According to Wikipedia

the common cold usually lasts from 3-5 days.

I'm on day three, and the mucous is running high.

Not that I expect you really care about my mucous, but it is the most immediate thing going on in my life. It is not a dire colour at least, only plentiful. My only consolation is that the dratted virus is being flushed out in waves of glorious mucous.

My nose hates me, though, and my currently happily active immune system. I am going through tissues, napkins, toilet paper, and even paper towels at an alarming rate. And still it flows.

Through it all I soldiered through first one job and then the other, plus two hours of game notes. I am now very tired. And snotty.

Fortunately I get a bit of a rest tomorrow as I took off from the hosptial to go to a sleep doctor about getting new attachments for my CPAP machine so that I can go back to sleeping in bed, and hopefully won't be as tired as I've been during the day. They may be able to recalibrate it slightly there in the office, too, although if they think it needs to be, they'll probably send me through another sleep study. My appointment isn't until 11:30, so I get an extra hour or so to rest. Then it's off to the gas station (it's trunk night tomorrow). But I'm off from the station on Friday, although I'll be back at the hospital (celebrating jeans day, as it's the first Friday of a new month).

Oh, I hope I'm better by then. And I'm working 10 hours straight on Saturday. Definitely by then, I hope.

All right, enough of my complaining.

By the way, I actually have a copy of the book for which I wrote a chapter (okay, it's a short chapter, but it's still publishing). I received it today. I think I'll have to return it; I got a defective copy that came unglued after being opened five times. But it's still good to see my name in print, and the other entries sound interesting, too.

Okay, enough for tonight...I hope you liked Cookie Monster. I'm going to bed now. I leave you with something random--clouds and water from Koyaanisqatsi...



...and the pre-credit sequence from Powaqqatsi. If you've never seen the trilogy to which they belong, you should. They are essentially art films looking at the juxtaposition of elements. The first title means 'life out of balance', the second 'life in transformation' and the third (Naqoyqatsi)'life as war'. They are all Hopi terms. This scene shows gold miners in Brazil digging and bringing up dirt. It reminds me of an ant colony, yet it seems so fruitless.

Sanity loss through cookies

How to drive a librarian mad, Muppet style

I feel snotty, oh so snotty

Sorry I haven't posted. I've been turning in early because I've been fighting a cold (and losing). Memorial Day I was in bed (or more accurately, in chair, by 9 pm). I've been sleeping in the recliner with the CPAP machine because I've been able to breathe better upright. I need a new masque and hose, so some air is leaking. Plus my machine may need to be recalibrated--it's been several years. Today I need to make an appointment with the sleep centre to see if I can take care of that. Wouldn't want to die quietly in my sleep, you know.

Saturday it was like having part of the day off, since I only worked six hours (I'm back to the normal ten this week). Sunday was the game, fortunately with no explosions this time but we did all get satellite cell phone hookups which was great. They're supposed to be global, which will help in the Antarctic adventure. It helps to have a few wealthy characters in the game, as they're about $2000 a piece.

Monday I went home to visit my mom and grandmother (who turned 83 yesterday). I brought my grandmother some calla lillies for her birthday. It took me nearly an hour just to check all the car fluids (trying to avoid killing another engine like I did last year). It took awhile to figure out where the transmission fluid dipstick was, since it was hidden behind and down from the engine. Fortunately I still have my manual. It needed antifreeze, oil, and a smidge of transmission fluid. I went ahead and got a phone card and then I was on my way.

It was a pleasant drive (thank goodness for cruise control, my personal anti-trooper deterrent--who needs radar guns if you're not speeding?) and a pleasant trip. My mom was between a 16-hour and 8-hour shift up in Lexington, so she couldn't stay long. I have my insurance card for the car now, too, so while hopefully I won't need it, I won't be without it should I be stopped. My grandmother loaned me her exercise bike, since she can't use it anymore. I haven't gotten it out of the car yet; I'll try that tonight.

After I got back, D and I went shopping with the gift card I'd received. I got 5 pairs of underwear, 1 bra, 1 nightgown, 3 blouses, a pair of sandals that are dressy enough for work, and a skirt, and basically only paid for the skirt. It took us a little over an hour to hunt things down, which amazed Dwana.

Yesterday it was back to work to both jobs with the cold in full swing. It's worse today--I'm just clammy and snotty and seriously wondering if I should call into work. But I'll preservere. Besides, I don't want my boss at the gas station to have to work a double because of me. But man, I feel like crap.

Cerys is itchy again, so I need to check into giving her another cortisone shot--I don't want to do that too often, it can trigger diabetes, but I don't want her miserable either. Plus she goes around the house rubbing against everything, pulling bookshelves down, and heading for a crescendo of the only real bark she does anymore, which isn't good in an apartment complex environment. She's calmed down this morning, thankfully. But I think a shot is in order.

Well, I guess that's all for now. It feels like Tuesday because of the holiday. Soon I'll be painting shelves and a bedroom between jobs, so I'm not sure how much time I'll get to blog--I hope to keep up pretty well, though. Hope you have a wonderful day.

My favourite muppet sings 'Feelings'

Oh, my goodness

I know someone like this on coffee:



come to think of it...I know a potential mad scientist as well. :)

Today

was actually okay. I went to work (only 6 hours, as opposed to the normal 10 and only one cranky customer who really needed to fill out lottery sheets), ran some errands, took a friend to work, did notes, visited a friend, and went grocery shopping. I also shared a little time with Cerys and watched .fireflies dance when I took her out tonight. I love lightning bugs, as they're called in the various bits of the South in which I've lived. It's such a need little glimpse into evolution.

Tomorrow is the game, and then Monday it's time to visit my family in Danville and then back to Lexington to go shopping with D. Yay!

I love holiday weekends.

This, however, is absolutely hilarious

Work those muscles!

This so scares me...this woman needs tranquilizers

I suppose it's good to be enthused about your job, though.

I'm going to bed, because I am very sleepy, but...

I leave you with...the Librarian Dialogues--how you never want a staff meeting to go.



I'm not sure if I should be amused or appalled...

And in the that's just bizarre category

Body of Intruder Found in Ductwork on Roof of Arizona Elementary School

Today's 'this is so sick' it caught my attention in the news

Sex offender charged in deaths of mother, 2 girls

GRAYSON --A West Virginia sex offender strangled a Carter County woman, raped and beat her 10-year-old daughter to death and then burned their mobile home, killing a 3-year-old child in the blaze, Kentucky State Police said yesterday.

The man charged is Robert L. Drown Jr., 27, of Kenova, West Virginia. He is in a West Virginia jail for failing to register as a sex offender. Kentucky is seeking extradition. Slain were Jennifer Ison, 31, and her daughters, Shannah, 10, and Marissa, 3.

There's got to be a special circle of hell for those who commit this sort of crime. My thoughts are with the victims and their family. (My thoughts on the person responsible for this are probably not printable.)

Two Python videos

First, Graham Chapman's memorial service, with John Cleese in fine form:



Second, a somewhat painful book-related skit:

The medical librarian invades Unshelved

today's Unshelved strip features a medical librarian. Yay!

PS This made it to the MEDLIB-L list and at least one person was not amused by the image of medical librarians put forth. I say, get a sense of humour. Medical librarians tend to be a quirky bunch, and most of us are proud of it.

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days

My cable was turned off a little before payday. But now everything's square. So I'd like to catch up...

First, from Monday, there was the finale of 'Heroes'. I enjoyed it immensely; I'm glad we've gone through the introductory story arc now and I hope they can do some more character building over season two. I want to see where they go from here. Who is the man out there who is worse than the Boogeyman? Is there anyway for Peter or Nathan to have survived (everyone expects Peter will regenerate, but in the past, the brain had to be pretty much unobstructed. What about when it's atomised? Did Nathan go with Peter to the very end, or fly off once they were safely above the city? What exactly will happen with Sylar?) There were some questions answered, some posed. I'm really looking forward to the DVD collection, which among other things has the original pilot on it, apparently. It truly is a wonderful show, especially in how things intertwine in the best comic book fashion (I'm waiting for the 3D episode...didn't that wave hit several comic books back in the 80s or 90s? There are details that true comic afficianados probably catch that I don't, but even I know that Kirby Plaza was a reference to Jack Kirby, the famous comic book artist, for example. Anyway, I really have loved the show and all the extras that you can find at NBC.com/Heroes, including web comics, full past episodes, Heroes 360, etc.

Okay, on to the next subject...bunnies. What is it about bunnies lately? I've had three hop out in front of my car in the last couple of weeks. Fortunately I haven't hit one, but I'm beginning to think Mother Nature is trying to tell me something.

Speaking of animals, work continues to coax a mother humpback whale and her calf back downriver from Sacramento to San Francisco bay. They've tried recordings of whales to lure them, recordings of predators to spur them on, clanging noises, herding with boats--the next step is to try fire hoses, something that's never been attempted before. Meanwhile, they're trying to make an antibiotic delivery system to inject the whales, both of whom have apparently been injured by boats.

We were visited at work today by Thumbelina, the World's Smallest Horse. She's not even knee high. She's a miniature horse, but she's also a dwarf, so she's much smaller than most miniatures. She was adorable. She travels in an air-conditioned motor home around the country to raise money for children's charities.

The last night of bunny madness I was driving home after that close call and discovered a car overturned with lots of police lights going on of all places Beaver Creek, which is a residential street near my home. That same night I went to call a friend to let him know I was home safely and that was when I discovered that I had no cable, for I have Vonage, which requires an active cable connexion. So I tried my cell phone and then rememberd I didn't have any minutes (mine is prepaid--it's worked pretty well for seven years; I average about $10 a month). So, I went over to the laundry room, which usually has a phone hooked up when the pool has water in it for 911 (but you can usually make regular calls). Mind you, it's 2 am or so. I fall down the stairs and hit my elbow on the brick wall of the building, then discover they've rigged the phone for 911 calls only. Sigh. So I finally got in my car and went to a nearby gas station and bought minutes for my phone, then came back home and made the call. I know, I'm a danger to myself, although not usually to others. But, there was one time I didn't call and actually slept through getting a friend from work and the alert went off and D and her husband were dispatched to check on me. I had low blood sugar and didn't wake up until they got Cerys barking by tapping at the window. I didn't want a repeat. D has a two-year old and I don't think she'd appreciate it. :)

Speaking of D, she and I are going to go shopping Monday after I get home from visiting my mom and grandmother. I have a gift card for some clothes and she's going to take me out. We get together so seldom; I think the last time was last year when we went swimming at the pool with her son. And we don't get to eat lunch together that much. I miss that. Our schedules are so harried; you should have seen us with our calendars out trying to find a time to get together.

What else? Well, there's the health issues, like the fact that I just went on Avandia and now there's a lot of concern over cardiovascular health due to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine and now an FDA study that backs it up--and opens up questions for how it was approved with such data in place. Now I have to call Dr Nesbitt and see what he thinks. He might put me on Actos instead--it's in the same family and hasn't been associated with those problems--yet (although it has been associated with heart failure). Sigh. Sometimes I think my meds are kind of a crap shoot.

The other medical thing I wanted to blog about was this:

Anger Erupts Over Insurance Company's IQ Test for Weight-Loss Surgery

As the article pointed out, it's not like we require an IQ test to give someone chemotherapy, or refuse to give heart bypass surgery to those who may not know how to do aftercare because they're deemed too stupid. This is ridiculous. It's just another way for insurance companies to try to maintain their bottom line, but it's also discrimnatory.

I think that's all for now. My computer has downloaded some updates and keeps trying to restart, and it's getting very late. Sorry again about the delay. And as always, thanks for reading my ramblings. Good night.

Then there's this

I loved the game today

although it went until 11:30 (we usually get out about 9, that's two weeks in a row that it ran later). We didn't get much further into the investigation, but three of the characters got blown up with dynamite (and barely survived), met a whole gaggle of ghouls (and barely survived) and uncovered an evil plot by our secretary (of which they'll probably barely survive). Meanwhile there are two cases going on at once, and being blown to smithereens definitely puts a cramp on your ability to investigate, even with magical healing.

Also my character, the one with the multiple personality toddler, is dealing with becoming pregnant through a charm that basically meant having great, wonderful sex with a mobster--against her will. She's struggling with date rape, basically, and has shut down emotionally while throwing herself into her work, but because of her pregnancy, she can't go on any missions, so she's left trying to keep the home fires burning and sending much less experienced investigators on cases. Needless to say, she has a lot of guilt. But at least she isn't being blown to smithereens or being the fleshy meat that ghouls dream of.

Ah, Cthulhu...

And now, on a totally random note, I give you...the Gorilla Librarian...

Looking up

hedgehogs.

Why?

Isn't this one cute?

I worked 12 hours yesterday

between the two jobs, so I was too tired to blog last night. Fortunately, I only worked 6 hours as opposed to my normal 10 today, so here I am. So, what am I going to do? Well, I'm taking care of blogging and eating at the moment, sharing a bit of tortilla with Cerys from my cheese quesidillas. Then I'm going to take a nap...I haven't been getting enough sleep. Yes, in the comfy chair. I have some errands to run and I need to take out the trash and straighten up the house a bit. Then I'm going to go over to some friends' house to do some pre-game stuff. I hope to go to bed early. That's it. I'd like to squeeze the gym in somewhere, but I don't think that will happen. Maybe next week...right.

Okay, I really do have library-stuff to post, so let me get a little out of the way...

then I'll sleep.

Great quote:

*'I want to congratulate librarians, not famous for their physical
strength, who, all over this country (the United States), have staunchly
resisted anti-democratic bullies who have tried to remove certain books
from their shelves, and destroyed records rather than have to reveal to
thought police the names of persons who have checked out those titles.So
the America I loved still exists, if not in the White House, the Supreme
Court, the Senate, the House of Representatives, or the media. The
America I loved still exists at the front desks of our public
libraries.' -- Kurt Vonnegut*

Looking at RFID, which is making its way into libraries:

As RFID tracking booms, privacy issues loom

Tagged for Growth

Librarians in Film:

World Premiere of "The Hollywood Librarian: A Look at Librarians through
Film"

Regarding Censorship:

"And Tango Makes Three" tops ALA's 2006 list of most challenged books

Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell's award-winning "And Tango Makes
Three," about two male penguins parenting an egg from a mixed-sex
penguin couple, tops the list of most challenged books in 2006, due to
the issues of homosexuality.

But first, quizzes!

Strange, as I am a Diet Pepsi/Diet Sunkist kind of girl

You Are Coke

A true original and classic, you represent the best of everything you can offer. Just the right amount of sweet, just the right amount of energy... you're the life of the party. Your best soda match: Mountain Dew Stay away from:Dr Pepper

What Kind of Soda Are You?

Your Learning Style: Unconventional and Insightful

You are very intuitive and ingenious. You're attracted to any field of study that lets you break the rules. You Should Study: Art Art history Architecture Comparative religions Eastern religion Education Music Philosophy

What Should You Study?

You Are Impressionism

You think the world is quite beautiful, especially if you look at it in new and interesting ways. You tend to focus on color and movement in art. For you, seeing the big picture is much more important than recording every little detail. You can find inspiration anywhere... especially from nature.

What Art Movement Are You?

You Are Pumpkin Pie

You're the perfect combo of uniqueness and quality Those who like you are looking for something (someone!) special

What Kind of Pie Are You?

You Have Low Self Esteem 80% of the Time

You tend to blame yourself when things go wrong, regardless of whether it's your fault or not. You're anxious to please others and rely too much on their opinions. Learn to please yourself first, and your confidence will soar.

How is Your Self Esteem?

Actually, traffic school wasn't half bad

We had an entertaining speaker who broke the nearly four-hour class up into various topics. I learnt some very interesting statistics, points of law, etc. Parts of it I hope to never use--the DUI, for example (I will not drive if I have even one drink; I don't have much tolerance for alcohol). But our DUI laws are very interesting. The two examples given for high-profile DUI cases from Kentucky were the Carrollton bus crash and another where a pregnant teacher was mown down in her front yard whilst looking at her landscaping by a drunk showing off a Corvette to a friend. I remembered both of them (who could not forget the bush crash, of course--but I was in class with people either too young or apparently not in Kentucky at the time, and the footage shocked them. When I was in college, one of the young men who had been terribly burnt was there. A former friend went to high school with several of the survivors. Carrollton is near my own family's home of Owen County, which in fact is where the driver who served his time for manslaughter was living the last I heard.) Funny that with a memory like a sieve, I tend to remember drunk driving cases, such as one that happened on Euclid when I was in school where the driver survived (one passenger was decapitated, the other gravely injured and requiring home care), with the driver receiving shock probation. I remember his case was spotlighted against a woman in a neighbouring county who drank and drove once, hit a tree, didn't hurt anybody but herself (I'm not saying that's good, mind you, but the point was it was a less severe outcome) and she was put away for years with a small child she wouldn't see grow up. The difference was the power and privilege of the families involved. Anyway, Kentucky DUI laws have improved substantially since the Carrollton bus crash. The man who killed the teacher is serving life for her death, for example.

I also learnt a lot about our graduated licensing programme for drivers under 18, including their curfews and limits on passengers, and 180 days as a permit driver, 180 days as an intermediate driver. It's a good idea. I also found out that the legal limit for under 21 drivers is under 0.02 in Kentucky, as they are of course breaking the law for drinking anyway if they have consumed alcohol. The reason it's not 0.0 is because the body makes minute traces of alcohol and the analysers, which are much more accurate than they used to be, nonetheless usually can't measure down that far.

Of course there were also issues such as speeding, distraction, defensive driving, road rage, those kinds of topics. Will it make me a better driver? I don't know. Except for the DUI stuff and graduated licensing I knew a lot of it already, or it was just common senes. But I was a lot more careful about my speed (I normally go a max of 5 miles over the limit--this time I was monitoring it down to the speed limit), lane changes etc. I'm a pretty good driver all in all. I've only had the two citations since I've been driving (that was back in 1986, so it's been 21 years) and I'm close to that low-point on the graph (ages 45-49) of least crashes. I've been involved in no serious accidents (knock on wood), and only one small bump into someone during traffic has been due to my driving. (Although let me tell you, being in someone else's car and having the brakes go out on you is scary...that happened once, but no one was hurt.) I use my turn signals. I generally keep my cool. I can count the number of times I've been on a cell phone driving on one hand. But anyone can be a better driver. I will tell you I pulled out of that class pretty carefully and monitored what I was doing moreso than usual. I didn't want the irony of having an accident or a stop on my way back from traffic school.

Which reminds me...I need my new insurance card. It's at my mom's and the old one just expired. I need to e-mail her and see if she can send it to me.

Oh, and I found an interesting article (in Reader's Digest, of all things) called Asleep at the Wheel. Check it out...it's pretty good, and sleepy drivers are just about as bad as drunk drivers.

Well, I need to go to bed. I slept for a little while in the chair of comfort, so it's not like I've been up all this time, but bed sounds nice.

Well, drat

Traffic school runs from 6:15-10 pm, so it's longer than I remember. I also remember it being rather like detention. This is not going to be fun.

I figured out

where I've seen Zachary J. Quinto (who plays Sylar on 'Heroes') before. He was the warlock who was after Kit the cat on the episode 'Cat House' from 'Charmed' (2003). He also guest-starred in the second episode of 'The Others' (one of those short-lived shows I liked that never caught on).
:)

He's best known for work on '24' and 'So NoTORIous' (in the latter he played a flamboyantly gay Persian-American friend of Tori Spelling's). This is a very different role.

Let me tell you, the man can act...he's absolutely chilling as a serial killer.

Okay, I really need to stop gushing about television and go to bed. 'Night.

This is so wrong...and so well done

Harry Potter's Mid-Life Crisis:



Thanks to YKWIA for showing it to me.

A quiz before sleeping

Can't remember if I've done this one before:

Your Linguistic Profile:

60% General American English 25% Dixie 10% Yankee 0% Midwestern 0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

I very nearly hit a bunny tonight

as I was going down Cooper Drive over near UK. I swerved to avoid it and of course it hopped back in the direction I swerved, but I was able to brake in time. Fortunately there were no other cars around. I'm rather glad, as 1) I like bunnies and 2) the last time I hit an animal (a cat) and killed it, I went hysterical for the better part of an hour.

Today's been pretty good, all in all. I've gotten quite a bit done, although of course there's more to do. Tomorrow I go to traffic school after I run by the pharmacy (I'm almost out of Provigil and test strips). Friday I'm working 3-10 in addition to the 10-2:30 at the hospital, so it will be a long day. Saturday I'm just working 10-6, far shorter than my normal 10 hour day. I'm free Monday for the finale of 'Heroes' (yay!!!) and then Tuesday for my therapy appointment. Then I work on Wednesday from 3 to sometime, I think 8 or 9.

Speaking of 'Heroes', of course we knew it had been picked up for a second season months ago, but there's also this bit of news (the article is from the San Francisco Chronicle by Tim Goodman:

Perhaps the biggest news from NBC was the announcement that it would, in effect, spin off "Heroes" into a second series called "Heroes: Origins," a limited-run, six-episode drama that will introduce a new character each week and incorporate an online element that will allow "Heroes" fans to vote on which of the six new characters on "Origins" will be added to the original series.

As a breakout freshman hit, "Heroes" has reshaped NBC's thinking in several ways. By increasing the number of episodes to 24 this season, and adding six episodes of "Heroes: Origins" to the schedule next year, NBC gets 30 total episodes and makes a significant attempt to keep viewers from scattering during the inevitable rerun period. ("Origins" will air on Monday nights when "Heroes" takes a break.)

I'm excited. Really excited. 'Heroes' is the best TV series I've seen in a really long time, and has the added benefit of being a hit (so many of the things I like don't make it, due to a prejudice against sci fi). And if you haven't watched...you should. You can go to http://www.nbc.com/Heroes and watch the past episodes to get caught up, read the online comic books, etc. Plus you can preorder the Season One DVD. There's also a great site on Wikipedia's 'Heroes' page. And here's the theatrical trailer that gives you a glimpse of the characters...

I was at the doctor's for 2 1/2 hours today

but I was running behind by about 15 minutes, so we were both having issues. I spent the majority of it in one of the exam rooms on an uncomfortable chair; I really would have rather waited in the lobby. But Dr Nesbitt was apologetic, they were apparently having one of 'those days'. He's the only one in the practice and I like him too much (among other things, I like that he's Canadian--I don't know why) to really be annoyed. Anyway, I brought in my Excel chart of my blood sugar readings and he put me on Avandia in addition to the Glucophage (metformin) and Januvia. My evening readings are pretty good (tonight's was 127) but my morning ones are still high, although not as high as they were.

I had an appointment with my new therapist for the first time yesterday. I gave him the high (or low, depending on how you look at it) points of my life with my family, with my ex-husband and his partner, and life since that. It was a little overwhelming, although I asked if if I'd scared him and he said no. He said he thought it was very interesting and would continue to be so. I got the impression of an explorer coming upon a mountain to climb or a new continent. Somehow that should bother me, but it doesn't. I guess because I get to be a part of it. I see him again on Tuesday. This is the the fifth social worker I've tried, but the first man. He seems to have good professional boundaries and doesn't seem likely to jump to conclusions like the others. If it doesn't work out the practice also has a couple of psychologists, although they're harder to get in to see. I already have homework, to come up with a list (it doesn't have to be long) of coping mechanisms I'd like to work on and make more functional, like eating when stressed, or sleeping when stressed. I do both of those. I also forget anything unpleasant, hoard, and pick at myself. Sounds a little crazy, hmm?

Well, it's off to do laundry and notes. Cerys is lapping up the last of the remains of my fish, potatoes, and vegetables. Good night.

More quizzes, and with that, good night

You are a Brainy Girl!

Whether you're an official student or a casual learner, you enjoy hitting the books. You know a little bit about everything, and you're always dying to know more. For a guy to win your heart, he's got to share some of your intellectual interests. A awesome book collection of his own doesn't hurt either!

What Kind of Girl Are You?

What Your Dreams Mean...

Your dreams seem to show that you're a bit disturbed... but nothing serious. You may have a problem you're trying to work out in your sleep. Overall, you are very content in your life. Your dreams indicate that you have very conflicted feelings. You have a very vivid imagination and a rich creative mind.

What Do Your Dreams Mean?

There's a 32% Chance You've Been Abducted By Aliens

Even though you have a few alien abduction signs, you're almost certainly in the clear. However, if aliens ever do come to your neck of the woods... they'll probably be coming for you!

What Are the Chances that You've Been Abducted by Aliens?

You Scored 50% Correct

You are a solid child of the 80s You'd never confuse Tiffany from Debbie And while you may not know Prince's first #1 hit You know every word to Little Red Corvette

How Much Do You Know About 80s Music?

The tortoise or the hare?

both are relentless...

May I present our first elimination contest...the tortoise vs. the cats:


Ladies and gentlemen, our next contest...the hare (okay, the bunny) vs. the snake:

Who will win the next level?

I feel better today. It's been a good day, actually. 'Heroes' rocked, and next week is the finale. I got a lot done at work today, too, lots of running around. Emotionally I feel more centred. Let's hope that continues. Tomorrow I see the new therapist; Wednesday I see my doctor about my blood sugar, and Thursday I go to traffic school. I'd better put in for being off for 'Heroes' next week tomorrow. :)

'Night.

I needed a quiz or three

You Are Not Stupid

You got 10/10 questions right! While acing this quiz doesn't prove you're a genius, you're at least pretty darn smart.

Are You Stupid?

Your Life is Rated PG-13

Your life isn't totally scandalous, but you definitely don't shy away from adult themes!

What is Your Life Rated?

There's a 87% Chance That You Need Therapy

You needed a therapist many months ago. And you definitely need one now! You've let your problems take over your life in an unhealthy way. It's time for some professional help.

Do You Need Therapy?

I wish

I wouldn't be terribly stupid because my psychology kicks in and refuses to allow me to perform simple tasks because somewhere inside I don't really want to succeed. I wish I'd stop passive-aggressively 'forgetting' things that make me uncomfortable or that I don't want to deal with almost from the moment it happens. I wish I'd stop resenting other people for pointing out my flaws. I wish I had some control over my emotions.

I wish for a lot of things. Maybe this new therapist will help. I see him starting Tuesday.

And I find myself angry at my family for teaching me some of those tricks, pushing me to others through neglect from both my parents and downright hostility in my father's case.

I was a bright, eager child. I deserved a lot better than I got. I've made up for it some as an adult, but I have a long way to go.

And missing a couple of days of Abilify didn't help either. I'm back on track now, but I'm still recovering from a lot of blubbering where I felt totally stupid and unloved. I know that's not really the case. But whenever anything negative happens I assume the worst, because it's what I came to expect growing up.

I hate my psyche sometimes. It really needs to get a life and stop plaguing mine.

Someone had this labeled 'coolest scene ever'

from 'The Venture Bros.' I have to agree, it's pretty cool. I wish we could do this manoevre in Cthulhu.

The Cthulhu game was long tonight (it was after 11 when we broke up), and we're juggling about two cases and one search for a sword right now, plus my character's child is showing signs of multiple personality disorder and changing her body to fit each personality (her hair, eyes, size, and in one case her gender). She has a psychic ability to heal and change her body drastically. The child seems to have absorbed a lot from her mother while in the womb, including images of Alligator Men (yeah, that was 'The Honeymoon from Hell') scaring one personality over and over and another dominant one that can do the secret Ninja sign language.

It's kind of creepy, and who knows what the child experiences. Maybe one of them has Tessa's insane responses to Cthulhoid entities. It's mind boggling. Time to ask the 'special' psychiatrists how early they can start trying to reintegrate the parts, if possible. Gah.

This is truly remarkable

'Doll Face' by Andy Huang

Thanks to YKWIA for showing it to me. :)

Or two...or three...or four

You Are 48% Brutally Honest

Honesty is important to you, but generally, you try not to be brutal about it. You'll sugar coat the truth when you need to... and tell a white lie when necessary.

How Brutally Honest Are You?

You are a Lavender Rose

You represent love at first sight and enchantment. Your vibe: intense and intriguing Falling in love with you is: deep and meaningful

What Color Rose Are You?

You Are 0% Capitalist, 100% Socialist

You see a lot of injustice in the world, and you'd like to see it fixed. As far as you're concerned, all the wrong people have the power. You're strongly in favor of the redistribution of wealth - and more protection for the average person.

Are You a Socialist or Capitalist?

Okay, really going to bed now. Mean it.

Okay, had to do a quiz

You Are 24% Girly

You are a pretty hardcore tomboy, and a very free spirit. Gender roles be dammed, you like to do things your way.

How Girly Are You?

A strange, tiring day

I worked at the gas station, and they've changed out the software to the registers so that every time we touch the screen it beeps, all of the alert sounds we did have are changed, things are in different places, procedures are no longer the same, and one thing was utterly stupid (which I won't mention here, but let's just say something happens before cashing out certain sales that can only be undone with a great deal of effort). But, all in all, I did pretty well, and by the end of the shift had it pretty much all down. But it threw me off most of the day. It used to be that the total, for example, was in numerals an inch and a half high. Now they're the same size as everything else and just a different colour. Sometimes. Oh, well, I'm sure I'll be whizzing through as if I never knew anything different soon.

I was told I was beautiful today. Granted, I was told this by a leering Hispanic man who seemed, well, drunk or stoned, although I didn't smell alcohol on his breath or any weed. I was very polite and worked very hard to get out of the corner of the store he'd come up to me in. He reminded me of the homeless old man who came up to me in the middle of the street when I was 16 and asked me to marry him.

Well, I have to get up very early tomorrow (at 6 am or so), so I'll sign off for the night. The wind is whipping outside and it seems like a storm might be moving in, although the stars are out and it's clear for now. Goodnight.

Quizmania

I'm too tired to actually write anything, so tonight you will be treated with quizzes.

Who replaces their kitchen sponges every week? Zapping them in the microwave works for me.

You Are 60% Gross

You're more than a little gross, but probably no more gross than the average person. Maybe it's time to drop some of those disgusting habits that could eventually embarrass you!

How Gross Are You?

Your Attitude is Better than 40% of the Population

You have a positive attitude... somtimes. You prefer to see the world through clear glasses, not rose colored ones.

How's Your Attitude?

You Are 57% Angry

Generally, you are not an angry person. But you're easily frustrated and enraged. You have one heck of a temper. And because of your anger, you tend to feel resentful and even spiteful. You already know how to quell your anger. You just need to do it more often.

How Angry Are You?

You Are 48% Hypochondriac

You are a bit of a hypochondriac, but nothing too extreme (yet). You watch your health a little more than you should - even when there's nothing to worry about.

Are You a Hypochondriac?

Your Life Is Worth...

$398,000

How Much Is Your Life Worth?

Change of plans

After sitting down finally, it occurred to me that I'm really sore, from head to toe, but mostly in my neck and shoulders. I did a lot of lifting tonight at work and I think I may have messed something in my neck up. So I'll do notes Saturday, and wine/religious obligations tomorrow night, which is Old Bealtaine and therefore a day of power. [I tend to celebrate the holiday according to the old calendar, rather than the new.] I'll make two separate offerings, one to my Patroness, who is Greek (the wine and honey), and one to the Celtic Gods of my ancestors (the mead, along with a little of the friendship bread, too.)

For now, though, Cerys is fed and has been taken out, so I think I'll take some ibuprofen and sit in the chair with the heating pad/massager on and see if that helps.

Nifty

At work I bought a fountain drink, a refill, and a protein bar, all of which had bonus points to my rewards card, and on the last purchase I got a coupon for a free drink and had enough points for a $25 gift card, so I turned in the points and went ahead and got the card. Yay! Free gas/food!

Of course, I'd already filled up today, thinking it the price might go up this morning. It was almost $40. That's about what I pay once a week. The price actually went down (I think it's $2.79 right now). But when it was up over $3 I was lucky enough to have a gas certificate worth 5 gallons for making our selling points quota.

All in all it's been a decent day. It was quiet at the hospital (there's a lecture series going on, so no clinic) and I did a lot of interlibrary loaning. Then I went to Meijer to get a bra and a notebook and wound up with two notebooks (one for me, one for the game), a bra, Mother's Day cards for my mom and grandmother, and two purses (it was buy one get one free). The purse I bought was $17 and the bra was only $14--I expected it to be twice that, so it all evened out. It was truck night at the gas station so I worked my butt off, but didn't have to do register on the new software yet--that's saved for Saturday. Then I went to Kroger and bought dog food, sourdough bread, havarti cheese, and a vanilla/orchid body wash. Cerys and I are enjoying the bread (and I let her have a smidge of the cheese) right now.

Well, that's it. I still have a dog to take out, notes to do, a prescription to phone in, wine to buy, a friend to pick up, and an offering to give due to last week's woeful unpreparedness/loss of what wine I had. I still have no idea where it went.

Good night. I might blog later but I'll have to see how tired I am. Take care.

I found this really interesting

To Treat the Dead

It was in last week's Newsweek. I couldn't find it online then to blog about it, but apparently lots of others did, as it was the most e-mailed story from that issue (I know, what kind of librarian am I, that I couldn't find it--right?) We all have our moments.

Scientists have found that it isn't the lack of oxygen one has with cardiac arrest that kills heart cells...it's the resumption of oxygen. So they're changing the protocols of how to resuscitate a patient, with amazing results.

My eyes are blurry

after going through 1000 inbox messages (okay, so I've been busy and haven't been checking my e-mail). Now I've got it down to two screens' worth, or about 100. Whew!

So since I'm up, let's finish with quizzes!

You Are Sunshine

Soothing and calm You are often held up by others as the ideal But too much of you, and they'll get burned You are best known for: your warmth Your dominant state: connecting

What Type of Weather Are You?

You Are 60% Non Conformist

You definitely have your freak flag out, and from time to time, you wave it. You have some pretty strong opinions, and you're not afraid to express them.

Are You a Nonconformist?

You Are the Thumb

You're unique and flexible. And you defy any category. Mentally strong and agile, you do things your own way. And you do them well. You are a natural leader... but also truly a loner. You inspire many but connect with few. You get along well with: The Middle Finger Stay away from: The Pinky

What Finger Are You?

I believe that was my point

A few months ago, I expressed my dismay at the so-called 'Ashley Treatment' in which a young disabled girl, among other things, was given a hysterectomy.

Children's Hospital admits it broke state law with girl's surgery:
But 'miscommunication' to blame; facility argues it made right decision

At the time I felt that her rights were being violated, and that it was a step back to a time when developmentally disabled patients were routinely sterilised.

Now, apparently, it also violated the law of the state of Washington. They should have sought a court order, something the hospital ethics committee suggested but which was ignored because a lawyer had given the family a letter stating that it was not needed.

So there will be an intensive review of the case to find out where the communication broke down, what measures should be in place to ensure the rights of the disabled, etc. Which is all to the good, I think.

Four shows

from my youth. I only know one other person who remembers the first one.

The Phoenix:


Otherworld:


Can you tell I've always liked science fiction?

Voyagers:


I had such a crush on Jon-Erik Hexum. It's such a shame he died in such a senseless way.


Then there's my favourite childhood TV series:

In Search Of:

It was a good day

I did quite a bit at work without being harried, took a late lunch which left me alone with a book, which was nice for a change. Then I came home and took Cerys for a walk in the gorgeous sunshine with a nice breeze. I slept for awhile, since I didn't get enough sleep over the weekend, despite much sex going on in the living room above my head. I had a nice dinner (lemon pepper cod with a salad) then went to the gas station for gas and to see if they'd heard anything from the co-worker who never called in or showed. Since her husband had said she'd already left when I called, I was afraid she might have been in a car wreck. Apparently not. When my boss called, someone just hung up. She'd talked of a job offer as an activities director for an adult day care for $17/hour. But she didn't strike me as the type of person who would just not come in and wouldn't even call. For one, that's something you normally expect from young people, and she was in her 50s. I don't get it. The only time I've ever walked out of a job was at the comic store during the rebellion against the new owner where all but one of us left at once. That was more a mutiny than anything else. Otherwise I've given 2 weeks notice to all of my employers.

Anyway, I went to do notes and then of course it was Monday so there was 'Heroes'. I'm psyched for the finale. Most of the chess pieces are in place--it should be interesting to see how it will unfold. New York is the board, and it's supposed to explode in two days. Will they be able to stop it?

Now I'm home and I've had a bite to eat. I may play some Get Medieval! before I go to bed. Or just lounge in the recliner for a bit and read the last 2-3 chapters of my mystery book. Good night.

Both fit pretty well, I think

You Should Rule Venus

Venus is a mysterious, stormy planet - shrouded in a thick layer of clouds. You are perfect to rule Venus, because you are quite emotional and volatile yourself. Your emotions change as rapidly as the weather on Venus, and both you and the planet are incomprehensible to others. While you are not a logical thinker, you are quite empathetic. You can care for and understand others, but your emotions swirl too quickly to truly understand yourself.

What Planet Should You Rule?

Your 1996 Theme Song Is: Ironic by Alanis Morisette

It's like rain on your wedding day It's a free ride when you've already paid It's the good advice that you just didn't take Who would've thought ... it figures

What's Your 1996 Theme Song?

Quizzes!

You Should Be a Science Fiction Writer

Your ideas are very strange, and people often wonder what planet you're from. And while you may have some problems being "normal," you'll have no problems writing sci-fi. Whether it's epic films, important novels, or vivid comics... Your own little universe could leave an important mark on the world!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

You Belong in Spring

Optimistic, lively, and almost always happy with the world... You can truly appreciate the blooming nature of spring. Whether you're planting flowers or dyeing Easter eggs, spring is definitely your season!

What Season Are You?

Today's game included a crispy undead kitty named 'Cinder', a psycho cultist waiting to kill us, skin us, and a whole host of unpleasant things, and a mysterious person who sauntered into the house (no one set the alarms) and left a crumpled, dirty letter for us to meet him at the town dump the next day.

Next week should be even more fun. Yay. I love the game. Brenda wasn't there today. I guess we won't see her for a couple of months, longer if she gets a part in Romeo and Juliet.

A couple of quizzes

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist. People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you. You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words. Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What Flower Are You?

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free. In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored. You'd like to your lover to think you are flexible and ready for anything! You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic. Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred. In this moment, you think of love as something you can get or discard anytime. You're feeling self centered.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

Today was a little weird at work. We had underage teens asking for a local strip club so they could pray outside it. We went through many newspapers, almost all of our ice, and lots of beer in preparation for the Kentucky Derby (sort of like our Mardi Gras, except everyone parties hard and then the actual event is over in like 2 minutes). The woman who was supposed to relieve me didn't come in at all, even though her husband said she had left. I waited around over 30 minutes, and finally decided I needed to go. The assistant manager was coming in a couple of hours to close instead. I don't get it. I'm a little afraid my co-worker may have had an accident or something; it's not like her to be no call, no show.

I worked a couple of hours on the notes and took a friend into work, then helped another with a project or two. I went to go out and do my religious obligations, but I can't for the life of me find my wine (which I had, really). I can't buy any more this late or at all on Sunday, so I couldn't do the traditional offering of honeyed wine. Instead I did honey, with a promise of more wine as soon as I can get some. I changed the place where I do the libation; out back near our back porch a family of snakes lives. Earlier today there was one basking in the rain (yeah, I know, it sounds weird) with its head up tasting the air. It seemed appropriate to give a Cthonian offering near a den of snakes. I think She liked the new arrangement.

That's all for now. Good night.

I so need to go to sleep, but first, a couple of quizzes

Listening to Matchbox Twenty, 'Unwell'

Butterfinger

They call you sticky fingers for a reason!

What Kind of Candy Are You?

You Are a Chihuahua Puppy

Small, high strung, and loyal. You do best in the city with a adults - young kids could crush you!

What Breed of Puppy Are You?

Reason #582 for me to dislike George Bush

He's considering vetoing a law that would expand the definition of 'hate crime' to include not only those based on race, religion, colour, national origin, but expand it to include those targeting sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability. A House bill recently passed budgets $10 million over the next two years to supplement local authorities in the prosecution of hate crimes. It will also allow federal officials to participate in investigations (I'm assuming to keep down local cover-ups or disinterest that may hender resolution of a case). The Senate is expected to pass a similar bill shortly.

Not surprisingly, religious right groups are opposing the bill and crying foul, saying that it violates free speech (read, 'hate speech').

House passes expanded hate crime bill

I was mortified this morning

when I opened up the Herald-Leader to the 'Weekender' section and found a caricature of the Queen of England (visiting our fair town for the Kentucky Derby, among other things) in prim dress, a judge's wig, and one of those hats college students drink beer from.

No kidding.

I unfortunately can't find a picture of it online. Here is the accompanying story: The royal whee!: For a good time at the Kentucky Derby, Queen Elizabeth II just has to take these 10 suggestions to heart; she'll be kicking up those dowdy heels in no time

You get the gist, no doubt. Now, maybe some people will think me devoid of humour, but I can't believe 1) that this amount of bad taste made it into print and as a result 2) may make Kentuckians seem even more hopeless than others think us. I am embarrassed as a Lexingtonian and a Kentuckian that the paper chose to mock a visiting dignitary like the Queen. I don't think people should go around genuflecting her, of course, but a little respect is in order. She is, after all, a queen, something I think most Americans just don't get.

I just shake my head at this. It's not the best foot to put forward, anyway.

This is making quite a splash in the blogosphere

Updated Obama campaign usurps Myspace website, not a hit diary

I'm not sure of the legal and ethical issues of this matter, but it seems a shitty way to treat a supporter who'd brought in another 160,000 people through social networking. On the other hand, the creator of the website was the one who opened the door to the campaign by giving them the password so that they could edit content. I'm sure he never dreamed of them taking the whole site away from him though, with MySpace's help. Essentially two years of his work went down the drain, and although it was all volunteer, I don't think it would have hurt the campain to recompense him for his efforts as the site grew, rather than yanking it out from under him. They say they feared a 'train wreck' as the number of MySpace friends grew. It seems to me they, along with the site's creator, created one.

Here is the website in question. It has been, from what I understand, totally changed to an 'official' version.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that I am once again

supporting Dennis Kucinich for President.

Why?

His Ten Key Issues

Universal Health Care
International Cooperation: US out of Iraq, UN in
Jobs and Withdrawal from NAFTA and WTO
Repeal of the "Patriot Act"
Guaranteed Quality Education, Pre-K Through College
Full Social Security Benefits at Age 65
Right-to-Choose, Privacy and Civil Rights
Balance Between Workers and Corporations
Environmental Renewal and Clean Energy
Restored Rural Communities and Family Farms

Among other things he's very enviromentally driven, very much for human rights, and also incidentally supports gay marriage, an issue dear to my heart. He's getting the most press, of course, because he does not support the war in Iraq. He's also for universal health care. Basically I agree with most of his stances, although I'm sure they'd meet a great deal of resistance from certain camps. And I don't know how well America will warm to an underdog vegan meditating Croatian/Irish-American Congressman with a British wife who has the audacity to propose a Department of Peace. Nor is he the most physically stunning of the bunch, and goodness knows Americans often fall for looks when deciding such things. But...I like his ideas, and they fall closest to my morals and beliefs for what the leader of a responsible country should tout. And it should be the stances and issues that count, not looks.

Here's his announcement for his candidacy:



and his wife Elizabeth talking about appropriations supporting the war:



and it doesn't hurt that he'd like to see Cheney impeached, either. :) The only issue I'm so-so on is decriminalising marijuana. I can see both sides of that debate. But everything else...is right on, from what I've read.

Now, do I believe he'll be nominated?--not really. He's too far on the left for the Democratic Party to give him the nod, I think. But at least for the primary, I'm voting for him, because he's closest to my conscience. And really, that's the best thing we can do, is vote our conscience. And if by some miracle he does get the nomination, then I say Kucinich all the way.

For more on Dennis Kucinich, check out his Wikipedia article.

Not surprising, I'm certainly no fighter. It's either that or serf.

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The Prioress

You are a moral person and are also highly intellectual. You like your solitude but are also kind and helpful to those around you. Guided by a belief in the goodness of mankind you will likely be christened a saint after your life is over. You scored high as both the Lady and the Monk. You can try again to get a more precise description of either the Monk or the lady, or you can be happy that you're an individual.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 99% on Cardinal You scored higher than 99% on Monk You scored higher than 99% on Lady You scored higher than 99% on Knight

Link: The Who Would You Be in 1400 AD Test written by KnightlyKnave on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Yum

Philly cheese steak veggie burgers, nummy.

Today I got to sleep a half an hour in than usual because I had a consortium meeting. The directions weren't that clear for getting to the room, and I'd forgotten they'd moved the education centre, so I wound up walking through all of the hospital's pedways, through five buildings. I happy to say that the token I'd gotten last time still worked for getting out of the parking lot, even though no one thought it would. The topic was electronic journal licences, not my favourite, but something I don't know a lot about. The presenter started us off with a video.

That set the tone for the whole thing. That and one of our past presidents dressing up in chaps, vest, and cowboy hat. Plus there were neat gadgets given out--a highlighter that erases and a measuring tape with a level, pen, and notepad attached (I had to have help later discovering what the hell the pen was--it looked like some rolling bar, but then discoverd the sticky pad on my own). Lunch was nice--with salad, fruit, chips, and veggie wraps for the vegetarians (the carnivores had barbeque and baked beans).

After that I trudged back through the pedways, at least not lost this time, used the token mentioned earlier and headed for a store meeting, my only work this week. That lasted a couple of hours. I took a co-worker home, then it was off to do notes, and I just got in after putting in a couple of hours' work. It took an hour to decipher one page of notes. They are abysmal at times. I can't believe I ever got huffy and said they were good notes. Alas, I did. And now I'm paying for it.

Today's weather was wonderful. It's supposed to rain the rest of the week. I'm working Thursday for four hours, Friday for three, and then Saturday for eight, so a lighter schedule than normal. I was afraid I'd go right into a 27-hour workweek (on top of the normal 20 hours at the hospital). Our longest-lived employee (who's been there for 30 years) goes on vacation soon, so I'll probably work more then. Soon the store down the street will be knocked down and rebuilt to remodel (the one that was robbed the other night), so our business should skyrocket. And then the first week of July my boss is going on vacation for a week so some of the night people will move to days and I'll probably be working more; I may not be able to get off July 4th this year. At least I have warning, though.

What else can I tell you? I told you about the book that came out yesterday. I'm also serving as a Doody's selector in Orthopaedics for their Core Titles product and I'm the chair of a national awards jury through the MLA this coming year. I'm hoping at the end of the year to be able to apply for AHIP status (Academy of Health Information Professionals). I put it off for a long time thinking I wouldn't be a medical librarian very long but it's been ten years after all. :)

I'm also planning on applying to (yes, another public library) the local library where they have a reference position open in their Kentucky room. My history, archives, and preservation background would be a plus. Hopefully it will work out better than the last time.

Well, that's all for now. I think I'll relax a bit before I get a friend from work. He's been sick, so I doubt he'll work late tonight. Have a good night.

It looks to be a beautiful Bealtaine

with gorgeous weather and a big shining moon. I'd like to celebrate with some spiced mead I have, but I just went off the Flagyl and apparently alcohol and that drug will make you sick as a dog, so I don't want to take a chance. Maybe for Old Bealtaine--May 11/12. I have a meeting/continuing education programme over at St Joseph Hospital tomorrow, so I won't be going into work proper. Then I have a store meeting to get to. After that, I hope to enjoy some of the fine weather, as it's supposed to rain as the Derby approaches. Joys of the season to you.

I'm officially published in a book!

A Day in the Life: Career Options in Library and Information Science

The book's official publish date was April 30th. The editors collected 98 contributors altogether (the link leads to biographical list). I'm responsible for chapter 43. In it I describe what it's like being a pediatric medical librarian. It can also be ordered through Amazon. Yipee!