Movie Reviews

I recently saw both Ratatouille and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Ratatouille is the usual Pixar perfection: everything is very detailed and very lifelike -- the views of Paris will take your breath away and if you don't like rats, you will be creeped out. Despite this, it's probably last on my list of Pixar flix -- hey, somebody has to be at the bottom!

HP5 was good -- it's been some time since I read the story, so I can't speak to how closely the movie sticks to the book, but as a movie, it rocked.

I read somewhere that this might be the last HP movie they do because someone thinks the actors are getting too old to play teenagers. I don't agree; I had no trouble believing that Daniel, Emma, Rupert and the others were 15. I would very much like to see them film the last two books (but that could just be my completion fixation).

Who Ya Gonna Trust?

I'm relieved to know that at least some of the next generation has critical thinking skills.

Impotence of Proofreading

This brilliant video is for anyone who has ever typed anything. Some adult language.

I could practice for 100 years and still not be able to recite this...

HP5 Movie

Three reviews of the movie version of Order of the Phoenix from Pop Goes the Library (they all liked it). The reviews contain spoilers if you haven't read the book.

Yes, it's possible. I actually know two people who haven't ever read any Harry Potter. Yeah, I'm shakin' my head, too.

Toby Keith

I'm officially removing Kenny Chesney from my voices-that-make-me-weak list.

It's not that I don't still enjoy his music, 'cause I do. And it's not that the reason he went on the list in the first place doesn't still exist, 'cause it does. But unlike everyone else on the list, there's only one time that he makes me weak: the 'on and on and on' part of the chorus in the live version of 'What I Need to Do'.

On the other hand, I have to watch myself anytime I hear Liam, Alan, Kiefer, John, or Johnny*.

And Toby Keith deserves to be on the list. Back in February 2005**, I became seriously addicted to The Big Dog while waiting for Honkytonk University to be released. This addiction keeps getting stronger and stronger. There have been very few days since then when I haven't listened to at least some TK, and plenty of days when he's all I've listened to.


*I mean Johnny Depp as Johnny Depp, not in any one particular movie -- most of my experience with his voice as himself comes from his episode of Inside the Actors' Studio

**Yes, I've been meaning to add him to the list since then, but haven't gotten around to it. I'm a bit of a procrastinator, remember?

HP7

I am determined to not believe anything I hear about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I don't care if the person swears that it's the black-on-white truth, I'm treating all spoilers as rumors.

Alive?

Yes, I'm still among the living. May was very busy with helping Mom pack and move and build her house. The Ohio trip was wonderful right up until the very end, when I was next to the toddler-from-hell on the plane home who shared his germs with me which them combined with the dust and mold from the renovation at work to make me sick for most of June.

A few wedding photos are available.

I was working on beefing up this post until I found this entry at Lori's site. Look for a lot more short posts from me...

Mom's House

I won't mention names yet (maybe later), but if a company tells you that 3 people can build their pre-cut kit structure in 2 days, don't believe them. If the incredibly hard-working, dedicated crew of 7 that we had wasn't able to do it in 4 days, it can't be done.

Also, don't believe them when they tell you the lumber will be marked as to where it belongs (F=floor, W=wall, etc.) or that it "comes with the thinking all done."

We didn't believe some of their claims and knew that others were exaggerated, but we had no idea just how far off they would be...

Ms. Dewey

I'm really surprised that I haven't seen Ms. Dewey mentioned on any of the blogs I read. So here she is.

Saturn's Rings

Call me a geek, but this movie of Saturn's rings is awesome*.

From the intro page: "Image scale is 48 kilometers (30 miles) per pixel."

Per PIXEL. Think about that.



*I'm not even sure awesome is the right word, but it's all my tired brain can come up with right now.

My Own Web Domain

Some of you might remember the original homepage for my amysbookshelf.com website. It had a wonderful graphic of books on a bookshelf that D spent many hours creating and fiddling with.

The original intent was that each book would be clickable and lead to a page of {supposedly} interesting stuff. I was also going to use my website as a portal for my home research business – hey, this was back before Google convinced everyone they could find everything themselves in .06 seconds.

But with the plethora of free options like Blogger, Flickr, and wikis, I’ve begun to wonder if I really need my own domain that I’m not using. On the one hand, it’s approx. $100/year for something I might want some day. On the other hand, it’s approx. $100/year for something I haven’t used in a long time.

Opinions, anyone?

The Demon Murphy

If your flight is on time, the gate for your connecting flight will be nearby.

If your flight is delayed, your connecting flight will be four concourses away, at the very last gate. And, of course, it goes without saying that even if you are able to sprint fast enough to board that second flight, there’s no way your luggage is going to make it....

iPod Dilemma

Why would I get an 8GB iPod nano for $249 when I can get a 30GB iPod for the same price?

The nano plays only music and holds only up to 2,000 songs, while the regular also plays videos and holds up to 7,500 songs.

I keep looking at the specs list, sure I must be mis-reading numbers.

Is there some other consideration that I should be aware of? Some catch that I'm missing?

Row, Girl, Row

I finally got a rowing machine. Yippee!!!

Some of you know that this has been quite the impossible quest. I knew exactly which model I wanted, but the company (FitnessQuest) wanted to send it UPS 2nd day, which would mean that the shipping would cost almost as much as the machine. This was not an option, as I am a girl on a budget, so I started researching alternative methods of delivery.

Five months and many frustrations later, I was able to just order it from Amazon.com.

Yeah, I don't believe it was that easy either. When I checked several months ago, Amazon wouldn't ship a rowing machine to Hawaii (neither would Sears, Walmart, Costco, Target, or Sports Authority...).

But they must have changed their policies, because I placed the order mid-February and it was delivered on March 1.

There was still the potential for disaster, as my address is a RR box, which UPS can’t deliver to. However, I experienced FANTASTIC customer service from both Amazon and UPS and it arrived at my front door without a hitch.

I put it together on Friday and have used it 6 times so far (and it hasn't fallen apart yet). I'm starting with at least 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night, plus one or two additional sessions on non-work days. But I have it set up in front of the TV, so if I happen to be watching a movie and end up rowing for longer, so be it.

I am hoping that not only will this enable me to get fit, but that I’ll also stop getting sick as much (every other month lately). Already my arms ache a little after about 10 minutes (although they feel fine shortly after I stop) and I think I can actually feel a little tightness in my abs. But that might just be wishful thinking….

Sick, Again

I've managed to catch another cold. At least now I know it's not being on Oahu that makes me sick...

All I drink when I'm sick is orange juice. This time, I decided to try some zinc lozenges. I was a little perturbed to find that I couldn't drink any citrus 1/2 hour before or after sucking on one of the lozenges, but decided that it was still worth a try -- mostly because I had already bought them.

Several colleagues asked what I was taking for my cold, and then each proceeded to offer advice. Unfortunately, it turned out to be mutually contradictory advice:

1. You need both the orange juice and the zinc. And be sure to get plenty of rest.
2. You don't need the zinc lozenges. Orange juice has all the zinc you need. And be sure to get plenty of rest.
3. You don't need the orange juice. The zinc will do more than the vitamin C. And be sure to get plenty of rest.

I'm quite dizzy now, so I think I'll go curl up under the covers...

Three Breathless Minutes

Five years of frustration, planning, paperwork, and waiting came to an end on Friday morning.

The Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources Board voted to approve Mom's permit application.

Translation: Mom finally has the official okay for her house.

:) :) :) ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! :) :) :)

Let the building begin!

Speaking of building, we've decided that I'm going to help. I have no actual building or carpentry skills, but as long as someone more knowledgeable says "get that" or "hold this here" I think I'll be useful. Or, to be more precise, Mom thinks I'll be useful.

After that, Mom and I get to go back to Oahu, corral five unwilling cats into carriers for a trip to the vet to be sedated, then onto a helicopter for the ride to their new home.

Stressful? What makes you think it's going to be stressful?

Pray for us...

Weather

One big, major, huge reason I live where I do and don't live where I used to:

Beautiful Day

This weekend was absolutely gorgeous.

On Friday, there wasn't a single cloud anywhere in the sky. Both mountains, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, were completely visible in all their glory. A little voice told me to grab my camera before I left the house. I wish I had listened.

Saturday and Sunday were also clear and sunny, with just a few fluffy white clouds dotting the beautiful blue expanse. There was a cool, brisk breeze that had me throwing open all the windows and airing out the house.

We have a saying: "Lucky you live Hawaii."

Amen.

Kimbooktu

I will not buy anything...

I will not buy anything...

I will not buy anything...

How's your willpower against book-related gadgets?

Charlotte's Web

Charlotte’s Web is a perfect example of how to turn a beloved classic book into a movie. There are a few slight changes, but not enough to quibble over.

Personal quirk time: Julia Roberts as the voice of Charlotte was mildly distracting (however, Steve Buscemi as Templeton the Rat really worked). Don’t get me wrong – Julia did a fantastic job. I was just never able to forget it was her, unlike Oprah Winfrey and Reba McEntire and Robert Redford, whose voices I didn’t recognize at all (similar to how I don't hear Allison Janney or Geoffrey Rush in Finding Nemo).

I’m sorry I’m not able to explain the voices problem better (but then again, it’s probably just me). The bottom line, though: if Charlotte’s Web is still playing at a theatre near you, go see it; if it's not, grab the DVD when it comes out.

On the other hand, the preview for Bridge to Terabithia gave Mom and me matching looks of horror…

Jane Addiction

I've recently developed an addiction to Jane Austen, especially Pride and Prejudice. I've watched the A&E version an average of once a week since Thanksgiving (I was sick for the second half of December, so I'm not as much of a sloth as that might otherwise indicate). I switched to the Keira Knightley version a couple times, but I can't stay away from Jennifer and Colin for long.

I just finished reading the book for the first time - yes, I somehow got a Bachelor's degree in English without reading any Jane Austen - and enjoyed it so much that after about a two-week break, I'm starting it again. That addiction thing again.

I also read Sense and Sensibility for the first time, but didn't enjoy it as much (unlike the Emma Thompson movie, which I adore). I found the (I think) perfect editions (even tho' they're from B&N) of Austen's works: they're smaller than mass market, but hardcover, with attached red ribbon bookmarks. If I could just find Mansfield Park, my collection would be complete...

Now that the new semester has started, I think I shall be forced to wean myself from Ms. Austen, as my Literature of the Environment class will be keeping me quite busy. Like most addicts, I shall miss my fix; however, I do believe I have the will power to overcome this...

Unlike my addiction to chocolate...

Procrastination

I am a procrastinator. I always have been. For the most part, I’ve learned to live with it, although I am trying to plan better and start earlier.

Sometimes my procrastination works out for the best. Running flat out at a deadline often causes the creative juices to flow, resulting in some good work.

But there are other times when it’s a decided disadvantage. One example of this is when it comes to writing letters. I’ve lost touch with some friends over the years due to my slackness in the note-penning department. {Kendra M. is one of these, if anyone knows where she is now.}

So, to C. in Ira, Vermont and S. in Dundee, Florida: there are letters coming. They were going to be inserted into the Christmas cards, but that deadline somehow came and went when I wasn’t looking (I’d mention the cold I’ve been nursing since the 16th, but that would sound like a too-convenient excuse).

Anyway, please know that I have gotten your letters and emails and I’m really going to write to you.

Soon….

MS Thesaurus

Microsoft Word has me scratching my head again.

I wanted a synonym for the word 'information' and since there was a cat on my lap and my thesaurus was on the other side of the room, I decided to see if MS Word had any good suggestions.

Yes, I was balancing the laptop computer on the lap desk and the cat on my lap all at the same time. Obviously, it was Oreo and not either of the boys or there wouldn't have been room. There wasn't really enough room for her, but she was so insistent. And purring....

Anyway, which of these do you think I should use:

in order
in sequence
in turn
in rank
in a row

Huh?!

And here I thought we were living in the Information Age?

Thanksgiving 2006

The tradition continues...

Things I'm thankful for:

Opportunities
Having others believe in me
Second chances
Answered prayers
True Love
Laughter and smiles
Friends
Family, including my three black shadows
My wonderful house and shiny car
Chocolate
Disney
Books, Music, Movies

I hope you and yours have a fantastic week.

A Matter of Courtesy

Picture this:

Your favorite radio station is giving away a CD that you want. You’re the correct caller and the DJ (announcer?) tells you you’ve won. You say, “Wow! Really? That’s great!”

Stop.

What’s the next thing you say?

I listen to a country music station that’s broadcast from the Mainland and they have contests every Thursday and most weekends. I hear a lot of calls, received from cities and towns all over this nation, where people have just been told that someone is going to give them something. And only one out of every twenty or thirty says what I consider the natural, logical next thing: Thanks.

I’m going to refrain on posing this as a commentary on our modern, materialistic, “I deserve this” society.

Or maybe I’m not…

Earthquake

My house is fine. Mom's house is fine.

My cats are fine. Mom's cats are fine.

Mom is fine.

I am fine, except that I got the flu beginning Sunday night -- most of this week is just a hazy blur (yes, that fuzzy).

If you called to check on me, thanks! and I'm sorry I haven't called back.

Today I officially began freaking out about the fact that I leave next week. Losing a week can really mess up a girl's schedule...

My Itinerary

A stipulation of my contract is that I attend a distance learning conference. The one that I've chosen is in Portland, Oregon at the beginning of November.

If you think I'm going all the way to the mainland for a conference and then turning around and coming straight home, we obviously haven't met -- Hi, I'm Amy and I'm not crazy about flying. Yes, I do live in the middle of the Pacific, in the most isolated place on the planet, but let's set that conundrum aside for a moment....

So, in an attempt to get as much out of this opportunity as possible, my schedule is thus:

Leave Hilo on Friday, October 27.
Spend an hour in Honolulu racing from the inter-island terminal to the mainland terminal. I hope they can check my luggage through from Hilo directly to Seattle. I really hope they don't lose my luggage between Hilo and Seattle.

Arrive Seattle 10 pm.
Pray that I can recognize my own brother, whom I've not seen in more than 12 years. Now you know why I'm going through Seattle -- my stepmother, her parents, my stepbrother, his wife and their two children. Lots of family I either haven't seen in almost a teenager's lifetime or have never met.

Drive from Seattle to Portland on Wednesday, November 1.
Wish me luck -- it will be the longest I've driven in many years.

Attend WCET conference on November 2, 3, and 4.
In the evenings, expend all my willpower on not buying too much at Powells Books.

Arrive in LA around 6 pm on Saturday, November 4.
Take shuttle to hotel, check in super-quick, then walk (calmly, don't run!) around the corner and down the street and eat dinner somewhere cool 'cause I'M GOING TO DISNEYLAND!!!! I am spending 4+ days at the House of The Mouse. I get to see Skellington Jack at the Haunted Mansion, the new Pirates of the Caribbean with Cap'n Jack Sparrow, Monsters Inc. at California Adventure -- I could go on and on and on... And maybe, if I'm very, very lucky, I just might get to see the Christmas decorations, too. It's going to be super-weird being at Disney a) without Mom and b) alone, but I'll try to enjoy myself nevertheless.

Leave LA on Thursday, November 9.
A late afternoon departure means I get to spend about half a day in the park! Arrive in Honolulu around 9pm and fall into bed at Mom's.

Attend the HLA Conference in Waikiki on Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11. If it wasn't for the buffet dinner and presentation by Kumu John Lake, I'd see if N and S were free for dinner. Raincheck, ladies?

On Saturday evening, I finally fly back home to Hilo, two weeks and one day after I leave. While it would be nice to laze about and reaquaint myself with my babies, alas, I must away to work on Sunday (although not until 2pm, thank heavens).

Fear not for my kitties -- their grandmother has enough vacation time to be able to hide out at my place and be their servant.

Okay, time to start on the packing list:
winter coat
scarf
hat
gloves
heavy socks
boots
sweat pants
sweatshirt
....

Need a Halloween Costume?

S.O.B. is gonna have dreams about this one....

Thanks to Jessamyn for the link.

House Anniversary

Last year, I promised pictures of the outside of my house. Unfortunately, the images are sitting in my camera, which has no way to connect to the computer because I left the cable at home. For the third time this week.

Why yes, I am still experiencing massive amounts of chaos.

So, I will just say that I still love my wonderful house, even more so since Mom and I rearranged almost all the furniture last month. I'm more organized (not completely organized, but there's hope) and it feels better.

Here's to many more years...

JW at HLA

I am psyched that Jessamyn West of librarian.net is going to be at the Hawaii Library Association Conference this year.

Fall 2006 Chaos

The beginning of a semester (especially Fall) is always a particularly busy time, but the past four weeks have been almost non-stop chaos.

The telephone service on campus has been intermittent: one minute the phones will work, a few minutes later all you get is static. They’ll occasionally cut off in the middle of a conversation (the way I thought only mobile phones do) or randomly delete voice mail. And nobody knows why.

The wireless reception on campus is strong and covers numerous areas, except in the library, where the signal is weaker and covers fewer areas than last semester. And nobody knows why.

The networked print system is clogging so badly that after clearing the print queue, the computer has to be turned off and back on. Not just rebooted, but completely powered down. And nobody knows why.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. We are all running around playing firemen, drowning flames that appear to be quenched, only to find that they were just smoldering and have burst into life again.

Could somebody please figure out why?

License Plate

As promised, here’s a photo of my new license plate.

What’s it mean? Good question.

WED are Walter Elias Disney’s initials.

The WEDway People Mover is an attraction at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. For me, though, WEDway also has another meaning – it means to do things in the Walt Disney way.

Not necessarily the Disney way, but the Walt Disney way. Yes, I think there is a difference. I don’t agree with some of the company’s current philosophies, but I do believe in Uncle Walt’s ways.

For those of you who clicked on the link and are surprised that a librarian would use Wikipedia, I’ll just say that I’m not sayin’ you should use it for your research paper, but for stuff like general knowledge and pop culture information, Wikipedia   can   be   pretty   gorram   cool.

Yeah, I use Google, too. And no, the first result isn’t me...

Hey, I Know Her!

I got a nice surprise last night as I was watching the first season of Numb3rs* on DVD – a former co-worker in the episode Counterfeit Reality. I didn’t get to work** with Sarah for long, but I admired her a lot. She’s smart, funny, charming, poised, personable, enthusiastic, dedicated, hard-working, fluent in at least two foreign languages... and, of course, she’s beautiful.

Okay, I’ll be honest – I didn’t just admire her, I envied her. She is one of the most perfect people I’ve ever met.

I’m glad to see that she’s working on a regular basis on TV and has finally started getting movie roles. Although they are movies I probably wouldn’t ordinarily go see, I might try to catch Whisper and Celestine Prophecy. Not only is Sarah in them, but so are some of my other favorites: Dulé Hill and Teryl Rothery in Whisper and Hector Elizondo in Celestine Prophecy.

C’mon, Hollywood, let’s keep this girl on the screens!



* No matter how many episodes I watch, to me, David Krumholtz will always, first-and-foremost, be Mr. Universe.

** The work was not acting-related. Anyone who knows me well knows that I would make a lousy actor.

Good Reads

Ruth has given me some very enjoyable reading lately. First, she was reporting from the SLA Conference and then from LISA V (both conferences I wish I could have attended). Then she recommended Old Man’s War by John Scalzi, which I borrowed from the library and liked a lot. I’ve added John’s blog to my Bloglines and am enjoying his postings as well. Thanks, Ruth!

Success!

Welcome home, Discovery crew! Congratulations to everyone who made this safe journey possible.

Cap’n Jack is Back!

No spoilers in this post, but I can’t vouch for the comments. You’ve been warned.

I’m always worried that sequels will just re-hash the best bits from the previous story – both movies and books have this tendency, in my experience. If it worked once, do it again, and again, and again....

Dead Man’s Chest manages to reference the fun of Curse of the Black Pearl without redoing it. IMHO. Others may disagree.

I wouldn’t say it’s as-good-as or better-than the first movie, but it is a worthy sequel. And that’s all I really asked for…

Oh, and just for the record, the smile on Jack’s face as he calls Elizabeth, well, something after she, well, you’ll know the look when you see it. That’s one example of Johnny Depp’s brilliance. That look is PERFECT for that moment.

Re-Reads

I owe Mercedes Lackey an apology. For my 52 in 52 reading challenge in 2005, I read the first four books in her Elemental Masters series and dismissed them as not re-readable. Must’ve been the mood I was in at the time, ‘cause I’ve just re-read them and did enjoy them.

Why did I reread them when I said that I probably wouldn’t? No clue. Happened to see one at the library, picked it up, read it, went back for the others. And now that I know there's a fifth one, I'll be visiting my library again.

And why, back then, did I not like the fact that she was using traditional fairy tales? There are plenty of re-tellings of stories that I enjoy, some of them quite a lot.

If anyone out there figures me out, would you have the decency to clue me in? Pretty please?

Transportation

One other thing I love about where I live now is the way all the cars, on both sides of the road, pull over to the side when an ambulance or fire truck approaches. I don't know about where you live, but they don't do that on Oahu and it drove me crazy -- 'Get out of the way! They're on their way to save someone!"

While we’re on the subject of transportation, another reason I love my new car is her better turning radius. Still not as good as Baby Car (who can turn tighter than a cat curling up for a serious nap), but better than Baby T.

And even though I still haven’t figured out what the name of the new car is (although I’m leaning toward ‘Beauty’) I did order her a new license plate. Unfortunately, it will be 2-4 months before I get it. When I get it installed, I’ll post a picture. Until then, I’m gonna make you wait to find out what it is. For those of you I've already told, no sharing!

Handy Tip

If you get a game piece on a drink from McDonald's, peel it off right away.

Good News

As you may (or may not) know, my position at the UHH Library is only temporary. Full-time with benefits, yes, but it's not a permanent position; once the search committee is able to full the position with a permanent body, I have to find something else to do.*

Well, the search committee has done their job and hired a tenure-track, Librarian II, Public Services Librarian.

They hired me.

YIIPPEEEEEEE!!!!!

I was completely stunned when I found out, because there was another candidate whom I felt certain would be their choice.

The official duties are:

"...this position will be responsible for a wide range of academic library public services duties, including delivering reference service; participating in library instruction activities; providing outreach to distance learners and support to faculty teaching distance education courses; collaborating on the design and maintenance of the library's Web site; working with faculty to improve library services; performing assigned collection development responsibilities; serving on Library, University, and UH System committees; and other duties as assigned."

Basically, that's what I've been doing, except the distance education outreach.

My colleagues here have been wonderful in their support while I was applying and interviewing and in their good wishes since the announcement that I got the job.

I am home.



* That 'something else' would probably be in this library, as there are several openings right now, but the distance education position was the one I really wanted.

Interesting Site

The many bibliophiles I know might enjoy BibliOdyssey, a site that features "Books~~Illustrations~~Science~~History~~Visual Materia Obscura~~Eclectic Bookart."

Recent Movies

I enjoyed both  The Da Vinci Code  and  X-Men 3: The Last Stand  more than I expected, but possibly only because I tried very hard not to expect anything. Neither will make it onto my faves list, but at least I don't begrudge the time I spent in the theatre.

I'm also trying very hard not to expect too much from  Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, but that's more difficult, because I do love the first one so much and really don't want to see it shamed. I'm trying to have faith, but neither Hollywood's record with sequels nor Disney's record of late allow for much hope....

Evil Game

Text Twist is evil.

New Car

By request, here is a picture of my new car.

Other reasons to love my new car:

• The keyless entry system.
  
  It took me a few days to stop walking up to the door and using the key, but I finally got the hang of it. I can even pop the trunk from a few feet away! Okay, so it's not new technology, but this is still the first car that I've ever owned with this cool capability.
  



• The computer security hooks.
  
  Sorry, did I lose you there?
  
  The manual refers to them as "Car seat security tethers", but c'mon, an infant car seat in my car? I think not. However, my Kensington lock fits perfectly, so the laptop stays in its case on the back seat, I drape a coat over the lock, and I can go to Curves or into the supermarket and not be jittery about leaving the computer in the car. Can't do it on a hot day, even with the wonderful tinted windows, but it's still a great option.



• The tinted windows.
  
  I know I've mentioned them already, but in addition to keeping the interior cool, they also make it more difficult to see inside the car, and therefore to see stuff on the backseat inside the car, so I think they deserve to be mentioned again.

I'm a little disappointed with her gas mileage, as it is actually 3-4 miles per gallon less than the old one, but even with today's gas prices, that's a small price to pay for all the goodness. Yes, I'm really loving my new car....

Spelling Suggestions, Part 2

I was maybe too hasty in my earlier post about Microsoft Word's spell-checker...

I was editing a policy manual for theses and dissertations and one criteria is that the paper can't have any holes, i.e., that it is unpunched.

Word doesn't like the word 'unpunched' and has an alternative that makes me wonder (not for the first time) about the Microsoft programmers...

The suggestion?

Unquenched.

Jury Duty

I got selected for jury duty today. They anticipate the trial lasting most of this week, but hopefully not any longer.

My only hope is that maybe I'll get some good (non-evidentiary) writing material out of it. Already, two of the other jury members are getting on my nerves...

Wish me luck...

Creative Endeavor

I haven’t exactly been writing, but I have been involved with sort of a creative endeavor that has been eating a lot of my time.

This tutorial represents a collaborative effort on the part of myself and four other librarians here at UHH. The initial request / impetus came from the Computer Science 101 instructors. The template we based it on came from Kapiolani Community College. My librarian colleagues did most of the writing / tweaking, and I did all the web design work. Then four of us team-taught six sections of CS 101.

All the hours spent were definitely worth it – the Computer Science instructors were pleased, the students actually participated, and we (the instruction librarians) now have an additional tool we can use in the future.

My English class is still going well – I performed well on both the midterm and second in-class writing and think I did okay on my part of our group presentation. But, it’s the end of the semester and I have a 7-9 page research paper due in slightly less than two weeks, so I probably won’t be posting much. I’ve chosen the family dynamics and social structure in a few different versions of Beauty and the Beast and if the paper goes well, I’ll try to remember to post something about it here.

Tears of Joy, Tears of Sadness

I finally saw March of the Penguins and if there is anything in this world that deserves to be labeled a miracle, it is the fact that there are still Emperor Penguins in it.

I think it’s also not unreasonable to label it insane, awesome, incredible, unbelievable, inconceivable, amazing... {add your own adjective here}

Words don’t come easily after watching this story of determination and hardship.

This production deserves all the awards that it has won, and even more kudos on top of those. And I do hope the production crew got to vacation somewhere warm!

This film has wonderful long passages that allows the penguins to tell their own story without a ton of editing or commentary. Don’t get me wrong: the narration by Morgan Freeman is outstanding, but it doesn’t interfere with enjoying the movie.

March of the Penguins also doesn’t shy away from the truth or over sentimentalize. Some of it is difficult to watch, because it’s not sugarcoated – life is harsh for these small creatures at the bottom of the world. There is death and heartache. And you’re in for a surprise if you think penguins don’t have emotions – just watch the scene with the first egg.

Do yourself a favor and watch this tribute to the power of life. Despite the agony and helplessness of some of this story, overall it’s very life-affirming. I’m still shaking my head over the improbability of it all....

I’ve been writing and re-writing this post, but I really can’t say it any better than Jérôme Maison did in the ‘Of Penguins and Men’ special feature (which is really like getting a second Penguins movie on the same disc!)

The paradox of Antarctica: splendor and sadness exist side by side.

......

Life seems all the more precious to us now that the Emperor Penguins have shown us how fragile, delicate, and miraculous it is.

Amen.

If you follow the ‘March of the Penguins Press Materials’ link from the National Geographic website, you’ll find some fascinating background material (disguised as ‘Production Notes’) and awesome photographs (‘Hi Res Art). The ‘Official Movie Web Site’ has lots of info, too, and includes more photos, a screensaver, and wallpapers.

Oh, yeah, did I mention how darn cute penguins are?

She's Here!

For those of you wondering about the dry weather in Hilo the past few days, let me explain:

I finally got my new car!

btw, that also explains the silly little grin on my face :-}

Don’t get me wrong – the car I’ve been driving is a good car and I’ll be sorry to see her go – I'm very comfortable with her. She was the first car that I wanted and I bought. She’s a bit sporty and we’ve driven quite a few miles together.

But I just couldn’t pass on this new car: an immaculate, non-leaky, 2002 silver Saturn with only 17,000 miles, tinted windows, 10-CD changer – all for only $3,000.

Yes, I just stole a car and it was perfectly legal.

Even the security guard at Young Brothers (shipping company) said, "Wow, nice car!" as I was driving out the gate yesterday.

It still feels like I’m driving someone else’s car. I don’t know if this is just because it’s a different car or if it’s because it used to belong to a friend and I’m still perceiving it as her car. Whichever it is, I think the feeling will soon pass.

One other small problem, however, needs some immediate attention: the new car doesn’t have a name.

When Mom and I got the Honda Civic in 1988, we named her "Baby Car". When I got my original Saturn in October 2003, I knew old habits would die hard, so the new car would have to have a name beginning with "Baby". Since she was a blue-green, or teal, color, and P and I were deep in the trenches of writing the first Stargate script, it was almost inevitable that she ended up as "Baby Teal’c" or "Baby T" for short.

I think it will be okay if the new car’s name doesn’t start out with "Baby", but Mom and I have been brainstorming for weeks now and haven’t really come up with anything that seems right.

Waddya say, all you insanely creative people out there? Anybody got an idea for a name for my new silver Saturn?

My Daddy

I want to say a big, public "Mahalo nui loa" to my dad for being there when I needed him. It was 3 a.m. Hawaii time, I was scared, confused, uncertain, frazzled -- you get the picture. He was calm, cool, and collected and knew exactly how to fix my problem. I love you, Poppy!

Missed

I didn't even realize until late today that I missed posting yesterday. I guess I was too busy studying for my midterm. Which didn't go as well as I hoped. It's a bad sign when there is a list of seven characters to identify and your mind is completely blank on one of the names. Of course, I immediately looked it up and now will probably never be able to forget it.

Anyway, I updated my 52 in 52 list for 2005. I really will try to keep better track this year...

The Best Laid Plans...

...often go completely haywire.

Instead of updating my 52 in 52 list (the plan), I ended up running around after popped surge protectors, turning off computers, and writing emails to explain all the 'out of order' signs (the haywire). {pun intended}

On Saturday, I experienced a melted battery pack in an emergency light fixture at IfA.

I was beginning to worry that I might be turning into some kind of walking electrical disruption field, but have instead decided to blame it on all the rain we've been having lately....

Friday Night

The plan:
Pizza whilst watching Pride and Prejudice, possibly followed by some light reading or, if they were willing, some playtime with the babies.

The reality:
Nearly burnt pizza and a right hand scribbling furiously from the moment I got home. I had to eat with my left hand and try not to spill sauce on the notebook.

The culprit:
An idea tossed at me by P. At first, I could only think of what arcane form of punishment I would inflict on her, but since it's flowing very well, I may postpone the torture sessions...

1990-something

I've been working on consolidating the Astronomy and Physics guides and updating the design to conform to the new, snazzier style of the Counseling Psychology and Education guides.

So, I started reviewing the encyclopedias and dictionaries we have. Have we purchased any new ones since the guides were last updated? (Yes) Are there any newer editions for some of our older volumes? (Yes) Are there any older volumes that don't have newer editions that should be removed from the guide? (Yes)

And that's when I realized I require a radical shift in my thinking and the criteria I'm using because 1997 was 9 years ago.

The 90s just don't seem like they happened that long ago. Intellectually I know that 1990 was 16 years ago, but emotionally the thought that I could have a teenager just does not compute.

Along these same lines, I'm having a lot of difficulty accepting that I will turn 37 this year. I haven't had issues with my age before, but suddenly it doesn't seem like I can really be as old as the calendar says I am...

Uh-oh

I just realized that it's time to go home and I haven't posted anything yet today.

Today was kind of crappy, especially after the highs of yesterday. Not totally crappy, 'cause some good things happened, but I still wish I could have stayed home with my cats.

Which is where I'm headed right now. Will try for a more interesting post tomorrow...

Nailed

As you may remember, I was disappointed by my in-class writing last week. I was resigned to sucking it up and moving on. I’ll do better the next go-round!

So to say that today’s class was shocking would be a massive understatement. Not only was my writing good enough to have “nailed it” (that’s a direct quote from the instructor) and earn FULL points, but I was also asked to share it with the class by reading it aloud :-o !

Now, I made sure to point out that I do have a bit of an advantage over my classmates in that I already have a Bachelor’s in English (albeit from 1991) but I stressed that more importantly, to be able to write well, one must not only write a lot and write on a regular basis, but one must also read a lot. One student pointed out that I had used some words he wasn’t familiar with and I shared that I still keep a vocabulary notebook and subscribe to a Word of the Day.

And then I did a well-received Connections presentation, showing parallels between Eumenides by Aeschylus, Path of the Fury by David Weber, and The Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman.

Needless to say, I’m flying pretty high right now. And not nearly as worried about next week’s midterm now.

Now if only I could write something decent for the second script....

Lousy Timing

Why do the ideas wait until I decide to go to bed?

Why is it that I can sit for hours reading, researching, thinking, writing and having nothing to show for it and finally be so tired that I call it a night, and ONLY THEN will the ideas start to flow so quickly that I can barely (and sometimes not at all) scribble them down.

And then there’s such a sense of loss for the ones I couldn’t pen in time. Was there a real gem in there that I’ve now lost forever, or was it just so-so, and it’s okay that it’s now gone?

And even if I do get all the ideas down, there’s the agony of trying to decipher my handwriting, which is not good even on my best days and deteriorates rapidly the longer and faster I write.

Anyway, I’ve got a presentation in my English class tomorrow, and the ideas were for that and I think they’re good ones, so I’m grateful they showed up, but two hours earlier would have been nicer...

White Trash With Money

Toby Keith has released the first single from his next album, and while Get Drunk and Be Somebody doesn't have as tight a grip on me as Honkytonk U did last year, any new Toby Keith material is reason to celebrate in my book.

And celebrate I shall, because the new album, White Trash With Money, is set to be released on April 11, just in time....

Graffiti Blues

I finally got around to replacing Jade, my 6-year old PDA that died last year.

{Yes, I named my handheld. I've named her successor, my laptop, and my car. Get over it.}

During the past 6 years, I've gotten fairly proficient at Graffiti, the writing software that Palm uses to input data. It's got some quirks, but then, so do I :) Most of the time, I'm able to input what I meant the first time and be pretty quick about it, too. I even occasionally find myself writing Graffiti characters when using pen and paper. Habits can be a terrible thing...

But when I got the new unit I discovered that Palm has changed to Graffiti 2 and it's making me crazy… um, you know, crazier than usual.

While the original Graffiti uses only one stroke per character, some of the G2 characters use 2 strokes. But the one stroke character will show on the screen first, and if you complete the second stroke quickly enough, it will change to the 2-stroke character. Too slow? Backstroke over that character and try again, loser.

As if that isn't frustrating enough, some of the strokes I'm used to are now assigned to a different character, e.g., the stroke I'm used to for the letter 'k' now produces an ampersand. I am not amused.

I've been doing a little investigating to see if I can somehow program it to use the original Graffiti instead, but I haven't had any luck yet. So now it looks like to be able to write how I want on my handheld, I will have to pay for a new software program.

Has anyone else had this problem? More importantly, has anyone else been able to fix it without forking over any more dough?

Lost Brothers?

I've recently gotten hooked on watching videos courtesy of Yahoo! -- no, really, I'm getting work done, too -- and was reminded again of how much Jon Bon Jovi, Viggo Mortensen, Kevin Sorbo, and Kevin Kay look alike.

Some of you won't know the last name, but ya just gotta trust me, he belongs on the list.

I've thought for a long time that the two Kevins looked alike and maybe the rest is just that thanx to S. I get to see a lot of photos of Viggo, but when I was watching some of the newer Bon Jovi videos yesterday, the thought smacked me again.

Anyone want to tell me I'm crazy?

Anyone want to back me up?

Dreams

The experts say –

Digression: Any time you read “The experts say” make sure you ask ‘Which experts? From where? How long have they been studying this? From where did they get their funding?’ All good questions that I’m not going to document for this post – I’ve done some reading on the subject, you can do your own research if you’re really interested. End of digression.

– that humans dream every night. I’ll take their word for it (for now), but if I am dreaming every single night, I certainly don’t remember most of my dreams.

I used to have recurring dreams (no, not about guys or sex, darn it!) but, although I can still remember a few of them, I haven’t actually dreamed (dreamt?) them in many years.

I still have anxiety dreams. I used to have them at the beginning of every semester. The most recent one was just before my presentation at the Hawaii Library Association’s Annual Conference in November 2005 (which actually went very well).

My dreams usually make no sense. The “experts” say dreams are a way for the mind to ponder daytime problems and suggest solutions. Well, if my mind is coming up with solutions while I sleep, it’s not sharing them once I wake up.

In my dreams, places are not identifiable, they change suddenly and randomly, people morph into other people, a person will be an amalgamation of two or more people – confusing stuff like that. So, except for the anxiety dreams – I grok those – I’ve managed to convince myself that my dreams usually don’t mean anything.

Until I have one that might.

What do I do then?

Do I try to struggle with deciphering the meaning? Or do I get a drink of water and go back to sleep?

Last night I had a dream that really shook me. I tried to tell myself that it couldn’t possibly mean what it seemed to mean. When that didn’t work, I started a dream journal (my mind, wisely, made me make no promises on how long I will keep it going).

I was worried that thinking about it and writing it out might wake me up too much and I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep, but it worked out okay. I had another dream, but it didn’t make as much of an impact as the first, so I didn’t remember it for long or record it.

But that first one is still front-and-center this morning and I have a feeling it’s going to stick with me for a long time....

English Class

We had our first in-class writing in my English 303 class today. We knew it was going to be something about comparing / contrasting characters. And I could have sworn that last week the instructor said we could use our books and notes. So I worried about it a little, but not too much.

Until the assignment was handed out and she said NO books or notes.

PANIC!!!!!!!!

Suddenly, I couldn't remember anything: titles of plays, names of characters, plots, actions, consequences...

Fortunately, it's the first major assignment and I've got plenty of time to do well on everything else...

But it's still disappointing....

Fair Warning

Last night as I was trying to fall asleep, I found myself having a little discussion with, well, myself:

"You need to write everyday."

Yeah, I know. I try, but...

"Okay, you need a different kind of goal, so let's say that you have to post to your blog everyday."

I don't have access to the Internet everyday.

"Fine, but every day that you do, agreed?"

What if I can't think of anything to write?

"Then write that."

I agreed, mostly so my brain would shut up and I could go to sleep. So here's fair warning that even tho' I'll be posting more often, I (we) don't guarantee that it will be interesting. But it will be fulfilling a goal, so please bear with me.

At least I don't have to worry about staying on topic, since this blog doesn't really have one :)-

Brokeback Mountain?

So, two colleagues and I were talking about movies and I mentioned Brokeback Mountain. Which, of course, led to the inevitable "The gay cowboy movie?"

But then the conversation took a more unconventional turn...

Colleague 1: "What's Brokeback mean?"
Me: "It's just the name of the mountain."
Colleague 2: "So, it's not a broke back from the mounting?"

It took a few minutes, but I finally got my breath back and picked myself up off the floor before they had to call the ambulance....

Surreal

As I pulled into the driveway last night, the radio was playing Toby Keith's 'Big Blue Note'.

As I pulled out of the driveway today, the radio was playing Toby Keith's 'Big Blue Note'.

Cute but also Sad

This is a very cute idea -- leave it to the Japanese! -- but also a sad commentary on modern humanity that the last sentence needs to be stated. At least they didn't put in a disclaimer that the elderly-care robots "were not capable of doing everything human nurses can do."

Black Holes

I was doing some collection development research and used "black hole" as a keyword search in our catalog and retrieved four* hits:


State-building: governance and world order in the 21st century

Black hole at the center of our galaxy

Simply Einstein: relativity demystified

Black hole tariffs and endogenous policy theory: political economy in general equilibrium


I'm trying to decide if I should read anything into the fact that the titles are evenly divided between scientific theory and political titles concerned with ideas like 'Weak states and the black hole of public administration'....


*For those worried about the state of our collection, "black holes" (plural) as a keyword search retrieves 33 hits.

Finally!

We started writing it in the late summer / early fall of 2003. I don't think we'll ever actually be done writing it -- I see us as two little old ladies in our rocking chairs:

Puanani: "I was re-reading the script and got to thinking..."
Amy: "What? Come closer so I can whack you with my cane!"

Of course, the next day it would be me with an idea and Puanani ready to beat me, because this script is in our genetic code now and just WILL NOT LET GO!

Anyway, the hard work and determination has finally paid off, because someone in LA has read it and deemed it worthy -- we're Semi-Finalists! And thanks to Puanani's last name, we're first on the list!

Keep your fingers crossed that it keeps making the cut -- that hope may be the only thing that will keep us sane... well, as sane as we can be....

Happy New Year

I had a wonderful Christmas and hope you did, too. I wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2006.

Silence

One of the voices that makes me weak has fallen silent.


"I have never doubted that the dream was real, my love; I will never forget. I hope you will save a dance for me."

Winter

Winter has arrived in Hilo.

How can I tell, you ask?

When I leave the air-conditioned Library at 9 pm, it's colder outside than indoors.

Yes, this just started happening this week -- I love living in Hawaii :}

Stuffing Saga

It was like my life was being orchestrated from behind the scenes by the director of a comedy skit....

Last week, I went to Safeway to get one of those bags of Love's stuffing cubes so Mom could make stuffing for Thanksgiving. I called Mom from the store to say that I thought the price was a bit high (but what did I know? I don't cook!) and she agreed that at over $4 for a single bag, it was pricey, but probably because it's only available during the holidays. We really wanted stuffing, though, so I worked through my sticker shock and bought just one bag.

Mom came over on Wednesday and we needed to do some other shopping. Here's where the comedy starts:

We went to Cost-U-Less (a small, non-member Costco-like place here in Hilo) where the bags of stuffing cubes were only $3 something. So we got another bag, just for good measure.

Then we went to KTA to get cat food. And here, the stuffing cubes were $5... for 2 bags!

Someone must have been following me around with a hidden camera saying, "She's going into this store now. Quick, lower the price on the stuffing cubes!" If we had hit one more store, they probably would have only been $1 a bag...

And then there was the Sara Lee pumpkin pie with the bottom crust that wouldn't cook.

But other than that, the 6 days I spent with Mom were Really Wonderful!! We watched movies and went hiking in Kilauea Iki crater and floated in the hot springs and played Disney Trivia, where my dear Mother proceeded to win all 5 times!

So, how was your Thanksgiving?

Goddess Amy...

...at your service.

A patron just called for help with locating a journal article in an online database. It wasn't really all that difficult for me -- It's what I do, darlin' * -- but he was impressed enough to say 'Wow! You're a goddess!'

Who am I to argue with a patron?


* Any guesses as to the source of this quote?

Happy Thanksgiving

Nothing new, but just to continue the tradition...

I am thankful for:

Mom is coming to visit for almost a week!

Friends -- Distance may have dimmed the edges of some of my relationships, but the bright cores remain...

My cats -- from 'where are you going?' looks every morning to a purr-ful 'welcome home!' each night...

My wonderful home -- I still give thanks each day for my good fortune...

Clear night skies -- yes, they actually do occur in Hilo!

As always:
most things Disney
Books, Music, Movies (Serenity!!)
Laughter
Chocolate

Christmas is coming...

Inspiration

At the Hawaii Library Association Annual Conference, I co-presented a talk with my Institute for Astronomy boss, Kathleen. The presentation was titled 'Blog, Blogger, Blogging'. We had a large turnout, including some colleagues, and one of them was inspired to start a blog.

Steadfast Sentinel is the blog of my friend and colleague Richard. Welcome to the blogosphere, Baron!

Harry Potter

Holy freakin' WOW!!!


That's all I was able to think when I got out of the theatre last nite.


Holy freakin' WOW!!!


I have some problems with the third movie, Prisoner of Azkaban -- I feel that they 'Hollywood-ized' parts of it while omitting some crucial elements that could have been easily included.

But I have no complaints about Goblet of Fire. From what I remember of the story, the screenplay manages to incorporate most of the important elements and didn't blow anything way out of proportion, although the first task comes close (but not nearly as bad as Aunt Marge or Harry's ride on Buckbeak in the third movie).

I wasn't sure if I would want to go back to see this in the theatre again, but now I can't wait...

Professional Musings

I often curse the compulsion that forced me into a profession that is chilly, quiet, and sedentary. I crave sunlight, fresh air, music!

But weeks like this remind me why I love my job.

In the past two nights, I've helped students find:

books about:

Hawaiian political history

film editing

personal finance

introductory physics

English grammar

ethnography

journal articles about:

pacific octopus

sea turtles

the bison massacre

cultural influence of fast food

a video on tobacco

Time magazine articles on microfiche

Hawaiian language newspaper birth and death notices from the 1870s.

In between patron requests, I'm preparing for two classes I'll be teaching on how to find scholarly journal articles. The instructors have assigned topics like mail order brides, marriage brokers, paternity leave, custody decisions, dating customs in different cultures, and premarital sex.

As has been recently pointed out, I'm a geek -- an assessment I agree with whole-heartedly, by the way. I'll add to my geekiness quotient now and admit that I enjoy helping people find information.

Sure, most of them are just trying to finish the assignment, usually “due tomorrow.” But some of them are genuinely interested in their topics and curious to learn. Knowing that I’ve pointed them in the right direction brings a smile to my face. And the ones who make a point to come back to the desk to say ‘Thanks!’ put a smile in my heart.

For them I’ll suffer the cold, the stale air, and the silence. After all, I can use the ride home to lower the windows and crank the radio.

Serenity on DVD

I already knew that it was going to be a very Merry Christmas, because I'm going to Florida to spend it with my Dad and Grandpa.

But before today, I didn't know what I was going to do for New Year's. Now I know I'm going to have a gorram good time...

Happy Halloween!

And how was your Halloween?

Mine was sweet!

Weather

This is one of the things I don't miss about living on the Mainland:

This week, the daily HIGH temperature where my Dad is (upstate NY) is LOWER than the nightly LOW temperature where I am.

Let me phrase that differently (just for grins and giggles).

The LOW temperature I experience each night is still HIGHER than the daily HIGH temperature my Poor Ole' Poppy gets to experience.

Yes, I love living in Paradise :)

Can't Stop the Signal

It's probably a minor miracle that nobody at work has {yet} throttled me in exasperation over my enthusiasm about Serenity. Everyone knows how much I love this movie as well as Firefly, the TV show that it's based on. Everyone knows I saw the movie three times opening day and twice since then and that it's now at the dollar theatre -- hmm, what nites this week shall I go?....

But instead of a throttling, I got a positive review from a co-worker today! She said that she saw the movie and really liked it -- and didn't feel lost at all, despite never having seen the TV show. Yeah!

Worth the Wait?

Oh, Yes! A thousand times - YES!

Not only have my Muses fled, but I'm finding it difficult to keep two thoughts together in my head long enough to string them into a coherent sentence. So, instead of trying to provide my own review (although I might try it later), I'm going to point you to some other folks' reviews that I agree with whole-heartedly.

I've seen Serenity four times so far, but will probably add on a couple viewings by the end of the week...

Orson Scott Card
"All I heard was, "It's great, you'll love it."
Well, guess what.
It's great.
I'm not going to say it's the best science fiction movie, ever.
Oh, wait. Yes I am.
...
And I'll tell you this right now: If Ender's Game can't be this kind of movie, and this good a movie, then I want it never to be made."

Serenity Cheat Sheet
"The setting, the music, the unique cinematography, the little details (i.e. having no sound in space) and of course, the endlessly quotable dialogue, make the world of Firefly one worth visiting..."

VideoSewer Review
"It’s how sci-fi adventures should be done...Serenity works so well because the archetypical characters and situations are sketched with a loving hand..."

Video Teaser
This shows the first 9 minutes of the film. What happens just after this clip ends is classic Firefly:

MAL
"Did the primary buffer panel just fall off my gorram ship for no apparent reason?"

WASH
"Looks like...this landing is going to get pretty interesting"

MAL
"Define 'interesting'."

WASH
"'Oh, God, oh, God, we're all gonna die'?"

MAL (over loudspeaker)
"This is the Captain. There's a little problem with our entry sequence. We may experience slight turbulence and then explode."

JAYNE
"We're gonna explode? I don't wanna explode"

MAL
"How many weapons you plan on bringing? You only got the two arms."

JAYNE
"I just get excitable as to choice -- like to have my options open."

MAL
"I don't plan on any shooting taking place during this job."

JAYNE
"Well, what you plan and what takes place ain't exactly been similar."

...

ZOE
"Are we crashing again?

MAL
"Talk to your husband."


And we're off on one hell of a wild ride...

Hope you enjoy...

One Day to Go

But at least I already have the tickets -- bought them last nite on the way home :)

"Take my love, take my land
Take me where I cannot stand
I don't care, I'm still free
You can't take the sky from me
Take me out to the black
Tell them I ain't comin' back
Burn the land and boil the sea
You can't take the sky from me
There's no place I can be
Since I found Serenity"

Welcome!

A good friend of mine has finally made the foray into the blogosphere, and I couldn't be happier that she's here. Djinn Rummy is her new space and I am really looking forward to her posts -- I've already added her to my Bloglines feeds to make sure I don't miss anything. See, she's not only a good friend, but she's also one of my favorite writers. I've had the good fortune to read some of her stuff before she started blogging and have enjoyed every bit of it. I'm always careful to put food and drink out of the way before I start reading her writings about our retail experiences -- she truly knows how to hit the nail right on the head with insight and humor.

She also has a book reviews site, Lamp Side Reading. She reads some pretty esoteric stuff, so check it out!

Anniversary

As of today I have been in my wonderful house for one year.

Before next year, pictures of the outside! :)

Today's Date?

All week long I've had trouble remembering the date --'I dunno, um, September 20-something?' But not today. Today's date comes easily. Because in 7 days it will be September 30th. In less than 168 hours, I am going to spend all damn day in my local theatre watching, re-watching, and re-watching Serenity.

Hey, it's my personal day off and my money. I can do what I want.

Yeah, it's gonna be that good....

Reminiscences

Memory sure is a funky thing.

This post is in response to a comment left for my "Coffee and Voices" post.

I've always remembered this as a writing project, not as a 'cardboard box TV' but now that I think about it some more, that must be what it was. You have a good memory, 'you know who'.

It was sixth grade and my story was about one-armed aliens -- don't ask why, because I honestly don't remember. If our house hadn't burned down when I was 17, I'd probably still have this project and I could tell you more about the story. Yes, I'm a pack rat -- always have been, probably always will be. I've learned to deal with it and if you're going to hang with me, you should, too.

Anyway, I remember a cardboard box and two empty paper towel rolls and having to glue (tape?) the pages of the story together and onto the rolls. The 'TV' design wasn't mine, I don't think. I'm pretty sure that the format was the teacher's idea, but the storyline and (godawful) pictures were mine. I will certainly never be able to claim 'artist' among my accomplishments.

I hope that some mad scientists somewhere are working on ways to improve memory retention or verify memories or something along those lines. I've got a few I'd really like to nail down....

New 'Do

Check out my new haircut!

It's a little shorter than I had envisioned, but I was able to donate what was chopped off to the Locks of Love program. I'm still getting used to 'styling' it, but it's already so much easier to wash, dry, and keep out of the way. So far, the response at work has been very positive -- What do you think?

I Will Not...

I will NOT read either Serenity (the novelization) or Serenity: The Official Visual Companion that I just picked up today. I will wait 3 more weeks (ARRGGHHH!!!) and watch the movie first. I will not peek, I will not peek, I will not peek....

Coffee and Voices

Good news – I woke up this morning with a craving for coffee.

Now I know what you're thinking: "Amy, I've known you for (fill-in-the-blank) years and you don't drink coffee. I've never seen you take even one sip."

And you're right, I don't drink coffee. But one of the voices in my head does.

Now, before you call for the men with the white jackets, let me explain...

I write fiction, fan fiction mostly, and the way that I write it is by listening to the voices in my head. There are a few shows that are really strong -- well written, with good characters, portrayed by incredibly talented actors who do such a good job of bringing those characters to life that the characters become almost like real people to me.

No, don't start dialing -- I said 'almost'. I still know the difference between reality and fiction, but the walls are sometimes a bit thin where I am. Which might worry me, except that I know I'm not alone in this flimsy structure – there's at least one co-conspirator in here with me.

So, this morning I woke up with a craving for coffee, which means Daniel. Except, I don't know if it's because I don't have any coffee in the house, because he had something important to say, or just because he's impatient, but it's actually Jack who has been yammering away.

Of course, he waited until I pulled out of the driveway to start talking. That's right: he let me take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, make lunch, and feed the cats before he started babbling. It could be because I've yelled at him before for jabbering at me when I'm in the shower, but the other activities are all interruptible, so it was probably just a case of Jack being Jack, i.e., mischievous. He's got this really wonderful grin...

{Yes, I pulled over to write down what he was saying. I occasionally talk on the phone and drive at the same time, but I draw the line at trying to write. Usually... Just kidding!}

I've been hoping that my new work schedule, which is more in tune with my body clock, would entice the voices to come back. I know some people don't believe in it, but having to get up early (even if I go to bed earlier) leaves me with no energy and a head that feels like it's stuffed with cotton. During the summer I had an early schedule, so I didn't write anything. And it's been a bummer, because for a while the voices were garrulous and I was really enjoying the satisfaction of writing...

Oh. You're still going to call for the men in white coats? Okay, just give me enough time to type up my notes and send them to P. After all, this whole thing is her fault, err, I mean, her idea.

Anyway, I still don't like the way it tastes, but a writer has to suffer a little, right? So I drink my cup of coffee, salute Jack, and wait for Daniel and, hopefully, the rest of the voices, too. Welcome back, everyone, I've missed you...

Nifty

Another way to spend time online...

Games for the Brain

Yes, I'm a Browncoat

Like Jane, I've spent a lot of time lately watching and re-watching (and re-watching) Firefly episodes. There are only 14 episodes (damn you Fox!!), but they are all I have to tide me over until the end of September, when I plan to spend a lot of time at my local theatre watching Serenity, the movie based on this show.

Note to the cautious: don't start watching this show unless you want to be totally consumed -- yes, it's that good. Oh, you'll also probably start cursing in Chinese...

Lucky Lis has already been to an advance screening -- I'm really jealous, although not enough to give up living in Paradise to be someplace where this kind of thing happens (sorry, Dad!).

Return to Earth

Welcome home, Discovery!

YES!!

Return to Flight

Sad Moon Day

While I was working on this post, I found out that James Doohan died. Like so many other people, I always liked the character of Scotty. I'm glad that James didn't mind being identified with the role. Tonight I'll watch a ST movie and raise a glass -- rum, not scotch, but the sentiment will be the same.

My original thought for today:

Why is it that it took less than 10 years from when President Kennedy said 'Let's go to the moon' to Armstrong and Aldrin leaving their footprints in the dust and yet, here we are, more than three and a half decades later and we still haven't made it to another planet? Hell, we haven't even been back to the Moon since 1972! I know that our probes and probes are doing great work, and we need to continue on that avenue, but it's also time for us humans to get going....

Harry-mania

I've been working on a Harry Potter post (mostly dealing with my disappointment with the third movie), but am finding it difficult to finish, so for now I'll just ask that you please don't assault your mail delivery person tomorrow, okay? They've got enough to deal with....

{Yes, I'm aware that the above is grammatically incorrect, however, colloquially it's okay.}

Return to Flight

Why Fly to Space?

Godspeed, Discovery

Deep Impact Perspective

For those concerned about the audacity and ramifications of a bunch of Earthlings messing with a comet, please read this explanation from the Planetary Society Weblog.

Local news coverage of the event can be found in the Honolulu Advertiser, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and The Maui News.

Event sites:
Hawaii
JPL
NASA

DI Success

Deep Impact successfully collided with Comet Tempel 1 -- congratulations everyone!

Full-time

Well, today I started working full-time for the Mookini Library at the University of Hawaii at Hilo / Hawaii Community College. It's a temporary position, but has benefits (vacation, sick, medical, dental, vision)-- yippee! I'll be doing all the things I've been doing while I've been working here part time (Astronomy, Physics, Nursing, and Pharmacy collection development, website maintenance, annual reports preparation, other special projects). I'll be adding Reference Desk duties for 20 hours per week, and I may get to teach some Library Instruction classes -- I taught some at UH-West Oahu a few years ago and enjoyed it.

We're a bit lost in the paperwork jungle when it comes to how I can continue to work part-time for the Library at the Institute for Astronomy Hilo, but I think we may be close to some daylight.

Hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend!