Yeah, More About Me!

Once again, I'm pulling something from The Burrow (and I also saw it on Z's Blog!). I love get-to-know-me quizzes, I just can't help it!

Without further ado.....

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Library Page
2. Kennel Tech
3. Circulation/Reference Clerk
4. Reference Librarian

Movies I would (and do) watch over and over:
5. Underworld
6. Queen of the Damned
7. Little Miss Sunshine (the horn is the best part!)
8. Sleepy Hollow

Four places you have lived:
9. Hueytown, AL
10. West Blocton, AL
11. Trussville, AL
12. Cropwell, AL

Four places you have been on vacation:
13. Ireland
14. Cancun
15. Williamsburg, VA
16. Boston, Mass (ok, it wasn't a vacation, but I had a blast while at the PLA convention!)

Four of my favorite foods are:
17. Pizza
18. the Chicken Noodle Bowl at Surin (and the coconut soup!)
19. Chicken Gizzards
20. Cheese

Four places I would rather be right now:
21. Home (preferably already in my first REM cycle)
22. A nice warm beach, destination not important (politically unstable areas need not apply)
23. A cabin in the mountains (a hottub would certainly placate me if warm beaches in politically stable areas were not to be found)
24. the Connemara Coast in Ireland

Four friends I think will respond:
25. I'm pretty sure I just write this stuff for myself, so.....any lurkers?
26.
27.
28.

The Sunday Morning Smackdown!.....not

I had on thick socks, jeans, and carried a machete.

I tapped cautiously on jars, pans, boxes, bowls, containers of every size and description.

However, the only thing I managed to do away with was one foolish spider. He failed to recognize the danger he was in until a swift shot of OFF: DEEP WOODS coated him and he knew no more! I swept and mopped and poked the broom handle into all the hidey-holes I could find on the back porch but no more snakes were to be found. Mom was very relieved but I felt very much like I did after watching Geraldo Rivera's Al Capone fiasco in 1986....irritated and disappointed. I was glad to get the back porch cleaned off but I had really wanted some excitement this morning and dispatching snakes would have fit the bill. I'm not finished however so maybe I'll have more luck on Tuesday when I go back.

Adiós!
htw

Cold, Colder, Coldest, Coldester!

I have to share a story with you!

My mom told me she stopped at the store on the way home from work last week and while there, bought a bouquet of flowers for my grandmother. My grandmother is bedridden and loves something new and pretty to look at :) When she got home with the flowers and started to arrange them, the vase she normally used was too small. I gave her a big bouquet for some holiday or other and she figured it would be big enough. When she retrieved the vase from the back porch it was heavier than she expected

so

she

glanced

inside

and...

Yep...there was a hibernating snake inside! My mother is deathly, phobically(can that be a word for today?), pathologically afraid of snakes and the fact that she was, for all intents and purposes, holding a snake in her hand produced a mild temporary insanity in which she stomped around, breathed hard (and I bet a little whimpering wouldn't be out of the question), and looked for a way to get rid of it. Finally, she just set it back down on the counter and fled for the house.

When she calmed enough to tell my aunt what she'd seen, there was some debate over whether or not what mom might have seen was simply a frog. To solve the matter, Aunt C put on her welding gloves (her little dog P requires daily heart med's but does not like to be handled) and, armed with a paper plate for the top of the vase, set out to do battle with the serpent. After dumping the beast over the back fence, she beat a hasty retreat back to the safety of the house. Mom called and requested that I clean off the back porch to find others if present, and to prevent others from having so many places to hide.

I'll let you know if I have to break out my lance and shield :)

Adiós!
htw

Long Time, No See :(

I'm back! Not in black though...it's my day off so I really don't match at all and that is one of the most important and relaxing things about living in a rural area....it doesn' t matter, no one else matches either. I have on a gray shirt, purple pants, and a green fleece sweater and I feel great!

It feels like I haven't been able to post in forever! Not having an Internet connection at home is really beginning to suck fiercely. Cable television is not available in my area and the phone company doesn't even run DSL out that far! So my only choice for an Internet connection is dial-up or satellite. Now, we're on a T1 line at work. If I had to go from a T1 at work to dial-up at home I would no doubt carve out my own heart with a spoon...a plastic one at that! The satellite option is just too far out of my price range at this point. Maybe after I finish my Master's degree and get my student loans paid off it can be revisited, but as it stands now all my extra funds are funneled to Tuscaloosa :)

My current post comes live and direct from the Greenpond Public Library! The people here are SO nice...this is the type of library I'd like to be in charge of. I'm not saying I would enjoy the budget crunch and lack of staff, among the other 1,000 things that really small libraries have trouble with, but the close knit community feel is great. I was here using the computers one time (working on a project for one my grad school classes) and I was DEEP into it. All of a sudden I realized how quiet it had gotten and it was 10 minutes after 5. Since the library closed at 5 you can imagine my chagrin :) The gentleman who works in the computer lab was typing away and began apologizing profusely on my way out and he said (!!!), "No, no, no, finish what you were doing. I'll be here another hour or so anyway." Now, that doesn't happen anywhere else. The circ department would skin me alive if I did that at my library. We wouldn't have made it to 3 after closing, much less 10. Lovely, just lovely to experience :)

I have all kind of interesting things to share from this semester's classes but, alas, I need a nap if I am going to be awake for the PBR extravaganza tonight. For those not in the know, that's Professional Bull Riders. I'm trying to talk myself into wearing my cowboy (cowgirl?) hat and boots. They look so forlorn just sitting on my desk with dust all over them...I really should get them out for a night on the town! So class talk will come later because there will be endless versions of chaps to observe tonight and so little time!

Adiós!

htw

A Horse Of Course

If you don't know who this is...SHAME ON YOU! Forget J.K. Rowling, Cornelia Funke, Christopher Paolini, and anyone else in the presence of this great lady, this championess of my childhood, the catalyst for my raging teenage bout with horse fever, Marguerite Henry!

And thanks to Purple House Press for this great digitally preserved autograph! They have a great selection of classic children's books so if you are looking for a childhood memento, chances are you'll find it there!

What brought on the fit of nostalgia, you might ask....my tearful viewing of Seabiscuit this fine evening. You might say, "But Holley, that is not a sad movie! It's a story of the perseverance of man, of triumph over adversity, of the stalwart strength of the common man!" I won't disagree with you; the story...the horse himself, is all that and more. But to tell you the end, you must know the beginning.

Picture this....

I was horse crazy as long as I can remember. I ate, slept, dreamt, played, pretended, read, watched, talked, murmured, whispered, hummed horses. I had horse posters, books, figurines, plush dolls. Horses on my shirts, pants, shoes, hairbows....you name it. The fodder for this obsession was the books I read: Marguerite Henry, Wesley Dennis(wonderful illustrator I endless tried to imitate), Walter Farley. I read about Seabiscuit, Man O'War (did you know he had a 27 foot stride?), War Admiral, Native Dancer, Seattle Slew...endless others I'm sure...

Finally, in my 12th year the dream came true. My dad had to go to Texas for some job training and brought back that and my two little ponies, Joe and Dan. They were neither little, nor ponies, nor even healthy really. It was a long time before I could even think about riding them. Dan had bad feet and Joe was just plain skinny. Dan's feet never really got any better but it was not this that kept him from being my favorite. Dan was a big, tall, raw-boned horse...not particularly friendly towards everyone. So I really bonded with my little Joe. I was delighted over his name (I loved Bonanza and had a crush on Joe), his small size, and his mischievous good nature from the very beginning.

As an adult, I can look back and see his bad behavior....he tended to bloat up while being saddled making the likelihood of falling off later more than a possibility, he also would sneak in a tree rub when he could (how do you get the extra peanut butter off of your butter knife? same principle), he nibbled on plants as we rode along and would frequently fall asleep while walking. Most perplexing, he would not cross pooled water. He would awkwardly jump over it and, as I had not kept up my taxing steeplechase training, I was in danger of falling if I didn't pay attention to the terrain. If you weren't clever with a slip knot when you stopped somewhere while out on a ride, he would untie himself and walk home, leaving you stranded. In spite of all that, Joe loved potato chips, ladies' perfume, and a good brushing and I loved him right back. He was little, he was flawed, he was my Seabiscuit and I was Red Pollard.

My Joe went lame after a severe cut just above one of his back hooves and they had severe separation anxiety so I never rode them after that. They got food, water, love, and no responsibilities. We should all be so lucky. Since they stayed at my grandmother's house, my mom became caretaker and a wondrous thing happened. Grumpy, crotchety old Dan who liked no one and nothing fell head over heels for my mother. He whinnied when he saw her walking down to the pasture and begged for petting whenever he could. I choose to believe this is what happened and it had absolutely nothing to do with the donuts and cakes that she got off of the day-old shelf and fed to him :)

I lost he and Dan to old age a couple of years ago and it is still fresh. I suspect it always will be. I had to watch a man on a backhoe cover up my ponies and I'll never forget it. I had them for 15 years and they were at least that age when I got them. I had no records of their birth and the vet could only estimate their ages from examining their teeth and she said they were in their late 20's or early 30's. I hope I provided them with a good life, they certainly did for me. I have photos, memories, and experiences that I cherish and I'll always remember my little ponies.

Sorry to bring you down, if that's what this tale has done.

Adios!

htw

Let the Fall Semester Commence!

I had my first fall class in Gadsden this weekend in addition to pet sitting so I came back here after class last night and got up early to go back for the all day class today. I was SO sleepy on the way back this afternoon that all I could think about was taking a shower and crashing. Unfortunately for those plans, after dealing with homecoming excitement from the dogs, getting them fed, and getting that shower, I was ravenous. While I was eating dinner I channel-surfed a little and found lots of good things to visually snack on, so I've now ended up here, awake at 10:30, utterly exhausted and unable to go to sleep...isn't that just the way of it?

My class this weekend was LS 505 Collection Development...oh yeah, can't remember if it's in my profile or not but I'm in graduate school at the University of Alabama getting my MLIS (Master's Degree in Library and Information Studies). It is a 36 hour degree and I will complete 30 hours at the end of this semester...yippee! Only 2 classes to get through during the summer and I will be outta there!

Anyway, my class this weekend was much better than most I've taken. My professor, Dr. W, is very personable, funny, and proficient in bringing loft theoretical concepts down to the practical, functional level. Sound like it shouldn't be too hard??? Take some LS classes and get back to me... This weekend we did a lot of role playing exercises (and no not D&D). You be the librarian, you be the censor, you be the advocate...convince me to keep the item in the library. I like testing out my persuading skills on peers, keeps them from getting rusty. Although it feels a bit corny at first, the exercise is helpful for keeping possibilities in mind for future reference. He said to expect more of the same next time, but that won't be until March 2 so I have some time to prepare. Yes, that's right! My 30th Birthday will take place on a school night...
Adios!
htw

Coronation overrated...I'm sure that isn't a news flash for anyone!

hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it.....oh, and did I mention I didn't like it very much either? What a painful little bugger; I still can't even begin to chew on it. I don't know if that's normal for a crown or not, but I hope the permanent one (which I'll go back to get Feb 6) will feel more like a real tooth! But enough about that...on to more important agendas
Adios!
htw

My Coronation Ceremony is Tomorrow!

That's right people!

As of tomorrow afternoon you may address me as HRH htw as I will be receiving my first crown!

I keep hoping that by putting a fun spin on this I will not become depressed because one of my precious teeth is faltering. It may seem trivial to you, dear reader, but those who know me KNOW that this is a major deal for me. Is this the first step on the rough road to a root canal or will the crown stop the problem? Will taffy, caramel, Sugar Daddy's (the candy, not the two legged variety unfortunately), and chewing gum be off limits from now on? I haven't had any chewing gum in a long time, but now that it may be prohibited it begins to take on a new allure :)

On to tonight's frivolity! I'm desperately trying to get started on my class readings for this weekend (4 articles and 3 chapters in a visually stunning textbook) and not having a lot of luck let me tell you! We've been really busy so I haven't had any time here and every time I start it at home, I wake up in the middle of the night with a crick in my neck and the book in the floor.

I have severe graduate school burnout!

There is no cure that I've been able to find other than graduation which is still a whole human gestational period away.

As my ADD moment for the night, I got a horrible paper cut the width of my index finger while folding fliers at work. I have my finger splinted with a rubber band to prevent bleed out :)

Adiós!

htw

Poor Pitiful Me.............

I found this great image from the University at Buffalo's website on preprohibition medications. It is a fascinating article, go visit!

My first toothache and I freely admit that I am not being the 100% adult that I'd like to be although I will say it is a matter of pride. There are VERY few things about which I am arrogant, but my teeth have always been one of them. I have a nice, naturally straight, sparkling white smile and have had to do little other than brush to keep it that way. Well, let this all be lesson to you to not thumb your nose at the cruel whimsy of fate.

I woke up this morning with some discomfort which has increased during the day. Any water or other liquid not the lukest of lukewarm temperatures is quite painful! Luckily my wonderful dentist, Kevin Schambeau's office, was able to work me in tomorrow. I just know I'm going to have to have a root canal. This distresses me in unexplainable ways that I, obviously, cannot explain. I brush AT LEAST 3 times a day and floss AT LEAST 4 times, usually more. Why do I need a root canal, or rather why do POSSIBLY need a root canal? It just seems vastly unfair.

Also, I start class on Friday and this is just not the way I would like to start the semester. It's going to be tough anyway simply because I am burned out and no longer interested in going! However, I am a mere 8 months out from getting that Master's degree in my hot little hand and woebegone (I pity the fool?) who stands in my way!!!
More whining tomorrow I promise :)

Adios! (this laptop won't let me put the accent mark on the o!)
htw

T the Wonder Dog Part 2!

The Sunday Paper Scramble

I wondered how T would handle the bulky paper and now I know! We got a little bit later start today so it was light out. I did the same pre-liftoff ramping up as yesterday with the same results. T charged out into the driveway and.........nothing. Where was the blasted paper? He started sniffing around the rear tire of the owner's work car and I started to say, "Hey T, no bathroom breaks!" when I noticed that he was trying to get under the car! Yes, you guessed it, some Mensa candidate had thrown the paper under the car. Persevering, poor T crawled under the car and fetched the paper (it was at this point that I was glad of the whole endeavor as I would not have liked having to crawl under the car and get it myself!)

The return journey, if anything, was a little more rough than the search. Like a seasoned retriever going for a freshly killed fowl, I could tell T was actively trying not to damage what he was carrying but the paper was too big and he kept dropping it. About half way back, he again dropped the paper but instead of picking it up he just stared at it for a moment then began trotting back toward the house, f*@# it! written all over his face. I, however, had been given my mission by the owner and sent him back after it. This time he won the battle against the massive Sunday paper, but only just! I realized then that I should have had my camera with me to capture the follies...maybe tomorrow!

Adiós!
htw