Catalog of Randomness

So Long Suckers!

HA!

Suck it Typepad.

 

I have found new digs and I am moving on!

http://catalogofrandomnesss.wordpress.com/

Hope to see you there!

TL

Further on Down the Road

Oh October, how I love thee.

The leaves are starting to turn colors and the morning air is chilly. It's perfect.

In a random decision, because you know I love making random decisions, I decided to go back to school. Yep.

I AM OBVIOUSLY CRAZY

Because 7 years, an Associate's, Bachelor's and one Master's isn't enough.

I am finally going to get my Master's in History with a focus in Public History. Public History is generally used for museum and/or research work, either of which I would like to do. There was a track to lead to a PhD, but honestly, who can really imagine me teaching? This weekend I signed up for my first class, Historiography. It starts in Novemeber.

I hope I don't regret this.

But really... something had to give. My sanity has been on the edge for a while and getting passed over for promotion for not moving on to a new position just confirms how dysfunctional my work place is. I was turned down for another position I applied for this week. So school isn't a short term solution, but it's a step in the right direction.

I also cleaned out part of a closet. Literally, not figuratively. It was a little hard collecting all the dress clothes I got the first year I was here. I was almost 25-30 pounds lighter then and I still cared if I was presentable at work. I wore a lot of dress pants and dress shirts and generally looked pretty sharp. But as time has gone on I picked up what everyone else around me knew then. It doesn't matter how much effort you put into anything.

In more random decision making, I am going to volunteer at the local animal shelter. They need a kitten wrangler, puppy snuggler and sometimes chauffeur. I can drive and am genious at wrangling critters. The next application processes begins in January, which will give me time to get back in the swing of school.

Maybe all this will let me meet someone. I'll be 31 in a one month and one day. [OMG 31? WHEN THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN?] I haven't had a date in err... a while. I made the mistake of mentioning to my coworkers that my goal for 31 was one date. Just one. They decidided I needed to try online dating and one suggested speed dating. I am not opposed to online dating. Some of my friends met their SO that way but I am opposed to basically being made fun of in the process. I was warned I would go on a lot of bad dates, but that was "entertainment for the rest of us". Yes, that's why I would be doing this. Look, I'm not really complaining and I love my coworkers, but jeezus I have a hard enough time meeting people. Snuggleface told me not to do speed dating, he said he also had a lot of luck with a certain website. It was nice of him to be a little supportive. But I think I am just going to dodge the whole thing again. I like being single. Mostly. I like not having someone getting judgy or fighting for the tv remote when I go on a Doctor Who, Torchwood, Star Trek, SeaQuest, Criminal Minds bender. If I chose to watch 4 seasons of DW and 2 of TW in 2 weeks, than so be it. HA!  (Obviously this has played a part in the going back to school and volunteering bits). But the point, was there one? Ah, the point, I like being single and having my space, but it would be nice to have someone to say "hell yes!" when I say "Hey, Star Trek con in Chicago, never been, wanna go?"

I can't even remember where I was going with this blog...

My parents still have my cats, it's been 6 weeks. I think they have kittennapped them.

Graaarrrrrrrr.

Next up, pictures of the mosaic I made.

TL.

 

P.S.   Must love dinosaurs.

Chameleons, dinosaurs and India, Oh my!

There are dinosaurs in my office.

Yes.

Dinosaurs AND chameleons.

Chameleons.

In Washington DC.

Allegedly there was a lizard caught on a sticky ant trap. In the morning when it was found it was a snake, and then a salamander, and maybe probably a gecko.

By the time an angry note came out from our admin, it was a CHAMELEON.

So some of the rest of us put our heads together and came to the only reasonable conclusion.

It was a dinosaur.

An Iguanadon. Maybe a Velociraptor.

Someone heard it was a whole pack of Velociraptors!

All I know, is that I was glad to be on a plane to India the next week because my office is getting to be like Jurassic Fight Club.

In India all I had to worry about was people opening doors, eating fantastic food, living in the luxurious Leela Palace and not getting killed in traffic.

We'll over look the stray cows, dogs and monkeys. The sheep, goats, chickens, horses, mules, donkeys, pigs, 2 camels, 2 cobras and 1 kitty cat all wandering the city. But really, after fighting off the DC grown T-Rexes, I could handle the wild life of India.

Actually, I had a very lovely time in New Delhi and was able to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra.

I desperately wanted to see elephants, but didn't.

After 10 days I returned with the most horrid jetlag. It's been a week and I still feel like hell.

But we had birthday cake in the office yesterday, which was left out over night and I am waiting with a net trap for the stegosaurus to arrive to catch one.

I think I will give it to my coworker for her birthday. She turns 30 today.

Happy birthday you Star Trek loving, direct subscription emperess, honey badger.

Declines with Pleasure!

Sometimes I'm not sure that "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!!" is completely inappropriate for work. Yeah, go ahead and say it. TL, that is completely inappropriate for work. 

My work or yours.

I stopped at McDonald's drive thru (hey, don't judge, it was the 4th of July) and the cashier charged me for the wrong order, refunded the difference in cash and then they tried to give me the wrong order at the other window. Not a single one of them could understand what was wrong with my order and the one that they were trying to give me. What I ordered: double cheeseburger, medium fries and a large un-sweet ice tea. What they wanted me to have: two cheeseburgers, large fries and a large drink of some sort. That big of a difference? No, but not the point. I wanted to asked what the hell was wrong with them.

Today at work, my coirker proceeded to ask me a variation of the same question he has been asking for almost 10 months. I almost slipped. My 'library' setting isn't library quiet but screaming "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!!" would have been noticed.

I just don't get it and it is absolutely exhausting. I am happy to pass on my knowledge if you ask (or not) but I expect you to retain at least the basic point of it and after 10 months, I am not going to hold your hand while you do something. Anyone who is at least one pay grade above me, should not need their hand held for 10 months. I just need to figure out how to kick them in the pants to make them do their own work.

Also, if I have to RSVP for something, doesn't that mean it's optional? My cousin sent out a wedding invitation with an RSVP, it says yes I am coming or no I am not, which means I have to pick one. Of course I am going to my cousin's wedding, but I figure this theory also applies to other RSVP situations. I declined one today. It's going to get ugly. If it's mandatory, make it mandatory and don't give me a yes/no option. Until then, Decline with pleasure" is my response.

I am learning to do a mosaic. I decided to finally strip out the nasty yellow tile that came in my coffee table and am going to replace it with something awesome and nerdy like this:

Only mine will have a blue background. I've never done a mosaic, but I might as well start with something complicated. To entertain myself during this project, I found SeaQuest DSV on Netflix. It's like being a teenager all over again. Talking dolphins and Jonathan Brandis, what's not to love? Except the minor detail of the story lines being all over the place. Plot? What plot? We'll add aliens! Aliens make everything better. Except when you are on a SUBMARINE under water. I'm surprised it survived 2.5 seasons because I probably would have cancelled it mid-season 2. But you know I am still going to finish it. I'm not a quitter!

Just don't expect me to RSVP.

9 Months

It's been nine months since I've been here. I moved in and really didn't even bother to settle in before leaving again.

Basically I am here because I am bored beyond belief at work. I've been in the same position for 3 years (actually 8 days short of 3 years) and in that time have become the senior most person in the office based solely on being the only one who hasn't moved on. The turn over here is crazy and I don't blame any of them for leaving. I've been trying to escape the last 2.5 years but then the market crashed and no one is hiring. Well they are, they just aren't hiring librarians. Really, who needs a librarian any more? Certainly not the government agency where I work.

Okay that is a half lie. There are a lot of librarians here, and 98% of us are really good at what we do, it's just so far what we should be doing or we are qualified to be doing. People complain about government waste, over paid and under productive employees etc and I can vouch for most of that. I can't say I am over paid because I can barely make ends meet and I am not living a life of excess. I will admit to being under productive. There are a hundred things I would like to be doing. Days go faster when I'm busy but I am forced to play the waiting game or get my hands slapped for trying to do something that isn't my responsibility. Frustrating much? So for the 3rd day in a row I am here straighting files, reading Twitter, IMDB, catching up on some creative writing and hoping someone response to one of the 300 actions I am waiting on.

Since there isn't much else happening I thought I would stop in, check it out, maybe write something down. I noticed today I was 'followed' by 21 'people'. Spammers. I blocked them. I poked around and realized there is really no where to meet people or catch random blog postings. Do people still even blog any more? I am pretty sure I bitched about the lack of QotD the last time, but I will say it again. WTF happened to QotD?? At least give me a reason to come back.

In the last 9 months there was Thanksgiving - boring, Christmas - went home for 3 weeks, New Years - didn't get kissed, Valentine's day - still no smoochies, Mother's day - bought Mom an awesome KitchenAid 600 Pro and made Daughter of the Year, interviewed for a job, was offered a position, still waiting for an opening, and I FINALLY met my Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure goal (3rd time is a charm) and now here we are.

I have done a lot of reading this year. My Shelfari says I have read 20 books this year, ahead of my count last year. Haven't seen any new movies but I have decided to catch up on all the TV I have missed for various reasons. I have turned into a complete TV junkie this year. Got sucked into Breakout Kings, rediscovered my love of Bones, still crushing on Criminal Minds despite the disaster of a season they've had, got sucked into Vampire Diaries - which I am giving up next season because I just can't deal with it any more, and now White Collar is back. With Netflix I am going to pick up CSI wherever I left off, going to try Psych, Kings, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Merlin season 2, Flashpoint, and Carnivale. I am prepared for a summer of couch potatoeness and it will be awesome. Any other recommendations to try out?

Maybe I will try blogging for a summer activity.

 

Moved

Dear Typepad....

Look, I moved in a couple days ago because I was being evicted from my home. It doesn't matter that I only visit once in a blue moon, it was knowing where I was and all my stuff was and and and...

So, just so you know, I think you suck. This Dashboard business is hooey. I can't find anything. Half the time I'm not even sure I am staring at my blog (or the ash that remains of it) or someone else's. I know you created this spiffy dinosaur theme, because Vox told you I like dinosaurs and have a weak spot for Triceratops, but you are just using it to lure my attention away from your disfunctionality. I guess Six Apart had to pick between you and vox, and if they had asked me, I would have voted to stay on Vox with my neighborhood.

And stop asking me to connect to my facebook.

Grumpy Tattooed Librarian.

PS. WTF is the preview button!?!

PPS. nevermind

QotD: Happy Memorial Day

How are you spending this Memorial Day? Bonus points if you show us a picture!

Spending the day with the boys in the Pacific.

Wallpaper-the-pacific-1600

QotD: Job Love

What's the best thing about your job?

The occasional hot looking man in uniform waiting at the gate in the morning.

um...

and....

er...

yeah!

Nope, that's pretty much it.

QotD: May Day

When's the last time you asked someone for help? Did you get it?

I asked for help to raise money for my Komen walk.... out of the million or so people I asked, 2 people helped me and one person helped my team.

So while the technical answer is 'yes, I got help' I am going to respond with no based on the asked/received ratio.

But generally went I ask for help for other things ie: help at work I generally get help. Maybe not the help I need or want or as much as I need or want, people are usually willing to help. 

Goals!

I suck at them!

Yes, I do. Blog once every two weeks I said. Right. But the good news is, it hasn't been a full month since I went AWOL.

You might be asking yourself: Why is TL's blog decked out in all this pink like a peptobismal bottle blew up?

That is because I have set a new goal. A $500 goal to be exact.
Last year I had a team in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and this year I have done it again.
My goal then was $125 and I raised almost $400, this year I hope to raise $500 and I am already 25% of the way there.
I know the economy still sucks, so maybe you could skip your morning Starbucks and donate that $5.00 to my goal?

I have two aunts who are breast cancer survivors and they are here today thanks to early detection which is what one of the things the Komen foundation supports. When I was 22 I found a lump in my breast and it scared the shit out of me. I knew my odds with a family history, but I told myself whatever it was I would help do my part to find a cure and support those battling this disease. Fortunately for me it was cyst, but for many others this experience doesn't end so well.

So please. Please please please please help. Don't make this another goal I suck at.

Thanks
Tattooed Librarian

Help Support Me!

 

QotD: Tattoos

If you were going to get a tattoo, what would it be of and where would you get it? What's stopping you?

Odds are, with a name like Tattooed Librarian, I probably have a few... or at least one. Because, really my mother didn't hate me enough to name me Tattooed. Although if she had, I am not sure I would have become a librarian. A rock star perhaps, or at least a stripper or porn star.

Tats have come up here before, and the regulars might recall the last tattoo decision I made.

To refresh: Since forever I have wanted a tattoo. Since about half of forever I wanted a C-46.

What stopped me? I couldn't find the right design. Then I needed an artist I could trust to do it and then I needed the moolah because I knew it wouldn't be cheap. Good art costs money.

I finally found an artist I liked, he had done another piece for me and then I spent probably another year looking for designs. Once I found those I was able to get him to draw something up combining the pictures I found with factual information I had. This is what resulted 

This one was taken the day after it was done.

IMG_2884

This was taken a couple of months later, after the ink settled in a little. - which was about a year ago (reversed). 

IMG_3226

That was the 4th tattoo, they say they are addicting but they also say you know when you are done. And I think I am done. At least for a while. I can only think of one more that I might one, but that is a far off maybe.