So exhausted from my first half-week, but recovering this weekend

Two things I have discovered about state employment: they love to use acronyms, and they appreciate a comfy chair.

I was so tired the first day that I fell asleep by 7:30 PM. I'd done an in-home sleep the night before and slept badly, so I wasn't at my best. But it was mostly orientation, paperwork, and a physical. The next two days, I was able to stay up later, although I'm trying to get on a schedule where I start heading to bed by 9 PM so I'll be in bed by 10 so I can get up at 5 AM or 5:30. It takes about 45 minutes to get there because, while I live in the same town, I am directly on the opposite side of town. So I have to leave by 7 AM. This gives me plenty of time to shower and get ready without having to dash around like a mad thing. I might even be able to make the bed. 😊

All of the coworkers I have met have been very helpful and welcoming. They seem to want me to succeed, and I appreciate having that sort of environment. I've already been told I might be able to go to the Kentucky Library Association conference in October because it's before a scheduled intensive training I have to complete before I'm really allowed to be on my own, so it wouldn't be a disruption at all. I just need to send an email (they're still setting that up) and get final approval. I'll have to take it unpaid since I don't have time built up yet — same for a couple of appointments I have next week, of course. I have the conference covered, but I'll have to check on hotel availability. It's two days in Louisville, and I'd rather not make two trips back-to-back. I'm excited. I may have been to a state conference in Lexington years ago, but I'm not sure. I never had a travel budget at my last library. I've never been to a national conference despite being an American Library Association member on and off and being a Medical Library Association member for 20 years or so. Next year the ALA, which I'm a member of, is going to New Orleans in June. I've never been to New Orleans. It's a goal.

Anyway, I'm excited to be in my new role. It's nice to be a librarian again.

I may have gone a tiny bit overboard

in ordering books (mostly used) from Better World Books to help prepare for my new job. It's so nice to be working as a librarian again. I've read the two memoirs, of course, but I wanted my own copies. The library may have some of these, but again, I wanted my own.

Find your passion

I fell into librarianship by accident, in a way. I had a degree in history and sociology, along with the honours program (a Great Books course of study, now the Lewis Honors College) at the University of Kentucky. I was in the MA program studying ancient and medieval history at UK, and not progressing because my anxiety made me terrified of finishing my thesis (where the subject was already chosen: Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa's treatise De nobilitate et praecellentia foeminei sexus declamatio ('Declamation on the Preeminence and Nobility of the Female Sex').

and having to defend it orally before a committee. I do very well in writing, but oral arguments are not my forte. So it occurred to me that maybe I needed something I could make a career out of other than being a professor of history.

I asked for time away from my history studies and enrolled in library school, and I finished it in one year, during which I was fortunate to study with Lois Mai Chan (who wrote a major textbook on Library of Congress cataloguing) and George Cunha (one of the pioneers of conservation in this country), among others. I went back and tried to finish the MA afterwards, and never managed to, even though I took every graduate-level class in my focus area offered by the university and more. I finally ran out of time, and they politely told me to leave.

It took me four years to find a job as a librarian (there are a LOT of people in my town with library degrees because of the school, and not that many jobs open up, and that seems to be the case over time). I completed another undergraduate major and minor during that time and was basically a professional student. Then I finally landed a job as a medical librarian — in a totally different area from anything I expected — and flourished. I'd found my calling. I loved being a librarian, actually working as one. That lasted 20 years, and then I was laid off when the library closed. I was asked back to help in another area because I'd been flexible and had helped out in their department. I did that for 9 years, doing healthcare patient scheduling and insurance authorisation, but I wasn't happy; I was stressed; I was burned out. It did not end as well as it could have.

I was out of work for seven months, decided I did not want to work in healthcare at all, and tried to find library or administrative/office positions instead. I did a lot of job seeking with local universities, the state, and municipalities. I was finally offered a state job recently, and as long as I pass the drug test and the more intensive background check they're running now (and I don't see why I won't), I start the week after next.

I am so thrilled to finally be doing what I trained for and what I feel is a calling. I may have 'found' it accidentally, but it is what makes me happy and want to get out of bed in the morning. I'll be working with an underserved population in a challenging environment, so it'll definitely be a change. I'm so hoping it goes well.

I cannot possibly

put into words how absolutely thrilled I am to be about to be in a library position again. While I've never truly stopped being a librarian (I have a master's degree I can hang on the wall, of course, if all else fails, and you just can't take the training out of the librarian and call it over and done), to be working in the field again is beyond exciting. Ten more days and a bit!!!!!!

I am so excited!

So yesterday I went to my soon-to-be workplace, had my drug test, and filled out paperwork for my background check. Apparently, the Personnel Cabinet does one (which I passed), and then Corrections does a more intensive one as well that includes things like running me through FBI databases and other criminal databases to make sure I have not committed crimes involving domestic violence or sexual assault. So that should not be a problem.

Everything went smoother this time. The guard at the gate kept my ID and issued me a visitor's pass. The prison building is originally from the late 19th century. They were part of a juvenile correctional facility for a very long time. The administration building has lots of little rooms with rooms inside of rooms, as one did back then. Definitely not open plan. I did have the bright idea to leave my purse in the car to make things simpler, so I just had my keys with me, and then realised I'd left my reading glasses in my purse, which was stupid, as I was filling out paperwork, but I managed with a little squinting.

They think my drug test should be back before my start date. I did ask about hours. The current librarian works 8 AM-4 PM. I may have the option to work 7 AM-3 PM or 7:30 AM-3:30 PM instead, as either will align with the patrons' library hours. They aren't available from 12-1 PM either. I haven't decided what to ask for. Knowing my tendency to have issues waking up, 8 AM-4 PM makes more sense, but 7:30 AM-3:30 PM would be ideal in many ways because 1) I could open the library before the patrons came in and then close after everyone left, but not a whole hour after, and 2) I'd get home by 4 or 4:30, depending on traffic, but might actually be able to do late appointments in town, too. It's funny, no matter what time I enter on Google Maps for the drive from home to Blackburn while avoiding highways, it gives me 23-55 mins. This time I approached from Georgetown Road, so I turned onto Spurr Road from a different direction than when I came from Leestown Road last time, and let me tell you, that road is winding and hilly and a perfect country road where you don't want to meet a tractor. I'm not sure if there are farms out there. It looks like they're building houses, but some of it looked like farmland. The prison itself has a 100-acre rehabilitative horse farm. There's also the WUKY radio station nearby, apparently, as well as the RISE STEM Academy for Girls. Otherwise, there's not much else. It's a winding two-lane road. I was trying to imagine it in snow and ice.

Also, I found out the current librarian isn't so much leaving as she has a new position within the system, so not only will she be available to train me, but she can also answer questions after I take over. That's definitely a plus. So often it's sink or swim in a new position. This will help immensely.

I did ask about what I couldn't bring with me. All bags have to be clear. I ordered a clear backpack and lunch bag, and they're on their way. I can't bring glass dishes, and my lunch containers are glass, so I'm going to try to get a plastic Bento box-type thing to go in the bag.

Electronics, of course. I can't have my phone or smartwatch on me. They can stay in the car. I didn't wear my watch yesterday until I came home. I did use the phone for GPS, so I had to leave it in the car, and it was crazy hot, so I hated that. But usually that's what the staff do. I ordered a cheap watch that tells time and has unobtrusive alarms I can set for reminders. I mainly need one for my afternoon medication: one medicine plus iron and vitamin C. But I don't want to be lugging my morning meds in, so I'm going to try to make time to take those before I leave.

Which means I need to get up earlier and go to bed earlier. I got up early yesterday, before I knew they were going to ask to move my appointment from 10 AM to noon, to see how long it took me to get ready, and with everything--and not a mad dash, but deliberately doing everything to get ready- it was about two hours. Add an hour for driving. I'd have to get up at about 5 AM or a little earlier to really do well, or shower the night before maybe. I may make a list out every morning to make sure I don't forget, too. I have an electronic one where I can just erase the checkmarks each night to make sure I did everything. If I want to get 7 hours sleep, I'll need to go to bed by 10 PM. This will be very hard for me. I'm a 12:30 AM-1 AM bedtime sort of gal. But I'm going to try hard to do it. Thursday I did at 11 PM. Yesterday was different--I picked a friend up at 11 PM; I went to bed at 1:30 AM. Considering I got up at 5:45 AM today, that was not enough. My plan is to get on a better sleep schedule between now and the 16th.

I'll figure it out. I don't want to sleep-deprived a work, especially my first few days!

My second-favourite Dolly song

It is so lovely and uplifting...and of course, how could I not love it? Eilir means butterfly, after all. 🦋

Ugh...I cannot believe I blanked like that

I was filling out my paperwork for a doctor's appointment and when I went to fill out the part on surgical history I could remember the word 'tenodesis' but not 'biceps'. I had to Google 'arm tendon'. Yes, 20 years as a medical librarian, in orthopedics, no less.🤦🏼‍♀️Thank you, Doctor Google.

This made me happy

I found this bush outside of all things, a Taco Bell, but I love Crepe Myrtles, and the colour was lovely, so I took this photo. It's so vibrant. Sometimes you have to pause and look at the lovely things in your ordinary surroundings. They enrich your day.

Book #30

out of 24 for 2026 (125% of goal).

'Running the Books: the Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian' by Avi Steinberg

Most Kentucky thing ever

and yes, it isn't just a guy thing; I would do this, too, but I doubt they'd do it up North where some friends live in NYC.

I was taking someone over to UK, and no less than THREE men drove up next to me at various stoplights (one backed up) to be sure and let me know that my gas cap was off and the door was ajar. It's a 4.8-mile (12-minute) drive. 🤦‍♀️ As soon as I got him to his destination, I got out and secured both; you'd better believe it. Here it is, happily tucked back in.

Hmmm....

As someone who has been immensely helped by melatonin and takes it every night, this is a little concerning, even acknowledging the study's flaws.

Long-term melatonin use linked to 90% higher heart failure risk

UPDATE: I tried sleeping without it last night. I stayed up till 2:30 AM or so reading my book. Then I tried to go to bed. I couldn't sleep. I did not play on my phone or anything. I finally fell asleep about 4 AM. Since there is strong evidence of heart issues from chronic insomnia and disordered sleep, which I had in spades before I started taking melatonin, I'm in a sort of Catch-22. I think I should discuss this with my doctor. I don't currently have any heart problems except for such a minor murmur that only one doctor [my current PCP] has ever detected it by listening. I'd like to keep it that way. In the meantime, I'll keep taking it. I've tried the prescription drug trazodone and cannot take it; it makes my legs extremely restless, like I have pins and needles being poked in them. This works. I need an expert opinion. Maybe there's a reason melatonin is prescription-only in Britain.

UPDATE to the UPDATE: I have since spoken to a pharmacist and an APRN specialisin in sleep medicine and both agreed with my take that correlation does not equal causation and the studies have their flaws, and that, most importantly, the effects of insomnia and sleep disturbance on the heart are well-documented and detrimental, so if the melatonin is working, that is a good thing. The pharmacist did ask if I'd ever tried the lower dose, and I hadn't. She suggested I might give it a try and see if I had similar results. The sleep APRN agreed; they usually suggest doses of 3-20 mg of melatonin for women, but the lowest dose that works is the best. I found some 3 mg disintigrating cherry melatonin in a brand suggested by the pharmacist (since over the counter medications are not regulated by the FDA, there is a huge divide in how much melatonin is really in each product, and she said it was fairly good in testing), and I'll start a trial tonight. We'll see if it works. If not, I'll go back to what I have.

I GOT A JOB!!!!!!!!!

And I'm officially a librarian again, with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, serving an underserved population, and supervising workers. I start September 16th. I'm super excited!

I adore Schoolhouse Rock

 I loved it as a child. I can still recite the Preamble to the Constitution (as long as I sing it in my head). I have them on VHS, actually, and would like to get them on DVD. But this was really eye-opening.

It's not fair...and both at 80, good long lives, but still....

The first time I saw Tim Curry in the movie theatre, I didn't actually know what he looked like — but that voice, the acting, the sheer dripping villainy! This was before I saw The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This is from Legend, the 1985 motion picture directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Cruise and Mia Sara. Tim Curry plays the evil Darkness. I think they used every bit of glitter, blossom, and feather known to man, raining down gently to make it seem more magical. But I adored it. My roommate thinks it's an awful movie. But this--along with Dark Crystal,  Labyrinth, and Ladyhawke--were the movies I watched in the 80s--not Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Footloose, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, or The Breakfast Club (to this day, I've only seen the last three because my friend sat me down many years later and made me). I was very into fantasy--especially books--at the time. I did do sci-fi, too, so I adored all the "Back to the Future" movies, but still... And somewhere along the way, I somehow missed The Princess Bride until the late 90s, when other friends introduced me to that wonderful movie.

But I digress...

RIP Tim Curry. You gave us Darkness, Frank'N'Furter, The Butler from Clue, so many more. You were a comedic genius and a wonderful evil villain. And you were always entertaining. You met a debilitating stroke and paralysis with humour (he lived 14 years with the aftermath), and still made us laugh. You will be missed. May you live on in film and in the hearts of those you touched.

 

I was on YouTube and I had no idea

she covered 'Shine' by Collective Soul and what a wonderful take it is.

Oh, crap, I'm crying again

My favourite Dolly Parton song

How fitting

Today's Google Doodle, honouring National Park Week, featured the Great Smoky Mountains, which happened to fall on the day Dolly Parton died, and her hometown sits right at the gateway to them.

We have lost a national treasure

And I am crying...

From the official Dolly Parton Facebook page:

Global icon and humanitarian, Dolly Parton, known to the world as a beloved singer, songwriter, philanthropist, actress, playwright, and author died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80 years old.

Dolly is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years Carl Thomas Dean (1942 – 2025), her mother Avie Lee Caroline Owens (1923 – 2003), and father, Robert Lee Parton, Sr. (1921 – 2000).

A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family. Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.

At Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family. Dolly’s fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com

In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com

 

One of the plants

that the Master Gardeners gave out at the Northside Branch of the Lexington Public Library was anise hyssop. I'm not sure exactly of its uses as an herb, but it's a great pollinator. Every day I see various bumblebees laden with pollen, along with butterflies and moths, and other insects.

[Edit: Apparently these are the uses:

Culinary Uses: Flavouring teas, lemonades, and cocktails. Chopped fresh into green salads or fruit dishes. Baking into cookies, cakes, and shortbreads. Infusing into honey, syrups, and jellies.

Medicinal and Traditional Uses:

Respiratory support: Brewed into hot teas by Indigenous tribes and herbalists to soothe coughs, reduce chest congestion, and ease symptoms of colds or bronchitis.

Digestive aid: Taken as a warm tea or tincture to calm upset stomachs, ease gas, and relieve mild nausea.

Topical application: Crushed leaves are applied as a poultice or compress to help soothe minor burns, insect stings, and skin rashes.]

The plant is absolutely beautiful anyway, with its purple spikes and broad leaves. There are always visitors of some sort when I walk by. It was quite a small plant to begin with. It's taken over much of the container. There is a rosemary trailing over in front of it, a bell pepper behind it, and a small chamomile to the left, which hasn't bloomed yet, but it has dominated all of them.

I have an interview

at Blackburn Correctional Complex tomorrow morning for a librarian position, so today I decided to check out and read Jill Grunewald's book 'Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian'. That is #29 out of the goal of 24 books this year. Yay! And it was written by a fellow graduate of the University of Kentucky School of Library Science.

We had someone open fire at a community celebration Saturday evening

here in Lexington, at Charles Young Park off Midland Avenue, while people were gathered for East End Days.

16 year old identified as victim who died in Lexington mass shooting

16-year-old killed, four other injured, including two children, in mass shooting at Lexington community event

This is so terribly sad. A 14-year-old, 4-year-old, and two adults were also shot and were sent to the hospital but were said to have non-life-threatening injuries.

He died trying to save others. That's pretty noble, especially in a 16-year-old. May his family find peace, and may his memory be a blessing. I hope they find the person who did this soon. Di’Zhon Robertson was a brave young man who made the ultimate sacrifice, and he deserves justice. My sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.

UPDATE: We went 192 days without a murder. So sad that it has been broken. But at least they have a suspect in custody.

Suspect arrested in deadly Lexington mass shooting

Lexington Police have arrested 18-year-old Jametrius M. Griffin, in relation to the homicide and shootings which occurred in Charles Young Park on Saturday. Griffin is currently being held at the Fayette County Detention Center.

He has been charged with Murder, Assault and Tampering with Physical Evidence

Had to rearrange my room a bit

My desk used to be at the foot of my bed (I have a full-sized day bed, so the foot is the short end, on the right, with the headboard on the long end against the wall) in front of a window with plants, but that's where my air conditioner is. Since it's one of those rolling types with a hose, you have to be careful not to bunch the hose up too much, and it was so close to my desk that condensation was starting to form on the desk. Since it's basically laminated pressboard and metal (it folds down), I didn't want it to get damaged, so I moved it against the actual side of the bed I have my head against, the short side opposite of where it is, but along the bed rather than perpendicular to it, so next to the window and plants on the other side of the room. There's not as much room for the desk over there, and while there are also books behind it, there is a large treadmill (folded up) and a coat rack with items hanging on it), so that's not ideal in terms of telehealths and job interviews, but hey, it is what it is.

Here are some pictures.

Before

After

More room for the air conditioner

Close-ups:

From the back

From the front

A very weird but entertaining book

I started it back in May and picked it up here and there, but really got going tonight and finished it at 2:45 AM.

Finished book #28 out of a goal of 24 for the year. It's the first fiction one I've read this year. One other was a book of poetry. Everything else has been non-fiction. My friend lent this one to me after bringing it back from his trip to New York. Something reminded him of me. I suspect it's because the main character tends to please everyone but himself, never pursues his own dreams, and instead sticks close to his wacky family while trying to maintain a sense of normalcy. Years ago, my friend's crazy mother gave me a jar of Pace mild picante sauce as a commentary on my personality. Yes. Did I mention she was crazy? Somewhat subtle, I'll admit. So we've always described my personality as mild picante sauce. But I don't want to be like that. I want to be a little more adventurous without being too out there. In the book, the main character realises it's time to live a little. I'm 59; I think it's past time. I really need to make the time. Which, I believe, is the reason my friend lent me the book. 😊 I know him well; if he can do two or three things with one action, he will.

Trying to learn...this is just the fourth project I've done

I did watercolour club at Northside Library today, and I think I did rather well up to a point. It was a white horse. I did pretty well up to the horse's muzzle and eye, and while I knew what I needed to do, I just didn't have a steady hand to do the eye right or get the definition of the muzzle right, to be honest. I have essential tremor in my hands, so it might have been a factor. I'd like to try again when I'm not time-constrained and see if I can do better, though. Here is my art compared to the reference work and photo.

 

Compared to the teacher's artwork

Compared to the reference photo

I was reading about

The Great Irish Potato Famine on Facebook and how boats full of grain, butter, and livestock continued to be exported to Britain despite it all, sometimes under military guard, and in at least one case, a plea by a British relief official to divert 60,000 tonnes of grain to feed the starving was specifically denied.

There is a book I bought used from Better World Books called The Graves are Walking: The Great Famine and the Saga of the Irish People by John Kelly. Given that quite a bit of my ancestry is Irish, I'm interested in the history.

Anyway, I was reading on Facebook, and it reminded me of a song, a modern folksong that I dearly love but which brings me to tears every single time I hear it. It was written by American songwriter Peter Jones based on letters found in his family's attic, written by his great-great-great-grandfather and sent to his son. It is called 'Kilkelly, Ireland', about the family left behind after that son's emigration from County Mayo to America.

Here's a video that did a nice job with the song and images. I believe this is the version sung by Robbie O'Connell, Mick Moloney, and Jimmy Keane.

I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.

 If Dr Seuss wrote about data centres as the Lorax:

Here's the exchange, including the poem, for the visually impaired, since I don't think I can fit it in the alt text...from X.

User thisone0verhere: I wanna hear what the Lorax has to say about datacenters please

User alishakwon84:

           I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.

And frankly, you've got them all down on their knees.

You flattened the forests, you paved every glen,

To build giant boxes for silicon men.

They whir and they blink with a mechanical hum,

While rivers grow thirsty and creeks come undone.

So build with more wisdom, mor sunshine, less smoke.

The planet's not here for one infinite joke.

I am the Lorax. My message won't bend-

You can't upload Earth if it comes to an end. 

 User thisone0verhere: Not gonna lie that made me tear up a little

I love the Lorax. It is one of my three favourite Dr Seuss books:

1. Horton Hears a Who
2. The Lorax
3. The Butter Battle Book 

Here is that bumper sticker that sits square in the middle of my car bumper:

I am sorry to say that I had not heard the story

Juliette Hampton Morgan

of Juliette Hampton Morgan, a white librarian from Montgomery, Alabama, who faced down her city's prejudice and bigotry with editorials typed and sent to the newspaper despite everything from being spat at on the sidewalk to calls for her dismissal to having a cross burned on her front lawn, until I read a post on the Facebook Page Buzzing America. Her story is courageous, sad, and inspiring, all at once. It shows that it's important to find your voice despite attempts to quash it, because what matters is what is right, not what others spout. She was a true librarian heroine. I am so sorry she did not live to see what I hope we can call a flawed but somewhat better world, although we have our ups and downs.  We need more like her today, and librarians like her are at the forefront of a cultural war that threatens to overwhelm patrons' ability to read and think for themselves. The main library of the city where the mayor demanded her dismissal for supporting the rights of Blacks riding the buses of Montgomery is now named for her, and that is part of her legacy, but the story is well worth reading, remembering, and retelling.

She is also an example of how courage often comes in strange packages.  A nervous woman, she had major driving anxiety (boy do I understand that--it's taken years of therapy to mostly be able to drive without too much trouble around town, and I still avoid major roads like New Circle and Nicholasville Road when possible, and I've driven on the Interstate four times since 1993, twice in the dead of night with little traffic). She relied on medicine and the bus system. It was because she rode the bus that she witnessed how Black riders were treated by White drivers, such as pulling off after they'd paid for their fare at the front but before they could board in the back. Despite that nervous disposition, and the fact that it obviously did contribute to the toll the hate speech and crimes against her took, along with her decision to take her life in the end, the fact that time after time she returned to her typewriter for so long, despite it all was very brave, and showed a force of will that many would have found surprising in an otherwise meek-seeming librarian, at least in the 1950s, when we were all supposed to be unmarried, wear sensible shoes, and go 'Shhh.'.

I think next time I dress for Halloween, instead of dressing as something spooky or Disney or such, I'd be tempted to dress in a pinstripe dress with a hydrangea pinned at the neck, with hydrangea earrings and if I can manage it, pin curls, because I instantly felt a kinship with this fine lady, and it would be an opportunity to tell her story. I would hope it wouldn't be an affront to her family; I would mean it as an homage. I'm glad the city decided to honour her by naming the library after her. Times do, fortunately, change.

A joyous Lughnasadh to you!

Enjoy this beautiful video. I don't know much about the band Deloraine except they are Czech and are billed as a sort of neo-Pagan/fantasy/Witcher-influenced group. But this was pretty impressive:

You can torment me, but my last straw is apparently pizza

Woke up with a horrible work-related anxiety dream today where I'd spent an hour trying to sign in and schedule two teenagers who seemed to have endless PROMIS questionnaires to do and that just meant more scheduling for me to do (this is now how it was in real life, of course), and I couldn't progress to the next people till they were taken care of, nor could they go on to their appointment, and it had been an hour. To make it worse, someone showed up with a huge amount of pizza and was giving all the families and staff free pizza and drinks, but I couldn't have any till I took care of this. At this point, my brain had just had it, and I woke up. Apparently, my limit for nightmare torture is being left out of free pizza.

Later, my friend and I were discussing it. He thought it was just my subconscious kicking it up to the surface because I was still looking for a job, even though it's been almost six months. Also, we decided that in addition to our previous determination that my punishments in hell would be constantly looking for fluff after sweeping that keeps appearing and endlessly trying to get a cantilever door back on track, it would be while others were enjoying free pizza at my expense. This is apparently torment in my mind.

But seriously, brain, I could use a little less of that. I will say I've had nothing like that in at least 3-4 months, which made this even more curious.

At least it was just a dream/nightmare, though.

A very insightful comparison

I first heard both of these songs as a college student in the Southern US back in the 80s. I (still!) have a cassette tape version of Peter Schilling's album with both on it. I was taking German at the time (I've had four semesters; it was a long time ago, and I'm currently trying to recover from that with study), and, to be honest, I preferred the German one (I also preferred "99 Luftballons" by Nena to "99 Red Balloons"). I think both unpack more information in a subtler way. I did not know about David Bowie's "Space Oddity" then (it came out when I was young and buried under a rock at home before I discovered pop music of the time) and only made the connexion later. This was a great video, and I really appreciate the comparison of the text and the ideas behind them.



Also, I do not read music, or play an instrument, but this guy explains to me exactly why I react a certain way to this song's lyrics vs. chorus:



And just for completeness, here's Nena's "99 Luftballons".

Exceeding expectations

 

27 Books

Added:

Most adorable thing I've seen this week

 So I thought I'd share it here...

This lowland tapir calf (Tapirus terrestris) was born July 8th 2026 at the Hertfordshire Zoo (@hertfordshirezoo.bsky.social) & is getting some scritches for his itches. Babies have these watermelon stripes to aid in camouflage on the forest floor, but they disappear after ~6 months.

[image or embed]

— c0nc0rdance (@c0nc0rdance.bsky.social) July 28, 2026 at 9:11 PM

For more about my skills and experience (hire me!)

Go to my LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilir.

 

A little sad

Obviously, I've been listening to/watching a playlist on YouTube today, and this came up. It always brings tears to my eyes. I hadn't seen this animation before. This song is for my mom It came out the day after her death. It's almost her birth anniversary — she would have been 79 on August 3rd. She passed in 2017.

Beautiful to rediscover

Haven't listened to the cover of 'Bird Set Free', my favourite Sia song, by the Brigham Young University Women's A Capella Chorus, Noteworthy, in a while. They do a lovely job, and I love what they do with the T-shirts.

 

This was sweet...

Swedish Library Forgot to Close Its Doors and Something Beautiful Happened: They say a reader does not steal and a thief does not read. In the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, that's definitely true.

It was All Saints' Day, a national holiday, and the library traffic was light, but still well-used.

Unbeknownst to the staff, a door had been left unlocked the previous evening. Throughout the day, 446 visitors entered the library, unaware it was officially closed. Families gathered in the children’s section, individuals browsed the shelves, and others perused newspapers—all behaving as they would on any regular day. Some patrons even borrowed books using the self-service system. By day’s end, 246 books had been checked out, and remarkably, every single one was returned on time.

Third try was not the charm ☹️

Well, I tried again. I went to the Kentucky Blood Center for the third time this month after being deferred twice for low iron. Hemoglobin on the first stick (right finger) was only 11.9, but she really had to squeeze to get it out, so it may have skewed the results. Left finger on second try was 14.2 so yay!!!!

Unfortunately, the stick didn't get the vein well, and even with adjustments from another phlebotomist, the little tiny bag wasn't filling up fast enough, so they had to abort, and it left a bruise. I can come back and donate after my hematoma has healed, they said.

Sigh. I did get another $20 gift card to Amazon, though. But I did want to donate. The stars are not aligning. I haven't had this much trouble in about 25 years.

I made it, or, two more books and a challenge completed!

Granted, they were both short, but still...

#24 Food Journal Magic: A Daily Food and Fitness Diary to Create Lasting Weight Loss That Stays Off Without a Diet by Alegra Loewenstein

This is not actually a food journal, but how to set up one and what to include, and how best to execute it. I was a little disappointed for that reason. I was able to find a food journal that allows me to write directly on it for the Kindle Scribe, which, of course, I am not including in the reading challenge, though. That is: Food Journal and Weight Tracker by No Yellow Snow Media, and it allows you to export the data via email so you can just erase the information and reuse the pages as needed.

THIS BOOK COMPLETED THE Goodreads 2026 READING CHALLENGE!!!!!

# 25 My Novel Work Book: A step by step guide for novice writers by Roger Alderman

This one basically shows you how to outline a novel in 12 chapters using classical format along the lines of Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. Some spelling errors could have used an editor's eye (it's self-published), but otherwise, the book is adequate. It got me thinking. I have wanted to be an author since I was a child. Granted, I've published over 30 pieces of writing, from book chapters, book reviews, articles, etc., and I mean went-through-a-committee-and-editor published in a book or journal, but I never feel like a published author. I would like to write a novel. Not the Great American novel, but still. Something people would enjoy reading. Seeing my name in print, or at least in digital form. 😉

Interesting

A Crisis in the Humanities: The norms governing scholarship now often serve to protect a rigid orthodoxy on certain politically charged issues—with ideological tests substituted for proper academic standards

We begin from what ought to be a platitude: The humanities and the social sciences are academic disciplines aimed at understanding the human world and the larger reality of which it is a part. There is room for debate about what it means to “understand” a historical episode, or a literary text, or a social phenomenon. But it should not be controversial that, like all academic research, scholarship in these disciplines is in the business of asking questions; that these questions have answers (when they are well-posed); that these answers are not simply evident and can therefore only be arrived at indirectly, by appeal to evidence and argument; and that it is the role of academic disciplines to cultivate methods for collecting the evidence relevant to their questions and for assessing scholarly proposals on the basis of it.

Two new shirts

from the American Library Association, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary, so these are vintage designs they've brought back from the past.

 

I knew about this already, but I find it fascinating

A hairstylist with no archaeology degree solved an ancient Roman mystery scholars got wrong for centuries

She spent years recreating elaborate Roman hairstyles and discovered they were far more ingenious than scholars had realized

For centuries, scholars believed that the intricately braided, gravity-defying updos synonymous with Roman hairstyling were achieved with wigs. Then a professional hairdresser turned bona fide “hair archaeology” specialist proved them wrong.

Wow. I did not know this, and I've kept up with Voyager a bit since I watched it launch as a child...

Voyager 1 has no engine running. The 38,000-mile-per-hour speed it has held since its Saturn flyby in 1980 is borrowed momentum from planets it grazed more than four decades ago, and that free ride carries it to one light-day from Earth this November

The probe is moving because it was launched onto a carefully chosen path and then reshaped by planetary gravity. Its present outward motion is mostly the inheritance of encounters that happened when the spacecraft was still young: Jupiter in 1979, Saturn in 1980, and the rare alignment of the outer planets that made the Voyager mission possible in the first place.

Not to be the parking police, but...

Okay, I'll admit it. This infuriated me. This is not how you park in handicapped parking, even if you do have a placard. Also, they have an 'Honour nurses' licence plate, but apparently have no regard for anyone with a disability who might need the blue-lined space to get out with a wheelchair ramp. I did report it to Chinoe Kroger, but I think the guy getting the carts just was like, yeah, it's horrible, but didn't say anything to anyone or maybe page anyone to freaking move their vehicle.

So frustrating

So I checked the blood supply at the Kentucky Blood Center and O blood is in low supply (both + and -). I really am trying. I've been deferred twice this month for low iron. I got some vitamin C to take with my iron tablets (I have been taking those for years) because that's supposed to help the iron absorb, and I just went to the store and got some things they suggested to eat, including garbanzo beans and pumpkin seeds for our nightly salad, and generic V8 juice that includes beets. We'll see. I can donate three days from yesterday, but I'll wait a few more and try to build up some more. But for you all, who, like me, are type O and who normally donate (or would like to try), they really could use some. O blood can be given to any blood type. O- can be given to anyone [and is therefore the person is called a universal donor]. O+, like mine, can be given to any blood type which is also +. So it's really useful. Anyway, here's the graphic...

My last donation was my 9th gallon. I've been donating since I was in college, at age 17 (full disclosure, at that time you had to have permission from your parent--you can donate now at that age without it--and I had it, verbally, but I didn't have a note, and it's the first and only time in my life I forged my mother's signature on something. But let me reiterate: I was living on my own in a dorm, making many decisions on my own, and I did have her permission.)

I obviously haven't donated as much as I could have. I've gone years without donating. But I did donate when 9/11 happened, and I donated the day after COVID was announced in Kentucky, because I didn't think people would, and just started donating regularly after that. It's how I know I didn't get the virus during the actual pandemic, because they were testing for antibodies. I've had it once, only after it went endemic, and it was just like a bad flu and no worse, thankfully. So I went from about 7 gallons to 9 pretty quickly. I donate about every 2-3 months now. Which may be why my iron's low; I don't know. Anyway, I'm going to try again in a few days.

Why I'm going to delete Dropbox

I reached out to Dropbox via the only contact form I found, which was for reporting issues. It turned out to be an abuse reporting form, so I kind of get why they closed the ticket, but they didn't actually give me any information for contacting anyone other than perusing forums or FAQs, which wouldn't have answered my particular question. I'm just going to delete the whole thing. I deleted files because Dropbox kept sending me emails going 'You're at your max and can't backup anything, upgrade to more storage space or delete files now'. Then I deleted EVERYTHING, including their sample pictures, and permanently deleted the deleted files, yet still had over half of my storage listed as full, with no single file of my own and no explanation. I have a terabyte of storage with OneDrive due to my Microsoft Office 365 subscription that I don't even begin to fill. I don't need Dropbox. I'm going to, indeed, drop it.  And he did give me the links to cancel it, at least.

Reede, Jul 16, 2026, 1:57 PM PDT:

Hi Elisabeth,

Thanks for reaching out to Dropbox support.
 
Your support options depend on what kind of account you have. To see the support options for your account, sign in and go to https://dropbox.com/support. Your query today can be supported by our help center, chatbot, or our community; this ticket will be closed now.
 
You can find our help center at https://help.dropbox.com/learn/faqs which has the most up-to-date FAQs, how-to articles, and more. You can also reach out to our Dropbox community at https://www.dropboxforum.com where you can receive answers and discover new ways to use Dropbox.
 
Regards,
Reede
 
Are you having issues signing into your account? Try our sign-in FAQs at https://rb.gy/t0tgsz
Are you interested in sharing feedback? Try our ideation board at https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Share-an-idea/ct-p/101002000
Do you have a "Payments" or "Billing" question? Try our Payments FAQs at https://rb.gy/aeuqml
Do you think that you want to cancel or do you have a cancellation question? Try our Cancellations FAQs at https://rb.gy/r22oly
Do you have a Security or Privacy question? Try our Security FAQs at https://rb.gy/no4ty6
 

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Elisabeth Rowan, Jul 16, 2026, 8:30 AM PDT:

Explanation: I do not understand why my Dropbox is showing that I have 4.11 GB of used storage out of 7.25 GB when I have deleted every single one of my files permanently, including the sample photo folder. If this is not a glitch, and Dropbox is literally padding over half of my storage with other files, I see no reason not to just delete it, as I have a terabyte of storage included with my Office 365 subscription that more than suits my needs. Can you explain this discrepancy? I have a screenshot if that will help.

 

Said screenshot [not sent to them, there was nowhere to include it]:

Random things this morning

1. When you forget to take the trash bins to the kerb the night before, and the city is starting early due to the heat, it behoves you to get up at 5:00 AM to take the trash out and roll all three (trash, recycling, and yard waste, when in Lexington, have names, in order: Herbie, Rosiek and Lenny (for Lend a Hand). This is a somewhat perilous process in the dark, without anyone's knowledge, as you are also a klutz and liable to fall. But all went well. Still, at that point, you might as well stay up.
2. I have very short hair, but I have kept all my hair ties because they are extremely useful. I mainly use them to wrangle charging cords.  However, just now, I dealt with a sagging lumbar pillow that I have to adjust every single time I sit in the chair because the strap is stretched out by pulling it back and securing it with a hair tie. We'll see how it goes, but for now, it's at the perfect height for my back.
3. So far, I have used my extra time filing papers, mainly all the information the government sends me regarding my benefits. I know they're mostly duplicates of the notices they put on the portal, but still, some part of me thinks I should keep them. I also just had to change an asthma preventative inhaler that I've taken nightly for at least a decade (Breo Ellipta) because it's not covered by Medicaid. They cover Advair Diskus. Hopefully it will work as well. The pharmacist who works with my doctor helpfully advised me that the dosing is twice a day, though, so that was nice.  I spent 29 years with the same commercial medical insurance (UnitedHealthcare) when I was at Shriners. I knew my benefits intimately, and it was extremely good insurance: $150 deductible/$1500 out-of-pocket. Even though it was an HMO, it didn't require referrals as long as someone was in-network, and I never had issues with anyone being out-of-network in all that time. Since I've left, I've been covered by two Medicaid managed care organisations (Aetna Better Health of Kentucky and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Kentucky), both of which use MedImpact for medications (all of them do, at least for our state) and then for two months I was on a assisted qualified health plan from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield where the state paid about $900 and I paid $500 for a $400-$500 deductible plan (medicine did not count like it did for my commercial plan, so I never hit it like I thought I would, or I would have gone for something cheaper, although medications were probably cheaper, and the first month of the doctors' visits were cheaper; the second month everything went up, including the premium, due to me pulling some retirement income out--to pay for the premiums and medical bills. It's been very hard to navigate all the changes. I'm highly literate, great with technology, and having been to university, an expert at red tape and bureaucracy (I always said I majored in red tape and minored in line waiting at the University of Kentucky); I  can't imagine how difficult it would be for someone without those advantages.
4. Today's agenda is fairly simple:
1. Work on as many chapters as I can, proofreading a talking book for the Kentucky Talking Book Library. I am woefully behind. I got chapter 3 done yesterday, which I was sent in April.  I got the whole book yesterday...fifteen chapters to go.  Life just has gotten in the way, and I should just buckle down now and get as much as I can get done while I'm off.
2. We need to put a large shop fan together to get some air moving in the house. It's a little oppressive out there, where the central heating went out last year. I am the only one with air conditioning in my room, and there have been other barriers to putting it in the rest of the house, so we've been relying on different types of fans and using my room as a cooling area for everyone occasionally.
3. I need to pick up some medicine at the UK pharmacy today.
4. My roommate's going over to friends' tonight, so it'll give me some chance to work on the book more. It's a true-crime murder mystery from the 1890s in northern Kentucky, so it's been pretty interesting, both from an historical and story point of view. 

Those are about all I can think of for now. That's a little rambling, I know. I'm just waking up, with no caffeine (I only drink soda on weekends, and I'm not a fan of coffee or tea; what can I say? It's terrible, I'm such an Anglophile and I hate tea.)