RE: S's interview

Well, they called S back about his interview last week, and while they said they really liked him, he didn't get the job. Someone else had more experience with some aspect of the job, so they offerred it to him instead. The job is an interim position, though, with a renewable contract, and that goes until June, so who knows what might happen with the person they hired.

I feel bad for S, because he really, really wanted that job and liked the idea of it very much, but I guess we don't know God's plans. I just know that S feels at his wit's end sometimes about being back from AmeriCorps since October and still not having a job or being in school. It's tough.

I find myself reminding him that he's a great guy with lots of valuable skills and abilities, and that I love him, and the job doesn't make the man.

Like regular chickens

Well, I think I'm done with the rough draft of my paper, which I am tentatively titling, "The Reference Interview: Perspectives, or, How do we know the patron really wants?" I, of course, think this is brilliant. I drew out a thought-map today at work to gather my ideas into one cohesive piece of...something. It worked. Or anyway, I think it worked. Only my actual grade on it will tell.

When I got home this evening, I just sat down (after eating some Lays Sour Cream and Onion potato chips) and gathered my quotes and wrote the thing up. I messed with it a little, reordering some paragraphs, adding some more perspectives of reference librarians I asked at work about the issue, and generally retooling the whole thing, putting in a new introduction and writing a kind of blah conclusion that works for the time being. I then ate a burrito from Chipotlé since Andrea called on her way home from work and asked if I wanted one. What a silly question. So, I'm feeling strong, like I can do this, you know? I was having some paper esteem issues and didn't know what I was doing or why I ever thought I was good at it, and now I remember. Booyah!

This means that I get to go out tonight and have some fun with my former coworkers from American Corporate Bookstore Not-So-Anonymous, a.k.a. my BN Buddies. My sis and guy are coming along, and I think the evening may involve a little vodka, a little kahlua, and a little cream, in equal parts over ice. I'm waiting for S to show up as I type this, and Andrea is getting all snazzed up in her room, accessorizing to beat the band. My hands are cold, so I am now done typing.

Maybe you will always be just a little out of reach

Well, S had his interview this morning and came to my house afterward to I could see him in his suit and tie. The guys who interviewed him said they'd be in contact by the end of today, since they had two other interviews after him. I don't know if that means they'll call either way, but I'm hoping they do, just so he can know one way or another. P.S. Does my boyfriend ever look handsome in a suit. Wowsers.

We went out for some Vietnamese food for lunch and got stuffed and then I picked up Andrea from campus. I vacuumed out my car, which was looking pretty awful, and then started reading through articles for my paper. I'm not exactly sure how to go about starting this paper, but I'm going to at least finish reading the articles I have and then try to bang out something by this evening.

Hang on, there's a twilight, a night-time and a dawn

In important news: S has a job interview tomorrow, and I'm just praying that it goes well and that God's will be done. I'm not worried about it at all, since S is good on paper but way better in person, in all his charming, intelligent glory, but I just hope that the right thing happens. If he's supposed to have the job, he will.

I've got this really annoying cold that mainly just involves a lot of sneezing. At embarrassing moments, like at work while I'm helping patrons and in class last night. At least I don't feel miserable, just sound so.

I think I'm either going to go home after work or go to S's and take a nap, either place I end up. S went with me to St. Paul for class last night, and he drove home, which was very helpful and nice to have someone else with me and to drive at night. I still didn't get to bed until close to midnight, but it was great nonetheless, but now I'm feeling somewhat ready to hit the pillow again.

This weekend is going to be fun! My dad's birthday is Saturday, Simon and Eve are going to come up for games, and I'm off work and our Secret Sister reveal party is happening on Sunday at the Book & Bean. I also need to work on my paper/presentation, but I have tomorrow for that, too.

They love to tell you, stay inside the lines

The weekend was kind of a mish-mash of work on Saturday, rushing to mass after work, Sunday studying and hanging out with S. Yesterday, we watched "The Two Towers" with his cousin and I very nearly dozed off multiple times. I willingly watch the Lord of the Rings with them, but I always know I'm in for a long, long sit-session, keeping track of characters and plot points which all lead back to one thing: it's a series of movies about a piece of jewelry.

I've gotten some very helpful information for my reference project from the reference librarians where I work. They've given me some wonderful first-hand experiences and I'm even more excited to compile my paper and present to the class. I'm really hoping it goes well.

With a glass of Chianti on my desk

Feeling a little like a lush since I'm finishing off the rest of the Chianti I didn't use in tonight's recipe, Drunken Tuscan Pasta from Rachael Ray's Express Lane Meals. I modify the recipe a bit to suit our household tastes, and will post the modified recipe shortly, but right now I've got a full stomach and need to be out the door soon for a birthday party tonight at the Book & Bean Café (Calvary Chapel's coffee shop outreach here in this fair city).

Got to hang out with my cousin Simon a bit today, as he had business to conduct with the vehicle inspection site in Royalton (where I worked one Saturday a month at the library for a year!) and tabs to acquire at the local DMV. Ah, small towns. Simon lives in the cities but they weren't able to get him in promptly, and the man needs to be able to drive his car, so he drove up here and called me for coffee this afternoon once he was free. It's been a while since I've seen him, so it was excellent to catch up and know that he needs some prayers and that S and I are informally invited for a non-specific dinner party with Simon and Eve sometime in February. Sweet!

In library school news, I am currently now very excited about my reference class, since Tuesday's assignment of partners for our project(25% of my grade—yeesh!). Me and another girl got our hands in the air to volunteer to present first, so we'll have that out of the way by the end of class on January 30th. This means I've started research on reference interviews and will need to gather some information from some current reference librarians and creatively, intelligently, coherently synthesize my ideas into a 3-4 page paper and collaboration with my classmate. It should be pretty great, actually. I am thankful for this blessing, since for a portion of my trip to St. Paul on Tuesday night for class, I just prayed for discernment about which topic to sign up for, and I prayed for some enthusiasm for this class, since I haven't been "feelin' it" this semester. Praise the Lord, because I'm now pretty jazzed about my topic and my ability to cover it.

Staying warm on a chilly day

Our dear Cata has been home for the weekend, celebrating her birthday and Christmas with us. Last night, us girls went to Chipotlé, where we got free burritos because Cata has connections. It's like the Spanish-Speaking-Network, and I'm told Andrea also gets free food there because she is recognized as "Cata's sister." Hah. Then we went to Old Navy and World Market so Cata could use the gift cards Andrea and I got her, and of course I spent money I didn't need to, but I found a sweater that reminded me of the white cable knit one Cameron Diaz wore in "The Holiday," and found a pretty Indian print scarf which is delectably soft. Cata will head back to Iowa tomorrow, but I'm glad we've gotten to spend some quality time with her.

The global warming trend has kind of stopped and it's been really quite cold outside the past few days. It's all of six degrees right now, which means I'm going to have to dry my hair before going out to pick up something for our hostess tonight—S and I were invited to dinner at a friend's, and I want to get a bottle of sparkling grape juice or something (no idea if she drinks).

Right now, I'm going to try to finish sewing together some sweater pieces and see how that goes.

My cousin, Erik Ringsmuth, is awesome!!

If you go to Echo Mountain's website, you can see my cousin Erik in his brown winter gear in the main photo. He moved back to Colorado this winter (last winter he worked as a lift operator there) to try his hand at some competitive skiing. He was in a skiing competition at Echo Mountain last weekend and got 2nd place!! We are about one step closer to full Ringsmuth family name recognition the world over.

My sweet Reference textbook

IMG_9629.JPG,
originally uploaded by rubybeth.

So, this book may not look like much (hey, making awesome graphic art is tough!!), but I'll be pretty much depending on it until the end of April. I got home from class on Tuesday night and pulled the textbook out to show my little sister Andrea, and hilarity ensued. See the Flickr photos for the full story.

So this is the new year, and I have no resolutions

I've decided that, since last years resolutions went pretty well, I'm not going to do any for this year.

Yes, that's right. My resolutions were so good, I don't need them this year. I am going to keep my poster of resolutions and, instead of adding resolutions, I am going to add some necessary goals.

Last years resolutions:

1. Enjoy the small things
2. Don't take anyone for granted
3. Pay down credit card bill to zero
4. Laugh danger in the face (try new things)
5. Jeans jeans jeans
(that's just never not going to be funny, let's fave it and not move on)
6. play hard, study harder (truly
7. Don't fall into bad habits
8. Listen to more new music
9. Use Netflix less; spend more time with friends
10. Cultivate wisdom
11. This one goes to eleven
12. Pray, then pray some more
13. This number is not unlucky; be less superstitious; God knows all; Have faith and trust in Him alone

I accomplished #9 very easily when S was here, but less so when he was gone in Alaska. I don't think I really did #7, in that I did try to stop biting my nails again, but I'm not doing very well at it lately. Numbers 10 and 12 kind of go hand in hand in my mind, and I'm constantly working on that. And #3 is done and done, to the point that I opened a sweet ING savings account in November and have stashed quite a bit of cashola already before the new year. I also kind of did #8, but mainly focused on the few artists I discovered and really, truly loved, like José Gonzales and the Wailin' Jennys. I definitely did #4, as I had a total of three job interviews and, with S, had a long-distance relationship that was fully functional and healthy and survived more than six months of being apart.

So the goals for 2007 are as follows:
1. Add as much money as possible to my savings account
2. Do as well as possible in my grad classes
3. Keep my mind and heart open
4. Love S the best I can
5. Love God the best I can

Or, you can just hold on really tight

Last Thursday, S and I headed to the cities to meet up with a few of his Alaska trail crew cohorts and some old college friends. It was a good time spent at the Happy Gnome and Mickey's Diner and the Seward Cafe and Tony Roma's at the Mall of America. Let's just say it was a lot of sitting around in restaurants hearing the stories of how S was nearly killed twice (once by moose, once by dead trees) and how he's now looking for a job he might actually like. I'm glad I got to meet and re-meet some of S's friends and spend time with them, eat lots of yummy food, and the game of Trivial Pursuit we played was an excellent match-up.

Today I head back to St. Paul for the start of my next graduate class. This time, it's reference, and I'm expecting a lot of homework and time dedicated to reading and studying. S and I have been working on getting to bed at more decent hours, or at least having me in bed at a somewhat more reasonable time each night, so that has helped my sense of sanity/reality. I hope that I can dedicate at least one of my days off to homework and not procrastinate. I know I can do it, and I know S will help me and support me however he can.

What's cooler than being cool?

New Years Eve consisted of collaborating with S in doing pretty much nothing. It was quite wonderful, really, going to Burger King (twice, confusing the drive-thru guy, I'm sure) and watching "Return of the Jedi" after our original plans for a family bonfire and going to Old Chicago fell through. I think S felt bad that it didn't go as planned, but hey, we aren't responsible for the kitchens at the bars closing at 10 and being hungry at 10:45 and not knowing the fire happened earlier, and I had a great time. A truly brilliant evening with that guy.

I nabbed a bunch of new music from my sister, who is gone to Chicago for a few days with friends, and am enjoying Guster and Telefon Tel Aviv and Amon Tobin and more Groove Armada and Bebel Gilberto and Broken Social Scene and Prefuse 73 and this nifty cover of "Hey Ya!" by Matt Weddle, whoever that is.

It's kind of cold outside, which is great, and it snowed yesterday, like actually enough to cover the grass, well mostly. I'm waiting to hear from S and I watched "Shopgirl" and ate leftover pasta from our date the other night.

Here's to a good 2007.