Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The future?

A couple of weeks ago, this announcement popped up on one of my library listservs and I just about fell out of my chair.

The University of Mississippi Libraries seeks an Instruction/Reference Librarian to deliver user-centered instruction and reference services to the university community.

The successful candidate will:

- Participate in a general library instruction program supporting composition and freshman seminar courses and provide instruction in the assigned subject area

- Provide instruction support through web content and development of online tutorials

- Provide liaison and collection development for the School of Engineering and/or other departments as assigned

- Provide in-person and virtual reference services

- Participate in creative problem solving, take personal initiative, and work collaboratively with colleagues in the library and the university community.

Qualifications: ALA accredited master's degree by date of employment; excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.

The University of Mississippi is located in historic Oxford, a thriving community offering a wide range of literary, musical and cultural activities. For more information about the University and the community, please visit http://www.olemiss.edu/community/index.html.

I was all set to apply and break my lease and figure out how to get Big 12 football in Mississippi when I read the fine print: "ALA accredited master's degree by date of employment." So I wept. My perfect job actually exists, but I am ineligible for it because it is taking me 3 stinkin' years to finish 42 credit hours. Hopefully whoever gets the job will have some other pie in the sky fantasy job that will open in a year, leaving the position open again, mine for the taking. If nothing else, it has helped me get back in gear for my final year of graduate school.

This semester I am taking 2 classes, which is a total party after last year's 3 class per semester disaster decision. Additionally, one of the classes is in web development, which means it's less theory, more action, AND - it's an 8 week accelerated course entirely online. Heaven, thy name is electives. This is the first week of the course and I'm sort of hating the accelerated factor because this has also been the busiest week in my entire employment history. I'm used to terrible Augusts from working at the ELP with all the incoming international students, but that is nothing compared to the mental exhaustion of 8 appointments a day, athletic transcripts, summer graduation and departmental DARS audits. Add in to the mix the news that my beloved Mollie friend is leaving me for a job more suited to her kickass skills in new student services and this week has been a whole big sack of awful. At least I found some Fit Flop sandals at Penney's today for 50% off. And Steven took me to get a frosty. So there is a reason to get up in the morning.

***

Speaking of reasons to get up in the morning...

I wish you were real, so you could inherit Snyder's throne.

The Emmy's are on Sunday. Since Schindler's List won every award at the Oscars and they played that damn song over and over again, I have been sucked into the pageantry of awards shows. The Oscars and I, however, have not aged well. As I become more selective with my free time I find myself drawn to TV over movies, and TV actors over movie stars. This has grown into a full blown obsession this year, because I have latched on to the critically adored, universally ignored, Friday Night Lights.

Oh Tim Riggins. Who knew you would be the comedic heart of the show?

I could go on about the wonders of FNL, and I will. In fact, I might start a whole new blog committed to dissecting the characters, the acting choices, the dialogue, the Tim Riggins of it all. But all I'll say today, is that even though I loved Matthew Fox in the LOST finale, and I'm sure Breaking Bad is as good as everyone says, they better all take a seat to Coach Taylor. And ok, fine, it's great to see Nurse Carol back on primetime in a show with Big. I give you that. But is she as great as the inimitable Tami Taylor standing up to that snarky chump Joe McCoy? No. She's not. No one is. And no one has been, for the past 4 years. They finally got their nominations, and their fans made it through the emotional exhaustion of season 4 and we all deserve it.

Well, okay, Zach Gilford really deserves it the most but he wasn't even nominated. Seriously.

John Lithgow's got nothing on you, 7.

If you're like Betsy, and won't subject your eyes to conflict, you can also root for Amy Poehler, the delightfully upbeat and dedicated deputy on Parks and Recreation. You can mourn the snub of Aubrey Plaza by cheering for the many. many nominees from Modern Family and take heart that everyone's favorite geek, Sheldon, doesn't have to share the spotlight with Jon Cryer. But mostly, I would suggest watching, just for the clips. You might see something nominated that you've never heard of, or always wondered about, or never got around to watching. One of the greatest things that Instant Netflix, DVR, Hulu, Cox on Demand and syndication have brought us is instant and commercial free access to entire seasons of television. Indulge yourself. I dare you.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

17 days

Guess who got her tickets today?


Just 17 more days until it's fill the Bill time. Are you ready? Here's a video for you, in case you're having trouble getting AMPED.

Sweet Jesus, I miss Michael Bishop. And I had forgotten all about Newman's crazy/insane/amazing return to win the USC game. Unbelievable.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Clear eyes, Full hearts, Can't lose

I discovered the secret to surviving the next 53 days.



Seasons 1-4 available instantly on Netflix.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Belated beyond belief - New house post

Steven and I have lenient landlords when it comes to decorating which means that we spent Memorial Day weekend repainting the walls. It started a dirty sad white, and ended up beautiful, bright and completely ours. We're blessed, and I try to remember that every time Larry ignores our repeated messages about the broken front window.

Dirty sad living room:


Happy gray living room:


Plain, boring white wall:


New, fancy purple wall:


Your average kitchen:


New and improved SUSAN kitchen:





Sad laundry area:


New and improved (though I still need to do something about that light fixture):



The main reason we decided on the house was all the built in storage, and this fabulous bookshelf/wall:


Which leaves all our bookshelves free for decorating:



The bedrooms and study were painted right before we moved in, but I'm still hoping to get curtains made for each of the rooms by the end of the year. I've been fabric shopping for weeks, but I can't commit to buying anything. It's much too stressful. Any color/style suggestions?






This is currently my coffee table. Though I appreciate the ability to move parts of it around as needed, it cannot last forever. Plus, the corners are sharp.


My last project of the summer is the bathroom. It requires wallpaper stripping, priming, and choosing a blue. Basically, it's impossible, because nothing matches my authentically vintage, perfectly hand-me-down, so ugly it's chic shower curtain. It will me stay with me always. Thanks, Momma.



So there you have it. No mice, quiet neighbors, close to work and colored walls. Everything I sort of knew I wanted.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Here we come

I have no reason to believe that the 2010 season will be miraculous. There's no indication that we will even improve on last year's 6-6 record. But thanks to the Where I Come From series, the Big 12 shuffle and Bill Snyder back on the sidelines, something just feels magical. Maybe it's just about having season tickets again. Or knowing that I'm back in a place where I have enough money and time to completely surrender to college football season. To get immersed in the drama and the players and the emotion and the silliness. Maybe it's because the basketball team has made us all better K-State fans again. All I know is that I have been focused on September 4th since November 21st. 56 days to go. Are you ready?


Tuesday, June 15, 2010

10 is the new 12

Reasons I love our new conference:

1. 9 conference football games every year.
2. 18 game round robin in basketball every year.
3. No more Nebraska game.
4. No more Nebraska fans.
5. No more Colorado game.
6. No more Colorado fans.
7. The end of North vs. South silliness.
8. No more arguments about easy schedules. If K-State goes undefeated, people will be forced to take notice.
9. Extra heated rivalries this year - Nebraska v. Texas, Colorado v. Texas, Missouri v. Nebraska.
10. Overall conference strength in basketball. Two games vs. Baylor. Two games vs. Texas. Two games vs. A&M.

See you later, Nebraska and Colorado. Though it will be weird without you, I look forward to having a new reason to watch Big 10 (12) and Pac 10 (11) games.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Now A&M seals our fate?

Texas expected to commit to Big 12 with hope of saving conference

The rumors of the death of the Big 12 may have been greatly exaggerated. Texas will commit to staying in the conference, according to Orangebloods.com.

School officials could announce their decision as early as Monday. The other nine teams remaining after the departure of Colorado and Nebraska could also stay to create a 10-team league.

The smaller league actually could be an incentive to stay. In a story by the Kansas City Star, the revenue from a new television contract being touted by commissioner Dan Beebe could produce "significantly more" than $17 million for each of the 10 remaining Big 12 schools.

In a concession to Texas, schools get an unequal distribution of television revenue and have the opportunity to develop its own network.

The lone question is whether Texas A&M will choose to keep its affiliation with the Big 12 or opt to join the SEC. That would be the final piece to saving the Big 12.

Should the Aggies leave the conference, then it is likely Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State would join the Pac-10.

"As (athletic director) Bill Byrne and I have said on several occasions, our desire was for the Big 12 Conference to continue," Texas A&M R. Bowen Loftin said in a statement Sunday evening. "With the departure of two universities from the conference last week, the Big 12 is certainly not what it was.

"We are aggressively exploring our options, one of which is for the Big 12 to continue in some form. We have also had extensive discussions with other conferences over the past two days. We continue to evaluate our options in a deliberate manner as we work toward a decision that is in the best long-term interests of Texas A&M."