It must be Monday again.

Everything in my office is covered in a fine dusting of chocolate.

It's like a dream and hell at the same time. Everything smells ofchocolate. But there is no chocolate to consume.
I tried breathing in deeply (so sue me for trying - it's a monday and I have my periods, and I bloody well wanted chocolate okay.)
But sadly it is the kind of soft delicate scent that you can't capture except in an accidental way. Like trying to focus on a light-burned spot just left of your field of vision.

Oh, I suppose you're wondering how I managed to get chocolate powder over everything.

It's an easy 10 step process folks:
1) Evening event at the Library - hot chocolate supplied.
2) Drinking chocolate left over.
3) Thinks: Hot chocolate would be nice for morning tea.
4) Wonder how much is left in the tin?
5) Neglect to check if lid is firm on tin.
6) Shake tin firmly.
7) Stand in shock.
8) Realise nothing can be saved.
9) Get out dustbuster.
10) Dustbuster vacuums up chocolate dust and converts it to even finer dust through its air filters.

Mmmm, smells like chocolate :-)

I think I need to get out more.

I've not hit the town for a dance for a while now. What's up? Too tired or something?
I'm not sure why, but I've not been a trashbag for a while. Instead spending my weekends pottering around the house, and my weeks worrying about work.
Maybe next weekend there'll be some fun to be had? What's happening out there? Anyone know of any good events coming up? I've not seen so many people for ages.

Running around my head at the moment:
Felt burnt out about 6 months ago, from community work. But kept plugging away with it. Now I'm just not that keen.
Rarely do I get that spark, that desire to push forward with it and make things happen.
It's frustrating because I can see that the Bi community is in a space where a lot of amazing things can happen. And I'm sure things will happen, through the work of all of the other amazing folks in the community.
I just wish I was able to get excited enough to be a part of it all.
Some things that I have been organising haven't been working properly, and I'm feeling out of touch with things that others are doing. I've also been trying not to beat myself up about not pulling my weight.
How do I snap out of this? Perhaps a break from it all? I'm a little loathe to clean break as I do need some sense of greater purpose to my life or my moods turn to mush.
*sighs*


It's a beautiful sunny day. I think I shall stop being introspective, and domestic (I have been up since 6.30am cleaning), and go underwear shopping instead. Summer is coming and the desire for lacy white things is rising dammit :-)

Out of context...

"Sunshine poured down between the trees, rich and golden, but already losing it's warmth, like a butter-coloured wine that was all taste and no potency"

from: Sabriel by Garth Nix.

Odd eh. I had to read it a few times to get it. I think I was distracted by the word 'butter'.
He's coming to talk at my Library about the 4th book in the series. I have to introduce him. I'm only up to book 2. What am I going to say?

The Book Week fun continues...

Today 140 kids ended up being 170 teenagers.
The author/artist/guest speaker dude, drew a monkey mermaid for me to put up in the Library.
Tomorrow I will tell stories to families who are bringing their dinner into the Library as a picnic.
An interesting exercise - telling a story while your audience is ripping meat off a chicken wing with their teeth.
I'll give them bikkies and hot chocolate afterwards. And send the kiddies home full of sugar. We call it Librarians' Revenge. *evil grin*

Enough of that.

Time for a new quote.
Out with the old:
"Each printed story is a hooker trying to be noticed, trying to captivate the passerby and live at least a little longer in the arc of your attention."Roger-Pol Droit, translated by Stephen Romer

Today is...Monday.

Woke up moaning this morning. Before I opened my eyes I remembered I had 60 K-2 kids coming into the Library at 9am *groan*
Mr M was going to make me a coffee while I had a shower, but I stole his warm and fluffy to get to the bathroom *doh!*
Still, it's the thought that counts, isn't it? And that was a pretty fantastic thought for a lad that isn't a morning person.
I think he likes me :-)

My 'good things about today' checklist:
- My new sidekick started. I think she's going to be a great worker.
- I ran away early from work.
- I bought a new summery top.
- I bought a coffee and date roll for breakfast. (If you have not tried these - find them. They are all that's good in the world. Esp toasted).
- I got cuddles and kisses from my man before I went to work and that always makes my day better.
- Someone had a birthday at work so we had the RICHEST chocolate cake ever for morning tea.

It's not a shabby life, I've got. Eh.

Fancy-pants

The boys and I are going to the Opera House tomorrow night.
I want to dress up.
I'm going to wear my new 1960's black velvet fascinator that I bought in the Blue Mountains last week.
I want to go for cocktails beforehand too.
You boys got suits?

All work and no play makes Miss Y....

Been organising so many author talks lately that I can't believe I've not gotten off my bum and organised my own!
So much work to do.
Tomorrow is a long day at work - many Teachers and Librarians coming to an event I'm hosting - and they'll probably be checking out the newly renovated Library too.
Children's Book Week next week and the only display I've got is a tiny glam rock disco happening in a glass cabinet for some stuffed toys.
It is a pretty good disco though: Humpty has beads in his dreads. Hairy Maclary has some bangles and an ear piercing. Big Nutbrown Hare is wearing a zebraskin jacket and swinging Little Nutbrown Hare into the air. The Rainbow Fish is dancing with Grover on a dancefloor of coloured squares, and there's glitter and mirrorballs and streamers!
I'm not quite sure why Eeyore is sitting in a corner crying into his drink. Poor fellow.
As for the rest of my section? Well, I've a pile of mirror balls sitting on my desk, and a half-painted display. Wonder if I'll have the time tomorrow to sort it before my contemporaries come poking around?
Wonder if I'll be too knackered afterwards to head out to Hellfire?
Or if I'll really need it? *grins*

weird. but good. but weird.

Today was weird.
Someone broke my boyfriends car, even after he moved it to be safer.
I had a crazy reporter wanting my phone number so she could interview me for an article she's writing about teaparties.
I found myself in an different article in a glossy mag. I was of course misquoted a bit.
I spoke to 2 publishers reps and a bookshop owner and they were all a tad mad.
I walked in on my boss crying.

But today was also good.
My boyfriend has already got some parts sorted to fix the car.
I wore red shoes, a bracelet of big round red beads and a big red hairclip.
I told a complicated paper-folding story, that I hadn't told for years, at storytime and it worked really well!
One of the publishers reps gave me lots of free comics and graphic novels.
There's a picture of me in a glossy mag on the same page as Ms Jolie. I have a paper butterfly in my hair.
I invented a banana and pear and frangelico bread that was yum, but could do with more frangelico :-)

*weeee* holidays!

A huge week. So let's go point form:

- I didn't clean the house. Or bake.
- I didn't do any community work.
- I only checked my work email twice (and missed the important emails *doh*)
- Mr M and myself left the city.
- The guesthouse was full of oldies and dinner felt like we were in a nursing home.
- The veal was good but.
- IT SNOWED!!!!!
- It was the 2nd time I've ever seen snow in my life.
- I wore my fluffy white earmuffs.
- I wore stockings under my jeans 'cos it was so cold.
- Mr M wore about 5 layers too.
- I built a 'snow dude' that was about 7cms high (there wasn't that much snow:-)
- I took photos of Mr M grimacing in the icy highspeed winds.

This weekend has been dubbed "Femmes and Footy".
- I have drunk a large amount of beer and watched a number of different types of footy. All I can really tell you is that the Jumping Footy is really funny to watch - It looks like they've greased the ball 'cos no-one seems to be able to grab a hold of it.
- I changed out of my "Librarians do it quietly" shirt to my "Reggae girl" shirt to go to the dyke night down the road 'cos the are all sporty-dykes and probably would judge me to be a straight girl beause the Librarian shirt has a boy and girl in a love heart on it. I feel so shallow.
- I saw my ex and my ex-puppy.
- My ex dropped off a letter that was from the RTA demanding I pay a fine. It didn't say what for. This is extremely weird as I have never had a vehicle registered in my name and (for reasons of my own) I don't drive and haven't had a valid license for years. I shall call them tomorrow.
- I'm feeling queasy right now. It could be the beer I had earlier. Or it could be the idea of having to go back to work tomorrow.
- I was keen to head out tonight to Kooky. The butterfly swarm costume idea got me excited. But now I'm going to bed instead.

G'night.

must.leave.house

The world looks way too bright and shiny outside my bedroom window.
So I'm sitting on the computer with the curtains closed now.
Think I had too many Beez Neez last night.
Danced like tentacle-girl. Which was not the best thing as my kneecap is still a bit dodge from last weeks tumble.
Noighty noighty gurl.
:-)

Wiggles World!

From: http://www.smh.com.au/news/people/now-the-wiggles-are-movie-stars-in-their-own-theme-park/2005/08/06/1123125942993.html
"Staff at Dreamworld have already had a "Wiggles boot camp" to ensure they deliver Wiggles-style behaviour when working with children inside the theme park attraction....
"Paul Field said Wiggles World staff would be instructed not to say things such as "hello boys and girls" (the Wiggles never separate children by gender) and to smile until their cheeks hurt."
and then once more, later in the article, for good measure...
"The Wiggles don't separate children by gender, never saying "Hello boys and girls". They only say "Hello everybody" or "Hello everyone".

*grins*

Out with the old...

"A perverse mind presides over the holy defense of the library."Umberto Eco (The Name of the Rose. HBJ, 1983, p. 176)

buses and tears - again.

What is is about me travelling home from work. It must be a bloody soap opera for the other passengers.
This time I fell over again. Gah! I'm sick of it. Falling, falling, all the time falling.
The bus was packed to the absolute gills, I could barely squeeze past folks to get out. But then missed a step and suddenly was on the floor. How all those people, so tightly squeezed in, could suddenly make so much room that all my body found the floor I will never work out.
Still, my skirt didn't fly up and my stockings didn't rip and my bag didn't spill open.
But my oh my I'm bruised and sore.

The kindness of strangers: Earlier in the city, getting on the bus, a lady was rushing rushing, and instead of getting stroppy with her (I was in an antsy after-work mood), I stepped aside and let her in the queue. This paid off - for she was the one who picked me up off the floor of the bus later.

Good news: *Yeay* I'm on holidays! Only for a week, and I'll probably end up doing a fair bit of community work during them. But the point is I can have a break from the workplace. Man I'm knackered.
Still, in two weeks time we'll be back to full strength staffing in my team; renovations will be finished for now and outreach storytimes will have ceased. So I'll have time and resources to spend on BIG BRAND NEW PROJECTS! *claps hands* I'm excited already. I love new projects!

Things I'm going to do this week:
- Go to the Blue Mountains for a couple of days with my man.
- Go to Birdsalls and buy leather and buckles and things for crafty projects.
- Finish restoring the tiny cabinet Mr M and I picked up at the secondhand store.
- Domestic goddess duties (baking, cleaning windows, etc).
- Go to a uniform party *note to self: where am I going to get a uniform? Anyone have any ideas? It's tomorrow night. Backup plan is school uniform. But that's a tad naff and I did something similar the weekend before last.
- Write up menus for the fundraising kissing/spanking booth for September Hellfire.
- Lie around and read lots.

Book Week

A few weeks ago I badly timed the ending of a novel.
It was a beautifully written story - the characterisations were good - but the voice of the protagonist/narrator, Oh, it was fantastic! Every time I picked it up it was too hard to put down. Which is not a brilliant idea for lunch-breaks at work.
And then I started reading it on the way home. Full well knowing that I was nearing the end. The story was written with lightness and sometimes humour. But near the end it skipped and turned and enveloped you with emotion. Christ!
And so I cried and cried on the bus. Hanky out, snuffling away. Putting the book on my lap when I couldn't see the pages for tears.
It was an extremely packed after work bus stuck in the traffic past Central, trying to get us all home. Who knows what all the others on the bus thought. And it was such a good book I didn't care enough to stop reading.
Later at home I went to my room and read to the very end. Later I came down and did the washing up and my flatmate caught me all red-eyed.*

I nearly did the same thing again today. But the novel was written in verse (and no, it wasn't Dorothy Porter, folks) and the feel and flow and structure didn't tug my emotions in any huge way. It made me hover above the story, watching. Much as the main character did in his life, in his small country town. Watching it all flow by until it's time to step away. I know that one. I used to live in a country town. As the back of the book says, it's "...about feeling undercurrents, finding solid ground, and knowing when to jump."**

It's nearly Children's Book Week.
www.cbc.org.au
One of the bigger weeks in my year as a Children's and Youth Librarian.
I'm reading my way through the shortlist. And I am so glad there are some brilliantly crafted stories out there.
I was going to write my favourites here - but there's a lot of them. Some years, the shortlist leaves me flat. This year there are only a few titles that don't hold much promise. Three cheers to Australian authors, illustrators, and publishers!

*Jonsberg, Barry. 2004 "The Whole Business with Kiffo and The Pitbull " Allen & Unwin
**Herrick, Steven. 2004 "By the River" Allen & Unwin

Now where did I put that government publication?

Don't you think that all the time?
Seems the government does...

"Missing e-government publications.
Librarians are concerned about government publications that were published on the Internet but have now disappeared or where links no longer work.
This is also a growing problem for researchers inAustralia who have reported problems in tracking down government reports originally published on the web but which have now become unavailable ordifficult to find.

The PANDORA digital archive is interested in investigating, on a trial basis until the end of August 2005, the status of these missing e-government publications.
If you know of a missing e-government publication and can provide some details, please report it to: Margaret Phillips, Director Digital Archiving, National Library of Australia mphillips@nla.gov.au
Please provide as much information as possible, for example, exact title, corporate author and any other author, the original URL and any subsequent URL, even if this is also now defunct. The more details that are available, the more likely it is that we will be able either to confirm its status as missing or perhaps locate it at some other source and ascertain its history. "

So let 'em know if you see any running free in the internet, folks. *grins*