It's Summer

Once again, Virginia Beach is going from Spring to Summer to early Spring! The weather over the Memorial Day weekend was absolutely beautiful - perfect temperature and sunny. Today it's hot and somewhat humid - summer weather - high 80s and sunny. Tomorrow is supposed to be 65 - after some thunderstorms roll through - back to early spring!

We're finally seeing many of our foreign student workers come to the library. In previous years, we've seen them come earlier - as much as a month earlier - but they're coming in now. It really is inspiring - I don't know that I would have ever had the courage to travel across the globe to a foreign country where I didn't speak the language well to work for 3-4 months. I'm just glad we can provide some contact for them to their friends and family back home. If only we had wireless!!

As the other area libraries calm down (somewhat) with school closing in a few weeks, we gear up for a really busy summer. I wonder how the gas problems and prices will affect the number of people who come to visit Virginia Beach and how many visitors we have coming in to use the computers. Only time will tell!

PS - HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a good friend - I didn't forget - I'm just that way!

Memorial Day

It's more than a day off - take some time this weekend to remember the fallen and to thank a veteran for all the freedoms we enjoy.

Open Letter to NCIS Producers

COME ON - what was that finale?? Ok - I get that Jenny was the one to leave - I've seen that coming for a while - with all the sneaking around with Ducky about a secret illness (or whatever). The shootout in the diner was probably a more fitting end than a lindgering illness - but the rest??

Leon has GOT to go - simply has to. I can't imagine that someone as smart as the Director would have put something into his personnel file (which he convienently shredded) without a backup copy somewhere (maybe in the mail to Jethro??). And splitting up the team - puleeze!

It's bad enough that Ziva's going back to Israel and McGee to somewhere, but Tony to the Ronald Reagan?? Really now!

Anyway - it made for good television and ensures that I'll be anxious for the fall and a new season. BTW I have full confidence that McGee, Tony and Ziva will be back - after all they are the most productive (apparently) of the NCIS agents!

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

I say - Celebrate the Small Stuff!

Example 1: Yesterday, for the first time in 10 weeks, I used BOTH my hands to brush my hair, gather it (somewhat sloppily!) into a ponytail AND twist a scrunchy around it tight enough to last for 14 hours!!

Example 2: An early meeting (before the hand swells too much) called for more notes than my poor left hand could laboriously handle - so, with brace on and a stiff thumb requiring an awkward pen position, my right hand rose to the challenge! And in the chicken scratch that resulted I actually saw shadows of my former handwriting!

World peace is still a distant dream, cancer is still uncured and gas and fuel prices continue to soar but my optimistic glass got a few drops fuller and the dim flicker at the end of what seems like an endless tunnel of aching, stiff and somewhat useless wrist got a little bit brighter. So I'm going to Sweat and Celebrate the small stuff and, hopefully, the big stuff will follow along.

Diane - now feeling that sometime in 2008 my wrist will be back to its new normal!

Wonderful,Energizing Workshop Today

Today, my Library department had one of it's regularly scheduled monthly "all staff" meetings - actually three one-hour sessions throughout the day. (That schedule lets most of the staff, including part-timers and "evening only" staff participate!)

Today was extra special, tho, because Michael Stephens of Tame the Web fame was here and gave a very engaging and dynamic talk (or three of them!). He spoke on what's next after Library, Learning and Web 2.0 - what we should be looking at for the future (and the present) and what we should learn next.

It was a fascinating hour - and honestly quite gratifying to know that we're doing some things "right" already and energizing with all the wonderful new things we have in front of us! Of course, there are always some obstacles but I don't think they're insurmountable and I'm very hopeful that we'll be able to move forward on a lot of the ideas! I know I have a lot of new sites to check out!

All - in - all a wonderful (long) day -

Thank you Michael - for coming to Virginia Beach!

Happy Mother's Day!

I've made it a point (not that I think anyone's really noticed!) not to endorse either of the two people running for the Democratic party - but this is pretty convincing because it's so reasoned and logical!

Beware: Celebrity Endorsement


Might actually make up my mind for me - NOT! But it is the kind of political advertising I wish we had more often!

Besides - I HAVE to go with someone who reads history for pleasure!!

Baby Steps

Ok - here's the thing - the cast(s) are all off - the wrist is officially healed and I've got a brace which I've been using religiously. HOWEVER - it's been a week and I don't know that I've made the progress I should have - for many reasons! I do have an ulterior motive - I'd like to avoid physical therapy if at all possible!

• Fear - it's very strange to feel "afraid" to use part of your body that you've always used but there you are. I'm able to type with both hands but not as smoothly as I used to - yet. But I've been babying my wrist - probably too much!
• Relying too much on the brace - my wrist - heck the arm - felt naked without something on it so I left the brace on except for showers. It's scratchy and doesn't (of course) have the support of the cast but it does give a sense of security - but it definitely limits mobility!
• Feeling particularly old and vulnerable - this is my birthday month (in fact week) and the length of time this is taking to heal has pointed out, once again, that a significant amount of time has passed and "bouncing back" simply doesn't happen any more. That realization also causes mini - pity parties, which while temporarily gratifying (on some bizarre plane) are simply not useful or helpful

SO - what now!!?? Well, the brace is off today - I'm typing without it and doing ok - the old arm is stiff - of course it is! I don't have any real pain - just some soreness! I'll use the brace at night (at least for another few days) and I'm going to try to make myself use my hand and wrist more. Poor thing can barely hold anything but it's getting better every day!

AND - no more pity parties! I had some whine (with cheese and wine actually) but it's time to "let it go".

I'm going to depend on my friends to reign me in if (ok when) I get going! That's what friends are for - listening, supporting and smacking upside the head when it's needed! It's been a while since we've been able to get together - really looking forward to that!!

Saturday - May 3

It's my first Saturday to work in a long time - my co-workers have been wonderful in giving me the time to heal! I was able to do the money (rolling the pennies one penny at a time was interesting) and I know the day will go well! Apparently the NCIS marathons on USA are over - at least there wasn't one last weekend so I'm not missing Mark & the crew! It's supposed to be a picture perfect day at the beach today!!

(Picture courtesy of AmericaninCanada - Flickr.com)

A good friend's Mom had to go into the hospital this past week - Delilah - all good thoughts to you and your Mom and don't hesitate to call whenever!