Month: August 2004

Talk about a buzz kill.

I’m here at work and helping folks and grooving along and this GUY comes over to the desk and lectures me about how I’m “talking so loud he can hear me four aisles away”…OMG four aisles! He said I sound like I’m in Home Depot (actually mentioned Home Depot twice). And what kind of example is that to set for the people I’m helping…uh, the example that this is a library, not a tomb and that I like my job and I’m happy to help people.
RRRGH!

So I though about going back over and telling him how RUDE he was to lecture me, but I decided to be professional and just let it slide.

Actually, this is the second time this guy has hassled me about being loud. He was here on Sunday, too. So, I told Phil about him in case he decides to complain for real, but I honestly think he gets his jollies out of hurting people’s feelings. You can’t see the hurt expression when you put in a comment form.

If he tries it again, I’m going to get him for harassment, tho’. It’s not like other people complain about me, so this guy must have some kind of chip. I mean, what if I were hearing disabled and didn’t know how loud I was talking, or even better, what if the person I am helping is hearing disabled and I am speaking clearly and distinctly so they can hear me.
RRRGGGHHH!! RRRRGGGHHH!!

Some people just SUCK the joy out of life.

I guess I’m being influenced by reading Louisa May Alcott again, but it seems to me that having money (or not having money as is the case with me) is neither a help or a hindrance to being happy. There is a certain amount of stress associated with making ends meet, but having a good time seems to be more closely tied to attitude than anything.

I’m a big slacker on the blog lately, I know.

We’re getting a big honking wad of $$ at work and we have to spend it all quickly so I’ve been working on my book list. Mostly books for our soldier/students, but I’m slipping in a few cool things as well.

It’s good to be the librarian :)

I’ve been using my in the house time lately to do some sewing. Mr. Tim has his computer set up in the front room, I sew and watch TV and he computes. I tried to make a cotehardie (they’re very fashionable here in Atlantia), but my complete lack of ability to do reasonable sleeves stopped me, so it turned out more like a 1500’s kirtle with detachable sleeves. This is OK, but it needed something, so I found some lightweight red fabric and made an underdress. This dress will be good for events where I’m working as it is informal, but still looks good. I want to make an apron and a turban style head wrappy thing to wear with it. It will complete the look. The next project is Steppe dweller garb for me and Tom. We have an event in November called Cossacks, Mongols and Huns and I’d like to make a coat and trousers combo in the Mongolian style. It should be pretty warm in case the weather is crummy and I can do a few layers in case it is not. I’m currently looking for sources of inspiration. Thankfully we have a local expert on Eastern style and she’s agreed to do an A&S class for the canton. It’ll be fun to be comfortable at an event.

I must be phone paranoid. I hear them ringing all the time at work and I never know if anyone is around to get them. We need a phone system that rings at every desk and allows people to pick up every line.

Teleconference day today. The Army Library program is buying a new integrated library system and so we meet every week to discuss the status of the project. It’s an interesing process. Everyone brings their own agenda to the meeting. The European libraries add a time and space wrinkle and our institutions are so far apart. It’s got some similarity to CLP. Librarians are ver reluctant to disagree with one another, but everyone has an opinion. It makes for careful conversations.

So…
Mr. Tim the Amtgard guy has been staying with us as he is new to the area and was paying big $$ to live in a hotel. It was supposed to be for a week and then he was going to travel for work for two weeks and then come back for a week.

Well, last Thursday he got fired. And he is looking for a new job, and it would be very mean of us to kick him out now that he’s out of work.

His wife in Illinois wants him to come back to her and he doesn’t want to do that.

You can imagine our position. He’s not a difficult person to get along with, but having a third person in the house certainly changes the dynamics of our household.

Tom is getting pretty stressed, as this comes on top of his long week of work, so all he does is sleep, eat, drive to work, work and come home to sleep. He’s awake at night for a while, but he has to be quiet as our guest is sleeping and our house is kind of small.

I wasn’t planning on having a roommate for an indefinite period. I know now how those snooty rich English folks with the country homes must feel.

You’re sweet, but not naive — though you like to be babied like a child at times. You prefer to have a bad boy by your side, but sometimes have problems understanding why he has to run off to take care of business. You want to settle down, yet deep down inside, you are excited by the surprises life throws your way. Take the What Pulp Fiction Character Are You? quiz.

So, after many weeks of planning and agonizing, the weather comes to bear. We are planning a Pennsic War Orphans party for this weekend and TWO hurricanes come barreling up the coast at us.

I’m going to give it until tomorrow to decide, but it looks like we’re going to cancel. Aargh, aargh!

There is a strange sense of relief, though. Any time an event I’ve been planning gets cancelled I am disappointed, but also a little relieved to have the unscheduled free time.

It’s Tom’s short weekend, and so he’s filled up all of his time. Not that I’m much better. He was at the beach yesterday with Gavin the news guy. I worked and went to the Mongolian Barbecue with the SCA folks. We had a nice time. Tim the houseguest arrived this morning. He’s been working third shift, so he’s currently sacked out at our place. Tom’s at fighter practice and I’m at work. Then food shopping and (hopefully) a quiet night in.

Next week should be interesting. Mr. Phil has decided to stay in NC, so he’s going to be working to get the staff motivated and projects underway. I’m in favor of the change and I hope it translates into more hours. Full time pay would be nice.

So, in the spirit of friendly relations we are opening our house to one of the new SCAdians for a week as he looks for a new place in town. This should be interesting. I spent all of last night cleaning up the house to get it ready for Tim. I hope he can stand to sleep on the futon for a week.