Summer Reading Program

I am an avid reader.  I go in spurts, but recently, well since my vacation in March when I read 5 books, I have stepped up my reading.  I sometimes buy books, especially for the Barnes and Noble Mystery Book Club, as the monthly selection may not be available, but I try to use the library as much as possible.

This summer, as they have in the past, the Lubbock City Library has an adult summer reading program.  Each book you read, whether it is a library book or not, provides an entry into the drawing.  I have only finished 5 books so far.  

One of the book club members, who is a very prolific reader, won 3 prizes that last time the library did this!  Maybe I will win a prize.  We shall see. 

Renewing Library Materials

So, today is the day that my library books are due. I have tried to renew the materials online  several times tonight, but the service is not available online.  I will try again before I give up for the night. If I cannot renew tonight on line, I will need to call in and renew tomorrow night, either by phone or online.

A Leisurely Day

It was a leisurely day, as befitting a day off, and Christmas Eve.  The cats let me sleep in, then after I fed them, I went to the pool for PT, the library, ran an errand and took myself out to lunch.

This afternoon, I alternated between doing chores and reading when I needed to rest. My inclination is power my way through the chores, but that will aggravate my back. So the rests are necessary.  I did not get everything done that I had planned to do, but I did get some extra things done along the way.

I hope Friday will be more of the same. Christmas Day will be all leisure, and maybe, some phone calls.

Sending Emails

So, recently, I have sent some emails.   I sent an email to President Obama, supporting his efforts to provide emergency help and re-educate Central Americans regarding the immigration policies of the United States.  I agreed with him that we needed to do something to offer a humane response to the people coming from Central American with false expectations of humanitarian assistance from this country. I agreed we needed to provide humane aid, and we could not ignore the problem of the need of political asylum.  That could not we ignore the needs of the immigrants who made it to the United States. And that we needed to educate the citizens of the countries of Central America that the United States could not always offer the asylum they wanted.  On the other hand, we needed to be sensitive as a country to their dire and desperate needs for asylum.

It took several weeks, but I received a very canned form letter from the Office of the President. But, I did receive a response. By the time I received the response there were so many other emergency issues in the world, that the response seemed very anti-climactic.

Last week, I sent an email to the Prime Minister of Canada, The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P., expressing my condolences to the family of Corporal Nathan Cirillo, and to the Canadian peoples. I was horrified at the terroristic attacks on Canada, I received a response today.  I was surprised at receiving a response.  It, too was a "canned" response, but it was very timely, and lent the air of concern and interest.

Monday night, I sent an email to the mayor of Lubbock, http://www.ci.lubbock.tx.us/city-council/mayor Glen Robertson.  I had been at the Mahon Branch of the Library of the city of Lubbock, http://www.mylubbock.us/departmental-websites/departments/library/library-home.  The light in the primary parking lot of the library was out, and I was concerned about safety for library customers.  I sent an email to the mayor about that. I was astonished to receive a phone call from the mayor's office.

This was a bit of a misdirection phone call: The information was that the light had not been out long, the Lubbock Power and Light was having some difficulty getting it repaired, that the mayor's office was concerned about Library customer safety.  They would keep me advised.

Well, I understand it might take a few days to replace lights.

But Lubbock Power and Light is not getting any slack from me.  The incestuous political dealings in Lubbock have given Lubbock Power and Light free rein to misbehave, provide poor service, and to gouge citizens for electric service costs. They increase rates wantonly, and because the City of Lubbock voted to expel Excel http://www.xcelenergy.com/. there is no competition for LP&L.

So, anything the mayor's office tells me about the workings of LP&L is taken with a grain of salt.  The mayor's office said I would be apprised of the progress of getting the light fixed.  I think LP&L is "blowing smoke" to the mayor's office, and they are complicit with this. 

I will be agreeably surprised if this is not the case.  This is one email I can follow up on. 

The Monuments Men

I am reading the book, The Monuments Men http://www.monumentsmen.com/books-movies/the-monuments-men by  Robert Edsel  with Brett Witter. This is the book upon which the movie was based. 

Earlier this year, I saw the movie, The Monuments Men http://www.monumentsmen.com/. It was a good story, but a little disjointed.  But, you got the message.

As is usually true, the book is better than the movie. But this book is dryer and even more disjointed than the movie.  In the movie, you got the sense that the efforts of the Monuments Men were disorganized and disjointed, and they really were not sure what they were doing. Well, in the book, this is so obvious.  It is a wonder that they accomplished anything. That they did is a tribute to the character of the men charged with the task of saving the art and cultural treasures of Europe.

It is so sad that the German Nazis tried to confiscate and destroy the culture of Europe.  It was understandable:  They wanted the best for themselves and they wanted to obliterate the rest that was not the best, and not German, or Aryan. It was their way of disrespecting the rest of Europe, denigrating Europe, and demeaning the identity of the peoples they "conquered."

There are important lessons in the book and movie. Lessons about respecting our history, our culture, and past histories and culture. Lessons about respecting the right of nations to have museums that safeguard and exhibit this history and culture. Lessons about the fact that private individuals have the right to amass treasures of art and culture that also pay tribute to our history and culture. Lessons about what can go amok when a government, or a faction puts itself above the law of civil rights and respect for human rights.

The book came out in 2009.  I am not really good about keeping up with what new books are coming out.  I happened to be at the movie theater and saw a trailer for the movie. If I had not seen the trailer, I am not sure I would have heard about the movie or the book. That is a lesson to me, I need to do better informed about what books are being written.

A New Skill

I have begun using Inter-library Loan more and more over the years. Of course, as fate would have it, starting last fall this service entailed a small fee ($2.75) per book, which is still reasonable, less expensive that buying a book, and then does not saddle me with the decision of what to do with the book once I have read it!

Some time ago, a reference librarian gave me the instructions to make the requests by computer. I tried it once, and it did not go through.  But today, when I tried it, it worked!  Yeah!

I Do Not Have a Book to Read

I usually go to the library on Saturday and sometimes on Sunday also.  I almost always have a book I am reading.  But today, I do not.  I did not finish the book The Other Woman's House http://www.sophiehannah.com/crime-fiction/us-editions/the-other-womans-house/ by Sophie Hannah for the Barnes and Noble mystery book club.  I was probably in my mid-thirty's when I realized that I did not have to finish a book, just because I started it.  Many in the book club relate that they were in mid-life, when they realized the same thing.

I tried to read The Other Woman's House.  It is the sixth in a series that focuses on two detectives. It is supposed to be a well written book  Maybe if I knew the two detectives better before I read this book, I would have stayed with it. But I did not.  The woman who reported a murder was whiny, paranoid, disrespectful, thought the worst of her husband, her family and it seems almost everyone with whom she had contact.  She assumed no one wanted to help her, and she lied to the authorities. Her lies to the authorities was the last straw for me.

I was describing this character to a coworker who said what I thought:  "It sounds like our patients."

Now, do not get me wrong.  I really try to be respectful to my patients, and try to help them. I believe them until I am proven wrong.  I enter into the therapeutic relationship with the belief that I can offer them something if they are willing to work to make a change.

But many of my patients have the same attitude as I described in the woman character above. They assume I am not going to help them, and they act entitled to rights they gave up when they committed their crimes.  They are disrespectful, paranoid and suspicious of all non-offenders, and sometimes, of other offenders.  This is a difficult population to deal with. Sometimes their paranoia is psychotic, sometimes it is just disrespectful. This is difficult to differentiate.

So, why would I spend my off time reading about a person who fits that description.  Well, I would not.

I had been reading A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. It became due at the library, and I thought I had already renewed it once, so I turned it in, but wrote myself a note regarding where I stopped reading it.  I plan to check it out again.  A few days after I turned the book in, I found the original check out receipt, and realized I could have renewed it.  I do not know why I did not get online and try to renew it, anyway. The electronic library program would have told me if I could renew it or not.  Duh!

Well, for another book club, I have been reading another Bill Bryson book: I'm a Stranger Here Myself.  I thought I might finish it today, and I did. 

I did not get to the library yesterday for a couple of reasons: I was going to the movies with a friend, late morning, and I wanted to get other errands and chores run before going to the movie. I had thought I might stop at the library on the way home from the movie. But that route required me to use the Loop access road, if not the Loop itself.  I left the movie physically ill: I saw Silver Linings Playbook http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/ and the camera action  and whirling dancing made me physically dizzy and nauseous. 

This is not a new phenomenon with me. I went to see  Premonition http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477071/ with a friend. It was not the sort of movie I would normally watch, but the friend wanted to see it, and we had not done anything together in some time, so I went. The back and forth reality of that movie literally made me ill. 

For both movies, it took me several hours to recover, and just thinking about Premonition brings back the vertigo https://www.google.com/search?q=Vertigo&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADBF.

I did not know I suffered vertigo until I started working at the Montford Unit in 1995. It was some time after I started that job that I realized what was going on. I had watched the the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Vertigo http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052357/ as a teenager, but never related it to what happens to me.

I used to get car sick very easily.  My parents tried everything: full stomach, empty stomach, suckers, window seat, open window. It did not matter, when I was little, a long car trip usually resulted in nausea and vomiting. And because I hated the sibling ridicule, I usually waited until it was almost or was too late to express my distress. As I aged, I did better.

I could not do merry-go-rounds, or any type of circular movement amusement rides. Roller coasters, bumper cars, and chair lifts were fine.  When we went to the amusement park, Mountain Park http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Park_(Holyoke,_Massachusetts) near my home when I was growing up, I tried the rides.  I just could not do them, and spent large parts of the day feeling awful. (As I write this, I feel awful, the memory is so powerful.)

As a teenager, I did not want to obtain a driver's license.  There was more than one reason, but one was the problem with carsickness.  My best friend wanted her license, and my parents really believed I should get it, so they encouraged me to take driver's education with my friend, and I did get my driver's license. I am ever grateful to my friend and my parents for their advocacy reagarding getting my driver's license.  And, I discovered that I did not get car sick when I drove.

I remember the first time Lisenby and I went to the South Plains Fair http://www.southplainsfair.com/.  He loved the rides. I could not convince him that I would get sick on anything that rotated.  We did several things that I could handle, like the Fun House, the roller coaster, and I do not know what else. We did the Pirate Ship, which made me a little queasy, but it was manageable. He wanted to go on some rocket ship revolver ride, and I protested heavily, but he prevailed. Part way through the ride, he recognized my distress, and was able to signal the operator that I needed off. I was done for the night. I felt bad that I ruined his night, but if he had listened to me, and gone on the ride alone (a bummer, I know) he would have had more fun that night.  We did not repeat that mistake.

I recall a plane trip from Lubbock to Waco, in the late 1980's.  The trip to Dallas was fine, but the trip from Dallas to Waco was on a very small plane. The attendant could see me becoming physically ill, and asked what would help.  He offered mints, and I said lemon: he had a cut up lemon, which saved me.  As I write this, I sweat and feel nauseous.

Even as late as the 1990's I had problems with car sickness. If I was traveling long distances, I usually laid in a supply of lemon drops or lemon heads, which really help me. I still do use them, and they still do help.

So anyway, after watching Silver Linings Playbook I realized that I could not manage the high speed of the Loop access road or the Loop itself. I took a different route home and did not pass by the Godeke Library http://www.mylubbock.us/departmental-websites/departments/library/top-navigation-library/library-branches/godeke-branch. Which was okay.

So, today, after I did the rest of the housework I wanted to do, and the yard work I wanted to do, it was time to get cleaned up, dressed and ready for the NASW steering committee meeting we had at 3 PM.  It was held at a delicatessen in the southwest part of Lubbock. I needed to make some copies for a later in the week project, and there is a Kinko's/Fed Ex in the same shopping area, so that was convenient. On the way home, I bought take out at a local cafeteria, because I wanted corned beef and cabbage.  I did not have time, after the meeting to get to the library.

But, this was semi-planned.  The books I want are available at the Mahon Library http://www.mylubbock.us/departmental-websites/departments/library/top-navigation-library/library-branches, which is down town. So, Saturday or Sunday, I would have had to make a trip downtown. It is not that far, and is no big deal.  But, I chose not to get there.  Monday night, I will be at the board meeting for Catholic Charities, Diocese of Lubbock. It is just a few blocks north of the downtown library. So, after the board meeting, I frequently go to the Mahon Library to check out books. That is my plan for this coming Monday.

It is perfectly okay that I do not have a book to read tonight. The truth be known, I probably have several in the house that I have not read.

What is not okay is that I am now trying to deal with a slight case of vertigo, which has been brought on by the memory of other incidents.  But, I think I am okay.

Inter Library Loan

I have used the Inter Library Loan system from time to time over the years.  Until recently, it was free. This amazed me.  But most recently, the Inter Library Loan system involved a fee of $2.75 http://library.ci.lubbock.tx.us/ill/allill.aspx.

The idea of the Inter Library Loan system is wonderful:  If your library does not have the book you want, maybe another library does. And you can order the book, have a chance to read the book, and return it in a specific time. When I first started using this system, it was free.  As I have said, I was amazed that it was free.  But now there is a charge of $2.75. That is still a bargain.  

I think the Inter Library Loan program is a real deal.

Television Viewing And Computer Access

The other day at work, some coworkers and I were discussing television viewing. I commented that I have cable, but have not upgraded to HD or a DVR, or premium services, that the basic service provides what I need.  Additionally, I can only watch one show at a time, so, unless there is nothing on, a DVR is of no value to me.  And, if there is nothing on TV, I can read, or do other projects, including writing and doing things on the computer.

I commented that I like cable because I like sports and The Weather Channel http://www.weather.com/ . We talked about viewing options. One of my coworkers commented that he just watched the local channels.  He has a converter box that allows for that.  I have one, that I purchased to attach to the little 18" black and white TV that I purchased in 1978.  The TV used to work, but I have never connected the converter box.  Maybe, someday, I will. The TV is on the nightstand in my bedroom, and I keep wondering about the logistics of balancing the box on the TV or nightstand. The last time I used that TV was several years ago, when we were under a tornado watch. I had the TV on while I sat in the closet, with Sake and Haiku in cat crates on either side of me.  The tornado missed us (but since then, when the weather has frightened the cats, one or both has used the crates.)

The conversation at work then turned to renting DVDs.  I commented that the library has DVDs, and VHS tapes to check out for free.  Neither coworker was aware of that.  Neither coworker had a library card.

I have had a library card since I moved to Lubbock in 1977.  That just blew me away that they did not have a library card. 

I am not sure when I got my first library card, but I know I checked out library books when I was in the second grade. http://www.montaguepubliclibraries.org/ The library in Millers Falls was at a different location when I was growing up, and only open on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, but was an important feature of my life.  

After I graduated from high school, I went off to college, but moved back home when that did not work out.  I kept my local library card, but also was able to get a library card for the library at the county seat, Greenfield, Ma http://www.greenfieldpubliclibrary.org/. 

Then, I went to The College of Our Lady of the Elms (COLE) http://www.elms.edu/.  At that time, COLE belonged to a consortium that allowed us to use five other libraries.  My memory is faulty, but for sure, that included : Springfield College http://www.spfldcol.edu/, and American International College http://www.aic.edu/.  I used those two libraries while I was a student at COLE.

Since I have lived in Lubbock, I have had cable at times, and other times, have not had cable. I think it is an extravagance, but one I am willing to pay for.  Part of the reason for that is because of the TV channels I want to access. The other reason is for the computer Internet access.

I could try to use DSL computer Internet access at my house.  But I am not sold on DSL.  I understand that it is slower than cable.  But the other reason I am not sold on DSL is due to the condition of my telephone lines.

My house was built in 1956.  When I moved in, I was told it was wired for two telephone lines, if need be. I had no need.  But, when I had a land line telephone line, and when it had rained or snowed, there was interference on my phone line.  I could hear noise (indistinct voices) on the line.  When I contacted the telephone company about this they claimed it was due to the internal wiring of my house, and would be my expense to correct, instead of their problem.  I doubted them. I mean, why would the wiring inside my house allow me to hear my neighbors on line, when it was wet outside.  

So, this is another reason for me not to use DSL. Think about it, if the DSL company is using those lines I had problems with in the past, I would continue to have problems with access. 

So, I have cable access for the Internet.   I have cable access for television channels, based on my cable plan.

Miscalculated

I am without a book to read.  That is not exactly true.  I have lots of books in my possession that I have not read.  But I have a book club on the 16th of February, and that is the next book I want to read, but I do not have it. 

I stayed home sick today, and really do not feel like going to the book store or library to find the book. And, the library copies are unavailable, anyway. Maybe tomorrow, I can get to the book store. Maybe they will have the book I want.

I normally plan ahead better than that.   

Email reminders

The Lubbock Library http://library.ci.lubbock.tx.us/ has some wonderful features.  One of the newest and best is to send emails to remind about books being past due.  I have finally finished Penhallow by Georgette Heyer, after having had to renew once; I knew it was past due, and plan to turn it in today.  I had check out a DVD: A Bridge to Far, and renewed it once, but I thought turned it in.  Turns out, I did not, and I received a reminder email today.  I am glad I did. I would have not planned to turn it in today!

Online Library Services

I have to compliment the Lubbock City Library system http://library.ci.lubbock.tx.us/.  They truly do a very good job.  We all expect libraries to have books.  But, this library system has much more: they have art work, DVDs, videos, sound recordings, books on tape (or CDs) for loan. 

They participate in inter-library loan, and have even set up so subscribers can request inter-library loans from their home computers.  They have books subscribers can down load. Subscribers can request books to be placed on hold.  Subscribers can get books at one of the four locations, and return the same at any of the four locations. If a book is not at the location a subscriber prefers to use, they will bring it to that location.

They send email reminders when books are close to being due, and materials can be renewed online.   They have various community programs at the libraries. Their community rooms are available to rent for meetings. 

They have non-reading activities, such as a knitter's group. They have reading groups, discussion groups, children's activities.  

The Lubbock library has a very large and active genealogy section.  Patrons can use library only computers to look for library materials, or can access the Internet at the library. They have free wi-fi access.

Years ago, when Tonya came to visit for the summer, and she thought she was too old for day care, she would spend the mornings at the library while I worked.

The librarians are friendly, helpful, courteous and pleasant.

The library did have difficulty dealing with the homeless population of Lubbock that used the downtown main branch as a shelter. I understand it was a problem.  The homeless can still use the library, but the library officials have discouraged their loitering by setting up some rules that are reasonable, including no sleeping in the library.

I am so thankful for the library system in Lubbock.

It Started as One of Those Days

I had ordered an inter-library loan book, and received an email that it was available, but at the main library branch, and not the branch near my house, to which I had asked it be delivered. I did not call to verify this, as I had business near the downtown library, so checked there in person, only to be told the book was at the branch near my house.

No problem, I also had business in that part of town, so went to the branch library. But, they could not find the book: they check the inter-library loan bag, the hold shelves (where it should have been) the administrative shelves, and the stacks. It was not there. The book is not checked out to me, so personally, I am not concerned about this, except that it is a book I do want to read.

The check out clerk suspects the book will show up in an inter-library loan bag on Monday. I have reason to suspect she is correct:  Usually, in addition to an email alerting me that the book is available, I receive a phone call from the branch library informing me that the book is available. I did not receive such a phone call on Friday.

I would hate for the book to be lost. 

From the library I went to the post office, to purchase postage paid post cards.  Frequently, when I order these, I am offered post card stamps.  But, I do not want just the stamps, I want the post cards.  The clerk had difficulty locating post cards, but found some; not as many as I ordered, but some.  I use them for a monthly meeting announcement, and I actually have enough left from last month's meeting, so that is not an issue. The clerk told me this was the first time she sold post cards.

I have considered in the past purchasing post cards at an office supply store, and just purchasing the stamps.  But the deal the United States Post Office provides can not be beat: each card only costs $.03 vs. about $.09 per card from an office supply store.  

Things got better when I went to purchase groceries and supplies: I found everything that was on my list, and came in under budget.

Inter-Library Loan

I have heard about inter-library loan since shortly after I moved to Lubbock in 1977.  But there are so many book in the Lubbock Library system, I did not feel a need to use this resource until the last year or so. I am a reader of mysteries, and I prefer to read them in order.  I started reading a mystery series and discovered the Lubbock libraries do not have all of the books in the series. I shyly requested an inter-library loan, and discovered that my request was welcomed, and it was such an easy process.  Library patrons can request the inter-library loan in person at the reference desk of a Lubbock library, or they can access the process on line. I have not tried the on line process yet, but I will, some day.

What a wonderful resource for readers.

Shopping Libraries

Lubbock has four libraries in the city http://library.ci.lubbock.tx.us/: one in the East, one in the West, one in the Southwest, and the main library downtown. 

I have a list of many books I want to read, and very many are mysteries in a series. Of course, I want to read the series in order. I frequently get on line, and check out at which library the next book in a series is located.  I work east of the city, so can conveniently use that library after work. The most convenient to my residence is the southwest location. But I like to go to the downtown library because there are so many more selections at that locations. Of course, I can request the library to send something to the southwest branch to hold it for me. I usually do not do that. I just like to go library shopping.

I do use the inter-library loan system, which allows the Lubbock City County Library to contact other libraries in the network to access a book we do not have in Lubbock. That is a wonderful resource!