amalthya

Yes, it's been a long time

Here's a tip: When you work with monkeys, you become a monkey. An envelope-stuffing, phone-answering TEMP MONKEY.

Why am I stuffing envelopes at Temple Israel for $12/hour?

You'll have to wait until I get home and write a proper entry to know.

I've always found it funny when I do Bin Pickup at the library (collecting books that are put in the return bins outside the main entrance) that we'll be checking in some of the books -- that don't seem to have ever been checked out. They are not charged to anyone, and have no return dates, so basically, someone just took them from the library.

How is this possible? Aren't all books supposed to be sensitized when they come back in? If someone went to the trouble of stealing them, why bother to return them?

Another girl who came in last week was not so lucky:

As she'd left Butler, her bag set off the sensor, and, inside, there was a book from the Science library. She was told to come upstairs and see someone about desensitizing it, so she came up to me, pushed the book across the counter and told me to do just that.

Instead, I asked her for her ID, to see if the book was, in fact, charged to her. It was, but it was also a) a book that wasn't supposed to be in circulation. AND it was marked as "Lost". AND it had a recall on it.

I told the girl to wait (I still had her ID *and* the book) and I went back to consult my boss, who contacted the science library manager who affirmed that yes, he wanted his book back right away)

So, when I went back to the desk, I told the girl that we'd have to keep the book and that no, she couldn't have it back.

...She was less than pleased. Sensitization technology conquers again!

For the first time since I moved, I walked to school today instead of taking the bus or the subway (otherwise known as "taxi")

And, while it's still not warm enough to go sans jacket or leave my hands out of my pockets, Spring is definitely sprunging.

I think the biggest impulse that the change in weather has brought about in me is the increased desire to socialize. As little as six months ago (I think), we had semi-weekly plans! What happened!?

On another side note, it's time for crafting again. I sent an email out to the Stitch & Bitch girls to see if we can plan our next meetup. I guess I was also prompted by

yuki_onna's thirst for crafting.

Which leads me to the perfect segue - happy birthday to

justbeast!!

****************

I take great pride in cracking walnuts; that is, getting people who are trapped in their shells to come out. So I'm feeling wildly successful that my (notoriously) surly coworker smiled TWICE in front of me today, and sang along to not one, but TWO different songs on my Energy playlist while we checked in books!

For the curious, the two songs were "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire and "Cecilia" by Simon and Garfunkel

astralina and I had a discussion today, commiserating because we're both having shitty days at work. And I thought to myself, when you're having a shitty day, you take it out on your coworkers, and then they have a shitty day, and they take it out on other people, and it's really just a vicious cycle.

I guess my co-worker was having a bad day, because he pulled rank on me and made me do one of the things HE's supposed to do that sucks while he sat at the desk and chatted on meebo. And when I'd done 90% of it and the hour was done and I changed stations, he told me to go back and finish it, all the while leisurely chatting online.

Seriously? He complains bitterly when another department foists off the worst job - outdoor bin pickup - on us and says that it's lame to have to do something that sucks when someone else is too lazy to do his/her job. Too bad that whinging eye can't be turned inward.

But, in my bad mood, I checked up on my laptop, which, as you may remember, was brought in for the THIRD time in 6 weeks last Wednesday. Last Wednesday, I was told the repairs would take 1-2 days, that I was on the top of the queue, and that they were so sorry that the time before that I'd come in they hadn't just replaced my logic board THEN and saved me all the trouble.
When I called today, EIGHT DAYS LATER, they told me I was at the top of the queue. Which somehow implies that the queue hasn't moved for eight days, which I find hard to believe.

So, in my bad mood, I yelled at the girl for hijacking my laptop and not giving me any options and I berated her for probably 10 minutes.

And I bet now that she's having a bad day.

What do you do when you're having a bad day?

Amazingly, someone who came to the circulation desk 12 minutes ago said that it was so nice to be "serviced" by someone so friendly/perky. I think in subsequent interactions my mood has been less concealed, mostly when people ask me consistently stupid questions.

"I'm going into the stacks to find this book. Do you think I can find it in five minutes?"

Is there really any other response other than "Can you?"

Anyway, tell me something happy, or something that makes YOU happy, or something that you do to make yourself feel better on shitty days.

A lot of people spent the early parts of January making posts about their New Year's Resolutions. They tacked on sentiments about the previous year, and regrets they had that they intended to amend in the coming year.

I intend to make no such post, because I feel like my 2007 speaks for itself. It was filled with intense happinesses (yes, plural) and a tremendous feeling of growth as I learned what, exactly, it was that I needed to maintain my levels of happiness.

My only real regret was that I was unable to be completely happy in what should have been perfect situations. It caused rifts that I fear are irreparable. But the loss that I feel at the lack of these people in my life is palpable. They cannot be replaced, but since I cannot offer them what they truly wanted, it is my loss to bear.

The new year has started on highs and lows.

High: I bought an apartment! A real one, on 133rd and Broadway. I was helped immensely by regyt, and while I'm still unpacking and have ever more furniture to buy and assemble, I feel more at home than I have in ages. I'm also watching kinfae's cats until March or so, and it's nice to have furry friends in the house again. I took rosefox's suggestions and bought the Furminator, and woa, does it loosen hairs! Watch out for kitties running away after being Furminated -- anything they rub up against will be furrier than they are.

High: I started a new job at Columbia library! I'm no longer a data slave in the basement; I have a proper job at the circulation desk, regular hours and when things are quiet, time to do my homework, etc. The biggest improvement is the niceness of my boss. She figured I'd balk at having to empty the collection bins and process the books inside. But it was STILL better than working in the basement!

Low: I've spent most of January being sick, and having a cough that wouldn't die. I finally went to the doctor two weeks ago and discovered that the whooping cough I had back in Uganda in 2005 compromised my lungs and, when I get a little sniffle, my lungs will almost certainly get infected and make it hard for me to breathe/not cough. That sucked to discover. But, I'm handling it alright. I did end up missing most of the first week of school which is really no way to start off, but I believe that with a little extra work, I can get back on my feet.

And really, there have been no other lows. I do miss socializing tremendously. I feel like I never see anyone (I don't) and since I have Swahili again at 8:30 am on Fridays, going to Montien is going to be difficult. I was too sick to go to Vericon, and too moving to go to Arisia. Perhaps Lunacon? Who all will be there?

I really think, though, that for a month at the beginning of a New Year that I'm remarkably lucky and doing incredibly well. I've missed about a gazillion years of Livejournal, so if you have any new news, please tell me or link me!

Or if you'd like to make plans, let's do it! Come and see my new house!

Despite the title of this entry, this is not, in fact, a post about New Year's Eve. After the high shennaniganry of Saturday night, Adam and I decided to take it easy and head over to noranac's and have a low-key "party". We did watch the ball drop, but couldn't find Dick Clark's live broadcast ~~from his casket.~~

And it was really nice! I'm still incredulous that another year has gone by. I remember what last year was like: fun, but so completely different.

I'm back at work now, as is Adam, and I guess the weird feelings are coming from the fact that the lull of the holiday season are over. During the holidays, you feel validated even if you're lazy, spend too much and get too little done. But now that it's the second, I've really got to get back onto the horse. I'm moving in 11 days, which seems incredible, and I haven't even started packing yet!

Work seems to have rewarded me, though, with a task that's incredibly easy and easy on the brain. SO I'm buzzing through, whee!

January is filling up quickly. I need to figure out when to do my housewarming party too!

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Entries tagged with work

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November 2009

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