Part of Why I Love My Job

Starrlett recently blogged about one reason why she loves her job.

Here's one reason why I (sometimes) love mine. My story isn't nearly as succinct or interesting as Starrlett's, but I need the reminder even if you don't care to read it, so here goes:

A student asked me why when she tried to browse an issue of a journal in OmniFile database in order to find the inclusive page numbers for a particular article, the only visible record was the table of contents. I figured out that 1) the database was doing weird stuff, and there was a way to make it show you every article in the issue if you knew where to look and 2) the article in question wasn't in that issue anyway, because it was an "online only" extra.

I was able to email the student back with the solution to the problem, and I haven't heard a reply yet, but it's satisfying to know I have the ability to connect someone with the information they need. It only took me about 10 minutes to figure out.

One reason I only love my job some of the time: the student asked the question at 10 am, and it was 5 pm before I had ten minutes to sit down and find the solution. Or eat breakfast or lunch, or check email, or breathe...

Live to Shop, or Shop to Live?

Based on this week's purchases, I think I fall somewhere in between the two extremes of living to shop and shopping to live. What do you think?

MS Office 2007 Standard (we're switching over at work, so I really don't have a choice but to get a copy for home)

2GB flash drive, because you never know when you might need another one

USB hub, because I'm tired of fooling with ports at work that I can't see well

Numeric keypad for the laptop, probably not a necessity, but after paying for MS Office...

Two bras, because, well, I don't need to explain that

Multimeter, to test the watch batteries in the clickers at work (except I think the model I bought doesn't even test batteries. Dad?)

Telescoping magnetic pickup tool, because it was there, and I do love magnets

Various groceries from Kroger, all relatively nutritious, believe it or not, with the exception of one Cadbury Creme Egg

photo: Colville student, Walter McClung's account of shopping trip, Spokane, Washington, June 12, 1902. Eastern Washington State Historical Society. Available at http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/aipn:@field(DOCID+@lit(p1101))

Seminary Update

Since I previously used this space to semi-publicly agonize over Seminary, I thought I would at least tell you how things are going now.

I guess we've all settled into a routine, so to speak. I have one student who is nearly always there at 6:15, and I often have one or two others who will show up on time (one consistent offender has a deal with his dad that he can get contacts after he's been on time for a month, and it's working so far).

Few students are reading the Old Testament outside of class, and I myself am still only a few pages ahead of the lesson schedule. One student also goes to institute (weekly study class for college-age adults) and so he usually knows the basic facts about a given section.

The extraneous talking has improved a bit, or maybe I'm just more tolerant. I'm fast losing patience with the lovebirds, and am being more vocal with them about their behavior in class and not letting them hang out in the hall by themselves after class. In my heart of hearts, I wish I wouldn't have them in class next year, but that's between you and me.

I've been doing more scripture mastery work, and trying to have the students memorize a scripture each week. We'll work on it for part of the class on Friday, and then review it during the week.

So, all in all, things look better than they did, and I try to not dwell on the unrelenting nature of it all. My personal life is a total mess--not spending enough time on work, ate donuts for dinner twice this week, getting up later and later every week--but that's fodder for another post. Or not.

The Truth Will Out

Despite my 'gushing about Jason Bateman and the fact that my MySpace page says I'm 19, I am truly an adult. Witness, it's 6am, school is cancelled, and I'm heading to work, thrilled at the extra hour I'll squeeze into the work day.

So When Were You Born?

The Duchess reminded me how sorry I feel for anyone not fortunate enough to spend at least part of their teen or pre-teen years in the '80s. (Though I admit, I think it would have been even cooler to spend those years in the '70s--where I was only a grade-schooler).

What prompted the trip down memory lane? Michael Jackson's Thriller. I can see myself, clear as day, at my friend Heather's house across the street watching the Thriller video on MTV, enthralled and amazed. And that leads me to another classic '80's memory--Alfonso Ribeiro breakdancing on Silver Spoons. Which leads to thinking about Jason Bateman, which leads to...

Naked Dreams

Do you ever dream you're walking around naked in public, or you forgot to study for the big test? I dream the former all the time, and have stopped trying to figure out what it means. All I know is that in my dreams, I know I'm unclothed and feel a bit embarrassed about it, but it doesn't seem to be the acute crisis it would be in real life. As for the test, my variation is always that I didn't go to class all semester, and now it's time for the final exam. Hmm--I've actually lived that one in real life and it isn't pretty.

But the most terrifying recurring night-dreams I have involve cars--either pushing on the brakes and the car won't stop, or driving up a nearly perpendicular slope and knowing the car will tip over backwards.

I had a car dream of the second variety while napping this afternoon. All I have to say is, Dad, if you decide to take out the truck to test the roads for possible ice, please don't take me with you and don't drive up an incline and then back over the edge of the other side. I'll miss Seminary and be late to work, the humidity outside will frizz my hair, and I really don't fancy riding a horse backwards. Enough said?

Pet Peeves

It's been a frustrating few weeks, which has been a good excuse for not posting (I couldn't think of anything nice to say). I still can't, so I'm hoping my readers will indulge me and just let me vent for a minute.

So, here are some of my pet peeves:

People who put a partial ream of paper into the printer and leave the opened ream sitting on the counter. The printer will hold a ream plus some. So wait till it's almost empty, and PUT THE ENTIRE REAM IN AT ONCE! Please.

People who retype a document in order to transfer it to another medium, rather than cutting and pasting from the electronic copy I provided, and then have me correct the multiple errors they create by typing from scratch. I SENT YOU AN E-COPY BECAUSE IT LOOKED JUST THE WAY I WANTED IT TO LOOK!

Thank you for letting me shout at you. I feel much better. Feel free to share your peeves here, and even if I'm guilty of committing some of them myself, I promise to be nice about it!