Listening to:

Kansas, Leftoverture, 'Carry on, My Wayward Son', 'The Wall'

I spent some time with a friend tonight watching a children's programme from Britain produced by Russell T. Davies, who used to be the person behind 'Doctor Who'. This is called 'Wizards vs. Aliens', and while it's a little, well, hokey, it's actually quite a bit fun. We also watched some YouTube videos together. I still need to watch the last episode of 'Grace and Frankie' as well.

Now I'm home, and I've been on the computer putting off a book review and looking over my notes for class on Wednesday, so I'll probably wind up doing those tomorrow. My co-teacher should be back from her trip to the Greek islands on Wednesday. :)

So I'm listening to some music, updating applications on my phone, and that sort of stuff. I think I'll go to bed pretty soon, though; tomorrow is one of my early days and I want to be to work by 7:30 am so I can get my allergy shots tomorrow. With the testing and stuff, I forgot to call the office about the leaking air conditioner. I'll do that tomorrow, and see if they've prepared my new lease to sign as well. Plus, I need to drop off a library book I couldn't renew tomorrow so it won't be late. :) Okay, I guess I'll say good night. Hope you had a good weekend and enjoy (for those folks in the US) a short week. I've got a three-day workweek this week. Yay! And yes, my neighbours are already shooting off fireworks, which I just don't get. It's not even July, after all.

In case you didn't know

May is Mental Health Month. You can go to the national NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) organisation web page for information on mental illness and finding support, and sign the stigma-free pledge, if you'd like, or go to the the NIMH (yes, as in The Rats of NIMH, the National Institute of Mental Health) website for a wealth of information. Jared Padalecki's description of the stigma of mental illness from the second article mentioned in the last post pretty much sums it up. The statistics are one thing. Living with mental illness, or loving someone who is struggling with mental illness, is very hard. I know that from personal experience. NAMI Lexington's Family-to-Family class, which was free, really helped me understand mental illness better, to learn to communicate better, and to care for myself and my loved one. I hope to go through training soon to teach the class to others. It's a mixture of learning facts and sharing your own story in a supportive environment, and for many it's been a life line. Here's a video about the class:



If you are having suicidal thoughts, in the US there is: 1 (800) 273-8255 [National Suicide Prevention Lifeline], Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week, Languages: English, Spanish, Website: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

If you or a loved one is in crisis, or otherwise you need guidance, call 1 (800) 950-6264 for the NAMI Helpline.

I've been pretty busy the last few days, hence the barest of blogging

Sorry about that. Here's a synopsis of my week:

1. Monday--I went to my new therapist's office and was told that the psychiatrist's office (up a floor, but the same practice) had apparently not finalised my appointment, and the therapist wasn't in until later that day. Made an appointment for 4 pm, came back then, and then they realised the office upstairs had not sent any paperwork down, so she had to interview me without benefit of the doctor's notes. She went ahead and tested me for ADHD (I have been diagnosed with that before, and was on medicine for awhile, but those medical records were shredded the last time I came to this practice...it's not looking good in terms of efficiency, is it? But the doctor and psychologist seem to know their stuff and both asked very good questions. I've set up two appointments for May and am on standby on the cancellation list for late April--they have a couple of other women going on maternity leave and so she is taking on a bigger caseload and it is difficult to get in until May.
2. Tuesday--I had my allergies re-tested for the first time in about fifteen years. I still have the marks on my arm and back from where I reacted, and the marker even stayed on for about two days. I came out pretty much the same as before, except I didn't react to horses this time. They didn't test for food allergies. I'd been told I was allergic to wheat, eggs, and milk back in the day, but she said that if I didn't have any trouble eating them then I wasn't really allergic. She prescribed a different antihistamine for me, since the Claritin wasn't covering all of my symptoms, and she gave me a sample of an eye drop I can put in five minutes before my contacts that will help with the eye issues from my allergies. And, I am now the proud owner of an Epi-Pen, not because I have severe enough allergies for the things I reacted to, but rather because I'm going to start allergy shots again in about two weeks and they want me to keep one with me on shot days, as well as hanging out for about half an hour at their office after each shot. Last time I took them, I had no Epi-Pen, and after the first shot, I was able to have our employee health nurse give them to me, so they just sent me my vials as needed. My allergist did say I could do that again if it was alright with the hospital, since they have a crash cart, etc., should I have a reaction, but I checked and that's been discontinued, for obvious liability issues, I'm sure. So I will need to go into the office. Fortunately I live nearby. So I may have to adjust my schedule slightly and leave early a couple of days a week and come in a little earlier or stay late to make up for it, but that's okay with me.
3. Wednesday--I went to my last class, and we had a potluck and took a group picture. I'm on Instagram, in one half of a photo posted by the organisation. The second-to-the-last class we filled out evaluation forms and volunteer forms, and I'd said I would be willing to be trained to teach the course. I spoke with one of our co-leaders, who is with the organisation, and she said she would forward the application to me and serve as a reference. If I'm accepted, they'll pay for a hotel room in Louisville for an intensive weekend course on teaching the class. The next class starts June 3rd; the training is June 6th and 7th, but she said that if I was willing, I could start out in this one since the training was so close. So I may be teaching a class in the summer.
4. Thursday--I applied for a job at the Jessamine County Public Library. I so hope I get a call from them. I've been there before; it's a very nice facility and I felt comfortable with the people there the last time I interviewed. Nicholasville is nearby, just south of Fayette County by a few miles, so it would be easy to get to, although I'd be going against traffic. For me, it would be best to go down Man O' War and then onto US 27, thereby bypassing Nicholasville Road in Lexington for the most part. I did manage a small blog post, but never made it back like I'd hoped.
5. Today--I applied to teach the class. They had a very interesting application full of detailed instructions like not putting dashes or periods in the phone number, or checking a box above the text, etc. I think they were checking to see if you could fill it out with attention to detail. There were a few in-depth questions and an introduction to be written and attached. I sent in in and got an acknowledgement that they would be contacting me closer to time. Wish me luck. The only concern I have is that I have to go to Louisville, which means driving on the Interstate, something I haven't done in years and am somewhat anxious about, but I told the co-leader that I would do it, so I will. Afterwards I went over to YKWIA's and we watched this week's 'Grimm'. We still haven't seen last week's, but maybe we can do that tomorrow.

Tomorrow I take A to an appointment and to the grocery, probably twice for the latter, as they are out of bread and milk, and need that before we go to the appointment. So I need to get over there by about 8:30. I'm going to head on to bed now; I just wanted to catch up with my blogging. I'm listening to Loreena McKennitt and have the fan blowing on me. All is quiet otherwise. It's time to turn the fish tank lights off, brush my teeth, and crawl into bed. Good night.

Well, phooey

I just got in from class a little while ago and was trying to use my new University of Kentucky online account that was set up today to get my unofficial transcripts to apply for a job at a local college by Friday (I just learned about it yesterday). Unfortunately, something wasn't submitted when they built my account and I can't access the transcripts at all, and won't be able to until at least a couple of days, meaning I'll miss the deadline. While I could pay $10 and get an official transcript, I'd still have to wait till sometime tomorrow or Friday for that because the older transcripts are on microfilm, hence there needs to be someone at the office who can scan them and send them to me, and technically the HR department at the college had requested a mailed résumé, cover letter, unofficial transcript, and three professional references, although there is an option to upload a résumé and cover letter on their website. While I certainly could do the job, I suspect they have an internal candidate in mind, as it wasn't posted the last time I checked a few days ago, and so I'm going to chalk this up to an omen that the job wasn't going to pan out, get my access for future use, and go on my merry way. Still, it's the first job in awhile that would be a good fit, and I really like their library; I interviewed there years ago. So anyway, I think I missed the boat on this one, and that's my fault. I should have been more vigilant about looking, although in my defence last week I was mostly preoccupied with the snow storm, cold, and just getting to my current job.

I got my airline and hotel confirmation for the Chicago trip today, and went by Office Depot and got a padded lightweight bag with an over-the-body strap for my laptop at a price less than the sleeves alone, which I plan on taking on the trip. I'm so hoping everything like weather, etc., goes off without a hitch. I should have time the first day to go to the Field Museum of Natural History, and then there's the morning of the second day before our seminar for a little sightseeing. On the third day there's a morning meeting and then I'll have to head straight to the airport. But the idea this time is to definitely see a bit of downtown Chicago.

Okay, I have a CT scan of my sinuses first thing tomorrow morning, and should see if I can find the paperwork in case it's needed. I've already pre-registered and paid for my part (which was a bit of an annoyance, because I'm within $47 of my out-of-pocket maximum for the year but had to pay $127 over the phone yesterday. I just couldn't make the clerk understand that I shouldn't pay that amount, and if I did, they might owe me a refund.

I also have to take a friend to an appointment tomorrow, so I've taken off from work for that day. And afterwards I need to go by the pharmacy because another friend got only a partial fill of his medicine and needs more. I am in high demand this week. Friday there's another appointment and Saturday I'm taking two other people, three dogs, and a cat to the vet--in a Taurus. That should be fun. :) But it's nice to be needed.

Okay, on to finding that paperwork. I've never had a CT scan. There doesn't seem to be much to it, but I did want to read their recommendations and make sure everything was as planned. Good night!

Good things

1. The library got my application and it has been referred on. They're having trouble with the system that sends a verification, but it did go through.
   
2. I'm halfway finished with Google's Power Searching with Google class. Much of the early stuff I'm familiar with already, but I am learning a few tricks I didn't know. I finished the mid-class assessment with a 100%.
   
3. I'm feeling much better today. I wasn't sure this morning, but I perked up and was very productive.
   
4. I have managed to answer some questions from a friend that might stump lesser librarians, although I'm still working on a few things for him that might be beyond me, like locating a book by its colour and weight. :)
   
5. I got a ride home from work.
   
6. I have the dates for the trip to Chicago (got that last week). It'll be in November this year, on a Thursday and Friday, which will be better for me in terms of the data entry/referral duties at work.
   

A relatively relaxing day

Listening to/watching: '18th Floor Balcony' by Blue October [a very nice live performance] and 'It's Not My Time' by 3 Doors Down [the setting looked very familiar; turns out it was shot in Cincinnati. It has some great acrobatic moves of parkour in it that I need to remember for the game. There's a great word-of-the day. :)]

I was off work today to take someone to an appointment. Afterwards I did some errands and went to a store meeting in preparation for my boss' month-long leave, which starts Thursday. She really needs the time off but we're all going to miss her. We met the person taking over temporarily and first impression is that she'll be fine to work with. We had pizza and free drinks, and that's always nice.

Later I went home, started a dishwashing cycle, and took a nap. When I got up I watched one of the 'Heroes' episodes I've missed, getting all comfy on the loveseat. I pretty much lounged around until a friend called me to get him from work. So it was yet another lazy day, which are usually few and far between.

Nothing earth-shattering is going on right now in my life; no drama (yay!) I nearly hit a bunny last night on the road (it was hopping parallel at the edge), but didn't, thankfully. I've only hit one animal (a cat, which I killed) and was hysterical afterwards. I love animals.

I re-potted an amaryllis which has never bloomed for me and it shot right up (as well as a baby that I'd separated off it). There's no indication so far if it will bloom yet. The one I got last year that bloomed so nicely didn't this year, although it leafed out. It's dying down now so I'll give it a rest and try again.

The fish are hanging on. Next week I'll have the water tested again and see if it's better. I've been feeding sparingly and had changed a good part of the water and added more bacteria, so let's hope the nitrates go down. I need to get some plants to help take the nitrates out of the water and put them to growth instead.

I'm keeping up with the house and it looks nice and clean.

I'm going to try another MLA class that starts on March 9th. It's on wikis. Even though I didn't manage to finish in time to get credit for the Google Docs class, I learnt valuable lessons, including the fact that Google Docs can only graph numerical data (although that only came out after a bunch of us made surveys with non-numerical data like multiple text responses and discovered the graphing wouldn't work). There are workarounds, but they're not really satisfactory and it's simpler to just set it up numerically from the first. (There's your Important Safety Tip of the day.) That part of the class was rather annoying, but otherwise it was fun. I've played a little with wikis on Wetpaint and a tsunami-related one that came out after the disaster to help get out information on volunteering, news, and aid. If you're a member of the Medical Library Association and want to take the class, here's the information:

Dig Deeper with Social Media Free CE Course: Wikis
Available to MLA members March 9–15, this course covers how libraries can apply wiki software to their work. Participants will gain an understanding of the benefits and challenges of wiki software, brainstorm and discuss practical applications of wikis in libraries, and get hands-on experience. Members who complete the course will receive two MLA CE credits. Registration for this course is required by March 6, 5:00pm CT. Register today>>

Okay, it's 3 am. Time to go to bed!!! (Past time, really, but I did get rest earlier, so I wasn't sleepy.)

I actually got quite a bit of rest last night

despite going to bed fairly late (it was almost 3 am). I think it was because the straps of my CPAP masque were perfectly adjusted and did not come off once. (I often wake up and have to adjust it.)

Today I'm back to work at the hospital (I took off yesterday to help some friends with a project). I need to receive some ILLs and get them to the patron. I left the copiers full and happy, so hopefully nothing blew up during my absence. I have a very long list of things to do this week at work, so I'm just going to throw myself into it. I also need to wrap up some things for an online class if there's still time. Technically I think it was over yesterday, but I of course was elsewhere. We'll see. It would be nice to get credit for it but also it was good to learn more about Google Docs, sharing documents, and using it for surveys.

Okay, that's all for now. Have a great day.

PS It doesn't look like I can get credit. Yesterday was the last day. I just got way overwhelmed by the 200+ requests to take surveys from the other participants and didn't have much time at home and certainly not at work to wade through them and finish up the last part of my work. Oh, well. It was still useful, and I've got more than enough CE credit to try for AHIP status (Academy of Health and Information Professionals).

Yay! I finished my class!

On the mashup section I came across a nifty site called Weather Bonk. It overlays Google Maps with weather information, gives you access to webcams, and displays forecasts. Try it out.

Also, I found a wonderful etiquette blog whilst searching about the white shoe rule the other day. It's Etiquette, Charm, and Beauty for the Woman of Today by Hildegarde Fillmore.

Also, if you haven't tried iGoogle, you should. It's a personalised web page that can be set as the home page that allows you to bring a variety of modules into play, such as Gmail or Google Docs. I have a nifty theme on mine that changes as the sun rises and sets and the moon changes phases. You do have to sign up, but it's free, and if you already have an account for other similar projects then you should be okay. In addition to my documents and mail, I also have a virtual fish tank and National Geographic pictures.

Okay, definitely time to go to bed.

Oh, it's nice

to take my shoes off and get into some comfy clothes. I'm in for the night until 7 am, when I go pick someone from work. I managed to get week #7's homework (videos and podcasts) finished for class, but still have the last week's topic of mashups and miscellaneous Web 2.0 concepts to go.

I just helped someone make a wonderful honey-soy sauce and tofu. I'm eager to try it for myself. It has honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, cayenne pepper, and ginger in it, and boy does it have a zing.

The nice Indian couple across the hall have moved out. They were good neighbours and always filled the hallway with good smells of cooking. They even got Cerys a bag of dog food at one point because it is the custom in their culture to feed animals, which are seen to be close to God.

Speaking of animals, I visted D last Friday and played with her new kitten, Claire, a 6-week-old tortoiseshell. I found out today that Claire later had to be euthanised after suffering from coccidiosis. That's a shame. They're going to wait awhile before getting another kitten. Their 3-year-old son doesn't really understand where the kitten has gone, though, and their dog seems a little depressed. But it really hit D the hardest, I think.

The link above goes to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is offering free access for a year to bloggers who want to link to their content. I guess they want to compete with Wikipedia. It's a great deal--you just sign up and they verify that you blog regularly, etc. You can sign up yourself at: Encyclopaedia Britannica WebShare.

Okay, that's all for now.

I think I finally got some rest

this week. I even got in a nap this afternoon. I have to be at work to check in the truck delivery in a little less than an hour, but since I had three hours to myself I took a nap, made supper, and picked up the house a little. I've also caught up on the news and my RSS subscriptions. I'm going to try to finish up my classwork either before I go in or later tonight, so I can get credit. Technically the class is over but we have until the 18th to submit our progress. I was looking at all the credit I've received last fall and this spring plus my writings and jury work for one of the MLA awards. Basically I have enough points to apply for the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP). Although not a requirement for my job, it would help if I went to another medical library position, more than likely, and it's expected if you've been in the field for awhile. I put it off for some time not knowing if I wanted to continue this track of librarianship, but I've been a medical librarian for eleven years now, so I should probably go ahead and apply. The only stumbling block is that it's $175 and I don't have that in my professional dues budget, so I'll have to come up with it on my own, which isn't going to happen very quickly, especially as I owe taxes so I seriously doubt I'll get any of my tax rebate. But maybe towards the end of the year....

Sorry I haven't blogged

The night before last I just crashed by 9:30 pm, then yesterday I did the same after catching up on my Web 2.0 class. This time I had to set up a wiki and make changes on the class wiki. I set up two, one public one called Rabid for 2.0 and then a private one I'd like to get the game members into and doing some collaborative stuff (won't bother linking to that; you can't read it). We're using WetPaint in class and it's very easy, much easier to edit than the limited wikis I've worked on.

I was sad to see that Arthur C Clarke died. He'd apparently had post-polio syndrome for decades and died after suffering from breathing problems. Still, he was 90 years old, and had a long life. He will of course be known for 2001: A Space Odyssey, but I remember reading Rendezvous with Rama as a child, whereas I've only seen the movie 2001 (something I should rectify). I also enjoyed his Mysterious World series when I could catch it.

Well, I'm between jobs for the day right now, having had a crown put on at 3 after gettting out of work at the hospital. It's time to get ready for job #2, for truck night at the store. Overall I'm going to work the same amount of hours this week as usual, but not in the long stretch like I normally do on Saturday (10 hours at a time); I'm working 2 tonight, 4 Saturday, 3 on two of the weekdays. So I'm kind of looking forward to having a Saturday for a change.

I do seem to have broken my toe last Friday night. I stubbed it badly and although the swelling's a little better when I wake up in the morning, it hasn't really improved. I'm going to call the podiatrist tomorrow but my understanding is there's not much to do for a toe (especially the little toe) than put some ice on it, take some pain reliever like ibuprofen, and wait. The dark bruising has gone away though. It was feeling better this morning and then I propped a door open with my foot. Right, so I hadn't had my smart medicine today, okay? :)

I'm taking a class

worth 8 continuing education credits starting Monday called 'Web 2.0 101'. It lasts for 8 weeks and is free to members of the Medical Library Association. Here's their blurb on it:

MLA Members: Learn More About Web 2.0 and Earn Eight Hours of Free CE Credit!
MLA's Social Networking Software Task Force, in partnership with the 2008 National Program Planning Committee (NPC) Geek Squad, is hosting a free CE course, "Web 2.0 101: Introduction to Second Generation Web Tools," for MLA members wanting to explore and discover both established and emerging web 2.0 technologies. Course content will include background readings, discovery exercises, and a discussion blog. The program will run from March 10 to May 4, 2008, following MLA's web 2.0 webcast and leading up to MLA '08 in Chicago. For more information and to register, visit the MLANET members-only area. Registration deadline is March 9, 2008. Read more and register...

You'll need your MLA username and password to access the registration page above. (I unfortunately keep mine at work, so I couldn't read the expanded description again and tell you more.) It will discuss things like blogging (okay, I've probably got that down, but I'm always open to new ideas on how to use them professionally), RSS, wikis, social networking sites, tagging, and mashups. I'll probably have to do a lot of the work from home, since like most institutions, some sites are blocked by my workplace (MySpace is, I know, as well as YouTube. I'm not sure about others. Blogger isn't, but I'm not allowed to blog at work, although I can read blogs on Blog*Spot, so I can still keep up with some of what others are doing. I should be able to access Google Reader from home or work to remain up to date in my field's literature.)

Today I attended a webcast held at UK also on Web 2.0 which was a nice overview of what's out there. I learnt quite a lot, even though I am at least familiar with everything but mashups, which weren't discussed much other than to say they required more tech support and weren't as freely available as some of the other tools. One of the speakers was Michelle Kraft of the 'Krafty LIbrarian' blog.

I came out of that webcast with one burning queston--'What's with the kittens?' Trust me, if you'd seen it, you'd understand. Anyway, a lot of these teleconferences have kind of bored me in the past, but I found this one really enjoyable (except for random kittens). I got a lot of information that I found really useful. There were a few problems (the speakers were obviously nervous at the beginning, one speaker's slides were labelled differently in the handouts, which made it harder to follow, and some of the resources in the back were obviously printouts of hyperlinks but without the actual URLs), but they were relatively minor. All in all it was really good, and I'm looking forward to the 8-week class. Plus, at the national convention in May they're going to do a plenary session on Web 2.0 and for those of us who can't attend (I doubt I'll ever get to go to the annual meeting, unless I come into some mega personal money, because work won't help me out on that one), they're going to simulateously show it by video. Yay!

It's nice to get the opportunity to learn something in a class and not have to pay out the wazoo to get the credit. Thank you, MLA!

Um, rich, no...but I get the whole manager/white collar thing

You Are Upper Middle Class

You're stuck in an interesting middle area between upper and middle class. You're wealthy enough for most people to call you rich (or at least comfortable), but you don't feel rich! Climbing your way to the top is hard work. And you've often feel stretched for time and resources. If only you had a little more money! You can't help but wish you had the lifestyle of the upper class. You may end up: A manager, high school teacher, or accountant. Other people who share your class: "White collar" professionals and business people

What Class Are You?