Category: life

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An Ode to Friday

Friday, how I love thee. I am at home and looking out into a day so clear and blue it sears my eyes to look upon it. The temperature is a lovely 68 degrees.

My Five Weeks groups are keeping me on my toes. Our conversations covered everything this week from why superheroes should not wear capes to Microsoft Vista. We talked about wikis too. Many of them found wikis to be very useful, especially when pondering the creation of subject guides. This project never ceases to amaze me.

I think that people do not give themselves enough credit when discussing technology. Most of us are very smart and can learn things easily with time and practice. It is the time that is hard to find.

I am off this weekend to Dallas, home of my graduate school career and one of my best friends, who is turning thirty. There should be some great pictures and some unrepeatable stories. Have a great weekend.
–Jane, there always is

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The Internet and the Towne Centre

What is personal and what is private in a world where online is everywhere?

Today, one of our Five Weeks participants wondered aloud how we keep our personal and professional life separate online. My answer was, you don’t.

You can, of course, omit parts of your life online, but once you put any part of your life into the internet tubes, it will be found by people you never thought would think to find you. If you only put professional stuff online, people in your personal life will find it. If you put your personal things online, your coworkers will eventually find it. That is the nature of the world we live in.

If you are uncomfortable with people knowing your business, then do not share that particular business online. People will only know the secrets you put online for others to see. If you would not do it in public, do not do it online.

Online is the new town square; it is where the world goes to hear the town crier yell the news of the day, where we go to buy our goods, where we meet friends, conduct business, and gossip.

I think that this makes some people very uncomfortable. It is disconcerting the first time you write something and publish it online, for all the world to see. It is sometimes like walking through the town square naked, but participating online also means you are part of the community. There are benefits to putting a part of yourself online, to showing your human side.

Libraries can do this too. By exposing our human sides in the town square, we can cease to be the monolith and be the meeting place of the community, online and off. This past week, Michael said that 2.0 means being human, being real. Presenting yourself or your library online in an authentic way can have many unexpected rewards, not the least of which is a better relationship with those around you and with those you serve.

–Jane, is romping in the new town square

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Happy New Year!

I know this salutation is a few days early, but tomorrow morning the Rochester household is packing into the new car and heading for the annual festivities at my family’s lake house. There is, of course, no toobes, and thus no posts in this space for a few days. Please contain your sorrow. There is no crying on the internets.

At the moment, we are watching the Holiday Bowl, which is in the 3rd quarter, and the Aggies are not doing as well as I would have hoped. We did just recover a fumble however, so maybe the fates will turn to favor us. Nope, it was a touchdown for Cal. Poo.

My resolution for 2007: I will strive to make things happen at MPOW and in my life in general. Less talkie more fetchie. A little more action with less stress. Wish me luck.

Many blessings to all of you in the New Year. I will toast my friends at midnight and wish you well.

–Jane, its going to be a great year

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Bits of the Week

I will have a post about the ALA Web Planning Retreat tomorrow afternoon. I needed time to digest a bit and then there is always the pesky work that gets in the way. Here are some bits to tide you over, all having nothing to do with ALA:

  • I finally finished A Storm of Swords. Geez. It only took me a year, off and on. And I promptly went on a reading binge. Three books later, I am feeling a bit better.
  • I made kolaches.
  • Cleaned my house.
  • Participated in a Festivus Party, complete with metal pole and Bagels.
  • Bought the last gift on my list.

Tonight, I am leaving Mr. Rochester to fend for himself, dropping my menagerie off at my parent’s, and joining some old friends for what should be a night of much laughter and unrepeatable stories. With drinking, of course!

Friday, I am making more kolaches, a molasses ginger cake with vanilla whipped cream (the real kind), and writing up my ALA notes. Good Times.

–Jane, Merry Jeebusmas

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Sniffing the Windy Sniffs


Sniffing the Windy Sniffs

Originally uploaded by Wandering Eyre.

Thanks to some tornadoes in the area, I have the morning off. The rain has stopped but it is still very windy. Pullo and I have spent the morning cruising around online and going outside to inspect the sniffs on the wind. In the Rochester household, this is called sniffing the sniffs.

I love mornings at home. For the first time in weeks, I am all caught up with my feeds. I am a couple posts behind here, but I think that can be remedied shortly. I am starting to get all my things together for Internet Librarian. It will be my first time attending and I am very excited.

I hope everyone is enjoying their morning; my play time is almost over.

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Yahoo Time Capsule

For the next month, until November 8th, Yahoo is taking submissions for an online time capsule. From the Yahoo website:

…users worldwide can contribute photos, writings, videos, audio – even drawings – to this electronic anthropology project. This is the first time that digital data will be gathered and preserved for historical purposes.

What an interesting project! You can view a breakdown of contributions by gender, age, type, country, and subject.

–Jane, considering what to submit

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On Age and Leisure

I have played hookey from work today and am sitting in Panera Bread drinking coffee and cruising the free wifi. Life is wonderful. Twenty-eight years ago, my mother began the journey that was raising Jane (which oddly enough rhymes with cain). I was headstrong, curious, demanding, bossy, loud, and loving. She admits I was a handful, but I think I turned out okay. Not much has changed over the years.

Already today, I have renewed my driver’s license with my new name. (Who wants to be a Rochester? Not me, though now, I am.) After my coffee, I am going to get my hair cut and highlighted. Then, I shall take my new hair to Borders where it will help me choose some new books.

I plan on doing some writing later, after the pleasure of pampering myself has worn thin. Have a lovely Friday, everyone.

–Jane, one year older, not really smarter

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Flurry

With the flurry of posts, you may have realized that I have reached the end of the tunnel! Yes, gentle readers, the light is now upon my face. The birds are singing and the air is cool.

This weekend most of my college friends will be in town for a wedding. Aggie football is on TV early enough for us to watch the game before the wedding so all is right with the world. The two previous sentences mean we will be acting, not like responsible adults (a questionable statement in any case), but like crazy college kids, at least for a couple of days. Bring on the beer games and make sure the Bloody Marys are nice and strong in the morning.

Beat the Hell Outta Texas Tech, Whoop!

–Jane, in love with Fridays

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On This Day

On this day, five years ago, I was in my living room with my dad. I had graduated from college and was substitute teaching. I did not have a gig that day and was home. I woke up and my dad told me a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center; it was a little after 9. Like everyone else, I was unable to believe what I was seeing and unable to look away. I kept drifting back to the living room in horror.

This day is a when time we should remember the things we have seen in our lives and be thankful for the things which we have been given, however small or large they may be.

–Jane, is thankful indeed