Stop Me If You've Heard This

It happens to me all the time.

I'm talking to someone - family member, friend, co-worker, etc - when I get the feeling that I've shared this particular story/fact/whatever before and I can't remember with whom.

"And so then I THREW it all the way up in the air and - wait, have I told you this before?"

When I tell people something I've already told them, they fall into one of three categories:

1) The Silent Martyr - these people may have already heard about the new scarf I got for three dollars on clearance but they are going to suffer through it again. Because they love me. Or are too shy to say anything. Or too bored to care.

2) The Glazed-Over Head-Nodder - instead of just telling me that I've already told them about the new banana bread recipe I've found, they adopt a knowing expression and nod faster and faster, in the hopes that I'll just catch on. "Uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh..."

3) The Brutally Honest Abe - pretty self-explanatory. "You told me this already."

What do YOU do when someone tells you something he/she already told you? As for me, I'm usually the silent martyr. I go along with the story because I don't want the person who's telling me to feel bad for not remembering telling me already.

That's just the way I roll.

Moms: My Oh My!

How was your Mother's Day?

I hope you all spoiled your moms! And, if you ARE a mom, I hope you were spoiled!

I'm so grateful for my mom and all she's done for me. I can't imagine life without her! My mom and I are a lot alike, so of course that's led to some disagreements over the years. Through the good times and the frustrating times, I've learned to appreciate her as not only a wise mother but also as a friend.

Seeing all the kids dressed up in church yesterday for Mother's Day had me poking my brother and pointing out each little cutie. He got annoyed, but I realized how much I want to be a mom. I love kids! And I want my own to hang all over me like a jungle gym one day too!

I'm just glad I have the example of my mom to guide me in the future, as one day I hope to be a mom. I want to be the kind of loving, creative, fun, and hardworking mom that she has been to me for 22 years.

Yay for moms!

Gotta Get Down on Friday

No, this blog post is not about Rebecca Black.

But it is about death.

When I die, it will probably be of this:


That's right: Aussie fumes.

Let me tell you a little something about this product. I can't live without it.

My hair is curly. Without Aussie, it would look kind of...blucky. Fuzzy. Poofy.

So I use Aussie every day. Multiple times. And I breathe it in a lot.

Whenever I coat my lungs with it, I think to myself, this will probably kill me.

Then I think, it's worth it. Because my curls just don't look right without Aussie.

I go through these bottles super quick. I feel like I'm always carrying one around. I wish I could buy them in bulk...

I know this blog post was pretty lame. I'm feeling uninspired. Again. It's been a busy morning and I'm off to work soon, so I'm trying to get other things done.

I know, excuses, excuses...

Will this make up for it?

My, What an Inquisitive Mind You Have

I get asked a lot of questions at the library. Maybe one day I'll keep track. But probably not.

"Where're the bathrooms?" (You passed them on the way in...)

"Do you have a certain book? I can't remember the author, title, or what it's about." (Okaaaay...Google, don't fail me now.)

"Can I borrow some scissors?" (Sure, just don't run with them.)

"Do I have a fine?" (*Cringe* Let me check...)

Questions, questions, questions. People just think that the library has all the answers.

Because it DOES, obviously. Spread the word.

People just driving by come into the library and ask directions to somewhere else. Because somewhere in the back of their minds they think of the library as a safe place to do that. Well, that's something, at least.

My favorite types of questions are ones I can answer. Sure, I get sick of answering totally obvious questions. But at least I can answer them. And that makes me feel pretty good. After all, the only thing I really want here is to make library patrons happy. My ultimate goal is to SERVE you, dear friends.

Seriously, I like to help people.

So ask away.

Why R U Doing This 2 Me?

Qwik. Krazy. E-Z.

What's wrong with these companies? Who thought it was a good idea to purposefully misspell words as part of your name or slogan?

It's bad enough that, all day long, I have to see accidentally misspelled words by people who just. don't. care. Now, I have to have "cheezy" presented to me as an actual word?

Sloppiness should be corrected. Sloppiness should not serve as an excuse to come up with new spellings of words.

Is it "kool" to misspell on purpose, now? No one told me! And please, no one tell me. I will cover my ears.

Seriously, I'm not old enough to be complaining about "kidz these dayz." And not only kids, but adults! Make an effort and people will take you seriously.

We can have fun while spelling things correctly. Just saying.

Guess What? I'll Tell You.

Some Things About Me You Probably Don't Care To Know But Will Soon Find Out:

1. I am a compulsive chair tucker. If a chair is pulled out, I push it back in. It takes two seconds.

2. I hate crows. Especially in the summer. At 6 am. When my window is open. I swear, if I had a gun in my hand during those half-conscious moments...

3. I like to keep my hands busy. Currently, there is a clothespin in the library office. Why it's there, I don't know. What I DO know is that I keep looking down and realizing that I've been opening and closing said clothespin for fifteen minutes, carrying it all over the library, without realizing it.

4. I would rather have the ability to be invisible than the ability to fly. I have enough scary dreams where I'm floating up in the air to know that I would not have fun.

5. If I worked in an ice cream shop, I would gain about 250 pounds. Because if I had an unlimited ice cream supply, I would keep eating. And eating. And eating. It's frightening.

6. I have a large supply of earrings. 90% of those pairs cost a dollar. I love earrings because they always fit. And they're cheap.

7. I hate drama. I hate it if I think someone has a negative opinion of me. I overthink conversations and replay my words over and over. I have to yell at myself sometimes to let something go.

8. Mechanical pencils are the best kind of pencils. Because pencils have to be sharp all the time.

9. My legs are always falling asleep. Like, when I'm sitting on the floor for a while. My foot will fall asleep and I'll have to stand still for a minute because if I try to walk it feels waaaay too weird.

10. I have this recurring dream about bugs. Bugs, snakes, and spiders all over the ground. And I have to get through them somehow. I hate it.

So, there you have it! And now, here's a bonus thing about me:

11. I want someone to come to the library and serenade me like THIS!

I Read Books

Here, watch this commercial real quick:



What do you think? Mac. vs. PC-  Book vs. Kindle?

Now, I'm sure you all think you know me well enough by now to say which one I'M in favor of. Well, here are some thoughts as I watch this commercial:

1. Are they seriously doing this like a Mac vs. PC commercial?
2. Are they going to insult people who prefer books?
3. People who prefer books have better arguments than folding down a page.
4. Like...actually holding a book. And smelling a book. And turning pages. And doing something fun not involving the latest technology.
5. If that girl was a REAL book lover she wouldn't have been convinced that easily.

Listen, I am not against the Kindle. Or other e-readers. If it gets more people reading, I'm all for it. And when you get right down to it, you're reading. No matter if you're listening to an audio book, turning pages, or using a device.

And I understand that it's a lot easier to take more books on trips when they're stored in one thin reader, as opposed to stuffing a dozen books in a plastic bag because you're not sure which ones you'll be in the mood for (Not that I know from personal experience...).

But I'm fairly certain I'll always just read books. It's what I do. It's what I grew up doing. It's another way for me to resist technology a little longer. I don't want to add another screen into my life. Cell phones, iPods, computers, Wii... I spend enough time staring into other screens. Books are safe for me. They seem more...organic. But that's my personal preference.

Now, as for libraries and e-readers? They're on their way to becoming good buddies. If libraries don't embrace new technologies, they aren't going to make it. My library is about to have an e-book collection; hopefully, this means more patrons using the library.

Libraries are good at adapting. They have to be. Librarians have got to see things like e-books as another way to take information and learn it, use it, and provide it for our communities. Because that's just what we do.