Tuesday, April 15, 2014

The Joys of Stair Walks: Urban Walking Adventures in Seattle and Beyond

I have always loved stairs.

I find them mysterious.

When I see a set of stairs nestled into a hillside, I want to climb them to see where they lead.

So you can imagine my joy when I found the book "Seattle Stairway Walks:  An Up-and-Down Guide to Seattle's Neighborhoods" by Jake and Cathy Jaramillo (2012).



I bought the book for Hubby for Christmas 2012 (a great stocking stuffer), because I thought it would be fun for us to not only get to know more about Seattle, but something we could do together.

Last Saturday we completed the last of the 25 walks in the book. 

We decided to walk all of these walks 15 months ago and saw it through despite life's challenges.

The last set of stairs on our 15 month odyssey 4-12-14.


The walks range in length from almost five miles to walks only .4 miles; walks that took over two hours to complete to walks that were only about 30 minutes; walks with 400-500 steps up and down to fewer than 200.  

Those stairs took us to parts of Seattle we knew nothing about, even though we have lived here for 10 years and have used similar books for "walking tours."

The book contains 25 walks with clear maps and written directions.

Most walks brilliantly combine nice residential neighborhoods with park settings and a route that takes you back to your starting point without any backtracking. 

The authors take good care of you, too, by pointing out dangerous intersections and where to cross safely along with warnings about muddy and slippery sections of stairs and trails. They also include the location of restrooms (always a plus for those of us of a certain age - kids too), whether the walk is kid friendly and the availability of cafes, stores and other amenities.  The number of steps up and down, time allotment and distance are also included for each walk along with clear driving and bus information.

The walks were also designed  to maximize the views.



But most of all, it was all about THE STAIRS.

When I think of the research involved in searching out all of those stairs, it boggles the mind, not to mention counting all of those steps and the distances and time involved. 


We walked urban stairs:






We walked historic stairs:



 
 
We walked long stairs,
 
 
 


 short stairs,




and seemingly hidden stairs.




We walked stairs with views,


 
 
fancy stairs,
 
 
 
 
woodsy stairs,
 
 

 
 
 
 
rickety stairs,
 
 
 


modern but gorgeous stairs,

 
 
stairs with art,




stairs with quirks,



and stairs that led us over bridges.


(Hubby and I have a thing about bridges.  No bridge can be crossed without a kiss in the middle.  This particular walk had five bridges! Awww. I know. Maybe that accounts for our 30 years of marriage!  Kissing on bridges!)


And don't think we were just walking up and down stairs. 

We were walking up and down hills as well.  Every time we walked down some stairs, we knew that we had to get back up somehow.  They should have called this "Seattle Stair and Hill Walks!"


That is steeper than it looks! (is "steeper" a word?)



But it was great fun and I will miss it.

You should try it!


I know this book is Seattle specific, and you are probably wondering, how does this relate to me if I don't live in Seattle?


Well, who knows?  Maybe you DO have stairs near you. 



You do if you live in San Francisco,




 


the East Bay,

 

 

 


Los Angeles or



Portland.


 

(check your local library or Amazon for a book for your area).


But even if there are no stairs, you can do the same thing with urban walks.

Try to find a book of walks for your area.


Why?

  • Because for one thing, it's great exercise. 
          I am 65 and my husband is 61, and I feel that as long as I can walk
          several miles and haul my butt up those stairs, I am doing OK.



  • It's also a chance to spend some alone time with your significant other in beautiful settings.
          When I go for walks on my own or exercise at the gym, I usually have
          the headphones on and am rocking out to some music. When you walk
          with someone else, it's just the two of you, sharing what you are seeing,
          and who knows what other insights and discussions will pop up?  You
          might solve the problems of the world together.



  • You get to know your town.
           If you are a newbie, finding a book that takes you on walks around town
           is the best way to become familiarized with your new surroundings.  If
           you have lived in the same town for awhile, you will be surprised at how
           many places you DIDN'T know about.


“Sundial” for marking the equinox and solstice in Solstice Park


  • You learn stuff
          Most books include background history and architecture about what you
          are seeing. I am walking and reading the background stuff to Hubby (I'm
          a bossypants like that).


A scale replica of the Statue of Liberty at Alki Beach was donated by Reginald H. Parsons and the Seattle Area Council of The Boy Scouts of America in 1952. The statue may allude to "New York-Alki", the name of the 1851 settlement at Alki, where the first white settlers of Seattle landed.  Many tourists mourned the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center at the site.

 Now this is important...


Fashion Tips for Stair Walking:


For you guys out there, I know, who cares? 

I know you probably don't care about looking fabulous.  Wear your baseball caps or Seahawks "We won the Superbowl" jackets like some people I won't name (but their names start with "h" and end with "ubby").

But ladies, when stair walking, WE must look fabulous!

  • Find the right shoes.
         When I am not running or playing tennis, I am not a running or tennis
         shoe kind of person nor do hiking boots do it for me any time.  I want to
         look fabulous when I am out and about.  No "sensible shoes." And tennis
         or running shoes don't work that well anyway, because they can be
         be very slippery on muddy trails and stairs.  After trial and error, I settled
         on a pair of moto boots (that's motorcycle boots for those of you who are
         not fashionistas) that took me across Europe. 
         They are comfy and I can tromp through just about anything.  And they
         look fabulous!

  • Opt for clothes that are easy to walk in, but still fabulous.

        I can't tell you how difficult it is to trudge four miles and walk up
        500 stairs in skinny jeans (though I managed it in Paris.  You have
        to look fabulous there no matter what).  Even with Spandex, it hurts.
    Here I am tromping up the steps of the Trocadero in Paris.




And this is what I look like tromping up and down the stairs of Seattle.
 
 

Flashy leggings tucked neatly into the boots lend a bit of whimsy to the occasion, but with enough give and take that you don't even know you are wearing them (BTW, speaking of which. I have a theory about leggings. When they were invented, that's when America got fat.  Elastic waists and Spandex will do it every time.  But I digress)

Add a long top to obscure the fatty bits and a scarf and denim jacket to add to the cool factor and you have the perfect outfit. 
 
You will also look fabulous enough to enjoy the "reward*" after the walk.(you can do variations on this theme depending on the weather).


And don't forget the backpack.  A purse doesn't cut it on walks like these 
(and if you are in Seattle, have an umbrella in it). 



So if you are looking for something fun, interesting and healthful, I can't think of anything better than urban walks, especially if they include stairs. 

If you live in the Seattle area, get "Seattle Stairway Walksby Jake and Cathy Jaramillo. 

If you live in other areas, find something similar.  I know you will have as much fun as we did.

I am sad that it's over, though we will definitely be revisiting these walks and sharing them with friends and family.

New adventures await. 

But I will never forget these last wonderful 15 months of stair walks.

Hubby and I started this together and saw it through, despite those things that life throws at you to distract you.  But we did it!

It was magical!

Oh, and that reward* I was talking about?



Plan your walk to coincide with Happy Hour and/or a meal, whenever and wherever that may be! 

You and your significant other can relive the sights and places you discovered over a craft cocktail and delicious food. 

And because you are wearing something fabulous, you won't feel embarrassed walking into the coolest of establishments (you are welcome)!

(BTW, I am working my way through all of the fine restaurants and bars in Seattle A-Z, but that's a whole different blog which you can read on Friday!)

Now I am going to haul my butt up my own stairs and take a nap, basking in my accomplishment!  Owww, my legs!



Thanks for Reading!
 

See you Friday for
 

"My Favorite Seattle Restaurants A-Z
with One Sentence Reviews!"

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it and/or email it to your friends.

Friday, April 11, 2014

A Day in the Life of a TV Addict: The Reality Show Continues (And The Week in Reviews)

[I review movies "Divergent," "Homefront," "CBGB" and foreign films "My Joy," "Silent Souls" and "Twice Born," plus get all literary with my "Book of the Week."]

But first


I have to confess. 

I am hopelessly addicted to television. 

I confessed my addiction in an earlier blog ("Confessions of a TV Addict"), and I have to admit I haven't gotten any better.  In fact, now that I am retired, it's a monkey on my back that I am having trouble getting off.

Last Tuesday's blog ("What Do Librarian's Really Do?") showed a typical day when I was working. 

Now that I am retired, my day looks more like this
 (depending what's on TV, of course):


6:00 am 
Zzzzzzzzz
(Hubby gets up; not me)
        
7:00 am 
Zzzzzzzz
(Hubby starts work; not me.  I'm retired)
             
8:00 am  
Zzzzzzzz

9:00 am  
Zzzzzzzz

10:00 am 
I arise

(Hey, I was up late watching Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show and Seth Meyers on Late Night).  Jimmy is killing it, by the way.  Reminds me of the old days when Johnny was on.  The jury is still out on Seth).


 


11:00 am 
Watch "The View"  and drink my tea.

("The View" comes on at 10am here,  but I have it on TIVO.  I don't watch any TV programs in real time.  I'm a very sophisticated TV person).

There are a lot of people who hate on "The View (mostly men)," but this show was the first talk show to have several hosts and inspire discussion. For 17 years, the "ladies," a changing cast of characters over the years, have sat around a table and talked about "hot topics." 

Today we have copy cats: "The Talk," a decided lesser version, Fox News shows, NFL pregame shows, etc.  Yes, even the current sports shows copied it.  I love Barbara Walters, even though she interrupts Whoopi too much, which I can tell irritates Whoopi (and I love Whoopi), but that's half the fun. Not a fan of Jenny, but at least she's better than Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

The show is on point with the issues of the day - and they discuss serious issues: what's in the news, books, films, social mores - but it's also fun. 

Seriously, though, Barbara Walters retires next month and again, no matter what you think of her, you have to give her credit for breaking that glass ceiling for women broadcasters.  She has been in the business for 50 years! I will miss her.

And if I hear one more man say it's a bunch of caterwauling, I will spit (I don't actually spit, but you know what I mean).  One man's idea of caterwauling is another woman's judgment of the inanity of men talking about sports.

Isolation is a big problem for the aging.  Having "The View" as part of my routine keeps me from feeling isolated (so there).





Noon
Try to act like I don't really want to watch more TV. 

Do something productive like fold laundry or work on my blog.  But hey, I can do that with the TV on.

I will just watch one.

3:00pm. 
Sigh.  Couldn't resist watching "Ru Paul's Drag Race" and The Real World Reunion and the time got away from me.  Better start thinking about what to fix for dinner.

4:00pm. 
Still thinking about what to fix for dinner while watching the latest Real Housewives of Atlanta episode. 







5:00pm 
Happy Hour with Hubby.  Have to think of something to talk about besides TV.  But first I will just check in with "Ellen."  She is always fun and where else do you think I find those cute cat videos that I post on Facebook? 

6:00pm 
Fixing a recipe I saw on "The Chew."  Didn't turn out very well.  I was distracted while wondering what was on TV tonight.

7:00pm
I think I will try to avoid TV for awhile and watch a DVD instead.
(see below)

9:00pm
That DVD was kind of a downer. 

I need a pick me up.  And nothing picks me up more than "Dance Moms."  It's like three glasses of wine without the wine.  It's that relaxing.  The wine-guzzling poodle enjoys it too.



10:00pm
"Dateline "has a really juicy murder story tonight.  I love true crime.  Just as long as it doesn't involve me!  Keith Morrison is my favorite.  When he narrates, it is just so intense and funny.  He makes everything sound so diabolical. Hubby even gets a kick out of him.

11:00pm
Should really go to bed, but I will just stay up for Jimmy's monologue, then I will definitely, for sure,  go to bed.

1:00am 
Yawn

Well I am actually exaggerating a bit. 

I'm not quite that bad.  But I definitely love TV, and it is my drug of choice when it comes to relaxing.  And I do watch "Downton Abbey" too so I can be highbrow with the rest of you.

I would say that perhaps one day a week might resemble that scenario.  That's my "day off."  Hubby says every day is a day off for a retiree, but I disagree.

Being retired is hard work.  It's hard work trying to be relevant, busy, happy, productive, energetic, optimistic, meaningful.  It makes me tired just typing all of that.

In my own defense, what's wrong with a little TV if I find it relaxing?  I have the wine guzzling poodle on my lap and communing with a pet is supposed to be helpful to old folks like me.  I don't think I should have to be apologetic about it - do you hear me TV snobs?  (I hope this is helpful to my other TV addict brethren).

In this hectic world, I think whatever relaxes you is fine, whether it's meditation or a sporting event, hiking or an episode of "Celebrity Wife Swap."  Who am I to judge?  Who is anyone to judge?

And speaking of meditation, where one works on living a deliberate life, it's important to try to let go of judgment. Buddhists believe that judgment is just a recipe for suffering (you can see I am learning some stuff). Sat chit ananda.
Despite my TV addiction, I still manage to volunteer, exercise, read, attend concerts and the theatre, write this blog, meditate and try to live a meaningful life.

And now that I am retired I have all of the time in the world to try to be meaningful.

Now I am going to watch just one teensy, tiny little episode of House Hunters International (ooh, they are in London!), and then I promise I will go to the gym.

I wonder what the new Lifetime movie is going to be.



Now on to
The Week in Reviews


***In Theatres Now***



Divergent


Tris (Shailene Woodley) doesn't fit neatly into one of the five factions (Abnegation, for the selfless; Amity, for the peaceful; Candor, for the honest; Dauntless, for the brave; and Erudite, for the Intelligent) by which her dystopian society has divided its people to keep order. 
Everyone tests into one of those groups unless you are "Divergent," meaning you have the traits of more than one group.  Divergents are feared and the Erudites set out to eliminate them. What will our heroine do?  Girl power, of course.
Based on the young adult novel by Veronica Roth, this is the most popular teen series since "The Hunger Games."
As I predicted when I reviewed "The Spectacular Now," Woodley is ready to take over Jennifer Lawrence's crown as teen movie heroine.  Speaking of "The Spectacular Now," Miles Teller, who starred with Shailene in that film is also in this one, but in a lesser role and he is not her love interest.  But I predict we will see more of him.
However, all in all, this film was a disappointment.  I am all for leading ladies who kick major butt, but the film is too long and too melodramatic.  I wanted to fast forward during some of the parts and then realized I wasn't at home with my TIVO.  I was in the movie theatre. However, watch for Theo James to emerge as the next big heartthrob
(Another Rosy the Reviewer prediction). 
The film ends with our heroine saying something along the lines of "We will have to fight again."  Do I hear a sequel calling?  Duh.
In closing, answer me this. Note the movie poster above?  Tattoos figure prominently, but why is the poster of a GUY when the movie is all about a GIRL?!
Rosy the Reviewer says...teenage girls will probably eat this up, especially if they love the book, and if you liked "The Hunger Games," you will like this, because it's practically the same movie.



***DVDS***
You Might Have Missed
And Some You Should Be Glad You Did
(I see the bad ones so you don't have to)





Silent Souls (2010)


Two men take a road trip to cremate the wife of one of the men.

This Russian film is a mere 78 minutes, but draws you in to this strange odyssey that explores the customs of the Merjan people.

This film is not for everyone.  It's slow moving and there is not much dialogue, but it's beautiful to watch and secrets are revealed.
If you watch this film, you will know why I would *not* want to be the actress playing the dead wife! (subtitles)

Rosy the Reviewer says...for the serious film enthusiast.






My Joy (2010)


A few days in the life of a Russian truck driver that turn into a nightmare.

There has never been a more ironic title as Georgi goes on a road trip and makes a series of "wrong turns" that lead him into some gut wrenching situations.  This bleak landscape of story is a grim commentary on Russia's social order.

This is the first "fiction" film for documentarian Sergei Loznitsa, and it is apparent in the shooting of this film.  It has a documentary feel as Georgi takes this horrendous road trip. (subtitles)


Rosy the Reviewer says...gruesome and haunting.  This one will stay with you.



Twice Born (2012)


A single mother (Cruz) and her teenage son travel to Sarajevo to ultimately relive the horrors of the Bosnian War.

Penelope Cruz manages to look middle aged and very young as a series of flashbacks tell the story of her falling in love with Diego (Emile Hirsch), finding out she is sterile and then arranging to have a surrogate carry Diego's child, all with the Bosnian War as a backdrop.

War is terrible in all cases, but I have always found the Bosnian conflict to be particularly gruesome with all of the raping and torturing of women that went on.

Though the story is engrossing, I found the whole thing a bit overwrought and melodramatic and the production values limited. (in English and with subtitles)

If you are interested in this period in history, a particular favorite of mine is "Shot Through the Heart (1998 TV movie)," where two friends, one a Serb, one a Muslim, find themselves on different sides of the conflict.  See that one if you can find it.

Rosy the Reviewer says...Disappointing, but see it for Cruz's performance.




Homefront (2013)
After his wife dies, an ex-DEA undercover agent moves to a small town with his young daughter to live a quiet life.  Guess what?  Revenge comes calling.  Doesn't it always?
Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay, but there is nothing new here.  It's all been done many times before.  I saw how this was all going to play out within the first five minutes.
Our hero (Jason Statham) tries to get out of the law enforcement biz, but his past finds him (he just can't seem to avoid meth labs), and he is forced to "do something."  Lots of gratuitous blood, gore and violence, and the bad are really bad and the good are really good.  No acting awards are going to be given out here despite the presence of James Franco, Kate Bosworth and Wynona Ryder. What heck were they doing in this thing?  Jason's Northern England accent is also in evidence with no explanation.   Those kinds of things bother me.
Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are a fan of Jason's "Transporter" films, then you might like this (there is one car chase), but I just thought it was a cartoon. 





CBGB (2013)


Docudrama about CBGB, the famous New York City nightclub that helped start the punk rock phenomenon.
Bet you didn't know what CBGB stood for:  Country, Bluegrass and Blues.  That is what owner Hilly Kristal (played by Alan Rickman, of whom I am a big fan and not just for "Harry Potter"), a heretofore failed business owner, meant to showcase in this seedy club in the Bowery when he opened it in 1973.  Instead, it became the launching pad for over 50,000 bands.  Yes, you heard me.  Blondie, Talking Heads, The Ramones, Patti Smith and The Police all got their start in Hilly Kristal's club. 
Kristal was honored by The Talking Heads when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  CBGB closed in 2006.
Fun enactments of the bands and a great score.
CBGB's filthy interior, especially its disgusting restroom, was legendary.
Rosy the Reviewer says...this one is now on my list of favorite rock films.  See it! 



***Book of the Week***



Trip to Echo Spring: On Writer's and Drinking 
by Olivia Laing (2014)
Laing explores the relationship of alcohol to the lives and careers of writers F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, John Cheever, John Berryman and Raymond Carver.
Coming from an alcoholic family herself, British born Laing travels to America to explore the haunts of these writers and try to make sense of the fact that they were raging alcoholics and yet they wrote some of the greatest masterpieces of literature. 

Is there a link between creativity and alcoholism?
All had personal neuroses such as panic attacks, shyness, insecurities...but were those a product of the alcoholism or did the alcohol assuage those problems? 
The title is taken from Tennessee Williams' play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" where Big Daddy asks Brick, "Where you goin?" to which Brick replies "I'm takin' a little short trip to Echo Spring," referring to his nickname for the liquor cabinet and the brand of bourbon it contained.
Laing not only explores the relationship of alcohol to these writers, but to their relationships with one another.  Several were drinking buddies.  Some overcame their addiction and recovered. Some did not.

If you need an introduction to any or all of these writers, some of the greatest of American authors, then this is an excellent start.  Laing uses examples of their writings to illustrate their gifts and her points, and the fact that her examples speak to her personally give them even more depth.
.
Rosy the Reviewer says... Not sure Laing answered her own questions, but this is a fascinating analysis of the price of creativity.  Highly recommended.


That's it for this week.
See you Tuesday for
"The Joys of Stair Walking"

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it and/or email it to your friends.


Check your local library for DVDs and book mentioned.


Note:  Next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database).
If I reviewed a movie, you can now find my reviews there too.
When you get there, click on "Explore More" on the right side panel and then scroll down to "External Reviews."  Click on that and you will find me alphabetically under Rosy the Reviewer.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

What Do Librarians Really Do? The Reality Show

Over the course of my 40 years as a librarian, mostly in public libraries, I can't tell you how many times people would ask me, "What do librarians DO exactly?"

My daughter is a newly minted librarian and just recently, someone asked her that same question. 

I also got "I bet you read a lot of books," "You don't look like a librarian," and "Shhhhhh."

Each to which I would reply, "I wish," "What are librarians supposed to look like?" and "Sigh."

The reality of what librarians do is what others do who manage people, projects and buildings, who work with the public and solve problems.

Librarians no longer sport buns with pencils stuck in them, double tread floor gripper shoes and sweater clips, nor do they shush people, because public libraries, these days, are lively places. 




Well some do, but in general, librarians look like anyone else in a professional job - they are young, old and in between.  They are fashionable, usually well-read, hip and knowledgeable about everything from pop culture to the classics.  And they are not reading on the job, especially those dirty books supposedly kept behind the counter.



I have been retired for almost a year, but I still dream I am at work.

It's like watching a reality show.

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo....



 
 

8:30am

I arrive at work looking smashing in my little suit, jaunty hat, snappy red purse, hoop earrings, makeup and designer shoes (that's what a librarian looks like).


I know what you are thinking here.  I look young.  I told you this was a dream.
 
I am immediately apprised by another staff member that the toilet in the ladies' room is stopped up. I grab the plunger and head for the restroom hoping my Manolo Blahnicks won't get wet (just dreaming again about the Manolos - the reality is librarians don't make enough to afford designer shoes, but, hey, we aren't in this for the money).

8:40am 
Toilet fixed - just needed to be flushed. C'mon, people.   

Head to my office to check email. Check today's schedule to make sure we are covered. Looks good. 
Uh oh.
A staff member calls in sick. Call subs - no one available. 

Redo schedule.

9:30am 
Finish email. 

Start working on some new computer classes I am going to teach - "Job Hunting on the Internet" and "Internet Resources for Changing Careers."  It's the times. Also sending out press releases for next week's programs.

Receive a call from the local newspaper about our basic computer classes.

"You mean there are people who don't know how to use a computer?" she asks. I tell her about the hundreds of students we have helped so far, many of them seniors and people whose native language is not English. So the answer is, yes, there are many people who don't know how to use a computer or, believe it or not, don't own one. 

I meet with a staff member to do some brainstorming on how to deal with the kids who have pizza delivered to the library to eat while they are doing their homework. (We allow food, but having pizza delivered is a bit much and people complain about the smell).

10:00am. 
Open the library. 

First question of the day. 

The customer wants a photograph of Mary Magdalene.  He is doing a painting and wants to be sure to get the colors of her clothes right.  I have to gently explain there weren't any cameras back in her day, but I could probably find him an artist's rendering.  He isn't convinced.

10:10am 
Help a customer set up a free email account so he can apply for a job.

10:20am 
Help that same customer send his resume to an employer.

10:25am
Help that same customer get back onto the computer because he turned it off by mistake.

10:27am 
Help that same customer get back on the computer because he turned it off by mistake again.

10:30am
 Answer the phone and find phone numbers for local low income housing.

10:40am 
Young girl wants to know how to take care of her pet snail.  She has it with her.

 



I don't want to ask. I find some information on what snails eat. (decaying plants work).

Any books about fairies or princesses? She jumps up and down when I produce several.
(Fairies and princesses are hot topics, so I keep a list of titles in the drawer at the Information Desk because libraries don't usually have special sections devoted to Princesses and Fairies - probably should).



10:50am 
Children's librarian reminds me she has an appointment at the school. 

Redo the schedule.

11:00am 
A woman wants Prince Harry's phone number and then remarks that she just can't understand why Queen Elizabeth would build Windsor Castle so close to Heathrow Airport. (Huh?)

 

11:20am 
Had been approached by a teacher from the local community college who wanted me to come to her ESL class to do a presentation about library resources in languages other than English and our ESL and citizenship classes.  So I leave the library to make this lunchtime presentation.

2:00pm. 
Return from presentation.  Back in my office. Receive call from staff member. Family emergency. Can't make her evening shift. Look for some substitutes.

Redo the schedule.

2:35pm 
Alerted by staff that the toilet in the ladies' room is stopped up again. This time it's full of toilet seat covers and someone also has stolen all of the toilet paper. The toilet paper gets stolen repeatedly.  Is there a shortage of toilet paper out there? Leave office to investigate. Grab plunger. (Didn't learn this in library school).

2:40pm 
Back in my office. 

Staff reports that a woman is lying on her back in the restroom.  Go to investigate wondering if I am going to have to do CPR. Turns out she is doing back exercises. Told her she was alarming customers so should work on her back outside. She will probably alarm customers outside the library as well.  Her eyes were spinning.

2:45pm 
A library customer alerts me to the fact that an elderly gentleman is outside asking how to get home. We bring him in. He tells me he had walked all the way from his home (several miles) and couldn't remember how to get back. I ask him if it's OK for me to call a policeman to take him home. He agrees. An officer arrives and is very kind to the gentleman. 

Wonder if that could be me one day.

2:50pm 
Back in office. Shut door.

3:00pm 
A customer knocks on my door.  She wants to complain about the drinking fountain.  The water is not shooting up high enough.  She has complained about this before and I have reported it to maintenance.  The answer is that perhaps she is not pushing on the bar hard enough.  We go out to look at it together and I show her that it appears to be working well.  Then she says the water tastes funny.  Sigh.



3:30pm 
Make some headway on administrative tasks. 

Back out in the library. Working with the collection - pulling outdated and shabby materials so shelves will look inviting.

A customer asks me what I am doing.  When I explain that we keep track of how many times a book has gone out and remove well-read and well-worn materials, she picks up a book that is literally falling apart and smells of cat pee and says, "You are not going to get rid of this, are you?" 



Thank goodness, I am approached by several young customers looking for homework help so I excuse myself. Find needed materials and tell them about the live Homework Help on our website.

4:00pm 
Back on the Information Desk.

A woman approaches looking for a book, can't remember the title or the author, but she knows it has a green cover.  I ask her what it's about.  She can't remember.  She just knows it was really good and had a woman in it. (Reference librarians are good but these kinds of questions are tough - and common!)

4:10pm 
A woman comes to the desk and says she needs the name of a song she can't get out of her head.  Can she hum it for me?  I don't have a good feeling about this one.

A regular (he comes in every day) corners me to complain about what another customer is looking at on the computer.  He does this every day and since we have privacy screens on the computers, it takes effort to see what others are looking at.  I want to say "It's a free country so if you are worried about what other people are looking at, don't look," but I don't.  I just nod, acknowledge him and explain that we don't monitor what adults are looking at unless we discover they are doing something illegal.  He leaves.  See you tomorrow.

4:15pm
Another regular customer comes up to me.  She always asks who was kicked off of "Dancing with the Stars" last night and then wants to talk about it (fortunately, being the Reality TV Queen that I am, I know this one off the top of my head).  Lonely people come to the library.  Social work is part of the job.



4:30pm 
A group of teens enter the library, laughing and talking and head for the Teen Room.  I want to say "Shhhhh," but I can't promote that stereotype.  Instead,  I smile at the cat ears and pink net tutu one of the teens is wearing with her Doc Martens.  Hope they don't order pizza.

Work on some questions that require some research and get ready to pass the torch to the evening staff.
 
5:00pm

Is it 5:00 already? 

Forgot to have lunch... Evening shift staff arrives. Everything seems to be running smoothly. Getting ready to head home...

Staff member reports that the toilet... Sigh...

And then I wake up and remember I am retired. 

There are some things I miss about my old reality and some things I don't.

My new reality includes an appointment with the TV for some real reality shows.


Have any library "dreams" to share?
 

See you Friday for
 
"A Day in the Life of a TV Addict: 
The Reality Show Continues..."

 
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