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Month: July 2006

How to Become a History Librarian in Two Hours or Less

Published by Iris on Monday, July 17th, 2006
  • Get yourself one sick history librarian
  • Realize that 48 high school students, here for a week-long intensive course, will be filing through your classroom in two groups of 24 from 1:15 to 4:30
  • Get the assignment and powerpoint from the sick reference librarian
  • divvy up tasks between all the other librarians
  • reassure the sick librarian that it really is okay not to teach when you’re that sick
  • reassure her again (the first one probably won’t take)
  • Figure out why the examples that go with the demonstration are perfect
  • Decide to have the students figure out why the examples that go with the demonstration are perfect (after all, that’s active learning, right?)
  • Eat Lunch (with visiting sister) and get some of that yummy sorbet to sustain you on your walk back to campus in the scorching heat
  • Take Advil (not one, but two… you know you need it)
  • Stand up in front of kids and remember your acting classes (…picture yourself knowing exactly what you’re doing…hold that image…now GO GO GO!!!)
  • Stand up in front of the next group of kids
  • Go home and eat leftovers while watching a movie

Now, if I could just get into the Immersion WebCT site to turn in the paper I didn’t turn in this afternoon… As it is, I just periodically click “refresh” and hope that one of these times the site’ll actually come up. PLEASE!!!!!

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To the Best of My Knowledge I’m Still Here

Published by Iris on Sunday, July 16th, 2006

I’m sitting lumpishly on my couch, listening to Moby, sipping ice water, and trying to convince myself that the sound of my air conditioner running is soothing. It’s not irritating at all. That buzz doesn’t invade every bone in my scull. The fans I have strategically moving the semi-cool air down my hall to the bedrooms simply harmonize with the hum. They don’t bother me either. I think.

For those of you not in Minnesota right now, it’s hot here. Really hot. Actually, it wouldn’t be so bad if it would cool off at night, but last night at 12:30 (or would that be this morning?) it was still over 80 degrees (Fahrenheit) and humid. I realize that this probably isn’t nearly as bad as a lot of places around the world have it, but after three straight days of hot nights and hotter days, all while trying to sleep with twice the number of animals and lots of extra people all generating heat around you, it’s getting a bit old.

Most of the extra people have left now, just a few hours ago. It’s always a kind of empty feeling when they leave, but this time my sister is staying with me for a while yet, which is a first for me. Right now she’s picking out the meals she’ll make for me while she’s here. I like the way this girl thinks! Every guest should come and cook food for me.

The cat still hasn’t appeared. He had the worst week of his entire life, and he’s making sure I know it. He was shipped off to a friend’s for a week, and then put up with extra people and [gasp] a dog for another three days. He’s gone lethargic on me. Picking him up is like picking up a fur rug rather than the squirming, meowing guy he usually is. I hope he comes out soon, but I’m pretty sure that when he does he’ll make me wish I could ship him off again.

In other news, my brother is now well and truly married. Now it’s time to get caught up on all the things I’ve got piled in my after-the-wedding pile of papers. I probably won’t have many pictures to put up on Flickr, since I don’t put up pictures of people up without permission, but we’ll see. At the moment I’m too tired and hot to think about Flickr-izing any pictures.

The first load of sheets is done laundering, so it’s time for me to un-lump myself, stand up, continue getting things ready for another work week. I need a vacation from all this vacation…

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A Particular Post

Published by Iris on Thursday, July 6th, 2006

When I was getting my English degree, I became sensitized to the words “particular” and “certain.” Phrases like “The author is making certain arguments” or “She uses words in particular kinds of ways” would creep into most discussions. What’s worse, there would be no elaboration about what arguments or kinds of word usage. Too often, these words substituted for the unspoken substance of a person’s argument, or had no meaning at all except to imply that if you didn’t know what was meant then you really weren’t worth your salt as a literary critic.

I’m hearing these words and phrases more and more often in recent months. Heaven help the next person who nods knowingly and says that “certain” people look for “particular kinds of” resources and who doesn’t immediately follow those phrases with an explanation of exactly which people and what kinds of resources. I don’t know what I’ll do, but it will be a particular kind of tantrum partaken of by certain kinds of librarians.

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Ah, Life…

Published by Iris on Wednesday, July 5th, 2006

Life happens, and lately a lot more of it has been happening than normal, hence the relative silence here. And even more will be happening for the next 10 days or so. My brother’s getting married and, since I’m the only family member in hailing distance of the ceremony, masses of family will be cramming themselves into the apartment (only one bathroom, folks, so no beverages allowed…). Then, while the bro and his new wife go enjoy a canoe trip, the rest of us will take the opportunity to hang out family-reunion-style for a few days.

For my own sanity’s sake, I hope I get to pop online every once in a while and catch up with my e-friends. (Imagine the poor, creaking aggregator without me obsessively checking it every day… it won’t be pretty. Much “Mark[ing] All As Read” may ensue if I just can’t face thousands of posts when I get back. So if there’s something you think I really must see, email me!)

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