the sound of settling

DSCF0743.JPG
Originally uploaded by amyr.

you know what i mean?

did homework today, i know this blog is becoming very tired and i apologize for that. i may just start making up lies for your enjoyment. (if you missed it, i am a liar. i am also what you might call secretive by just keeping quiet.)

so anyway. i might go to an event at a place tomorrow night, but that's about all for the weekend. i am becoming more and more a homebody, but it's not even like i am trying. this is getting pathetic. i wish someone would perform an intervention. it cannot be healthy for me to not see the inside of but 5 buildings each week, can it? i'm being serious. soon it'll be winter and it'll be even worse. i need to go to that event tomorrow for my own sanity- it will require that i attend alone, so that is a bigger issue.... f.

i'm still waiting for my bloody messenger bag...

i promised photos yesterday, sorry it's so boring, but i didn't really do a single thing yesterday to warrant photography.

also.

since i can't find the wristwarmers i knit last year (thanks to the move) i am going to start a new pair today. i haven't knitted in so long, how ever will i remember....

it's fall.

today seems like the official start of fall to me, it's cool enough out to wear tights which is my barometer of how nice the weather is. yeah!!

got some props from a librarian yesterday who worked with me on the desk the other day, she thought i actually had library experience (which i don't....) and was totally surprised that i had never worked in a library before. it was nice to hear.

i don't know what's up today, it's supposed to be my day off but since everyone is busy i might just study like a total dork. but at least i'll be wearing tights....

no photos lately, i apologize. maybe i'll try and photo something today just for fun...

bag (hopefully) on it's way!

dickies bag
Originally uploaded by amyr.

i broke down and got a bag from yak pak so hopefully that'll be here sometime soon. i have my first day at the library today, pretty cool.
i witnessed the saddest thing yesterday, these girls who were talking about one of their friends and how she was a total loser and then she shows up and they act like they love her. i guess that's the way college is but i am done with that. i guess i don't know the whole situation, but i would rather have a friend break up with me than talk about me that way- it's pretty reflective of the so called "friends" character, eh?

i would like to say that i have been sewing or knitting or ANYTHING rather than reading lib. sci. books, but alas, i am not. someone suggested just picking up my fabric from storage so it's around and then maybe i'd feel compelled to do something....
anyway, over and out, sorry for the social commentary.

long nights, hard times

everyone seems to be in a funk lately. i talked to three people today (at least, i know someone else was sick today, but i didn't talk to them) and all three were in the dumps. one person who i hadn't seen in a long time told me of their girl problems, another is depressed about his work and then the last one if just busy getting ready for a upcoming event and he is feeling overwhelmed i guess. most of these conversations (aside from girl problems) were over the phone, so it was even more difficult to try and help them feel better. i don't know. i know that these are the same people who have been helping me with the adjustment to school (i love when people confirm to me that they are also not able to study at home or with people they know around...) so it was nice to hopefully at least convince them a bit that things were going to be ok in the long run....

one subject i have been avoiding writing about is my actual adjustment to being back in pittsburgh. my former boss/ mentor/ guru brought this up the other day. here i was totally convinced that i was just having all this stress coming from school, but the more i thought about it, it is a total change being back here. i used to be alone A LOT and now i am rarely alone. that is taking some getting used to. i used to have a built in group of people at work that i would talk to, i am not at that point at school yet, i guess i have a few people that i chat with, but it is such freaking small talk, it's sad. living in this house again is strange and just seeing people i knew from school or just from being around it also weird. people have changed a lot since before i left and i guess it'll just take some time for me to be used to the changes. it's a strange dichotomy as i am SO used to being in pittsburgh and familiar with my surroundings, but also like this outsider here. and not that i went out much in dc, but i NEVER go out here. it's so weird, there are no big nights out on the horizon, just school and studying. (gosh, do i sound like a belly acher or what....)

so tomorrow is a family day- i am going to see my mom's sister and husband at a family picnic thing. they live in kansas city, mo so they aren't out here too much. also, i haven't seen some of the people who will be there in a long time- i am assuming it will be weird. it is in one of the places where i spent every holiday until probably 17 or so- an island in the ohio river. i am not sure that most pittsburghers even know about that....

michele said she might be coming to visit at the end of the month, yeah!! we (AGAIN) have sworn to go visit svc a lot has changed since we were there....

another day, another library

yesterday was my orientation at the the library. if you want, starting next week you can come in and ask me questions. i'll try to answer. luckily, as an intern you are always on the desk with a librarian so it isn't as intimidating as it could be. I talked to the librarian from my school (SIS has it's own library with a few librarians...) and as i have been coming to her weekly training sessions, she knew my name (a suprise) and she had known that i was picked for the intern program too. i was pretty excited. so the main thing the said to us at the training was that you aren't expected to know it all, probably a wise thing to tell people. i feel pretty good about it. the people seem pretty nice.

today is a study day, although my studying may be interupted by some parade.... urgh. the other thing is that i am still looking for a messenger bag for school. i may have to go to monroeville tonight to see what they have out there.... laters.

career romance novels?

Emailing: GirlBook
Originally uploaded by amyr.

i learned of these crazy books the other night at school, guess i'll be searching high and low to get a look at one of these.
here's a description:

From girl detective stories to novels about boy wizards, series fiction has long been a staple of young adult literature. One type of series less well-known today is the “career romance” or "career girl novel" that appeared during the 1940s through the 1960s, as women entered the workplace in increasing numbers. Publishers of juvenile fiction sought to exploit this demographic trend with books featuring accomplished and attractive young women simultaneously pursuing their professional and romantic goals.

Napoleon dynamite fan club, aka, another wednesday night class (subtitled: can you feel the synergy????)

napoleon offers you his energy
Originally uploaded by hometownzero.

did the title entice you to read more?

so we're about 4 weeks into school now and i am just now realizing that the teacher of my wednesday night class is mad for nap. dynamite. like totally bananas for that movie. i think she has mentioned it each week. if not each, then probably 3/4 weeks. how does nap. dynamite deal with library science you ask... well one time she mentioned "skills" and then she starts laughing thinking about Napoleon. THEN tonight, nap. get's named dropped TWICE people. once our doctoral candidate teacher said a online public access catalog (that's OPAC to the initiated) was "SWEET" (plus he's british, so it was even better). then shows us a complex cataloguing record (MARC record) and it's for NAPOLEON DYNAMITE and she proceeds to read the description of the item, which involves "sweet skills". i guess teachers have lives too, but it's not often a teacher talks about such a weird movie in class you know? she's obviously a tv and movie junky (self proclaimed on day one when she made us introduce ourselves with the obligatory where we came from, what we want to do, and also our fav. tv shows....) so i don't think she is trying to do some kind of "I'm down with the kids" move.... anyway..

the second thing is that at my former place of employment we had a key word, a word that was used all the time, we even had committees on this topic: SYNERGY. i know it's a big corporate world word, but i can't even tell you how it makes me want to crack up when i hear it. now in school it's cropping up all over the place... so funny to me (and probably me only...)

tomorrow is my day off, yeah. i don't know what i will do, but i really must get out and do something... i will not be boring tomorrow....

PS, while looking for a napoleon dynamite photo on flickr, i have now seen WAY TOO MANY photos of people wearing their vote for pedro shirts.

and he has good taste in music...

i heard vinnie chase (aka adrian grenier) the other night on world cafe talking about his top five songs, it was pretty interesting. i don't know why i can't find the list now (talk about bad navigation and labelling on the world cafe website, yeah that's school work paying off...) but it was on last friday at the end of the show if anyone is interested.... it should be the last 5 or 6 songs.... also, david gray was on the week before, but i didn't get to hear all of it...

oh, here's the list, i guess the list itself wasn't so exciting, the conversation was better...

The Honey Brothers - O Dear- Songs For Your SisterFunkadelic - Can You Get To That- Maggot BrainWeen - The Mollusk- The MolluskJohnny Cash - Jackson- At Folsom PrisonNina Simone - Suzanne- Heart And SoulWeezer - Say It Ain’t So- Blue Album

file under lame post....

long time no bloggy

sorry for the long absence. i would like to say that something exciting happened like i won a european vacation from eating wheat chex, but alas, i have just been lazing about when i am not studying or at school.

so let's see, where to start. the big (best) exciting news is that i get to quit the computer lab- actually i HAVE to quit the computer lab b/c i am going to start working at the libarary as a reference intern. I interviewed for the program and got one of the slots, less money and less hours than the computer lab, but i need to get the field experience so i am doing it and not caring. not like i was getting rich at the computer lab....

i went to primanti's for lunch/ dinner yesterday, how freaking good. also they were auditioning for the next real world in a bar. it was weird to see all the people who want to be on the real world in a line. i wonder if they were skipping class to audition... good for them. i think i am now too old to audition... oh well.

oh, gotta shout out to steve sarti and jenna- steve's blog for max is here . the baby is all ready brought into the star wars world...

crafty bastards is next weekend and i still don't know if i can go, if i can i think i'll drive down and back in the day. i want to go, if the weather is crap i doubt i'll go. i need someone to go with me so i can do the drive down and back in a day, oh well.

i think the arch nemisis thing is over, we'll have to wait and see if it really is finished. if you don't know what i am talking about, don't worry.

that's all i got. i have an all day training on friday for the library. i really hope i don't feel totally in the dark about this stuff....

randomness

i can't believe i haven't posted anything about the new twilight singers/ greg dulli cd. man, i am a terrible fan. i really like the cd, it is actually old stuff that greg didn't put out b/c he shelved the cd when ted demme died. it's more like whigs stuff, i guess more rock like. anyway, it' been a big time for new cds i want to come out and this is the only one i have bought, no dandy warhols, no david gray. yes, i am becoming a casual music person i guess, or maybe just a poor music fan.

i put some stuff up on etsy to sell, some hits, but no sales. (i am not at all pimping my products people, just a mention, i swear, maybe you'll want to look at other stuff on etsy.com

has you ever been really conscious of lying to someone? not just a white lie, but rather a lie that is just b/c you are not feeling up to discussing a larger subject? i'm so terrible, i was asked the other day if i was enjoying school more, b/c i seemed to not be talking about hating it as much. i said yes, it was better. hmmm. that might have been a lie, simply b/c i hate complaining to people too much. i am trying to be aware of the fact that everyone has their problems and it's unfair to burden people with yours, especially when they have their own problems or concerns. maybe that's not the right way to think, but it's where i am right now.

yesterday was my day off, no school work, but i kind of did nothing. i need to be better about this.

a tractor and a library have what in common...

sand hill berry farm
Originally uploaded by amyr.

nothing. sure this post will be a funny item from mcsweeneys, but i didn't have the energy to find a funny photo in flickr so i just used my own. anyway, this posting will probably not relate to anyone but me...

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/links/librarian/6gradschooladvice.html

D I S P A T C H E S F R O M
A P U B L I C L I B R A R I A N

BY SCOTT DOUGLAS

- - - -

Dispatch 19 (9/6/05)

Advice to Future Librarians
Entering Graduate School

Fall is here, which means a new batch of young wannabe librarians will be starting graduate school in just a few days. If you happen to be starting library school, then this dispatch is for you.

Avoid cataloging classes; they will be pointless.

In papers that you write, cite papers your professors have published.

Take an internship or practicum.

Ninety percent of what your teachers teach you is theory that does you no good in the workplace; do your best to forget it after you leave school.

Ask your teacher why a public library uses the Dewey cataloging system as opposed to LOC, then doodle for the next three hours while they explain it.

Buy a laptop and play FreeCell during lectures.

Join ALA. It will make you feel important.

Libraries don't do, librarians do.

Take online classes and have the cheap thrill of going to classes in the buff.

Two weeks working in a library will give you more experience than two years in graduate school.

Gain as much computer knowledge as humanly possible—this will put you ahead of so many other librarians.

Letters to the editor do not count as professional publications and will not impress the instructor.

I am sorry to say that you may find your stay in graduate school to be not very stimulating and quite a yawn, but the job that follows is quite the contrary.

If you ever want to vent your frustrations or need moral support, then by all means e-mail me.

another day in oakland

Originally uploaded by amyr.

school is still school. i don't have much news to report. got a cool necklace made from a tonganese (is that even right? a coin from tonga)at the market in ligonier. stitch and bitch is making a return this thursday so that'll be fun. i am pooped, i leave you with some news for the stills lovers out there.... (incidentally i can't even access their page right now.... whatevs...)

finally the stills update their website: www.thestills.net
This is a big hello to all friends and fans of The Stills, after having been away and busy for the past 9 months. Right now we’re on tour in Canada for the month of September, happy to be playing again, and very eager to be seeing you all soon. There have been changes a-plenty in The Stills camp, and we wanted to let you know about what things have been like for us, and what we’ve been up to of late.

There have been some line-up changes that will be both surprising and exciting for you, a new album nearing completion, and all manner of scintillating new tales to regale you with.

With our hopes to keep you up to date with everything, we have designed and created a new website with the help of some friends, and we’ve filled it up with all kinds of photos from our time in the studio and hanging out around town, a members blog page, new lyrics, and all manner of other goodies. All the info you could hope for is there, friends.

-tim fletcher

yes, another library

SQH Carnegie
Originally uploaded by Mum Ra.

spent the AM in another library doing an observation, btw, the squirrel hill branch of the carnegie is swank as can be, totally brilliant. i would like to live inside of it. anyway. i digress. did some hanging out with natasha after talking to gabe for a while. natasha is prepping to sell some stuff on the web so i helped her photo some stuff. ligonier tomorrow for the weekend market thing. i have so much school work to do and i am not feeling bummed and bitter. urgh. laters

i miss sewing.

fabric explosion
Originally uploaded by amyr.

i thought about all my fabric today in storage and it just made me so sad. it was a weird day, nothing bad, just super strange with guest appearances by people i knew decades ago and stange stories from people i know now. off to do an observation at the squir. hill library tomorrow. fun fun.

old photo, just blogging now....

Originally uploaded by amyr.

blue cali. sky....

yum, mac and cheese

Originally uploaded by amyr.

finally, i had the yummy mac and cheese at kiva han. so good. that's paprika on top, swanky swanky for only $1.99!!!

another day in oakland

Heinz Chapel (2)
Originally uploaded by sahst23.

will i ever grow tired of the architecture? don't know.... anyway. big step today, took the bus to get to school, better i think. drove to a park and ride and then took the bus in, the trick will be if i can catch the bus that leaves just as my class is ending rather than waiting another half hour... cross your fingers kids.
what else, did work this weekend and believe it or not i am still trying to get my wreck of a room in order. yuck. hung out with natasha and dana and the cats. the weather has been glorious.
get outside if you can.

studying in the library?

yes, i will be shortly heading to the new and improved norwin public library to do some reading, i don't trust my self anywhere else really.... anyway, i hear they have coffee there. there is so much to do for school, i am amazed at this whole blackboard system where i am constantly checking to see if something has been added to my work load. it's weird. i guess as someone who is interested in digital aspects, i shouldn't complain, it's just kind of like the blackberry thing where you feel obligated to constantly be checking it.... so yeah, school is interesting.

i am psyched to report that kiva han (a coffee shop) has tons of wonderful syrup flavors for italian soda, like banana mango peach, awesome! ! this is the best news i have.

michele posted a terribly sad email from her friend chris, a new orleans resident. he is out and far away from the city, but the sadness of his email is heartbreaking. it's amazing that america has turned into a place where people don't have water for numerous days nor food. terrible.

oh, natasha and i went to an auction last night. my mom's friend's husband is an antique dealer and so he just started a bi-weekly auction in gbg. it was so much fun. natasha bought a whole bunch of aprons (like more than 20) wiht tags from the 50s on them, it was crazy. only $11!!! then she got in a bidding war with someone over some clothes. read her blog for details. it was so much fun. we're def. going again....

hopefully i'll have some photos to post of what we've been up to over the next few days. i'm slow, i know...