You

Talking on the phone at the library can be stressful.

When I pick up the phone, I don't know who's on the other line. I have just committed myself to helping someone I don't even know. I am now accountable to solving someone's problem. Oh, boy.

Sometimes, it's an easy question. One I can answer quickly and decisively.

Other times, it gets complicated.

Yesterday, I realized that I would not make a good, um, whatever you call those people that help you over the phone. You know, when you call for help with your insurance, or your computer, or whatever.

How do these people do this every day? I think to myself as I'm talking to someone who's helping me over the phone. Surely everyone isn't as nice and understanding as me! Surely they must talk to some nuts! I know I do!

Talk to nuts, I mean. Well, not nuts exactly. Just the more difficult people.

One helpful way to relieve stress while talking on the phone with a difficult person is to distort your face. Hey, the person on the other end of the line can't see me scrunching up my face like a chimpanzee. Ha! Look at me! I'm trying to touch my tongue to my nose as I listen to this person complain to me!

It can be helpful; that's all I'm saying. Almost as helpful as reliving the entire conversation with my coworkers after I hang up.

No Spookiness for Me, Thanks.

Okay, here's a quick Halloween quiz.

You see a commercial on TV, advertising some kind of frightening Halloween experience. Something involving loud noises, people with chainsaws jumping out at you, skeletons, demons, the works. You:

A) Turn up the volume and get excited about the trip you have planned to the haunted hayride.

B) Laugh at how lame the special effects are and get excited about the trip you have planned to the haunted house.

C) Get scared and change the channel because life is too SHORT to go scary places and do scary things, even if some people think it's funny because other people might get SCARED by loud things and sudden things I don't care HOW fake you think it looks!

I chose C. How 'bout you?

Let me just say that my idea of Halloween is definitely NOT to be scared by freakish things. NOT to enjoy horrifying movies. NOT to have to experience large quantities of fake blood.

Here are a few examples for you of what I would like for Halloween, as opposed to what I would NOT like:


Cute skeleton



Scary skeleton

  

Cute jack-o-lantern


 

Scary jack-o-lantern



Cute ghost


   

Scary ghost

Okay? Does everyone understand me and Halloween now? Just keep the scary away, please! And I will mind my own business over here by the cute chocolate Halloween candy.

I Know You; I've Walked With You Once Upon a Dream

If you're on Facebook, you're probably struck pretty often at how many "friends" you have.

(Shouldn't you be able to remember friends' names so you can properly stalk them?)

We all know SO many people. It can be hard to keep everyone straight.

Here's what I have trouble with:

• Remembering what I've told different people so I'm not repeating myself.
• Remembering what people already know about me so I don't assume anything.
• Remembering which people I can be sarcastic with, or which people I have to be more sensitive with.
• Remembering how I even know people in the first place.

That's a lot of remembering.

But when you have different circles of friends or even acquaintances, you've got to keep track. Who knows who? What common friends do you have?

I've got family and best friends. Church and work. The gym and the grocery store. I see so many people that look vaguely familiar that I tend to just avoid them when I see them in public because I'm not sure how well we know each other. And if they know my name and I don't know theirs? Yikes.

It's a challenge, that's for sure! My life is filled with relationships, and it's tough maintaining and keeping them straight.

This reminds me...I should probably clean out my friends list again...

"Hmmm...How do I know you?"

Words With People Who Are Smarter Than Me

I started something.

Something big.

Now, I don't know if I can stop.

I am speaking of Words with Friends. This Facebook application is pretty much Scrabble. By a different name. Now, I never liked Scrabble. I avoided it. Because I was never really good at it. Not sure why - I'm good with words and spelling and such. I just can't get creative or strategic enough to score very high.

All of a sudden, I found myself sucked into Words with Friends. Someone started a game with me, and I was like, sure why not.

Then, two more people started games with me, because they saw I was playing. Then, two more.

It's like a full-time job! There is a lot of time spent staring at the computer screen, wondering if a word exists that uses x, y, z, and two i's.

I get confused with all these different games I've got going on. I wish I could swap letters among games. I am losing four out of the five games I'm playing. Go figure. I need to learn some of those two-letter words!

I'm not especially proud of playing "dish" the other day. But I'm getting better! I hope! Because I'm kind of getting addicted.

Oops, got to go. Someone else just started a game with me. Wish me luck!

Darkness is Falling

I know, I know...I let this blog go without a new post for a little too long. But that ends today! I'm on it!

I'd just like to say a few words about darkness.

First, not really a fan.

I can remember being little and laying (lying?) in bed being scared of the dark. Who knew what was going on out there where I couldn't see? What creatures were crawling on the floor towards my bed? *shudder* Nightlights sometimes helped, but in a way were almost worse. Being able to see just glimpses of shadows and shapes could be even spookier.

And darkness outside freaks me out. You can't see what's staring at you from the woods. You don't know what's lurking behind the garage. Light! I need light! Either that or a good showtune to start violently singing to keep my spirits up!

It's tough to have the days get shorter this time of year. I should not be yawning at 6pm...I blame the lack of sun for this. What's the point of staying up any later? I just want to go and hibernate. Blankets + music + book + chocolate...darkness does that to me.

But What Was It Selling?

So, this is currently my favorite commercial.




It's just so epic!

And, trying to find it on YouTube, I actually remembered what product they were selling. Probably because they were all dressed up like fruit...

Usually, I don't remember what the commercial is selling. I'll remember the quirky storyline, the funny characters, the punchline...but I can't recall the product. For instance, I had a couple other commercials in mind to share, but couldn't remember what they were selling so couldn't find them on YouTube.

Considering these things, I decided that I would be a good person to watch commercials early on in the testing stages so I could give my opinion.

"More puppies!"

"Too boring!"

"What are you selling again?"

I try not to feel like I've failed when I can't remember what product a commercial I enjoyed was selling. But I kind of do. I mean, they worked so hard on it, and it was so expensive, and I can't even remember if it was deoderant or Doritos...

What's your favorite commercial, currently?

Dear Spider,

It's probably too late to apologize at this point.

Seeing as you're smushed up in a piece of toilet paper in my trash can.

But I wanted to explain myself.

I mean, try and put yourself in my position! Minding my own business, walking into my bathroom, when suddenly a spider skitters right in front of me. I mean, I didn't even think; I just stepped!

It helped that I was wearing my sneakers at the time.

I know, I know. You were probably minding your own business, too. But you were heading towards the door! Towards my room! I just couldn't risk it.

Does that make me a bad person? No...

I mean, you're a SPIDER!

Yes, that did sound like an insult. I mean, it was.

This letter isn't turning out the way I'd hoped. I had better just end it now.

With regret,
Laura

Get In Line, Buster

Attention! Pet peeve.

So I'll be helping someone in the library, usually checking their books out at the desk, when someone else calls out from nearby, "Excuse me!"

You know what I want to do? Ignore the random person! Why are you calling to me when I'm clearly involved with someone else!

I'm taken.

I know you are captivated by my mad book-scanning skillz. You're drawn in by my sweet voice as I patiently answer even the most idiotic question. And don't even get me started on my library muscles.

But come on! Can't you see I'm with someone right now?

Look, it's not you, it's me. I'm just not ready to start another relationship. I'm bogged down with the old man in front of me who doesn't understand how the Kindle his daughter bought for him works. I need to work on OUR relationship right now.

You'll just have to wait. Maybe, one day, the timing will be better. I'll be free, and we can get together sometime.

But for now? Wait your turn!

Sing It Out

Honestly, a "real" blog post is just not gonna happen today.

I would recommend reading previous posts of mine, if you're desperate.

Also, watch this video! All the way through the performance! Because it's awesome.

And hey, enjoy your day.

You're welcome.

10 Reasons Why You Should Not Mess with a Librarian

1. The calm, quiet librarian voice has the authority to silence all other voices.

2. People need answers. Librarians have answers.

3. The library is the librarian's territory. The librarians know the lay of the land, the resources, the secrets. Messing with a librarian on her turf is messing with a dragon in her lair.

4. Librarians are guarding books. Dragons guard gold, librarians guard books. Should anyone attempt to harm the books...

5. Librarians have each other. A person may come in and cause problems, but as they stand at the desk, more and more librarians will appear. One by one, another cardigan, another pair of glasses, another shrewd mind will form a united front at the circulation desk.

6. Books are heavy. And their sharp corners can be dangerous. Librarians respect the book, so they may wield the book.

7. Librarians know how to make a lot happen from few resources. This power can be used innocently in children's storytime as well as...for other things.

8. Librarians use computers. Computers holding information. About patrons. Everyone wants to have a clean record...right?

9. Cats and potted plants are very loyal to librarians. They will show up as allies if needed.

10. Librarians = Knowledge. Knowledge = Power.

Try Shaking It!

In our library, there lives a certain copier.

Attached to this copier is a change machine.

This change machine is the whiniest, noisiest, most selfish most annoying most spiteful change machine I have ever worked with.

This may sound harsh, but I'm telling you that if you met this change machine, you would have to agree.

I spend a good part of each day babying that thing. Putting a dime in (because it only takes dimes...) at just the right angle and shifting the whole box off to one side to get the dime to slide in. Instead of flipping out onto the floor. And making feeble older people have to attempt to crawl around and find it.

Once you make eye contact with some desperate patron, confused and discouraged, standing over by the machine, it's all over. You are now responsible to feed endless dimes into it, shaking it, stroking it, striking it. Until you get every. single. desired. copy.

Double sided? Bring it on. Reduce or enlarge? Child's play. Sweaty and hunched over, eyes blazing and dimes clutched in my fist, I WILL conquer this machine.

New Life

I am very pleased to announce a new arrival.

She is tiny.

She is delicate.

She is green.

She is growing next to Neville in his pot on my desk at the library.

Congratulations to Neville! He has a baby...or another arm...or something...

I know I haven't written about Neville for a while, but he's doing pretty well. A few brown leaves once in a while, but I pick those right off. I am actually pretty pleased with my mad plant skillz.

Anyway, I must be doing something right, because there is the tiniest little bright green shoot springing up from the dirt. It's all very thrilling.

I must say, though, I'm a little nervous. Will she last? Will Neville drink all her water? Will she be able to grow? Or worse, will she have Neville's temperament?

*Sigh* So many things to consider. Now the question is, what should I name her?

What's the Secret Password?

I am really sick of passwords.

Seriously. How many am I expected to come up with? I have created dozens of accounts over the years, more every day! Everything from Facebook to banking, Twitter to insurance, Blogger to iTunes. Not to mention my three email addresses.

Want to leave a comment at this site? Create an account. Want more information? Create an account. Want your own profile? Create an account.

I try to overlap user names and passwords so I can remember. I try to stick with the same key words for work-related things, for instance. But I can't have the same user name and password for EVERYTHING! It seems to risky. Not to mention, I'd have to go back and change everything so it matched. And different sites have different requirements.

I am at the point now where I just get mad if I have to create a new password for something. I try to use something I've already used, but I need to have two numbers. And a capital letter. And a symbol. And two dashes, a smiley face, and my astrological sign. Ugh! I've come to the point where if I create this quick account I don't think I'll use anymore, like one I used for online computer support, I do something like "helpme". Or "passwordsarestupid".

The other day, I was logging in to one of my email accounts and forgot my password. I remembered part of it, but got stuck. I tried to keep typing it in without thinking about it. Like, la di da, just typing in my password automatically of course I remember it...but kept I failing. I noticed my finger kept drifting upwards, so I went with that, just trying to feel the password, and eventually I got it.

But seriously? Should all these passwords be causing me this much grief?

I say no. What say you?

What Does Fall Smell Like?

Leaves. Wet leaves, piled up and decomposing. Dry leaves, crunchy and sun-kissed. You're just walking along on the sidewalk, breathing in the woodsy smell when suddenly you get the urge to go out of your way to scuff through a pile of them.

Pumpkin pie. Warm and thick. Can you smell the color orange? The answer is yes and it smells like pumpkins. Flaky pie crust baking, heating up your kitchen. A sprinkling of cinnamon - spicy - yet comforting, like a hug.

Hay. Itchy. Prickly. Smells like bumping in a wagon up a steep dirt road. Wandering through a maze at dusk. Laying on the ground on a quilt, staring up at the sky. Straw on your jeans and clinging to your sweater.

Bonfires. Smoke burning your eyes. The smell clinging to your clothes, wafting in your hair. Leaning up close to the heat, seeing how long you can stay until you get so hot you can't take it anymore. A bright spot on a dark fall night. A warm circle in brisk wind.

Apples. Baking in a crisp. Floating up as steam from hot cider...apple air. Muffins, pies, cakes. Biting into one, hard and green, cold and sour almost hurting your teeth.

That's what fall smells like.

A Spooky Story

So the other day, I worked at the library until 9. It was kind of a late night, it was dark... I pulled into my long driveway and hiked up it to grab the overturned trash can, which had been emptied that day. I started taking it down to its spot, and I heard what sounded like water sloshing around inside of it.

I experimented a little bit, shaking it around, wondering what it was. Turned it around, tried to look down it but couldn't see.

Then suddenly I was struck with a thought: there's something alive in here.

I stopped moving the garbage can and something rustled way down in the bottom of it.

I carefully set it down and backed slowly away, intending to turn on the light on my keychain (normally meant to scare off bad people) and shine it down into the trash can to see if there was something in there.

All of a sudden, the can lurched over and hit the driveway, causing me to high-step backwards, shrieking, like an unbalanced giraffe. The kind of giraffe that shrieks.

It was so dark, I couldn't tell if anything scampered out. I turned on my light and flashed it deep down in the garbage can, but didn't see anything.

I guess now we'll never know.

Fallish

Whoa. Wait a second.

Pumpkins and scarecrows in the window at Michael's? Fog machines on sale at Target? Sweater vests? Crunchy leaves?

Helloooooo, fall.

Not gonna lie, I don't feel super prepared for it. I mean, it's September 16. I am not prepared to put away the flip flops and pull out the boots.

Or am I?

I feel conflicted, because I love fall but I'm also scared of it. Because after fall comes that season that starts with a "w". The season I wish was only a week long. But is usually about seven months. Am I ready to say goodbye to flowers and bunny rabbits and say hello to pale skin and icicles? Hm...

I'll tell you what I am excited about: scarves. After all, I have *ahem* twenty *ahem* of them hanging in my closet, begging to be used. I tried the whole "summer scarf" thing, but it wasn't the same. So I am looking forward to casually flinging scarves around my neck.

Oh, fall. Take your time. Some of us are dragging our heels just a smidge.

Wake Up and Smell the Oatmeal!

I've always liked oatmeal. In a variety of ways - baked, in cookies, crumbled over top of a delicious appley dessert.

But it's always nice to just have it hot in the morning. It feels simple and good. Wholesome and right.

Here's what I do most days:

1. Mix half cup oatmeal and one cup water together in a microwave-safe container. I'm sure it's better on the stovetop but honestly, who really wants to spend all that time in the morning?

2. Microwave for a few minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't overflow and create a sticky mess to clean up. I do this all the time, by the way.

3. Once your oatmeal is cooked, adorn it. If I have fresh or frozen blueberries, I like to sprinkle those on. Currently, my favorite ingredients are milk, cinnamon, and brown sugar. But honey will do as well. Pop in a few chocolate chips if you want to crave chocolate for the whole rest of the day.

4. Stir it all up and enjoy!

Yum, oatmeal! Cook it yourself - I promise it's better than those instant packets.

More Potter? Yes, Please!

If you are a Harry Potter fan, I'm sure I don't need to inform you about Pottermore.

If you are not a Harry Potter fan, but still have decided to carry on reading this post, here's Pottermore in a nutshell: it's an interactive Harry Potter website from Jo Rowling that takes you through moments in each book. It includes new background material from Rowling, as well as the chance to experience magical things like getting a wand, being sorted into a house, creating potions, and competing for the House Cup. If none of this makes sense to you...read the books, why don't you??

Anyway, Pottermore opens to everyone in October, but because of extreme dedication and sacrifice of sleep on my part, I was able to get in early! Well I got my name in, then I had to wait and get a welcome email. And on Saturday, it came!

Here are some of my thoughts on Pottermore:

1. I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M ON POTTERMORE! This is almost as good as going to Hogwarts! almost...
2. The graphics are really well done. It's so great to see places like the Dursleys' kitchen and Harry's cupboard under the stairs come to life.
3. There's no music or sound on the site, so I brought up iTunes to play epic soundtracks like Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings.
4. Learning extra information straight from Jo is so. stinkin. cool. I read about how Vernon and Petunia met, what a wand's core and wood say about a wizard, and why McGonagall never married.
5. Pottermore keeps going down! It's either because they're making changes and updates, or because so many people keep trying to get on at once. Frustrating.
6. Brewing potions is tricky, but very cool. Also, horned slugs are disgusting.
7. I got to shop in Diagon Alley! I bought first-year books, school equipment, and an owl.
8. I took two very interesting quizzes...one to get my wand (hazel with phoenix feather core, fourteen and a half inches, reasonably supple) and one to get sorted!
9. I was sorted into Gryffindor! What? I always sort of thought of myself as Ravenclaw, but apparently I'm braver than I thought...
10. All in all, great site. Once I finish going through the first book, there's not too much to do until the next one comes out. That's good; if there was too much on there I would probably never leave.

Experiencing Pottermore makes me want to read the books again! Really good site; definitely worth the wait.

American Girl: The Doll Superstar

There is one name that is currently striking fear into parents' hearts every day at the library:

Kanani.

The library is raffling off the latest American Girl doll, whose description I will now share from the AG website:

"Meet Kanani, our 2011 Girl of the Year! She loves to share the aloha spirit of Hawai'i with others. Kanani arrives wearing a bright tropical dress, a faux hibiscus flower, a pretend kukui nut necklace, ruffled sandals, and cotton underwear. She’s soft and huggable with long hair for styling. Includes the Aloha, Kanani paperback book."

Could girls approximately 8-12 (possibly older...) ask for anything more? No. Because this doll holds all the answers. Sitting on the counter in its box, neck secured with a plastic tie, beady eyes watching over the library, this doll is IT. The most most desperate desire of a girl's heart.

Obviously, I had years when I was obsessed with American Girl. I got the magazines, the catalogues, everything except actually having a doll. The one I wanted was Felicity. Felicity had a horse, and my American Girl phase coincided with my horse phase.

(My horse phase ended when I actually had horseback-riding lessons from a teacher who basically let me ride around by myself, scared out of my mind, until the horse got spooked by some loud machinery and dumped the dead weight on her back. The whole experience wasn't quite as romantic as I'd pictured it.)

So I'm off to work pretty soon, really looking forward to the death glares aimed at me by moms who thought that at least at the LIBRARY they would be safe from their daughters' consumerism....

If you are a female reading this, I'm going to assume that if American Girl dolls were around when you were young, you wanted one. Which one was your favorite?

I'm a Big Kid Now

Sometimes I think the one thing I love most about being an adult is the right to buy candy whenever and wherever I want." -Ryan Gosling

Being an adult can be strange. For me, the transformation has been quick in some ways, and gradual in others. It can be hard to get used to the freedom.

Remember when you were little and you were always denied candy in the grocery check-out line? Or you didn't understand why it was such a big deal to want to only buy "fun" food?

Well, when you're an adult, you realize that you can't just throw money at those big round colorful lollipops (that actually don't taste that good) or doughnuts in the baked goods section. It just isn't practical.

Sometimes I'll be doing grown-up sorts of things like grocery shopping or scheduling doctor visits or using the ATM, and I'll get the feeling like I'm playing pretend. Like, wait a second, what am I doing here clutching a stack of coupons, comparing prices on mouthwash? When did I start buying boring things like trash cans and antibacterial wipes?

When you're an adult, you've got to be responsible. But it's fun when you realize that you can actually buy whatever you want.

So buy the toilet paper and the eggs. Pay the rent and clip coupons. But once in a while? Buy some candy. Just because you can.

Too School for Cool

So, this is my second year out of school. It's still weird.

Not gonna lie, I kind of miss school. I miss the first day, especially.

And the school supplies? Um...awesome!

I remember when I was younger (I was homeschooled) I would love organizing my desk and setting out all my new stuff. Pencils, paper, notebooks, calculator, folders...

And then at college figuring out which binders would be for which classes, printing out my schedule, making sure I had my cute purple mini stapler...

Now, no more of that. I just get to shop in stores with "back-to-school" sales and be envious of the pictures of girls in knee socks and boys in vests. Never had school uniforms; always kind of thought they'd be neat.

But the biggest disappointment of all?" Yesterday, September 1st, students headed off to Hogwarts. Once again, I am not on the Hogwarts Express. No sorting, no House Cup, no Quidditch. You know what? I'm starting to think that I'm NEVER going to get that letter...

On a more serious note... I have been waiting for my Pottermore email ever since I made it in the early sign-ups in the beginning of August. Still nothing! Thousands of devoted Harry Potter fans now know what House they're in and if their wands' cores are unicorn hair or dragon heartstrings. Come ON!

In other news, Labor Day marks my one-year annniversary as a full-timer at the public library. Congratulations to me! Hard to believe it's been that long, but I have been thankful for every minute.

Happy First Day of School, to those of you who still have them!

Sometimes I Scare Myself

Have you ever been sitting somewhere quietly with a large group of people and get the urge to stand up and yell something crazy?

I have.

This church service would be a highly inappropriate place to suddenly scream "Blueberry muffins!" Should I do it? What would happen if I did it?

Then I get scared and think I'm actually going to do it.

Laura, you had BETTER not stand up and scream "Blueberry muffins!" Everyone would think you had turrets or something! Don't do it! Don't do it!

And I feel all antsy, like I wouldn't be able to control myself.

Must...stand...up...and...yell...

transitiontransitiontransitiontransition

Like what I did there? Now THAT'S a smooth transition.

Anyway, my computer is still beyond my reach. It is being repaired, and I do have hope, but I am experiencing feelings of anxiety. It's been almost a whole week since it succumbed to its illness, and my fingers get all twitchy thinking about it. Blog posts may be sporadic this week!

Crazy Days, Part 2

Yesterday was 1. Technological Disasters
Today is 2. Natural Disasters

All caught up? Let's go!

So Tuesday, after all the craziness of the morning (read previous post if you haven't already...) with the computers down, random issues popping up, a policeman showing up saying someone had called 911, etc...I went to eat lunch.

I went to my car to eat, with the windows rolled down, in a secluded area of the parking lot. So I could just chill. At some point I got a weird feeling that the car was rocking back and forth. I looked out the window and tried to figure out why. Wind isn't that strong, right?

I even had the creepy thought that some nut was hunched down behind my car pushing it. Hey, this is the library parking lot. Who KNOWS what could happen? Like, that's all I need. Some library stalker who followed me out to the parking lot. After a few seconds, the swaying stopped so I forgot all about it.

Then I got inside the library and quickly realized from the internet that there had just been an EARTHQUAKE in Virginia. Wait - what? I got super excited that I had actually felt an earthquake, then started checking out news sites online as well as Twitter and Facebook. There's nothing quite like seeing people talking about the news as it's happening. Getting everyone's stories. Hearing the latest developments. Reason #738 why I love the internet.

"Yes, I DID feel the earthquake," I said numerous times, flushed with satisfaction and pride. "You didn't? Stinks to be youuuuu!"

(The picture below has been circulating online with the caption: East Coast Earthquake Devastation. It's a big deal to us, okay?)



Then yesterday, another typical day at the library, I went into the back for a minute and came out to the sound of sirens. What? Fire in the parking lot bushes? Of course.

I checked to be sure my car was a safe distance away, then gawked with the rest of the patrons as a fire truck rolled up. Standing next to me were two adorable little boys who often come to the library dressed as firemen and policemen. This event had pretty much made their LIFE.

Now, I'm hearing rumors of a hurricane blowing through. This is natural disaster week at the library, and we're just clutching our books and wondering what will come next!

Crazy Days, Part 1

What. A. Day.

Two days, actually. This is going to be a two-parter, so hold on to your socks, people. Lots to say!

Today and yesterday have been sort of, well, chaotic. I'm going to divide the events into two parts, the first of which we'll cover today.

1. Technological disasters

2. Natural disasters

Yesterday morning, we swung open the doors of the library to welcome our in our beloved patrons. Meanwhile, in another part of town, the server for all the county libraries crashed. Commence frenzied printing-up of warning signs ("Basically, we can't help you with much today because our computers are down. Feel free to make as many sarcastic 'depending too much on technology' comments as you'd like. Have a nice day.").

So it was a morning fraught with frustration. Teeming with tension. Well, not really. I kind of had fun with the fact that we had such a different kind of morning. I sort of like the craziness. Keeps things interesting. And patrons were, for the most part, understanding.

Then I got home. And I got on MY computer. And all of a sudden, I was not laughing at technology; I was weeping.

Google, my trusted ally, had betrayed me. Somehow I had picked up a virus, and Google kept leading me to sketchy ads. I didn't understand that it was a virus at first, but then I noticed other things on my computer going crazy. And my virus scanner wouldn't open. And strange messages popped up. And I spent three hours staring in anguish at my computer screen, wondering if chocolate would cure it the way it always had me...

My computer is broken. And with it, my life. Not really. But sort of. I'm praying it's fixable, but for now all I can do is find other ways of filling my spare time. Wait - what did people do before computers again?

Soon to come - Crazy Days, Part 2, or Natural Disasters: Who is Shaking My Car?

Shout-out to my "flatmate" for letting me use her laptop to post this!

A Different Version of Myself

I am not naturally outgoing.

I have to work at it. And it is work.

Being an introvert, my inclination is to hang back and listen. Speak up only when I actually have something to say. Not seek out conversations with strangers. Stuff like that.

But occasionally, I'll be in a situation where I need to be extroverted. I need to take control of a situation and become more talkative.

This is usually because I am with a person or two quieter than me. Like, if I'm the leader of any kind of group. Or I'm trying to help people feel more comfortable. When I'm with those kinds of people...shyer, younger...I have a tendency to suddenly become the life of the party.

I talk so they don't have to. I ask questions and give my opinion and take charge. That's not necessarily my inclination, but sometimes I just do what has to be done.

And let me tell you, being extroverted is an EXERCISE for me. It's like I'm running on adrenaline. My mouth gets dry from all that talking and I can almost see an energy meter dropping until nothing's left.

I can go all out to make quieter people feel included. But it is stressful. And mentally draining. And I tend to feel like the life was just sucked out of me when I have to be an extrovert for a few hours.

That's when I have to do my introvert thing. When it's all over, I just have to go somewhere by myself and recharge. No talking. No smiling. Just thinking. What a relief!

How do some of you do it all the time?!