Random Thursday: From the Library of Random

It’s Random!  It’s Thursday!  It’s . . . you know the drill.

By the time this post is up, I will be at the state library conference, attempting to ingest enough caffeine to compensate for waking up at 4:30am in order to leave the house at 5:30am to get the library van at 6am so my fellow zombies librarians and I can arrive at the conference around eight.

That’s a lot of am to overcome.  Wish me luck.

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Meet Kuzma

Click the image for more adorable photos and a video.

Kuzma is the new library assistant at a children’s library in Novorossiysk, Russia.

He wears a bow tie and is paid in cat food and skritches.

I’d wear a bow tie, too, if I could sleep on the job . . .

Kuzma, by the way, means “order” and “arrangement”, which isn’t a bad name for a library cat.

We totally would, too.

(I don’t remember who sent me this first, but thank you Dee, Lisa and Vannie!)

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Speaking of Librarians . . .

What did you think we do all day?

Shelve books or something?

(Thanks, ‘firstmausi!)

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All the World’s a Library

You know those Little Free Libraries popping up all over the place?

They just went free range.

BookCrossing is the equivalent of literary geocaching—
or the environmentally sound equivalent of releasing a balloon with a postcard on it.

It’s simple:

Select a book from your own vast collection.

Go to BookCrossing.com and

I’m told that there are a couple of  “official” BookCrossing stations around,
but most of the time, people just leave them on buses, street benches, coffee shop tables, airplanes, wherever.

Since I tend to do that anyway, I might as well tag ’em first!

I’ll report the results . . . once I can choose a book.

Who’s with me?

If you try this, let me know how it goes!

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Be Honest

All you library staff out there:

When you’re alone at home, do you do Dewey?

Or do you just say, “Chuck it”?

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Again!  Again!

If only because of Christian Kane’s “fraud” line—if you’re a fan of Leverage, you know why.

I wonder if this show will help fill the hole in my heart where that one used to be.

Nah.

But I’ll bet it finds it’s own place in there somewhere.

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Random Thursday: Angry Mobs, Future Gifts, and a Loss of Leverage

Last Random Thursday for 2012!

Anybody still reading these things?

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Four Minutes of Leverage

I loved this show.  I bought a DVR so I wouldn’t miss this show.*

I wrote fanfic for this show.

I stalked the Head Writer of this show.

The Pigeon Drop is based partly on something that was once said about one of the consultants for this show.

And now it’s gone.

Sigh . . .

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Christmas List 2013 #1:

Hobbit feet!

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Let’s Start an Angry Flash Mob!

But watch the azaleas.

(Wondermark is the brainchild of the brilliant and non-litigious David Malki !, who is also responsible for one of my tattoos)

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Christmas List 2013 #2:

But I want it in Command Gold.

Never mind why.

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Humor Me

Because I’m seriously going to miss the team—by which I mean the actors, writers, and crew.

Thanks for a great five year run, guys.

(How about a spin-off—or reunion movie—for  Christmas List 2013 #3?)

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*Literally.  If you look at our series recording queue, there are fourteen children’s shows and Leverage.  I keep them there until the season comes out on DVD.

Random Thursdays: Random Happiness

Unexpected happy-making things, both big and small, have happened all this week.  Don’t know why, don’t care, but I’m enjoying them all.

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Pumpkin bread for breakfast this morning, courtesy of Downith, who sent me her recipe!

I would have taken a picture of the results, except I tasted them first, and then the family woke up and all that’s left is crumbs and a grocery list with MORE PUMPKIN written on it and underlined twice.

Spice cake was already on the list, because Lyra’s recipe kicks it, too!

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On Tuesday, I helped a nice lady find a photo of her grandson in the newspaper and order a print copy from the website.

I found out today that she took the time to write out a comment card saying how helpful and friendly I was—those things go straight to the director, and my annual evaluation is coming up!

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 Janie had her softball awards ‘ceremony’ at the local ice cream parlor two evenings ago—her trophy is featured in yesterday’s post.

I took Sunny along and we stood in line for ice cream while she charmed the socks off the older couple behind us.*

The woman mentioned that their children and grandchildren had come down for the holiday, but they’d all gone home and the house was far too quiet.

“Our house isn’t quiet,” said  Sunny.  She pointed to Janie’s group.  “I have a sister.”

Ice cream and shared laughter.  Awesome combination.

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I got my FOID card in the mail yesterday, which means I can rent a gun at the local shooting range and  practice.

I’m hoping to work up to the broad sides of barns, but we’ll see . . .

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Wayne E. Pollard, creator of the webcomic Bo’s Café Life, is going to have a collection out soon!

Wayne is a great guy, and his gang of struggling writers at the coffee shop are spot on—laughing at them imeans laughing at ourselves, and that can only be a good thing in this business!

He also gives the occasional nod to writer support services:

The comic has been featuring interviews from editors, agents, critics, and others in the industry, as well as an Ask Dingbang feature that I never miss.

The morning doesn’t start until I get my Bo fix— and soon I’ll be able to read my favorites without worrying about my wireless connection!

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My husband brought  my packed lunch to work for me before I even realized I’d left it on the kitchen counter this morning.

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I have no idea why this feels like a huge confession . . . but I’ve been known to write a little fanfiction—for practice, experimentation, relaxation, the occasional dare, the instant feedback, because I’m a huge geeky nerd, whatever.

I’m well aware that I’m choosing to use some of my writing time on derivative things that can’t be published, but this is something  I enjoy doing, and I know it’s improved my writing.

I haven’t participated much lately, but this past month, the Leverage fandom at the site where I post held an awards thing, where readers could nominate and vote on their favorite stories and writers.

Someone was kind enough to nominate one or two of my stories in a couple categories,  and I was up for best author, all of which was quite the ego boost.  I voted for other people’s stuff, and then the voting period was extended, so I forgot about it.

Then yesterday, I received a ton of e-mailed congratulations.

Turns out, one of my stories placed first for best original character, best alternative universe,** and best overall story, and tied for second for best general-category (with its sequel, if you can believe that).  And I placed first for best author.

I know that this isn’t the type of thing one mentions in a query letter, and I know that fanfiction is generally vilified—be honest, how many of you read the previous paragraph and thought well, how hard can that be?

But let me explain why this is important, personally, to me:

There are about eighteen-hundred stories in that fandom at last count and an average of three new ones pop up every day.   I wrote that story three years ago.  And readers still remember it.

That’s the real award, right there.

And a challenge to do the same thing, all on my own.

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This week has been great so far!  How’s yours going?  Any random happiness to share?

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* As she does to any grandparent within a thirty-foot radius.  So far, she’s only used this power for good instead of evil, but I’m keeping a close eye . . .

**Which I’m taking to mean that the events in the story occurred outside of the shows, though it obviously referenced several.

Random Thursday: Recent smiles

Bill Douglas is a college friend of my husband.  Among Bill’s sterling qualities is incredible lung capacity and a great sense of humor.

In Cincinnati, he was—and possibly still is—known as one of the Signs of Summer:

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Tartle:

A Scots word meaning “The act of hesitating while introducing someone because you’ve forgotten their name.”

I can’t tell you how tickled I am that there’s an actual word for this.  I’m not alone!

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My Complete Third Season of Leverage shipped yesterday!

I know what I’m doing for my birthday!

Okay, yeah, probably finishing up the last chapters of Pigeon while washing down cake with diet Pepsi swilled right out of the two-liter bottle.

But if I can’t get the  first season of Doctor Eleven from the library on time, my first draft afterparty is going to be popcorn, Häagen-Dazs , and the crew doing what the crew does best.

You know you love a show when you ask a co-worker visiting Portland to try to get the autographs of the writers and producers instead of the actors.

(okay, maybe them, too)

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This image.  No real reason.

(thanks, Kevin—you always make me smile)

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Wrote a love scene..

No, I’m not elaborating.

But I did yesterday!

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Library Raid jackets are back on sale at the Unshelved webcomic store!*

I’m hoping they’ll bring back the cap, too.

If you’ve never tried Unshelved, I recommend it—it’s an exaggerated look at library life, but only slightly.  And they do great book recommendations and excellent commentary, too.

I met Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum at the last ALA I attended, and they’re good people—they autographed their carpal tunnel off for us!

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 And finally, comments make me smile.

I know, shocker—but I really appreciate you taking the time to tell me what you think (unless you think I need Viagra,  O-rings, and discount office equipment).

So let’s have more smiling around here:  What made you smile this week?

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** If any family members are checking here in the hopes that I’ll drop a birthday present hints and are cursing me for preordering Leverage:  Hint.

A Very Important Public Service Announcement

 Set your DVRs, Tivos, VCRs, flipcams, Hulu Alerts, whatever—or send your family out to see the holiday lights, unless they can be trusted to not say a word for an entire hour.

That’s right:  Leverage returns tonight on TNT, 9 eastern, 8 central! 

What?

C’mon guys, it’s the Ho Ho Ho Job!*  The team’s saving Santa. 

And that guy from Kids in the Hall is in it.  And Wil Wheaton.

Wil Wheaton.  As a villian.

If you’ve never seen the show and even the draw of Wil Wheaton leaves you undecided,** have a look at two of my favorite clip vids, compiled by those far more tech savvy than I.

Want humor and action?  Leverage delivers:

Want drama and emotional depth?  Got you covered:

Look, at least check out  Kung Fu Monkey, blog of the John Rogers, head writer of Leverage and all around cool guy.

That is all. 

Hey, isn’t that enough?

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* There’s a sneak peek after the trailer.  And commercials—sorry, blame TNT.

**C’mon—Wil Wheaton.