Winter Wonderland

Winter WonderlandOriginally uploaded by ScruffyNerf.

Today, we had the first major snowstorm of the fall of 2007. It, of course, caused all sorts of problems especially for driving here in southeastern Massachusetts. Fortunately, the college where I worked closed at 1:00PM. My normal 15 minute commute took a little over a half hour. I am very glad to be home!! Hopefully, it will stop snowing soon – especially since we may be getting a bigger storm this weekend.

Meanwhile, I’m safely ensconced in my fluffy, comfortable and warm pajamas – watching some of my favorite tv shows on DVD and having some fun blogging. Cool!! Tomorrow, I will worry about whether or not I will be able to actually start my Christmas shopping – nevermind whether or not I will be able to actually finish it.

My New Toy

My New Phone - Originally uploaded by ScruffyNerf

In order to feed my hyperconnectednes and my internet addiction, I recently bought a Palm Treo 700w PDA/phone. It is very cool! I’m pretty impressed with the speed of the internet connection – even if I’m still having trouble recognizing its ringtones.

Something That Makes Me Happy

Stormtrooper!Originally uploaded by ScruffyNerf.

Regardless of how smoothly things seem to be going before the students return at the library where I work, something always happens to muck up the works. It is generally fixable – sometimes the problems are easier to resolve than others. However, stress abounds for me at this time of year. Today, imaging machines in one of our labs is just not working as hoped. I’ve given up for the day in hopes that tomorrow will be filled with a greater measure of success. Sadly, that may be unrealistic. But, I’ve had all I can take today.

So, I’m turning to those things that make me happy for some amount of peace – my Han Solo and Princess Leia wallpaper – and my picture of a Stormtrooper helmet. The helmet is from Nick Malley’s The Yoda Guy Gallery in Saint Marten. Mike & I were lucky enough to meet Mr. Malley on our last visit to Saint Marten. Very cool!!

A Peaceful Evening

The Reflecting Pool

Originally uploaded by ScruffyNerf.

It is a beautiful, although muggy, August evening. I’m enjoying some much needed peace and quiet – and anxiously awaiting a new episode of Burn Notice tonight at 10PM. Life is good!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

My Dad in Saint Marten

Originally uploaded by ScruffyNerf.

Today is my dad’s 60th birthday. He is currently playing golf with my brother, my husband and a friend. Later on this afternoon, my mom, dad, husband, brother, sister-in-law, niece, two nephews and I are all going out to dinner at the restaurant of his choice. It was my father’s birthday wish to take the entire family out to dinner.

Anyway, happy birthday to the bestest dad ever. I love you! May today be all that you hoped it would be. While I can promise to behave – and I can’t speak for anyone else.

Las Vegas At Night

Ballys & Paris in Las Vegas

Originally uploaded by ScruffyNerf.

Personnel Management

Rialto Bridge  Originally uploaded by ScruffyNerf.

I am currently working on an assignment to design a performance appraisal system, explain the system and discuss the handling of poor performers for ILS566-Library Personnel Management. The assignmentis due tomorrow evening by 11:30PM, but I have a good portion of it done already. I should be able to finish it on time – maybe even with a couple of hours to spare.

As a whole, this class has been very interesting – and I am thoroughly enjoying it. It is quickly rising up my mental list of best classes. All of the assignments have been extremely practical in nature – developing interview questions, writing an outline of an employee handbook and designing a performance-appraisal system. None of these have been intense research projects. The idea has been to learn and research a bit about general topics – interviewing, handbooks, and performance-appraisal systems – and then use that knowledge to make decisions on how best to deal with real-world situations. So, no extensive research really, but a great deal of thinking, of making decisions and justifying one’s decisions.

I have deeply surprised myself by becoming drawn to management – by getting the most out of the management classes that I have taken at SCSU. What this actually means, I do not know. Hopefully, I am learning to be a better manager.

Again, no real reason for a picture from my trip to Venice in June of 2005. I just like how images break up the text.

My Favorite Place in Las Vegas?

Coca-Cola Store in Las Vegas

Originally uploaded by ScruffyNerf.

While in Vegas, we went here about 5 times. I guess this means it might just qualify as my favorite place in the city itself (it certainly can’t really compare to the Grand Canyon or the Hoover Dam. However, I will admit to being extremely disappointed that most places in Las Vegas served Pepsi. I hate this type of monopoly. Why can’t places serve both products (and/or others as well)?

Thursday Morning Minutia

The Hoover Dam

Originally uploaded by ScruffyNerf.

I have a paper due at 11:30PM tonight for ILS566 – Library Personnel Management. The assignment is to create an outline of an employee handbook designed specifically for a library. I need to get moving on it Earlier in the week, I had another paper due for ILS655 – Digital Libraries. For this assignment, we had to review a digital library that was a part of the National SMETE Digital Library. It was not a fun one. All of the digital libraries in the NSDL are related to science education for K-12. Yuck! Fortunately, I survived and actually finished it. Now, we just have our final paper/project left to do.

For some good news, my potassium level has mysteriously returned to normal after being low for a couple of months. I had a follow-up appointment with a nephrologist yesterday that lasted all of ten minutes – just long enough to say all of my bloodwork (and other stuff) looked normal now. The weirdest things start to happen when you get older.

There is no real reason for the addition of the picture. It is one of my favorite pictures from the Hoover Dam, and I like the way pictures break up the abundance of text.

Bathrooms at the Hoover Dam

Bathrooms at the Hoover Dam

Originally uploaded by ScruffyNerf.

I was quite surprised to be walking along the Hoover Dam and see restrooms in these concrete structures on the top of the Dam. Somebody, somewhere did some excellent planning. I did not have the good fortune to have to use one of these facilities (but my husband did).

I’m a little bit sad that I didn’t think to actually go check them out. Oh well, that may be a reason to have to go back out that way someday.