blogging while working
Apr. 26th, 2009 04:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rena_librarian**previously typed**
Cody, Nico, Liz and I went out for Chinese this afternoon before I had to leave for work. My fortune said "Your fortune is on its way!" I shit you not. I was disappointed, first because my fortune was so crappy, and then because it wasn't a real fortune. Unless of course it means my FINANCIAL fortune is on its way...I might be okay with that. =)
Cody's fortune was "Leaders are readers." Nico grabbed them both from us and switched them. XD
A couple of weeks ago I got one that said "A way out of a financial mess is discovered as if by magic!" And now I have a job...hm. IDK. I was hoping to win the lottery, lol. Not that I'm complaining about getting paid to sit around and read books all night.
My favorite one of all time is taped to my other laptop (which reminds me, I still need to take/post pics of THIS one in all its awesome customized glory--lol as I was typing that one of the nurses was like "OMG, cool!"). It says: "Opportunity is knocking--answer it tomorrow." XD
The best story ever from a fortune cookie, though, has got to be one from the other week. Cody and I were debating over dinner. We were thinking Taco Bell but were hemming and hawing, I asked him if he'd rather have something else and he said yes, but I wouldn't go with him. It came out that what he REALLY wanted was Chinese, so we decided to get him Chinese takeout and me Taco Bell and go home and eat them together. He gave me the fortune cookie, and the fortune was "A lifetime of happiness lies ahead of you." I melted right into the couch. =)
I want to say a bit about my book collection. I've been posting a lot of status updates stating what I'm reading, and those of you who chat books with me, or have given or loaned me a book, or recommended a book to me might be interested to know.
I recently went through and organized my book database, for the most part. (The next step is to go through again and consider which, if any books, I may be willing to part with and list them on Bookmooch). As it currently stands (and bear in mind I had to reevaluate tonight as I've finished reading three or four books just since five or six nights ago when I did this), I have:
* 49 reference books (this is counting my ten-year-old encyclopedia as one "book")
* 1 book that needs to be replaced (it came in a box set and is missing the first 16 pages, which I didn't realize until I got it home, five hours away and several days later)
* 1 book that was stolen, and I will replace via Bookmooch the second a copy becomes available...I probably ought to delete it from the database, but it's one of my favorites and I just CAN'T
* 3 books that are in the database but somehow did not make it to the shelves when I moved out (yes, I checked them all against the database)--I think Mom has them, if so she can find them, I'll delete them, but if she doesn't have them I need to do a more thorough searching of my unpacked boxes--yes, I still have unpacked boxes two years later
* 720 books that I've read at one point or another
* 286 that I have yet to read
Yes, it's over 1,000 books in total. 1,060 to be exact, which is why I won't be posting a complete list anytime soon, lol. I think after I purge I will likely still have over 1,000. The thing that amazes me is that I've acquired almost 100 books just in the two years I've been on my own, I was at around 970 when I moved out. I can think over what I've bought/been given/traded one way or another but it still doesn't seem like it's been THAT many.
Those 286 books are why I haven't been a regular library patron since I was about 12 or 13--the first year I went to summer camp, I had been loaned a lengthy series of books (eight in total) and by the time I finished them, I had a stack of my own books waiting. This was also about the time I discovered the concept of buying books used, in thrift stores or used bookstores, and suddenly had "new" books coming in in a fairly constant stream. I still look back fondly on the day I scored 20 books for $5. (I need to go back to that store, I'm sure they've restocked since the last time I was there.)
I used to sometimes have six books going at once, but I've found lately that I'm less inclined to do that in favor of sticking with one, and I need to finish all the ones I have started and continue in that vein. When I am looking for my next read, I kind of look at the piles I have, think about what genre I'm in the mood for (currently I'm on a bit of a mystery/thriller kick), and go with something from that stack. I don't try to read the oldest ones first, or the newest ones. There are books in that pile that have been there for ten years, and I still have every intention of reading them at some point. On the other hand, sometimes I get a new book and start reading it as soon as I get home (or in the car, if someone else is driving!). So if you've given me a book, please don't be upset if you ask about it and I haven't read it. It's a haphazard system.
Here's a picture of the books that are waiting to be read:
They're in one of the upstairs closets on the floor. The stacks are halfway organized by genre (classic lit, mystery, fantasy, Tolkien-related, and Christian fiction are the biggest ones, there's one that's mostly textbooks I hung on to after college, and one for stuff I can't otherwise pigeonhole). After I finish with one, it goes on the shelves:
Yes, I plan on purchasing a fifth bookcase sometime within the next month or two. They're more strictly organized here, and every so often I rearrange a little. As a matter of fact I did a little rearranging since this picture was taken, and that was just a few days ago. (I finished reading Agatha Christie's The Big Four, and realized, when I went to put it on the shelf, that it was getting a bit crowded and I was starting to run the risk of damaging books. A box set got moved to sit on top of the bookcase and I removed one particular series of books from the mystery shelf to sit in its place by itself.)
I was relating this to Cody the other day, and he just looked at me and said, "So, by the time we're fifty, you're going to have an actual library, aren't you?" This is why I love him. ^_^
And another thing, about my reading habits...I'm sure you've probably heard me reference my Post-It addiction. I generally find it very hard to read a book if I don't have Post-It notes (or some knockoff thereof) with me. Whenever I run across a quote I want to remember (I have a Word document with them all), or a word I don't know and want to look up, or generally just want to come back to something before I shelve the book, I stick a Post-It onto the page, hanging out past the edge. When I finish the book, I do what's needed with the flagged info and take the Post-Its out.
This is the Post-It debris from seven (I think) books:
Now, granted--these particular books had been left in a pile because they each had an excessive number of Post-Its and I couldn't be bothered until this new job left me with hours to fill. (Most of them were nonfiction, and since I don't read nonfiction unless I'm VERY interested in the subject, when I do read it it tends to get more bogged down with Post-Its than other books.) So maybe this is actually a poor example, but I think you understand why I end up buying a pack of 400 or so Post-Its every five or six months. Maybe more frequently, if I continue working this overnight shift. I used to favor larger sheets (I think it had something to do with being able to write notes on them--the Post-It habit started in college when it served note-taking/reading-assignment-marking purposes), but now I prefer the little flags, like the yellow and orange ones at the top of the pile in the pic.
And, I guess, there you have it. I think I could tell stories about books for hours. One time in college, I had an assignment to write a 500-word "how-to" paper. (The word escapes me. Not instructional, but something very like that.) I was desperate for a topic and decided to write "How to Build and Maintain a Book Collection," which detailed where I got my books from and how I fixed things like torn covers and fraying jackets. Once I got going, I had to edit it DOWN to 500 words from nearly 1,500. =D (I think the final count may have been in the six hundreds, as we were allowed to run over a LITTLE.)
^^^Thursday night^^^
vvvFriday nightvvv
Well, I just finished reading another book--Tim Allen's "Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man." Pretty funny, though I don't agree with a a lot of his points--yes, he has points, it's a surprisingly intelligent book.
Aaaaaand I bought another book. I had a book to mail out for Bookmooch and got to the Post Office right after work. only to discover it wasn't open yet (8:30, for future reference). So I went driving around for a bit and stumbled across a yard sale and got "Who Moved My Cheese?" for 75 cents. Good deal--it's one of those books I've danced around before, but either didn't have money, or if I did I wanted to spend it on something else.
So all the numbers I spouted earlier are off, lol.
I'm having a spa party tomorrow, with only two guests--my mom and Cody's mom. The idea is they can meet each other. The understood idea is that Mom can meet her so when I whine about her she knows what I'm talking about. I'm trying to decide if I should clean in the morning when I get home or force myself to get out of bed at like 3:30 or 4 and get it done then.
I'm going to make a list now so either way I don't forget anything.
ETA: Spa party went well, by which I mean surprisingly uneventfully.
Cody, Nico, Liz and I went out for Chinese this afternoon before I had to leave for work. My fortune said "Your fortune is on its way!" I shit you not. I was disappointed, first because my fortune was so crappy, and then because it wasn't a real fortune. Unless of course it means my FINANCIAL fortune is on its way...I might be okay with that. =)
Cody's fortune was "Leaders are readers." Nico grabbed them both from us and switched them. XD
A couple of weeks ago I got one that said "A way out of a financial mess is discovered as if by magic!" And now I have a job...hm. IDK. I was hoping to win the lottery, lol. Not that I'm complaining about getting paid to sit around and read books all night.
My favorite one of all time is taped to my other laptop (which reminds me, I still need to take/post pics of THIS one in all its awesome customized glory--lol as I was typing that one of the nurses was like "OMG, cool!"). It says: "Opportunity is knocking--answer it tomorrow." XD
The best story ever from a fortune cookie, though, has got to be one from the other week. Cody and I were debating over dinner. We were thinking Taco Bell but were hemming and hawing, I asked him if he'd rather have something else and he said yes, but I wouldn't go with him. It came out that what he REALLY wanted was Chinese, so we decided to get him Chinese takeout and me Taco Bell and go home and eat them together. He gave me the fortune cookie, and the fortune was "A lifetime of happiness lies ahead of you." I melted right into the couch. =)
I want to say a bit about my book collection. I've been posting a lot of status updates stating what I'm reading, and those of you who chat books with me, or have given or loaned me a book, or recommended a book to me might be interested to know.
I recently went through and organized my book database, for the most part. (The next step is to go through again and consider which, if any books, I may be willing to part with and list them on Bookmooch). As it currently stands (and bear in mind I had to reevaluate tonight as I've finished reading three or four books just since five or six nights ago when I did this), I have:
* 49 reference books (this is counting my ten-year-old encyclopedia as one "book")
* 1 book that needs to be replaced (it came in a box set and is missing the first 16 pages, which I didn't realize until I got it home, five hours away and several days later)
* 1 book that was stolen, and I will replace via Bookmooch the second a copy becomes available...I probably ought to delete it from the database, but it's one of my favorites and I just CAN'T
* 3 books that are in the database but somehow did not make it to the shelves when I moved out (yes, I checked them all against the database)--I think Mom has them, if so she can find them, I'll delete them, but if she doesn't have them I need to do a more thorough searching of my unpacked boxes--yes, I still have unpacked boxes two years later
* 720 books that I've read at one point or another
* 286 that I have yet to read
Yes, it's over 1,000 books in total. 1,060 to be exact, which is why I won't be posting a complete list anytime soon, lol. I think after I purge I will likely still have over 1,000. The thing that amazes me is that I've acquired almost 100 books just in the two years I've been on my own, I was at around 970 when I moved out. I can think over what I've bought/been given/traded one way or another but it still doesn't seem like it's been THAT many.
Those 286 books are why I haven't been a regular library patron since I was about 12 or 13--the first year I went to summer camp, I had been loaned a lengthy series of books (eight in total) and by the time I finished them, I had a stack of my own books waiting. This was also about the time I discovered the concept of buying books used, in thrift stores or used bookstores, and suddenly had "new" books coming in in a fairly constant stream. I still look back fondly on the day I scored 20 books for $5. (I need to go back to that store, I'm sure they've restocked since the last time I was there.)
I used to sometimes have six books going at once, but I've found lately that I'm less inclined to do that in favor of sticking with one, and I need to finish all the ones I have started and continue in that vein. When I am looking for my next read, I kind of look at the piles I have, think about what genre I'm in the mood for (currently I'm on a bit of a mystery/thriller kick), and go with something from that stack. I don't try to read the oldest ones first, or the newest ones. There are books in that pile that have been there for ten years, and I still have every intention of reading them at some point. On the other hand, sometimes I get a new book and start reading it as soon as I get home (or in the car, if someone else is driving!). So if you've given me a book, please don't be upset if you ask about it and I haven't read it. It's a haphazard system.
Here's a picture of the books that are waiting to be read:
They're in one of the upstairs closets on the floor. The stacks are halfway organized by genre (classic lit, mystery, fantasy, Tolkien-related, and Christian fiction are the biggest ones, there's one that's mostly textbooks I hung on to after college, and one for stuff I can't otherwise pigeonhole). After I finish with one, it goes on the shelves:
Yes, I plan on purchasing a fifth bookcase sometime within the next month or two. They're more strictly organized here, and every so often I rearrange a little. As a matter of fact I did a little rearranging since this picture was taken, and that was just a few days ago. (I finished reading Agatha Christie's The Big Four, and realized, when I went to put it on the shelf, that it was getting a bit crowded and I was starting to run the risk of damaging books. A box set got moved to sit on top of the bookcase and I removed one particular series of books from the mystery shelf to sit in its place by itself.)
I was relating this to Cody the other day, and he just looked at me and said, "So, by the time we're fifty, you're going to have an actual library, aren't you?" This is why I love him. ^_^
And another thing, about my reading habits...I'm sure you've probably heard me reference my Post-It addiction. I generally find it very hard to read a book if I don't have Post-It notes (or some knockoff thereof) with me. Whenever I run across a quote I want to remember (I have a Word document with them all), or a word I don't know and want to look up, or generally just want to come back to something before I shelve the book, I stick a Post-It onto the page, hanging out past the edge. When I finish the book, I do what's needed with the flagged info and take the Post-Its out.
This is the Post-It debris from seven (I think) books:
Now, granted--these particular books had been left in a pile because they each had an excessive number of Post-Its and I couldn't be bothered until this new job left me with hours to fill. (Most of them were nonfiction, and since I don't read nonfiction unless I'm VERY interested in the subject, when I do read it it tends to get more bogged down with Post-Its than other books.) So maybe this is actually a poor example, but I think you understand why I end up buying a pack of 400 or so Post-Its every five or six months. Maybe more frequently, if I continue working this overnight shift. I used to favor larger sheets (I think it had something to do with being able to write notes on them--the Post-It habit started in college when it served note-taking/reading-assignment-marking purposes), but now I prefer the little flags, like the yellow and orange ones at the top of the pile in the pic.
And, I guess, there you have it. I think I could tell stories about books for hours. One time in college, I had an assignment to write a 500-word "how-to" paper. (The word escapes me. Not instructional, but something very like that.) I was desperate for a topic and decided to write "How to Build and Maintain a Book Collection," which detailed where I got my books from and how I fixed things like torn covers and fraying jackets. Once I got going, I had to edit it DOWN to 500 words from nearly 1,500. =D (I think the final count may have been in the six hundreds, as we were allowed to run over a LITTLE.)
^^^Thursday night^^^
vvvFriday nightvvv
Well, I just finished reading another book--Tim Allen's "Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man." Pretty funny, though I don't agree with a a lot of his points--yes, he has points, it's a surprisingly intelligent book.
Aaaaaand I bought another book. I had a book to mail out for Bookmooch and got to the Post Office right after work. only to discover it wasn't open yet (8:30, for future reference). So I went driving around for a bit and stumbled across a yard sale and got "Who Moved My Cheese?" for 75 cents. Good deal--it's one of those books I've danced around before, but either didn't have money, or if I did I wanted to spend it on something else.
So all the numbers I spouted earlier are off, lol.
I'm having a spa party tomorrow, with only two guests--my mom and Cody's mom. The idea is they can meet each other. The understood idea is that Mom can meet her so when I whine about her she knows what I'm talking about. I'm trying to decide if I should clean in the morning when I get home or force myself to get out of bed at like 3:30 or 4 and get it done then.
I'm going to make a list now so either way I don't forget anything.
ETA: Spa party went well, by which I mean surprisingly uneventfully.
