Today has been a somewhat productive day. Even though I'm on vacation, my mother is using any excuse to work me like a dog. While I would rather be spending my day reading something from the stack of books I brought to Iowa with me, I have spent the majority of today digging through boxes and drawers of the past (my very least favorite thing to do). My mom is on this kick about not keeping things you aren't going to want down the road. So to humor her we have been going through old photo albums, cards, letters, etc. Normally this is something she would do herself, but she demanded my assistance for two reasons:

1) She was worried she would get rid of something that I would want later.
2) She needed my help to figure out which pictures were of my dad and which were of his brother, Boyd.

Since my dad and his brother were identical twins, she finds it difficult to tell them apart in photographs from before they were married. Personally, I never thought they looked that much alike. Maybe its just me, but when I see photos of them (even from when they were kids), I know which one is my dad. So I spent some time this afternoon playing spot the dad for my mom. Hard work? Not really. Irritating when all you want to do is jump back into the book you were forced to stop reading the night before? Oh yeah.

Not that I would admit this my mother, but the time spent going through those drawers and boxes did pay off. In addition to a ton of photos (my grandparents had waaaaaay too many kids), I discovered some keepsakes my father had kept of my childhood. He had normal things like Father's Day cards, baby teeth, and old school assignments, but he also had what I believe to be the first letter of complaint I ever wrote. Since this is clearly such a historic document, I feel the need to share it with you in its entirety (mistakes and all):


Dear Ralston Purina,

I would like to know why my father doesn't get a partner on his job? Every body else gets a partner. My fathers name is Cloyd Lee Watson. The shift he works is 3rd. His job is running a machian.

Unsincerly,

Kelly A. Watson

My mother cackled when she read this. For those of you who have known me for the majority of my adult life (which scientists estimate began about 18 months ago), you already know what a complainer I can be. It's kind of comforting to see that even as an 8-year-old I was a bitchy little thing. It's like I had no choice in the matter, it's just the way I was born.

Yeah. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

I know it truly is Christmas because:

1) Today was our staff holiday luncheon.
2) Their are a buttload of presents on my desk.
3) Penny's mom brought me a big plate of Christmas cookies.
4) The cookies are sitting unopened, yet taunting me.

Since I will blow this pop stand tomorrow around noon and my computer time at home is spotty at best, I might not get a chance to wish everyone a happy holiday. So I will do it now, just in case. For those of you that are traveling, be safe. For those of you who don't have to drag yourself and a car full of holiday cheer someplace, you suck and I hate you. Kidding, only kidding!

Have a great Christmas everyone! :-)

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh my God, I just read the best news ever. Seriously, this news got me so excited I started to do the booty dance in my office. And then Mr. Rogus gave me a strange look when he walked by so I stopped. Regardless, I just saw on the Anderson's website that Ann Brashares is going to be at their Naperville store on Tuesday, February 8, at 7:00 p.m. Woo hoo! Now to my dilemma: Tuesday night is a class night for me. Should I be:

A) the good instructor who skips seeing Ann and lectures that night instead
B) the so-so instructor who gives a virtual assignment so she can attend the author event
C) the fun instructor who makes the author event part of the class (an "optional" class that those who want to attend)

The last time this came up (last winter quarter) I went with option C at the urging of my students. Almost the entire class showed up, and we had a blast. We even got a shout out from the author during her talk.

Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be released on July 16, 2005. Let the craziness begin.

And before anyone emails to ask, the answer is yes, Penny and I already have a week of programming planned.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Google has already indexed the moblog that I started two days ago. It's soooooo not ready for primetime yet. I've just been messing around with it as I try to figure out how to use my new cell phone. Damn Google and its efficiency.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

This is all Penny's fault. She asked me if I would help her with a present for Charlotte who is leaving the library at the end of the month. My part was simple: scan a picture of The Girls (Charlotte's two Westies) and drop the Chicago skyline behind it. Easy to do:


The picture is cute, right? So that got me thinking about where else I could send The Girls. Maybe I could send them to Egypt:


Or Stonehenge:


And Charlotte went to Venice last year, so maybe they should go there too:


Now I'm working on a whole travelogue of The Girls taking them all the places Charlotte and Terry have been and/or lived. You just know I'm not going to get anything done this week.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

This didn't happen to me, but it easily could have. A friend of mine was helping a four year old at her library get started on the games computer today, and the little girl started to pop quiz her:

Little Girl: Where's your mom?
Librarian: She's at work.
Little Girl: Is she going to pick you up?
Librarian: No, I have a car.
Little Girl: Where's your car?
Librarian: In the parking lot.

They were then interrupted by a phone call for my friend. When she returned the little girl had made a mental age adjustment and took her questioning in another direction.

Little Girl: Do you have a baby?
Librarian: No.
Little Girl: Why not?
Librarian: I don't have a husband.
Little Girl: Why not?
Librarian: Just don't need one.
Little Girl: Are you a lesbian?

Okay, how do four year olds know that word? I know parents are probably more progressive now then my parents (my mother thought it was huge thing this weekend to admit to me that she likes Ellen -- oy!). Is it that Heather Has Two Mommies is required preschool reading now? Someone needs to give me the heads up about these things! Anyway, my friend told the little girl that she did have a boyfriend, what his name was, what they yell at each other about, etc.

Hmmm. Now I'm trying to think what is the weirdest thing a kid has asked me in a library.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

This came across a listserv I'm on this morning: Google Is Adding Major Libraries to Its Database. The statement I found most interesting was:

"Within two decades, most of the world's knowledge will be digitized and available, one hopes for free reading on the Internet, just as there is free reading in libraries today," said Michael A. Keller, Stanford University's head librarian.

Hmmmm. I don't see how that is really possible. I would think that the cost would eventually grow to be too prohibitive. I guess only time will tell.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Do you ever have the feeling that you are missing something? For the past couple of days I've been feeling like there is something I need to be doing, but I have absolutely no idea what that thing is. What makes it worse is that I'm finished with almost everything on my list:

Christmas shopping - done
Gifts wrapped - done
LTA finals graded - done
Grades handed in - done
Syllabus for next quarter - done
Community newsletter - done
Caudill updates - done

I'm done with stuff I thought I would be doing this week and next. I'm trying to fight it, but I can feel the smugness coming on. And you just know that is going to come back to bite me on the butt big time. What am I forgetting?

--------------------------------------------------------------------

I know this is psychotic of me, but I just can't help it. On Saturday I got into a discussion with several of my students about genre fiction. It just so happens that I am going to finally get to teach a reader advisory class in the spring, and I'm planning on making it one big genre study. Anyway, the discussion got me so excited I actually sat down over the weekend and wrote out my syllabus and a sample of a completed assignment. I realize that I am pathetic, but you have no idea how much I have been looking forward to this class. If teaching this class was all I got for Christmas, I'd be a happy camper.

Which reminds me. If you are an LTA student who is thinking about taking the LTA 190 class in the spring, send me an email and I will send you a copy of the syllabus.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been trying to come up with some way to celebrate my scary birthday, and it's just not working out. My mother had me at an inconvenient time of the year, that's all there is to it. The weather sucks pretty much everywhere in February, and anywhere pleasant I could go is too expensive.

I'm still going to take time off, but instead of enjoying the last remaining hours of my youth I will be holed up in my apartment in the LG with the comforter pulled over my head.

--------------------------------------------------------------------