Killing Authors

My job this morning at the lib was to go fix all the records on this nice long list of people who have died in the past 24 years and no one has gotten around to updating in our system. They call it "killing authors". Does this make me an angel of death?

Weird People Who Use the Library...But Should Come In During Someone Else's Shift

Yesterday, a woman came in to ask if she could take books out of the library. She was very polite as she explained that she does not take classes here, does not take classes at any of the other area colleges, and is not a teacher. She is, however, auditing a class. She is not, however, officially registered through the registrar, so her name doesn't appear in the system. It was about this time that she started making somewhat funny faces, when we asked how to spell her name so we could look for her in the system. We can't just have anybody walk in and get a library card, now can we? It's only been about three minutes, but she is getting rather annoyed, or so I suspect from the increase in frequency of her strange faces. Our director comes over to explain that her name somehow needs to be in the system before we can allow her to take books out. The woman asks one last time if she is allowed to use the library, then pushes past the director and out the door, muttering about how inconsiderate the library is, not allowing people to check out books. Yay for supervisors, cuz it's better when they get to tell people to go away.

Today, a young man (he had to be a freshman, i hope) came to the desk to get a movie he had to watch for class. These movies must be kept inside the library, so I gave him a set of headphones and directed him to the DVD player over in the corner. He stands there blankly and says, "So I can listen to the movie, but not watch it?" I explain once again that he can use the tv, just like any other tv, but he still doesn't get it and wants to sign up for the room upstairs for the next day. He is debating what time to sign up for when my supervisor comes over. She asks what is going on, he tells her he needs to watch this movie, but he'll have to come back tomorrow. She asks why he doesn't use the DVD player on the first floor right now. He says it is because he wants to watch it, not just listen to it. She assures him he can see it on the screen and listen to it on the headphones, all at the same time. He thinks about this for a moment, accepts the headphones, and then asks, "How do I use it?" I actually had to walk him over, show him how to turn it on, and insert the disk for him. Scary, huh?

Then there is the lady who called to reserve the study room for Friday nights. The first time she called, the circ clerk said no problem and signed her up. Later we realized she had signed up for a time after the library was closed, but had no number to call her back at. The other morning I was on the desk when this lady called back. I told her it had been a mistake to sign her up then and told her the hours we really are open. She said okay and hung up. A few hours later, she called back and this time my supervisor answered the phone. She apparently retold the story, reasked what hours we were open, and signed up for another time. Do people really have to hear things multiple times?

Enough stories for now. I'm sure we'll have more as soon as the leisure collection of DVDs goes out, in a week or so. That ought to be interesting...

In the End

The vending machine refused to release my pretzels, but the dryer mostly dried my clothes, so it all evens out in the end.

Too sleepy to think about any more psychopathology terms...12.5 hours until test time...

A real post later...if you cross your fingers...maybe...;)

You decide: Did they do a good job?

Me, Rachel, Sun, Anastasia, Manuela
Winter Ball 2006
Wyndham Hotel, Reading, PA

The First Step to Being a Lady

Well, my nails are also painted a nice red color, but I'm not sure that counts because I've painted my nails before. Stay tuned for more pieces of the transformation...

Does anyone else know what the primary structures in the telencephalon are?

I guess I owe a post. But all I can think about is my psychbio test tomorrow, bright and early. Which I am almost certainly not ready for. But then again, maybe I underestimate my ability to retain information while watching the Olympics and running out to the store to buy water. I'll let you know after the test. Or more accurately, after we get our grades back. And then there is the stats test in the afternoon, which means I can't go to work until later. Too bad, huh? I wish I could have a nice relaxing weekend, but there is that 5 page paper due Tuesday and two major projects I should be working on...

Good Times with DDR

Our new evening ritual, when we both have time, is exercising with DDR. So far no one has been brave? enough to join us, but Sarah and I are having a merry time. Last night, we played with the settings and discovered that it is fun to be tipsy and drunk. That might actually have been when I got my first A. Of course, that is because we picked a slow song without any two-note steps, because the pads don't register left/right or up/down combinations, for unknown reasons. Then we tried some of the songs with 300 or more BPM. It was pretty fast, but with low enough stream that I could hit quite a few. All in all, it was a good time. Now if only we had the setting that counted how many calories we burned...

There is a fork shortage in the caf. Just thought you would like to know. :)

My Tortilla Chips Are Shaped Like Footballs and Other Random Food Facts

Actually, the title is the coolest part of this post. I can tell you that I had a random collection of tofu parmesan, potato salad, carrot cassarole, and a roll for dinner, and that I had mashed potatoes, corn, and cream of broccoli soup for lunch. I had a yummy corn muffin for breakfast. Just now, I had some tortilla chips and salsa. And a cup of international coffee mixed just right. Now what I want is some animal crackers...

Basketball

It seems that it is more amusing to watch the fans at Albright sporting events than the athletes themselves. It is both funny and terrifying to watch some of the "rituals" that occur in the student section of the "end zone". Tonight, all the fans in this area were wearing white. They stood the whole time, chanting encouragement, provoking the opponents, and waving their fingers for good luck while our team was shooting foul shots. Despite all their hard work, we were losing at the end of the first quarter. This was about as much as I could take of a crowded, hot gym, packed in too closely with people I had never seen before in my life, being scared of the people who had painted their faces red or white and being repulsed by the guys who painted jerseys on themselves. There was no fun music played during time-outs, no gimmicks or amusements during the 15 minute break between quarters, unless they only play 15 minute halves. Anyways, if I remember to ask tomorrow, I can probably find out who won, but I guess it doesn't really matter. I think I fail at having school spirit and enthusiasm. I do, however, think it is amusing that I have classes with some of the players. That is something you can't say about watching games on tv. Well, I can't say that. Maybe if I had gone to a bigger, higher-lettered athletic school...

A Cloud Hath Descended...and more

"Do you have any advice for budding writers?"
"Obviously you need a writing utensil and then an idea. Actually, I don't know which comes first." --Bones (rules!)

Ok, not the point of the post, but it occured while I was posting. So there. Ok, here is the picture that wouldn't show up. Maybe...