The Amazing Adventures of the Shushing Librarian Pt. 1

Hey there. It's me again ... The Shushing Librarian. I just got back from an amazing weekend and I'm having a hard time getting back in the swing of things. I thought I'd better start writing about my adventures before I forgot about them.

I'm quite exhausted and have a headache.
Perhaps I shouldn't have had quite so much to drink,

but I digress!

Oh, and I should make it quite clear. I -- the SHUSHING LIBRARIAN -- was imbibing ... NOT Auntie Nettie -- so no worries there for her parental units and/or friends. Okay!? Thanks.

The weekend was organized by a friend, who is the wife of a great motorcycle enthusiast. He has very extensive collection of hogs to chose from.

I couldn't decide which one to ride first.
Which to choose? Which to choose? Red?

Low-rider? Flames of fury?

Ah, the wind through my hair -- the breeze up my ... librarian gear. It was liberating.

So liberating in fact, I decided to be even more adventuresome.

I worked on my tan.

I think the UV light cooked my brain, because I decided to see how these "herbs" would light up.

Give me a match!

Shushing Librarian + "herbs"?

Not a good idea! It made me sleepy.

I had really weird dreams of tiny dogsthat morphed into giant dogs.In the dream, I had to escape in a hot air balloon,
but the balloon crashed into the surf and I was sucked in by the undertow.

I washed up in a tidal pool

but was then eaten alive by a sea monster.What a nightmare!

Was I ever glad to wake up, so I could head to Newport, RI with friends.
To be continued ...

Battlestar and the Beach

I had a frakking awesome weekend. Friends, food, fresh air, beach combing at dawn, brisk walks on the cliffs, and a big old ugly snotty cry last night while catching up on the last four hours of Battlestar.

Did you know that if you look hard enough,

you see Cylons everywhere?

Castle Hill Lighthouse, Newport, RI

More soon on the fun and finale ... after I reacclimate to reality and my eyes aren't so swollen from weeping for almost two straight hours.

Rules for Readers

"Once on a time a Library Book was overheard talking to a little boy who had just borrowed it. The words seemed worth recording and here they are:

Please don't handle me with dirty hands. I should feel ashamed to be seen when the next little boy borrowed me.

Or leave me out in the rain. Books can catch cold as well as children.

Or make marks on me with your pen or pencil. It would spoil my looks.

Or lean on me with your elbows when you are reading me. It hurts.

Or open me and lay me face down on the table. You would not like to be treated so.

Or put in between my leaves a pencil or anything thicker than a single sheet of thin paper. It would strain my back.

Whenever you are through reading me, if you are afraid of losing your place, don't turn down the corner of one of my leaves, but have a neat little Book Mark to put in where you stopped, and then close me and lay me down on my side so that I can have a good comfortable rest.'"

With thanks to Larry Nix and the Wisconsin Library Heritage Center for the link, the text, and the image (an illustration of a "Maxon bookmark" is from a library supply catalog of the period.)

Grateful List 2/28-3/19

I haven’t forgotten to be grateful, but I’ve been so grateful to be busy and to be very gainfully employed that I haven’t had time to write about it.

Therefore, in no particular order, I am grateful for:

~ The arrival of three samples of Emergen-C in my mailbox on a day that I began to be sick;

~ Leftovers from board meetings that served as lunch and dinner, as well as for my colleagues who baked the treats which were my breakfasts for about two weeks. (Hey, I know I say this everytime, but I LOVE LEFTOVERS. I hate grocery shopping and I get sick of my own frozen lunches after a while.);

~ My father for finally connecting my DVD player and introducing me to this 21st century technology. Thanks Pop. Now I can whip up blankies, get carpal tunnel, and finally see all those movies I missed. Also, blooper reels? LOVE them!;

~ Speaking of 21st century technology, I am sooooooo grateful for streaming on-line media from the major networks that allows me to watch most of my primetime shows from the comfort of my desk. Watching six hours of t.v. during the day makes my monotonous database cleaning projects go ever so much faster and allows me to go to concerts at night and away for weekends;

~ I’m also grateful for friends that visit me in NYC, let me catch up on the news, and offer free concert tickets. Not only do I get to socialize, but I’m learning about little known works – pieces where you can guffaw at “punny” lyics, ogle Nathan Gunn, and get a big nerdy kick out of seeing Terrence Mann, who I’ve loved since I first saw him as “Bob” in a very obscure SciFi show.

~ I’m grateful that spring is almost here and that I’ll be away with a bunch of girl friends when it rolls in. We’ll be celebrating birthdays, checking off more items from the list of 1,000 Places to Visit Before You Die, catching up, commiserating, and chortling with glee! I promise pictures and news to follow.

~ Finally, I'm grateful that it's almost Friday, so I can leave early for the weekend wonderment.

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(*OMMMM I am happy to be employed. I am happy to be employed. OMMMMMM*)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Pulse of an Irishman

The pulse of an Irishman ever beats quicker,
when war is the story or love is the theme;
and place him where bullets fly thicker and thicker,
You’ll find him all cowardice scorning.
And tho’ a ball should maim poor Darby,
light at the heart he rallies on:
“Fortune is cruel, but Norah, my jewel, is kind,
and with smiling, all sorrow beguiling,
shall from our cabin all care to be gone;
and how they will jig it and tug at the spigot,
on Patrick’s day in the morning.”
Oh blest by the land in the wide western waters,
sweet Erin, lov’d Erin, the pride of my song;
still brave be the sons, and still fair be the daughters
thy meads and mountains adorning!
And tho’ the eastern sun seems tardy,
Tho’ the pure light of knowledge slow,
night and delusion, and darkling confusion
like mists from the river shall vanish forever,
and true Irish hearts with warm loyalty glow;
and proud exaltation burst forth from the nation
on Patrick’s day in the morning.

Poem by Alexander Boswell

Random Thoughts

1. You just know it's going to be a good week when ...

you get “accidentally” punched in the boob while trying to exit the bowels of Grand Central Station.

To be fair, the guy was trying to push down the stairs while a train full of people was trying to go up the stairs and I don’t think he realized he did it as he tried to jam past me.

(Sadly, it’s the most action I’ve gotten since I was last wanded by the TSA people. TMI?)

2. Also, I don't think they pay the Big J's cleaning ladies enough to fold up the socks that I had forgotten under my desk. Sorry ladies. Thanks for straightening up my many pairs of shoes and other assorted stuff.

3. Check out Krippy's twins modelling their newest pressies from Auntie Nettie, purses full of heart.

4. Don't forget to try and figure out who are the Liberated Ladies of Literature and win an ARC of Blindspot.

5. Is it Friday yet? Newport is calling my name! (not to mention my taping of the last Battlestar!)