I couldn't sleep past 6:30

even though I went to bed around 1 am. So I got up, put a load of laundry in to wash, saw a beautiful sunrise (fleeting, of course, and I didn't get a picture; now it's raining and gloomy). I put all the dishwasher dishes in and washed the hand washables, cleaned the kitchen counters and stove, cleaned the bathroom sink and toilet, swept the bathroom and kitchen, put in the clothes to dry, packed, put my medicine in its container, put my luggage keys on my keyring and in a backup spot, got the (mostly) dry clothes out of the laundry room, put some away, ate breakfast, took a shower, dressed, and now I'm finally sitting down. Not bad for a fairly short time.

So now I'm waiting on my mom and step-father to come up for me. One of my uncles has already left, and my aunt and uncle are leaving today, so I'll just get to visit for them for awhile. Oh, and I found a nice card for my grandmother in a collection I have, so at least she'll have that for her birthday. :)

Now I need to take my other meds since it's 1) time and 2) my feet are hurting. Hope you have a great Friday (I need to remind myself that it is still Friday, and not Saturday).

Wins for today's oddest headline

Mom of Miami cannibal dismisses depiction of him as zombie

The mom of the crazed cannibal who gnawed off the face of a homeless man in Miami defended him as “a good kid” Thursday and said he doesn’t deserve to be remembered as a “zombie.”

“He gave me a nice card on Mother’s Day,” Ruth Charles told CBS Miami about son Rudy Eugene. “Everyone says he was a zombie. He was no zombie. That was my son.”

Nearly 80% of the other man's face was chewed off.

What a day

I:

1. Worked for an hour this morning doing data entry.
   
2. Rode the bus to Central Baptist Hospital.
   
3. Got a compliment on my skirt (the one my friends got me for my birthday) from a complete stranger.
   
4. Got to see a lot of folks I haven't seen in awhile.
   
5. Listened to an excellent programme by Dorothy Brockopp on librarians, nurses, evidence-based practice, and Magnet status.
   
6. Had an excellent meal as part of the meeting (thanks Lonnie and Carla!!!)
   
7. Had our Kentucky Medical Library Association business meeting, which was very productive. I would so volunteer to be president again when the term comes up in the fall, if I had a car. They're always looking for someone to do it, and I was president of the Bluegrass Medical Libraries once upon a time and enjoyed it.
   
8. Stopped by the gift shop on my way out, looking for a present for my grandmother, but alas, did not find anything for her.
   
9. Came out just in time to miss the bus.
   
10. Thanked a man for giving me a piece of paper with a prayer by St Francis of Assisi on it.
    
11. Sat outside in the sun for 35 minutes with sunscreen that may or may not still be active.
    
12. Got back to work about 3:45 (I leave at 5).
    
13. Had a fire drill in our area so I had to go to another section for a few minutes.
    
14. Put the last of the charge sheets for the week in.
    
15. Assigned things to my to-do list for next week.
    
16. Got a ride to Kroger.
    
17. Bought some much-needed groceries (and new sunscreen).
    
18. Took an offer from a Bulgarian lady I sometimes talk to at the bus stop (she doesn't speak much English) to borrow a big reusable bag that held three of mine.
    
19. Schlepped home.
    
20. Put the perishables away, plopped down, and looked something up for a friend.
    
21. Reported my findings.
    
22. Ate some Tuscan bean salad, mozzarella, and some bread.
    

Now I'm going to go to the postal boxes we have for packages and pick up a delivery. They put a key in our mailbox for them. I am always amazed that I get packages from the Science Fiction Book Club without fail, but things from Amazon are never delivered correctly. Go figure.

It looks like the rain is coming close. We're supposed to have storms and the high will be about 20 degrees lower tomorrow, when I visit my family. So I better retrieve that package now. Have a pleasant evening. I'm not sure if I'll blog again tonight, or even tomorrow since I'll be visiting with my mom, grandmother, aunts, and uncles.

Which brings me to the following question: What do you get a woman who has pretty much everything for her 88th birthday???? If you have suggestions, let me know in the comments. Thanks.

This is really cool

It's a graphic showing the worth of librarians around the world, and neat facts about libraries and the people who make them work:

http://mastersineducation.org/files/2011/07/LibariansWorthAroundWorldLrg.jpg

Be sure to click on it to make it bigger. Thanks to Angélica Navarro Serment for the link.

Sometimes I think the universe laughs at me

It wasn't a big thing. I just wanted a diet drink today. But when I changed purses, I realised somewhere on the way to the bus stop that I hadn't moved the change (which is the only money I have until I get paid tonight) in my purse pocket to the new one. So all day I had a lack-of-caffeine headache and was sluggishly trying to move along, although it took some effort. I also forgot to bring my lunch, although I had some peanut butter at work. I did have about 40 cents in my pocket, and so I as able to buy a couple of pieces of bread for a peanut butter sandwich, and then later I had some tuna, but that was all for the workday. I found myself thinking, 'I know it will be six o'clock by the time I get home, but I'm going to have my cola.'

So the bus was 15 minutes late, and I finally got home, and looked in the purse, and lo, there were no quarters to be seen. It was then that I looked in my wallet (which I had had with me all day today) and discovered that at some point before today I had transferred them. So that's a forehead smacking moment.

Then I walked over to the laundry room, pressed the button to make sure it was not sold out already, and then fed the coins in and pressed my selection again. It went through major gyrations, but no cola came out and it said proudly, 'Sold Out' on the small screen. I got the change returned and sadly walked back to my apartment.

So, no cola. Oh, well, they're not good for me anyway. But yes, I firmly believe the universe was laughing at me.

On a brighter note, I came back and made some basmati rice and some chickpea curry I found in the back of my cupboard. It was delicious. Also, I had a little milk left over from when I had it for cereal, so I went ahead and had that with my meal. So everything turned out okay, although I still have my headache.

I have a suggestion for how he can prevent future fatherhood

Unfortunately I don't think the courts can mandate that...

Pregnant woman set on fire, shot by ex-boyfriend gives birth

The pregnant Detroit woman who was kidnapped, set on fire, and shot early Saturday morning has successfully given birth to a baby boy. The woman, who Detroit NBC affiliate WDIV has identified as 22-year-old LaTonya Bowman, was due to deliver in three weeks, but went into labor at about 4:30 p.m. Monday afternoon and gave birth at 4:15 a.m. Tuesday morning via an emergency C-section at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak.

“She has to be one of the most courageous women I have ever encountered,” said Warren Police Deputy Commissioner Louis Galasso. “She had the will and instinct to live.”

Apparently the ex-boyfriend, who had two children by two different women already, didn't want this child born and plotted with another man to kill Bowman and her unborn baby. Both men are in custody.

This guy sounds like a real winner, with a criminal record, living with his mom, his new girlfriend, and the roommate who was part of the attack. At the very least, I think the man should maybe be educated in the use of a condom or learn about a vasectomy. But there's another word or two that would fit this situation, too, as far as I'm concerned, in terms of what should happen to lowlifes who try to get out of fatherhood through kidnapping and murder.

Why you shouldn't text and walk at the same time

There might be a bear ahead of you. :)

Glad to be home

It was a little difficult to get into the swing of a normal workday today, but I finally managed it. It did seem like a Monday, though. I had to leave a little early to go to the bank. And I just called the Science Fiction Book Club to see if I could cancel even though I have one book on pre-order that will be shipped next week. I was offered the 'order-only' option (I presume because I've fulfilled my quota), so I decided to go with that. I do like to order occasionally, but keeping up with the featured selections was a pain, and that was the reason I was cancelling (I've been burned in terms of books shipping without my realising I hadn't declined the offer, and that led to all sorts of insufficient funds that took two pay days to rebound from, back in the fall).

I just got off the phone with my mom and grandmother. My grandmother turns 88 today! Happy birthday, Ma. My aunts and uncles have arrived and we firmed up plans for me to visit later in the week. It'll be nice to see everyone.

I finished Charlaine Harris' Deadlocked today. It was so nice to read yesterday, for so long, and I was so close to the end, but had to go on to bed. So I finished it this morning before work.

Okay, I need to go check something online for a friend. I'll write later, I'm sure.

A rare day of absolute leisure

I've mostly been reading Charlaine Harris' Dead Reckoning, finishing it and then napping. I'm about to go on to Deadlocked, the newest Sookie Stackhouse book.

I haven't just sat down and read for hours in a long time; it's usually short forays at lunch or waiting for the bus. This was luxurious. I think I may watch a DVD later so that I can send it back and start getting the episodes of 'True Blood' to see how different it is. But today is unusual in that I haven't spoken to a soul, I haven't been out of the apartment--I've read, napped, looked at the news on the Internet, blogged a bit, eaten a little, and that's about it. Tomorrow should be much different!

Yesterday we didn't play the game, although I went over to do some things over there and visit, and ate a wonderful frittata with salad and broccoli soup. But as weekends go, this has been fairly relaxing. I should have a day to myself more often, although of course I enjoy being with other people, too.

Okay, I'm going back to reading. Hope you're getting your batteries recharged, too.

Struggling to find the balance between entertainment and conservation

To Save Some Species, Zoos Must Let Others Die

As the number of species at risk of extinction soars, zoos are increasingly being called upon to rescue and sustain animals, and not just for marquee breeds like pandas and rhinos but also for all manner of mammals, frogs, birds and insects whose populations are suddenly crashing.

To conserve animals effectively, however, zoo officials have concluded that they must winnow species in their care and devote more resources to a chosen few. The result is that zookeepers, usually animal lovers to the core, are increasingly being pressed into making cold calculations about which animals are the most crucial to save. Some days, the burden feels less like Noah building an ark and more like Schindler making a list.