Wednesday Hodgepodge

(found here)
#85

1. The summer Olympics begin next week and London is playing host. If you had the chance to go in person what (non-Olympic) London site would you most like to visit?

Hmm, ok, I'm banning anything I've already done. So, maybe I'll get to Covent Garden, and walk the Serpentine, or do more than just the river area on the south side of the Thames. Hey, a boat on the Thames might be good. How about inside Parliament; do they do tours? There are also close to a hundred Underground stations I haven't explored.... And the changing of the guard at Buck House. Preferably on a not-crowded day (ha ha ha ha).

2. What is something in your life right now that feels like an Olympic event?

Work. Work sux right now; who am I kidding--it's sucked pretty solidly for 3 years now. Today was an Olympic event all by itself. I anticipate more marathon training for the next 6 weeks too. Good Lord, I hope the end of the rainbow brings sunshine and roses for all!

3. What's your favorite supper to prepare and serve when it's too hot to cook?

Huh, definitely not a question you should ask me: when I don't want to cook, we order out or have the house specialty known familiarly as "Fend." As in "fend for yourself: if it's not nailed down or furry-green, it's yours to eat!"

4. July 18th is National Get Out of the Doghouse Day...when was the last time you were 'in the doghouse?'

For real? Feels like I've been visiting there quite a lot in the past several months, but honestly all my coolest toys and blankets are there, so I don't much mind anymore.

5. What television commercial do you find particularly irritating or inappropriate? You may not answer with 'all of them'. I know some of you were thinking about it.

I really hate the GEICO Caveman ads, and anything else of that ilk. Actually, most of the GEICO ads annoy me; those eyeballs are bad too. Let's see... This is hard because we pretty much always mute the ads. OH! The Ci@lis/Vi@gr@ ads! Those things are the absolute worst. Ever notice how about half of them have no women in them at all?

6. Share one interesting piece of news from the year you were born.

Kennedy was shot. That's all anyone remembers about that year. It was also the year the Beatles hit it big in England, but they hadn't 'crossed over' yet. And for the geeks in the crowd, the first X-Men comic debuted.

7. What's the best part of your average day?

Going to sleep. Yes, I'm aware that makes me a very sad person.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I miss being able to participate in our church's VBS. I was there part of Monday morning and most of yesterday, but I can't come to the finale. Sad.

#86

1. The Summer Olympics officially begin this Friday...will you be watching? If you could see just one event in person which one would you pick?

I love the Olympics; they bring back good memories from my childhood (in spite of the fact that my earliest clear Olympic memory is of Jim McKay talking about these weirdos wearing black hoods and standing on balconies with guns which wasn't very exciting to this 9-year-old--go back to Mark Spitz, already! Yeah, Munich, 1972. No, I'm really looking forward to the swimming and diving, and I love watching the gymnasts. And the runners. Wow, the track and field stuff just really is fun. I'm even looking forward to the marathon, which was really interesting to watch in Athens. Sigh. Can't . Wait .

2. Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?

I love "down" days, with a pure piercing passion that ... doesn't really go with being lazy. Nothing better than the day stretching out in front of you with nothing planned. Heaven.

3. July 25 is 'officially' Threading the Needle day...can you sew? On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being not at all and 10 being Betsy Ross-like, how would you rate your skill with a needle and thread?

Although my mother hated sewing, she made sure each of us girls (not my brother, though he's picked it up as an adult, for mending, etc.) knew our way around a needle and thread and a sewing machine. Mostly what I learned from Mom about sewing was the tension in the air whenever she made something. I don't find it fun, but I can make curtains and rehem pants.

4. Threading the Needle can also mean to walk a fine line between two things or issues (think awkward social situation). When was the last time you had to 'thread the needle', figuratively speaking?

I feel like I have to do this at work all the time. There are the patrons, some of whom are mildly unbalanced and some of whom are ready to come completely unhinged at the drop of a paperclip. And then there's the petty bullshit that I can't stand, from a couple of staff members. Ugh. Headphones, take me away (when I'm cataloging, not when I'm sitting at the reference desk, of course!).

5. Kidney, pinto, black, or navy-your favorite bean?

I'm not fussy, but I also don't have a big love affair going on with beans. I guess I like garbanzos and refrieds, probably because they're the highest in Something Bad for Me.

6. Have you ever hosted a garage sale? Was it more success or bust?

We've done a couple of them over the years. I loathe them. All our unused/unwanted items go directly to thrift shops now. We probably made a couple of hundred dollars at the ones we had, but it was so completely not work all the work and hassle.

7. What makes you roll your eyes?

Teh Stoopud. Sometimes I worry that I roll my eyes so much they're going to roll right out of my head, which--if it happened to someone else--would make me roll my eyes harder. But wow, some things, the only thing you can do is look heavenward, right? lol

8. Insert your own random thought here.

My boss gave her notice at the end of last week. My first reaction: "THANK GOD!" My next reaction: "Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out!" This woman is an emotional and professional train-wreck, and she's not been a boon to the library, though in fairness I have to say that nearly anyone would have struggled; the economic situation in the past three years has been (uh, duh) hard. However, today's staff meeting nearly did me in. I'm beginning to think we should just play Bob at these meetings and take a shot every time she fails to answer a direct question. We'd all be blotto in 15 minutes. There is that niggling voice in my head that we could do worse than here--and believe me, I know whereof I speak. I was just talking to someone last week about how library administration seems to attract the worst candidates. I think I just found my new topic of Prayer Without Ceasing, at least till September.