Where Everybody's Somebody

After years of longing (right), I am now officially living in Snellville city limits (not the outer limits of Lilburn)..."where everybody's somebody" (although I think the motto has changed in recent years).

This past week has been emotionally draining. I apologize for any e-mails left unanswered and phone calls not returned.

The new house is a mess right now, but has a lot of potential (my mom is making many changes). I bet my parents are honestly glad to have me around since there was so much stuff to move.

Parting with the old house wasn't bad. My brother took it the worst of us all...his tolerance for change being much less than the rest of us. My dog also didn't take it well...to the point of where we thought he was dying last night. I've never seen his eyes glazed over like that, nor the complete unresponsiveness to food before. I became a complete mess over the thought of losing him. I worried so much that I made myself sick multiple times during the middle of the night last night. Today was much better though and I think he still has some time with us. Needless to say, I am going to be a wreck when he leaves us.

The room I will be staying in is basically the size of my apartment in Indiana, which is great (if only I had a kitchen).

So what's weird about this place? To be as nice as possible, we are living in a neighborhood of around 60-70% old people. There are two children in the neighborhood, nobody my age, and around 20% my parents age. I go outside to walk the dog and I know I am being watched by 20 pairs of eyes. At least it's quiet!

Life is alright...slowly gaining my social life back. I'm going to a drum corps show on Friday, which I am excited about and have a dinner party to go to on Saturday.

Anyways, more later.

Because the move is happening on Saturday and I won't be able to post for a while...

A quiz. or two. or three.

You Are 65% Left Brained, 35% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

You Will Die at Age 82

Congratulations! You take good care of yourself. You're poised to live a long, healthy life.

What Age Will You Die?

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

Social Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

Ethics: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

Can we say moderate?

Outraged

Begin RANT

As much as I love living in Georgia again, I have to report the following news.

Gwinnett library board fires director

By DUANE D. STANFORD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/13/06

The Gwinnett County Library Board fired its executive director of 15 years Monday night, enraging a crowd of patrons who wanted her to keep her job.

Sparking cries of "Incompetent!" and "Fire the Board!" from the audience, three of the library board's five members voted to oust director Jo Ann Pinder without cause. The panel's majority also used a parliamentary procedure to block the board's only dissenting member, Brett Taylor, from speaking on the motion.

Phyllis Oxendine, who sponsored the motion, was joined by fellow board members Dale Todd and Margaret Tiller in the vote to fire Pinder. Board Chairman Lloyd Breck abstained but said prior to the vote that he would cast a tie-breaker, if necessary, in favor of the firing.

More than 100 library patrons, many of them wearing red to show support for Pinder, packed into a small conference room at the Five Forks Trickum library branch south of Lawrenceville to witness the vote. The board's decision set off an eruption of angry shouts.

"I hope y'all get fired in public like this!" one man yelled.

Police were brought into the meeting to keep order.

Pinder's attorney then escorted her out of the room as people gathered in the hallway cheered her and patted her on the back. Some wiped away tears.

As Pinder walked to her car, she said she was proud of her work at the library. "I'm just appreciative of all the support of the staff and the people," said Pinder.

She declined comment whether she was considering taking legal action.

"I'm going to go home," Pinder said.

Minutes before Pinder's firing, the board took public comment from about 21 citizens. Most of them spoke in favor of Pinder. Two men in the audience held up manila envelopes scrawled with the words, "Pinder Yes."




This director is in charge of a whopping 15 libraries. She brought the system to its pinnacle in 2000, when they earned the Library of the Year Award (from Library Journal). From what I have been reading in the paper, the most offensive thing she has committed is a skimpy geneaology collection (important in public ibraries).

So this woman had to suffer this act of public humiliation because she yelled at some home-school parents? What is this, the Scarlet Letter? I wonder if she'll have to go around town sporting a big red letter on her chest.

People have way too much time on their hands. Terrible things and people are ignored, and others are condemned. Maybe there is a lot more to this particular situation, but I bet all of that energy could have gone toward choosing some cool books or trying to figure out their confusing computer system (it' s way too difficult to access even the OPAC).

I love the bolded statement in the article. So Georgia, but straight and to the point.



/RANT

Sigh

Moving, my friends, is crazy stuff.

Memorial Day...my apartment ceiling leaks...results in no air conditioning on move-out day. It was hell.

I get to see the new house for the first time later today. I am so pumped. I am ready to move now, if only to quit living out of boxes.

I had an interview today...I really liked the place (fingers crossed). More info to come later.

Has anybody (and by anybody I mean Harry Potter fans) heard about this new Wizard Rock phenomenon? They are all over myspace...I totally recommend the electronic stuff. Too many bands are coming out though...I mean Harry and the Potters, the Remus Lupins, Dumbledork, the Whomping Willows, and the list goes on and on. They should regulate or something.

So this was a pretty pointless entry and I was too lazy to link to anything, but at least you have an update!

Moving and J-O-Bs (well postings at least)

Hi all!

My work days at IU are over...well I work Saturday, but nobody will be there so it doesn't count. I got a small pizza party today...all five workers filled out a card and Charla and Misty gave me a very pretty necklace. I'm sad to leave these people, not only because they have been the most consistent part of my life this year, but also because they're just good people in general. Sigh.

I keep putting off all of this packing because I know that my life will be consumed by it over the next few weeks. First the apartment, and then the house, then everything will be different. I can honestly say, though, that this marks the first time in my life that I am NOT afraid of change.

I've been a job-applying maniac lately. I've had one phone interview and was invited today to an in-person interview at a different school (I have to prepare an instruction session...yikes).

I think that's all I got...I'll probably write next from Georgia!

Stolen from Andrew...

...because I thought it would be fun!

Accent: I'm one of those weird people who can pick up accents very easily (I'm a language person). So right now, I have a little Indiana accent...when I go to Georgia, I'll sound like everybody else in Gwinnett County (I.E. a northerner that says "y'all"...not everybody in the south has a southern accent)
Booze: If I had my choice, I'd say none. I just don't like it. But if I had to, I would say beer over wine (I know, crazy), and a long island for a mixed drink.
Chore I Hate: Scrubbing the tub and yard work
Dog or Cat: I am definitely a DOG person
Essential Electronics: My computer, ipod, and cell phone (even though I rarely answer it)
Favorite Cologne(s): I don't know...the cologne has to react well with the guy. It's funny, I have never liked the cologne on any of the guys I have ever dated, although there was my friend from high school Joey, who always smelled great. If I could ever find the name of the cologne....
Gold or Silver: I think Gold looks best against my skin tone, but I own more silver
Hagiography: Well, I am catholic, and my confirmation saint is Bridget...so we'll go with her
Insomnia: I have trouble falling asleep sometimes, but I can sleep every night
Job Title: Unemployed? oh wait, I still work at wells, so Gaidoz Project Assistant
Kids: Hopefully some day
Living arrangements: For the next week and a half, a small two bedroom apt...by myself
Most admirable trait: work ethic
Number of sexual partners: "What is this, a physical?"...my thoughts exactly Andrew
Overnight hospital stays: None
Phobias: Social Dancing and Bugs...I would say needles, but that's more of a control issue
Quote: I really don't feel like searching for one right now
Religion: Catholic
Siblings: Older brother
Time I wake up: Depends...earliest is 6:30am, latest is 9:30am
Unusual talent or skill: Flag spinning
Vegetable I refuse to eat: Cooked carrots
Worst habit: I open things with my teeth because I am too impatient to tear them apart with my hands or use scissors.
X-rays: I've a had a few
Yummy foods I make: Chilli, Cakes (Chocolate Cake!), Cookies, Chicken Tenders, lots of stuff
Zodiac sign: Aries...rawr

Living the 'Proactiv' life

I'll admit it...I am a 24 year old "woman" still suffering from the socially painful woes of acne. Alright, it's not that bad, and never really has been. I've just inherited my paternal grandmother's extremely large pores, which result in permanent black heads and the occasional inflammatory break-out. They somehow miraculously disappear in photographs though...very thankful indeed.

As an early-bird in the puberty (I still hate that word) portion of my life, I began suffering from this affliction at the ripe age of 9. In high school, my mother decided to do something about it (rather to shut me up) and take me to the dermatologist. I tried the benozoyl peroxide washes...they only resulted in a red neck (haha) and the rude morning wake up call of not being able to open my eyes (puffiness). I also tried other topical medicines, which were terrible when I started doing color guard, as they resulted in sun poisoning at band camps.

So I gave up throughout college...I made sure that I took care of my face. It would all go away during drum corps summers...although if you spend more than 3 weeks of 11 hours per day in the sun, your nose begins peeling off in chunky pieces. I would get home though, and the zits would be back for more (the disease that keeps on giving? oh wait, that's something else).

So here I am, in what is technically my mid-twenties (yikes!) and I'm still suffering. One day on a whim I decided to try Proactiv (because if it works for Jessica Simpson...haha). I get the package and realize that a lot of their products contain the lovely benzoyl peroxide, which isn't so lovely to me. I realized that if I use it once every three days (way under the recommendation) , I'm not affected by the benzoyl peroxide, and it helps clear things up.

Last week though I had a terrible break-out. It was quite possibly because I was finished with school and all of the stress within me combined with a job interview, had finally surfaced in the familiar red mound-like form.

I will continue to live the 'Proactiv' life because I do think it works, especially if your skin isn't sensitive like mine. But I do realize that stress can have far more influence on my looks than a miracle medicine can.

What's up doc?

Reality is setting in...I got my first invoice for student loans...I miss the undergrad days of HOPE scholarship. Georgia is awesome.

I ended up doing very well this semester...completely makes up for all those weekends stuck in my apartment glued to my computer and praying that ella wouldn't go out.

Somehow my key to the office at work slipped off of my key ring...HOW DID THIS HAPPEN, and why now when my days are already numbered?

My friend Adrian recently got an internship at a radio station in Sandy Springs. She gets some on-air time on Fridays at around 6pm. I'm totally excited for her.

Mother's Day is Sunday...don't forget to tell your mom or other women in your life that you love them!!

Faster than a speeding bullet...

I'm pretty sure I mentioned in earlier posts that my parents are selling their house...the only house I have ever known.

This might be a whirlwind record. One week on the market, they sell their house...three days later, they find a new one. We are out as of June 15th.

We will still be living in Brookwood district (like 7 minutes from the old house), not that it matters because us kids are in our mid to late twenties. The lot is way smaller than the old one, but that's what they wanted. I will also miss the pool, which I totally haven't taken advantage of in a long time. But life goes on and the neighborhood was truly becoming get-tro. It's still sad to give up your first bedroom, the place where you learned how to swim, had your second kiss (and third, etc.), made your first cake, etc. It's all happening so fast, but it's better than it dragging out throughout the summer. I'm going to miss that place.

Anyways, I'm working a lot...going in on Saturdays too! Making money is good, but finishing the Gaidoz project will be even better. I would like to do something like it again in the future. Mmmm moldy books. I love it.

As for tonight, I get to hang out with my girls at Lennies! wOOt

CHANGE!!!

Well folks, the torture known as graduate school has FINALLY come to an end for me!

I wanted to show you guys the projects I have been working on for a while now.

I mentioned in an earlier (I'm to lazy to hyperlink) post how I have been working with the Wyoming State Library System on one of the 7 or 8 re-designs of the small public library web sites. The libraries were supposed to fill out surveys, but mine never got around to it. So I had to make up information in many areas. I was going for something very simple and with clear navigation.

Here is the FORMER site (I did not do this).

Here is my revision.

This project was super fun and I hope that they'll actually end up using it.

I also mentioned in the previous post about my social tagging project. It's not completely finished, but you can find it here.

I'm not the best web designer, but I like doing it and it's leaps and bounds beyond where I was when I entered this program. I love technology!

I still think social tagging is a mess, but it makes for an interesting study!

Susan gave me the idea of revamping my previous pathfinders from my reference and information in the humanities classes. I'm so excited to make these look better. Ella is my best friend (only SLIS people will understand this). I also need to request to continue to use some space after graduation, or else my potential employers will not see the work I have done. Also expect a new layout for this blog soon with added bonus features...something I've been wanting to do for a long time.

I'm so happy to be finished with school. I will be up here working until the end of May and concentrating on the job search, which is finally receiving some results, even while searching within a very specific geographic area. I have to FOCUS.

I'm super excited about being able to read for pleasure again, to be free from my past demons (boys/former bad stuff from Georgia), to be able to go out with friends, to be outside (it still needs to get a little bit warmer), and to have a giant weight of school lifted off of my shoulders.

More non-self-centered posts to come!

Blast from the past

Since everybody is talking about vanity googling or self-googlization, I must relate a recent discovery.

For some reason or another I was in Google Images, when I decided to search "Carolina Crown" (the corps in which I marched for a couple of years during the summer).

On the second page I see a picture of a guard member from 2003, so I had to investigate...turns out, it was me!


I didn't recognize myself because I looked quite different back then, in MANY respects (mainly, I don't wear metallic unitards on a daily basis...the show was about bells, so it was appropriate). I remember the show too...the astro turf was all soggy, so the flag was difficult to spin...and why do photographers always catch you in awkward moments...my hands were going towards the catch, and they look terrible. I am on the front 50 though, which is a good thing in the marching arts world.

The biggest reason that I don't do color guard anymore...being a perfectionist.

Seeing the light

I had to turn on the air conditioning this weekend...there were moments where I felt like I was sitting in my apartment on a summer afternoon. We're back to spring weather though, so at least I can save on my electric bill this month.

I officially have four class periods left of graduate school. I have finished my web site for L-571...conducting the usability testing yielded a few changes and I'm sure I'll obsess over it this week still before it's "turned in" on the 24th. I still have to finish the report and make changes to another assignment, so there's plenty to do. I have also been working on a web site for my Library Automation class concerning Social Tagging...an interesting topic, since it is so new to the field. Part of me thinks it's really cool, and another part of me thinks it's going to be a big mess...but most people don't know what I'm talking about anyways.

It's nice to know that the end is near.

Oh, and Happy Easter!

Potpourri

Just a few things:

Oscar Wilde's LAST words were :

"Either that wallpaper goes or I do"

I guess the wallpaper stayed.

Two things I love about America (there are more, but these are just a sample) :
Heinz Ketchup
Barefoot Contessa

Fantasia won WGI this year...see, they are great when they do a pretty show (I've only seen a clip).


That's all for now...16 days until I don't have to worry about school.

There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them. -Sylvia Plath

I've been taking a metaphorical page out of good ol' Sylvia's book lately, and it's true. I am a girl...therefore a big fan of the bath. Although, I don't think I'll be sticking my head in an oven any time soon (do you know your literary greats life stories???).

I decided to take all of my color guard "gear" (clothes, t-shirts, show shirts, the costumes I was able to keep, etc) and pack it in a rubbermaid storage tin/box thing. I figure that maybe one day, just maybe, I'll have children (and a loving husband too) who might be interested in my past life. If I keep wearing the t-shirts, they're bound to get lost or fall apart more than they already are. I never realized how much crap I accumulated from my 3 years of high school, 4 years of college, and 4 seasons of independent involvement...and half of my stuff was lost or resides at my parents house. I also have basically lost my hoodie, t-shirt, and long sleeve t-shirt collection. Humorous discoveries abound...

My exit from AIM has left me with little readers...I didn't realize how many people read this thing from the link on my profile.

I hope everybody is doing well, especially as we embark on the hectic month of April (one month and 7 days until graduation!).

Out Like a Lamb...

I'm pretty sure Bloomington is on the cusp of seeing Spring. We had a grand snow storm Tuesday, which made me less hopeful of ever being in warm weather again. It was quite a shock to return from Georgia to a winter wonderland. The forecasts for the next week are promising, though so I can start smiling again.

I am on hiatus from AIM with hopes of becoming more productive in my studies. So far it has worked fairly well...basically I have less distractions and am left with nothing better to do than school work and cover letters. It works, so I'll stick with it...I was sick of relying on AIM for social interaction anyways.

Last night I saw Andrew and Samantha perform the lovely music of Bach, Mozart, Barber, and Stravinsky with the Bloomington Chamber Singers. Although I have never been musically trained, I highly appreciate productions like these and had a great time.

Nothing else to say really...just looking forward to April and finishing school!

New teeth and other uneventful stuff

So I have always been a bit self-conscious about my teeth. I never needed braces, which is a miracle. My bottom teeth are flawless, minus a bit of crowding between the two front ones from before the wisdom teeth were taken out. My top teeth are straight, but I have always had a gap between my two front ones. It was much bigger when I was little, but it was enough to make me not want to smile for a long time. Most people don't notice the gap...even my brother didn't notice (I'm actually not surprised at this).

I am probably one of the few people who actually like going to the dentist (the doctor is a different story). I'm no beauty otherwise, but they always seem to marvel at my teeth...they are white, have perfect accretion (guessing on this spelling), and are straight. It's nice to have people remark on something that nature/genetics did well for you (although, I have had my fair share of cavities). I have been wanting to fix my gap for ages, and on my last visit, the dentist suggested that I get them bonded. So i finally took the plunge and went through the painless process on Monday. I now have two front teeth without a gap (I might post a picture later). The dentist took before/after pictures, and everybody in the office wanted a look. So while the transition may go unnoticed for the rest of the world, I have no reason to hide my smile any longer. :)

I've been home for a week now. I'm very relaxed and have seen a couple of friends, so it's been nice. I went to Athens yesterday and had a lot of fun with Lauren. I am constantly reminded how much I don't like it there every time I visit though. Not that Gwinnett is wonderful, it's just that very few people remain there who I actually respect/like. Most of the good people have left. I do realize though that things get better with time, and one day I will be able to look at Athens with kind eyes and good memories (because it was fun while I was there) and overlook the crap that is going on now (because it really doesn't matter). Same thing goes for drum corps, winterguard, etc. For now though, it's career concentration time.

A lot of job postings have come through this week...I really need to get started with the application process again, because applying to four places isn't enough. Some of these jobs are a bit far fetched for me, but I am going to apply anyways, because opportunities arise from the least likely places.

My mom and I have done a considerable amount of mother-daughter bonding in the last week. Growing out of that teenage phase has been so nice. We still fight every once in a while, but it's been nice to be able to comfortably talk about things that have been happening in my life, my worries, wishes, etc.

Oh, and I really didn't expect this to be my personality. The muppet DOES live in the back seat of my car though...

You Are Animal

A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts. You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary. But you sure can beat a good drum. "Kill! Kill!"

The Muppet Personality Test

Monumental Event

Tonight I did homework...a week and 2 days before the assignment is due...willingly...on spring break even.

First time since...maybe the first week as an undergrad.

I thought I should record it because I'm usually a 2-3 days before it's due kind of girl at my best.

It's quite possible that I don't have a life also.

I can't think of a title

I am happy to report that I arrived safely in Georgia...it's the start of my spring break, but I have two assignments due Friday, so technically, the "fun" starts then. My drive was fairly uneventful, save the three times I was cut off by semi trucks. Semis make me feel like I need to take an anger management course. Or maybe they just give me an inferiority complex.

I arrived here in the middle of the afternoon. It was sunny and in the mid-60s. I immediately went to my flag to spin (this used to be an automatic reaction). I somehow remembered my 2003 opener from Crown. It was enough to safisfy my color guard needs for a while though, which tells me that moving on from the activity was a smart choice. I am enjoying the taste of spring...it's like instant happiness.

Kirby Puckett died this week. Sad day in baseball history. I don't follow the sport as much as I used to, but the name is stuck in my memory.

I finally saw the new Pride and Prejudice movie. I not too sure what kind of reviews it received, but I loved it. The cinematography was beautiful (as if I didn't love England enough already)...and I think it is one of the greatest love stories ever. I'm no sap, but Jane Austen was on the mark when she wrote this. What an incredible way to fall in love.

I have quite a bit on my agenda for the week...I'm just hoping to see everybody, and that everything goes well (this includes my adventures into PHP...the bane of my existence).

Some of the jobs that I applied for close this week as well. Waiting is no fun.

In like a lion...

I don't think I have ever been more eager for a month to be over than I have this February. My mother says that bad things seem to always happen to her in October. Well, February has gained quite the negative reputation in my mind. I've never been particularly fond of it...the weather sucks, my grandmother died during that month 13 years ago...and as I got older, Valentines Days usually sucked, because they always seem to coincide with the breaking of my romantic relationships, or when a guy decides to not speak to me. The past three years in paticular have been terrible. I wake up and something new would go wrong with each passing day.

This year's February was surprisingly pleasant until around the 10th or so, when things went awry. I'm not really willing to go into the details, but let's just say I've lost respect for a couple of people whom I had a lot of respect for in the past (this has been happening to me a lot lately...and I thought I was cautious to begin with). My computer is on the verge of a breakdown. I finally got a flash drive to back things up, so I can basically reload the computer, but I'm kind of scared that it is a hardware issue...which in that case, I am literally screwed...because I can't get a new computer (I'm saving up for a Mac) until I start a full-time job. I LIVE on my computer, especially since my classes are based around technology...no print resources this semester. Other sucky things have been happening as well, but they're not of any grand importance.

Normally, I let these things get to me, because quite frankly, they're frustrating. But honestly, are my problems really PROBLEMS? I mean, things suck...like school and the job search and crappy luck. But these are the things that in the whole scheme of life, don't really matter. I realize that I am in grad school limbo and that my life ACTUALLY starts in May...school is NOT real life (it's not, my parents still support me). I have to get through the limbo though and push myself, because I have to get to my goal of graduation, and moving on with my life. Bad things keep on happening while I'm here, but I'm not even close to giving up, especially this late in the game. I wish other people would realize how good their lives are too. They just have to sort through the crap on the surface.

More about the good things that occured in February later (all two of them). Welcome March. May you bring a new perspective.

Windy City

It has been a while, but my weekend was super eventful, so I figure an update is in order.

On Friday, I drove through a torrential rain storm in western Indiana, on my way to Springfield, Illinois (yes, the capital of Illinois...which got me wondering, do you remember your state capitals???). Well, actually I drove to a village called Chatham, about 10 minutes from Springfield, to my aunt's house. I arrived at 8:30pm and promptly went to bed...4:30 (yes, am) wake-up time.

The rude awakening was well worth it because my aunt and I were able to take a train and arrive in Chicago by 10:15. We met my other aunt and cousin and promptly decided to take a cab (it was freezing and snowing, and my aunt was sick) to Michigan Ave. I won't bore you with all of the gory details, but the shopping was amazing (very few disappointments). This is the fourth year of the family tradition (my second), originally made to celebrate my cousin's birthday. We stay at the same hotel, eat at the same restaurants (oh and yes), and eat the same chocolate every visit. It is definitely one of my favorite times of the year (and that's saying something, because I LOATHE winter). Next year, my mom is getting in the action, and I can't wait to add another girl to the mix. I'm not a girly-girl (really), but I love this bonding weekend.

I have a bit of homework/projects to do for next week. I have a weekend visitor :) and some stuff planned with other people, so I am going to do my best to stay dilligent througout the week. I know inevitably I will be writing a paper this weekend though...slacker!

I'm still looking for jobs...it is difficult for sure.