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cough cough hack hack

I'm typing this blog from the comfort of my couch in my living room, at home today.

I'm feeling puny today. I'm trying to cough one of my lungs to be more specific. And, I'm so stinkin' tired from not sleeping well last night and my throat hurts from the coughing and I can barely make a sound. (Much to the delight of my family.)

My son was the generous soul who gave me this horrific cold. Isn't he a wonderful boy? Yeah, I already told him "thanks."

But, wait, I know you are wondering just how I'm typing this entry from home...today was also the day we got Internet hooked up at home. For the first time ever, I'm online at home. What a concept. I had bribed...I mean promised the kids that I'd get us Internet when we moved. I promised we'd get a much needed new computer and Internet service. I came through on that promise this past week and it was hooked up today.

Miss Kat is st stinkin' excited that I wasn't sure she'd get herself off to school this morning. She'll be online as soon as she hits the door after school today. My hope and prayer is that she'll leave me alone to enjoy my much needed and wanted nap.

Kev's bringing home a humidifier to help me get back on my feet...and maybe he's bringing it home in self-defense...he's tired of getting shocked every single time he walks across the floor. I know I'm tired of it myself.

I don't like being sick. I hate missing a day of work. But, I do like having Internet service at home. Maybe I'll blog more. Maybe I'll have interesting things to blog about. Maybe I can remember more things to blog that will embarrass my kids. Heck, maybe I'll let the family read my blog for a change...

I'd write more profound items right now, but instead, I think I'll log off and hit the bed and take that nap.

Communication...

I like email. I really do. I use it quite frequently to email friends and family, co-workers, etc. I answer many reference questions via email. I even use it for business--like emailing companies who's services I use or want to use. I'd rather email them than go the the phone hassle, press 1 for blah and 2 for blah blah and 3 for blah blah blah and 4 if you want me to start over.

But this week, I think I'll just give up with trying to email businesses.

This week, I emailed a local business with a question regarding Internet service. I just had a question and I wanted some price quotes. This company is in the "Internet" business. I assumed they'd get right back to me. But, after 5 days and no reply, I called the office. The receptionist (who was human) said; "Oh, the guys never answer their email."

What??? Then why give it out? Why give it on the web page? Why print it on all of the company's literature if you will N.E.V.E.R. use it? The idiots.

This week, I emailed our Satellite TV provider. I hate their phone system. I've called it, and I HATE it. So, I thought I'd email them a complaint about how the technician hooked up our system after we moved and ask if it's something I could fix. They replied, "...yes, you can switch you TV sets, they are not a part of our system."

They didn't read my question, and I'm not an idiot, I knew I could move the TV's around. Heck, I'm the person who figures out why a signal was lost or how to find the right TV channel. I am not an idiot. So, being the understanding and patient person that I am, I fired an email right back asking; "did you even read my email. I was asking about the RECEIVER, not the TV, but the RECEIVER." Idiots. The second time, they got it right and answered my question. Why couldn't they have done it right the first time? (I helped them though, I put the word receiver in all caps every single time I used it; and I used it a lot!) Idiots.

Today, I emailed another business. They are related to health insurance and such. Once again, they didn't read my email, but just sent a form for me to fill out to get medical "reimbursement." Not at all what I asked for in my email. I fired another email back. And, no, the word "idiot" never appears in my message. But I really wanted to use it.

Don't people READ? Don't the people that businesses hire to check their email expect them to READ it and then respond, or do they just hire idiots and don't really intend for their email to be used by customers.

I don't get it. I really don't. But, now, for me, email correspondence is out and phone calls are out. It really would be inconvenient to travel to every corner of the country just to get a simple question answered, but I'm out of options. Is customer service a thing of the past? Is reading a thing of the past? Weren't we all taught communication skills in school?

Maybe it's not the businesses and the idiots...I mean staff they hire. Maybe it's me... Do I communicate well? Can you all understand what I write, or am I the idiot?

Don't answer that.

learning about myself part 2

This must be the week for self discovery. Don't 'cha think that at 43, almost (gasp) 44, I'd have a pretty good idea of who I am?

I'm assertive.

That's what my boss called me, assertive. I guess because I've jumped in and done something, not just waited for someone to tell me what to do. But, I wouldn't call that assertive, I'd call that "seeing what needs to be done and doing it!" I asked Kev if HE thinks I'm assertive. He thought about it and said yes, that if I want something, I'm going to figure out a way to get it. Last night, Kim reinforced that. She said I always appear confident and that I'm assertive in a positive way, that I never make anyone feel like I'm pushy and I make them want to go along with what I want to do or change.

I'm creative.

My boss also told me I was creative. Simply because I'm trying to figure out ways to improve this place without spending a lot of money and I'm trying to find ways to get things that we need without spending a lot of money. I guess I look at this as being realistic. There's a need and I'm trying to figure out the best way to get it taken care of. I don't consider that creative, but I guess my boss does.

I'm friendly--friendlier than "most librarians." Whatever that means. A teacher told his class this after I gave a presentation to them. Maybe he says it about all librarians to his classes, but it was unexpected.

When I interviewed, I was asked what Kev would say were my three biggest strengths and weaknesses were.

So, after I was done, I asked him what they were.

I can't tell what he said was my biggest strength...but remember, we were together again after his two week hunting trip.

But, then he said I was mentally and emotionally strong and that I was a good, loyal friend.

I guess it's good to keep learning things about yourself. And, it feels good to actually have someone say nice things about you--to you.

So, my challenge to all of you...tell a friend or a loved one something good about them. Maybe they didn't ever think of themselves that way. And, if they did know this about themselves, then maybe they just need to hear it from someone else. Guaranteed, it will make them feel good about themselves, and we all need a little positive stroke sometimes.

things I've recently learned about myself...

Thing #1

I never thought I was anal about anything. But about some things I am.

When I first became a professional librarian, my boss was a wonderful woman who started and built the library at Colby CC. Now, she was anal. Her husband told me their freezer was cataloged. Everything in a particular place and a they had a piece of paper taped to the lid telling exactly what was where, when it was bought and when it would expire.

Now, imagine how well organized her library was.

I inherited statistics. I kept good statistics. Here, I can't find statistics--not good, clear concise statistics. It frustrates me.

I had a policy and procedures manual. I inherited a good one and revised it a couple of years ago. No P&P manual here. It frustrates me.

At Colby, I inherited a library where labeling was made to look professional, neat and tidy. I continued that trend. Here, haphazard labels, typed inconsistently over the years. It drives me nuts. I want to re do all the labels. That would be over 40,000 labels. I can't do it, to cost prohibitive. So, I'm re-doing the fiction ones only.

No one has done inventory here for years and years. No one has read shelves, or dusted, or faced shelves. I'm initiating all those things. Especially facing shelves. I can't stand shelves that are sloppy and haphazard, right Jody? Can..not..stand it. (for you non librarians, facing shelves is when you line up all the spines of books on the edge of shelves, nice, neat, perfectly lined up with the edge. Reading shelves is when you make sure every book is on the shelf in call number order.)


I learned that I'm anal. But, it this case, it's a good thing.