I finished "The Great Train Robbery" by Michael Crichton a few weeks ago and am now almost done with "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski. The Great Train Robbery was a great book and I really enjoyed it. It was a great mixture of fact and fiction. I love that Crichton was able to use the transcripts from the case to piece together what happened. It was a pretty amazing read. As for Edgar Sawtelle, well I put off this book for over a year. The story didn't sound interesting to me at all. But, wow, am I ever amazed. I'm a huge fan of this book. I have less than a hundred pages left and am reeling at how wonderfully written this book is. It's got the right amount of everything. The story sounds like it's just going to be ok and I was willing to read ok since so many people have recommended it to me, but this book is a lot better than ok. I can't wait to see how it ends, yet I'm already sad that I'm about to see it end. I've gotten so attached to the characters. Weird when that happens, isn't it? It's like those huge Ken Follett books that are so great to read and you get so wrapped up in the characters that they seem almost real. I love books like that, truly. My Mom and I are going to finally read "Eat, Pray, Love" together. I heard you should read it with someone you love, so we ordered 2 copies and I'm excited to read it with her. Although, I'll confess, I'm trying really hard not to finish my book right now, so that I don't race ahead of my Mom, but part of me really wants to read this book that I'm afraid I may! Eek, that would totally ruin the idea of us reading it together wouldn't it. Patience. I'm trying it out.
I had Jury Duty a few weeks ago. It was strangely odd. I kinda wanted to be put on a case until I found out that the one I got picked to maybe be on was going to last at least 27 days. Really? So when the Judge asked for people to state reasons why they couldn't be on a trial that long, I stood up and had to let her know that I'd been laid off in November and had a new job starting soon. Since that was the truth and the Judge was pretty nice, I got to return back to the jury holding cell. Well, it was a room I had to return to, in case they tried to pick me for another case. The good news is, my name didn't get called again and I got to go home at about 4pm (after being there since 7am) without having to go back again. And I'm done for a year. I did read a lot of Edgar Sawtelle there, which is why I'm so far into it in a fairly short amount of time. I read well over 100 pages that day, including finishing The Great Train Robbery.
Now I'm working part-time at the Burbank Public Library. Looks like I'll be working 20 hours per week, which isn't much and doesn't pay too well, but it's definitely something and actually in the industry I'm about to enter my Master's Degree Program in, so it's definitely a win. Last week was my first week. It only took about 4 weeks to jump through a bunch of hoops and do paperwork to finally be able to start. Thankfully I didn't have to go in for an interview or two, as that would've taken even longer. I know someone there who knows I got laid off and will be entering Library school soon. So, here's what I had to do to actually work...I filled out the application, scanned it and emailed it back. Then I received an email saying they needed the hard copy of the application. I took it in to the Admin building in Burbank. Got a call a week later to go fill out more paperwork and get fingerprinted. Found out I also had to bring in a Typing Certificate. Really? Um, ok. I had to ask where to get one of those. It's $5 and doesn't take long, so that was ok. I then go in to do the paperwork and fingerprinting. Had to wait another week and then had to go in for my "medical". That's what they call the drug-test part. I've never had to get fingerprinted before, not only did I have to for the Census, but I even learned how to do it and then have to get more for a part-time temp job. Never had to get a Typing Certificate, nor a drug test. Since I'm a part time temp, it really makes me wonder what they do for full time employees. I heard that there's a test you have to take. Like the GRE or what? I'm a Library Clerk, what kind of test would you have to take for that? I don't understand.
Looks like I'll be the friendly face you see when you are checking out books, getting a library card, checking in books or just walking into the library. So far the only part I can tell that really sucks is that I have to stand for hours at a time. I wonder what they have against chairs. Do they know they make tall chairs? Hmmm. You know I love my crocs, but know they are really, really ugly and am actually considering wearing them there. I doubt they would take too kindly to that, but I need my feet for the rest of my life. So I'm trying to figure out a happy medium on the whole shoe issue. I have some not-so-ugly crocs and am thinking since I see people in flip-flops who work there, I may get away with it. I'll let you know how that goes.
So working at a Public Library is like any office job. There's a lot of different people who work there. I started a day before this other temp started with me. Turns out she's 20 and staying at her parents' for the summer until she goes back to Chico State. Ok, so I went to a State school and really have nothing against them at all. But this girl is odd. She's young and odd. She found out I'm getting my Masters in Library School and was a film major for my undergrad, so she's giving me advice. Uh-huh, she was. I nodded & smiled in between flashes of ripping her face off in my mind's eye. She was saying that she worked for some crazy mean boss (really, she said this boss was awful and was recommending me to work there) who archived movie costumes. She went on & on about how you get to handle the "real" costumes. Good thing she doesn't know me and realize that the look I was giving her was pure incredulousness for even suggesting such a thing to me. I think she thought I'd run over get my pad of paper and pen & write all this down. Thankfully I think a patron came and I was more than happy to try my new skills of checking out books, DVDs and CDs to them. So, this is my life now. From being a Senior Account Executive and working for 7.5 years at a company (with my 4 month sabbatical of working for Satan that is) to being a Crew Leader for the Census and overseeing 1200 cases with about 15 people working for me to being a temp Library Clerk with a 20 year old who's telling me what jobs I want. Yeah.
I suppose it could be worse. I've definitely worked for and with worse. She's a nice kid and means well. I just want to throw something at her. But that's what my working out is for right? Get the aggression out so I don't throw things at poor, younger, co-workers. Or yell. Yelling would be bad in that situation too, I think. I'm sticking to nodding & smiling and wondering why my feet hurt so badly.
My thought for the day...Humidity sucks and my cat's definitely cuter than yours (well, she has a bigger belly).
:)
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