Wow, what a difference a day makes. I'm finally feeling like my normal self. After about two weeks of this crud, I'm feeling pretty good. Now if only that translated into better darts last night.. grrrr. Finally got the message board free of advertisements as well. I'll be doing some more editing as well a bit later. Looks like a good weekend is on the way!

Bleh, still not feeling well. I was feeling better last night, even inspired to work on some new web design things. Today, I came home from work around 10:00. Now ... eh. Can barely get enough energy to use good grammar. I hope I'm better by tomorrow..

What a horrid day! Let's start at the beginning, shall we? Its not normally my morning routine to throw up first thing getting out of bed, but I guess today was something special 'cause that's what I did. Don't know what it was, I had a bit of an ache in my stomach when I woke up, but then all of a sudden... Well, let's say it is a good thing the bathroom is close to the bedroom. Wheee..

Then I went to work, because I wasn't sick enough to stay home. Spent most of the day trying to get stuff done around policies and procedures that didn't work because key people weren't there to do the job. I'm not blamming the people who weren't there. They couldn't be there today and that's fine. They deserved to take some time off. I'm just saying I was frustrated because a job that should take 5 minutes takes a half a day when I have to "work around the system". Finally, 3 minutes before quittin' time, guess what? Another task that would normally take 5 minutes, if the proper people where in. Instead it takes Jason and I about a half-hour to get it done. Now I wasn't feeling well to begin with today and I should have left early - but noooo I had to stay. Oh well, maybe it was a good thing I was there to get it done. (Actually Jason did most of the work.)

Then, the drive home... well let's just refer to my previous rant located here and leave it at that. The mood for today was frustrating, if you hadn't guessed by now.

Note to those who work with me: This entry was in no way a slam against you. I was just frustrated at the circumstances, all of which were not normal and will probably never be seen again. So if you took any of this personally, please don't and accept my apologies. "It's not you, it's me." Thanks.

I hope that Tricia had a happy birthday on Saturday. Belated birthday wishes go out to you, oh silent honker of doom. {It's an inside joke..}

Finally, I got my reappointment folders taken care of! In case you don't know what I'm talking about, here's the skinny. As an untenured faculty member, I have to be reappointed annually. Part of this process is a review of my "folders". These folders basically collect everything I've done in this position since I started; articles I've written, samples of my training work, awards received, etc. I'm basically defending my job. That's an oversimplification - but I think it works.

Now a small committee looks at this folder and then recommends on reppointment or not. That goes to the Dean of the Libraries and then my reappointment stuff gets signed and sent over to campus Administration.. and so on.

Anyway, the point is that my folders are in and now all I have to do is wait. I'm not nervous that I won't get reappointed - but there's always that little bit of fear that I made a major mistake that would keep me from being reappointed because of a technicality.

Happy belated birthdays to Silas and to Eric Y. I really should look at my calendar more often...

I hope you all have a happy Valentine's Day - if you are so inclined. If you aren't, then don't. To quote some song going through the back of my head: Have a happy whatever you're having..

On the other hand - the message board is being quirky right now. Please excuse the mess while I try to fix it. It might take a while...

Yesterday was a most intersting, rollercoaster of a day. Let's see if I can recap the whole thing, chronologically, and let you see the ups and downs

• When I come out of the building to go to work, I notice that the overhead light is on in my car. I had turned it on the night so Julie & I could see what we were doing while replacing the wiper blades. That light had been on for 13 hours. Mood: worried
• Luckily Zippy, my car, started right up. Mood: relieved
  
• At work I furthered plans for an award winning author to possibly speak at NLA this year. Things look very positive. {details will be made available when made official} Mood: very pleased
  
• I finished my article {see below}. Mood: ecstatic
  
• Had a rather long, tense meeting at work. Nothing was said that was outright rude or nasty, but it did seem very tense to me. I'm not at liberty to say any details, except it went long and it ended about 1 hour after I normally leave for the day.Mood: bummed
  
• During the meeting, my handheld PC, where I keep all my appointment and contact data, quit responding. I had just talked myself out of buying a new one so I could save up for a house. Mood: frustrated
  
• The second I get back to the office from that meeting, I am notified that our online catalog is kaput. Guess who is on call and has to deal with it? That's right - me. Mood: non-plused
  
• While I'm on the phone with our vendor to fix the catalog, one of my colleages comes in and tells me he took care of it. Mood: Annoyed, but happy to go home
  
• I get stuck in rush hour traffic, traffic that I normally avoid when I leave at my usual time... Mood: slightly annoyed, but still happy to be going home.
  
• Some idiot decides to do a U-turn in one of the busiest intersections, causing a minivan and myself to stop during our lefthand turn, blocking both Northbound lanes. Get of the phone and drive lady!! Mood: rather annoyed, the apartment is so close and yet so far...
  
• Finally made it home, no bills in the mail box. Mood: Exhausted... but darned happy to be home.
  
• I get my handheld to work again, saving myself some cash in replacement costs and headaches in recreating my address book. Mood: Very happy

The rest of the day, what there was left, went by with minimal rollercoastering. It wasn't the worst day of my life, but it sure wore me down.

Well, I've done it. I've sent off my latest article for review. I'm a bit giddy as the first one I've done solo that I've submitted to a peer review. I'm feeling a bit shaky on it, mainly because I've been piddling around with it for so long. I don't know if it is any good or not, because I've stared at it for so long. I guess I'll find out in 4 to 6 weeks.

Another quick note:
Happy Birthday Crystal!

Just a quick note:
Happy Birthday Bambi!

Everybody seems to be talking about the Columbia disaster this Saturday. I will, out of respect, remain quiet.

RIP Columbia crew.

Can someone tell me why I am up at 3:30 in the morning? I can't. I went to be last night at 8 or so because I was so tired and hurting, and now here I am at 3:30 wide awake. ERF!

I do remember a strange dream though. I was hanging with Snoop Doggy Dogg and he was rapping a version Kid Rock's "Cocky". They call me the big dipple, fool. Then some guy pulls into a garage and waves us in. He opens the trunk of his car and hands me, Snoop, and another homie some Sprite type of beverage. The non-Snoop shakes it up real good and opens it while tossing the can skyward creating a rain shower of Sprite. Then things turn black and a cat that talks starts to really scare me, so I try to pour my Sprite on it and it just drinks it. Then I wake up.

I don't normally remember my dreams, and if they are all like that, I may not want to. {grin}