Road Trip

Mt good friend Julie is headed to Dubai with her daughter to celebrate her 16th birthday. They are staying in the Marriott Marquia..1000 a night. She is a travel agent and has a few perks.
Maddie just turned 16 as well and I thought a road trip was in order as well. So, we are heading to..wait for it...Cleveland! Yes, I know, try not to be too envious. I am not a travel agent and have to work with a librarian salary. But on the up side, we are travelling with good friends and Laura and Sean from Denver are meeting us there. We are going to make the most of it. A dinner reservation at Michael Symon's restaurant. A trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A Ravens game on Sunday. And a visit to the Christmas story house and museum (probably a highlight).never mind that the temps are in the 40's...
We are also checking out a college in Cleveland called Case Western..known for engineering. Probably not a front runner, simply because of the winters there, but perhaps knowing she is an hour from the best amusement park in the United States might sway here. Cedar Point is the roller coaster capital in the world. SShh...don't tell her...

more blues than belly laughs

Sometimes when I find life incredibly frustrating, my blog allows me to vent...and you all are the happy recipients if you choose to read it. We are entering the tail end of the varsity field hockey season here at our local high school and I have to admit I am counting down the minutes. Let's run down the list of responsiblities outside the actual GAME that we (the parents) are responsible for:

1. Team Dinners.The night before each away game, the parents are asked to host a team dinner, where we feed all 40 girls at our home so the girls have time to bond and socialize. Yep, 40. Maddie makes an appearance, eats in 10 minutes, and has us pick her up. So much for bonding on a night of homework with 5 AP classes.

2. Sister bags. Every away game, we give a girl on the junior varsity team a bag of goodies, candy (we are talking movie theater size), snacks, drinks, and in past years, little pencil games, yoyos, silly putty, tattoos...it has become a competition of who has the best bag. No surprize there...they all play sports.

3. The new coach introduced field hockey homework. I suppose we need to tackle that after Maddie finishes her calc packet with 195 calc problems. And her AP Bio assignment.
She also thought bonding with the other team is important. So we hosted a 'tea' after our game with Arundel (where they beat us 7-1)-everyone brought in drinks, fruits, snacks, and granola bars. Girls walked up, shoved granola bars in their backpacks, and left the field.

4. Senior Night. Seniors are honored their last regular season game. That would include glitzy posters with their pics on them, flowers for each girl, a balloon arch, a vat of crab soup that we sell at the snack shack..all seniors and their parents get it for free(parents usually make cream of crab soup-a highlight. This year our boosters, who support all chesapeake sports, got it at a local seafood place and it was vegetable soup that ran out before the game was half over), pictures, and a gift. A previous year, they were given Pandora bracelets (this won't happen again because we don't have a budget for it because we spent the budget on bracelets).

5. End of season party. Not so bad..we rent a hall and parents bring food. But apparently the tradition is to give each girl an ornament to remember the season by. Never mind that perhaps there are girls who are not Christian. And that each ornament is made by yet another parent at the cost of 4-5 a piece. 200.00. for a trinket that ends up at the bottom of the gym bag.

I am not even sharing positives about the actual sport, where it seems winning is much more important than the team spirit. I know they play at a different level on varsity, but why have a group of 6 girls on the sidelines who only play for 2 minutes? Because the girls who stay in the game for the entire time are club level players. And unless you are willing to send your child to a club level group for a cost of 1000 dollars or more, you are out of luck on the high school level.
Give me tennis. Any day.

another library chapter....

Happening in our branches....

Meltdown in the Bathroom

“About 5:40 pm I noticed a man standing by the brick wall outside the bathrooms talking on his phone. He was talking pretty loud. All of a sudden I could hear yelling from inside the men's bathroom. The occupant must have thought he was being talked to thru the door because he was yelling "back off I'm urinating in here you're going to give me a fucking heart attack" The guard was knocking on the door telling the guy to come out. When he came out we learned it was the homeless man, with the green shorts and (now) brown shirt, that is in here all the time. He came out yelling and pointing to the ceiling saying this is all on camera.”

Officer Larson:

“The suspect…was yelling and screaming in the men’s bathroom. I responded to the location banged on the door for several minutes. Suspect opened door and I entered the bathroom with suspect. I asked him what’s wrong, what’s going on? He stated the patron (witness William) was harassing him. The witness was talking on his cell phone about hot rods. He started cursing and threatening. I told him to calm down. After I was satisfied that I had him under control the suspect and I departed the men’s room. When he came out the suspect screamed at the witness. He departed the area on his own. The witness was just talking on his cell phone. He was waiting to use the bathroom. The suspect for some reason thought Mr. R. was talking about him. I know this was not true. Mr. R. was talking about hot rod, bikes, etc.

Also during the day I noticed he was talking a lot to himself in front of computers.

Lost and Found Shopper

At approximately 12:20, a man approached Lynn at the circulation desk and told her that he lost his iPad, touchscreen cell phone, gold bracelet and sunglasses. Lynn checked the drawer and had none of those items. As she was looking in the drawer, he saw another cell phone and told Lynn that it belonged to his girlfriend and he would just go ahead and take it. Lynn informed him that his girlfriend would need to come in and pick it up.

The man is the same person who has attempted this clever trick twice before at the branch.

Lady Changes Clothes in Stacks


We had several incidences with a young lady who spent most of her time at our computers near the hold shelves on Monday. She displayed some signs of being intoxicated but we did not smell liquor or see her drink liquor in the library. An empty vodka bottle was found in the trash by our custodian today. At one point she used the circ desk phone and it was overheard that she told the person on the other end that she had peed her pants at the library. She spent some time in the bathroom (long enough that I went and knocked and checked on her (around 7pm) and took Ralph our guard with me to stand outside the restroom, she said she was ok and was drying her pants. She for a while wore a sweatshirt sort of as a skirt. This look was not really indecent (though odd). I did have to speak with her a few times about playing music and singing along in the library. Upon review of our video surveillance system today it is clear that around 8:10 she takes the sweatshirt off her bottom half near computer 15, runs into the stacks in her underwear and puts on her pants. She left without incident not long after this (though she did say she would see us tomorrow). After reviewing the tape and speaking with our Area Supervisor we have decided to ban the patron for a period of one month for indecent exposure as well as general disruptive behavior. A banning letter has been printed and is at the information desk. We do not know her name or card number. As an additional note there is an incident report about her and similar behavior from last fall and we believe this is the first time she has been in since then.

community prez

So, in a moment of insanity, I agreed to run for president of our community association. I had secretly hoped I would lose, at the same time we have had no leadership in a long time and I suppose someone needed to step up. Unfortunately, this is a trend across America..the lack of interest and time to give back to the community. And besides, I had just been instrumental in reducing our board meetings to 4 times a year..I can handle 4 meetings a year, right? I ran against the vice president, who had to step in because the president flew the coop. I won 6-3, despite my good friend Sherry who did not vote for me to save me from myself.
I was feeling like this was manageable-until I paid a visit to the former prez who left office. He congratulated me and indicated that the fun is just beginning..wait until i start receiving registered letters and lawsuit papers in the mail. Now, I really didn't sign up for all that. And apparently he often spent time at community properties cutting the grass to avoid complaints from the 84 year old man who lived next door. I don't roll lawn mowers down the road to cut lawns. That's why we have lawn services.
Then yesterday, a board member dropped by my house to give me THE PRESIDENTIAL BRIEFCASE. It is a briefcase that dates back to the 60's, old, black, and boxy. I felt like I needed one of those chains and locks to your wrist when the exchange was made. It contains many secret things that the president needs and apparently, carries to every board meeting. I waited to open it-I was a little frightened to know what might be in it. Gold? Secrets about the neighbors? Classified information from 1920? Finally I gathered muster and unlocked the box..only to find a treasure trove of historical documents and unfinished business. Property plats, lawsuit papers, checks written a year ago, minutes from 6 years ago, registered letters (there is that request to cut the grass) and a booklet on the laws governing pets in Anne Arundel County. Which would not be unusual, but it had been highlighted with post it notes about the perils of cats.
And so my term begins. One complaint about trash location. And the use of a road in the community. So far, so good. I'll keep you posted.

ode to dad

Today would have been my father's 85 birthday had he lived past 59. It is a good day to reflect on him and his impact on our family, as well as his colorful and amusing life. I would not have pursued my career as a librarian had it not been for my dad. I spent a good part of my late teens and early 20's attending library conferences, which actually meant a big party opportunity for my father. We attended all free food and alcohol events vendors offered librarians. Meetings required sticking your head in the door and moving on to the closest bar for a drinkie poo.
Because he lived near new york, caravans of me and my friends would travel to see him and his best friend Betty, who was always kind enough to put us up for the weekend. It always involved drinking and debauchery..in that order.
My parents separated when I was around 11 and he would come visit every 2 weeks. I think he finally stepped up in the decade and purchased a mustang. Our previous "new" cars were usually 2 decades behind..our excitement would build knowing he was coming home with a new car, which turned out to be a 1958 plymouth with big fins on the bumpers. And holes in the floor board. We never were much of a car family...
Not everything was fun and frolic with my dad, but this is a time to remember the good times. He had his share of struggles, but hell, he had a great time dealing with them.

10 things I love about Maddie

Fair's fair...although I am sure she is groaning with embarrassment...

10. Sense of Humor. She has a silly side which I can relate to. And being smart lends well to a witty humor. Commentary from kids at school that know her...she is funny. Only one that might not think so is her former french teacher. But he is an odd one anyway.

9. Generosity. She will volunteer for almost anything. Except maybe cleaning out her dad's chicken coop. But she has been with me on a cold rainy morning to support ALS, will play games with the homeless, will help her neighbor's kids with reading, and actively LOOKS for volunteer opportunities. What teen does that?

8. Style. She knows what looks good on her without pushing the envelope. She turns her nose up to streetwalker prom dresses. She is trendy, yet has little interest in following the push for designer brands.

7. Thrifyness. Okay, this really might have to do with her very clear understanding of money and the power it holds. She has always made money babysitting and dog sitting and well aware of the cost of things and if its too expensive, she leaves it alone. She likes money and likes having money. She shops sales, looks for the best bargain, and compromises when it comes to that 70.00 polo shirt. Now that's my girl.

6. Her relentless energy. Thank god she plays sports. She is my dog walker/runner. She will fetch things for her very tired and quasi old mother without complaint. She leaps the steps in 3 bounds. Not to say she enjoys a night of being a couch potato or sleeping in. But once she's up, she hits the ground running. Wish we could bottle that.

5. Her organization. I glanced at her school notebook the other day. Pristine with tabs for homework, class notes, and subject. Paperwork for school is on time and presented to me the minute she gets it. She actually uses her planner. Now granted, her room looks like a bomb went off in it, but as she has told me..she knows what is in each quadrant of floor space. Guess it works. Now if I could only get her to make her bed.... And maybe put dishes in the dishwasher...

4.Enthusiasm. Like her brother, she loves new experiences . She loves to look forward to something. She is an awesome travel companion, where anything goes with great joy. She loves new restaurants..only thing she wanted for her phenomenal report card was a trip to Helmund, an Afghan restaurant. If it involves fun, she is even willing to get up before the sun. Now that's commitment...

3. Compassion and loyalty. Maddie will defend the underdogs. She has a soft spot for those who are a bit 'different'. She actually called someone out in the hallway for talkin smack about someone. She is fiercely loyal to her friends. And expects the same in return.

2. Her intelligence. She runs circles around me in the math department. Well, that might not be a good example, since I have the ability of a 6th grader. It's her flawless grades, her voracious reading, and her love for learning if the teacher is someone who she relates to.

1. Her love of cooking. And baking. And what foodie wouldn't love that??

10 things I love About Andrew

It was time to pay a homage to David Letterman....

10. Andrew's humor. Of course, i say that because our humor is the same and I find it very relatable. It is a bit sarcastic and quick. We all appreciate that when it comes to laughter. It SO reminds me of my brother Chris.

9.Reading Habits. His taste is quirky, with a love for authors who find life absurd and somewhat tragic. George Saunders, Davis Foster Wallace, VOnnegut...they speak their truth and no one understands them. Except Andrew perhaps. I will post a postscript that he is also a bit of a reading snob. No main stream stuff. And don't even MENTION a Kindle.

8. He has a great appreciation for the absurdity of life. He finds chicken ownership interesting, yet bonding with his dad over dumpster diving to feed them a bit humorous. He loves reality TV, but draws the line at Honey Boo Boo. But he will watch strange addictions. And food network.

7. Writing. Below is a story Andrew wrote while at Warren Wilson College about being a small child and having a nightmare:
"It was all a careful ritual. The boy needed to fixate on the nothingness. This was because if he broke this quiet meditation and thought about any one thing in particular, his mind would trip and stumbles down the wooden bunk bed, into the silver glass of morbid perversion. The sound of raindrops hitting the roof became dastardly footsteps walking down the hallway. The shadows made from car headlights fragmented into bent contorted figures, plastered like black tree trunks on the baby blue walls. Worst of all, his reflected image in the mirror on the adjacent wall would mutate into the crimson woman with hollow eyes and jagged toothy smile. The quiet terror of her projection made the child avert his gaze in the solitude of his dark room. He tried facing away from the mirror towards the wall, but thought about his eyeballs rolled around in their sockets, staring backwards at her grotesque frame."
Andrew's command of the English language is impeccable.

6.Kindness. He will do anything for anyone he cares about..or even all those crazy customers who walk into CVS. Well, there are times where i will ask him and he will ask for monetary compensation. That's simply survival skills.

5. Creativity. Warren Wilson College introduced him to the love of the fiber arts. he learned to weave and spin and carried home a love to anything related to yarn. We all had wool hats for winter..well, we got them for free-friends and neighbors paid for them. Now we are onto the god's eye. In a big way.

4.Fashion sense. Now generally I find his style eclectic and fun. He is a big fan of bow ties (NO clip ons), suspenders, bollos, panchos, and my favorite-a tie that was woven at Warren Wilson on a loom. I do draw the line with his New Delhi style pantaloons he found in the free cycle at warren wilson and his new Native American patterned muscle shirt. And perhaps his footwear could use some updating.

3. Love of music. It permeates the house. In CD, Album, and ipod form. And there are moments when friends come over for a little jam of guitar, mandolin, and violin. I would know nothing about today's progressive music. And sometimes I really don't want to know, from what I hear. Sometimes its just a song of moaning or squeaking.

2. Sense of Adventure. Everything is an experience worth living and absorbing. A trip to Baltimore to watch outdoor films. A new restaurant. A new recipe-which, I might add, can be a little unusual in the contents but its seems to work. A new piece of music. A new travelling experience. Which is why that should be a goal after college.

1.Hair. He has so much of it. And I have so little....