Sunday, June 24, 2007

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

(John Denver)

...I hate to wake you up to say goodbye...

In one or two minutes Sis's alarm will go off. And then we'll be scrambling for showers and last minute additions to our suitcases (at least I will.)

The whole 3 oz. of liquid thing is such a pain!!

But for this last minute, I am free to write. This may be my last post for a week--or not. Both Dad and Sis have wireless enabled laptops.

Yes, I'll take lots of pictures. And I have Flat Stanley with me, I'll take a picture with him too (our library is posting pictures of FS for Summer Reading.)

Yesterday I visited Minnie. She's my Italian neighbor, about 80 years old. She's pretty much homebound. I try to visit her but I more than often forget. But I had miniature roses that I bought for myself when I was at Whole Foods--sometimes a girl just needs roses (pink of course) and the minis are like 4.99 a bunch. Anyways, they were still lovely and I wanted someone to enjoy them. So I took them to Minnie.

She is a dear heart. She is the only person I know where our conversations are almost only about "how is your family doing?" So I told her how Sis was on her way, and she remembered that the trip to Montana was for my dad's 65th. It was nice to not have to talk about work, and for once she didn't ask me (as she almost always does) to give the litany of who lives on the other floors of our house.

Last night I dreamt my car was stolen. I checked an online dream dictionary and a stolen car means a loss of identity. Hmmm...maybe I really need this vacation, to clear my head of work, and....other things. I also dreamed that the guy I crushed on (not the most recent one, a different one) someone told me he liked me. Oh, that's mature. Whatever!!

I will be taking the Mother/Child books with me to continue to think up questions. But I think my family will help me, and since Sis loved both Blueberries for Sal and Ramona and her Mother...

I think I'd better check on that alarm. Duquesne Light says: 7:36, current temp 57 degrees F.

Ciao!

Remember this one: Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Sum-sum-summertime!

Yes, I'm procrastinating again. But only to share the best in chicken cartoons.

"And if you can't commit to something big, then commit to something small." (Merle Shain)

from When Lovers are Friends.

I hate packing. You must know that by now. The thought of being away from my garret for a whole week--I don't relish it. So I procrastinate. Because the big job of packing for a week seems way too big.

I've started eating lunch and sometimes breakfast in my big black chair which resides in the front room. Two bookcases flank the chair, so inevitably I spend my meal flipping through a book. Today I'm especially "off" as I missed my bedtime meds last night. (Yesterday was a marathon day.) So I've been doing small things. And I've been procrastinating. I'lll do a load of laundry, but when I bring it upstairs, I don't fold it right away. I'll do a load of dishes...you get the idea.

So I flopped into the big black chair a bit ago and was soaking in some music on WORD-FM. And to reach my water glass, I had to peek around a large book and what did I find but Merle Shain's classic. In the passage above the quote I cited in the title, she tells the story of Sisyphus in a way that redeems him. He was banished by Zeus to an island where there was nothing to do, and was going crazy. But then,

one day he took it into his head to push a big rock up the mountain on the island, and all day he labored with the big rock, pushing it and pushing it in the hot sun, until at night, with the top of the hill almost in sight, he finally gave up and let the rock roll down the hill again.
...
...though he never reached the top of the mountain with his rock, when they finally found him he was sane, just as sane as he'd ever been.

So, though sometimes it DOES matter what you do, sometimes it just matters that you do SOMETHING. That you commit to something, and see it through. So I folded laundry. And I finally took my shower. Then Sis called and said she was almost at Breezewood. So now, I'm off, to find the next small thing to commit to.

other things I'm processing right now: Simple Way fire

If you know who Shane Claiborne is, you know that the Simple Way is a community he helped build in Philadelphia. Which had a 7 alarm fire Wednesday morning.

Here are some links. Please consider helping them out.

The Simple Way
(their website)

Tony Campolo's site: donate here.

More info:

Christianity Today

bobbie posted this YouTube back in March.

'nuff said.

The Bird Sisters, Together, Forever!

Let's see...one sister* fell asleep at 8 pm and slept until 6 am.

The other one called at 9:30 pm and was still in bed at 8 am. (The one who has to drive to Pittsburgh)

Oh yeah, we're ready to go to Montana!!

MTC,

SL

*That means I have a lot of packing and cleaning to do...

Friday, June 22, 2007

"What I've learned is that if you live long enough, then the things you want most in life will wait for you."

(Veronica Chambers, in The joy of doing things badly)

Today I returned two DVD items unwatched to the library: Freaks & Geeks Vol. 1, and Volver. I never caught F&G when it was on TV and I really enjoy Almodovar's movies (I remember in college watching Women on the Verge of a Breakdown...). But I must off to vacation and there are people who have holds on these items.

I have to trust that when my time to watch them comes around, I'll be able to get my hands on them. As a librarian, I live with the books. So I want to read all of them, RIGHT NOW. I get greedy and add tons of items to my holds list and then when they come, I don't have time to read them. Librarything has been useful for that--I have an entire category devoted to TBR (To Be Read). Instead of putting them on hold, I open my LT account. (Of course, as a WorldCat user, I'm tempted to join their thing-y too, but I don't know anyone else doing it, and most folks I know are using LT. But the WorldCat thing-y already gives you a "tbr"-like designation, which is nice.) (Of course, I can't find that particular aspect now and have wasted time searching the WorldCat site...)

There's a Jorge Luis Borges quote: "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library." Before I worked at a place where all the books are free and I don't incur fines and there are so many books, I lived by the philosophy that in heaven, all the books I didn't have time to read on earth would be waiting for me. I'm trying to grow up that idea--that the right books will find me, and I find them, and the rest I'll trust Babelbabe to read. (The woman is a reading machine!)

And I've always gone by the philosophy that like the philosophy that says "life is too short to wear uncomfortable shoes," life is too short to read boring books. There is always another book waiting in the wings.

I haven't yet decided which books will go with me on my trip West. Well, the picture books for my Picturebook Picnic on July 5th, copies of my mother/child smackdown books (which, btw, I now have 3 teams!!!) But other than that...

Hopefully Sis and I will have time to watch Mostly Martha, a German movie which is being remade and released in the US this summer as No Reservations.

I'm thinking Eat Cake will go with me, esp. since I haven't read it since February.

Back to writing questions for the M/C smackdown...

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Friday's child is loving and giving...(even though it's still technically Thursday)

So my parents finally called--they thought I might call them. Um, they are on vacation, a different time zone and this is the craziest time of my work year? Yeah, I think I'll wait for them to call me, thankyouverymuch.

This is one of those very boring posts, but I'm too tired to care.

Still working down the list. (Which seems to be growing--is that possible??)

Got caught in torrential downpour this afternoon whilst doing errands. (Happy Solstice!)

Both bosses (and possibly our director) are either at or en route to the American Library Association Conference in DC.

I'm going to sleep. I am EXHAUSTED. Sis seems to be feeling better, though still tired. In the packing/laundry race, she's winning. But I have tomorrow evening and all of Saturday morning to do that--although t-shirts need time to dry...I'll do laundry Friday night. Um, and compete with my housemate, Ms Second Floor.

I gotta go to bed. I can't process all this.

Oh, and I seriously need my sister to come and fix all my electrionics. The clock in my car is still in Daylights Savings Time, my answering machine thinks that it's Monday 6:48 am, and my computer, well, there's no help for that. (Although I just checked and it's not too far off. Earlier this week it was like a half hour off and I went bonkers.)

Must. go. to. bed.

Buh-bye.

I promise at least one more interesting post before I leave you to search my archives whilst I frolick in Montana for a week.

Thursday's child has far to go...

No kidding!

So Caro posted pictures of her kitchen, which is what MY kitchen looks like, wasn't that nice of here? Esp since my camera and computer don't like each other right now, YES I know I should just reinstall the software, but have you seen my to do list? Software is the LOWEST priority right now.

I slept ten hours last night!! Oh, and this is what I wanted to tell you: We now have over 1200 kids signed up for Summer Reading Club.

EGAD! And that's not even 10% of the kids in our service area--we need branches!!

That is all. Off to wash hair, then dishes. IF I have time, I'll throw a load of t-shirts. Doubtful though. I need a wife...

Oh, and if you're the praying type, say a prayer for Sis, who has the flu. Yes, she's driving to Pgh on Saturday...

I'm going crazy, wanna come??

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Wednesday's child is full of woe...

Well, I was a Sunday's child, but this week has already driven me to want to drink...heavily.

Let's see, we had two engagements on Friday, plus a wedding. (But one of those "engagements" was swimming, so...) Saturday, work. I came home and tried to watch Volver, but I was too tired to keep up with the subtitles. (And I used to be FLUENT in Spanish.) Sunday was a delight--a day at the Frick. Monday--four doctors which included a dentist. Tuesday (was that only yesterday?) I made reservations, I called in prescriptions, I forgot to call someone, I talked to friends and friends, and I got a book from Babelbabe. (Footprints of a Pilgrim--the poetry and life of Ruth Bell Graham) Plus, it rained and stopped raining and then poured and then just rained.

And that's just the hightlights (well, maybe you can pick out some lowlights...)

Observation: the audio to the book Freaky Friday is AMAZING!
Observation: it feels so good to reunite with old friends.
Observation: yahoo! mail is often slow. NH Sally sent me an email around 7 last night and I didn't get it until 7 this morning!! (when it was too late, as she is on her way to Michigan) I'm considering switching all my email over to gmail. (let's see, right now I have two Gmails, one work email, and one Yahoo!...four email addresses is better than some folks I know.)
Observation: I LOVE the book Babs got me.

Here's a quote from Ruth Bell Graham that I have always loved. It certainly is true of my parent's marriage: "If two people agree on everything...one of them is unnecessary."

Today the sky is blue. Not a cloud in sight. Who will buy this wonderful morning? (from Oliver! the only musical I actually performed in.) (in which I actually performed??)

Must go to work.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Moments in librarianship (another in a series)

(This conversation has been abridged)

Boy 1:
I'm looking for a book

Sarah Louise (thinking in her head, well, you came to the right place!) What's the book called?

Boy 1: Final Strike.

Sarah Louise (silent, as she looks up book, doesn't find it in catalog, searches Amazon.) What's the author's name?

Boy 1: Erik Ngoobly gook. He spells it with a K.

Sarah Louise: (not finding it, trying to buy time) Strike, as in (pretends to swing a bat)?

Boy 1: Yeah.

Sarah Louise: Final Strike, by Pendleton? (She turns the computer screen so Boy 1 can see the cover on Amazon.)

Boy 1: No.

Sarah Louise: (still not finding anything.) Spell the author's name, please.

Boy 1: N-y-l-u-n-d.

Sarah Louise (to herself, Eric, with a C?) (finds author, but not book in question, though there is a book called First Strike.) I'm sorry, it's not in our system. (looks again in Amazon, but Eric with a c is very prolific.)

AFTER ABOUT FIVE MINUTES OF THIS:

Boy 1: I found it on the computer back there (points to catalog opac).

*************

The rest is too painful and it would take too long to transcribe. The book he was looking for was FIRST Strike. My boss, who sat there the entire time I was going through this arduous process, later agreed with my thinking that if there was a book called First Strike, there MIGHT be one called Final Strike. (Otherwise, it would have been a MUCH shorter reference interview.)

Oh, and when I finally found it on the patron-view of our catalog, I clearly read the words "Checked out." Boy 1 resisted at first putting it on hold (typical male teen behavior, but Boy 2 handed over a library card.) Was I ever glad when they stepped away from my desk!!!!!

By the way, Boy 2 was wearing a shirt with a tear in the front. How did he get out of the house like that?

Live blogging the vacation preparation...

So we have the "Stay n Go" room booked at La Quinta. They don't take discounts for that particular package, but it means we can leave my sister's car at the hotel for a week, which saves us long term parking etc. etc. so we'll take it. (Stay n Go: you drive to the hotel, leave your car, take a shuttle to the airport, fly away, vacation or whatever, come back, stay one night, and have a lovely continental breakfast.)

It's raining outside. I hope all my car windows are shut. (I usually leave them a crack in the summer) (Live blogging indeed--I just ran down, double checked--they were shut but I got my umbrella out of the car.)

Most of the pills are ready except for the ones that are waiting at the pharmacy.

This has been the morning of phone calls--Sis has a cold and wanted advice on whether or not to stay home. I had a chance to reconnect a long lost friend. (Grin!) Also, I had to make all the phone calls--La Quinta was the only one that didn't put me on hold, so guess what, they got my business! Then I had to call Dad to let him know I had the reservation, which entailed first calling home, getting sick Sis, then calling Dad's cell, leaving a message, and then talking to him as he beeped in whilst I was leaving one of those long messages where you'd really rather be talking to the person...

I finally connected with Kelly (I left messages, she left messages...) She is going through a tough time--it's the whole "the boys are home for the summer," plus other stuff and her anxiety levels are through the ceiling. We prayed, which helped I think.

And now it's noon and I have to get dressed, eat lunch, and go off to be Madam Librarian.

Oh, I know. I told Dad the suitcase was open and I had my bathing suit in. "Well you've got the essentials then!" He then quipped that if I was going to Rio, that would be all I needed. Oh Rio. I'll blog about that day sometime...I don't think I have already.

The rain has stopped.

And so I go.

ACK!! (and some lovely sassafrass leaves)

spoon
fork
mitten

******************

Paula always does it up nice with pictures, and I haven't posted any since my camera decided it didn't want to communicate with my computer. But now that I have Picasa (not that I know how to use it to post pictures) I can at least see my pictures, not just the lined up folders. So here are some pictures from last summer. Maybe posting these will make me feel like I can move forward, take a walk, eat something, and continue working on

  • packing
  • booking the airport motel for our return at 11:30pm on July 30
  • packing
Nope, I still want to sit on the couch and eat bon bons. Well, it was worth a shot...

Have you seen/heard this guy yet????

Blackbird was the one who introduced me to this guy, but I just got to hear the whole thing on the radio (with color commentary by Jack Bogut--now the audience is standing, now the judges are sitting up in their chairs, etc. etc.)

Monday, June 18, 2007

How do you know Sarah Louise is tired?

When she clicks on blog after blog, reads, but does not comment.

  • Four doctors appointments in one day, check!
  • One crown inserted, teeth cleaned for another six months, no cavities, check!
  • Started looking at airport motel deals, check!
  • Started the refill process so as to begin the pill packing, check!
Going crazy, wanna come? Check, and check!

You can pull all you like, and have it your way, but this door is pretty stubborn...

(seen on a door marked "PUSH" at Burger King.)

I had to laugh. I went to ALDI to get frozen waffles for breakfast, but when they were all out and my stomach was clearly saying "feed me!" (Feed me, Seymour, feed me!) I went across the highway to BK. I got one of their breakfast croissants, and sat reading The joy of doing things badly by Veronica Chambers. On the other side of the divider were tables full of retired old men, doing what they do best, passing the time with a cup of Senior Coffee.

I'm pretty stubborn too. I've been on my own for a long time now, and I know what makes me happy and what makes me mad.

Things that make me happy:
  • Looking at paintings and drawings at the Frick, with someone else. I never look that closely when I'm by myself, figuring out the stories the pictures show, counting the flies in the Dutch still lifes.
  • Grilled cheese sandwiches. I've had them twice this week.
  • Singing. Listening to songs. Tapping my fingers to the beat.
  • My friends--all of a sudden they have bloomed out of every corner, like the honeysuckle about a week ago.
  • Seeing groundhogs (this morning, one) or possoms (last week, one) when I clearly live smack dab in the confines of the City of Pittsburgh.
  • Seeing a wild turkey cross the road with her turklings (what are they called?) on the way to work one day last week.
Things that make me mad (or just annoyed):
  • Remembering how I stayed with men who wanted too much, too soon.
  • That economics still defines how we live our lives.
  • That I have to pack pills and call in refills for a trip that is in less than seven days.
  • That I have to spend my day going from doctor to doctor.
  • That I left a vinyl record (duh!) in my car on a hot day and it's warped now, so I'll have to pay for its replacement.
  • That I second guess my spelling. (Is that really it's or is it its?)
  • That I really have to get on with my day. My list for today (not counting the remaining three doctor's appts, I've already been to see the chiropractor) is over ten items long.
I took a walk this morning, when I woke up at 7:30, wondering what my life is going to be these days. As a jogger passed me on the right, I had a flash of Téa Leoni in Spanglish, and all of a sudden, of how she fought for her marriage by not panicking when her husband stayed out late, the night he spent at the restaurant with Paz Vega.

Gotta go. Have to cross something off the list before I'm on the road again...

Sunday, June 17, 2007

"Thank you for making this occasion necessary" (Yogi Bera)

Happy Father's Day! Google has done up one of their doodles again. It's early -- well, not really, but I've only been awake for a half hour and so my voice had frogs in it when I wished Pa a happy day.

Father's Day grew out of some lady hearing a Mother's Day sermon. So she worked to get a day for Dads. Father's Day is also the highest netting "retail holiday" besides Christmas. It makes sense -- for Valentine's, most folks buy chocolate, for Mother's Day you can get away with a dishtowel, but dear old dad invariably gets golf clubs* or at least a coffee table book on Augusta.* (And those go for like $40 a pop) (pop, get it...) Also, Dads aren't as good at that thing Moms always do, "pshaw, I don't need a thing." Erin over at Biscotti Brain has a great idea if you're shopping for "the man who has everything and then some" or you just want to make your gift more meaningful.

Speaking of golf*, Pittsburgh is (I speak on behalf of the city) pleased as punch to be hosting the US Open at Oakmont.*

*This is the one and probably only time you'll EVER hear me talk about golf more than once in a post or in a post EVER, so I had to cram it all in.

(About the quote: my dad is forever quoting Yogi Bera--yours too? This year he has amended his usual, "You were the one that made me a Daddy" to something like "I wouldn't have been a Daddy so soon if it weren't for you." I think the first one is more literary, but real people resist editing, and surely he has his reasons for changing his tagline -- maybe that he has two other lovely children... I love you Daddy!)

signed,

His #1.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Ruth Bell Graham, 1920-2007

I can't absorb this right now, but what a woman she was. Now that the Billy Graham library has been dedicated, and Ruth has died, I don't doubt Billy will be too far behind her.

Today I opened my package from Amazon: Johnny Cash reading the New Testament. I look forward to listening to it.

For her epitaph, she wanted it to read: "End of construction: thank you for your patience."

The Summer of 97: Walks, Dollar movies, and Highland Park: or Sarah Louise and the best things in life (and Pittsburgh) are free

Last summer, Loretta instituted List Fridays. They sort of died out, but I'm all for bringing them back. (I'd link her, but her site is taking like five minutes to load today...)

So it's truly bizarre to think that Toot and Puddle is ten years old. Wow. But it gives me a milestone, as Mr. Ten Years Ago was the one who convinced me it was a great book.

The summer of ninety-seven, he was studying for the qualifying exams for his Ph.D. We had broken up in April, but we were back together by July 4th, and there it was: he had no time (he was studying for the exams) and no cash (he was studying for the exams).

It was the best summer ever.

We had a standing Saturday or Sunday "date" which was often just a walk around Highland Park. We were pretty boring--We'd walk up Jackson, maybe go around the reservoir, and down Highland Avenue. None of this "which way shall we go?" which I personally find very fun.

Every once in a while we'd go see a dollar movie. I think we went to see whichever Batman movie was out.

So, honor of the best summer ever (and Mr. Ten Years Ago, who is happily married and the father of a son) here's another Sarah Louise List.

Free or almost free things to do in Pittsburgh in the summer.

1. Take a walk in Highland Park. Optional: take a penny, and make it a "Penny Walk." At every intersection you drop a penny, and heads is right, tails is left. (I read about it in a book once.)

2. The Three Rivers Arts Festival. I haven't been in YEARS, and this is the last weekend. Maybe Saturday night. (I have the wedding Friday.) Just checked the schedule and Ricky Lee Jones is playing at 6! I suppose if I drove straight from work... well, special guest Lohio--that usually means "opening act," huh. So I could drive home, take the bus down...

3. The Frick Art Museum. Now, I myself love the Carnegie. But if you drive, you have to pay for parking AND a ticket in to the museum. Plus, they took my favorite painting down years ago. The Frick Art Museum is a sweet little art museum with a permanent collection and traveling exhibits.

4. Bach, Beethoven, and Brunch--Mellon Park Rose Garden. Sundays, 10:30 to noon, starting June 17 through August 12. I've never been, because, well, church is Sunday morning. But, hey, I go to church in the evening, so maybe I'll try this out.

5. Cinema in the Park. I love going to Flagstaff. But you can go to movies seven days a week, check it out!

Now, of course, this weekend is Father's Day, but that sort of was off my radar, since we're doing the whole "Celebrate Dad's Birthday and go to Montana" trip. His birthday is the 20th, so in my mind, Father's Day always gets smushed into Dad's Birthday. It's Friday and I still don't have a card for dear old Dad. But hey, it's 8:30 am and I still don't have a gift for the wedding at 5:30! Last month for J&A's wedding, I worked at the library in the morning, ran to Target, perused J&A's registry, found some wrapping paper, and a card. At the register, I confessed that the wedding was a scant hour and a half away. The cashier gave me some grace. "If it weren't for the last minute, I'd never get anything done." Yep, that's me. K&C are registered at Bed Bath and Beyond, so I'll head over to Waterworks this morning.

I guess I'll get on that. Later Babs and I are going SWIMMING! Lunch is with a high school friend who is a prof at CMU.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Sarah Louise writes about libraries n'at

Well, every once in a while, I visit the library blogs. It's like once in a very blue moon, but today being what it is -- CRAZY, I am sitting at the desk and I can justify not working on my upcoming programs since I've done that all day, piecemeal in between desk duty.

So what do the librarian bloggers have to say? First I went to Feel Good Librarian. I luff her. She is so customer oriented and nice and, well, feel good-y. She doesn't post too often, so I rarely get the pleasure of three posts I haven't read when I click on her link.

Then I went to the Doyenne of Librarian Blogs, Librarian.net, Jessamyn West's blog. She has a great post on Social Networking, with an accompanying five slides. I love her last sentence:

"A lot of the print materials I’ve come across err on the side of caution which is not a bad idea but often there’s no “Hey you really SHOULD try this” counterpoint. I hope I was able to offer that somewhat."


Since JW is the one who pushed me in the direction of blogging, I commented, of course.

Tasha, over at Kids Lit is one of the first "kids librarian bloggers" I found. I don't visit her as often as I used to, but this past week (or was it last?) I sat and left her a ton of comments. She's a reviewer, so often gets books before we do. She recently reviewed I'm the biggest thing in the ocean, which I had flipped through the other day and loved. I commented, of course.

Fuse #8 Productions posts almost every day and long and I can't keep up. But she linked to a post from Fugly about Hermione (Emma Granger) which linked to a post about Rupert Grint getting a Howler about what he wore to the HP Premiere.

Click, your time is up. Okay, another day, another dollar.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

tap tap, is this thing on?

I GIVE UP! It's a very cool You Tube that shows women in art through the ages.


*I tried like ten times, plus Blogger help, the thing won't embed. And I've done this before, so I don't know wassup. ARGH. But I have things to do, bills to pay, etc. etc.

************
This comes to you from You Tube via Kousin Kiki. ENJOY!

Ummm...it's the emperor's clothes post. Better click on the link in the post below.

Girlfriends are the best!

So the wicked insomnia gave me 6.5 hours of sleep. Yuk. And of course then my moods were all wonked and no one was home, but one of my friends with caller ID called me back and we talked for like two hours. So all my plans of paying the bills, GOING TO THE POST OFFICE, are naught. But I needed that girl time. SO BADLY.

And now it's time to get ready for work!

But first, take a visit to Kiki's for a fabulous You-Tube. I can't figure how to embed it (I know how, but they seem to have changed how you do it...anyways, this is the coolest thing I've seen.)

Off to check Dewey numbers, then help children sign up for Summer Reading...the glam life of a librarian, I'm telling ya.

Yes, it's insomnia

Thanks for asking. I think I'll go brush my teeth now. Do you think this fits me today at all (I've just gone and commented on at least 4 blogs...)

Today's hormone-cast: You're super-talkative today thanks to high chat-loving estrogen and testosterone. And what a perfect day for gabbing away! These high hormones are improving your memory, so you're recalling lots of five syllable words you thought you'd never use again. Plus, you're more eloquent this week than any other week of your cycle, making your verbal stumbles few and far between!

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Labels, neighbors, tomatoes, n'at (or SL rambles on and on and on and on...)

There are days where I am label conscious. (You too?)

I fret that Blogger X and Blogger Y don't have me on their blogroll (when there are tons of folks that are still not on mine).* Why isn't Blogger A and Blogger Z commenting? It's always great to discover I'm not the only one that has these thoughts...

I count pregnant women (today I discovered two more--so the count is up to 13!). It bothers me that I'm 35 and haven't started on my family. I hear stories about women who are "older" and so it's really important to get pregnant now and think, GAH, will I be like that too? I want three, but as I woke up this morning, I thought, I don't care if they each have purple, green and yellow hair. I do not want my biology to be my destiny. (Someone remind me of this every once and awhile, please!)

And then (sometimes the same day) I think, WHO CARES?? Our blood is all red. We all cry when we're sad, we all get rejected, we all laugh. We are all someone's daughter, someone's son. So what if I'm never a grandma (as the tear starts at the corner of my eye contemplating that...) There are kids that will always remember that I'm Sarah Louise and that I will read them books or take them for ice cream...

There are some women who will never know that I keep myself well-heeled in J. Jill and Ann Taylor Loft by shopping at Goodwill. There are some women who will never know I'm a half year from turning 36. (I love it when men think I'm under 28!)

Then there are the friends who squeal when I say, I got them at Goodwill...

While standing in line at Tazza, the woman ahead of me was wearing an eyelet blouse, white earrings, and Dolce & Gabana sunglasses. I often will compliment someone on their earrings to start a conversation while in line. But she was unapproachable.

Now, it is possible that she is the nicest person, she just puts on her New York face when she's out. (New Yorkers have a way of not looking at each other when they walk the sidewalks.)

I'm nowhere near to a three floor house, three bouncing boys, a ten year marriage. At 35, I'm still as free as the 25 year olds I often have coffee with.

Can you sense I'm trying to say something but I can't get it out?

Maybe I'm just trying to say (again and again, as I attempt to live every day) is that I'm glad.
Glad that I have an eye for fashion at $5. Glad that I can afford to eat out three times a week (even if it means picking something for lunch that will mete leftovers for dinner). Glad that I can go home and sleep forever. (Darn that sunshine that woke me up at 7 am, though!)

Last week I lived through a storm. It was a tempest in a teapot and mostly my own insecurities playing out on my own inner canvas. But it's Sunday again, my day for whatever, and as I sit here, my wet hair dripping down my neck, I think, I will live through worse. I have lived through worse.

So, I'm getting ready to assemble my ingredients for Sarah Louise's Strata, I think, ahhhh. It's the first day of a new week, and all my worries about my girlfriends and the men in (or out) of my life don't matter. Just keep the conversation going.

Over and out. I'll catch ya on the flip side. I have no predictions about blogging (or life) this week.

Except, remind me that I need to post about The Joy of Doing things Badly.

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*and what's up with that anyway? Is the blogroll the new status symbol of "these are MY friends"?

In Vino Veritas...

You are Chardonnay

You Are Chardonnay

Fresh, spirited, and classic - you have many facets to your personality.
You can be sweet and light. Or deep and complex.
You have a little bit of something to offer everyone... no wonder you're so popular.
Approachable and never smug, you are easy to get to know (and love!).

Deep down you are: Dependable and modest

Your partying style: Understated and polite

Your company is enjoyed best with: Cold or wild meat
What Kind of Wine Are You?


Hmmm...I got this from Badger. I don't drink much wine, but I guess this is an accurate description. Off to Walgreens and then Tazza (for my Sunday sandwich). Have a great day off!

(Tomorrow at the library starts Summer Reading Club...so this, today, is my weekend. BUT I get Friday off, and I'm going to be a lady that either coffees or lunches and then dips in the POOL!!)


Saturday, June 09, 2007

Friday, June 08, 2007

Well, I didn't have anything on that topic, so I went another way...

(Phoebe Buffet, from Friends)

So in the interest of writing about things OTHER than my social life or angst, I offer this: a blog post from Venice. (No, I'm not in Venice--would that be so!, but a blogger for the NYT is.)

Read on, dearies.

I may rant on the other blog later today.

Oh, and this just in: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is now on Thursdays. My Mary Kay consultant emailed me. I missed it, but I can watch it online at nbc.com.