School Days

In case you don't know, I am in the process of getting my Master's degree in Library and Information Science. More in the information part actually. It's throught the University of North Texas. I started while I was living in Las Vegas and after this semester I will only have two more classes...yay!! I do the classes online but some classes require a two or three day weekend face-to-face meeting in Texas. A couple of weekends ago I had to Denton for a weekend which was cool because I had never seen my campus before. AND I got to hole up in a hotel room for three nights which was kind of nice because I don't think I'd ever had a hotel room ALL to myself.

Here's a picture of the campus as seen from across the highway:

I forgot to mention that the day or two before I got there, a freak snow storm hit Texas and dumped seven or eight inches on the campus. I think I was on the first uncancelled flight from New York. By the time I got there though, the snow was melting so fast. I loved that even with the recent snow, the grass is still pretty green. And I LOVE trees...they have such great personality when they have no leaves...

I had to snag a photo of this (look how green!):And the trees were starting to bloom:
This one reminded me of New York (the park benches maybe?):

And there were fountains everywhere! Ok, I still crave water and greenery from living in the desert:

And my obsession with trees:

NYC Libraries Revamped

Apparently someone read about my library rant and decided to do a face-lift on NYC's libraries. Ok...well I'd to think someone read my blog :) Read the article about the plans here.

Anyway, a massive plan to renovate the "Lion Library" provided in part by an insanely generous donation by a prominent New Yorker is underway. When they are done, the "Lion Library" will have book borrowing services....yay!!! And other NYC libraries may get a face-life too. Maybe our poor little one floor/room library that (I swear) has only eight "G" fiction books. Seriously.

Oh...and if you want a flashback to my little tour of the library while seeing the Kerouac's On the Road you can go here.

P.S. Just learned that the two lions' names are Patience and Fortitude. Not sure which one I took a picture of above :)

Back from Dallas

Last weekend I had a two day class in Dallas which went great! I did a small speech on "digital preservation" and had a great time getting to know class-mates. So I stayed at a nice hotel for two nights and then my husband flew out on Sunday.

My husband's family is lives in the Dallas area and I have only met his mom and aunt. So we decided to make a little vacation out of it, see the sites, and introduce me to the fam. I was a little nervous :)

I had a huge paper/project due this weekend so I stayed an extra night in the hotel so I could go to the campus library and crank out the paper. When I checked out the hotel guy said they had no record of me staying that last night - even though I called it in - so he said it was my lucky day and gave me that night's room free! How cool was that!

So I got to see my campus (I've never been there before) hung out coffee shop in the library and in the library and got a ton of homework done. I also got a nice bright orange sweatshirt with my school logo. Ok..so my school colors aren't bright orange but since my husband is a die-hard Auburn fan and my school isn't too huge in football...I figured it would be a way to support both ;) I also got a school ID which is something I don't have and sometimes comes in handy for discounts. And then my husband and mother-in-law picked me up.

I'll upload and show you all my photos from San Antonio, the Alamo, the Riverwalk, and all that fun touristy stuff. All those kinks and hurts in my back went away and we enjoyed the lovely warm, 90+degree weather in the Dallas area.

Now back to the grind :(

Why you should check the news in the AM

I really am not a big TV person. Some people love love love it and watch it all the time. My brother loves to go to sleep with the TV on. So I never check the news before I head out for work in the morning. Which is sometimes bad because I never know what the weather is going to be like. I keep an umbrella at work just for emergencies. And my husband is usually my weather guy when he walks the dogs in the morning.

And I did notice that my commute and transfer at Times Square/42nd Street Station was more aggravating than normal. One of those times when packed like a sardine for an hour commute was actually starting to make me feel just a bit claustrophobic. And I did notice the cops...especially the one with the dog who wouldn't stop barking and was echoing up and down the hallways.

Still, I was surprised to hear about the bombing which happened early this morning in Times Square. I am so glad that no one was hurt and sad that things like this happen.

One More!

Book Blog

The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards

I almost forgot one! This was our first book club's choice. It was so so sad and a bit depressing. During a snow storm a doctor is forced to deliever his first child, a baby boy. He is shocked to discover twins and that the second child (a girl) has developmental problems. With only his nurse as witness, he tells his wife the child is dead and the nurse takes the very much alive child away. The doctor thinks the child doesn't have long to live but the nurse secrets her out of town and raises the child. This act obviously affects many many lives. It has a lot to do with marriage, secrets, love, trust, and forgiveness (and non-forgiveness). It was a great story and written very well but it was very depressing really. I guess I tend to go for lighter books. That's why our second choice was Twilight...nice and light! So this is just a warning: great book but very sad.

Books Galore!

Book Blog

I've been way way behind in book blogging. I think it has to do with the little break between semesters and I tried to cram in as many books as possible. I've probably forgotten a couple but here's some of them:

My Dream of You - Nuala O'Faolain

This was an interesting book about an Irish transplant travel writer in London. The story flip flops between her present life and her reflection on her past. It also flips way back to a story she's researching about an affair between an Irish groom and an English lady during the potato famine years (think mid-eighteen hundreds). I liked this book because it described a reality in Ireland that we sometime as tourists and travelers don't see about a place. It was also amazing to realize the shear amount of people who suffered, died, and immigrated. The book did tend to ramble and I think she could have cut the story down in half but it did really make you get to know the main character.

Atonement - Ian McEwan

I'm guessing you've heard about this one. I think you definitely read this one if you haven't. The writing is supurb and how he draws the reader in is amazing. And it's a pretty short novel by my standards so that was pretty nice too.

Twilight - Stephanie Meyer

So after My Dream of You and Atonement I needed a pretty easy and light read. Real Librarian suggested book one of a popular teen series called Twilight and I have to say it was a fun read. The story is that a teen moves from big city Southwest to little town Northwest and among other teen angsts, falls in love with a vampire. Mahem ensues. Oh, and look out for a movie coming out this year. Read it for a fun, light, entertaining read. You'll finish the read in a day or two, I promise :)

A Purpose Driven Life - Rick Warren

This was a wonderful devotion that my sister and I did together. I definitely recommend this devotion and only read one chapter a day. Also, do the devotion with someone because it's great to bounce thoughts off one another. It really makes you sit and re-evaluate your life, your commitments, and your priorities. No...it won't tell you what career path to choose :)

Love Living Places

I love living in different places. I'm so spoiled because it's so much better than traveling and seeing a place for a week. Although there are many many places I'd only like to see for a week but not live. Ok...rambling on...

Here's just a brief synopsis of places I've "lived":

Colorado (birth-6)
Utah (one year)
Nevada (four years)
Colorado (year and a half)
Tennessee (year and a half)
Alaska (four years)
Colorado (five years)
Wales, UK (four months)
Alaska (one year)
Nevada (two years)
New York (going on one year)

Wow...that actually adds up...

Anyway...it's still nice when places I've lived in turn up in the news. It's no Running of the Bulls, but hey...



Ok...so when WE went to the Fur Rendevous in Anchorage just a few years ago it wasn't ANYTHING like this. Arg.