Figure this one out:

What the patron said: Can you help me find books on the lion?
What he meant: Can you help me find books on astrology?

So this is why they teach us the reference interview!

Oh to work in an academic library...

At the reference desk:

Patron: Why do you hate homeless people? I have nothing and you are sitting here judging me. I am homeless! My tax dollars pay your salary!

Patrons say the dumbest things

My first stupid question posed to me as a reference librarian:

"I'm looking for a book. It's blue and has a picture of a guy surfing. Do you know what book it is?"

I made the papers!

Library employees hit the books to become ‘real librarians’

I AM SMART ENOUGH TO WORK IN YOUR LIBRARY!

I got the reference librarian position that I interviewed for at my library! I was so sure I was not going to get it and I did! I am a librarian now. YAY!

Sex, Lies, and YA novels

So I just finished reading Magic Lessons by Justine Larbalestier. As far as YA books go, it was ok. It's part of a series so I have found the first two books rather unsatisfying. But that's not really the point. The point is this book had sex in it and I am getting rather tired of YA sex scenes that follow the folowing formula:

1. Boy and Girl begin kissing
2. Girl is overtaken by her desire and everything goes fuzzy
3. Boy says some stupid line like "I'll try not to hurt you"
4. Fade to black

I know YA authors might feel somewhat restricted in how they write about sex but can't a girl get it on and remain level headed! I suppose authors tend to focus on emotion because they don't want to describe exactly what is happening physically but why is it that YA heroines have to be completely overcome with passion before having sex? I guess in a way it's good because at least teenage girls are now allowed to express desire. I guess I just object to the idea that desire turns their brains to mush. I can think of one really realistic description of sex in a YA novel (Rob Thomas' Rats Saw God) but that one is from the guy's point of view. If anyone can think of another one let me know.

I obviously have nothing better to do...

All you bloggers might get a kick out of this. SnapShirts lets you make a word cloud from the most prevalent words in your blog. And if you are really geeky you can make it into a t-shirt! Here's mine:

Hope Is The Thing With Feathers

Hope Is The Thing With Feathers by Emily Dickinson

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chilliest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity
It asked a crumb of me.

This poem appears on a web site with wedding poetry. At first I saw it and thought, "Oh that sounds like it would go well with my bird/nest theme I've got going on." Then I read the poem. Can anyone tell me what this poem has to do with weddings?! As far as I can tell it is about having hope in the most dire of circumstances. Um, who wants that on thier wedding invitations? Am I totally off base here? Have I lost all my lit major skills? Help!

Blogs are so emo....

So for my Leadership in Technology class we have to keep a blog for one of the assignments and yesterday in class the professor asks if anyone already has one. I'm thinking that this is just a general question so I say I do. She then asks me to post the URL for the entire class to view. Now, I know anyone can read this thing and that's kinda the point of having a blog...blah blah blah. But having my entire class read it is asking a little much. So I give some cop out comment about being shy and suggest looking at the horn book blog as an example instead. Next time I am giving them Josh's blog!

Never again, again.

I went to the Save Darfur rally with Erin on Sunday. Erin's already posted a summary of the events. I was glad to give my karma a good scrubbing and except for the sunburn I managed to get (damn that eastern european blood) it was fun. But man, seeing that many Jewish Youth Group kids all in one place reminded me why I quit teaching middle school. Teenagers are icky!

This is why I should have health insurance....

So I managed to get food poisoning from some Ethiopian food on Thursday and spent Thursday night and Friday morning having horrible, ungodly things bursting forth from my body. Yes, I know that's gross but think how I felt. It sucked because Michelle was visiting and it kinda put a damper on partying. However, the experience has turned me into a vegetarian or as I put it, a vegan who eats cheese and eggs.

More Book Banning...

According to the Miamist parents in Miami want in on the Book Banning action. Hmmm, banning a book about Cuba because it doesn't mention civil rights violations. That's not backwards at all.

This long, long week

Josh's sister has been in town the whole week. Saturday we drove out to Luray Caverns with her since the kids had never been. It was very cool, though I was starting to lose it by that point. Too much time with 14 year olds is not good for anyone even if they are generally nice kids. Here's pictures from the trip:

Children's book geek that I am...

I just found out that the Horn book is blogging! I am addicted already.

Grumpy....

I guess I am not going to go to London. I really, really need a job now and I can't really afford to quit my job and look for a new one in 4 months. I mean it took me 3 months to find this crappy job in the first place. I can't risk being unemployed for that long. I am bummed. It's a beautiful day and I wanted to go see the cherry blossoms and Josh has to go to school and do research. I am all alone and not motivated to go anywhere alone. I hate law school. I wish I were going to London. I hate everything.

Internship blues...

I just finished my second interview and I was offered the London internship. BUT...it's 4 months long, not 3 months like I thought. Josh is not happy about this and seems to really not want me to go. I am afraid that I'll be missing several job openings in the library system that I work for. Plus, that's 4 months that I have to pay rent on my apartment in DC without having a job. I want to go to London but I don't know what to do. What if I just visited Michelle? It's only 300 dollars for a flight over there right now. And I wouldn't have to worry about being unemployed. Sigh. I am so freaking confused.

Maybe I'll rename Emerson Slinkster Dog...

I found this quiz while researching my paper on Francesca Lia Block. I couldn't resist taking it. But it turns out I'm no Weetzie Bat. Oh well, I better finish this paper before I get sucked into the world of teen angst never to be seen again.

This is how much I miss Michelle...

I have a phone interview for the library internship in London tomorrow. I think, if I get offered the intenship I will take it. I wasn't sure before. I feel awful for leaving Josh and abandoning wedding planning but.... it's only three months. That's nothing. It's like summer camp. Plus, I really, really want to go to London. I am all prepped for the interview. I hope I get this!

I always thought pregnancy was a little creepy...

There's that whole 'your body is no longer yours' aspect that just weirds me out. I thought I was a little crazy but after reading this I feel better. I envision a new Fox reality show...When Fetuses Attack!

Birthday Weekend

So Erin puppy sat for Emerson and we went to New York on Saturday with Jason (oh no I mentioned him on my blog!) and Valeska. Valeska and I put our names in to get Wicked tickets but the birthday fairy wasn't doing her job because we didn't get picked. Instead we bought Balenciaga knock-offs on Canal Street and went to the New York Public Library. I know going to the library on vacation makes me a huge dork and I can accept that. The library is gorgeous. I want to live in there. It was so freaking cold on Saturday that all I could think of was getting off the street, so we decided to skip after dinner drinking and just head back to Philly. I was so exhausted, all I wanted to do was collapse on the air bed. Sunday we had yummy brunch and then drove home. I got awesome gifts. Josh got me the librarian action figure, Valeska made me some kick-ass wrist warmers, and Erin took me to see Sarah Vowell the other week in addition to the puppysitting. It was a pretty nice birthday.