A Big Ol' General Update

Well, I have somewhat successfully done the website host switchover. The "somewhat" means the blog archives are not showing up, and I haven't figured out how to make them do so at this point. Also, I imagine a lot of the photos in these archived posts are no longer there since they were "ftp-d" to the old host. But since the archives aren't there then this detail is kind of moot for now. I'm hopeful that I will eventually be able to fix the archive situation. As far at the photos are concerned, I don't think I'll be sifting through past posts and trying to figure what needs to move over. I mean, you can just go to Flickr if you want to see photographs, right?

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In other news I worked a hell of a schedule last week because I planned to do 4 10-hour days, and then take Friday off, but I ended up having to work Friday since my coworker was out due to a death in her family. Note that I don't blame her for my tough work week, but it was tough nonetheless. And of course, I put my homework off till the end of the week because it seems that's just what I do these days.

So too much time at work, too much worry about schoolwork made me ready to just collapse after class on Saturday. And collapse I did. All the way through Sunday. I couldn't get myself to do much but read (not for school) online and off. I finally did some stuff today (I had today off as compensation for having to work Friday) - grocery shopping, errands, cleaning the microwave, loads and load of laundry, that kind of stuff. But I continue to fret over schoolwork and not do it. So I'm officially calling off the fretting for tonight at least. I mean, if I'm not gonna do it, I'm not gonna do it. Why fret? (Easier said than done.)

Truth be told, I've been a bit depressed. And I've never been the sort to just throw myself into work to get over it. I'm more of the lie around and wait for the feelings to pass type. I'm pretty sure these blues are from anxiety about schoolwork. I don't know why it's such a big deal for me. I mean, how many times have I posted about this kind of thing? I just suck at self motivation and I also suck at dealing with stress. I mean, the way I feel about getting my final project done is the way most people probably feel about... well, I don't know... but I'm sure having to write a paper for school is one of those "problems" to be glad you have. I know this, but I still suck at dealing with this kind of thing and end up working myself into something of a "state" over it. Blah!

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On to something completely different...

I got an iTunes gift card from my brother for my birthday, and today I used some of it to buy the following songs: Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest, Fool (If You Think It's Over) by Chris Rea, In a Broken Dream by Rod Stewart with Python Lee Jackson, Just Dropped in (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, Music Box Dancer by Frank Mills, She's a Rainbow by The Rolling Stones, and Tighten Up, Part 1 by Archie Bell and the Drells. Musically, I'm stuck in the last century pretty much, pre-1980, and I think that's how it's going to stay.

One thing I did on Sunday is that I finished reading The Magnificent Ambersons. I had bought the book a year or two ago, started it, and then stopped because I just hated George Amberson Minafer so much. But I picked it up again recently, persevered and found it to be quite a good story, and well written too. Now I think I will have to see the movie which seems to be more critically acclaimed than the book.

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Reading: The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington.

Labels: anxiety, listening, reading, school, technology, the blues

posted by Miss Rachel 4/14/2008 09:30:00 PM

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Time to Switch Over

I've already paid a new host (and registered my domain elsewhere), but I still haven't switched things over. I'm kind of not sure how to to do it, but my intrepid, techie husband, aka Sweetie, promises his support. My old host account expires on the 4th so I still have time to make a seamless transition.

Also: I would like to start posting text updates here again. Maybe make a commitment to do at least one substantial text post a week. In the meantime, you can follow me on twitter. Posting there is so easy because you're not ALLOWED to type too much.

Labels: blogging, technology

posted by Miss Rachel 4/01/2008 09:17:00 AM

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Video Update

Labels: family, fat, technology, watching, work

posted by Miss Rachel 3/21/2008 05:34:00 PM

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Books, Music and Movies (plus Technical Note)

Reading: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. I picked this up a few months ago, and then put it down when I got near the end. I kind of didn't want to get to the end because well, we all know how it ends, and it's just so sad. It especially bothers me that she and her sister died only a few months before the camps were liberated. Anyway, I finished it yesterday. I love reading journals and this is no exception. Even putting aside (as much as you can) the big Holocaust story behind it, it still stands up as a well written and engaging read.

Listening: Buffy Sainte-Marie - She Used to Want to be a Ballerina
Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis
Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited

Watching: The Shady Hill Kidnapping (1982) starring George Grizzard, Polly Holliday and Celeste Holm. A wonderful and darkly humorous John Cheever play about the fictional town of Shady Hill, Connecticut. I saw this on PBS back when it came out and was thrilled to find it is now available on DVD.

Ratatouille (2007) starring Patton Oswalt and Janeane Garofalo, among others. Cute Pixar entertainment about being different and creative and loving food, featuring rats and people.

Technical Note I've begun the process of changing hosts so this site might go off line briefly.

Labels: listening, reading, technology, watching

posted by Miss Rachel 3/17/2008 09:26:00 AM

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Another Video Post!

Labels: blogging, physical fitness, school, technology, winter

posted by Miss Rachel 1/02/2008 10:16:00 PM

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Labels: blogging, hair, technology

posted by Miss Rachel 1/01/2008 04:00:00 PM

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Labels: blogging, technology

posted by Miss Rachel 12/31/2007 03:52:00 PM

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I have hunkered down into a schoolwork-related trance. Yesterday I took a half day and came home to work on my memo, stopping at a convenience store to buy a box of Oreos. I ate them all, and I don't even feel worried about it (re: fat). Anything to get me through this. I got up my courage and Skyped the Ohio University library and ended up having an online chat about Skype with Char of the blog Informational! Isn't the internet just great? She was really nice (and helpful), and I thought it was neat to be talking to someone whose Skype presentation I'd read about here.

Labels: library science, school, technology

posted by Miss Rachel 12/13/2007 06:27:00 AM

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I am home today using yet another vacation day to work on and FINISH my tutorial which is due tomorrow. If any of my commenters or people on my blog list is on Skype and wants to try it, send me an e-mail at rachel [at] missrachel [dot] com and let me know. I will give you my Skype name and we can arrange a call. It's free so give it a shot.

I have been continuing my cardio workouts in the last month. a little less often than is ideal, but I am somewhat pleased because at least I haven't stopped. I hadn't done weights in almost three weeks, and it felt great to do them again this week. I did my whole strength training program on Monday and Thursday. My current program is this:

squat with blue body bar (BB)
2 phase hip extension
wall sit / wall sit with leg flex
1 arm bent over row on ball
seated row with resistance band (RB)
dumbbell reverse flies
speed chops
Bradford press with pink BB
shoulder press 21s
angled biceps curl
triceps wall push ups
blue BB & RB chest press/pulse/press
dead bugs
oblique crunches on ball
crunches on ball with dumbbell
cat / dog stretches
(alternating) swimmers

Labels: physical fitness, school, technology

posted by Miss Rachel 11/30/2007 10:27:00 AM

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I have to admit that I lied, unwittingly, about failing the technology test. The only way I can figure out what happened is that my teacher graded me with consideration for my lack of experience with the subject matter. Because he gave me a B-. Yup. I was totally shocked. I didn't even look at the grade until I had left the classroom, and when I saw the B- I checked to make sure it was my test I was looking at. So, I have to apologize for insisting I failed the test because I didn't. I really really thought I did though. So Savy; you were right; I'm sorry I insisted otherwise. And thanks.

Last week was a difficult one for me. I was worried about the test, there's a negative vibe at work, and then I read various blog posts about the dearth of librarian jobs available. That last bit of news nearly killed me. My supposed ticket out, the thousands of dollars I'm spending, the anxiety and hard work all for naught. I was in a bad place emotionally. I ended up posting about the blogs on our class's Curr3nt Aw@reness forum. I got some good responses. One guy said we're always hearing messages about one job shortage or another, and it always changes so the best thing to do is focus on what you like to do and by doing that, you'll do your best work. Another said that it might be true that actual librarian jobs aren't so plentiful, but that the degree can be used in other ways. He also encouraged me to stay away from those blogs and their negativity. Good stuff.

So I'm feeling better so far this week. The negative vibe didn't seem to be there at work today. Of course, I didn't get into any long conversations with BB today. I like him, but he sure can bring the clouds, even though he says he just wants me to be aware of stuff. I don't know though; we'll see. And yes, I still am going for that other job, but the posting doesn't close till November 30 so it's going to be a while.

One final thing, the next technology assignment is a tutorial, and mine is on Skype. Anyone out there tried it? If so, what do you think? I've tried it a few times on Sweetie's Macbook (which I'm using right now as a matter of fact), and I think it's pretty cool. I would be love to hear others' opinions of it.

Labels: library science, school, technology, the blues, work

posted by Miss Rachel 11/19/2007 09:12:00 PM

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