Love is Blind

What a wretched lot of old shrivelled creatures we shall be by-and-by. Never mind—the uglier we get in the eyes of others, the lovelier we shall be to each other; that has always been my firm faith about friendship.

-George Eliot, 1852

The Columbia World of Quotations. New York: Columbia University Press, 1996. www.bartleby.com/66/. 30 April 2006.

It Just Might Happen

Look at what I received in the mail today!

FYI, graduation is August 12.

I'm a Sucker

Well, the manager at the UNT Bookstore is certainly earning her keep through effective marketing. I stopped in there after class today to check out some software, and came out with $25 dollars worth of merchandise, comprising a Spanish grammer handbook (would be useful if I spoke Spanish), a very cool set of Nancy Drew Fold and Mail Stationery , and a cute Mood Swings chart, drawn by Jim Borgman and published by Price Stern Sloan (of Mad Libs fame). Of course, I only had one of those items in my hand when I approached the register. Can you guess which one?

Here's what I added to the blank face in the Mood Swings book. None of the pre-printed pages fit for today's mood.

Writer's Block Already?

Nothing stood out to me today as particularly blog-worthy, so I'll have to wing it here.

I did hear Marlee Matlin this afternoon at the closing session, and I thought she was great. I didn't know much about her, other than that she's gorgeous, she's won an Academy Award, she's deaf, and she's married to a handsome police officer. She spoke with an interpreter, read an excerpt from her new children's novel, and answered questions at the end. I also heard she has good recipes on her Web site. Both of her novels are about a deaf girl named Megan, and are loosely based on Matlin's own childhood.

My one triumph for today was figuring out, on my last day of coming back to the hotel, how to get onto the correct freeway heading the right direction without having to get off an pull a U-turn. That's me--I usually get with the program eventually, but not always on the first try!

Any of my librarian readership (if there are any) may be interested to know that tomorrow I'm planning to hear Jenny Levine and Michael Stephens' session on Whoopie for Wikis! I feel woefully uninformed about all the new social tools on the Internet, so maybe I'll learn something.

101 Uses for the Plastic Cable Tie

Greetings from Houston. Overall, I feel much better about today than I felt about yesterday, now that I've gotten over the sting of everything I left at home, not having Internet access in my hotel room, etc.

Bet you could have guessed I wouldn't make it in time this morning to hear Julie Andrews. Never fear, however. I will be there for the closing session on Thursday afternoon to hear Marlee Matlin.

The most interesting thing I saw today was actually not at the conference, but in the parking garage on my way out. Somebody had tied the hubcap to the wheel of their car with plastic cable ties. I myself think cable ties are quite useful, so I was impressed. If I had a digital camera (hint, hint) I would have posted a picture here. Maybe I should write a book about 101 uses...

At the conference, I listed to three contributed papers, worked at the exhibit booth for my school for 4 hours, and had two very helpful librarians from Harris County critique my resume at the Placement Center. They were very nice about it, but confirmed my suspicions--it needs work. Ugh!

And, I picked up a few librarian freebees in the exhibit hall to take back to my friend Starr at work. I really wish I had a camera to take a picture of the absolute suitcases full of stuff that many people pick up in the exhibit hall. I'm sure it's not all free, but still, it's quite a sight. I myself hopped right over to The Horn Book booth and got my complimentary copy of The Horn Book Magazine, so I have the one thing I really wanted.

Now, after driving 8 miles past my hotel to find a Wendy's, I'm back at the hotel, fed and watered, and ready to work on homework. At least until something good comes on tv!

How Many Librarians Does it Take...

Well, I'm in Houston for a few days to attend the annual conference of the Texas Library Association. Lest you think this is all fun and games, just think about it. Houston. And I'm driving.

Actually, the traffic getting here wasn't that bad. I went to a session this afternoon given by some of the librarians I work with, and then I headed back to the hotel for a nap.

Wednesday morning, things get rolling at 8:30 with Julie Andrews speaking at the opening session. Hmm. That's kind of early for a night owl like me.

I'm staying at a Best Western, but on the way back this evening, I noticed The Palace down the street. Their sign reads. "Remodeled. Luxury Redefined." Sounds like I missed that boat!

Mom's Knitting

Wish I could say these are my projects, but they're not.

Here are two knitted bags that Mom felted on Saturday.

They're fresh out of the washer and drying, which is why you might recognize a Target bag sticking out of the top of one.

Want to know more about felting? (Maybe you know more than you thought, if you've ever machine washed a wool sweater by mistake). Check out one of my favorite knitting sites: Knitter's Review, run by Clara H. Parkes.

"Please Don't Eat Me, I'm Composing"

How do you define obsession?

OK, this might be getting a bit out of hand. The whole Peeps thing, I mean.

Let me tell you how it got started (for me, at least).

A friend and I were looking at Peeps items on the Web last week. The discussion lasted a couple of days, and was sparked by photos of the Peeps goings-on at her house on Easter. Anyway, she found several very clever things on the Web that she showed me, I told her about Peeps visiting the Library, and I thought we were done.

Then, I saw the post on said friend's blog where she mentioned another very clever Peeps photo (Star Wars theme), as well as some typewriter key bracelets (subject of a separate conversation/Web search). I replied to the post to say, "How about Peeps bracelets, wouldn't that be neat?"

Of course, because my friend is a conscientious Graduate Library Assistant with a strong public service ethic, she responded by finding several examples of Peeps bracelets on the Web. One turned out to be an OFFICIAL Peeps bracelet, licensed by Just Born, and recently seen at Big Lots! (son of Pic 'N Save).

Anyway, to cut to the chase, I hit three Big Lots! in the space of an hour on my way home from work Friday, and I have all kinds of Peeps goodies (bracelets, squeeze toys, socks). I also stocked up on a supply of actual edible Peeps, both chicks and bunnies.

But oh, that the story stopped here.

For some reason, I next felt compelled to visit the official Marshmallow Peeps Web site. Anyway, they have a forum section called Peeps Talk, where Peeps fanatics can send in pics of their Peeps art (go to Look What I Made). It's quite a trip. My favorite is the Peeps ala Andy Warhol photo.

Another Peeps fan wrote that they have been collecting 2 Peeps a year in a box for 18 years. Each Peep is labeled by year. I have one that's been on my desk for 3 days and it's getting pretty crusty. I have no idea what one looks like after 18 years.

Anyone up for an experiment?

We All Make Mistakes

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (attributed)

Here a Peep, There a Peep

OK, Easter was several days ago, so this isn't too timely.

Nonetheless, here is Auntie K's list of Top Five Peeps Items on the Web

#5 is . . .

Never mind. If there were a list, one site would fill all five slots, straight up.

Peep Research - Staley Library, Millikin University, Decatur, IL

The "illustrated story of Peeps visiting Staley Library."

How to Comment

I’ve heard that there are some questions about how to comment on a post on Auntie K’s Blog, so I thought I would provide a short FAQ here.

1. Can I leave comments on your Blog?

Certainly. Auntie K would love to read what you have to say. She doesn't hear from some of you nearly often enough.

2. Do I have to be a Blogger user to leave a comment?

Absolutely not.

3. So, how do I leave a comment?

To leave a comment for any post, click on the comments link at the bottom of the post (by the timestamp). You will then be directed to a form where you can type your comment. Type your comment in the box at the upper right of the screen. Below the box, you must choose your identity before submitting the comment. Your choices are Blogger, Other, or Anonymous. If you are not a Blogger member with a username and password, click on the button to the left of the word “Other,” type your name in the box that appears below, and submit your comment by clicking on the blue button that says Publish Your Comment.

4. I commented on a post a few minutes ago, but the link under the post still says 0 comments. Why is that?

Because Auntie K is a cautious individual, she decided to allow only moderated comments for now. That means she must approve your comment before it will appear on the Blog. So, don’t bother saying anything nasty or mean-spirited about Auntie K’s posts, because you won’t get published that way. Auntie K may change this later, but for now, that’s the way it is.

What's an Agar Plate?

I've already shared this with several of you, but since I'm in the throes of yet another cold virus, I thought it was worth mentioning again.

In a letter to the editor published in the March 2006 issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Reynolds et al describe a study they conducted that reinforces the accepted fact that hand sanitizer gels must contain at least 60% ethanol or isopropanol (alcohol) to effectively eliminate bacteria. However, the authors note that this important qualifier is not usually conveyed by nonhealthcare groups.

You can read the complete letter on the Emerging Infectious Diseases Web site, but the upshot is that they describe a study wherein subjects placed their hands on an agar plate in the morning, then washed their hands using one of several treatments, including tap water, 40% ethanol, commercial sanitizer with 40% alcohol concentration, or commercial sanitizer with 62% alcohol concentration. After treatment, the subjects placed their hands on a fresh agar plate.

Only the sanitizer with 62% alcohol concentration produced a decrease in bacteria on the hands. In fact, the sanitizer with 40% alcohol produced a more even distrubtion of bacteria on the agar, probably because the movement dispersed the bacteria without killing it.

So, check that sanitizer gel you're using.

And if you're one of those germy people (you know who you are) who makes a pretence of handwashing by running the tap for 2 seconds (sans soap) in the public restroom, don't bother.

As for me, I'll be the person behind you, washing her hands with soap and water for 10-15 seconds (the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday"), using her elbow to push open the bathroom door, and then sanitizing my hands with gel containing at least 60% alcohol concentration.*

And does anyone know where I can get an agar plate?


Reference:
Reynolds SA, Levy F, Walker ES. Hand sanitizer alert [letter]. Emerg Infect Dis. 2006 Mar. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no03/05-0955.htm


*Yes, I know--if I do all that, why do I still have a cold? I'm not sure, but I haven't lost faith yet.

The Blogger

Here I am. Or actually, here I was, 11,675 days ago.

I'm really not camera shy; I just don't have any current 'net-worthy photos of myself at the moment.

The Beginning

Well, when it comes to decision making, I have always have been a go-from-the-gut sort of gal, so here we are: Auntie K's blog!

Actually, it was a fun way to avoid doing the homework (4 article summaries--Ugh!) I have due tomorrow.

This is definitely a work in progress (don't you hate Web sites that are always "Under Construction"?), but I plan to be a committed, if not prolific, blogger.

• Once school is out, that is.
  
• And once my resume is in better shape.
  
• And once the project I have going at work is well under way.
  
• And once . . .