No Touching--EVER! MWAHAHA!

Sometimes I don't understand what prompts school administrators to come up with rules like this.

Un-baa-lievable.

This video seems like the ultimate combination of modern technology and time-honored tradition and skill. The world just doesn't get any better than that.

11pm.

I'm so proud to be living here, at this moment! I just wish I could see what colors they're dying the fountains in Philadelphia.

GObama!

NaNoWriMo

For once, I actually remembered that November is National Novel Writing Month before it happened! So, I've signed up for NaNoWriMo, which challenges everyone and anyone to write a 175-page novel in thirty days. The idea is that if you've got a deadline, both for time and for word count, you'll get over your fears, hesitations, and perfectionism problems, and just bang out something that might be crappy, but it's an actual finished product that you can work with and edit. Since I started working on a young adult novel a few weeks ago, and since I promised that Amy's epic birthday present fanfiction would be finished by Halloween, this year seemed like the perfect time to join the crowd of folks writing frantically this month. So look for periodic word count updates from me!

The Highlights of My Day in Media Services

I Heart Media Services: A Play in Five Acts
by Rachel Hochberg

Act One

My supe: When you deliver that TV to E209, the professor wants a Helping Hand.
Me: He doesn't know how to use a TV?
My supe: I guess not.
~In the classroom~
Professor: So, I'm going to give you the tape...
Me: *puts the tape in; it plays automatically* Is this at the right spot?
Professor: Yes.
Me: *stops tape* Ok, you're all set then.
Professor: So I just press play?
Me: Yep.

Act Two

My supe: Can you go back to E209? The professor says his tape is jammed in the VCR and it's not responding.
Me: Ok. *arrives at the classroom, which is empty--the professor has gone on break along with his class*
Me: Huh. Well. *checks TV and VCR*
Professor: *arriving at last* It's not working.
Me: It is now. The TV wasn't on.
Professor: Oh. But I didn't touch it.
Me: Maybe it has a sleep function. (Yeah right.) But it's all set now, you just have to press play.
Professor: What do I do if this happens again?
Me: *after a moment of silence* Hit the Power button. Right there.
Professor: The Power button...okay. Okay.

Act Three

My supe: Can you go to W201? The professor is having trouble getting the volume to work.
Me: Ok. Maybe it's that problem where we have to unplug everything and stuff.
~In the classroom~
Me: Hi, you were having a volume problem?
Professor (who is doing something unrelated to class on her laptop): Yeah, I can't get it loud enough.
Me: *looks at volume control--it's only up a quarter of the way* Um... *turns volume up using the clearly marked button that says Volume with an up arrow; volume level rises, video of Chinese opera is loud and clear* The volume wasn't up high enough.
Professor (not bothering to look at me when she speaks): Ok, thanks.

Act Four

Professor (in the office): Hi. I have a class two days a week in P209, and I want to use the DVD player next week, but the touch panel wasn't working today.
Me: Ok, we'll check it out for you later today.
Professor: Thanks. *wanders out with an air of confusion*
Me: Amy, this dude says his touch panel wasn't working. So I'll go check it out later.
Amy: Hey, that room is where my class is in fifteen minutes. I'll look when I get up there.
Me: Okay.
~A few mintues later~
*The phone rings*
Me: Hello, Media Services, Rachel speaking.
Amy: Hey, it's me. Are you sure that guy said P209?
Me: Yeah.
Amy: Well, there's nothing wrong with the touch panel, it's working fine.
Me: Ok. Then he's just dumb.
Amy: You're having a bad day, aren't you ?
Me: Yeah.

Act Five

My supe: The professor in E209 just sent a student to call us again, because the TV turned itself off. Then while I was on the phone with the student, he pressed the Power button and it came back on.
Me: *wants to throw things*

Well, I've Already Started Shopping...

Shopping for Christmas, that is! So, on that note, I decided to go through my Amazon wish list and weed out stuff that shouldn't be on there anymore, and generally get it primed for the gift-giving season. So, here's a fresh link to it. Just, you know, in case you happen to be buying things. For me. ;)

PS - Though two of my three jobs are in the independent bookseller industry, I do like to use Amazon for videos, and for books that are out of print or that are hard to find at indies near me. But, in your other shopping, I encourage one and all to stay away from the big book chains as much as possible and support local independents--if we're going to be spending money, they might as well be the ones getting it. In some cases, they pay my salary. :)

The Bunny!

Isn't she super cute? Also, it seems to be my destiny to have pets that like to lick me, other people, everything else in sight.... Somehow I thought Longfellow was unique, but apparently not. In the second and third pictures, Percy's giving my hand a good thrice-over. She's also got a taste for poetry--those are the only books on my shelf she tries to eat, and she goes after them with persistence that I think is intended to drive me crazy. At least she has good taste.