Oh, I'll Get Her a Journal

I am a girl who owns many journals.

Journals, diaries, notebooks...whatever you want to call them.

I've got a lot. I consider myself somewhat of an accidental collector.

Cool notebooks are a pretty standard gift, after all. People must think, I don't know her very well...I'll get her a notebook! It's like lotion. So versatile. She's a girl, so she must enjoy writing down her feelings and moisturizing her hands.

And....it's true. I like both notebooks and lotion, by the way.

But I've never really liked writing down my feelings. I went through stages where I tried to keep a "diary" but I ended up destroying many pages after rereading. Ugh, feelings sound so stupid when you write them down. And what if someone found them and read them? No thank you.

As a result of me trying to write and then hating to write and then destroying what I'd written, I have lots of notebooks with half of the pages written.

There's nothing quite like starting a new notebook for class, Bible study, lists, whatever. Unless you're starting an old notebook. In which case I may need to tear out five pages of stupid thoughts first.

What is old (and already written in) is new again!

I wish I hadn't thrown so much of my writing away, every time I wanted to start a new notebook. I'd kind of like to read some things over.

Nah. *r i i i i i i i i i p*

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Summer + School - Books = Does Not Compute

I have a sad addiction to new books.

I mean, I work at a library. I see all that new stuff coming in, and my fingers itch to turn pages. Celebrity memoirs, health fads, picture books, the newest YA dystopian novel...I'm not super discerning when it comes to books.

Cruising the online library catalog is something I just can't keep myself from doing. I place holds like nobody's business! I have been known to have up to 70 items on hold at the library. Mostly new things.

So I just had to suspend my holds (about 50 now) since I'm too busy. Busy at work, busy at home, busy with school.

Too busy for new stuff.

Too busy for the latest in the series. Too busy for the blockbuster that was just released on dvd. Too busy for the latest paleo cookbook (I have dabbled).

When I am too busy for new library stuff, my life is topsy-turvy!

Everything is suspended for a month. Let me get myself together!

I remember my first summer working full-time. I was like, what is this "work" when the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the ice cream cones are dripping on the hot pavement?

Now this is my first summer working full-time and taking classes.

My head says GET TO WORK YOU BUM while my heart says the hammock in the backyard would like to speak with you. right now.

I will push through. I will! But I've got to make tough decisions to stay focused. I must place my addiction aside.

And I say to myself, good luck with that.

Park It Right Here

So, where do you park?

Obviously, there's something very exciting and satisfying about finding the best spot in the lot. You turn in just in time to snag a parking space right next to the handicapped section. Hooray!

This is especially gratifying if it's raining outside. If it's raining, of course I'm wearing my moccasins (wearing them basically guarantees rain) and of course I don't have my umbrella. Grabbing the perfect spot will give me the momentum I need to run in between the few raindrops I encounter on my way to the door!

But sometimes, if it's not raining... who cares about parking close up? I'm strong. I have long legs that work. I like to engage in extra physical activity.

Oh, and on beautiful, sunshiney days? I park as far away as I can!

I really don't mind walking. And if my parking a bit farther away frees up better spots for people who have trouble walking very far, then why not?

Mmm, nothing like a brisk stride across a parking lot. Gets the blood flowing.

And to me, the ability to "pull through" a parking spot totally trumps a closer spot. Yay for not having to back up! Parking lots can be crazy to drive through.

I'd rather walk.

In the Children's Library

I believe that it is pretty much impossible to sit among a rowdy group of 3-6 year-olds and not be happy.

My storytimes are my favorite programs. I get to play games and read stories to kids who get excited over anything and everything we do.

"Who wants to read a story?" "MEEEEEEEEE!"

"Who wants to play a game?" "I DOOOOOO!"

"Should we parade around the library?" "YEEEESSSSS!"

Growing up and being an adult is tough. Seeing trouble and sadness in the world is tough. We all have our problems. We all have our disappointments. But sit yourself down among children for a while, and remember what it's like to be excited!

We've got a couple parachutes for the kids to play with here at the library. They're kind of wrinkled and kind of beat up. One is missing a handle, ripped off by a giggling kid. I keep bringing them back to storytime due to popular demand.

I toss a few stuffed animals or beanbags in the center, the kids grab onto handles, and we shake and jump and wave the parachutes all around, often flinging the animals or beanbags all over the place.

They love it! You wouldn't believe the shrieking and laughing!

The adults watching can't help but laugh too. It's so infectious.

Working with kids is the best. I can make up a game on the spot that could be completely lame, but everyone rallies around it. I ask them to hold their hands up in the air and fingers shoot up, wiggling, faces turned toward me with expectation.

What a great age. Before they grow up. While they can still get enthusiastic about tossing beanbags into a basket. While their biggest problem is an untied sneaker. While their eyes are bright, their smiles are genuine, and their curiosity is never satisfied.

Kids completely energize me. And I love it. :)

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Romance? Yeah, right.

Let me start out by saying: I don't want you to think that we here at the library just make fun of what patrons check out.

Because we really don't. That often.

The thing is, we have regulars. People who are in several times a week and who place holds all the time. We get to know these people. Or, at least, their book and movie preferences.

Sometimes when we get our delivery of items from other libraries in the county and are pulling them out, we try to guess which piece is for which patron.

A huge book on motorcycles? Gotta be for John. Three more Nora Roberts novels? Either Mary or Sue. A brand new movie that is circulating for the first time? Rob. (How does he do it? He always gets things first!)

(*sidenote: names are changed...just in case.)

 And then we have our romance novel-readers. Three regular ladies who we know exclusively get books with pictures of long-haired, bare-chested men holding onto a rope on a ship or bending a corseted women back in what looks like a pretty uncomfortable embrace.

Not my thing. Not my thing at all.

The most I read of these books is their back covers. And why would I only read them to myself when I have coworkers to entertain?

Dramatic readings from the back covers of romance novels can be a truly amusing pastime  I feel that public speaking and theater classes I have taken in the past have helped prepare me for this.

Usually I start off in a low, dangerous tone as I describe the lord or duke who is rich, handsome, and devil-may-care. I move on to the innocent peasant girl whose beauty is only surpassed by her spunk. My tone turns incredulous as the summary goes on to describe a possible romance between these two unlikely and attractive characters. WILL THEY FIND TRUE LOVE?

*rolls eyes*

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Spider Strategy

My eyes wandered as I thought about nothing in particular. I stare into space a lot, surprise surprise, and though my face may look vacant I am actually thinking deep thoughts.

Suddenly, my eyes lock onto a gruesome sight.

Revulsion rises inside of me.

I cringe and look away, then force myself to look back.

Yup, it's a spider.

A big, thick, black spider.

Honestly, what is it about spiders? All the legs? The jittery movement? The past memories of seeing all the eyes magnified in a science textbook?

I'm with Ron Weasley on this one. I have a healthy fear of spiders.

And now, as warm weather causes bugs to start wandering around my house like they're trying to take it over, the spiders will suddenly appear.

My strategy is, first of all, determine if there is someone else, anybody else, that would be willing to kill this spider. Are you alone, or the bravest person in the room? Then it's all up to you, baby.

Now, I can't look away. Keep this in mind: if you look away, it could make a run for it and could now be anywhere. Maintain a visual at all times.

If you have to flee the room quickly for a tissue, back away and keep your eyes on it as long as possible.

Now that you have the tissue, brace yourself. For as long as it takes. Unless the spider starts to move.

Remember, you have to strike like a snake. There's only one chance here as, in the spider's eyes, you transform from skittish human to violent killer.

GET IT! GET IT! GEEEEEEEEEEET IIIIIIIIIIIIT! You got this! Smush it dead!

(Cheer yourself on as necessary.)

Now examine your tissue and you'd just better hope you got it with one strike.

If you didn't, you have made a dangerous enemy. Sleep with one eye open, your mouth closed, and consider investing in a mosquito net.

It's an option. I'm just saying.

Pssst! Carrots!

"If I were very beautiful and had nut-brown hair, would you keep me?"

Oh, Anne. I really have Anne of Green Gables on the brain these days. I need to do an epic rewatch and just get it out of my system. 

Anne (with an "e") has a wonderful imagination. I love her conversation with Matthew in the beginning of the movie, when she keeps talking and talking and switches from subject to subject. She says - 

"I know I'm skinny and a little freckled and my eyes are green. I can imagine I have a beautiful rose-leaf complexion and lovely, starry, violet eyes but I cannot imagine my red hair away. It'll be my lifelong sorrow. 

I read of a girl in a novel once who was divinely beautiful. Have you ever imagined what it must be like to be divinely beautiful? Oh, I have often...." 

I suppose everyone, at times, wants what they'll never have. 

The ironic thing is that when I was a little girl, all I wanted was curly red hair, green eyes, and freckles. 

When I mentioned this the other day my coworker laughed and asked why would I want green eyes when I have such nice blue ones? 

Because I didn't have green eyes! Because I thought green eyes were more interesting than blue! 

I've had changing ideas of how I should look over the years. Different pictures in my head of who I could be, ideally. I've wanted anything and everything from having straight hair to having braces! 

I have awesome curly hair and I never needed braces, but there were times in my life I wanted to check out the other side of the fence. I wanted to look like certain people or blend in better. 

Anne grew up, and so do we all. We hopefully learn to celebrate what makes us each unique. 

Just make it through the awkward, uncertain years. As Mrs. Lynde said, "And don't worry about your hair. I knew a girl once who had hair every bit as red as yours, but when she grew up, it darkened into a real handsome auburn."

See? There's hope!

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