News, notes, and hyperlink-a-palooza...
Well, here I am: settled in Fairfax. And, after much wailing and gnashing of teeth, here is an update to my journal. It is overdue, but at least not as overdue as it might be. I tried to sign on to my one-year-out-of-date
nefret_forth account this evening and, much to my chagrin, I can't remember the password. Not only that, but I can't even remember what email address I used to register it! So, boo to that. I just have to post the good news here (which seems to make it lack something without the saucy little Gibson Girl icon, but oh well): I'm down a total of 70 pounds since starting my weight-loss odyssey in March of 2006. For some perspective, that means I'm smaller than I was when I went to my senior prom. By a good margin, too. So I feel very, very good about things. My only hope is that my bridesmaid dress for Erin's wedding doesn't come flying down in the middle of the ceremony! That's the next big thing on the menu--going home for the wedding. I fly up Wednesday night, and afterward I'm slated to ride back with Kyle on Sunday (he's saving vacation by waiting until Friday to drive up). So that will be fun, watching everybody just *snif* grow up right in front of my eyes! :)
Beyond prepping for that event, I've been keeping busy. For descriptions of extracurricular stuff, see Mr. Foster, since he does a fine job of telling the stories of our weekends--better than I can rehash in a few sentences, anyway. Work is a nice change and a nice challenge--my new boss is much more tech savvy than my previous one. Almost too tech savvy, in fact. I get the feeling I'm going to be asked to learn how to program here one of these days, and it makes me very nervous. But at least I'm using all the stuff I learned in school, and learning another thing or two on the way. It makes hitting the brick wall that is 30-Year-Veteran-Reference-Librarians a little more bearable. An anecdote: I will be attending this year's Computers in Libraries conference, as the majority of the library's professional staff were encouraged to do. One of these hardened reference librarians refused to even think about it, however, on the grounds that she "didn't approve of libraries heading in that direction." Check your watch, lady, methinks it's about 15 years slow. But like I said, my forward-thinking boss sort of mitigates the Luddite influence, so it all comes out pretty even.
And there are still the customary perks--including first listen dibs on the audiobooks that come through my hands. Which is lucky, since I would have trouble focusing if I couldn't listen to something on the computer. Of course, I think I've driven Kyle nuts thanks to this predilection--after listening to The Omnivore's Dilemma, I've become enamored of the idea of eating locally and buying from farmer's markets. The fact that farmer's markets are thin on the ground in the middle of March has not shut me up about the benefits of eschewing the 90% commodity-corn diet that most of us eat these days (insert the obligatory joke about talking "ears" off here). I'm about halfway through his newest book, In Defense of Food, but I think it'll be a nice, safe mystery novel next time I pick something to listen to. Just for the sake of domestic tranquility. ^_^
The other benefit of the new job is considerably more disposable income than I was previously used to. I've been buying books like a fiend--I've almost earned my first $5 in Borders Bucks and it's not even halfway into the year--and Lord knows there are plenty of other books I'm itching to buy. Nevermind the fact that I'm already out of shelf. I need the built-ins in my parents' living room! But for now, I'm thinking that my treat to myself for March will be this toy. We covets it, precious, we covets the red one, yess...besides, like my mom said the other day--I deserve a reward for losing all my weight. And this is a reward I can take to the gym to help me earn another reward once I've lost another 30. :-P
Anyway, that's all for tonight. The one drawback to this job is that the commute requires me to go to bed at or before the ungodly hour of 10 pm in order to get up and dressed and arrive on time.
nefret_forth account this evening and, much to my chagrin, I can't remember the password. Not only that, but I can't even remember what email address I used to register it! So, boo to that. I just have to post the good news here (which seems to make it lack something without the saucy little Gibson Girl icon, but oh well): I'm down a total of 70 pounds since starting my weight-loss odyssey in March of 2006. For some perspective, that means I'm smaller than I was when I went to my senior prom. By a good margin, too. So I feel very, very good about things. My only hope is that my bridesmaid dress for Erin's wedding doesn't come flying down in the middle of the ceremony! That's the next big thing on the menu--going home for the wedding. I fly up Wednesday night, and afterward I'm slated to ride back with Kyle on Sunday (he's saving vacation by waiting until Friday to drive up). So that will be fun, watching everybody just *snif* grow up right in front of my eyes! :)
Beyond prepping for that event, I've been keeping busy. For descriptions of extracurricular stuff, see Mr. Foster, since he does a fine job of telling the stories of our weekends--better than I can rehash in a few sentences, anyway. Work is a nice change and a nice challenge--my new boss is much more tech savvy than my previous one. Almost too tech savvy, in fact. I get the feeling I'm going to be asked to learn how to program here one of these days, and it makes me very nervous. But at least I'm using all the stuff I learned in school, and learning another thing or two on the way. It makes hitting the brick wall that is 30-Year-Veteran-Reference-Librarians a little more bearable. An anecdote: I will be attending this year's Computers in Libraries conference, as the majority of the library's professional staff were encouraged to do. One of these hardened reference librarians refused to even think about it, however, on the grounds that she "didn't approve of libraries heading in that direction." Check your watch, lady, methinks it's about 15 years slow. But like I said, my forward-thinking boss sort of mitigates the Luddite influence, so it all comes out pretty even.
And there are still the customary perks--including first listen dibs on the audiobooks that come through my hands. Which is lucky, since I would have trouble focusing if I couldn't listen to something on the computer. Of course, I think I've driven Kyle nuts thanks to this predilection--after listening to The Omnivore's Dilemma, I've become enamored of the idea of eating locally and buying from farmer's markets. The fact that farmer's markets are thin on the ground in the middle of March has not shut me up about the benefits of eschewing the 90% commodity-corn diet that most of us eat these days (insert the obligatory joke about talking "ears" off here). I'm about halfway through his newest book, In Defense of Food, but I think it'll be a nice, safe mystery novel next time I pick something to listen to. Just for the sake of domestic tranquility. ^_^
The other benefit of the new job is considerably more disposable income than I was previously used to. I've been buying books like a fiend--I've almost earned my first $5 in Borders Bucks and it's not even halfway into the year--and Lord knows there are plenty of other books I'm itching to buy. Nevermind the fact that I'm already out of shelf. I need the built-ins in my parents' living room! But for now, I'm thinking that my treat to myself for March will be this toy. We covets it, precious, we covets the red one, yess...besides, like my mom said the other day--I deserve a reward for losing all my weight. And this is a reward I can take to the gym to help me earn another reward once I've lost another 30. :-P
Anyway, that's all for tonight. The one drawback to this job is that the commute requires me to go to bed at or before the ungodly hour of 10 pm in order to get up and dressed and arrive on time.