Maybe the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen?

Car accidents. The zamboni. Taylor Swift. All things that I stare at with very little thought for long periods of time.

Just look at this music video with Taylor Swift! She is so gorgeous that I keep playing it just staring at her, ogling the poor girl. I'm ashamed. Don't studies say that babies stare longer at photos of attractive people? I hope that's not indicative of my level of brain function. Of course, the guy they picked to be opposite her in the video ain't half bad, either. [*bites finger*]

Happy Festivus

My gift to all of you. <3

Made me laugh

Considering my current state of affairs, finding something that makes me laugh is nothing short of miraculous =). But I couldn't help giggling repeatedly over the commentary on this post from Cake Wrecks today:

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2008/12/totally-cheating.html

Enjoy.

Doghouse Blues

I found this today and loved it. It's about 5 minutes long, but it's worth watching the whole thing.

A few more notes on the Christmas Wishlist

I have a few more notes on Christmas wishes, but I didn't want that post to be so very long, so I thought I'd put an update up today.

These are some items that didn't quite make the initial cut for me, but are worth mentioning:
1. Cute little salt boxes for your kitchen sink. An attractive way to keep a pinch of salt close at hand.
2. Nutritional pyramid lunchbox. It doesn't appear to be the most secure or functional thing, but the idea is inspiring and the design is chic.
3. Pip squeak chapeaus. I would need a little tyke of my own to put these on, but I can't resist how adorable they are.
4. Cutest onesies ever, but really more of a baby shower gift than a Christmas present.
5. 2009 calendar. Again, I just love the little birds.
6. You can find another great list of goodies on seriouslysoblessed this weekend.

Also - there is one cute idea that I'm holding back, simply because it's what I got for my family this year. But if you're curious and not related to me, send me an email and I'll fill you in.

Christmas Wishes

Earlier this season, I started noting things I saw online that I wanted for Christmas. I kept a really good list, but Michael surprised me by finishing all of my Christmas shopping before we even hit November! (Sadly, he finished before I had time to show him my list) But I thought I'd put up my list on my blog, in case any of you out there are trying to come up with ideas for your friends and family this holiday season.

	First up, this cute necklace with bird pendant. Cute little designs with birds on them sell like hotcakes, and you may have noticed that I always include a bird on each of my new blog designs. I can't get enough of little birds, and these won't be the last you see on my list. I spotted these little guys on this blog, and they're sold at this website.
	These are cute little charm necklaces that I saw on this blog one day. I think they're charming and fun. They even have sets of two for best friends or mother/daughter or sisters. If I get pregnant again I definitely want the cute little rabbit one to wear around like my little secret. Of course, it's hardly a secret when I go telling everyone what it means. These charmers can be ordered here.
	"The ideal product for those who like to whizzz around in the kitchen, who know that a table spoon of oil here and a bit of soy there is the standard procedure. One is constantly in need of some liquid and that means open bottle, close bottle, open bottle, close bottle." I love gift ideas that serve a purpose but still look snazzy. Quoted from this blog, and can be ordered from this page.
	For some reason lately, I have fallen in love with any form of the alphabet paired with representations of each letter. These little flashcards are so adorable, and you could use them to decorate in lots of cute ways.
	This is actually something I need, a rack for jewelry (my jewelry is just floating around my bathroom at the moment). I also like this product for the simple design and functionality. Discovered on this blog, and can be purchased here.
	I love cake but I'm not a huge fan of frosting. I love these cake stencils because you can use powdered sugar to make the designs. I see them being an especially fun gift for a niece of mine who loves to bake, but I've already finished my shopping. I think this specific set is sold out on Amazon.com, but they have lots of similar cake stencils in stock. Found on this blog.
	More cute little birds. Just can't get enough. Seen on this blog, and can be ordered from this site.
	More alphabets with cute animals. But the bonus is that this site also does the numbers 1-10, with animals making up each of the numbers in a pretty display around the center. Found on this blog, and sold here.
	And lastly, what better than the gift that helps us to prioritize? These are a thoughtful little gift, perfect as a small present. Seen on this blog, and are ordered from here.

A lot of these gift ideas come from the same fantastic blog that I follow. It's called Design Crush, where the blogger posts great product finds (and other goodies) that she's seen on the internet from time to time. For the holiday season, she's put together 17 lists of gift ideas organized into personality types! Absolutely brilliant. She hasn't posted all 17 yet, but take a look at what she's posted so far (links below), and I'll try to keep my blog updated with her newest lists.

Ideas for:
The foodie
The hipster
The office folk (love #1)
The animal lover
The little ones (love #9)
The music lover
The girly-girl
The minimalist
The cook
The paper lover
The manly man
The artiste
The homebody
The fashionista
The greenie

Customer Support

I've helped people like this over the phone so many times:



Back when I did tech support for 3 years, I had callers just like this. I remember trying to spell out .org and having people reply back, "Orgy? What?"

My brother recently said, "There's a circle of hell where you have to help your parents with their computer problems." I laughed for 3 minutes or so.

Amazing!

I decided that I wanted a Wii Fit (for my Wii... is that obvious?). But apparently everyone else had the same idea and none of the stores have one. So I saw this on the shelf at the store - My Fitness Coach - and got it, thinking it might be similar.

It is so awesome!
It's like an interactive workout video, that is totally catered to you specifically and goes at the right pace and works towards goals specifically based on your body type and personal goals.

I am really excited about it, and I hope I can explain why. The first thing you do is put in all sorts of embarrassing personal information. Weight, height, age, measurements (have that measuring tape handy), and how many push-ups, crunches, and squats you can do... etc. Then the "trainer"... Maya, gives you a goal that she thinks you should work towards (my suggested goal is weight-loss, right on). But you don't have to do what she says. But I totally will.

Anyway, then she recommends a workout schedule for you. She recommended 5 days of 15-minute workouts for me each week, but again, you can change your workout schedule to whatever you want. For my husband, she recommended two days of 45 minute workouts, and one 60 minute workout each week.

So then you start a workout. I got to pick from three beautiful workout environments (I chose a garden... ahhh, it's not even like exercise at all when you're in a garden, right?), but there are several more environments that you can "unlock" as you do more workouts. Total motivation. (really). Also, you can choose what workout music you want to listen to... I chose the 80's, and again there are more music selections that you can unlock as you go along.

Then she starts the workout by asking you how you're feeling. I chose, "You're lucky I'm here." Maya says, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, but there's nothing like a workout to get you up and going for the day!" So true, Maya. You're also asked if you have certain workout equipment, like steps or hand weights or the stability ball, and they'll incorporate that into the workout for you (I have none, but that's no problem). Each workout is also tailored for your goals and body type.

The workout starts, shows you how much time you have left, how far along each particular exercise you are, and meanwhile Maya is giving great tips and encouragement... I love this thing!! The workouts also vary, too. You can do several kinds, cardio, upper-body strength, even yoga. When I ended the workout, Maya said, "Great, see you again on Friday!"... she even knows when I'm due back. Love the thoughtfulness.

Basically, I think this is a really cool product, and at about $30 it was a third of the cost of a Wii Fit (about $90, not including the multitude of accessories you can get). It also keeps track of your body stats and goals, though the Wii Fit may do a better job of that, with that board thing keeping track of you all the time. I'm sure the Wii Fit is a good product, too, but I'm pretty thrilled with this little find today. If I didn't have a Wii, I'd want to get one just for this cool, personalized workout.

I saw this by my house the other day

Amazing!! We were stopped at a stoplight when I took this picture. The people in the car next to me sure thought I was weird.

Anyway, celebrate with me!

Wishlist for patrons

I saw this article today called, "Top 20 things librarians in public libraries wish patrons knew or did"

I picked out seven of my favorite ones to re-post here, with a few comments from me.

19. Ask us for what you really want, Please be specific! If you (or your child) need materials on how American pioneers lived while on the Oregon Trail, don't ask where the "history section" is. Of course, a good librarian will ask you questions to narrow it down.

16. Come to our programs! They are free entertainment for the whole family, which is especially great during the current economic crisis. We work hard to plan lecture series, author visits, video game programs, movie nights, book clubs, and knitting circles. We'll continue to have cutting edge and entertaining programs as long as you keep coming. Besides, high attendance at programs makes the library look good (and while you are there, why not check out a book?). If a library draws huge program numbers it is likely to continue to receive funding from the town or city to continue doing them.

15. Please respect the desk barrier. Unless we invite you to walk around and look over our shoulder, we'd prefer it if you would give us a bit of space. Please wait for us to turn the computer screen around so that you can see what information we've found for you.

My personal note: please don’t sit on the desk, also. Please. If you’re trying to talk to me, it helps to not have to look at your posterior.

11. The library has almost as many DVD's as your local video store. The same goes for CD's and even video games. We try and buy as much of the current and popular items as possible (in addition to informational and educational items). Plus our items are free. Why subscribe to Netflix when you can rent from the library?

9. Practice good hygiene. We're not asking you to put on a full face of makeup or bathe yourself in cologne (in fact it's probably better if you don't do the latter). Winter is cold and flu season. If you are sick, please try to sneeze away from the computer or reference desk. And please wash your hands!

My personal note: I’d settle for everyone just bathing. At least once every few days.

3. Be respectful of other library patrons. This includes giving the person ahead of you at the reference desk enough space, not yelling at your kids across the room, talking on your cell phone at the computer, and swearing. The library doesn't have to be a quiet place, but it doesn't need to sound like Husky Stadium.

(Underlined sections are added by me.)

2. We support Intellectual Freedom. Librarians and circulation clerks are not the content police. We will not prevent a six year-old child from checking out Nightmare on Elm Street or The Book of Bunny Suicides. We believe that it is the parent's or guardian's responsibility to monitor what their children take out of the library. If you do feel an item is inappropriate or should be withdrawn from the collection, ask your librarian for the proper paperwork to fill out. We can't guarantee it will be removed, but it will be considered by a committee and often reshelved in a different section of the library.

Another note from me, if your librarian hasn't read the book in question:

If you're worried about content for your child, read it first. If you're worried about content for you, look up all the reviews you can on amazon.com or goodreads.com. Chances are that someone has commented on something they found offensive in the book.

Thanksgiving

Ahhh, Thanksgiving.

There's no other time quite like it for a family to come and gather together...

and watch this Sarah Palin video.

Some back story? As the governor, Sarah Palin kept with tradition and pardoned one turkey for Thanksgiving. Cute, right? Unfortunately, calamity struck afterwards as Sarah Palin gave an interview, and in the background some poor turkey is definitely NOT receiving the benefits of a pardon. Read more of the details here.



Several members of my family packed as close together as possible, shocked and groaning with horror, gathered around a laptop to watch the video. Nothing like the holidays to bring a family together, eh?

Twilight

Ok, I just got home from Twilight. And I have 2 negative things that I have to get off my chest... just 2, that's all! Don't get mad.

First, I thought it was weird. It was just very weird. And I realize that the weirdness of the movie sort of reflected the twisted and unnatural aspect of their relationship... But it took me to almost the end to get used to it.

Second, Edward kept twisting his face into these crazy contorted positions, and a dozen times throughout the movie I caught myself twisting my own face into the same crazy twisted positions (though by the end I decided that I was making painful faces simply because Edward was painfully good-looking).

But I did like it. Even though I had to check on imdb.com how old Robert Pattinson is just to make sure my thoughts about him are legal... he's 22. (If you don't know I'm joking then shame on you!)

And aside from Edward... the hottest actor in the movie award goes to..... ALICE! HUBBA HUBBA! Love that hair.


Oh and did anyone else think that James looks like a young Sabertooth from x-men?

Post #100

At our library we have a ballroom that people can book for wedding receptions. When I was working on Friday night I noticed a lot of dressy people heading up that way. I looked at the calendar and said to my co-worker:

"November 21st. That's sort of a cozy day to get married."

She says: "Yeah. But it's also sort of hard having something during the holidays. For instance, my birthday is during the holidays and it's sort of a bummer sometimes."

I say: "Oh really? When is your birthday?"

She hesitates, and then looks embarrassed and says, "Today, actually."

Wow! She was gonna go the whole day and not say anything! So I made a big deal out of it to tease her. What are the chances, huh? She told me that in the past she's gotten turkey cakes for her birthday (I weep for the child she was), and it reminded me of one of my favorite sites, Cake Wrecks. I never knew turkey cakes even existed!

Details

A little boy came up to me the other day and asked,
"Um... uh... have you seen, like, a baby?..."

I gave him a very square look and said,
"Are you looking for your mom?"

He nodded.

Not only am I an interpreter, I am a magician!
Or a mind-reader. But magician sounds cooler.

No doubt he was trying to find some kind of identifying factor for me to know who his mom was, but he sadly forgot the key point of telling me that it was a woman that he was looking for.

Coincidentally, my husband Michael misses these kinds of key points often in his conversations with me, and he'll start a conversation something like,
"So this guy was totally drunk, and..."

Me: "Wait, what? Where? When?"

Him: "Oh, when I was in Mexico."

...BIG detail.

Drop the other shoe

My brother sent this to me. Love it.

Gas was $1.87 by my house today. I haven't seen that since I was in high school (6 years ago). Where is all of the news coverage on this? We have 24-hour news coverage when the gas prices go up 20 cents, but when they drop over 2 dollars in four months we have nothing to say? I must be missing news broadcasts, or reading the wrong blogs or something.

I am excited, but sort of scared, too. I guess I am distrustful of such a splendid change, is something bad coming? Is it like when someone tries to soften bad news? "Well, we're headed into a depression, but here's some cheap gas! [pat on back]"

:.(

This happened last Wednesday night.

I sort of feel like my car has lost a little bit of its virtue. For instance, when I bought my first car (used), the dealership hadn't changed the oil and didn't bother to tell me. I drove it 2800 miles and the engine completely seized up as one huge hunk of useless metal. So we got a new engine for it. But I never felt the same way again about that car. When I bought it, I chose it. And to have the heart and soul ripped out of it and another one put in, I never felt like it was the same car that I had chosen.

So now with this car, obviously it's getting a new passenger door and a few surrounding parts are being replaced as well. And they have to repaint that side of the car. And I just feel like it won't be the same car anymore, the one that I chose. And it's so new, and I bought it so recently, it's going to be this changed thing for years. We've had this car for four months. And come to think of it, my first car I had for four months when the engine seized. Do I have a 4 month curse?

Lost & Found

I cleaned the house today. When Michael was getting ready for work, he called across the house,
"Breanne? Where are my shoes?"

Me: "On the shoe rack."

Him: "...huh."

We both thought it was kinda funny.

Great You Tube Video

http://www.youtube.com/experiencewii

Follow the link and make sure to watch the whole thing. You'll luv it.

My Voting Experience Today

I voted in an elementary school gym. The voting computers were set up all in a row down the long side of the room. And all of us waiting were herded through lines back and forth across the gym. The voting computers were NOT turned away facing the wall directly behind them, but instead facing everyone in the lines. They had the little shields up on the computers, which prevented the people voting from seeing each other, but did nothing to prevent the rest of us from seeing exactly what was on the screen! From my position in line, I could see exactly where people were pointing on their screens, and in essence, exactly who they were voting for. That's when I leaned over to Michael and said,
"I am outraged."

Of course, I did nothing about it and instead resolved to write a strongly-worded blog post that will in effect, do nothing. And while I was there I figured... no one is standing outside with a gun ready to shoot me based on what I touch on the screen. I didn't really feel threatened.

Until the people behind me in line started talking. They were full of scathing remarks concerning the candidate that I was there to vote for. One of the voter organizers even came up and asked them to stop, and said, "Please, you're not supposed to say who you're voting for in here." The woman responded "I didn't." And after the man walked away, she said assertively "I can say whatever I want." I'm cutting out a lot of what they said, but basically it was enough to make me feel uncomfortable and offended.

So when I went to vote, I was standing at a computer right in the middle of the wall, at an angle where one of the lines behind me had an especially good view of my screen, and I was incredibly uncomfortable. I was actually embarrassed to choose my candidate's name, and I hit the "next" button quickly because I didn't want people to see, and I had to go back and make sure I had marked the right one. And I hate that I did that. I mean, I know my discomfort was somewhat irrational, but I saw several people from my neighborhood in there that I know and see often. What if they were like the people behind me in line? What if they could see who I voted for? How would they treat me hereafter?

Obviously, no one was waiting to hang me when I left my computer. But how would that woman in line behind me have treated me if she knew? She certainly wasn't holding back any of her scathing criticism in line. And it's not even her that I really have a problem with. Votes are supposed to be confidential! I've been watching the news today, and I've seen lots of other voting centers. Obviously the voting computers aren't 100% covered up from prying eyes. But I didn't see anything nearly as bad as our setup. The voting computers on tv occupy one half of a room, away from the line of waiting people. I am appalled that they would have the computers in our room set up completely facing the lines of people standing around.

I can't have been the only one to feel that way.

Want that Glock? Vote McCain

I saw that message on a sign outside of a gun shop the other day. I don't quite know what to say in response. To each his own? Beware touting your political agenda via your business? Way to target that audience? Stunned silence maybe.

Anyway, happy voting!

Serendipitous

Last night I had plans to see some friends for Halloween, but Michael ended up needing the car to go to work and I didn't have time to drive down to see them and then be back in time for Michael. But I did have time to grab a bite to eat with Michael before he left for work. We went to an Italian restaurant, and the entire staff was dressed up for Halloween. There was someone dressed in a full Chewbaca costume. Did I spell Chewbaca right?

Anyway, there was a Darth Vader and a Han Solo and a Pippy Longstocking and many more. But we couldn't quite tell what our waiter was. He was wearing a black "ramones" t-shirt and tight skinny jeans and a black belt studded with those silver bolt things. And his hair was all spiky. I asked him what he was and he said, "I'm an emo kid."

For those of you who don't know:
"emo" started off as a term describing a 90's genre of music, but it's spread into a description for melodramatic teens who dont smile and wear tight jeans, itchy scarfs (even in the summer), and ebony greasy unwashed hair that is required to cover at least 3/5 the of the face at an angle. (the true definition of the term is greatly debated, so please no comments correcting me)

We were sort of stumped about our waiter being an "emo" kid, when he said, "If you knew me, you'd see that it's actually sort of funny, because I'm a total jock." Well, okay, that is funny. Then he brought me this:


And he said, "Look! Your soup is emo just like me! It's crying!"

Now, some people might not appreciate negative illustrations in their tomato soup, but I am not one of those. I was thrilled. And I felt sort of evil as I ate up his sad crying face. Mwa haha! The waiter also brought me different mixes of Italian cream soda, because he was experimenting and wanted to know what I liked better.

...It was a really slow night at that restaurant. We were like the only people there with a full serving staff, and I think our waiter was a little bored. But it was probably up there with my most unique restaurant experiences.

Happy Halloween

Last week a patron came up to us at the desk and asked,
"Do you have Crucial Conversations?"

And we said,
"Yes! We're having one right now."

But apparently it's a book.

Hear no evil

Warning: this post is not suitable for young children or the easily scandalized.

Another disaster narrowly averted today at the library:

Patron: Do you have a book of penus?
Me: [long pause while eyeing the patron closely] Sorry, which book?

Patron: You know, like sharlie brown and penus?
Me: Oh! With the comics in the book?
Patron: Yes.

It can't have been a week...

It is! It has been a week since I posted last! Oh remorse!

Soo sorry, I will try to get some good posts lined up for the coming week.

In the meantime, cruise lolcats for some funnies and I'll have a post up before you know it!

http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Maybe I don't get enough to eat?

Sometimes when I'm at work, I fantasize about what I might do if I wasn't at work.

(Note, I just gave my boss my blog address today, so this really is a bad subject to start with, but she knows that I'm just kidding and when I'm at work I'm ridiculously happy and would never dream of anything non-work-related)

So like I said, I fantasize about what I might do if I was at home. And lately it has all revolved around cooking. And I know: I could cook when I'm not at work! I could, you're right. But I just don't. But everybody fantasizes about what they'd do when they finally get some "time," or to quote a fabulous quotable, "that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do."

So, to totally miss the point and continue with what I was saying, if I had the time, I would make this:



And this!:



And the casseroles, oh how I would make the casseroles!!



Instead, I live vicariously through others and subscribe to several delectable food blogs. It's fantastic! They have amazing photos of the completed recipe, but also step-by-step photos to add interest and make the whole process of cooking look like a fabulously enjoyable and almost therapeutic experience.

I even went so far as to make one, one day. This is what I was trying to make:



As we have so much zucchini in our gardens lately (I know, that's a lie, I didn't plant any either), I'm eager for zucchini recipes. I laid my laptop on the counter and started boiling and grating and mixing to my heart's content. Except that I didn't follow the recipe exactly. And maybe I put in a little too much chili pepper. And sort of did a crazy thing with the parsley that I won't explain out of embarrassment. And I didn't have any Parmesan so I used mozzarella. But anyway, my husband liked it.

Here's a list of food blogs that I subscribe to, and I'd love to hear if anyone has any recommendations for me:

http://veganyumyum.com/
http://vegeyum.wordpress.com/
http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/
http://smittenkitchen.com/
http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.com/

Notable Quote

I follow this fabulous blog, and I couldn't help but include a quote.

She's discussing the upcoming holidays and the marketing frenzy surrounding them.

"It's been interesting listening to editorials about Our Current Economic Crisis, and how what really needs to happen is for Americans to get out there and spend. By being good little consumers, we can save the day, the country, AND THE WORLD.

Except that logic seems wrong to me. I mean, maybe it would help the GNP and the businesses who are making less this year than they're used to, but would it actually help us as individuals? Telling us to run out there and spend money on things we may not need and almost certainly can't afford? Because maybe I don't want to jump onto your Hamster Wheel of Disposable Crap, government. And yes, I'm sure all of our insatiable greed for whatever is newest, best, biggest, and shiniest has helped our economy. Until, you know, we saw the consumer debt amount climb and the bankruptcy and foreclosure rates rise."

I'm not saying this is my opinion about what/how the economy should be or anything. I'm posting it because it makes me feel better about not wanting to spend anything myself.

Cheers

My mom has a lot of books saved from over the years. This weekend we found one book on pregnancy from 1965, and Michael noticed this little tidbit:

"Many women ask about cigarettes and alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol is safe in limited quantities; a glass or two of wine at dinner or a cocktail will do no harm. No one knows for sure whether or not tobacco is harmful to the fetus. It has been shown that women who smoke give birth to somewhat smaller babies. In making a decision about tobacco, the mother should also consider her own health and the increased danger, due to smoking, of lung and heart disease."

Funnily enough, my mom had a newer edition of the same book that was published in 1979. So we looked up the same section in the newer book, thinking that it would surely be updated with better information. This is what we found:

"Alcohol is perfectly safe in small quantities. Recent research suggests dangers to the fetus from heavy drinking. An occasional glass or two of wine, or a cocktail, will do no harm. Smoking should be avoided. It is not known whether smoking actually harms the fetus, but women who smoke often give birth to smaller babies. There is also evidence that babies whose mothers smoke have more respiratory diseases in early infancy."

---

Of course, today we have the benefit of years of research and study. And everyone knows that smoking and alcohol during pregnancy are no-nos. But I was wondering just how much more we know now beyond "respiratory diseases in early infancy." So I looked a couple of things up.

Smoking can lead to such things as an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy (these pregnancies must be aborted), increased risk of developing placental complications, increased risk of stillbirth, miscarriage, and severe vaginal bleeding. Also seriously slow fetal growth, low birth weight, and increased risk of preterm delivery (by about 30 percent). It also increases the likelihood of certain birth defects, including a cleft lip and/or cleft palate.

"Babies who weigh less than 5 1/2 pounds at birth face an increased risk of serious health problems during the newborn period, chronic disabilities (such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and learning problems), and even death. Babies of mothers who smoke are twice as likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) as babies of nonsmokers. Children who are exposed to cigarette smoke before birth also may be at increased risk of lasting problems, including asthma, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems."

What about the harmless cocktail each evening?
Current research has shown that drinking increases the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. As little as one drink a day can raise the odds for low birth weight and raise your child's risk for problems with learning, speech, attention span, language, and hyperactivity.

"The most severe result of alcohol use is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a lifelong condition characterized by poor growth (in the womb, after birth, or both), abnormal facial features, and damage to the central nervous system. Babies with FAS may also have abnormally small heads and brains, as well as heart, spine, and other anatomical defects. The central nervous system damage may include mental retardation, delays in physical development, vision and hearing problems, and a variety of behavioral problems. Frequent drinking greatly increases the risk that your baby will suffer from FAS. But babies whose moms drink less can also develop this syndrome. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fetal exposure to alcohol is one of the main preventable causes of birth defects and developmental problems in this country."


Sometimes it's hard to argue that ignorance is bliss.

Happy October!

I have been waiting impatiently for the first day of October so that I could post this incredibly cute Halloween finger food photo.

I saw it on the cover of one of the magazines while I was at work, and the entire issue has Halloween-themed foods. Love it. It makes me want to throw a finger-food party on Halloween. Almost.





Mmm monster toes, nom nom nom.

Good First Sentences

You have to admire a book that starts off with a good first sentence. Because lots of books just take the easy way out and start off with a normal sentence that they translate into maybe a good opening paragraph or even a good opening chapter.

But to come off with a killer first sentence? That takes some work and some talent.

This post is dedicated to good examples of the awesome first sentence. Please feel free to add a comment with one that's impressed you. Also visit this site for a list of 100:
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006/02/04/news/doc43e3e6b004381080724526.txt

Here's one that caught my attention lately:
"Prince Raoden of Arelon awoke early that morning, completely unaware that he had been damned for all eternity."
From Elantris by Brandon Sanderson.

I read that and squirmed with pleasure and said, "OOOooooooo."

Does anyone want to submit any other good contenders?

The eye of the beholder

My friend Jessie recently had a baby shower. And pictured below is one of the gifts she got at her baby shower:
Unique, eh? The giver didn't make it, but she did find it at a yard sale. I believe the colors match the baby's room. It's made from yarn. We all thought it was pretty unusual. I had never seen anything like it before.

So you can imaine my surprise when I went to the Utah State Fair, and walked around the arts and crafts pavillion, and saw this:

Yarn art! And it won first prize! At something.

Now call me crazy, but I majored in Art History... And I've never seen framed yarn art before, and to be hit with it twice in one week! Sometimes you just can't prepare enough for something.

Fall celebration

I couldn't possibly agree more. This photo couldn't be more perfect even if the dog had a little bandana tied around his neck.

This photo perfectly captures fall for me as a kid. Crisp air. Sunshine. Leaves falling from the trees. The lawn trying to hold on. Playing outside. Found an awesome stick. What more could a kid ask for?

All you have to do is imagine that house in the background full of apple pie and turkey with dressing and you may have my personal version of heaven.

Sept 22nd

Happy First Day of Fall!

(If you have an RSS feed, you'll be missing my new fall colors.)

Library Quirks

I had this conversation the other day:

Patron: "Where is your section on babies?"

Me: "Is there anything specific that you want on babies?"

Patron: "No, just like the general section about babies."

Me: "Well, there are books about babies spread all through nonfiction. Like how to care for your baby, how to teach your baby sign language, nutrition for your baby, clothes for your baby, etc."

(I thought I had her at how to care for your baby. But she said:)

Patron: "You don't just have a section on babies?"

My thought: Baby what? Just baby? No, there is no baby section.

But I said: "Let me see if we have something general."

I found a book called "Your baby & child," (child care) which she thought sounded good. I also encouraged her to come back if she wanted any help narrowing it down. She didn't come back and walked out with 8 or so infant care books.



A lot of people assume that we have sections on things. Where is your vampire section? Where is your cowboy section? Where are your wizard books? I can understand, you really don't know where things are when you first walk into a library. But sometimes the assumptions can get a little silly. The "section" concept can actually work in nonfiction if your topic is narrow enough.

On the other hand, things can get too specific. Once someone asked me for the "business" section. I asked him if he wanted anything specific and he said that he wanted a list of small companies in Utah that provide web services. That was a hum-dinger. I guess I should be careful what I wish for.

For the Birds

I thought this was cute.

Credits: I think this comes from this site.

Lost in Translation

The second floor of our library is the quiet floor.
There was a family at one of the microfilm machines today that were speaking a bit loud. I waited for awhile, but they didn't stop, so I finally went over and spoke to the mother.
"Hi, I was just wondering if you could whisper? This is the quiet floor and we try to keep things as quiet as possible for those who are studying."
She sort of looked at me blankly so I kept going,
"Sorry, you were being very quiet already, but if you could just whisper that would be great." [smile]

She kept looking at me, but took her pre-teen son by the shoulder and shook him a little, and he finally said, "Shhhhhhhhhhhh."

She smiled and laughed and said, "Ah, okay, okay!"

Well that explains the blank look. But something tells me that some of what I said might have gotten lost in the translation...

One Eyed One Horned...

I saw this photo today next to a headline titled "Czech National Librarian fired over library design."

And I thought, "Well yeah."

But if you read the article it's all about how the competition for building designs was done "at variance with the law."

"Cieslar said the ministry's analyses rule out the possibility of continuing the preparation of the construction of Kaplicky's project dubbed a blob or an octopus." I guess the validity of the competition has been challenged and "implies serious financial risks for the state."

Honestly, they're a little sketchy on the details, aren't they? It's almost too easy to suspect that the design that "won" the competition was so hideous that they decided to do whatever it took to pull the plug.

Wait, did you not get a good enough look? I know I didn't. Let's see some more.

Notice how it fits right in with the city?

See how the people are just squiggly lines? The building looks perfect for them! (Not so much for real, actual, human-type people.)









A lot of people really like it, actually. Unfortunately, a lot of the people in power aren't as excited. One article reads, "The Mayor doesn't like it. The current President of the Republic doesn't like it. Even the director of Prague's National Gallery ... says the striking conceit is too 'strong' for the delicate grain and texture of the historic quarter."

Well, I've been staring at it for awhile now, and it's starting to grow on me. Get it? Grow? Just kidding. Really, it is. I don't know why I'm so obsessed by this. I guess I just think it's so outlandish (out·land·ish: freakishly or grotesquely strange or odd, as appearance, dress, objects, ideas, or practices; bizarre), that it's amazing that it won at all.

In case you are just as stunned as I am by this, let me save you some time by providing a few links:

Lots of bloggers approve of the building for its eco-friendly features.
Here are some photos of the other entries in the competition.
Some architectural images of the building.

On a roll

I took photos of my sister's family this weekend. And I have to say, I'm pretty proud of some of these photos. Here are my favorites from the film rolls:


This is probably my favorite one. I love the cut-off parents. I love the candid face on Eden. I love the window behind. I love them holding hands.



The kids posed themselves this way. Apparently "just hanging out" for them includes draping themselves across the benches and leaning towards each other in sibling affection.