yuppies getting younger all the time

fAs I was out in the library trenches this morning, looking after my beloved graphic novel section, I heard a particularly obnoxious phone ringer. It kept going and going, so I went to find the source and educate them in the ways of library cell phone rules. I stepped around a pillar and there was the culprit: a four-year-old with a Spongebob Squarepants play cell phone. I was prepared to give the phone spiel, or the noisy game/toy spiel, but somehow the combination of the two left me momentarily speechless. Once I recovered, I went with the Sesame Street-ified version of the cell phone policy. I felt pretty stupid, though. Even though the parents are the ones who should have felt stupid. I mean, really- who brings their child's noisiest possible toy to the library? At least she didn't give me some line about being in the middle of an important business call with Squidward.

talk about your frozen digits!

It is currently 12 degrees below zero. That's without windchill, which makes it -37. Yes, Fahrenheit.

In other news, I was just elected to my church council this evening. I am honored, and not entirely sure what I've gotten myself into. I should have gotten a hint when not 10 minutes after the vote results were announced, someone asked me, "Alicia! You're on council. Explain this line of the budget." Yeah, they haven't uploaded me with that knowledge from the Collective yet. Maybe next week? But this is all a step of faith for me, and we'll see what God does with it.

how macabre

I had a meeting today at a different library. On the way back to my car, I passed this curious sight:



That is a parking spot marked, "RESERVED: PATRONS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN". And that is a hurse. Darkly funny, don't you think? By the way, the driver came back as I was taking the picture, and she had no children with her. Parking Cheater! Using people's respect for and/or fear of the dead to park close to the door while you return overdue books? Shameful. Funny, but shameful.

the stories bookmarks could tell

Today's RPLM needs no introduction or explanation. It's perfect all on its own.

brrrRRR!

Here's a little tidbit of interest to you casual weather nerds like myself. The weather forecast for Minnesota predicts that this weekend, it will be colder here than in Siberia. When I was living in England, my fellow Hothorpe Hall team assistants who were from Europe asked how cold Minnesota got in the winter. It took me a minute to translate F into C, but when I did they were incredulous. "No! That is Siberia!" Oh, yes. And this weekend, it's extra true. Here's to wool and fleece!

paying for commercials

A few weeks ago now, I went to the British Television Advertising Awards screening at the Walker- a yearly favorite of mine. It's an hour of the best commercials Great Britain has to offer. Here's an example of one that caught my fancy- it's the mustaches, I think. That, and the creative use of sea life.

no blogging in a vacuum

As it turns out, my blogs do not just show up on the internet for my friends and family and other people I have direct connections to. For one thing, who is my mystery reader in Las Vegas? Hello to you, whoever you are, but I have no clue who in Vegas would be interested in what I have to say.

I am woefully backlogged over at Book Barker, with dozens and dozens of books I've read but haven't posted yet. So the last couple reviews I did were fast and dirty, in the hopes that a half-assed review is better than nothing at all. I may rethink that approach. I wrote a very quick blurb about a book I couldn't get into. It was probably one of the most ho-hum reviews in the history of Book Barker; very little useful review information, and mostly just a plot summary and my one-sentence personal reaction to what is really a guy book, and a boxing book- both not me. And tonight I noticed the post had gotten a comment. Hey, that's cool, I don't get a lot of comments. I wonder who left it? Oh look, it's FROM THE AUTHOR. *sigh* And of course, when faced with an actual person who I'm sure put months of his life into this very decent book, all the positive things I thought about his book but didn't write because I was in a hurry floated up to haunt me. So the backlog will have to languish a little longer, because my New Year's resolution for Book Barker is that all future reviews, when I manage to actually post them, will not be half-assed. They will be fully assed. Or is that no-assed? Is more or less better in this situation? Whatever it may be, I've learned my lesson about the false anonymity of the internet, and the pitfalls of a very informal medium, and all that. Thus concludes today's youseetimmy.

At last, I've found her!

Sorry I've been such a blogger-slacker. Call it my little holiday from, well, any extracurricular effort.

The closest town to my chiropractor's office is Navarre, halfway around Lake Minnetonka and so small that even most Twin Citians have never heard of it. They do have a Lund's grocery store, and on that Lund's there hangs a sign:


At last, my search for Minnesota's Best Bagger is at an end. I stopped in for some tea and to inquire after this legendary hero, the Mighty Bagger Brianne. Turns out this is quite the accomplishment. The finals happened at Mall of America, and now the winner goes on to the national competition in Vegas next month. It's tied in with the NGA Convention- you know, National Grocers Association? Bag well and do us proud, young Brianne.