Boo!

So it's Halloween. Another excuse to dress up and eat lots of candy. The only thing that would make it even better is to get the day off, but that's not going to happen.

The last week has been very busy. I was in Chicago last Thursday and had a wonderful time. The Ritz is the best hotel I've ever stayed at. The room was basically a small apartment minus the kitchen. The concert was fabulous--we were in the 1st row. We road in a limo before and after the show. What could be better?

Now I'm back and decded at the last minute to go to Niagara Falls on Saturday for another show. This one is at a casino. It should be very fun indeed. My concert tix aren't all that great, but I've been close enough several times now. It's time for another perspective! I'm not just going for the show. The whole band thing is great, but the people I've met and keep meeting make it even better and the friendships extend outside of the shows. It's a wonderful thing. I never would have met these people otherwise. Occasionally you meet someone you really click with and you feel like you've known them your whole life. It's such a good experience and constitutes most of my meager social life right now. It's lame, but how do people my age make friends? Most "friends" I make are at work and all we do is talk work. This is completely away from that and it's great. It means I really get to take a vacation from my life.

Do Pets Mimic their Owners?

Or is it just a coincidence that they start to take on our traits? Maybe the environment makes them the way they are and since we're sharing environments...

I just wonder because my bird is very nervous, moody and is slow to trust anyone. In other words, he's a lot like me. I wonder if it's because he is faced with the same situations as me or because he watches how I react to things and senses it and tries to mimic the correct behavior. It's food for thought. I feel bad though. I don't want him to be like me. He deserves better than that!

Train the Trainer Please

I got a call yesterday afternoon from another library on campus and they are requesting that I train the staff on how to order material and do claiming. That's fine, but I'm not familiar with it and I really think it's above and beyond the call of duty. I've been there two months and I can't be an expert in everything.

My coordinator (she's not my boss but sometimes thinks she is) wants to do and offered to help. It is next Tuesday. I have tons of reading to do. I always figure that if I have to read the manual and learn it, why the heck can't they? It makes no sense to me, but what did I think? It would be logical and fair?

Today was the first snow. It didn't snow much, but squalled from time to time in the afternoon. It was so cold too and the wind was very strong. I tried to go out for a walk at lunchtime and turned around. So much for that.

Gardens

I love gardens. This is a fairly new love of mine. Nature and flowers used to bore me. I went to a botanical garden yesterday. I was amazed at the number of flowers blooming for this time of year.

My dad is an avid gardener. I think some of his love of plants and growing things has rubbed off on me. Finally. It started with African violets and progressed to orchids. Now I'm just kind of interested in it all. The condo where I'm living has some potential. The garden was completely neglected this year, but there are lots of roses. My dad helped me plant some iris for next year and I want to get a butterfly bush. It really helps cheer a place up and make it your own.