Why haven't I written??

Wow--it's been a while. Now that I have to chance to look at my blog, I don't seem to know what to say! It's been quite a year, struggling with my job, planning a wedding, my father-in-law's death, and later this year, Elizabeth's graduation. Also Addyson playing soccer (she's so little!) and going to pre-school, which she loves!!

I am trying to take care of my health, but it's not going well--I've been continually overeating and not getting any exercise at all. I went on Lexapro as well. I've always been a little depressed, but I think the menopause really brought that to a head, along with the stress mentioned above.

I seem to feel better, but I'm still not getting much done anywhere. I'm exhausted most days, and I have a hard time getting up in the mornings. My spiritual life has suffered, too. I don't read my Bible much, haven't been able to be in a Bible study for a year, and I'm having a hard time getting to choir practice. Even if I do, if Addyson goes to church with me, I still have to go with her. I have been sub-ing in Addyson's bible school class, and it's great!

I got the strangest call from our insurance company. They flagged people from their claims and offered a service to have an RN call you regularly to check up on you about your health issue. I told her I have a few health issues, but they all relate to being overweight. I think God is sending me all kinds of things to try.

We went to the renaissance fair last week and I bought a hand made psaltery with a bow. I really fell in love with it, and Jim didn't give me any objections. It sort of sounds like a violin. I miss choir, and this is a way to stay somewhat musical. One goal I have is to draw and paint again, but now I'm focused on learning Christmas carols (Jim's request). I just have to someday learn some balance--there are so many things I want to do--and I am 51 years old! I feel like I'm running out of time!



Oh well, I will continue to struggle

I'm feeling a little uneasy today. I feel I didn't have much time to even collect my thoughts all weekend. I need to use the time wisely, as Rosemary will be back on Wednesday.
Pretty frustrated--I had to do orientations that they just told us about-took most of my time. I shouldn't worry so much--it's only 2-3 minutes, 5 groups.
We had weird questions today--another day where I can't get organized.

Reception

Yesterday, from 10-12, there was a reception for me. I was warned that since it was summer, there wouldn't be very many people here, but there were about 12-15 people. It was very nice, with fresh flowers and lovely pastries, coffee and tea, and friendly talk.

At 1, I had lunch and walked outside for about 10 minutes--it was so beautiful outside it was hard to come back in at 2pm!

I looked over the Learning Commons Report
Got my voicemail set up
Went to the new location for the mailroom (across from rest room near the back entrance to Peter-Jones) with Rosemary, Nancy and Penny--we seem to like to go as a group! My check slip was there, but wrong--had Ohio w/h instead of KY. Called the Payroll Dept, LMl
Did the HR online Orientation--too much info! When I sent it, I got the name and a message that she would be in on Thursday. I didn't find the staff handbook.

Spent 35-40 min looking at Reference and came to the conclusion that I need to bone up on my legal reference.

THINGS I NEED TO DO MONTHLY:
Newsletter
Monthly Reports
Statistics
New book list

This morning we had a meeting where we briefly went over the budget.
We have 3 Westlaw passwords, but students receive their own password with a fee (changed from the Library paying for it). Rosemary said I might want to Contact Bruce Davis who teaches the paralegal research about what he does (overview of his class) and how much help should we give them more than their orientation.

We are possibly getting 2 used, but newer, 3 years old, copiers that are Bearcat Card ready.

We will begin incoming Freshman orientation morning & evening with new format: no tour, speak for 5 minutes, cover 4 topics: Remote access, Textbooks (don't have all, but do have core textbooks), Come in for help-you may or may not get a library class from your instructors, so come in if you need help with your research. Quiet area upstairs, sometimes quiet area is difficult to find.

Thursday June 28, 2007

I need to keep track of what I've been doing at my new job! I just started Monday and already I'm unorganized.

My first day I got a tour, and a lot of reading material, including emergency procedures.

What I need to do is arrange my work to fit into the RPT, but I haven't had a chance yet. We had a long meeting today.

We scheduled some training and discussed dress codes, also I do the newsletter, although Rosemary gives me items. What's new in the library, etc.

We will be working on a survey for students for info commons area. We will also visit a couple of colleges with info commons: Sinclair and OU.

I will do a monthly report, 3 or 4 items to turn in to RY for my area and compile the others into one statistical document, send to all to review after the 1st of the month.

the end of the day--Penney showed me how to use Publisher to do the newsletter, where the files are, etc.

How I got my job!

I will be starting a new job on June 25. I will be a full time-tenure track faculty librarian at UC Clermont College. I know, it's a drive at a time when gas is up, but honestly I believe God called me to this job--it just about fell into my lap.
A woman I worked with a couple of years ago, emailed me and asked if I would consider applying for this position. I had read about the position on our Library Jobs list, and dismissed it because of the drive. But my friend and co-worker encouraged me to look at it further. I wasn't really excited about it but decided to update my resume and sent it in on the very last day. I had been half-heartedly looking for a full time job, without success, so I was considering some other part time job to supplement my current part time job. Everything I tried to do, something weird happened. I kept praying, but I was getting really discouraged.
We were getting ready to leave for Florida, remember my daughter got sick? Well, the day before we left, I got a call from UC and they wanted to do a phone interview, so I agreed to do it in Florida. So they called my cell phone, and I did a phone interview in my tank top and sweats, in my mom's Florida room, with the nice breeze blowing and palm trees in the back yard. Later that day UC called me back and scheduled an in-person interview, but it was an all-day (9-4) interview. So unfortunately, I had to contact my boss at Cincinnati State and ask for the 2nd day of the term off, usually a very busy time. I apologized, but she wasn't happy about it.

I had no clothes suitable for an interview, but I found something. I had my interview, and I think I had a hot flash the entire time! I found out I knew all but one of the 7 people on the search committee! I was still nervous, but not as bad as before. I felt like it was going well (they laughed at all my jokes). I had to do a 45 minute presentation, which I had no time to prepare for, because I was on vacation, and was very busy at work, but I winged it. It went badly (to me) because, my cell phone went off (it was Ross wishing me luck), and I forgot that I was using site from off campus and was unable to bring them up. I just admitted it and apologized and went on. Interstingly enough, that was one of the things that they like about me--I was cool about my mistakes, and just went on. I didn't think I was cool at all, so maybe my calling is really acting, not librarianship!

I got the job, and had to go back to meet the dean. After meeting him, I had no idea if he liked me or not, but apparently he did, and put in for slightly more money for me!

That kid needs glasses

Yesterday, I was in Hobby Lobby looking at patterns for my Halloween costume, when behind me a little boy arrived in a cart pushed by a grandfather (or father) back to his mother who was looking at fabric behind me. The boy was about 4-5 years old, and he was driving his mom crazy, and she told him so. He was being rude and unmanageable, and she was disciplining him. I just ignored all this, but then I kept hearing the little boy say, "Hello?" "hi!" "hello!" I turned my head to see this little grinning face looking at me. I smiled at him, not daring to speak because his mom was already mad at him. I turned back to my pattern book, and he started again, "hello," "hi," until his mom asked what he was doing. To my surprise, the boy said, "I was just trying to talk to that woman right there. She's gorgeous!" I have to say it made my day, even if I doubted his taste.

This reminded me so much of the time I was working at KCPL, checking books in and out for people, when a little boy about 5 or so was standing next to his mom and wanted her to see someone. "Ok, in a minute," she said. When they were ready to leave, the little boy turns back and tells his mom, "There she is--that lady--she is sooo pretty! Don't you think she's pretty?" I looked, of course, and I must say, I didn't really notice anything special about her, but this little boy was so exited that this pretty lady was in the library. His mother just acknowledged him with, "oh, I see her, honey" and they were on their way. When the pretty lady came to check her books out, I just had to tell her she had an admirer. "Me? Who?" she asked. I told her it was the little boy who just left. "Oh, I noticed him looking at me, but I didn't know why. That's very funny!" I told her that sometimes children just pick people out and are attracted to them for some reason, and it was an honor, because children are usually so honest about how they feel. I think she liked that.

Once I was on the bus, and a young dad came in with a 4-5 year old boy and a baby girl in his arms. The bus wasn't crowded, but there wasn't an empty seat where all three of them could sit. The father sat in a seat with the baby, and told the little boy to sit in one of the seats across the aisle. This little boy just took his time and searched the faces of all the passengers he could sit next to, including mine. Alas, he did not choose me, but sat next to the older lady behind me. It was a good choice. She smiled and said hello, and he chatted with her until his stop. Dad kept looking back to see if everything was ok, and it was. Several people were like me, and smiling at this precious little guy. He waved goodby to the lady. When he left, I turned around to the lady and said, "He's was really cute!" and she agreed that he was quite a little character. "You realize you were chosen above all the others, don't you?" She laughed, "I guess so!" I told her she must have something very special to be so carefully chosen by a child. I think she liked that, too.

One funny thing

This morning, while driving to work, I saw a utility truck in front of a house, working on the pole. The funny thing, that while I did not see a bird anywhere else on that street, there must have been 50 birds, sitting on the line directly about the man and the utility truck. So, what was so interesting?