National Bundt Day - November 15

Courtesy of The Food Librarian, designed by JustJenn

Courtesy of The Food Librarian

Proud Bundt baker for many years, I still have my I Like Big Bundt pin from The Food Librarian from 2011. While nowhere as ambitious as Mary the Merry Bundt Baker/Food Librarian, I did make two this week.

I cheated a little and doctored two cake mixes, but I still chopped nuts, and grated baby carrots (and my knuckles), and I still used Grandma Ollie's trusty and now well used bundt cake pan for:

Mail Room Matt's Carrot Cake Birthday Bundt

Frosting on the side

Though, the surprise was on me. He took the whole week off. Whoopsie Daisy. His colleagues were happy. I hope it tasted okay. I went back today, and no one saved me a piece. WHAT THE...?! You always tithe the baker, people. Feed her and she may be fat -- and happy to make you more food.

Also, a stressed person may just bake up a storm to try and use other parts of her brain.

Case in point.

I got home really late last night, after going cross-eyed late at the office in the throes of data streams. (SO MANY DATA STREAMS) I don't like spreadsheets with over 65,000 lines and countless columns. (I like deadlines of next week even less.) It's handy to know some filtering tricks, so that you don't get too sour on the whole project(s). In honor of National Bundt Day, I was determined to bake something - that would then end up in the office, and so as this bundt baked, I also balanced my checkbook, paid my bills, and worked on this blog post all the while wondering how many poppy seeds I'd have to consume before the opiates took effect and I could sleep.... (Consuming the other 1/2 cup of powdered sugar glaze frosting certainly didn't help with the whole sleep situation!)

But I digress.

Dump, doctor, mix, and dump

Bake, test, touch, remove and cool

Flip, pray ... and Cheer

Et viola

An  Excel -- ent Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt to Blunt our Sour Pusses Stuck in Data Tables with a generous coating of SugarRush to Power Through The Night Shift Sweet Glaze

A long name but apropos, as pieces should be taken home by another colleague to thank her husband, the font of all knowledge on Excel formulas. We drink so gratefully from this font, and it makes our day sweeter. Thank you Jeffrey.

Summer 2012: Island Hopping, Part 6

My summer of Island Hopping around New York has turned more into a loosely-collected explorations/adventures that include geographic, culinary, and cultural influences. There was the museum trip, the trip to the kitchen island, and then the various yummy foods.

If you can't afford international travel to various islands to experience cuisine and cultures, Manhattan is probably the best place to be. In fact, I've got plans to visit the Scandinavian House later this fall, so I can tick all of those islands off my list - and have some good food. So, when I got a lunch invitation from my gang of former library colleagues to have lunch at a local tea house, I thought it was a perfect fit to be my Asian-themed Island Hopping adventure for the summer.

Well, to a certain extent.

Do you know how hard it is to adhere to religious dietary prohibitions when visiting a tea house? Even the baked goods and dessert have tea in them!

So, a heartfelt Thank You to restaurants that post their menus on their websites, so I can do some reconnaissance and research ahead of time!

Last Thursday, I visited the Radiance Tea House & Books on West 55th in NYC with four of my former library colleagues from Mannes. According to their side: "Radiance Tea House & Books is committed to introducing the profound Asian tea culture and Chinese traditions to the general public. [They] have designed various programs to provide... unique, informative and fun events, which include tea tastings, tea ceremonies and tea classes."

In fact, in this lovely photo from the Radiance Tea House, we sat at that table on the left next to the glass divider (leads to the stairs up from the street), across the the counter. So very zen.
The five of us hadn't managed to get together in a large group in about a year, so we had to catch up on various career and personal news. My former boss also just celebrated his big 4-0, so there were toasts too. Ordering lunch with this gang, however, is always an endeavor - involving shared appetizers, many courses, and lots of laughter. It's not a lunch group you can only spend an hour with -- try about three! Whoever says librarians are a quiet bunch has not spent time with us!

It was only after inhaling lots of dumpling, and lots of plates of food that looked like the Radiance web-site glamor shot of the shrimp dish on the left, that I thought to take out the iTouch to document the three plates of desserts that were ordered to share around the table. Green tea scones (on right),

green and black tea ice cream (left), and mochi (right) in various flavors, including, quell surprise, green tea and black tea with a side of some tea based drink. It may look like a lot for four people, but they did divvy it up pretty well. I literally could only eat a piece of the peanut butter mochi (above right photo, mochi on the left next to the purple taro-flavored sweet).

I can almost sense the laughter from parents and my younger self at me eating exotic foods like mochi - As a kid, I wouldn't try anything new! This would be entirely out of my realm of imagination. It's amazing what all I've been able to experience over the years.

Because it's not always about the food, but the friends - and all that they bring to your life and table.

After an almost three hour lunch, I made an unprecedented decision not to go back to work. Never, since I started working at 16, have I just decided to skip out of work without telling anyone. However, with everyone in the office out on vacation, an early dismissal day planned for the next day, I decided if I ever was going to play hookey, this day was it.

It was a great way to wind the summer down and get off the Island early. I even went to bed -- before 9 p.m. It was marvelous what a good 10 hours of sleep will do for your frame of mind.

The Amazing Adventures of The Shushing Librarian - What Happens After Hours

With apologies to the narrator of The Real World.

This is the true(ish) story... of seven strangers/library employees... picked to work in a library...work together and have their lives taped (for security purposes)... to find out what happens... when people stop being polite... and start getting real...The Real World: The Library - After Hours.

As relayed by The Shushing Librarian to Auntie Nettie, one night when they both should have turned off the computer and have gone to bed before the next day started.

Once the clock strikes the magic hour, all the patrons are ushered out

[get out get out thanks for coming bye-bye bye-bye-now get out get out
don't let the door hit you on the butt bye-bye get out get out get OUUUUUUUUUT!]

-- sometimes forcibly by security,

and the doors are locked, the library staff breathes a huge sigh of relief.

They power down their computers,

and the staff logs off all social media, hanging up their 'ats, so to speak.
(P.S. No one needs hear, "Where you at?" all dang day.)

They do rounds to check in to see how fellow staff are fairing.
Poor Kit the Children's Librarian is already curled up in exhaustion,

and Mother Goose's goose, is, well--cooked.

No one needs to be a-moose-ing anymore.

Our mascots can bear-ly keep their chins up anymore.

We're all feel like we've been trampled by a herd of dinosaurs masquerading as patrons.

Though exhausted, we still have to run around and put the place back together for the morning staff.

It seems the pages haven't been putting the books away.
Christmas lights, really? In July?

That's better.

And the custodial staff isn't hopping to work. We've got to roost them off their pads, but they have a Toady of a Union Rep, so it's usually a pretty swampy situation between staffs.

Once everything is done, we walk out the door and find our various ways to put the day behind us -- each in our own little ways. This was sent over to me to enjoy by the Most Interesting Man in the World, who told me that even he doesn't have the fortitude to do what we do.every.single.day.

The End.

Back to the Grind.

Merry Christmas from The Shushing Librarian!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

May the true meaning of the season bring you much joy and peace.

Please bring the gift of reading, information literacy, and language to someone you know this season. Spread the love of libraries and librarians to all you know.

Use your library card. Vote to support your local library system. Ensure that librarians, administrative and support staff, clerks, pages, and security remain employed in 2012 and years to come.

~ The Shushing Librarian

Checking In: Boy I'm Crazy ... about Big Bundts

Due to a lot of nights last week, when all I saw was the stuff on the left, my house looks a lot this shelf there on the right. (Like how Mother Nature decided to shine a light on the mess?) So obviously, not a lot of blogging ... If I'm lucky, I can work at least a week ahead on the blog, "banking" for busy times of year, like now. Unfortunately, my luck at the bank ran out.

This time of year is busy, personally and professionally. Between holiday cards, deadlines, year-end appeals, plus last minute shopping, wrapping, shipping, and baking, things are a bit busy. And that's just for stuff for work!

Like this stuff below, the cakes on the left were for work, the birdie was a gift, and the holiday stockings were made to hung with the chimney with care. I made all of those in a day. That doesn't leave much time for typing. I will do what I can to recap when I get breathers. I may need to have some guest posts for a while -- from The Shushing Librarian.

Speaking of ....

That bundt cake? It had a few "layers." I made it for my boss' birthday - at his request, but it also served to be one of just a few bundts that were made as part of the Food Librarian's third annual I Love Big Bundts round-up celebrating National Bundt Day on November 15th.

If you click on the link to the round-up and scroll down to No. 123, you'll see my bundt.
Because I participated, I got a pin.
Unfortunately, my Shushing Librarian roommate absconded with it.

(Something about her relationship [cousin or something like that] to Mary the Food Librarian's librarian action figure.)

Basically, to recap, this post was just a way of saying a 'hole lot (a bundt hole) of nothing ... kind of like what might be appearing here and there for a bit this month, until I can catch my breath.

Xmas list to date:
Xmas cards - bought and addressed - CHECK
Xmas cards - in mail - a third
(UPDATE: by day's end - two-thirds are in the mail, thank you very much!)
Xmas ornaments - last batch, in process of being made
Presents bought - CHECK
Presents wrapped - CHECK
Presents to be shipped - in progress
Home Decor - The door is decorated and that will be ALL!
Holiday Baking - to do
Holiday Cheer - still severely lacking
Grinch Factor, on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high) - -2

fa la la la la, la freaking la

Day in the Life of The Shushing Librarian - Part 1

Hey there. It's me again, The Shushing Librarian.

Auntie Nettie and I were talking the other day. Well, I was talking ... she was sneezing and hacking, and was "uh-huh-ing" me between blowing her nose. I took that to mean that I could hijack the blog for a bit while she was under the weather.

It's been fun guest posting over here from time to time. I've had quite the adventures, haven't I? I've been all over the country, reviewing concerts, and hotel accommodations, but it occurs to me, you have no idea what a typical day or couple of days might be like for me ...

So, without further ado, won't you come along with me on A Day in the Life of The Shushing Librarian!

Welcome to my abode, a non-descript, humble rental in an undisclosed location...
My day starts out just like most peoples' - at the coffee machine, breathlessly waiting for that first cup of joe to get the old noggin going.
Breakfast varies. Usually it's some carbs - like bagels, or a slice of cinnamon bread that's been in the freezer since one of my trips. This one is from Great Harvest Bread.
Protein is also a must. Today I did a big fry-up of some sausage, to eat and then to keep in the fridge. It's good to have some to wrap in some toast and dash out the door, or to chop up for an omlette if I have time.
After breakfast, reading the papers (on-line and in hard-copy), and a shower, it's back to the bureau to figure out what to wear.
Who are we kidding!? I know what I'm going to wear. That never changes. (One day I might upgrade to the red suit, but I like the blue. I'm old-fashioned and "classic" that way.)

It's more like what do I want to accessorize my blue suit with? Which bling will it be?
I'm also partial to this lacey option, but alas, it is a bit chunky for a regular work day. After much deliberation, I usually just keep it simple and don't accessorize at all.
By this point, I'm usually running late - so I dash out to the garage and jump in my ride. I know what you're thinking ... this isn't what you'd picture me driving. I need the all-terrain access, however. There was a lot of snow this winter, and I never know where I'll end up sometimes. I go where the information takes me.
I'm also a "bridge and tunnel" commuter, meaning ... well, it's fairly obvious, isn't it? I have to go over the bridge to get to the ...
Lest you complain that I am not being "green" enough, I do have a bike, and if work was closer, I would ride my very princessy pink be-tassled bike to the office. It's difficult in this ensemble though. There is no kick-pleat in my skirt.
My office hours vary. I'm not a 9-5 gal. The library is open on nights and weekends, and I have to swing my hours to cover some of them. It's a little difficult to get into a routine, but it does make it easier to get appointments and not have to deal with taking off personal hours/days.

On this particular day, I had a dental appointment. Even Shushing Librarians have to make sure that everything is good in dental land. You don't want to shush and have embarrassing halitosis due to poor oral hygiene.

Before my appointment, the office manager let me peak into other rooms to see what was going on ... All in the name of information gathering, you know.
This guy is good, if not a little stiff and steely.No goofing around here with the laughing gas. This dentist gets right down to the nuts and bolts of his profession.
Whoops. Now it's my turn. No pictures during my appointment, please.
You'll be pleased to know that I got a clean bill of health; no cavities and no gum disease -- Just an annoying habit of trying to ask questions while they were trying to scrap my teeth. Sorry. Occupational hazard.

My morning just about gone, and it getting to be time to report for duty, I grabbed lunch on the go. Dos carne asada tacos, por favor -- from one joint and
a Sonic Cranberry Limeaid, from another joint.
Lunch done. It's time to SADDLE UP!
Stay tuned for more installments of The Day in the Life of The Shushing Librarian!