BUTTONS!

I have literally spent the last few days lounging around and doing exactly NOTHING because some part of me felt like I deserved it for finishing a bunch of major school stuff without killing anyone outright. That's an accomplishment, right? Well, it's time to get back to it.

I got my first draft back with the notes and apparently, it was a good draft and I won't have much to alter for the final draft! WOOOO!!!!!!! I was so nervous about that. I think that was what was causing a lot of the stress. That and the two very similar group projects that are happening at the exact same time that I keep mixing up. I need to work on those next. Those are the things that I am going to be doing this coming week for 605 and 645.

So close. SO CLOOOOOSSSSEEEEE.....

The 2020 PopSugar Reading Challenge was posted the other day. I am so bummed that I have been too busy with grad school work to read much of anything this year. I have literally only finished 6 of the 50 from this year's list and probably won't finish much more my the end of the year. I think what I'm going to do it try to finish is along with the 2020 and add along the 2015 as well because I never did that one... Because apparently I hate myself... and I love reading.

BTW, if anyone ever asks why I never want to wear my name tag... this is why.

The Weight Is Lifted But Not Gone...

The weekend was spent in the midst of journal articles and research papers and my head is full of information about the extent of visually impaired materials offered at public libraries in other countries... But my first draft of the Capstone proposal for Research Methods (668) has been submitted and I aim to do nothing for the next two days but reflect...

...most likely on everything I know I did wrong. But, that's just how I roll.

Thinking about the statistics of materials and services for the visually impaired available at public libraries in Mississippi was never something that interested me before, but I find that I look for it now at every different library website I visit. It may not be something that affects me personally, but it certainly fascinates me. Which is a good thing, considering that is what I will be spending the majority of my final semester working on researching.

I've found a wonderful resource in the Mississippi Library Association website, who has graciously, whether they know it or not, done the hard part of my research for me by compiling all of the MS counties and their libraries into a comprehensive list along with main branch websites. It's like a one stop shop for my webometric research needs! They even went so far as to put them all into this handy-dandy regional chart for me! Isn't that nice of them?

Getting Close to Finals...

Things are starting to ramp up as it gets closer and closer to finals time. Perhaps taking on a full 12 hours in my first to last semester of grad school was a little ambitious of me. But, I shall persevere.

Began discussing ePortfolios in Information Technology and Libraries (557). As of now, I only have a paper resume with no online presence like on Linked In or anything like that. I seem to get emails from Linked In despite never actually using that site... Interesting.  I did, however, find an interesting article on the site that hosts my online classes about creating an ePortfolio here. It might come in handy when completing my final assignment for this class.

For my class in Research Methods in LIS (668), I'm working on my potential Capstone for the final semester. I'm quite proud of the subject I've chosen, especially considering my absolute hatred of making decisions on my own. I've chosen to evaluate the extent to which public libraries in MS cater to the visually impaired by providing appropriate materials. Exciting, no? I know that the final product is supposed to be conducted and written during the final semester of the program, but I can't help but feel that the more I do now, the less I will have to do in the Spring. I just know that the literature review is going to be my eventual downfall, yet I just can't make myself open EBSCOHost and find articles! My brain will not let me!

Yet I must.

So... I Have Kids Now?

OMG, don't lose your shit, but I have adopted to living beings.

This is Belle and le Bête.

What? Did you think I would actually have real, living, breathing children that I would voluntarily put under my care and be responsible for their health and well-being!? HA!!! You're funny.

My sister and I were walking through Hell yesterday and something in me decided to make a change. The change started with these little ones. In many ways, I am still a child. I admit it freely and am at any given moment grateful for that. But lately, I have been taking more and more responsibility (some would say that I should have taken it long ago) onto myself so that I can become more self-sufficient should the need arise while not getting overwhelmed in the process. Bills, food, clothes, time management... it's all getting worked on (though some are more successful than others).

I brought the kids home and while deciding where to put them, realized that I had no room. I was overwhelmed with stuff on my desk (the ideal place to display their cuteness). I don;t know what came over me, but I took this task more seriously than anything in recent memory. I cleared everything off the desk, wiped it all down, put aside what I didn't want on the surface, and made it more habitable for the children.

After that, I had all this stuff left over that now had no home. This started a whirlwind of cleaning and organizing that I haven't had in a while. It felt good. I was throwing things away (a feat that has been a problem for me in the past), putting things that I actually used within reachable distance and storing other things in a more manageable way for future use. A MIRACLE! I wish I had a before picture to show, but alas, I do not.

I don't have much room to work with, but it's my situation right now. And now I share it with these two beauties. Here's hoping...

Edit (after being at work when 10 kids came in a wrecked everything all at once): This is why I chose cacti. After all the screaming and the whining and the running and mess... I get to go home to two SILENT plants that merely exist to look pretty and ease my troubled mind and all they expect of me is water. This is why you choose plants over everything else.

Shitty 80's Horror Movie Review: Pet Semetary (franchise)

Okay, so since I didn't post last week (because I am lazy) I decided to combine the two in this series to make up for it.

I had never seen these movies before, but it's one of those things that you always hear about from other people.

There are some things I would like to know though, like:

What the fuck was up with the mom in the first one and her story about her sister? It had NO bearing whatsoever in the story line.

Why did the old guy, who KNEW that burying things in the crop circle (because that place was, like, 20 miles away from the actual pet semetary) would turn them into evil flesh eating zombies, tell that dude about it in the first place? So the fucking can got run over by a truck. Shit happens. Get another fucking cat. Ugh. People are stupid.

Pet Semetary (1989)

Pet Semetary II (1992)

F@%k My iPhone.

Alright everyone, listen up and let me tell you a thing.

A few days ago, my phone speakers stopped working. Just... stopped. I could get no sound to come out. I could still talk on the phone and the headphones still worked, but nothing would come out of the speaker.

I did what any strong, intelligent, modern woman does when this happens.

I told my Dad.

We looked it up and apparently, this had been a problem with the iPhone5. I let him play with it and we both respectively tried everything to try and get it to work again. Nothing. Nada.

Finally, he called Apple and told them the problem. They agreed to send a new one (since mine is still under warranty), they'll put a temporary charge on his credit card for the price of the new phone and I would send my defective one back. They would then take the charge off his card. Easy.

So now the game was to wait for the new one to arrive in the mail (which we learned was gonna be Monday).

Two days go by and I'm surviving with no sound. No big deal, just have to pay more attention for vibrating.

This evening, I'm sitting in my room watching TV, and I notice a something. I mute the TV and listen...

My phone alarm is going off.

WTF? TWO DAYS?! TWO DAYS!!!!!!!!!! And then it just fucking works again...

And now he's gonna get charged $650 for a new phone I don't need. Because if I return my phone fully functional, they'll just assume we wanted a new phone and charge him anyway.

Needless to say, we are not very happy right now.

So, I have a job now?

So, it looks like I have a job now...

I'm a librarian? Sort of?

I got the call on Wednesday afternoon and they wanted me to start the next day. Me, being me, didn't really want to jinx it by updating Facebook with something like "OMFG!!!1!! AH GOTS ME AH JOBB!!!!11?!!1!!!1!1!!!!" so I only texted a few people...

Maybe three...

Okay FOUR, I texted four people, so sue me.

With all the set backs in the last 2 1/2 years of unemployment, can you blame me for being a little hesitant in parading something like this to the masses (and by masses, I of course mean the 6 people that even bother reading the blog in the first place, and only then out of pity)?

I really wanted to get the first "week" out of the way before I said anything just so I'd know that it's really happening and not something elaborate that my brain has come up with because I'm in a delusional spiraling black hole of darkness. I'm having fun so far and I really hope it stays that way. But, like I said, didn't want to jinx it.

Not to mention, it's only a part time job (3 days a week). But, you know what? It's something that I KNOW I can do, it's in a place where I actually don't mind spending my time (in or out of work), and it's actually making me money that I can hoard as I stroke my monthly bank statement whispering "Precioussssssssssss."

So, I'm not going to let myself screw this up. I am going to actually do something I like, and if I have free time after that because of only working about 15 hours a week to start, then I can focus on maybe writing something or publishing something. I don't know.

Famous last words?

*NEW VIDEO!* The Post Pre-Interview Test Video

SO!

Things have been interesting the past two weeks, what with all the interview nonsense.  I don't think there will ever be a point in my life where I walk into an interview situation and actually feel like I'm going to get the job.  Does that part ever get any better?

Someone asked me why I don't just get a little job first so that I at least have an income and just look for another job later. The answer to that is both simple and very complex. I don't want to rush into a job that I think is going to be temporary and would most likely drive me insane, because I know the type of person I am. I am the type of person who would STAY in that hell job, bored and frustrated for the rest of my life if given the choice because I would be safe.  I fear and loathe the interview and resume proccess so much that I would just settle down with whatever pissy little occupation set itself in front of me and then end up hating myself more and more as time goes by (re: Wal-Mart for 5 years).

I pretty much know that nothing around here is going to make me happy (that would involve limitless amounts of cash, a personal trainer, and Tom Hiddleston on speed dial), but I at least want to find something that I can make a living off of and not want to go postal and stab all of my co-workers in the face (re: Wal-Mart for 5 years).

And so that brings me to all the running around I have been doing lately. Let me break it down for you:

Feb 1-2: On the coast with parents
Feb 3: Drive 2 1/2 hours to prison interview #1
~1 1/2 hours to Hattiesburg
(this is where the back pain began and I could not stand up)
Feb 7: Back to parents for chiropractor
Feb 9: Back to house
Feb 11: Up to Tara's for prison interview #2
Feb 13: 3 1/2 hours back to coast for chiropractor
Feb 17: 3 1/2 hours back to Tara's for office pre-interview test

And I have to head back to Hattiesburg tomorrow for the Hideout fundraiser.

Then back to the coast Friday for the chiropractor.

I am tired.

Well, now what? (Or: Why I Fail As A Blogger)

Now that the videos are all done and caught up, I have no idea what I am going to do to fill the time in between my posts. I mean, yeah I still have the book blog (which is slowing down because I haven't been reading) and the shitty 80's horror movies, but that's still a lot of down time.

I suppose I can just start some random rant posts, like real bloggers do sometimes, where I talk about things that are going on and get them all out of my head and into the open so that people can ignore them more aggressively.  It's a lot easier to ignore things when they are stuck trapped in my head than it is when they are wondering free on the internet where any random click could take you to the blog of an overweight, broke, unemployed girl whines about her circumstances and also talks about movies and shows no one cares about.

NO LINK IS SAFE FROM THE BLOGS OF THE DESPERATELY DULL AND MILDLY INSANE!

Some part of me wants to make this like a diary of things that happen to me in my everyday life... but then I think about al the stuff that actually happens (see: nothing) and then realize that even if I compacted a whole week into one entry, it would still not be long enough to warrant posting. My life is decidedly boring.

OH! I royally fucked up my back last week! We can talk about that!

I slipped on some ice in the driveway (because I'm graceful like that. Also: WTF Mississippi?!) and wrenched (torqued?) my hips out of alignment. I got right back up, walked it off, and preceded to forget about it because at the time it didn't hurt and I thought I was fine. I was not.  About 3 days later (the fun and exciting day of my birthday that went horribly, horribly wrong) I could not stand up straight and could not walk.  Two days after that, I had to crawl to the bathroom, because anything even RESEMBLING horizontal was a no-no.  Finally got a ride from my sister to the coast (where my former chiropractor is located) who told me that I was fucked and then excruciating pain followed as he tried to get my spine in alignment again.

FUN!

As of today, I can actually stand up straight and walk again (albeit slowly) but it still hurts like a bitch at any other time (like sitting, or lying down). How messed up is it that LYING DOWN is one of the most painful things in the universe? I don't even have those fun and exciting pain-dampening narcotics to get me through tossing and turning in bed at night. Le sigh.

It's a good thing I can actually walk because I have another interview on Wednesday and I really don't want to miss it, plus it would really suck to have to hobble in there.  But, on the bright side, I'm keeping an open mind about this place (ANYTHING has got to be better than last week's escapade) and I also get to stay with my bestie while I'm up in Jackson.

I feel as if there is Jack Daniels and L.A. Noir in my near future.

Shitty Birthday to Me *WITH BONUS VIDEO*

I went home for the weekend to spend some time with my parents for my birthday.

It was nice.

We went out to eat (I had some great fried eggplant and pasta), we sat around and just chilled.  My mom made me a Brian from Family Guy...

It was a good weekend.

And then it was Monday.

I should have known what to expect. I had been there before interviewing for a different position and some part of my brain that wants to remain optimistic thought that it would be different this time and less taxing. I was wrong. I hate driving. I especially hate driving long distances by myself. Even though I had been there once before, it was still unknown territory for me and that always raises my anxiety levels.  

Since I relied heavily on my phone's GPS, it ran the battery out quicker than normal so I dared not play games while I was waiting to be called in.  Hearing the other people talk, it was very clear how things worked there and I knew from almost the moment I walked in that I wasn't getting the job.  Still, some part of me knew that if I just walked out like I wanted to, heads would turn and whispers would come out. So I stayed.

I was uncomfortable (I decided to put in an effort and wore an outfit that made me feel like I was cutting off the circulation to my torso) and the weather had gotten colder and I had no jacket. I felt inadequate and out of place.

People wonder why I never go out and have a life and do things... It's because it feels like THAT all of the time for me.

But I stuck it out. Went in to the interview, tried to smile and make nice with a little small talk, and answered their questions. It took about 5 minutes. Very anti-climactic end to a really elaborate build-up of shit.

And then I had to drive some more. This time, with the thoughts of how depressing this birthday has been while I sit in my car, still cold and uncomfortable, and do the drive of shame back home.

My sister was nice enough to take me out to dinner (we had planned to go out Wednesday, but she knew I needed it sooner) with my nephew. It helped to get my mind off things. Then we just watched TV and laughed over stupid things.

It was a really nice end to a shitty day.

So now I'm a year older with nothing to show for it. *shrug* But, what else is there to do?

*NEW VIDEO!* Purple Skittles

I know this video is hella late.

Meh.

I was feeling lazy.  There's a weather... thing happening. It's fucking cold.  The schools were all closed, no work, people afraid to drive because of ice (because when you live in the south, people fear change and get stupid when faced with something different).

Then I forgot to upload on Tuesday. Then it took 5ever to upload on YouTube today.  It's just been weird.

*Rant* Scam Calls

Got another call today from someone claiming to be from the government wanting to give me free money. This time it was an enticing $8,400 instead of the last sum of $7,500.  While I stuck around to listen for shits and giggles last time to the man with the VERY thick accent tell me that I had to put $280 on a money card a "test" to make sure it was really me and tell them the card information where the rest of the money would be put later.  I told him I'd get right on that and then hung up, giggling to myself and wrote on Facebook about it:

Yes, I'm totally going to believe you, person claiming to be from the Federal Government offering me free money. I'm especially convinced of your legitimacy because of your lack of English skills and what I'm sure were 'official business office' noises coming from your end of the call. I will definitely be handing over $280 so that you can send me my $7,500 of Federal grant money, which I'm sure will arrive promptly in my bank account within a reasonable amount of time. - November 15, 2013

He actually called back an hour later to see if I'd done it yet. By this time I was done and just told him I wasn't going to fall for it and to stop calling.

This time I only listened long enough for the woman, also with an even worse thick and almost imperceptible accent, to tell me I could only get the payment in the form of a Wal-Mart money card (which I know FOR A FACT cannot hold more than, like, $3000 at one time) before I hung up on her.

I would make a rant about "How can people think this will work?" or "Who is stupid enough to fall for that?" but the truth is, after five years in the Money Center of Hell-Mart, I've seen those stupid enough to fall for this shit.  I wanted to strangle them for getting duped so easily.  Like, seriously, you get an email from someone claiming that you've won the Guatemalan lottery of 250K FANTASTIC! BUT in order to get the money, you have to first send them $1,500 for processing....

Really?

I think one time I actually emailed them back and said something to the tune of: "Take it out of the 250K, then send me the rest."

Needless to say, I never heard from them again.

I wish these people who keep calling me would get that same idea.