"Do you work here?" "No." "Oh, well there's a reindeer stuck in the tree."

Lots more to scrapbook. Really need to post more. I'll attempt to go in order.

Superwoman has officially dubbed me as our branch's Staff Association Liaison.

I can never spell that word right, had to Google it.

If you don't work at my library system, Staff Association is basically a group of people from all over the system who work together to promote comradery amongst staff. We host events, send out cards, and all that. We haven't done it for years but then one of my comrades brought it back - making her president.

That's what happens when you want things to happen, you get put in charge. Isn't it lovely?

She even bribed us youngsters with food so we would join.

By youngsters I mean myself and the New Guy.

Everyone else at my branch that's my age has bailed.

But that's another story.

Anyway, so we've been having meetings and they're super fun and also planning a lot of fun stuff. They had a Staff Association picnic at the park - which I missed, though I did text The New Guy to take pictures if they attempted anything athletic.

You've gotta know my people, it would be hilarious. Especially if it were something like volleyball or kickball. Apparently they went with frisbee cause anyone can play that.

Next up is the Holiday Breakfast, where everyone brings food - I know, I'll have to practice beforehand so I don't kill anyone - and there are raffles and all that. After that in the spring we're thinking bowling and wine tasting in the summer.

Should be fun. In the meantime I'm on the cheeseball committee.

Basically we make cheeseballs for the holiday breakfast and then if people want to order any of their own we will supply them.

Remember how I can't cook?

But I was promised there would be wine so I'm there. As long as I don't have to actually cook anything, I think I'm capable of mixing cheese with nuts or whatever it is that goes into cheeseballs - my family makes them all the time but I've never been involved in the process.

Better not mention it to them, then they'd expect me to start making them. Especially since there's usually a large number of people who order them so I'd be a pro by the end of it.

Anyway, I'm excited that Staff Association is back. I bugged Superwoman for years about staff morale and starting something similar. Now I'm just glad I'm not in charge.

Moving on.

Guess what season it is!!

Fall!!

Which means I get both ice hockey and football!

And, I get to see them both in person this upcoming weekend!

That was me all summer, BTW.

For ice hockey our first official game of the season is on Friday and then I'm going with the Cool Aunt to the Husker game on Saturday!

Super excited, we used to go to the Kansas game but since we switched conferences I haven't been to one in person. The away games are so far away now and the home ones sell out in like 10 minutes.

As for ice hockey, we actually hosted two different pre-season games at our ice box, and in both games we've come from behind to win.

Which is good for the team but bad for my heart.

The best thing about the first game was that season ticket holders got to go early and meet the players and tour the locker room so I got them to sign a bunch of stuff. Since the boyfriend was out of town I took Smo and it was awesome. We went through the signing line a couple of times, cause we're awesome like that. I took a ton of pictures and we won IN OVERTIME so it was extra awesome.

Plus Smo got a sweatshirt with a beer koozie and bottle opener in it.



Enough said.

Here are some of my favorite pics:



Up close and personal with the ice, yet far enough away to avoid me falling on my face.



Smo with the zamboni.

College flashback - Professor Hargin-Smith: "What's a zamboni? Pasta?"



Gotta have the suit jackets...



This guy is a stud. Gonna be high scorer all season, I'm calling it now.







Love these guys.



Ludvig for the win!

The second game the boyfriend was also gone so I took the eldest member of P Squared. Both members are huge hockey fans and the eldest is soon moving to Vegas for a job so I figured it'd be good to jam before she officially left us. More reasons to go back to Vegas.

Again we came from behind to win but this time it was in the third period.





I love our section, we are loud and obnoxious. There are two guys who sit behind us and commentate and they're hilarious. Plus the guys around me yell at anyone who stands up during the game - you're supposed to remain seated when the puck is in play so people can see and also so you don't get hit with flying pucks - but since they yell at them it means I don't have to so it's nice.

Next up to scrapbook are some work adventures. I mean actual adventures as I ventured out into the wild.

Literally.

A middle school and a zoo, both are extremely wild places.

First was the middle school. I got to jam with Sam - who needs a nickname, we had like 10 classes together for grad school plus now she works at a branch in my system - at a middle school over their lunch period and talk about books. It was fun.

Of course the girls are all into Fault in Our Stars and other John Green books, and then the boys are more into fantasy like Warriors and such. But there was some crossover. We ended the session with some Harry Potter trivia and my god they were shouting the answers before I could even think of them in my head.

Do you know how many pieces Ron tore up the letter from Percy into?

They did.

It was eight if you were curious.

The next day it was fun at the zoo with Girlscout. The zoo hosted a thing for area school's and lots of businesses (including us) had booths there to promote ourselves and our services. We had stuff for the kids to make bookmarks and it was crazy busy. We're thinking a good 350 kids in under 3 hours.

It was swamped, but lots of fun. Once we got into the rhythm that is. Though for both of us, our favorite part was when a parent came up to us and asked if we worked at the zoo.

We were like no.

And she was like, Oh, well there's a reindeer stuck in a tree.

That's something you don't see very often, however we were informed by a zookeeper - who also happens to be married to another one of our comrades (remember Big Brother?) - that it is shedding it's fur so she gave him branches to help out.

Bummer. We thought he was practicing for Christmas.

Night after that was sister's night out for Oldest Sister's birthday. We took her to the Parthenon. Lots of good food plus a bottle of wine - we were there for a few hours so it was a lot of fun. And I'd post quotes but most of which are inappropriate.

I'll let you ask my nephew yourself how he describes his older sister's music.

Best. Bubby. Line. Ever.

Then, yesterday was the Husker game against Miami.

Another one that was bad for my heart - for the first half at least. While I'm usually very proud of our fans for being nice people and cheering for both teams as they leave the field, I feel like the booing of Miami this time was warranted. There were quite a few scuffles going on during the game, I'm just glad Gregory made it off the field without being injured over something stupid.

And Fear Ameer man, that guy's definitely going pro. I don't know what we'd do without him. And Bell, he was great, but he always is. Too bad Westercamp didn't have any big plays, that guy has been on fire so far this season. I'm bummed Turner is out for the season - he was one of my favorites - but he'll be back next year, hopefully. Armstrong is impressive, you can tell he worked a lot in the off season.

I'll stop, I know you don't care.

On to the music:

Dear Future Husband - Meghan Trainor


Yes I bought her EP the day it came out. This is my second favorite behind All About That Bass. Total throwback style.

Here it is live, she's not bad.



I can't say the same for the cameraman.


It Must Be Love - Christina Grimmie


Totally underrated single. Love it. Not just cause it's her and the Voice comes back tomorrow...

Try Me On - Karmin


Still in love with these guys, even moreso after seeing them live.


And that's all I got.

The boyfriend gets back from the west coast tonight and I get to see him tomorrow, woohoo! Only been gone for like two weeks...and then he's leaving again so I'm taking Queen of the Known Universe to the first hockey game.

Apparently it's gotta be the whole date experience. Food and a t-shirt. Should be fun.

You must be the dream I've been dreaming of.

The boyfriend and I went to see Lone Survival tonight.



Before you ask yes, that is Alexander Ludwig aka Cato from the Hunger Games. That speech is much longer in the movie and it immediately follows him doing the Napoleon Dynamite dance, song included.

That was literally the only funny part of the entire movie. The boyfriend said it was probably the goriest war movie he's ever seen. Definitely mine as well, there were so many gross bloody parts that I just literally couldn't watch. And just when you think it's done there's more.

Scale of Awesome says 7/10. It was good, but nothing I want to ever see again.

Kind of like Zero Dark Thirty but with much more blood and bones sticking out of places they're not supposed to be sticking out of.

Blah.

That's pretty much the highlight of today. Other than sleeping in of course. Watched some more Person of Interest, did some laundry.

Now I'm on to the Winter X-Games. Last night it was snowmobile freestyle.

Yes, apparently that is a thing. It's a lot like BMX, except instead of a bike doing flips it's a 450 pound snowmobile.

Stupid idea, but interesting to watch.

Tonight is snowboarding, my favorite. Super excited for the Olympics.

Alright, music and I'm out.

Long day tomorrow.

It Must Be Love - Alan Jackson


classic.

oh what a feeling, it must be love.

Oh what a feeling, it must be love.

You know what's truly awesome?


When you have a really crappy day, and then you see your boyfriend and he says like two words and it fixes everything.


So yeah, crappy day, but that happens a lot in public service.


But the boyfriend fixed it, talked me down, distracted me with Dark Shadows. Which I will wait to fully review until I see it again. Which I will. Cause it was fantastic.


Though my stomach is still all weird.


I don't do well with conflict.


I avoid it if all possible.


Mostly because it makes me physically sick.


I got in this knock down, drag out, physically yelling out loud at each other fight with my professor in college after class about youth and the justice system and I was miserable for like a week.


I respect my elders, I don't believe in pulling crap like that, so you knew it was serious.


Though I still think I'm right and he's wrong.


And then, AND THEN! he brings it up in class the next session and poses it as a debate.


Which I guess is an okay thing to do as a professor, but not as a person.


"so we've been talking about this and having a great debate, at least I think it's a great debate, what do you guys think about it?"


Did I mention how much I really didn't like college?


I just need some sleep.


Tonight helped, he's great, my boyfriend. Has all the answers. And only the good ones. Not like the people who claim to have answers for everything.


Speaking of distraction I still have those quotebooks sitting on the floor.


See if I can find anything interesting.


Random page in '09.... oh geez, speak of the devil. Not that one, flipping to a different page.


Okay, Placement Seminar senior year. We came up with resumes, portfolios, went on fake interviews, actually I give credit to that class for getting the job.


Anyway, first week as a class we came up with a life plan.


1. Get born. 
2. Grow up - eat spinach, drink milk, stop picking your nose. 
3. Go to college - pick a major your parents like.
4. Get high...PAYING job.
5. Find a family - don't want to see them just know they're there.
6. Buy stuff - like a motorboat.
7. Get old - purchase many anti-aging projects to hide the fact that it's almost over and you've missed it.
8. Die. Or leave. 


There were a lot of anti-aging products and a motorboat references throughout the class.


I loved that class it was fantastic, she had the best one-liners.


"Nothing like spending your Friday night crying into a bag of Doritos."


"What's a Zamboni? Pasta?"


"He can dunk."
"Donuts?"


"Are we drinking before or after the interviews?"
"Interview rule #1: Celebrate After."


"If you can, case the joint."
"Case the joint?!"
"Don't quote me."


woops.


"Is taking a backpack to an interview normal?"
"Not unless you plan on stealing some office supplies when you leave."


"Don't fold your resume. Especially not into projectile objects."


But that was the same semester I took Group Tech so there were a lot of quotes in the book. I still have flashbacks to that class. That's my curse, and he'll take full blame. I threatened once to make him business cards that said his name and then "Messer of Minds".


It was a fun class, mostly just about how people behave when they're in groups. It's amusing to observe staff meetings and see it happening.


I was a Behavioral Sciences major once upon a time. Before I switched back to English.


But I don't want to spill any secrets because then people will change their behavior and I won't get to find it amusing anymore.


He was a great professor though, always highly amusing.


"Rhythmic breathing. Weird phenomenon."


and my forever favorite after explaining an assignment: "Be creative. Don't get arrested."


As bad as college could be I really liked all - well, the majority - of my professors. And made some good friends along the way.


AS: "He wasn't wearing a jacket."
LA: "But I'm in the back!"
AS: "That doesn't matter, no jacket, no talk! That's the rule!"
LA: "It's okay, he was wearing a plaid shirt."
AS: "Never trust a guy in plaid!"
LA: "Okay, so in order for me to trust them they shouldn't wear plaid, but they should wear a jacket?"
AW: "What if they're wearing plaid and a jacket?"
CK: "What if it's a plaid jacket?"
AS: "Then run!"


So glad to get that one on tape. It made for an interesting drivethru at McDonalds. 


Okay, I'm officially distracted and okay again. 


Tomorrow's another day. 


And its Word of the Day will be: "Logodaedaly ingenious or cunning use of words. Logo- comes from a Greek root meaning 'word' and -daedaly is related to Daedalus, the name of the designer of the Labyrinth for the Minotaur of Crete. His name has come to mean 'ingenious, skillful'. Another rare logo- word is the nonce-word logopandocie, which is the 'readiness to admit words of all kinds' and describes the English language and most lexicographers."


There you go, pronounce that one.


A couple hours ago the songs I had planned were a bit more angsty. But I'm liking this whole classic country thing.


Oh yeah, so I got this free month of XM radio thing so they can tempt me to buy it, did you know they have an entire channel dedicated to Hair Bands?


I enjoyed the Prime Country channel on the drive back.

"It Must Be Love" Alan Jackson



"Next To You, Next To Me" Shenandoah

classic. i enjoy the cops with the aviators. that's nice.