Be sure to wear a flower in your hair...

Tomorrow is the last class meeting of the semester, where I should find out my estimated final grade for Reference. Then S and I are going to crash at my cousin and his wife's apartment in St. Paul (Oh, the hospitality! Thanks, 'cuz!) and fly out to our vacation destination on Wednesday morning. Where are we headed? The mystery can now be revealed:

San Francisco!

We have very vague plans, but want to see a lot of the neighborhoods (Japantown, Russian Hill, Chinatown), Muir Woods for the redwoods, the park and the bridge, and eat lots of yummy food (noodles and sushi and Italian and Chinese and on and on...). We are going to Alcatraz on my birthday (Friday) and I don't know what else S has planned for that day. I'm sure it will be wonderful. I am very thankful to be going on a trip, to be recovering from my cold/bronchitis, to be getting older (yes!), and best of all, to have S as loving travel partner. I promise photos (as long as my camera doesn't break or get stolen) and stories when I return in about a week.

Until later, ciao!

Yet another one

Unfortunately, I have come down with a rather bad cold which has kind of turned into bronchitis, so I have been laid up for the past three days with not much to do except worry that this will ruin our trip (which we are scheduled to leave for next Wednesday). I really hope and pray my chest loosens up and that I can stop coughing and be able to breathe, because I certainly don't want to ruin this trip.

A critical error

I was on my break reading a back-issue of Glamour Magazine, and I found a perfume ad that seemed kind of good. So I rubbed it on my wrists and neck, thinking, "Oh, this will be nice since I have a double date tonight and a party to go to after that!"

Man, am I regretting that choice.

It smells way too flowery for my taste now that it's all over my skin. I tried using a wet-wipe to wipe some of it off, but I can still smell it. Thankfully, my co-worker Jessie, with whom I am going on the double date (with S and Jessie's boyfriend Joe) said she didn't smell anything, so I won't be an offense.

Here's hoping S doesn't notice when we meet up for church this evening.

You must face the gazebo alone

I'm sitting here at my computer, doing my homework, trying to ignore that it's sunny outside and that S is in the other room waiting to play and run errands with me. I need to find a short summary of Goodridge et al. v. Department of Public Heath of Massachusetts and about four sources for good information on Chechnya. Gah.

I like how I've already gotten two messages from classmates on this assignment, and one of the very clear directives for this is "You must complete the wirtten source exercise alone." Offering suggestions for each other isn't cheating, since I'm not giving out the answers, it's being a helpful library student!

In other news, I have no idea where to look for information on Kim Jong Il.

All things know

I'm doing my homework for Reference class, and this week's assignment has to do with government documents. We are allowed to use online sources only for this bit of homework, so that means I did not have to spend three hours at the nearby university library in order to do my homework, rather, I just have to search FirstGov and use Google's Government Search. Also, I am cheating and using Wikipedia a bit, too, because how am I supposed to discern what these government documents are saying about anything? They are written like by a committee on confusion, so for the question about NAFTA's Chapter 11, I had to go and do some background reading. I found the actual Chapter 11 quite easily, but had no idea what it meant. Harrumph. Guess I'm not the brilliant mind I thought I was. Maybe it's all those drugs I did in high school. (Note: the previous sentence is a joke. Have been and always will be drug free. Hugs not drugs!)

Anyway, so now I have to find the text on the opinion of the Supreme Court in the case of Silkwood v. Kerr-McGee, and if that isn't your idea of a great Monday morning, I don't think we can be friends. Additionally, if you are not aware of the Posse Comitatus Act, I'm going to have to skip our plans for Friday night. Tip: FindLaw.com to maintain our friendship.

As soon as I'm done here, I am going to make a very large, very well-dressed salad for my lunch/dinner at work at—where else?—the library!

Can I just say again how excited I am to go on vacation in two weeks?

Here it goes again

I finally broke the news to my mom about S's and my trip at the end of this month, and she was astonishingly calm about it.

"Well, I'm glad you get to go on a vacation!" was her response.

When did my parents become so... relaxed?

I think the fact that S has a friend (Alexandra) he met in Alaska who lives near our destination who is excited to play tour guide for us for at least a day or so probably helped. We won't be alone in the city without knowing a soul. Or something.

In case you are reading and wondering where this potentially lovely vacation is taking place, you are not mistaken in thinking I have not mentioned it. For now, it's top secret.

This weekend, there's the usual Easter celebrations happening with my family, but I will be with S and his family. Since both events are happening in town, though, I think I can be in two places in one day. Of course, I am looking forward to the Easter Bunny visit, especially since we have a new bunny rabbit (appropriately named Luna Bean, as she is a little bean of a bunny) as a pet. Inevitably, she will be tucked into a basket with some candy.

Yes, it really is April 4th

And yes, this really is a photo of my front yard from about a half hour ago. Silly weather. Snow is for December! At the very least, it is sunny, but darn cold.

Sort of a note to self for work: on virtual content

The director of the library just approached me while I was on break to mention two items for me to bring to the next Virtual Services Team meeting, of which I am a member.

-Hennepin County Library's Bookspace offers recommendations, personalized lists, online bookclubs, and just has a really beautifully done website. We've discussed online bookclubs in the past, but this website is fantastic compared to what our library currently offers.

-Las Vegas-Clark County Library District's MyLibraryDV as part of their eMedia offers video on demand, which looks interesting. Would be especially useful if it involved popular titles which garner many requests, but I'm not sure that's the case.

I love when the director reads something and thinks, "I should tell Beth!"

Working it out

After a bit more hunting and investigating, I think we found a place to stay that will at least be okay, and airline tickets are probably as cheap as they're going to get for our destination, so we went ahead and bought our vacation package yesterday.

The day after my class finishes, we are headed to an as-yet-undisclosed location near the ocean for about a week. Some details are still to be worked out, some favors to be asked (Simon and Eve, this means you!), and some plans yet to be made, but we are definitely going, barring major illness or other unforeseen catastrophe. Whew. Exhausting! But exciting!

S's cousin Nate was there when we booked it, and seemed annoyed that we are going on this trip and he and his soon-to-be wife don't get to go on a honeymoon. I am sorry to say that we know of quite a few couples who have gotten married or are getting married and can't afford honeymoons, and I don't think I should have to justify this, but I have been saving up for almost a year in order to go someplace, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather go with than S.

Also, a wedding is not happening anytime soon, and is not a priority for me, or for S for that matter, therefore I would rather spend my money on a holiday now rather than save for something I don't really care about for later, that might not happen anytime soon.

Live in the moment and all of that. To the coast!

Deep breaths

Criminy, is it ever stressful to try to plan a vacation trip. I'm all, "I just want to go on a holiday for my birthday!" and the guidebook and the 8,632 opinions of everything available on the internet just confound me. Blimey! I don't know where to stay, but I know I want to get out of town.