New Year Clichès

I'm going to make New Year's resolutions. I know it's clichè, and some of these will be same old, same old. But I'm going to do it anyway.

I've decided to improve myself this year, and I'm going to base my improvement on an article from U.S. News and World Report: "50 Ways to Improve Your Life in 2011."

I'm going to number slips of paper 1-50 and put them in an envelope or box or something, and pick one out each week. If it's something that will improve my life, I'll do it. If it's something I already do, I'll explain myself.

So each week, I'll let you know what my improvement will be. In subsequent weeks, I'll let you know how I'm doing.

Will you be making any New Year's resolutions for 2011? Let me know in the comment section!

A Happy New Year to you all!

A Blog Post for Dave Finley

So, a few people have asked me to keep my blog going, but I think my biggest fan (according to my Dad) is Dave Finley! So this one's for you, Dave.

I know I promised to finish postings about Australia when I got home. Well, I haven't exactly broken that promise, as I'm still home and my trip is over. But I will admit that I've been taking my own sweet time. Sorry! The holidays were a bit hectic, and the Seattle Public Library is completely reorganizing, which has impacted me directly in an extreme way. But I hereby promise to TRY to post once a week. We'll see how it goes!

In post-Australia news, both boxes of stuff that I sent home to myself via seamail arrived relatively intact! I had wondered how that would go. So I've been sending out everyone's Christmas presents this month, which has been really fun. Also, the children's books I received as gifts, and also some that I bought, arrived in the packages, so I've done two Australia story times. The kids loved them! Many children's librarians in Australia that I met recommended a series called "Aussie Gems". I figured if Aussies were recommending them, then they had to be true to the spirit of Australia. They were such hits at story time, that I've ordered the entire rest of the series from my friend, Nella, who works at Fuller's Bookshop in Launceston, Tasmania (http://www.fullersbookshop.com.au/launceston.html). I also had photographs of Aussie animals and Aussie money for the kids to see, and I used the song that Nancy Stewart wrote specifically for our trip to Oz (http://www.nancymusic.com/SOM/2009/walkin-in-the-outback.htm). The whole thing was a blast, and I've packaged it up as a kit for other SPL children's librarians to use.

In other news, a friend and I went on the Tour de Chocolat, a chocolate tour of Seattle (http://www.sschocolatebox.com/center/event.php?event_id=45). Oh, my heavens to Betsy. It was so fun, and so delicious, and I am just awash in chocolate!

I'm currently sitting in Barnes & Noble, and it is filled with people reading, shopping, doing homework, and working on laptops. Pretty much the same thing they do at the library, so why is it so much quieter? Seriously, except for the music, it's like a tomb in here, even though it's full. How does that happen?

Movie Review 2

Last night's feature film at the Sullivan Home Theater was "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert." Now, I realize that I may be the only person in the world not to have seen this movie. But just in case someone else is out there who hasn't seen it, it's wonderful! Just as a heads-up, it follows three transvestites on a cross-country trip from Sydney to Alice Springs. It was hilarious, it was sad, it was sweet, and did I say it was hilarious? It won at Cannes, and it won an Oscar (I assume for Best Foreign Film), and it won my heart. (Ha! Cheesy, I know. )

For those of you who know it, may I say that I really want that huge shoe on the top of the bus that you can sit on with flags and sing.

Americans in Canberra

I think I may have mentioned this before, but all Jim, Nancy and I could really walk to from our hotel in Canberra was the mall. So we went to the mall after our workshop, and what did we see right inside the front door? A Nativity! We all stopped dead in our tracks and gasped. A Nativity in a public place like the mall? We simply couldn't believe it! In a church yard, yes. In someone's personal yard, yes. But the mall? We were truly shocked. And so we took a picture, just in case anyone didn't believe us.

Now, just to add a few details, the woman we asked to take our picture thought we were hilarious, so she and her 11-year-old son talked to us for a while. They told us that instead of leaving milk and cookies for Santa, they leave BEER and cookies! In fact, the 11-year-old told us that one year they left out 10 beers, and Santra drank 9 of them (his Dad drank the last one on Christmas morning). I have a feeling that kids in Canberra get better presents from Santa than American kids.
Next up, a nod to the long-suffering Jim. Those of you who know Jim probably know that at story time, he prefers to be called Mr. Jim. Those of you who know him also probably know that Jim can be a bit of an Eeyore sometimes. So Nancy and I started calling Jim: Mr. Jim Grumblebum. Once we saw this, however, his name extended to Mr. Jim Grumblebum Sherpa. Tikki Tikki Tembo has nothing on Jim.

We saw this sign on a pole on a main road in the Belconnen suburb of Canberra. This is one of the best signs I've ever seen! Needless to say, Nancy and I felt compelled to practice.

Being caught unawares, I did not have a hat or an open umbrella. Therefore, I had to go with the basic "aaaarrrrgggghhh" while shielding myself with my hands. Note, however, that I am not running.

Nancy, however, is properly prepared with her hat. Bring on the swooping birds!

By the way, we never did get swooped, despite walking by this sign about 10 times.

Canberra Pictures

Okay, I know I'm way behind on pictures. I'm sorry about that! I'll try to catch up a bit now. A special apology to the Canberra folks who have been waiting to see their pictures!

This first picture is a group photo of our Canberra workshop participants. Everyone has their teddy bear that Jim requested they bring. However, you might notice that the woman in the lower left corner has the real thing! That's little Harry, and he loved doing story time with his Mom and Mr. Jim.





As you may know, the gentleman of "Unshelved" sent us with door prizes for Aussie librarians and anyone who works with children. Below are some of our thrilled winners showing off their comic books and t-shirts!

Here, the "What Would Dewey Do?" comic book.

Here, the Library t-shirt (I have one of those), and the "Pimp My Bookcart" t-shirt. Just FYI, "Pimp My Bookcart" is a real contest that "Unshelved" sponsers every year. So people, pimp those bookcarts and send your pictures to "Unshelved!" (www.overduemedia.com)

Here are comic book winners: one has the original, first volume of "Unshelved." The other has the "Book Club" volume (also available in a t-shirt).

Aha! Here's the "Book Club" t-shirt right now! Plus one of my favorites, the "Readers' Advisory" t-shirt.

The Perth Mint

My day began in a beautiful way. Jane had made an appointment for me to get a facial at the International School of Beauty in Perth. I had a 90-minute facial that was so lovely that I was barely able to function afterward! All for $35!

Then Jane and her Mum picked me up, and we went to Fremantle to have fish and chips for lunch. We toured around a bit, but my favorite part of the day was visiting the Perth Mint. The Perth Mint doesn't make Australia's circulating money; they make collector coins and special edition coins. And...it made the medals for the 2000 Sydney Olympics! We actually saw a gold pour. We learned all about how to melt gold, and then a gentleman pulled a crucible of pure liquid gold out of the furnace and poured it into a mold of a gold bar. The gold bar was solid in 20 seconds (!), then he put it in water to continue cooling, and in less than 2 minutes he could touch it with his bare hands. It was wild.

Movie Review

Last night Jane and I rented the movie "The Dish." Jane is introducting me to some classic Aussie films. I've only seen "Strictly Ballroom," so my repertoire of Aussie films was pretty small. "The Dish" was fantastic! I recommend that you watch it. If you like historical films, comedy, and/or a sweet undercurrent to your movies, you'll love it, too.

I didn't know this, but when they sent men to the moon, NASA needed a satellite dish in the southern hemisphere. The only one big enough in the entire southern hemisphere was in a little Australian town called Parkes. The dish was literally in the middle of a sheep paddock (actually, the sheep have a fantastic supporting role). The movie is about the three people who monitor and care for the dish, and one American from NASA who comes over to supervise. I won't say anything more.

Two thumbs up!