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.