Thermostat Nazi

Those of you who know me are aware of my stubborn thermostat habits. I try to see how long I can wait in the winter before I turn it on. When I do turn it on it is rarely above 62 degrees. In the summer I've been known to keep it set at 85 degrees. This is why I am called the Thermostat Nazi. Well, I came home this morning expecting the heat to be running. I left it at a respectable 53 degrees before I left yesterday. It said 43 degrees instead and would not come on. I called my landlord who in turn called the thermostat man who then called me. He asked me to check my gas tank which was at zero gallons. I was very surprised because it was just filled 22 days ago at the low cost of $245. I'm rarely here and I never have the heat above 58 degrees in this house. Figure it out if you can because I can't. I now consider this house to be The Money Pit Vermin Palace. Anyway, I left the house for a few hours to stay at a warmer place. I came back around 2pm and a new temperature was displayed:

So, the temperature to the right is the one I want--it says 58 degrees. The temperature on the left is the actual degrees inside the house--38 degrees. The gas man just came by and we are inching up the scale to normal temperatures. In mere moments I will be warm enough to no longer have tissue stuck up my nostrils to stop the running. We are now back up to 43 degrees--hooray!!

In other news, this is the beginning of my second week of vacation. I have successfully packed two boxes. Yes, just two boxes--both packed within the last 20 minutes. Motivation totally eluded me last week but at least I got all my Christmas shopping done and presents wrapped. Progress is progress no matter what form. Today, I intend to pack at least 3 more boxes and I took a load of librarian books to my work area. I grabbed a few out of the bad room. This is the room in which the bugs roam freely and I never ever enter after dark. There was a dead scorpion waiting in there for me today. That brings the scorpion count up to 4 since I moved here. Alabama was fun and I saw Four Christmases. It was funny but not as funny as I expected. I visited with some friends in Atlanta last weekend and got to celebrate with my grandmother on her 86th birthday. We had cupcakes, two of which I ate for breakfast on Sunday. I'll see more friends and family this week so I won't be home much again. That's all the news for now, must return to packing.

Alabama Bound

Well, my final week of work before the big holiday break is here. We are rather busy with last minute details. I'm taking a 2 day course on information literacy assessment online and the next three days (two for me) will be spent shifting our non-fiction section. I'm taking Friday off--so my vacation will begin a little early! This weekend I'm going to Alabama with my friend to visit her friends and family. I can't remember the last time I was in AL, if ever, so this should be a fun little trip for me. Hopefully, I'll visit Atlanta the following weekend. Time to travel is such a rare commodity. I'm slowly finishing all my holiday shopping and the packing of boxes will begin next week. You may wonder what else I will do with all my spare time. I have the unfortunate feeling that my three week vacation will go by much faster than I'd like.

I've been trying to take pictures of my pond ducks but they keep flying away before the camera can focus. Instead, I have posted a picture of my potman (ceramic, not illegal). Some lovely friends of mine made him for me and he guards my front porch. I've named him Marley.

I've also included a picture of my friend's sweet puppy Sandi. She likes to jump up on the back of the couch (just like a cat!) and sit on the cushion.

In comparison it looks as though she could kick my potman's butt. However, I assure you she is smaller than Marley.

I feel like I need to readdress the Twilight issue. I get the feeling those that loved the book were disappointed by the movie (usually always the case with a film adaptation) and those that loathed the book (myself) enjoyed the movie. There, 'nuff said. I'm still reading The Last Apprentice series--I'm on book four, Attack of the Fiend. The kids have commented on how scary it looks. Oh, and I'm dying to see Four Christmases.

Race To The Race

Well, my second 5K race (the 13th Annual Will Robinson Memorial Run) was this weekend. I planned to leave my house 30 minutes before the race to have time to park, sign-up and stretch. I found a parking space at 8:16 am. I realized at 8:16:08 that I forgot my MP3 player. I cannot run without my music--I am physically unable. So, it took me 16 minutes to get there but it took another 20 minutes to drive back to my house and then back to the site of the race. I was driving really fast. They started without me (the nerve)!! I started 6 minutes and 21 seconds after the start time. It was so, so cold. I thought my thumb nails were going to fall off from the cold and I just knew my face was covered in frozen snot. I caught up with some of the people and finished in a dismal 28:33--five seconds slower than my last race. Better luck next time. "The money that is raised from the event this year will go back into the community in three different forms; toward a scholarship for the Georgia Military College Alumni Foundation, a Georgia Military Scholarship in Will Robinson's name and a donation to the CHAMPS program."...Union-Recorder, Friday November 21, 2008.

I went home to wash up and clean up my place a little. My mom and my friend April were coming to visit. We had lunch and full-tea, walked around downtown and went to the "mall" for some self-centered shopping. Then mom and I went to see Twilight.


The seats were nearly all full but we snagged two in the nose-bleed section. It was better than the book! I was not bored and I would see it again and I'm even eager to see the next movie (word is they are already working on the script). Anyway, I wish everyone a happy gobble gobble time and to find something to be thankful for.

Holiday Preparations

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and before we know it Christmas will be here. Holiday preparations include saving money for gifts, figuring out travel plans, and for some, especially me, trying to lose some weight before the six week food fest begins. I will have five days off for the Thanksgiving break (including the weekend). I plan to spend that time with my family and friends, catching up on some reading, and...packing boxes. That's right folks, I plan to leave the vermin palace by the end of the year. The bugs, the drafty structure, the brown water (yes, brown), and the iffy safety of the neighborhood, not to mention my high rent, have all lead me to search elsewhere for a place to dwell. I'll be moving to a two bedroom, one bath duplex near work. I get three weeks off for the Christmas and New Year's holidays so that time will also be spent with family and friends, catching up on reading, packing, moving and unpacking. Huzzah!!!

I'm still reading The Last Apprentice series. I am on book three, Night of the Soul Stealer. I also plan to read a biography on J.K. Rowling soon. There has been a persistent buzz for the last few months about the upcoming Twilight movie based on the best selling book by Stephenie Meyer. I plan to see the movie and I certainly hope it is better than the book. It took all my strength to get through the first book and I have no desire to delve further into the series. If I had to read one more sentence about the beauty that is Edward I was going to puke. The series is an interesting idea but is no where near the caliber of Harry Potter--despite many critics' opinions.


This is a LEGO Harry Potter.


This is Hermione

And this is Ron. I thought these were too funny and wanted to share. That's all I've got for now. I'll post pictures of my moving progress and news about my holiday plans.

The Simple Things

Sometimes you have to take a moment to appreciate the simple things that make you smile or make you feel content. Netflix is now sending me Northern Exposure again and the second book in The Last Apprentice series, Curse of the Bane, arrived at work. I'm going to enjoy my run today and be glad that tomorrow is Friday.

Pond Personalities

I've been taking pictures of my pond. One was early in the morning before I left for work and the other was taken when I returned from work. There's a pretty big difference but I think both provide interesting views. One is gloomy and gray while the other is bright and colorful. It has a split personality.

I now have ducks in the pond as well. They usually stay at the far end and every time I try to get a picture they fly away. I've had no more deer and I've completely given up on my lil' pom pom. I do see the cats from time to time though.

I saw Iron Man. It was pretty good but I'm not dying to see the sequel. I'm getting Journey to the Center of the Earth in the mail today. I heard it was a really fun movie. There's nothing I'm interested in seeing at the cinema right now so I'm glad I have Netflix. However, I'm slightly miffed at them right now. They don't have Northern Exposure seasons 4-6 available yet. Nor can they tell me when they will be. Boo!! I finished Bella at Midnight. It was very good and an easy read. Then I read The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy--also by Diane Stanley. I very much enjoyed reading it and I would recommend it to readers of any age. I started another series called The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney. I've only read the first book, Revenge of the Witch, and I'm seriously hooked. For some reason we have books 4 and 5 but not 2 and 3. Now I have to wait for them to arrive. It was really kind of creepy--a perfect read for the week of Halloween. I have no plans for Halloween. My funds are low but I wish everyone a lovely and fun-filled night.

Two Bucks

Hello my 3 readers (thanks Jessi!). Well, alumni weekend has come and gone. I would say it was a success. I don't say this because I saw thousands of people flocking here but because the former students I did see were all smiles and hugs and full of fond memories of their time here. However, the weather did turn sour Friday night. I was going to attend the parade and the football game but the rain was falling pretty hard just before the parade was going to start. I went home instead and got in some quality Food Network viewing. As I was sitting on my couch looking out at my pond I saw a buck walking in my yard. He had antlers! He was walking very slowly and I was desperate to find my camera. Alas, it was in my dang car! I couldn't go out to get it, the last time I attempted to open a door when deer were in my yard they ran off faster than I could say, "Well, darn!" So, I just stood there watching as the buck walked a little, ate a little, and continued to look behind him. A few seconds later a second buck, much larger than the first, approached. Two bucks were walking gracefully in my yard. I followed them to the back of the house and took a picture with my camera phone. It didn't turn out very well.



You can clearly see the buck on the left but the smaller buck is already headed to the thick woods behind the house.

This is the same picture but with helpful indicators. I think the arrow to the far right is the first buck but he could be anywhere within the orange oval. Anyway, I really enjoyed their visit and I hope to see them again. I will be sure to have my camera in my purse at all times in the future. I went on another creek adventure yesterday. I found a penny!! I was so proud of myself--I found exactly what I set out to find. It wasn't an old one but we did find an old Coke bottle (without a scratch anywhere) dated December 25, 1923.

I'm reading a young adult book called Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley. I'm also reading another non-fiction book, Calamity Jane: The Woman and the Legend by James D. McLaird. Calamity Jane's life is a bit of a mystery and unfortunately this book has not cleared any of that up for me, yet. I'll be starting the fourth season of Northern Exposure this week and watching a Dane Cook stand-up DVD. I've been told he's so funny and I'll laugh so hard that I'll throw up. Here's hoping!!

What A Week

Hello all. I think there are about two people who read this blog: my mother and my friend Frances--so, when I say "hello all" I mean hi mom and Frances! Anyway, this past week was very active. The library had 13 classes scheduled and I taught 11 of those. Four of them involved me visiting the classroom and trying to help the students realize the wonders of the library (the knowledge found within the building and within the online sources). I think a few students are going to use our sources for their various research and presentation assignments. Yeah me!!

On Saturday I drove to Hotlanta to visit my friend and her hubby. She and I ran a 5K race. I did better than I hoped. I finished in 28:28--five minutes less than my best time. The weather was really nice. It looked like it was going to rain but all that happened was a nice and constant breeze. We celebrated with great food and company at the tavern across the street from our finish line. I'd run one again.

On Monday the library was closed. A friend and I went to a creek and waded around in sand and water and muck. It was really quiet and cool and I only sort of fell in once. I got to try out my new boots (picture to follow). So, we're walking along seeing what we can see and my friend finds not one but two arrowheads!! Genuine artifacts people. It was pretty cool. I didn't find anything. My Eagle Eye Master companion advised me that it can take years before you can spot something just from looking as you walk. Here's a picture of the second arrowhead:

Pretty cool isn't it? I thought so. Each arrowhead was spotted in the middle of a bunch of rocks. We may try to find more on another day. We stopped after finding the second one--don't want to get greedy. Anyway, this weekend is Alumni weekend at work so maybe I will have more interesting tales to tell after Saturday.

Mourning A Legend

Well, I'm sure by now most of you have heard the sad news. The legendary Paul Newman has passed away. I have been and will always be a huge fan of his and I'm heartbroken. I love so many of his films and I admire his charity work and his desire to keep his private life private. If you have not seen any of his films some of my favorites include: Somebody Up There Likes Me, Cool Hand Luke, The Long Hot Summer, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Nobody's Fool, From the Terrace, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Sting. Be sure to watch one or all of them some time in your life.

It's Autumn!!

Today is the first day of Autumn/Fall/The Best Time of the Year. I'm so excited to see the leaves change, to feel the crisp cool air, and to prepare for all the festivities like Halloween and Thanksgiving and festivals and fairs. There are few things I enjoy as much as Fall.

I've had a new visitor at the Palace over the past week. I was waiting for a friend to stop by the house when I saw a Pomeranian on my porch. It's extremely cute and not at all interested in getting to know me. It will let me take a couple pictures from inside the house but once I open the door it scurries off to the woods behind my house. I was traipsing around in said woods this weekend and the little Pomeranian (which I've named little Pom Pom, or Aslan--depending on my mood) was hanging out and promptly scurried further into the woods out of sight.

I'm not supposed to have pets while I'm renting this house but if the animal is already on the property then I don't see any harm in feeding it. The little darling hasn't been back on the porch since last Thursday but I'm hopeful.

Work was very busy last week. I had another faculty presentation on Friday night at a lovely little restaurant in Madison and then a brief demonstration in one of the PoliSci Saturday classes. I think they both went fairly well. I may have some orientation classes to teach this week and next and I'm working on a library guide that's all inclusive with most things students will need for research and writing.

In other news, I finally saw No Country for Old Men. It was pretty good but the ending left me hanging. Now I'm gonna have to read the dang book. Other than that I'm still watching Northern Exposure. It looks like the later seasons have more episodes per disc, hooray! I'm also reading some chick lit and Women in Battle at work. It's the second non-fiction book I've read while working there. I'm trying to turn over a new leaf.

Twenty-Eight

It's that time again. Today is my 28th birthday. I've had a good day so far and a good 28 years, all things considered. I'm at home looking at my lovely plants through the window and the birds are attacking the house. I'm not kidding. No less than six birds have been flying frantically around my windows. This has never happened before. Something must be in the air---or they are setting the stage for The Birds especially for my birthday. I have no major plans for my big day today, which can make for the best birthdays. I might even take a nap! When my parents return from their Mediterranean cruise (yes, they went without me) later next week we will probably have a big celebration. My brother's birthday is in six days so we will celebrate together. A friend sent this comic to me awhile back and I just love it so I thought I'd share the humor.

Cute, isn't it? In other news...I'm boiling my silverware at the moment. A roach decided to take up residence in my silverware drawer. He died of course but now I'm disinfecting everything in the drawer. No, I did not take a picture--even I have standards. I'm still enjoying Northern Exposure but I do not like the fact that each disc only has two episodes. At this rate I'll visit Alaska before I actually finish the series. I tried to watch Shoot 'Em Up with Clive Owen this weekend. It was one of the worst movies I've ever seen; I turned it off before it was over. I also saw The House Bunny over the weekend. It was kind of dumb and not that funny. However, there were some great songs played during the movie including New Soul by Yael Naim.

Here's the YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tezx03k8W4s
It's another song that just kind of makes me smile.

Well, that's all for now from the birthday girl.

Bread Fishing

Earlier this week I had some leftover bread and I thought I might try to "catch" some fish in my pond. I threw out about 20 chunks and waited very patiently, for about 90 seconds. Nothing happened so I went inside to clean up my dinner dishes. A few minutes later I noticed large water rings in the pond. I knew it was fish so I ran outside to see if my awesome deductive reasoning skills were correct. I saw about eight huge fish eating the bread chunks. I ran back in the house to get more bread but when I got back to the pond the fish were gone. In the bread went anyway and I waited again. Another 90 seconds went by and I ran back in the house to get my camera. Here are the two best shots I got (and they are pretty bad).



I stayed on the deck for a while just watching these huge fish--at least 12 inches long. The water is black and the fish are black (I've been informed that they are probably carp) and it was getting late in the day so the pictures aren't really post-worthy but they're all I have to work with. I stood there sweating in the humidity until the last morsel of bread was eaten. Then, as I was leaving the house to run an errand, I saw three cats lazily walking down my driveway. I didn't have my camera with me then but I assure you they were cute.

'Shroom Garden

We've had a lot of rain here in Middle GA over the last week or so. Water poured out of the kitchen ceiling one night but I was ready with many large bowls and pots. The grass in my yard has gotten pretty thick again and something new grew as well.


This is my 'shroom garden from late last week




This is my 'shroom garden today. It's grown a good deal in just a few days. It looks like we'll get more rain today but we need it. My house has a tin roof so rainy weather is always a nice experience; the house becomes musical.

I'm enjoying the holiday; watching TV, getting things done around the house, trying not to think about my presentations later this week, and taking odd photos to place on my blog. All in all it's been a well rounded day.

I'm Gone For One Day...

Man, I was away from my house for one day and this is waiting on me when I walk into my living room.

I know it doesn't look that big in this picture but I placed a quarter next to it (seen below) for a comparison.



I grabbed one of my many dictionaries and placed that next to it as well (below). Pay close attention, it's a pocket dictionary. If the beetle were alive, or at least able to do more than twitch, it would probably be able to eat that dictionary.

Enough grossness. On to other news. I finally saw The Dark Knight this weekend. It was really fantastic. Lots of surprises and very long but definitely worth the money. I also saw Smart People this weekend. It was that little Indy flick with Dennis Quaid and SJP. It was pretty good. I'll be watching more Northern Exposure this evening. I can't wait to go to Alaska someday! I'm going to start saving some money each month specifically for that trip.

Work has been very busy and will be for the next couple months. I'm loving the stress and team work. I especially love having a purpose that I can sink my teeth into. I'm so looking forward to helping the faculty and students.

TV on DVD

Nothing has really happened since my last report but I have been enjoying more of my selections from Netflix. When I started my master's I stopped watching TV, meaning I stopped watching sitcoms and series' shows in the evening. I was glued to the computer writing papers and attending class when I wanted to be watching Desperate Housewives. As some of you may know I'm a huge Gilmore Girls fan. I was able to watch the series entirely on DVD rentals and finally by purchasing the series boxed set as my graduation gift to me. Now I am watching My Name is Earl. I watched the show when it first started but I started my master's that same year. Next, I'll start Northern Exposure. I'd love to go to Alaska and I thought I might enjoy the show (although I was informed that it was filmed in Colorado or somewhere but definitely not Alaska). Then I'll watch the only season of Freaks and Geeks. It supposed to be super funny.

(I can't believe I got all these pictures displayed in a row!!!)

Daredevil

This evening marks a momentous event. I have now hanged (hung?) every single piece of artwork I own. Those of you that know me or that have followed my blog may remember that this was a big issue of mine since December of last year. My apartment walls were very bare and for graduation I was given money specifically to purchase and frame artwork. I just put a picture very high on the wall in my living room.

This picture shows the artwork above my 5ft bookcase and a door (the door is nailed shut, I did not block the main door of my house with a bookcase). I left the ladder for scale. I stood on the top step of the ladder and the top of the bookcase. My intestines are still quivering but I did it!! I'm so proud. Also, I listened to the new Jason Mraz song I'm Yours like 10,000 times while I was hanging my artwork. Be sure to listen to it. It will cheer you, I promise.

Here's the youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkHTsc9PU2A

New Look

I've changed the appearance of my blog a little. The layout is the same but the dots are gone (which I loved but was a little tired of) and the background is such a lovely color. I also changed the title of my blog from What's Up With Erin ? (a truly lame title) to Erin the Librarian (which is in no way lame!). I was going to keep the old title but when I went to familylobby.com to get the glitter text it would not include the '?' in the formatting. Strange. Any who, it's a little different and may be tweaked some more here and there over the next few days.

I'll be sure to post about my high school reunion I attended a couple weekends ago. Nothing cosmic but I'm glad I went all the same. I'm reading the first installment in the Grimm Sisters series' The Fairy-Tale Detectives. The series is wildly popular with the kids. Hopefully I'll be able to discuss it with a few of them and there will no doubt be a movie adaptation soon. So far the book is very cute. I went to see Wanted at the cinema two weekends ago. Please do not see this movie! The language was awful, the special effects were The Matrix on acid, the acting was pitiful, and I wish I could erase the whole experience from my mind. I did finally see Penelope, also with James McAvoy, and it was a very sweet movie. It followed the book closely and I would recommend it for family viewing or as a g-rated girl's night in. I still have not seen The Dark Knight but I've got my finger's crossed for this weekend. I just read an article about Tropic Thunder and I'd like to see that one as well.

The spider situation at 'Vermin Palace' is under control for the moment. I'll be sure to keep you updated on any future developments: wasps, tarantulas, komodo dragons, and other average, everyday, household pests.

Yikes!

So, have you ever wanted to see a dead scorpion up close? Yeah, me neither. Nonetheless, below is a picture of one in my kitchen. Inside. My. House.

It's a little over two inches. I am officially terrified living here!! For a while I called my rental place the "Spider Palace." Then, when I was woken at 4am by mice trying to chew through the wall, I dubed it "Vermin Palace." Now, I'll just call it Hell.

Pictures!

Here are some of the pictures I promised

This is my new yard

More yard

My pond

And a snake(the one not wearing the hat)!!! It's a king snake, which is a nice snake (cringe!)

My nieces, Lilian and Rose

My friend at her surprise birthday party

That's all for now!

Erin the Librarian

More changes are afoot. I've started a new job in a new town--and I am officially a Librarian! I'm the new reference librarian at a small yet historic junior college in a town that was once the capital of Georgia. I know I've pretty much spelled it out but it's fun imagining that I've stumped my readers (both of them). I get to teach a library orientation class, hopefully go to the classrooms to talk about our resources when research assignments are approaching their due date, weed and update the reference collection, attend conferences, travel to our distance learning centers, and generally be challenged each day and put my experience and master's courses skills to good use.

I'm super excited about this job and living in a (another) new town. I've rented an old 1837 farm house that has been renovated (not exactly updated but some modern conveniences have been made--indoor plumbing. That's it). It has a great view and lots of character. This past weekend was spent cleaning and attempting to hang my pictures. What a chore! My arms hurt in odd places and I'm still not 100% satisfied with the placement of the pictures in my dining room. Insects are also an issue right now. Professionals have visited the premises but have not defeated the overall grossness of spiders. I'm sure they are on their last legs (pun intended!) though and I'll be more relaxed at night once this happens.

In other news, I got to visit with my darling friend Frances and her precocious daughters (my nieces) a few weeks ago (will post photos soon). I finished Fearless Fourteen (so, so funny) and Undead and Unworthy and a few other teen books. Right now I'm listening to Northanger Abbey and reading another teen book Mira, Mirror (which is rather strange, I may not finish this one). I also saw Baby Mama when Frances was in town and finally watched the latest Rambo. It was surprisingly good and one of Stallone's better films (he only had about 10 lines). That's all the new news about me for now--again, I'll post some pictures soon.

@ your library

I'm not sure if most people are aware of this awesome theme that is currently being used at public libraries. Our summer program theme for teens is Metamorphosis @ your library featuring this creepy creature:

They have dozens more themes like Tune in @ your library and Explore your dreams @ your library. This is mostly used with the young adult and teen literature. I get alagraphics magazine through my ALA membership. The summer 2008 issue has all kinds of posters and bookmarks for sale.

These are some of my favorites:

If you've never read Unshelved, I strongly suggest you give it a try. It's funny to everyone, not just witty librarians ;-)

I'm a huge fan of X-men and this poster "speaks" to me.

This one is my absolute favorite. This is how I look when I'm at work and after work. I'm telling the truth, honest!

Anyway, the summer programs are in full swing. We had our henna tattoo workshop last week and it went really well with 20 in attendance--that's the most I've had at any event since I started them in January. We have one this month where we re-design boring T-shirts with cool retro stencils--I'm more excited about that one than the kids I think. Our last will be a theater makeup workshop. I spent a good part of my high school years, and a couple in college, involved in drama and I think this will be really enjoyable for everyone.

In other news, I saw the latest Indiana Jones installment and enjoyed it's foolishness. I also watched The Jane Austen Book Club which was surprisingly interesting. Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love Jane Austen's books but I've never been in a book club (I know, shocking) and I didn't really think it would grab my attention. Jane Austen in the title is the only reason why I requested it on Netflix. I'm currently reading Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson. It's subtitled as The Prequel to Anne of Green Gables. That's Anne spelled with an 'e'--if you've read the book you'll get my poor joke. This has been such a joy to read. I loved Anne of Green Gables. Wilson writes it as if she was the writer of the original series. The author of Scarlett could learn a thing or two from ol' Budge.

Vacation and Para Sailing Pix

This is the luggage of four women crammed in the car just before departure

Our first food stop upon arrival. Yummy rock shrimp and Mahi-Mahi!!
April, Me, Autumn, and Doreen

This was taken at Boston's, the best seafood I've had in a long, long time

Me and April

Alas, another meal. No seafood, just good ol' burgers

All of us againOur view from the condo, pretty sweet!
Getting ready to hop on the baby boat
The baby boat
Can you see me?
How about now?
There I am!!
Back on, then off the baby boat
Walking to the safety of land
We made it!!!
That's all folks...