Le mieux blog dans le monde!

Smythe-Collins & Co. would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and lots of love for the holiday season!

This week I adopted the alias "Lisa" as a result of patrons asking for my name. These are not your average Joes and I'm immediately put on guard when they start interrogating me for personal information ("what high school do you go to?", "are you married?", "are you in college?", "how many kids do you have?"), or, in one case, a guy seemed nervous, asked my name, and then told me he's been checking me out lately (my immediate response: "I'm married.")

Oh, the hazards of working with the public.

For several months I've had no motivation to do anything outside of the day to day required tasks, which mostly involves just going to work and maybe an appointment here and there. Oh, and reading, playing Mah-Jong or Spider Solitaire and listening to a book. Sometimes I clean and feel like getting things done or doing things out of the ordinary. Overall, while there is a lot I think about doing, there isn't much I've been doing. Usually I blame it on have a tiring job (being an introvert in a public service job), and now I can blame it on being pregnant, but now that I think about it, this has gone on way too long. Guess I'll have to wait for the next shrink appointment to see if a med increase is necessary--although with winter fast approaching this may be necessary anyway.

Does anyone have any tips on non-medical-induced motivation?

So much as been going on but not really business. Mostly I have plans to write but don't and then forget what I was going to write or lose the momentum.

So here is just an update on my life. I am working at a different branch. Still at the same library system, just a different location. And I no longer do children's programming--just teens and adults. My first program was a Wii gaming tournament that brought in about 70 people--20 watched and the rest played Super Smash Bros. It was fun but, boy, 50 teenage and young adult males in a small non-ventilated room is kind of sickening!

My second program was a 3-week book discussion series called Searching Inward--Exploring Spirituality. We had a great group that came to each discussion. The books we read were Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, and The Heart of the Buddha's Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh (which I'm absolutely loving because I already believe a lot of what Hanh talks about but hearing it from an Eastern perspective is so enlightening!).

And then this Wednesday I have a program for Teen Read Week where the teens (hopefully some show up!) will put together a robot and do sci-fi trivia for prizes.

What I really like about my new position is it a lot quieter and less stressful than the previous one. Other than the disgusting bathroom checks the first four hours of the day, I feel like a real librarian and not a glorified library assistant. No checking books in and out, no dealing with patron complaints, no crazy children's programs that I don't have time to devote to making enriching, and I have four staff members under me as opposed to eleven. This is also nice considering I've been sick this past trimester :) and probably wouldn't have survived not being able to eat every couple hours because we're too busy, or just feeling like sitting in front of my computer, eyes glazed over, feeling like crap when you're slammed busy--like at the other branch.

Rusty is still writing, playing dinky little computer games that have annoying sounds and music, and working some extra hours--he also changed his work schedule so he goes in and gets off an hour earlier.

We're also looking for a used car for me. My driver's side door handle is broken, as is the speedometer (it works sometimes); there is a power steering, transmission, and oil leak; and my check engine light went on a few days ago and I haven't found the time to take it into the shop yet. With winter coming and being pregnant, I want a reliable vehicle!

So overall life is good and we're happy and feeling very blessed.

Maybe this is TMI, but I feel a responsibility to those who are looking for tips from the patients on coping with the preparation for the colonoscopy. I'm not 50 (and thank heavens won't be for another 20 years; 50 is the age that is recommended for having a colonoscopy and then every 10 years after, so long as the doctor doesn't find any abnormalities) but have had abdominal pain for about 6 months and wasn't happy with being diagnosed with IBS without more tests being run. Of course the two weeks prior to the procedure the pain went away, although it came back after the colonoscopy--probably due to colon irritation.

Tip #1. Ask for the pills (sodium phospate). The majority of people I have talked to who have had this procedure all agree that the laxative in drink form which is required to clean you out before the procedure is putrid. Mine came with five flavor packets to make it taste better. I chose orange. Unfortunately, my bathroom soap had a citrus scent so I smelled orange for a few days later, which after drinking the Trilyte was not a good thing! I puked the last liter of Trilyte the morning of the procedure and since I wasn't "cleaned out" enough (more about this to follow) had to run to the pharmacy and pick up magnesium citrate because this is a powerful laxative. So I recommend asking for pills! I didn't know this was an option. My bishop did this because he had heard about the drink. He said the only problem he had was that he hard to drink a ton of water.

Tip #2: Eat less and only easy-to-digest foods two days before the procedure. I had a difficult time getting cleaned out. I ate whatever I could two days before because I knew I could only eat liquid foods the day before the procedure. Also, I ate green Jello during the "cleaning out" process which turned my stool green and made it difficult to determine if my stool was clear enough for the procedure (see Tip #5).

Tip #3: Drink, drink, drink that water! I didn't drink as much water as I should have and was a bit dehydrated for the procedure. My blood pressure was unusually low, think 15-20 points less than usual. Also, the nurse had a difficult time getting the IV into my veins (also unusual--my veins tend to be pretty hearty).

Tip #4: Take sufficient amount of time off work. The patient is supposed to begin taking the laxative in the late afternoon the day before the procedure. You will not be able to work because: a) you may have to drink the laxative very 10 minutes (which comes all to soon even in the safety of your home where you can control what you do) and b) you are taking a laxative and will spend a lot of time on the toilet. Then take the day of the procedure off, as well as the day after. The patient is typically put out under a light anesthesia during the scope and cannot drive for 12-24 hours after, plus you'll spend more time on the toilet (the aftereffects of the laxative). You may also still feel the effects of the laxative the day after or experience discomfort in the colon even if you don't have any polyps removed. So take 2.5 days off work!

Tip #5: "Cleaned out" means there may be some particles and the liquid stool may have a yellow tint to it. I was so worried that the colonoscopy would be postponed and I'd have to go through the hell of the Trilyte again because I still had particles (sorry, guys!) and color to the stool. The nurse told me this was okay and that the procedure could still take place.

John Hopkins also offers some nice tips. Hopefully my tips will also be of some use and make the experience a little less distressful.

Disclaimer: I am not a health professional. Follow this tips at your own risk! Be sure to follow the counsel of your doctor and ask plenty of questions.

Saturday morning was our first gig at the Leavitt's Community Garden in our neighborhood. The garden began as a resource to help alleviate the financial stresses of neighborhood residents. The Leavitt family who owns the big plots of land next to and in front of our apartment building donated some land to grow the garden. It has all the typical vegetables in a vegetable garden, plus some herbs and flowers. When they were asking for volunteers I volunteered since I've always wanted a garden (which is difficult to do in an apartment, although my sunflowers will be blooming any day now!) and enjoy being outside. Plus, (and no, he doesn't know this, but if he'd read my blog he would--heh, heh) I wanted Russ to spend a fraction of his time doing something outside, particularly physical labor, and performing some service for people outside our immediate family.

From the beginning, I've received the emails for the volunteers, including the one with all the assignments. I couldn't find our name on the chart and assumed they must have overlooked our great desire to participate. That was fine because of this and that and the other--maybe I was even kind of looking for an "out." Then last Saturday our home teacher asked Russ if we could weed the first two rows of tomatoes ("It should only take 30 minutes," Ryan said) since his family would be out of town for the week and Russ and I were assigned to the same two rows. Boy do we feel like jerks! Maybe I should learn to pay more attention to detail....

We decided to work together (Russ's idea, which I'm very happy for :). We weren't sure what the weeds would look like (they certainly didn't look like the ones we dug up in Texas), but determined they must be the plants that didn't have tomatoes growing on them. Luckily, another couple that volunteered dropped by and confirmed we were pulling up the right plants. It took an hour because we were so thorough. After about 30 minutes we began wondering if everyone else was so thorough. We were hot, sore, and covered in dirt (which I particularly like, although Russ remains true to his inner self--he hates physical labor and the heat). We also decided we need to pull our weight and have discussed this with our co-family. We're taking a row for ourselves (and, no, the other gardeners apparently don't spend as much time weeding the community garden as they do their own personal gardens).

It is fun to be a part of "something" and to now be committed to participate. Hopefully, we'll learn a lot for that "someday" when we have our own lawn and maybe a little flower garden and a small vegetable garden. Of course, this experience may also help us decide to just buy our veggies at the supermarket.

Independence Day weekend was super fun. Russ and I decided to spend the weekend with just the two of us and went to Cedar City. We primarily went for the Utah Shakespeare Festival, which is really well done. We also made a spur of the moment decision to spend Sunday at Bryce National Park, after Russ realized how close we were.

It rained a bit on the 4th so unfortunately we only hit the Independence Day events going on in the city's park, went to lunch, ran a lot of errands, and read in the hotel room. The local shops in Cedar City were closed due to the holiday so our options were pretty limited as to what local activities to do.

As You Like It was wonderful! Shakespeare's plays are meant to be seen and not just read. High school English teachers should show their students the play and then have them read it--or have them read along to the performance. Turns out this was one Shakespeare play I had not read so I started reading it a few days before the show. I thought I was getting it all but missed some important parts of the plot. Russ had no problem understanding what was happening without reading the play first. I'm excited for next year's plays, particularly Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth.

Since we had planned on hiking in Cedar Breaks National Monument on Saturday, we had our hiking apparel. Our plans were thwarted due to mother nature, but luckily Sunday had perfect weather so we went to Bryce. Russ has fond memories of a family vacation to the park in junior high, although he only remembers a hike. He thinks that all kids would rather play video games than visit a park, which is completely opposite of me. My parents instilled a love of nature and hiking at a young age. Still, he was excited when he saw we were only 1.5 hours away from the park so we spent Sunday there. We drove through the park, stopping at all the scenic overlooks. Russ had his picture taken with some ravens that loved people. We also heard many different languages, including a lot of French speakers, who I tried to eavesdrop on but could only make out a few sentences and words.

We also went on a hike down into the canyon. We saw lots of chipmunks and beautiful birds (one had a green back--think grass green). It is amazing that the hoodoos and other rock formations are randomly created by erosion. They look like they were deliberately carved by a sculptor's hand. I'll post pics once I get the film developed (we had to buy a camera since I can't my digital one).

Halfway through the hike we ran into a couple. The male was feeling sick so they asked us to get a park ranger once we made it back up the canyon. We decided to cut the hike short and went up a shorter, yet steeper hike. I really need to learn to pace myself! I tend to just go at the same pace regardless of steepness and there were times I felt I was about to pass out--not to mention I was in a hurry in case the gent had worse problems. Luckily, Russ is a pro at pacing. I went ahead since I'm in better shape but still had problems. I made it to the top after finally slowing down and walking with a lady who's family left her behind. A ranger was headed over to close the trail anyway. Apparently there were others who were having problems and a couple of stretchers were headed up the path. The ranger also said there were about 6 other hikers who requested help.

The weekend was very relaxing and fun. We tend to spend most holidays or long weekends with family so it was nice to really get away just the two of us. We both had lots of fun and talked about plans for other national park trips in the future. Southern Utah has many beautiful sights and we might as well see them before we leave the state.

Anyone who is interested in the Shakespeare Festival for next summer/fall should let us know and we can make it a date!

8 things I did yesterday:


1. Worked

2. Ate 2 pieces of pizza (which is not good for my poor little tummy)

3. Read Warbreaker

4. Talked to my sister and nephew on the phone

5. Watched 40 teens play Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero 3

6. Filled the car with gas

7. Ate too many corn chips (also not good for my tummy)

8. Finally got rid of the entertainment center (thanks for taking it off our hands Cindy Lou!)


8 things I look forward to:

1. Wednesday, when the family gets into town.

2. My appt with the GI dr. (next month)

3. 4th of July weekend in Cedar City and going to the Shakespeare Festival

4. Zero days of rain

5. Russ feeling better

6. Getting the house cleaned and uncluttered

7. Being rich and famous (or my husband being rich and famous)

8. No more stomach aches.


8 things I wish I could do:

1. Take a month off vacation.

2. Buy a newer car.

3. Be less messy.

4. Take a world tour.

5. Play an instrument.

6. Publish a book.

7. Like running.

8. Move to the city.


8 shows I watch on TV:

1. 30 Rock
2. NCIS
3. Law & Order
4. Seinfeld
5.
6.
7.
8.

8 people I tag:

1. Mommy
2. Sarah
3. Christy
4. Ariane
5. [I don't think any more people read my blog, except Miss Read who tagged me]
6.
7.
8.

This evening I decided to go for a little adventure and walk from the apartment to the post office at the next town over (my little community's post office offers poor customer service and I don't trust it with my mail). I grabbed my digital camera case (since it is lighter than a purse or a backpack), my Zen, $2 in quarters, and my debit card.

The drive takes about 10-15 minutes so I thought it would only take about 30-45 minutes to walk there. I've never been good with numbers and this proves my point. It took an hour to walk 3.9 miles and it was starting to get dark, not to mention dark storm clouds were on the horizon. (Had I walked home, I would still be walking and it is currently raining, windy, and dark.) My typical mile run is approximately 10-12 minutes. If I had decided to run, my estimated time frame for the walk would have been more realistic.

On the return trip, I took a detour to Albertsons for a snack, some water, and some reading material. I had already decided to try to catch the bus home, with the hope that 8:20 pm wasn't too late for the buses to run. Luckily my relief society president and yoga buddy was driving home from work, spotted me, and gave me a lift.

Am I a wimp? During my Boise State days, I'd sometimes walk home from campus, backpack filled with books and folders. The distance is about 6.3 miles and, back then, I didn't even bat an eyelash or consider finding the closest bus stop at four miles. Up until last July, I worked out for 45 minutes, four days a week. I used to pride myself on the fact that I had great endurance and was never the one to interrupt a hike for something piddly as a rest.

Tonight the thought of walking home just made me groan. Is my husband's lack of enthusiasm to break a sweat contagious? Does turning 30 curb one's motivation to be physical? Could I make it up the hike to Mt Timpanogos?

And, no, I am not fulfilling my New Year's resolution of exercising at least 2 times a week--may once every month.... Maybe it is time to reevaluate the goals.

Last Friday Rusty and I installed a new car battery with the hope that my car would start (the old one was definitely dead). We ran to Auto Zone at 8am, thinking it would be early enough to get the car working before our 11am movie date. No such luck. We made it to the movie but were not car savvy enough to fix the thing. We installed the battery and the car was still dead. Rusty attempted to jump the car with no luck.

My brother gave us two bits of useful counsel, one of which we followed and the other we didn't "get".

POA #1 (Piece of Advice): The connectors were bad (I had battery problems in Boise during Easter weekend). We heeded this advice. We ran back to Auto Zone picked up two connectors, one of which we were able to replace (we gave each other pats on the back). The positive connector was too complicated so we had it towed to the mechanic to fix.

POA #2: Make sure the battery terminals are not capped. Well, I thought the negative terminal came in black just for the heck of it (a splash of contrasting color for the artistic driver) and Rusty apparently didn't even notice the terminal was a different color. Yes, I was embarrassed when the mechanic told me a cap was still on the negative terminal, but felt justified in taking the car in when he said he had to replace the positive connector.

The miracle? For a few years now I have not been able to lock the driver's side door without the alarm going off, so I just came to terms with the fact that if I leave something in the car it may or may not be there when I returned (car included). [Sidenote: One evening I parked my car at my apartment and ran off with some friends, not even paying attention to the fact that I had locked the door. The alarm went off for about five hours until I returned at 1 am (yeah, the neighbors were pissed!).] I went to open the door to drive home from the mechanics and found it was locked and, better yet, silent. The mechanic didn't say anything about fixing the alarm or turning it off. Now I just have to get into the habit of locking the door.

My advice: Don't believe anyone who tells you there is no such thing as miracles today! They happen when you least expect them.

Finally finished the novel Drood by Dan Simmons. It is a historical fiction of the relationship between Victorian novelists Wilkie Collins (the narrator) and Charles Dickens, who was in a train wreck and according to the story meets this mysterious being named Drood who is attending victims of the train wreck. Dickens then seems to be living in an alternative reality where Drood is an Egyptian priest who follows an ancient religion and is talented in mesmerizing others. By the end of the novel, the reader is unsure about the authenticity of Dickens's or Collins's accounts about this mysterious character or life in general.

There were many parts of the novel that encouraged me to seek out additional information:
* The Great Stink of London. There was summer in the mid-1800s where the smell emanating from the sewage and graveyards of London was so horrendous that finally a bill was passed in Parliament to invest in an improved public sanitation system. See the article London's 'Great Stink' and Victorian Urban Planning by Professor Martin Daunton.
* Wilkie Collins. Although the narrator of the novel, Wilkie Collins doesn't merit a whole lot of respect from the reader. He is painted as an inferior author compared to his friend Charles Dickens (although he certainly had a handful of popular works in his time); a major opium addict, which in the end shades his sense of reality (he begins seeing a doppelganger: "The Other Wilkie, which he claims he has seen his entire life but really probably only started hallucinating when his opium addiction spiraled out of control); and a murderer (although this isn't historically correct; in fact in the end, I'm not sure he really murdered his servants' daughter).
* Charles Dickens. The only Dickens I have been able to finish is A Christmas Carol, which I didn't think was wonderful. Maybe I should try something else, like the Pickwick Papers which his readers seemed to love. Dickens also was a lout (what man at that time wasn't?). He left his wife (who lost her attractiveness after bearing him 10 children) for a younger actress. Actually, he forced his wife out and forbade his children from seeing her, although according to an A&E Biography featuring Dickens, the children resumed their relationship with their mother after his death. Still, Dickens is shown to be a genius writer so I feel a need to explore his works and compare him to who I consider to be the all time genius writer, William Shakespeare.
* Opium. The Romantic and Victorians writers seemed to all be hooked on opium. Mostly I wanted to know what an opium dream was like without having to experience it firsthand. Historical information about opium usage can found at the Opium Museum. Not sure how accurate the following article is but the experience of the columnist appears to be like the experience of Collins in Drood: Confessions of an eBay opium addict by Peter Thompson.

Drood was very well-written (but it is very long mind you). Plus, any book that encourages its readers to research further information merits a starred review in my mind.

Anyone who believes the primary purpose of a woman is to be wed and to bear children or that she is defined by her husband contributes to the oppression of women, making her a second class citizen in their society. Think of all the heartache and depression that women who lack the opportunity to learn a profitable skill, to think and voice her own opinions, and to live independently suffer from.

Ideally, all women should learn to live independently. She should learn a skill so she can find employment if she so desires and/or when it becomes necessary for her to maintain her and her family's quality of life. She should learn money management skills. She should experience life and develop "street smarts" so she can navigate her society on her own. A woman must be confident that she can make a meaningful contribution to her society; that when problems arise she a) already possesses the skills, b)she is confident she can gain the skills; c) believes she can at least fake the skills to survive; and d) that she is resourceful enough to find an adequate support group and aid.

Perhaps the greatest triumph of the women's lib movement in the United States (and one that hopefully we don't take for granted) is that a woman was no longer limited to developing merely her domestic talents (including sacrificing herself for the sake of her children or piggish husband). Her options slowly but surely expanded to encompass a variety of educational opportunities. No longer is she limited to the reputable so-called "female" occupations of teaching, nursing, or secretarial duties. Now many women are doctors, lawyers, soldiers, CEOs, hold government office, have graduate degrees, and so on and so forth. Now women are recognized for their accomplishments outside of marriage and family life, nor is she expected to live through her husband and children. A woman can choose to be a stay at home mom, to remain single and pursue a career, or do both.

Yes, sacrifices are always made in relationships and probably moreso in a marriage and with children. However, a woman is no longer earning room and board by keeping house and cooking for her husband who works 8 hours a day and then comes home, puts his feet up, and expects to be doted until bedtime. A wife and mother has traditionally worked 12 hours a day and been on call the other half of the day.

This anger comes after watching yet another show about how women in third world countries are treated (chattel to their fathers and then to their husbands) and comparing these experiences with those of what I observe here in the States. Women in different regions of the U.S. seem to value different lifestyles, some of which are just a few steps away from what women in third world countries suffer--a truly sad phenomenon when American women have so many paths to choose from.

All women should recognize that they have a voice. They should expect respect and an equal partnership in their marriages and other romantic relationships. They should be able to respect their husbands, not just because of their husbands' occupations but for how their husbands act when in the privacy of their own homes. Husbands should be expected to take on the role of father, meaning they too are "on call" as soon they get home (when does a woman have time to make up the sleep she loses when staying up with the kids?) and carry their fair share of domestic chores (and fair is relative to the family).

Lately, I've been spending my evenings/nights multitasking on totally unimportant "tasks": watching a variety of television shows, playing Mah Jong Tiles, and looking at the social network sites. I'm pretty tired of the social networking and Mah Jong. Reading has been put on the back burner since none of the four books I'm in the middle of are particularly gripping (a couple are very well-written but slow going).

So that leaves television (and a smidgen of spring cleaning; my makeup and toiletry baskets are organized and my wardrobe reduced). What am I watching? All the crime shows I can and the Lifetime Movie Network.

We had a writer who used to use the Branch's computers for writing her self-help books. These self-help books included such topics as alcoholism and divorce. Her qualifications? Reading other self-help books, talking to people who have been through these difficulties, and Lifetime original movies.

I think my grandma was (and may still be) a fan of the channel too.

There are two themes that these movies use: kick-butt women (although, they are still very feminine and your run of the mill romance novel "strong") and women who are victims. Last night I watched a show with Diane Ladd who was in an abusive marriage, and when she tried to leave the guy he hired someone to knock her off. I also watched a movie (not a Lifetime original but aired on the station) about a woman whose sister died by falling off cliff. Turns out the woman's husband wanted her money and house so he sabotaged the rail on the cliff so she'd fall and die, but his scheme was thwarted when her sister fell through the rail instead. And the third movie (I only saw a quarter of it) was about a woman who took a trip to Mexico with her husband, but it turns out her husband had skeletons in his past and wife had to go against a crazy cult leader to save her kidnapped husband.

This is certainly too much Lifetime watching, not to mention too much television watching. Rusty is ashamed to call me wife and fears that I will end up conditioned to hate him. But there is an appeal to these kinds of shows and I have fallen victim to it!
1. After working long shifts and some overtime it is nice to not have to use one's brain and to sit and watch shows that don't take a considerable amount of brain power.
2. After spending all day helping patrons and managing staff, I don't want to socialize.
3. Watching other people's drama (no matter how far-fetched or how bad the acting is) helps me realize how lucky I am.
4. I find it inspiring and realize that I too could write these plots so maybe I do actually have some talent.
5. It is one of those guilty pleasures that will end in two weeks, when Rusty finishes working nights.

Also, warm weather is on the horizon and I almost feel more motivated to live life, rather than let it pass me by (see, winter holds me back so I should really live somewhere without the season).

I find it therapeutic to write down my thoughts, especially the negative ones. Doing so makes me feel like I have a voice, even if only a handful of people hear it. So here goes.

Every time I leave and return to Utah, I take a week or two to adjust to the fact that I'm stuck here for another few years. Two weeks ago, I spent the weekend in Boise with the family and four days last week in Austin with the urban family.

Q: My husband was the number one reason for returning to the Beehive State from the Gem State. The number one reason for returning from Texas, considering I had my husband with me there?

A: My sense of responsibility; although, one look at my work email prodded me to expedite getting on the librarian register for the military which closes next month. I shudder and feel trapped at the thought that the economy may take several years to improve (but at least I have a secure job now, ho hum).

Luckily, my husband is being exposed to outside influences and recognizes the benefits of diverse demographics and beliefs; yummy restaurants; beautiful parks; open-minded church members; and warmer weather. He even commented on how healthy the people in Austin looked compared to Utahns.

I'm tired of hearing people here talk about "the world" outside "Zion" and how the lives of nonmembers are shallow and rampant with sin. These comments come from the same people who are born and raised in the same county they decide to settle down in as adults, with limited experience outside the state (and, no, missions don't count). They also tend to be vocal about some fringe, gloomy, and strange beliefs that I've never heard before (and, no, I'm not being close-minded about these ideas either; they are just plain weird!).

Yes, the mountains and national parks are beautiful (the primary reason to visit Utah). The cost of living isn't very high. There are some respected universities and research facilities. I imagine the crime rate is pretty low (except for meth use). The Salt Lake City central library was named Library of the Year. The Olympics were here in 2002 (yipee!). It is home to a few celebrated authors. I met my husband here.

For some Utah is a wonderful place to call home. For me, well, let's just say that after 3.5 years I have yet to feel at home--and it's not for lack of trying--so I chalk it up to that maybe I just wasn't meant to spend the rest of my life here.

Yesterday was Rusty and my first wedding anniversary. We had a fun filled weekend in sunny Salt Lake City. The good weather was much appreciated; although we wished we had known it would be a couple weeks ago so we could have planned to celebrate farther than 15 minutes from home.

Friday night we went to Hollywood Connection & Ritz theater in West Valley City. We ate a snack at the 50's diner located inside the fun center. We enjoyed the golden 70's classic rock, which was funny aside from that the ambiance was a couple decades prior and the other diners were all under the age of 16. Then we walked over to the movie theater, bought tickets for Push (very different than expected), and played a round of miniature golf while waiting for the movie to start. The Hollywood Connection fun center has a lot to do and has reasonable prices; however, it hasn't been kept up. Expect ketchup on the walls of the diner, a measly arcade, a roller skating rink (which I couldn't get Rusty interested in), laser tag, and some small rides, including a great carousel.

After the movie we checked into the hotel: Hilton Salt Lake City. Turns out that the great deal I found on the hotel had a minor flaw: double beds.

See, the way Hotwire works is you set your limits on dates, location, number of stars, and price. The Hotwire databases finds hotels that match your criteria but you don't actually find out what you're getting until you have made the nonrefundable purchase. The site tells you what hotels to compare the deal to so you at least have an idea if you're getting a nice place or a rat hole. The reason you get a deal is that the hotels involved would rather get even half the price of a room than nothing. I was blinded by the $62/night at a four star hotel in downtown SLC. I made the purchase, found out the hotel was the , and patted myself on the back. I went to the hotel web site to take a closer look. My pride was crushed when I realized there was nothing said about the beds on my receipt from Hotwire. "What if we have a room with double beds?" I asked Rusty. "Then we'll have to cuddle," was his reply. Well, we had to cuddle and now our backs are sore. Otherwise, the hotel was very nice, the staff very friendly, and it was in a great location. Now I'm wondering what the sleeping arrangements for our Austin hotel in March will be like (2.5 stars and only $29/night!).

The next day, we drove to Sugarhouse via Redwood Road (yeah, we had lots of problems this time and later finding 2100) to eat at the Salt Lake Pizza & Pasta. As a connoisseur of pizza, it wasn't all it was cracked up to be as one of the best pizza parlors in Salt Lake but it had atmosphere. Then we stumbled along until we found the canyon we drove up on our honeymoon (to Brighton). We decided to go to Snowbird instead. The weather was sunny and fair but snow was falling halfway up the mountain. I've never seen people ski before so we sat and watched (neither of us are winter sports people), then continued on our drive.

We headed back to the hotel to drop off the car. We walked the few blocks from the Gateway Mall (I wonder how many Gateway malls and shopping centers there are in the country) and watched (well I snoozed) a show at the Clark Planetarium. Afterwards was dinner at a new restaurant, Tucanos Brazilian Grill, which had an odd setup and diners should really go there with an empty stomach. Our poor stomachs were still full so our options were tiny. We were pleased to see Rusty's sister and her husband dining at the table right next to us.

We rolled our way back to the hotel and napped until it was time to go to the symphony. Rusty played trombone in high school and college so he has a great appreciation for music and the arts. He offered information on the composers presented and identified instruments that have always been a mystery to me.

Over all it was a fun celebration and we hope to take it easier for Anniversary 2010; maybe just eat at a spanking nice restaurant.

Being married is more fulfilling than I ever imagined. Whenever I find myself thinking that I'm just fine on my own, I can't help but recognize that Rusty has helped me to become a better person. I'm learning to express my feelings (period!), I enjoy his companionship like no one else, and he picks me up when I'm down (which seems to be a lot more lately). I feel blessed to have him as my companion.

Today I found myself ready to throw a tantrum at work and opted to write my complaints rather than be admitted to a mental health facility.

Really the world should know how stressful the job of a librarian is. This morning my counselor commented on how she has learned a lot about librarian work from the clients she's had over the years and it is not what people generally make it out to be.

Librarians do more than check books in and out to people; although some days (like today)it seems like that is all we ever do (I went to grad school to do what!?). I actually had a jerk of a man accuse me of being lazy because I refused to do a last minute tour so his scout troop could get its library badge in time for the awards ceremony the next day. I wanted to punch him.

There are books to order, not only for your location, but for all the libraries in the library system. Then you have to personally go through every single book, DVD, Cd's, etc., each year to determine if it should be discarded, replaced, forgotten about, and what should be bought to fill gaps in the collection (ie series titles that are missing) for the next fiscal year. My branch holds over 45,000 items.

Then there are weekly story times, Dr Seuss birthdays, National Library Week, Children's Book Week celebrations, and all the other myriad of teen and children's programs offered throughout the year. Not only do we have to find the time to plan them for weeks before they take place, we have to carry them out, which usually involves performing in front of anywhere between 20-150 parents and children. Last year we had a surge in the amount of kids coming to library programs, probably due to the poor economy and the ungodly gas prices last spring and summer. There was also a surge in the number of items checked out and computer usage. All these surges in customer service but no surge or increase in the number of personnel to help them!

Then there are the customers, internal and external. As an assistant manager and children's librarian I get to deal with it all. We have people from all walks of life and all ages coming through our doors. Every single day is challenging. If you're not busy with patrons, then there are the personnel issues. If there aren't the personnel issues, then you're busy with customers and their problems. Usually it is a combination of it all piled up right on your shoulders.

We're expected to do this with a smile on our faces. Day in and day out we are expected to be polite when we are abused: yelled at and cussed at; accused of being rude because we charge patrons for items they obviously damaged and beyond repair (even our automated message reminding people when their items are overdue are called "rude"); and chided for not acting as people's personal secretaries. We have to ask people to watch their language, not to run or jump in the children's area, discuss the computer use policy with people who look at porn on the public computers, listen to people talk about their life problems, threaten to call the police on people who won't leave when they are asked to, listen to complaints about the content of library materials, explain that the item a patron said they turned is no where to be found in the library building regardless of whether they swear on their mother's grave that they turned it in (then it shows up in the book drop a week or two later), babysit kids whose parents believe the library is a safe place or that the staff will keep their kids out of trouble while the parents do online dating or run to the store, babysit adults... (I don't want to get into trouble for expanding on this one), and so on and so forth.

Working with the public is draining and doing it for several years for eight hours plus a day is detrimental to one's health. It must take years off people's lives. I used to think I wanted a job where I could make a difference; a job that means something. Now, I want a job where I sit in a cubicle all day and enter in data; where I can be left alone for a few hours and be allowed to actually get my work done on deadline; where I don't have to talk to a single human being!

Tonight was my first adult education yoga class. Until now my experience with yoga has consisted of trying to follow written instructions from a magazine and a video that I was too immature to take seriously. Life experiences and Miss Read inspired me to give it an honest try.

The highlights:

* The method of breathing (exhaling and inhaling through the nose only) was very relaxing and would have come in handy in the past to combat anxiety problems.

* At the end of the relaxation exercises (aka cool down) we said, "Namaste," which means "I honor the divine in you," a sort of blessing on all the members of the class. The instructor succeeded in conveying this message through the entire routine.

* At the end of class I felt like I was in a another realm; a peaceful realm where the people are full of love. This is a place where you are free from life, which lately is very exhausing. Yeah, it sounds like a cheesy Star Trek episode but it was a genuine experience and one I can't wait to have again.

The verdict? Yoga can be addicting! After just one class, I eagerly anticipate next Thursday's class and the overwhelming feeling of peace. You may think it's "new age-y" or just a fad, but think of it as a form of meditation or guided relaxation like prayer or other religious activities. We all deserve a break, even if just a matter of an hour from the hectic pace and stresses of life.

From the Online Etymology Dictionary:

doctor
c.1303, "Church father," from O.Fr. doctour, from M.L. doctor "religious teacher, adviser, scholar," from L. doctor "teacher," from doct- stem of docere "to show, teach," originally "make to appear right," causative of decere "be seemly, fitting" (see decent). Familiar form doc first recorded c.1850. Meaning of "holder of highest degree in university" is first found c.1375; that of "medical professional" dates from 1377, though this was not common till late 16c. Verb sense of "alter, disguise, falsify" is first recorded 1774.

A Ph.D. is a Ph.D. whether we're talking a doctor of health or an English professor with a doctorate degree. We hold them in the highest regard and expect them to be experts on their subject of study.

Somehow in my mind, the word "doctor" in regards to a health expert or someone who can write me a prescription seems separate than all the rest of the doctors.

I paid tuition to have experts in literature, linguistics, and library science teach me the trade. I pay doctors to make me healthy, although in the last three states none of them seemed to succeed and I had to take matters into my own hands to fix a problem--which I'm happy to say worked.

Is it ethical for our health experts to be influenced by health insurance and pharmaceutical companies to determine the course of action to determine someone's road to health? Our doctors and other health professionals should be teaching us and proving to us their vast knowledge of health and the human body. No more stick a bandage on it (or take a pill) and make it feel better for a month. Let's make them get to the root of the problem and teach us how we can be healed.

Last year I didn't make one New Year resolution. Part of it was feeling bogged down with wedding plans. Unfortunatley, I need direction so my general perception of life in 2008 was I was in limbo.

I exercised until June and then it petered off with no physical exertion from July until now. My goal to eat less fast food failed when in November I said, "Who cares!" when work became more stressful. I pretty much stopped doing anything to better myself, which had been a regular theme for my life for several years.

So this year my plan is to write down some goals in a fairly public place so I will remember to look at (Le mieux blog dans le monde!) and feel motivated to accomplish what I spew, thus living a more fulfilling 2009. The list will be on the the sidebar.

Here's to a new year and the opportunity to start with a new slate.

I really missed out. I'm played Flowerz (so addicting!) and listening to some Bon Jovi music downloaded on the computer. His career was probably on the decline when I was really old enough to form an opinion about muzak and I blew him off as just another hairy-hair band lead singer, except for the Keep the Faith single which I got for xmas in junior high and played over and over and over on xmas day (yeah, I was one of those people).

Of course the CD I'm listening to is from 2005 but that doesn't mean he didn't have some good songs before his comeback. I really like "Living on a Prayer."

And apparently Jon has a heart of gold. He's holding a benefit concert for Sen. Hilary Clinton to help her pay off some of her presidential campaign debt. What a guy! Forget putting a dent in hunger, saving the planet, trying to stop domestic violence or any of the myriad of truly important causes facing the world. I wonder if she'll attend the concert and say a few words. I wonder if she's a fan or used to be a fan. I wish someone would pass a bill or throw me a concert to pay off my debt. January 15, 2009 is the event in case anyone is interested in the Save Hilary concert.