Good news! I reconnected with my college roommate Khrisslyn today. And that makes me very happy. Khrisslyn and I roomed together our Senior year. I enjoyed living with her because she was/is not the type of person to get drawn into female-driven drama. She always made me laugh and we both shared a love of art history. We interned at the San Antonio Museum of Art at the same time. I was in the Latin American Art department.

Khrisslyn is also a very loyal person which I especially appreciated around the time I lived with her. We would do really silly stuff together like go to the grocery store and stock up on a bunch of junk food like little kids. But she also taught me a lot about cooking, eating healthy, and exercising. I always admired her drive. She has lived abroad a lot since we graduated from college in different countries. Something that I would find very difficult to do. But her outgoing spirit makes it easy for her to make friends. That and the fact that she looks like Scarlett Johanssen.

Welcome back, Khrisslyn! I've missed you!

*UDPATE*
Remember how I said storytime put me in a good mood? It took less than a hour to turn me from a happy library clerk to an angry bitter one.
We are very short-staffed today. One clerk called out, one shelver is out sick, one shelver came in late for no good reason, another clerk is at a doctor's appt. It just isn't a good day. So, our ONE shelver for this afternoon just called out saying, "I'm just too burned out to come to work." What the hell kind of an excuse is that? And she thinks she's going to take sick leave for that! I could use that excuse every day but I still get my ass to work because people are counting on me!

Okay....I just have to remember....only 62 more days in this job and then I'm gone forever.

By far the best part of my job is doing storytime. Four years ago, my boss at the time decided that even though it is library policy to only allow librarians with a MLS degree to do storytimes, she would let me start my own storytime. I've been doing them every Wednesday since then. I have one five-year-old boy in my storytime who has been with me since he was one. It is so fun to see them grow up and start reading on their own. I do a preschool-oriented storytime with books, fingerplay, songs and movement. I also sometimes substitute for the Bookbabies leader on Thursdays. That particular storytime is for babies 24 months and under. I will be leading Bookbabies tomorrow. I really love interacting with kids under 8 because their enthusiasm is so great. If you tell kids at that age to get up and "shake their sillies out," they will do it. Today, I did an apple-themed storytime and we all had so much fun. It put me in a great mood.

I also do a monthly storytime at the Children's Hospital. Recently, the Director of Volunteers stopped by to listen to me read to the kids. Afterwards, she told me that she thought I did a really good job. She said she was surprised at how inhibited I was. (I suppose this is because I don't shy away from doing voices and sound effects) I told her I've been doing this for four years and if you don't put in 110%, the kids won't get into it. Enthusiasm means a lot. Of course, after storytime, I usually feel like a need a nap. But I love it. I just wish I could be around my friends' babies more so I could start reading to them. It would be nice to read to kids I actually know personally.

Just to avoid any confusion...
For those of you who looked closely at Toulouse's picture...
No, I do not paint my cat's fingernails.
I don't believe in de-clawing but I do believe in protecting my furniture. So, I put these plastic covers on Toulouse's nails called SoftPaws. They prevent him from doing damage to things but he still gets all the benefits of having claws. I have to use colored ones so I know when they fall off.

Oops! I missed the other cyber-tags. I'm new to this so bear with me.

10 years ago: I was 20 years old and facing a major fallout with my group of friends at the time for something I didn't do. It taught me a lot about loyalty and trust and what to really look for in a friend. A very unfortunate time in my life. But a good learning experience.

5 years ago: I was dating someone who didn't really know who I was. But then again, he didn't know who he was either. He tried to control me and was very cold and distant. But I realized what I wanted and deserved in a relationship. And, thankfully, he dumped me after four years so I could finally be free to pursue something better.

1 year ago: A little more than a year ago, I met my fiance, Gary. I went to New Mexico for an event with a girlfriend. I just wanted all men to cut me a wide berth. And then I met this really sweet guy who I started corresponding with through e-mail. Who knew we would be engaged a year later?

Yesterday: I watched it snow outside the window at work and trudged through the slush at lunchtime to get Indian food with my buddy Greg.

5 Snacks I Enjoy: Cheesy Goldfish crackers, mixed nuts, Canada Dry lemon/lime sparkling water, chocolate chip cookie, Granny Smith apples

5 Songs I Know All The Words To: most Tori Amos songs, most Tom Petty songs, most Heather Combs songs, most Sting songs, most Nat King Cole songs

5 Things I'd Do With 100 Million Dollars:-pay off every debt and loan I have, plan for my mother's future so that she is taken care of, buy a house for me and Gary in the Bay Area, get Gary a new car, start my own non-profit for better housing

5 Places I'd Run Away To: Texas, Italy, Mexico, Aspen, ?

5 Things I'd Never Wear:-Real fur, anything too revealing, a Republican campaign shirt/button, strong perfume, large rings on my fingers

5 Favorite T.V. Shows:-Arrested Development, Lost, House, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Desperate Housewives, Family Guy (I know that's more than five but, hey, I like these shows!)

5 Biggest Joys:-being with Gary, playing with my cat Toulouse, going to bible study, volunteering, shopping for gifts for the people I love

What is Cool In My Place... Well, I'd have to say that my cat Toulouse is the coolest thing in my place. But I truly love my house. I especially like my collection of Guatemalan textiles (huipiles) I have hanging from my inner balcony.

Okay, Vieve, you have to answer these too...

So, I got cyber-tagged by Frank.

The Rules:
1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five other people to do the same.

My sentence: "I also really like Bill Maher." This was from Sept. 10, 2003. Have I really been blogging that long?

Since I don't really know five bloggers, so I'm just going to tag
Vieve from Princess Genevieve.

Today, I am going to make a plea for my favorite show on television, "Arrested Development." I love this show! The writing is funny and moves so fast that you can watch an episode over and over again and still find new things to laugh about. I can't believe more people aren't watching this show! As with many great shows, you kind of have to watch it from the beginning to truly "get it." I know most libraries and Netflix carry the series so go check it out! Immediately!

I'd also like to give a shout out to another great show, "Lost." I just started getting into this show. My mom told me all last year how great it was but I was too wrapped up in "Desperate Housewives." And I'm telling you now that "lost is a far superior show. It's kind of like "Castaway" meets "Island of Dr. Moreau" meets "Jacob's Ladder." I'm only halfway through the first season but I'm loving it!

Spoiler alert: My friend Greg thinks all the people on "Lost" are dead. That is why the wheelchair guy can walk now. He says the show is based on a novel called "The Third Policeman." I just bought that books so we'll see...

I am known to have a penchant for celebrity gossip. I'm not proud of it but there it is. I'm sorry, I just happen to enjoy reading "US WEEKLY" and it's companion 'zines. But celebrity gossip has hit a new low today. I just found out that Katie Holmes is pregnant with Tom Cruise's baby. Which I find oddly disturbing and repellent. Especially since rumors have existed for years that Tom is sterile and that is why he never had kids with Mimi Rogers and adopted with Nicole Kidman. I just told my friend Greg about the news and he said, "I think I just threw up in my mouth a little." My sentiments exactly.

Ick!

You Are Lara Croft "Everything lost is meant to be found."What Superheroine Are You? Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

My friend Frank is doing a series on her blog about her personality quirks and it got me to thinking about my own. A lot of what she says rings true with me as well which is probably why we became friends within five minutes of meeting and eating ice cream together.

I have alluded to these personality quirks before but I'd like to put them together into one blog.

1. I'm a rule follower. I actually take comfort in rules. And it makes me very anxious when other people don't follow rules. This can be everything from library rules to rules of etiquette. Deep down, I just think that rules were created for us to live together more peacefully and be respectful of one another. I'm not a tattletale but I can get quite prissy when people think the rules don't apply to them. I don't particularly like this aspect of myself but I think there are worse things I could be neurotic about.

2. I have a deep-seated desire to please the people I care about. I will bend over backward to make people happy. Often to my own detriment. Sometimes I will even do this with complete strangers. I just want everyone to get along and be happy. The thought of having someone I care about angry at me is more than I can bear.

3. Although most people that know me would disagree, I am very shy. I don't handle meeting new people well. So, a lot of people see me as aloof or stuck-up when I'm really not. I just never know what to say.

4.One of my favorite things to do is to buy gifts for people. I just really really love giving presents. I think that is why I love the holiday season so much. And why I always seem to be in debt.

5. I'm not afraid of a fight. It doesn't bother me to get into an argument with someone. HOWEVER, if I get an inkling that I might have hurt someone's feelings, then I really freak out. I can't stand that. Even if it's someone who is being a big poop. There are few things I can think of that are more awful than hurting someone's feelings. Especially deliberately.

Okay, well those are the first few quirks I can think of. I'm sure there are more...