What I've Been Reading

Finished "Ghostgirl" by Tonya Hurley. It was pretty good. Just started the "Undead" series by MaryJanice Davidson--what a hoot! A customer recommended it to me, and I'm glad she did. I also just started Debbie Macomber's newest, "8 Sandpiper Way," part of her Cedar Cove series. I usually love her stuff, but I'm getting a little bored with this series. Not sure why.

I've seen other blogs with Shelfari or other reading lists posted along the sidebar. But I think my sidebar is pretty full right now. Maybe I'll add this kind of post over there when I feel like changing it. It'll be like redecorating my house, but for free!

#7: Blog about technology

Hmmmm...I don't know much about how technology works. But I sure get aggravated when it doesn't. One thing that really annoys me is passwords. Just to use work-related technology software, I have 8 different user name/password combinations. I finally had to write them all down. That doesn't even count the logins that get me into the computers at the desk or help me over-ride filters, etc. To get into sites that I subscribe to, I have an additional set of 9 user names/passwords. (Yes, I wrote those down, too.) Can't someone invent a thumb-print reader to let me sign in to these tools faster? Can't my monitor just see that it's me and let me on? Sorry, this wasn't supposed to be a rant about technology (oops.) I understand the need for unique user names and passwords, I just don't like to have so many of them!

I am loving this whole Learn and Play program! I would never have done this on my own. Having a structured, guided way to learn and having permission to play is making me a better technology user. Things I was once afraid of, or didn't think I had a use for, I am now learning to appreciate.


I did post some comments on other blogs. And got up the courage to read those posted on mine. Usually, when I see comments posted on other (non-work) blogs, they are snarky or just plain mean. I am pleased to see my co-workers are not following that same pattern. Thanks to those of you who responded kindly to my whiny post.

My creation

My creation
Originally uploaded by read2akid43

Well, I am trying this yet again. This time from the Flickr side, not the Blogger side. Sorry for posting the same creation 3 times, but I guess that's part of playing: DO OVER!! Perhaps I didn't have my blog set up to upload images correctly. I guess they have to be given access to "talk" to one another. Go figure. Thanks to my co-worker, Mary, for telling me about this option. Check out her fun L&P blog (Rock me like a Librarian), too. Cross your fingers that this works this time, and you won't have to see this image a fourth time.

More Flickr Fun

I played around with the mashups today. I discovered one where I could make my own magazine cover, which I will attempt to upload. The Photo Captioner and Movie Poster look like fun, too. I'll have to add some more pictures on Flickr, or try this with my camera at home. I have waaaaaaayyyy too many pictures on the memory stick. Mainly because I still don't know how to get them developed. I knew how to take a roll of film in and get pictures from that, but this is different.

Just tried to upload, and the image is blank. Will try again later. Play time is over.

Well, I got it to work, but only when I saved the picture to my computer. I will have to keep playing with the upload feature. Before, when the picture wasn't displaying , you could at least follow the link to my Flickr page. Now, it's just enlarging the picture when you click on it. I'll have to ask if anyone knows what I'm doing wrong.

Still doing this wrong. Now I have 2 things linked--the uploaded link (but the picture is blank) and the copy from my pictures (with no link to Flickr). grrrrrrrr.......

Back to Work (and Play)

This week's assignment is to play with Flickr. Lots of fun! I found so many great pictures of places I have been or wanted to go. I thought it would be boring looking at other people's pictures, but it really wasn't. I can see how it would be so much easier to share pictures this way instead of emailing them. I have tried to email pictures before, only to have the email not go through because the file was too big. This site is much nicer. Plus, I can add titles and descriptions. Way cool.

Here are a couple of pictures from inside the Hilltop branch. We are so lucky to have these beautiful artifacts to look at everyday. The Hilltop area was once home to the Central Ohio Psychiatric Hospital (1877-1991). Long time Columbus residents will remember passing the structure at the junction of W. Broad St. and I-70.

It was a gorgeous old building that unfortunately became too costly to keep in good repair. So, it was torn down. Luckily, many of the interior pieces were saved and Hilltop's architect incorporated these artifacts into our design. So now we have a piece of Hilltop history still living in our present.

WARNING! Whining Ahead:

Can I whine on here? I hope so. I know this is supposed to be a work thing, but we need to keep work and life in balance, so I'm going to get a little bit of life off my chest. My life has not been so great lately. My dad died in March, and I am still grieving. Then my husband lost his job. He got a new one, but travels all the time, so we don't see him very often. On one of these travels, his wallet was stolen. Then coming home he had not 1, but 2 flat tires. Now, today, he had a car accident. I don't know how much more we are supposed to take. When will this horrible run of bad luck be over?? I suppose you could argue that it sounds like my husband is having the bad luck, not me. But what happens to him affects me, and I feel his pain. Can I just say, "THIS SUCKS AND I'M SICK OF IT!!!!" I can? Good. I'm glad I did. Yes, we all still have our health and our home. Yes, we are all still together. Yes, I know there are millions of people who have bigger problems than mine. But these are my problems, and I warned you I was going to whine about them. If you didn't want to hear about them, then you shouldn't have read this post. ;-) I will probably delete this entire thing, but I feel better just getting it out. Sometimes we just need a pity party, and I guess this was mine.

Hooray! I'm a participant!

I was afraid I had messed something up, but I am finally listed with all of my co-workers who are learning and playing at Web 2.0. I had so much fun playing with http://www.faceyourmanga.com/, I did my kids, too. They don't think they look like them, but I do. I think I'll post them down below with Calvin and Hobbes at the bottom of my blog page.

OMG!! I just realized I picked the same hairstyle for my son that I picked for myself. Maybe that's why he didn't like his picture...

What I'm Reading

What would a library blog be without lists of what I'm reading? Boring!! So, here's a rundown of what have recently read or am currently reading.

Just finished: "Just One of the Guys" by Kristan Higgins (LOVED this!!)
"Breaking Dawn" by Stephanie Meyer (Didn't hate it, didn't love it. But it didn't deserve the bad review/grade it got by Entertainment Weekly.) "Remember Me" by Sophie Kinsella (LOVED this, too--thanks for the tip, Wendy)

Currently reading: "Ghostgirl" by Tonya Hurley (Extremely cool design and cover art--book is good so far, too.)

I used to keep lists of what I read, but I foolishly stopped doing that. Maybe this will give me a reason to start again.

Thoughts on this process so far:

I am surprised this was so easy to set up. I'm glad CML is doing this program, because I don't think I would have made time for it otherwise. I think the goal setting will be extremely easy for me. That is so much a part of my personality/genetic makeup! I think the part that will be the hardest is giving myself permission to play. I might have to actually schedule it at first.
One thing I am really happy about is that I knew what "Twitter" was BEFORE my 14 year old son did! He tried to tell me that's because Twitter is "lame," but I think he's just ticked off that I'm cooler than he is (for once).
Now that I think more about it though, I think the truly hardest part will be for me to view problems as challenges. A problem is a problem. I'll work through it, but it's still a problem. Those who know me well, will tell you I am a "catastrophizor." I plan for (and usually expect) the worst. That way I'm prepared when everything falls apart.

It was this easy?

Well, here I am. I'm really surprised it was this easy.