Preparing For A Busy Weekend

I was up for barely an hour before I received my first call of the day. It was my sister Rose, who apparently had the morning off and wanted to know how things were going with me. Thankfully, she didn't sound angry at all when I told her I was nervous about applying to college. Maybe a little annoyed, but she's always been faster on the draw than me about most things. This is really scary for me. My nerves have not been helped by several adults I know pointing out how outdated the library profession is in the Internet-addicted 21st Century. Who needs heavy books when you can read them online? Why read a newspaper when you can get everything you need in a flash on a computer?

Frankly, this is a fallacy, as far as I can tell. First of all, items do not categorize themselves. Second, not everyone wants to sit in front of a computer and read. Third, libraries also carry other media (CDs, DVDs, records, magazines). Fourth, there's something that's just satisfying about holding a book in your hand. Computer text does not have that good, solid weight to it. Fifth, libraries still have a lot of book-related programs, especially for children and reading fans. Sixth, computers aren't as quick as many people like to believe. They do have to be turned on, and then the Internet has to be turned on if you don't have high-speed access, and you have to print pages and pages of paper if you want to read your story when the computer's turned off or on stand-by. Not to mention you don't need electricity to enjoy a book. Computers are worthless without electricity.

Anyway, Rose wanted to know if I was up for a shopping expedition on Saturday, since she had to go to Target and a few other places. Perfect! Saturday is my only day off this week. (And since it is my only day off this week, the Acme legally can't call me in. I've been called into work on the last two out of three Saturdays I was supposed to have off.) I'll get together with Rose in the afternoon, then go out with Erica to the movies in the evening.

Once again, I spent my morning online, doing college research. I'll take a look at the Financial Aid application tomorrow and find out where the tests to get into graduate school are being held around here. I also did my pilates. (I try to do pilates and yoga four times a week.)

Work was steady-to-dead, annoying only because it's the beginning of the month and we're getting all the usual obnoxious beginning-of-the-month people spending the money they don't have any other time.

Dinosaur Disco Quest

I did not awaken to a terribly attractive day. It was gloomy and dark, and the rain came down in sheets. Though the rain was gone by the time I got up, got dressed, and made banana pancakes for breakfast, it was still incredibly windy. It was so windy, both of my plastic deck chairs blew halfway across the porch before I managed to grab them and stack them.

I did make it over to Uncle Ken's to do the laundry. Uncle Ken and his girlfriend Dolores were working on cleaning the big picture windows in the kitchen and living room area. I had to wait a little while to do my small pile of laundry due to the heavy, dirty curtains they already had in the washer and drier, but I did get to enjoy some shows in the interim.

Caught the tail end of The Wonder Pets first. They learned about levers and pulleys as they helped a baby elephant in Kenya get it's trunk out of the mud. (Baby Elephant's mama had a pretty Kenyan accent.) Blue's Clues was an early Steve episode dealing with musical instruments; cute, but not all that exciting, though I didn't figure the game out until the third clue.

Switched over to TV Land and encountered one of the most famous of the many beloved I Love Lucy episodes. After begging Ricky to stay in Hollywood just a little longer, a souvenir-happy Lucy and Ethel go after the ultimate take-home trinket at the Chinese Theater - John Wayne's footprints in cement! Needless to say, nothing works out the way Lucy wants it to. She spends a lot of time stomping around in buckets of cement, and we get to learn some more naughty Spanish words from her not-pleased hubby.

I got a bit of a surprise on my return to Nick - Go Diego Go! was early today. I found out why when Diego, Alicia, and Baby Jaguar were joined by Dora the Explorer as they browsed through a dinosaur museum. Yes, dinosaurs were the theme of this double-length Go Diego Go!/Dora the Explorer crossover. Our intrepid Hispanic trio (and their cub buddy) go back in time to help an adolescent Maiasaura get back to her family. Maiasauras were new when I was about Diego's age, and it was fascinating to learn about a lesser-known dinosaur. It was also nice to see how the formats of Diego's show (learn about animal traits and habitats) and Dora's (let's go from this obstacle to this one) were combined. (We did see a little too much Map for my taste, though...)

The Backyardigans were also on a quest today. In "Quest For the Flying Rock," Uniqua, Tyrone, Tasha, and Pablo go on a race to see who can get to the Flying Rock on top of the Steep Step Hill first, the girls going through the jungle and the boys trooping across the desert. Needless to say, everyone winds up learning a lesson in teamwork and cooperation, to the tune of disco and 70s pop.

Much to my annoyance, the wind continued into the afternoon. Despite the sunshine and 45-degree temperatures, I ended up asking Dolores for a ride to work. The last time I rode to work in gale-force winds, I almost ended up being blown into Peter Creek. Work was steady-to-dead, with some obnoxious customers and a lack of help (that kid who kept not appearing last week finally quit).

The Last Unicorn

Went to the Oaklyn Library down the street to do some job research. They proved to be of no help whatsoever. The librarians were busy bringing out trash, and the most recent book they had on the job market was from 1999. (The most recent encyclopedia they had was from 2002.) I found one flyer on becoming a librarian that listed a website and not much else. The tiny, three-room Oaklyn Library has some wonderful old children's books...but that doesn't cut it when you need up-to-date information.

I puttered around on my computer a bit after I got home and did my first pilates session of the week. As I looked at the date on my computer, I realized today is special. It's the second anniversary of my moving from Wildwood to Oaklyn! Yes folks, it's been two years since I left the Jersey Shore. To celebrate, since I was only working four hours and getting off fairly early, I decided to put that FYE gift card I got from my mom and stepdad for Christmas to good use and get myself a new WebKinz, and treat myself to a decent dinner.

Though it rained in the morning, by the time I went to work, it was merely cloudy and damp. Work was steady-to-quiet, not surprising for the end of January (a month most people spend broke anyway). It'll probably pick up this weekend as people stock up for Super Bowl parties.

FYE wasn't busy, either. There were a few boys around, but it was mostly me, two workers, and the last fifteen minutes of the 1985 fantasy film Legend. As I peered and poked around the store's WebKinz display, I saw something shiny on one of the bottom shelves. I reached under a pile of Persian Cats and Golden Retrievers and, much to my surprise, plucked out a Lil'Kinz Unicorn! The Lil'Kinz Unicorns were just retired last month. I know the retired WebKinz go for high prices online, and I never expected to see them at a regular shop, for $12, no less!

Meet Amalthea the Baby Unicorn! A sweetheart through and through, Malthie is smart, athletic, and loves to practice her swimming moves! She's named for the dainty, ethereal title character of the 1982 animated film The Last Unicorn. Given her retired status and the lack of WebKinz unicorns in stores, I thought it was appropriate. (Ironically, Legend, the movie running at FYE while I was there, also deals with unicorns.) She came with a gorgeous bed made of vines and flowers, and the cutest rainbow table, too! I set her up in a fantasy-themed room that ended up being something of a mix between the fantasy and the wizard. She said she'd always wanted a gem box, so she got that, and I moved the Charm Forest into her room as well from Miles' room.

I also found The Yogi Bear Show: The Complete Series used for $20. Yogi is (along with Huckleberry Hound) my favorite of the Hanna Barbara "Funny Animals" of the 50s and 60s. Snagglepuss, another favorite, is also featured. As much as I'd love to get more of the Hanna-Barbara collections (Scooby Doo, The Flinstones, Huckleberry, The Jetsons), most of them are just too expensive for me, which is why I was so thrilled to find Yogi for such a good price.

It was late by the time I finally dragged myself out of FYE, so I just stopped at Tu Se Bella Pizzeria and had a chicken cheese steak that was so big, half of it will be my lunch tomorrow.

Out Of Focus

Got up early this morning so I could get to the bank and Doria's Deli for ham and still be able to do research on jobs and colleges before going to work at 2:30. I was going to spend most of the morning doing it, then do a little fooling around.

I, of course, ended up doing the other way around.

I have no ability to focus. This problem dates back to high school. I'd go to the library intending to work on a report and would end up reading that huge book on old movies they had, or The Time Life Book Of Christmas. It only got worse in college. The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey has a huge library, and I'd usually end up reading about folk tales or history or old movies when I was supposed to be studying or doing research. (Although I did discover some great books that way, including A Song In The Dark.)

It may make Rose angry, but this whole college thing is making me nervous. Where am I going to get letters of recommendation? I don't know anyone. Would Stockton even have my transcripts after seven years? My grades in college weren't all that great. I don't remember if I had a 3.0 anymore. (I guess I did. I graduated - barely.) I was never great at tests. Where am I going to take it? Could I work at their media center for credit, or at least for some real experience? I'm not going to get real experience at a grocery store, and that's all I've done for the past seven years.

I want to go to college...but I'm not sure if they'll want me. Or do I want to go to college? This is just so scary! It's hard to get people to understand. They think it's so easy. I just don't know.

I did finally make it to work, which was on-and-off busy with no problems. It's the end of the month, and coupled with a gorgeous day, many people were probably otherwise occupied. This should change by the end of this week, when people have beginning-of-the-month funds to spend and start stocking up for Super Bowl parties.

Winterfest

Spent most of the morning editing four short stories at our Monkees Role Play site. We wrote Me Too! and He's No Angel last week. Moving Day and Water Frolics were written in the fall as "fillers" for older stories. I hope you enjoy them!

I called Mom as I worked on the editing and listened to the Beatles show on WOGL. (The animated Beatles movie Yellow Submarine was in today's spotlight.) Tomorrow is their last day in the old house in North Cape May. As of Tuesday, they will officially be living in Erma, across from the Cape May County airport. Mom seems to have mixed feelings. The house is in a nice neighborhood, but it's really in the middle of nowhere, with no stores or towns close-by.

Mom's not the only one who feels that way. I didn't live there as long as Mom, Dad, or Keefe, but I lived there for a long time, much longer than any other house I've ever lived in. I haven't been in North Cape May in over a year. I never got to say good-bye to that house. No one seems to know what will happen to it, either. The house isn't that old (probably late 60s, like most of the houses in North Cape May), but it has rot and mold problems, especially on the exterior, and is not in the best of shape. That's one of the reasons I was so upset I couldn't visit the family on Christmas Eve.

I asked Mom if she'd heard from Rose lately. I haven't called her because she started Rutgers Law School on January 7th and I figured she'd be busy. Mom said yes, she has heard from her...and she's furious with me! Apparently, Rose doesn't understand why I haven't applied for college yet.

First of all, I'm not as brave as she is. I haven't been in a class of any kind or done tests since December 2001. I don't know if a college will take me at all, especially with my horrible math. (I failed math once when I went to Stockton and had to take the test over!) Second, this isn't law school I'm applying for. There's always a need for lawyers and law clerks. I want to check the market for librarians and writers before I spend money on a fancy education that didn't help me the first time around.

Mom and Rose both seem to think Drexel University is my best option. It has a nationally recognized Library Services program that's partially online, and it's far easier to get to than Rowan. It would be more expensive, though, and I'd have to work around classes, and I'd end up having to work in Pennsylvania. Mom suggested that I should move to Philly, since I'm getting to know my way around there pretty well, but I don't know if I'm ready yet. Yes, I like the shopping and walking around, and it's nice to not be the only person who can live quite happily without a car. I also like living near grocery stores (where would I get fresh produce in the city?), and I love the natural beauty here.

Work was very busy up until around 4:30-5PM, when it was steady. No problems; I got home on time.

I spent the evening playing with my WebKinz. I've begun two new rooms, one based partially after the new Modern Condo theme (a lot of the furniture for that is expensive...and that lime green is a bit ugly), the other based around the rare retired Hockey theme. (I won't finish that one for a long time, since it only shows up once in a while in the Curio Shop.) I'm going to make a "Modern Cafe" using the Modern Condo kitchen pieces and some other related items, based around a hip coffee shop in Collingswood a few blocks from the Treehouse Cafe.

I'm also enjoying Winterfest, which began yesterday. When you click on a giant snowflake flying across your screen, you get one of several prizes. I've already gotten two snowflake "toques" (hats), a Winter Parka (coat), three sweaters, four snow cones, three Frosty Hot Chocolate Mugs (actually, that sounds tasty!), three Peppermint Snowflakes, three pairs of Fuzzy Winter Slippers (gave one pair to Elvis the Little Penguin), an Icicle Tree (put it outside in the Garden for now), and a Snow Picture (hung it in Elvis' Igloo).

The Muppets Are Back!

Yaayy! This time, we won't have to wait two years for the release of the next Muppet Show DVD set! Disney's apparently putting out season 3 on May 20th! :D

Cabin Fever

I spent most of today at work, in fact a lot more than I planned to. I was asked to come in today from 10:30 to 4:30 on Thursday afternoon; apparently, someone had to go to a funeral. No problem. I would have ended up at the Acme anyway to go grocery shopping.

I ended up being asked to stay later, though. We were really busy, and there were several call-outs (including the one kid who never bothered showing up or calling yesterday; he pulled the same today). I felt bad because they were so busy, but I only stayed an extra half-hour. I really did need to buy fruits and vegetables before everyone cleared out that $1 a bag sale. (In fact, the spinach was cleared out when I finally got to it; they were substituting Acme bagged spinach. Thank goodness they did have the Multi-Grain Cakes I love. They're like rice cakes, but made with grains instead of rice; they're crispier, with a much nuttier, tastier flavor. I don't really like rice cakes, but the Multi-Grain Cakes rock.)

I don't know what's with me lately. Maybe I've just been inside too much. Maybe I've been working too much. I've just been thinking...is this all there is? Is this all I'm good for? Is this why no one wants to hire me? Because I have so little experience doing anything besides shoving food across a register?

Being Useful

I wish I was useful. I spent most of the day sitting around, doing nothing. Oh, I did some yoga, and I did what my counselor Scott asked me to do. He suggested to do research on library jobs and other jobs that might interest me. I did, and it would seem the librarians at Haddon Township were right - school librarians/media specialists would appear to be one of the fastest-growing library jobs right now. Supposedly, growth in library/archival jobs is slow, but at a good rate as older librarians retire. (Considering the median age of the librarians at Haddon Township is about 50, that's believable.)

What I wish I could find is something to do in the interim. I don't know what it is about me that drives prospective companies away. There must be something wrong with me. Borders never got back to me. Barnes and Noble didn't want me. Staples didn't want me. FYE didn't want me. What IS it they WANT? What do people need? What am I doing wrong?

I wish I was needed. Everyone has someone who needs them, someone they can take care of and hug and spend winter nights with. I don't have anyone. My friends are so far away, and my family doesn't need me. They all have someone. I'm a third wheel wherever I go. I wish I could find the people in the Delaware Valley area who needed me.

I agreed to go in work at 10:30AM tomorrow to cover for someone who was going to a funeral. The only time work really needs me is to cover for someone else or when all of the older women and college students are on vacation.

Speaking of, work was dead again tonight. I'd love to know why two people were scheduled to arrive and leave at the same time. (Not to mention smack that stupid teenage boy who never showed and never called. If you're sick, be professional and call us, for heaven's sake! The managers had to take the registers when we left!)

Snow On By

At press time, we STILL haven't gotten snow. It was cloudy all day, but it never snowed once. Not one flake. I heard that it snowed in Delaware and in Atlantic and Cape May Counties, but never here in the Philadelphia/Camden area. It wasn't even that cold; mid 30s, same as yesterday.

I did my laundry today and watched my favorite cartoons. Baseball was the theme of Dora the Explorer. Dora's buddy Boots can catch and throw well, but he's not much of a hitter. You have to get him and Dora past the Grumpy Old Troll (who is hitting balls instead of spouting riddles), a pond shaped like a mitt, and Swiper the Fox in a hot dog costume (don't ask) and get them to the game. A cute "Catch the Explorer Stars" arc episode; I loved the very useful "Baseball Explorer Star."

Go Diego Go! covered something a bit more delicate. The animal rescuing sibling pair chase an elusive Blue Muto Butterfly after Diego's buddy Baby Jaguar accidentally scares it away. A typical episode with an atypical animal. I've seen pictures of the real Blue Muto Butterfly, and it is beautiful but apparently just as hard to find in real life as it is here.

Today's Backyardigans was a repeat, but it was a fun one. Tasha the bossy hippo learns a lesson in manners from Uniqua and her guy friends when, as Princess CleoTasha, she and her retainers (the boys) must bring Uniqua the Sphinx gifts in order to find out why the Nile's dried up. I'm reminded here of why Uniqua and Tasha are my favorite members of the Backyardigans. Tasha is smart, logical, and a born leader...but she can also be one rude little girl, not only here, but in other episodes, and a tad lazy. I suspect Uniqua and Tasha are best friends partially because, unlike the boys, Uniqua has enough sense not to put up with Tasha's bull.

It was still cloudy and cold when my laundry was done, so I ended up getting a ride to work. Work was steady when I came in during the usual after-work rush hour, stone-cold-dead by the time I finished at 9.

Return to the Library

I slept in and decided that, since it was a lovely, crisp, perfectly normal 35-degree sunny January day, I would go for a ride and do my library volunteering and Westmont errands.

I volunteered at the Haddon Township Library first. Did the children's DVDs again and the children's CDs. The DVDs weren't too bad (one of the librarians said she'd done them the day before), but the CDs were an absolute mess. They looked like they'd never been done. Getting them into the best alphabetical order I could took me the better part of an hour.

It was after 2PM by the time I finished. I made brief stops at AC Moore and Dollar Store to look at Valentine's and Easter decorations. (One of the few things I like about early Easters is you don't feel quite as weird when the Easter stuff comes out in late January.) I picked up a few things at Super Fresh (they often have great sales on Crystal Light, which I drink a lot of, and their green tea is far cheaper than the Acme's), then stopped at Nick and Joe's for a slice of broccoli and cheese pizza and a bottle of water. As I headed for Cuthbert Road, I realized I'd forgotten to get something I needed at Super Fresh. I got it at the Rite Aid across the street instead.

Spent the rest of the afternoon doing yoga and watching the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers vehicle Shall We Dance. I wish I were better at yoga. I still can't lean on my bad knee all the way. I can't get my feet into the right stance (they always want to turn out), and I can't touch my toes. Relaxing isn't my strong suit, either. I just can't let go.

Shall We Dance isn't one of Fred and Ginger's best films. The storyline, about a ballet dancer and a Broadway star who are assumed to be married and end up getting married anyway in order to end the rumors and get a divorce, is odd and even a bit mean-spirited. It's all redeemed by some genuinely great songs by the Gershwin brothers, including Fred's solo dance in a pump room to "Slap That Bass," Fred and Ginger's infamous roller skating duet, "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off," the cute "They All Laughed," and the touching, Oscar-nominated "They Can't Take That Away From Me." ("Can't Take That Away" was so associated with Astaire and Rogers, it was added to the score of their last film together, The Barkleys of Broadway.)

Not a whole lot planned for the rest of the week beyond basic chores. At least, as of this writing, it's supposed to remain in the 30s and 40s, with no more freezing daytime temperatures. They are calling for possible snow showers tomorrow and flurries on Saturday, but the weather's been so weird lately. I don't think they've gotten it right two days in a row in at least two or three weeks.

No Snow Days

First of all, at press time, we still haven't gotten snow. We got a tiny bit of freezing rain late this morning that vanished the moment it appeared, and there was a bit of light rain when I rode to work. Other than that, it was cloudy and damp all day, cold but thankfully not freezing. I was able to make a quick trip up to the Oaklyn Post Office to send Mom my video copy of Top Hat I no longer need.

Mom called me yesterday (after I called her the day before to tell her the video would go out Tuesday). She, Dad, and Keefe have finally moved into their new house on Walnut Lane across from the Cape May County Airport. Apparently, it's slow going because they haven't really had the time to pack; they've been too busy painting and building the house! Mom said she was preparing to move Keefe's beloved pet turtle Jim as she called me. Their last day in the old house in North Cape May is the 28th.

Work was steady, with no problems...but I received quite a non-work-related shock towards the end of my shift. I'd overheard a teenage girl at work say that Australian actor Heath Ledger, one of my brother Keefe's favorite actors (and one I liked a great deal), had died after reading about it on her cell phone Internet connection. I hoped she was kidding or read it wrong...until I went online and saw it at Yahoo's home page. My jaw must have hit China. I think it's still there.

Damn. This is just so...wrong. So very, very wrong. And the guy was my age, too, with a little girl! I hope Keefe hasn't seen it. A Knight's Tale is one of his favorite movies. It made him a fan of Queen for life; even Mom liked it. Coupled with the deaths of fellow young actor Brad Renfro and beloved actress Suzanne Pleshette, this has not been a pleasant couple of days in the movie community. :(