As you have probably already guessed, I will not be posting as often as before. Things have really picked up at school and at work. Classes have started at both Queens College and Columbia. My boss is on vacation in Spain for the next two weeks, so work will be interesting for a while. I will, of course, be overwhelmed most of the time. Training work-study students is very time-consuming. It is much more difficult than I imagined it would be, but I am learning much about myself as a teacher this way.
Last week there were two deaths in my family. My cousin, Warren, died of AIDS after battling the disease for four years. His nephew, Dwayne Jr., shot and killed himself after a break-up with a girlfriend. He was only 16 years old. My thoughts are with the immediate family.
Rather than sending flowers, I made a donation to the AIDSfund in Warren's memory. Honestly, I never thought the disease would ever touch my family. I know that was naïve of me, but you never want to think of those things.
On a lighter note, I have registered for the annual ALA MidWinter meeting in January. It is being held in Boston and since I have a free place to stay (Hi Mandy!), I couldn't resist.
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Monday, September 06, 2004
9.6.04
Apologies on the lengthy absence. The fall semester has started and I am trying to get back into the swing of things. Both of my classes will be loads of work, but it will be worth it. I have a feeling that these classes will be my best so far in the program. One is a reference course with emphasis on science & technology and the other is also a reference course, but emphasizing business resources. Both of these areas are my weakest, which is why I signed up for both courses. I have never had great interest in either subjects, but that doesn't matter to the patron. I must be prepared for those type of questions.
Our Labor Day weekend was beautiful. We took Zero to the park and he had a grand ole time with a Boxer puppy. The rest of the weekend was dedicated to studying. Micah is studying for his exams and I am drowning in library research. Oh, autumn!
I am counting the days until Halloween. I cannot believe I don't already have a costume in mind. Ideas?
Our Labor Day weekend was beautiful. We took Zero to the park and he had a grand ole time with a Boxer puppy. The rest of the weekend was dedicated to studying. Micah is studying for his exams and I am drowning in library research. Oh, autumn!
I am counting the days until Halloween. I cannot believe I don't already have a costume in mind. Ideas?
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
8.25.04
Okay, here's the last of our Philadelphia story. Monday was our last day. We were so dead tired that we lounged around and leisurely made our way closer to the bus station. We wanted to check out the Reading Terminal Market before leaving town. It is such a cool market. It is actually indoors and is a perfect place to meet someone for lunch. There are so many different types of food to choose and although I hate to say it, it was a little like the food court at the mall. Well, except that these weren't separate stores. Instead it was all out in the open. Loved it. Micah and I grabbed sandwiches and a doggie treat for Zero. We took the 2:00 bus back to NYC. Great trip.
Saturday, August 21, 2004
8.21.04
So, continuing my Philadelphia story.
On Sunday, we started our day by wandering around the Art Museum area. This is the neighborhood seen in the photos below. We loved this area. It was really nice and had a mix of people--young, old, singles, families, etc. . . This is definitely the neighborhood at the top of our list for purchasing a home.
We stopped and had brunch at another Moroccan place called Figs. I had a very excellent Eggs Benedict. Note that the breakfast served was not really Moroccan, although Micah had his eggs with some sort of Moroccan stew.
After brunch, we toured the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Wow, this place is huge. There were many pieces there that I was unaware of them having. I won't list all the artists, but will say that you cannot see everything in one day. At least not well.
Then we walked up to Fairmount Park. It is a very large park, but unfortunately we were hot (very humid) and tired (after the museum.) We walked back towards Center City. We had trouble catching a bus because there was a very large musical festival going on. Not sure what festival, but the music was not up our alley. It seemed to be a mix of gospel and r&b.
We grabbed the 23 bus and rode through North Philly. This area has seen better days--or maybe it hasn't. It almost looks like a war-torn village. Not a pretty sight. I am not sure how safe it is there, but I wouldn't wander around at night. The destination of our bus trip was Chestnut Hill.
Chestnut Hill is nice if you want to live in Mayberry. We hated it there. It was TOO perfect. It gave me the creeps. As soon as we stepped off the bus (end of the bus line), we started looking for a way out. I felt bad that we wasted time on checking this neighborhood out. I had heard good things about the area. I guess it is good if you like the suburbs. Yuck!
Once we got back to Center City, we headed to Olde City and had a nice dinner at an Irish restaurant called The Plough & the Stars. It is an upscale place with live Irish music. It was very relaxing and after all the walking we had done, I had a hard time getting up out of my chair after the dinner was over.
Once I was able to actually stand up and walk, we again wandered around until we came to a place called Monk's Cafe. It looked pretty cool so we decided to check it out. This tavern's specialty is Belgian beers. The Beer Bible is pretty damn impressive. I just had a German Dopplebock (I wasn't in a adventurous mood, but Micah had a great Belgian beer. Sorry, but I can't think of the name of it now.
On Sunday, we started our day by wandering around the Art Museum area. This is the neighborhood seen in the photos below. We loved this area. It was really nice and had a mix of people--young, old, singles, families, etc. . . This is definitely the neighborhood at the top of our list for purchasing a home.
We stopped and had brunch at another Moroccan place called Figs. I had a very excellent Eggs Benedict. Note that the breakfast served was not really Moroccan, although Micah had his eggs with some sort of Moroccan stew.
After brunch, we toured the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Wow, this place is huge. There were many pieces there that I was unaware of them having. I won't list all the artists, but will say that you cannot see everything in one day. At least not well.
Then we walked up to Fairmount Park. It is a very large park, but unfortunately we were hot (very humid) and tired (after the museum.) We walked back towards Center City. We had trouble catching a bus because there was a very large musical festival going on. Not sure what festival, but the music was not up our alley. It seemed to be a mix of gospel and r&b.
We grabbed the 23 bus and rode through North Philly. This area has seen better days--or maybe it hasn't. It almost looks like a war-torn village. Not a pretty sight. I am not sure how safe it is there, but I wouldn't wander around at night. The destination of our bus trip was Chestnut Hill.
Chestnut Hill is nice if you want to live in Mayberry. We hated it there. It was TOO perfect. It gave me the creeps. As soon as we stepped off the bus (end of the bus line), we started looking for a way out. I felt bad that we wasted time on checking this neighborhood out. I had heard good things about the area. I guess it is good if you like the suburbs. Yuck!
Once we got back to Center City, we headed to Olde City and had a nice dinner at an Irish restaurant called The Plough & the Stars. It is an upscale place with live Irish music. It was very relaxing and after all the walking we had done, I had a hard time getting up out of my chair after the dinner was over.
Once I was able to actually stand up and walk, we again wandered around until we came to a place called Monk's Cafe. It looked pretty cool so we decided to check it out. This tavern's specialty is Belgian beers. The Beer Bible is pretty damn impressive. I just had a German Dopplebock (I wasn't in a adventurous mood, but Micah had a great Belgian beer. Sorry, but I can't think of the name of it now.
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
8.18.04
Hope you enjoyed the photos of Philadelphia. There are more if interested. Maybe I will post them later.
We really enjoyed our trip. We left Saturday morning and took a Greyhound bus from Port Authority. The trip was only about 2 hours, so not too bad. We checked into our hotel after stopping by the Pennsylvania Dutch festival. Sorry I don't have photos of that, but probably still have some pony poo on my sneakers. We bought some homemade coconut covered marshmallow, ginger snaps, and root beer. The homemade root beer was so yummy. Sounds like a healthy lunch, right?
Once we dumped our stuff off at the Club Quarters on Chestnut Street, we left on foot and just wandered around. We saw a little of Center City and Rittenhouse Square. We walked by Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell but didn't go inside. I really didn't want to have to stand and go through all the security. I figure we will be back and do the tourist thing another time.
We did stop at the Muetter Museum. If you don't know, it is part of the College of Physicians and is basically a museum dedicated to medical history including the weird stuff like Siamese twins. It was interesting and also disturbing. Definitely worth the visit.
After the museum, we made our way to South Street. This street is full of bars, restaurants, shops, you name it. I swear within 2 blocks, we passed 4 stores dedicated to sex toys. Of course we went inside.
We walked around Queen Village, which is a neighborhood I had heard about. It is very nice and we were lucky to come upon a great Moroccan restaurant called Fez. No menu, just a 8-course prix fix for only $20. The food, ambiance, and service were excellent. The belly dancer was a nice touch too.
After stuffing ourselves we waddled back down South Street and notice a little club on a side street. The name was terrible, Goosebumps, but the 70s funk lured me inside. The place was okay. I am not really into clubs anyway. We had a few drinks and then decided to head back to the hotel. We were so tired. It was pouring rain so we were totally soaked by the time we got back and had to hang our clothes out to dry as well as our shoes. Micah's feet were dyed black from his socks. Funny.
We really enjoyed our trip. We left Saturday morning and took a Greyhound bus from Port Authority. The trip was only about 2 hours, so not too bad. We checked into our hotel after stopping by the Pennsylvania Dutch festival. Sorry I don't have photos of that, but probably still have some pony poo on my sneakers. We bought some homemade coconut covered marshmallow, ginger snaps, and root beer. The homemade root beer was so yummy. Sounds like a healthy lunch, right?
Once we dumped our stuff off at the Club Quarters on Chestnut Street, we left on foot and just wandered around. We saw a little of Center City and Rittenhouse Square. We walked by Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell but didn't go inside. I really didn't want to have to stand and go through all the security. I figure we will be back and do the tourist thing another time.
We did stop at the Muetter Museum. If you don't know, it is part of the College of Physicians and is basically a museum dedicated to medical history including the weird stuff like Siamese twins. It was interesting and also disturbing. Definitely worth the visit.
After the museum, we made our way to South Street. This street is full of bars, restaurants, shops, you name it. I swear within 2 blocks, we passed 4 stores dedicated to sex toys. Of course we went inside.
We walked around Queen Village, which is a neighborhood I had heard about. It is very nice and we were lucky to come upon a great Moroccan restaurant called Fez. No menu, just a 8-course prix fix for only $20. The food, ambiance, and service were excellent. The belly dancer was a nice touch too.
After stuffing ourselves we waddled back down South Street and notice a little club on a side street. The name was terrible, Goosebumps, but the 70s funk lured me inside. The place was okay. I am not really into clubs anyway. We had a few drinks and then decided to head back to the hotel. We were so tired. It was pouring rain so we were totally soaked by the time we got back and had to hang our clothes out to dry as well as our shoes. Micah's feet were dyed black from his socks. Funny.
Friday, August 13, 2004
8.13.04
I was forwarded an interesting link on an article written by Kurt Vonnegut. He sings the praises of librarians, as everyone should.
Tomorrow we are traveling to Philadelphia to see some sights. We are also scoping the city out as a future place to live. Everything right now is up in the air. We must wait until I finish my MLS.
Any other cities out there that you would recommend? We are looking for a medium to large city. We would love a city with a mild climate, but would prefer very cold to very hot. Any city with horrible urban sprawl (Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles) is completely out of the question. We prefer our cities to grow towards the sky.
We love NYC, but the cost of living is too much. We have already ruled out Boston and San Francisco because they are just as expensive. We would like to buy something (condo, townhouse, whatever) INSIDE the city. None of this commuting crap. We would prefer an excellent public transportation system, but if we need to purchase ONE car and use okay public transit, that is exceptable. None of this two-car crap. Urban parks nearby are good, as are coffee houses (not chains!).
We like the East Coast, but are open to other areas.
Are we asking too much?
Tomorrow we are traveling to Philadelphia to see some sights. We are also scoping the city out as a future place to live. Everything right now is up in the air. We must wait until I finish my MLS.
Any other cities out there that you would recommend? We are looking for a medium to large city. We would love a city with a mild climate, but would prefer very cold to very hot. Any city with horrible urban sprawl (Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles) is completely out of the question. We prefer our cities to grow towards the sky.
We love NYC, but the cost of living is too much. We have already ruled out Boston and San Francisco because they are just as expensive. We would like to buy something (condo, townhouse, whatever) INSIDE the city. None of this commuting crap. We would prefer an excellent public transportation system, but if we need to purchase ONE car and use okay public transit, that is exceptable. None of this two-car crap. Urban parks nearby are good, as are coffee houses (not chains!).
We like the East Coast, but are open to other areas.
Are we asking too much?
Sunday, August 08, 2004
8.8.04
Okay, so I hope it doesn't seem too vain to post photos of myself. I was just trying to show the new hair color for those who haven't seen me in a while.
I have to say I am loving the color. Someone asked yesterday if I was in a band. I was flattered.
Right now I am procrastinating again. I should be working on a paper due Thursday as well as studying for my final. Ughhh.
Yesterday after the dye job and modeling stint (my pic will be on the salon website), we went for some Italian food with M & M. It was a nice, relaxing meal with good friends. You can't beat that.
Afterwards, we met up with Nicole and heading back to Queens. Nicole got to see the pad and meet my baby, Zero. He was obnoxious as usual, but he is so damn cute! We head to Tupelo for some whiskey and chat. See Nicole, Queens is cool! Well, at least our neighborhood.
I have to say I am loving the color. Someone asked yesterday if I was in a band. I was flattered.
Right now I am procrastinating again. I should be working on a paper due Thursday as well as studying for my final. Ughhh.
Yesterday after the dye job and modeling stint (my pic will be on the salon website), we went for some Italian food with M & M. It was a nice, relaxing meal with good friends. You can't beat that.
Afterwards, we met up with Nicole and heading back to Queens. Nicole got to see the pad and meet my baby, Zero. He was obnoxious as usual, but he is so damn cute! We head to Tupelo for some whiskey and chat. See Nicole, Queens is cool! Well, at least our neighborhood.
Friday, August 06, 2004
8.6.04
Friday. This weekend might be busy. I am meeting up with Nicole tonight for her going-away party. Should be loads of fun. Tomorrow looks like hair-coloring and dinner. What color should I be next? I am thinking of doing a mix of red and blonde this time around.
Next week is the last week of my summer class. I will be quite relieved. I think there might be some schedule changing for the fall. I want to drop one of my classes because my current professor is teaching it. I hate his teaching style.
This week has been relatively quiet. I skipped work on Monday because Zero was sick. I think he ate something off the street, and it wrecked havoc on his stomach. I won't go into the details. Let's just say I didn't get any sleep and there was a lot of cleaning involved.
We did see the Metallica documentary. It was decent. I know the critics can't seem to agree. It wasn't as great as I wanted it to be, but worth the $10.50. It was an interesting look at a band falling apart.
Back to work.
Next week is the last week of my summer class. I will be quite relieved. I think there might be some schedule changing for the fall. I want to drop one of my classes because my current professor is teaching it. I hate his teaching style.
This week has been relatively quiet. I skipped work on Monday because Zero was sick. I think he ate something off the street, and it wrecked havoc on his stomach. I won't go into the details. Let's just say I didn't get any sleep and there was a lot of cleaning involved.
We did see the Metallica documentary. It was decent. I know the critics can't seem to agree. It wasn't as great as I wanted it to be, but worth the $10.50. It was an interesting look at a band falling apart.
Back to work.
Friday, July 30, 2004
7.31.04
Anyone heard of the musician Jonathan Rundman? He has the great song called "Librarian." I think I will have to buy the album and give it a listen.
Thursday, July 29, 2004
7.29.04
Librarians against Bush
This blog was started by some librarians in Brooklyn. I thought about buying one of the t-shirts, but I am not technically a librarian.
This blog was started by some librarians in Brooklyn. I thought about buying one of the t-shirts, but I am not technically a librarian.
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