Weekend craziness!

Maddy is all packed. I'm all packed. At work trying to work on reports) then off to Milwaukee for Joe's best friend's wedding. Should be fun! (Maybe it'll be as fun as Jenica' and Drew's looked!)

My sis Amy sent this forward. So apropos. YES YES YES. Must work on this "being calm" business! Anyone want to join me?

I am passing this on to you because it definitely works, and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace. Dr Phil proclaimed, "The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished."

So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a bottle of Kahlua, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos and a box of chocolates.

You have no idea how freaking good I feel. Please pass this on to those whom you think might be in need of inner peace.

ToDos

The list of things to do before next Thursday- surgery day- continues to grow.

DONE:

• Paperwork to be able to have time off from work and not have to take vacation time for recuperation.
• Did laundry for packing for this weekend's wedding in Milwaukee.
• Figured out how to use the borrowed keyboard midi to aid in transposing music for the 2 gigs just after Thanksgiving.
• Haircut appointment made for Wednesday.
• Made arrangements for my Mom to come up Thursday-Friday to help out post-surgery.

NEED TO DO:

• Pack Maddy for two nights this weekend at G'ma Terri's house.
• Pack Karen and Joe for two nights in Milwaukee for Jess's wedding affair.
• Get list of work duties done before next Wednesday: do all reporting, let co-worker know where everything, train co-worker on necessary steps to close out a project, prepare for work review.
• Clean house (ok- at least vacuum, clean room Mom will be sleeping in, sweep floors, and clean bathroom).
• Find out where I need to be when next Thursday.
• Try not to stress about everything. I'm stressing about everything and the acne on my face shows it.
• Print out list of movies I would like to get from the video store for after the surgery.

(to be added to)....

Banned Book Week: September 23-30, 2006

Go here to learn more about Banned Books Week, why it's important, and the incredible challenges librarians and intellectual freedom activists deal with to protect the right to READ.

How many of Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000 have you read?

I've only read 32. Not too many. I need to read more!

1. Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
2. Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
4. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
8. Forever by Judy Blume
9. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
10. Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
11. Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
12. My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
13. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
14. he Giver by Lois Lowry
15. It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
16. Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
17. A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
18. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
19. Sex by Madonna
20. Earth's Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
21. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
22. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
23. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
24. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
25. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
26. The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
27. The Witches by Roald Dahl
28. The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
29. Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
30. The Goats by Brock Cole
31. Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
32. Blubber by Judy Blume
33. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
34. Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
35. We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
36. Final Exit by Derek Humphry
37. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
38. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
39. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
40. What's Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
41. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
42. Beloved by Toni Morrison
43. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
44. The Pigman by Paul Zindel
45. Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
46. Deenie by Judy Blume
47. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
48. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
49. The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
50. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
51. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
52. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
53. Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
54. Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
55. Cujo by Stephen King
56. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
57. The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
58. Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
59. Ordinary People by Judith Guest
60. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
61. What's Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
62. Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
63. Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
64. Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
65. Fade by Robert Cormier
66. Guess What? by Mem Fox
67. The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
68. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
69. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
70. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
71. Native Son by Richard Wright
72. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Fantasies by Nancy Friday
73. Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
74. Jack by A.M. Homes
75. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
76. Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
77. Carrie by Stephen King
78. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
79. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
80. Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
81. Family Secrets by Norma Klein
82. Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
83. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
84. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
85. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
86. Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
87. Private Parts by Howard Stern
88. Where's Waldo? by Martin Hanford
89. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
90. Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
91. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
92. Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
93. Sex Education by Jenny Davis
94. The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
95. Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
96. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
97. View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
98. The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
99. The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
100. Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Doing the right thing....

This town has been abuzz about the recent arrests and charges against three local teens allegedly planning on committing a Columbine-like attack at Green Bay East High School.

William Cornell, Shawn Sturtz and Bradley Netwal, all of Green Bay, were charged in Brown County court with conspiracy to commit first-degree intentional homicide and conspiracy to commit damage to property by use of explosive.

Source: Green Bay Press Gazette

What's remarkable is how they were arrested. 17 year old Matt Atkinson, a friend of two of the arrested boys, came forward about what he knew and what he suspected. And today, he's been chosen as ABC's Person of the Week:

Atkinson named ABC's person of week for tip about East plot. A crew from ABC News is expected to be in Green Bay today working on a piece about Matt Atkinson, the 17-year-old Green Bay East High School student who told school officials last week about an alleged plot to attack the school.

Atkinson is expected to be featured as Person of the Week on ABC World News, though ABC told WBAY, Channel 2, that he will not be doing an interview for the piece.

Source: Green Bay Press Gazette

Congratulations, Matt. Green Bay is proud of you!

ME TIME

Are you a woman? A wife? A mother? We all think about this, but we very rarely take the time to do something about this. What am I talking about? ME TIME! Check this out:

The Families and Work Institute (FWI) found that working mothers spend both more time at the job and more time with their kids than their counterparts did 25 years ago.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/09/15/me.time.health/index.html

I'm not saying no to time at work or no to time with kids - I enjoy my job and I love my kid. I've noticed, however, that it takes so much effort to actually spend time for myself, and when I'm gone, I feel that monster creeping up to strangle me - GUILT!

When I went to Girl Scout Summer Camp many many years ago, everyday after lunch, we had "ME TIME". We could nap, write home, swim, read, play outside games, whatever we wished. I didn't feel guilty then.

This year has been rough for me physically. After breaking my elbow in February, I didn't take any time off. In hindsight, I was NUTS. Joe and his mom drove me around town. I henpecked the keyboard at work. I wore a head-set so I could be on the phone and work on the computer if needed. It worked out ok. But I was also on vicodin and was in a lot of pain. I don't remember much of the month of March.

I'm learning to try to bring some of ME TIME in my time now, before the surgery as well as after. Tonight I've invited women from all aspects of my life for a Girl's Night Out, and at least 9 of us are having dinner together at a wonderful restaurant in town. I'm learning not to feel so guilty about doing things I enjoy. I'm also going to take off as much time as I need after the surgery for recovery! I'm not going to do it like in February, struggling to stay awake whilst on yummy drugs, aching in pain and hoping to find time for sleep.

Yeah for ME TIME!

FRAK PARTY!

Battlestar Gallactica starts again October 6th! OH MY! That's 16 days! For all those who aren't aware, SCIFI Channel's new series ROCKS! For those who already know this, there is great excitement in the air! Host your own Frak Party, and watch the show!


(now....to get cable back in time....)

Who's on First - Dubya style

George: Condi! Nice to see you. What's happening?

Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.

George: Great. Lay it on me.

Condi: Hu is the new leader of China.

George: That's what I want to know.

Condi: That's what I'm telling you.

George: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China?

Condi: Yes.

George: I mean the fellow's name.

Condi: Hu.

George: The guy in China.

Condi: Hu.

George: The new leader of China.

Condi: Hu.

George: The main man in China!

Condi: Hu is leading China.

George: Now whaddya' asking me for?

Condi: I'm telling you, Hu is leading China.

George: Well, I'm asking you. Who is leading China?

Condi: That's the man's name.

George: That's who's name?

Condi: Yes.

George: Will you, or will you not, tell me the name of the new leader of China?

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he's dead in the Middle East.

Condi: That's correct.

George: Then who is in China?

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Yassir is in China?

Condi: No, sir.

George: Then who is?

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Yassir?

Condi: No, sir.

George: Look Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China. Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the phone.

Condi: Kofi?

George: No, thanks.

Condi: You want Kofi?

George: No.

Condi: You don't want Kofi.

George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And then get me the U.N.

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.

Condi: Kofi?

George: Milk! Will you please make the call?

Condi: And call who?

George: Who is the guy at the U.N?

Condi: Hu is the guy in China

George: Will you stay out of China?!

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N.

Condi: Kofi.

George: All right! With cream and two sugars.

Something you don't see everyday....

Northeast Wisconsin doesn't have much in the way of violent assaults. Murders are (fairly and thankfully) rare. It's not 100% free of violence, but it's a small enough town that violence isn't prevalent.

Last night, however, there was an armed robbery - with a knife. No one was hurt. The suspect was still at large when I drove to work.

As I was driving to work, I noticed two police cars in from of a motel - one marked, the other un-marked - blocking entrance to the motel. It struck me as odd, so I kept looking, and it was then I noticed police surrounding the outside perimeter of the motel with weapons drawn. One of those weapons was a rifle. EEP! Not something you see everyday!!! It turned out to be a false alarm, but oh man, it got my attention!

I remember, and yet....

Everytime I think about 9/11/2001 and where I was and what has happened since that day, my heart grows heavy. Of course I remember where I was, what I was doing, and how I felt. I wonder how many years must pass for all of us to be able to talk about a normal September 11 without somehow remembering that black day.

Even with that horror, I fear my country's government has played us all for fools. I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired with "them" using fear as their primary tactic to gain access to personal, PRIVATE information, to defend their baseless war against the people of Iraq, and to create a society which is less secure than it was before that Tuesday long ago.
I'm hoping to change my attitude and quell my fear by voting in this month's primaries tomorrow for at least one person, Jamie Wall, whose values and beliefs mirror my own. Will you join me in "being the change you want to see in the world" (taught Gandhi).

Namaste

Not so itsy bitsy

Eek. (In response to Erica's post at the Librarian Avengers blog)

I thought I was doing so well! Not wanting my 2 year old daughter to be afraid of such an amazing creature, I encourage curiousity about spiders. There's a beautiful big one who has built a web near the garage this weekend. (This site is really cool - it's how spiders construct their webs!) We make sure to try to spot her whilst she hides out in the flowers. I'm not afraid of spiders. But I had a dream where the house was over run by spiders, and now I'm freaked out! I woke up, terrified that they've invaded! I can just say I'm thrilled to not be in the southwest!

My first "very interesting" SLIS prof! *wink*

It's Professor Wayne! Thanks, Heather, for posting his webcast! Professor Wayne's SLIS 450 at UW-Madison was most everyone's first impressions about what librarianship was all about. And now, he is here, talking about Dewey. I'm listening to this webcast, remembering him talking about information systems, librarianship, the history of reading, the history of the book, all that cool stuff, in a very warm lecture hall in Science Hall in Madison.

(And she screams...I wanna get back there!)

Babies!

There's been new arrivals in the lives of some friends and family.

Kayla Nicole

6 pounds 7 ounces, 20 inches, 7:26 pm, Friday, August 25, 2006

Born to my cousin Rebecca and her boyfriend Dwight in Cleveland, Ohio

Charlie Leonard

August 22, 2006 at 9:57 AM, 6 lbs. 14 oz., 19 1/2 inches

Born to my good friend and co-worker Pam, her husband Art, and big brother Howie!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Alas, poor Pluto....

or... And then there were 8 (planets, that is)

My first impression was the use of mnemonics to remember the previous 9:

• Men Very Easily Make Jugs Serve Useful Nocturnal Purpose
• My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas
• My Very Easy Method-Just Set Up Nine Planets
• Mary's Violet Eyes Make John Stay Up Nights Praying
• Mary's Violet Eyes Make John Stay Up Nights, Period.
• My Very Energetic Mother Just Sat Upon (the) North Pole
• My Very Elegant Mother Just Sat Upon Nine Porcupines
• My very educated mother just sent us nine pickles.
• My very educated mother just served us nine peas.
• My very excellent memory just served up nine planets.
• Man very early made jars stand up nearly perpendicular.

(thanks, to Amanda for this list!)

Poor kids, missing out on that pizza! Can't wait to see what the new mnemonics will be!

Wednesday, already?

We've been so busy lately! Work is incredibly hectic as usual, and it feels like we're about 5 steps away from utter chaos. But it's nice to be appreciated and it's nice to keep busy.

We're helping Jodi with a rummage sale this weekend (go away, rain!), but we haven't yet begun hauling our items to the garage yet! Thankfully it's going to be held at Jodi's house. (whew!)

Joe's busy with work, finishing up a few projects, and planning the "Bachelor Party of the Year". Egads. I'm opting for the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. I really don't think I will want to know what's going to happen during the 3 day festival!

Maddy is busy growing up quickly. She's definitely behaving as a 2-going-on-3 year old, and vacillates between "I can do it" and "Mommy/Daddy, you do it!". Parenthood is NOT for the weak of heart/stomach/head/patience!

just breath....

Surgery has been scheduled. October 5th. 48 days. The waiting begins.

The decision

The date hasn't been set yet, but we are going through with the surgery to transpose the ulna nerve being compressed by the scar tissue. It's probably going to be early October so hopefully I've healed a bit healed by the holidays. I feel pretty, well, ok. As well as I can be, I suppose.

I'm glad I can do something about the discomfort, the pain, the lack of full recovery from the original injury. I'm freaked out about the prospect of surgery. I only have been "under" twice that I remember: once in the dentist's chair getting stubborn teeth out and once only a few years ago when I had my tonsils taken out. I'm frustrated that I feel like I'm going back to square one as I recuperate from the surgery (no lifting for 6-8 weeks). Therapy won't be fun, but I've been there before in April, so I kind of know what to expect.

I'm ok. I know it's temporary and I know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Worries - part 3

My friend Jodi has introduced me to Reiki. I'm not a novice to trying alternative medicine. I've studied yoga in the past and hope to in the future after my arm heals. I've had acupuncture done, which was amazing. I believe in the power of the mind and the power of meditation (though I've never seriously practiced meditation).

I've heard of Reiki, but figured it hokie. . No one could give me proof that Reiki worked. But when one is not feeling 100%, you tend to try almost anything to feel better. So I invited Jodi to show me what she knows. Last week, she practiced on me.

I'm not sure I can describe the pure bliss I enjoyed when she practiced on me. I'm not sure what happened, but whatever it was, I've been contemplating upon it since then. In my research of Reiki and Reiki practice, I have decided to attempt to live by this famous quote by Dr. Mikao Usui, the originator of Reiki as it is today. Many of you might now it.

Just for today, do not worry.
Just for today, do not anger.
Honor your parents, teachers and elders.
Earn your living honestly.
Show gratitude to everything.

                   Dr. Mikao Usui

Maybe it will help me stop becoming such a chronic worrier. Couldn't hurt!

Worries - part 2

Maddy isn't feeling well. For the first time in a very long time, she has a pretty nasty productive cough. She's clingy, which she rarely is, and she's just feeling punky. *sigh* All I would like to do today is crawl into bed with her and comfort her. But alas, she doesn't have a fever, she's in a fairly decent mood despite it, and I have to save up my personal days at work for if/when I have surgery. They never taught me how to handle these feelings in parenting school.

Worries - part 1

Everytime I hear about some sort of airplane disaster, my very first thought is "Where is Dad?!". No different this morning. Especially this morning.

As my sisters and I were growing up, my father traveled internationally for business. I got used to figuring out the planet Earth by following my father's travels around the globe. When the PanAm flight was bombed in Lockerbie , Scotland, we were living in Skipton. My father flew often between England and the US.

I keep forgetting that though my father travels, he doesn't travel internationally much anymore. But I'll always worry.

Diagnosis

In regards to my elbow...I have nerve compression/entrapment of the ulna nerve at the elbow. It's probably scar tissue from the fracture in February.

Option 1: Wait and see if it gets better.
Option 2: Surgically decompress the nerve and possibly move the nerve to another place. (link is really a good link to UCLA's Neurosurgery Center).

Neither sounds fun. I've been pretty good about limiting the activities. I use the mouse at my computer with my left hand again. I conduct the band with my left hand (that was weird). I rinse dishes, weed, drive, hold the phone to my ear, etc. with my left hand. I still do all the fun nerve glides. I'm not overdoing it, but I'm definitely not exercising it. But rest alone MIGHT help.

But surgery might work. It would release it from the scar tissue, and the re-routing of the nerve to inside the forearm would decrease the tension. It would mean possible time off. It would mean trying to figure out a good time for surgery. It would mean going back to square one. But it also MIGHT help.

So there you have it. I asked my ortho-surgeon what he would do. He said he didn't know. Great. Joe and I meet with him on the 14th to discuss details, options, etc.

Bottomline, I just want to be feel healthy again. I want to play cello again. I want to be able to not wince when Maddy wants me to hold her. I want to be able to not have to gauge my activities, hoping that I have enough strength to make it through the day.