Flat Stanley Goes to School

Going to school is not nearly as restful as being on Dufuskie Island. I had to get up at 5am.

I always thought libraries were quiet.

Not this one.
It’s non stop activity. Kids came in and out all day. The kids at this schoool really love to read.

There are many computers and more books that I have ever seen.

The students even eat lunch there.

I think I need to go on another vacation!

Flat Stanley Heads Home to Houston

Here I am in the Savannah Airport with the pilots who are supposed to fly our plane home. It is over 2 hours late because of the thunderstorms in Houston. I find it amazing that the weather in one part of the country can affect someone who is over 1000 miles away.

Two hours later we were finally on our way. It will be good to be home again!

Flat Stanley Plays Golf

I played golf today. Here I am getting my first birdie.
I learned that math is very important because you need to be able to add up your score. The golfer with the lowest score wins the game. The goal is to have a score lower than 72 which is called par. So you also need to be able to subtract. Professional golfers usually shoot below par but amateur golfers are happy if they break 80.

Flat Stanley Meets Rosie Jones

I’ve meet several famous golfers on this trip. Here I am at breakfast with Rosie Jones. She’s also a famous LPGA golfer. She’s retired now and besides doing commentary on the Golf Channel she also arranges golfing trips. She’s very funny and most delightful.

Flat Stanley Walks on the Beach

Daukuskie Island faces the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Bay of Savannah on the other. The beach is totally deserted – we walked for over an hour and saw no one. You can take a look at it on Google Earth if your teacher has it installed on her computer.

I examined a Horseshoe Crab – did you know that they date back to the time of the Dinosaurs? Some people call them Living Fossils.

Daukuskie Island has a long history. At one time Indians who ate the crabs just like this one lived there. Now it is a summer home for wealthy people who build great big houses. There is no bridge to the island. The only way to get on and off is by boat. It’s as close as getting away from everything as I’ve ever seen.

Flat Stanely Rides in a Golf Cart

Most everyone at the Daukuskie Island resort drives around in Golf Carts.

They have many uses besides golf courses. They are electric and they are good for our earth since they don’t need gasoline. You just plug it in at night and let the battery recharge. They are also very quiet.

In Sun City, Arizona, many people have a golf cart instead of a second car. Many people there have custom golf carts.

Flat Stanly Meets Kathy Whitworth

Flat Stanly again:

I’ve meet some interesting people on this trip. Here I am with
Kathy Whitworth. She is a famous golfer who won 88 Professional Golf Tournaments. That’s more than anyone.

Tiger Woods has 54wins. How many more does Tiger have to win before he breaks her record?

Annika Sorenstam’s won 69 tournaments. How many more does she have to win to break the record? Who has won more – Tiger Woods or Anika Sorensten?

Ms. Whitworth said she’d never before posed with a book character. I told about my travels and she said that I travel as much as she does. She is going to Australia next week.

The Wives

My Beloved is nourishing her inner Golf Goddess at The Rosie Jones Golf Getaway at Daufaskie Island, South Carolina. It’s also our 10 anniversary and she suggested I do the unthinkable and ask for 3 personal days and join her. There is a partners package, so way she can indulge without one iota of guilt.
So, along I came, books and computer in tow. The women – there are 16 of them golf all day and I join them for breakfast and dinner. In between, I’m at my own devices, which suits an introvert like me just fine.

Daufaskie is very, very remote so I’m not doing my usual thrift store marathon. No point, there aren’t any stores on this island, not to mention few roads or cars. Transportation is mainly by foot or golf cart.

I’ve been spending time on the porch overlooking the ocean, reading and watching the world. Dukasee caters to corporate retreats and meetings. Given that is no place to go, it’s actually a very good choice since nobody can skip out of the meeting to go to the ball game or the mall. There are several golf courses & bars so the A type executive is content.

Besides our group, there is a also a large party of slightly graying at the temple men in golf shirts and Ralph Lauren shorts enjoying a tax deductible combination of golf and business. Some have brought their wives who of course may join their husbands on the fairways. They stay behind, visit the spa and sit on the veranda and chat.


The wives fall into two categories. Some originals, acquired during the man’s senior year in college. 50ish or 60ish, graying hair, a figure that’s been changed by childbearing and gravity. Comfortable clothes that cover the buldges and flat shoes. They look well taken care of off and are well put together. They look like women who are at peace with themselves and their life and realize the size 6 cheerleader they were 30 years ago is gone forever. They keep busy with their children, their grandchildren and volunteer activities.


Then there are the trophy wives. Blond, painfully thin, carefully manicured nails, high heeled sandals. Large diamond engagement ring, expensive gold necklaces adorning a taut carefully maintained size 4 figure clad in perfectly coordinated resort ware. A large purse with lots of chrome and buckles hangs over their left shoulder. Large, suitcase size purses appear to be in this year.

The two groups are thrown together for a couple of days, expected to spend most of the daylight hours in each other’s company. I wonder how the first group feels, looking at the second. Do they keep in the touch with the women the trophies have replaced? Do they look at the trophy wives and wonder if any of them have a friend waiting in the wings to take their place at the table?

And ,does it ever occur to the Trophy Wives that 10 or 15 years hence they may find themselves in the first group?

Flat Stanley here:

I'm not quite sure what happened but after arriving in Texas I found myself stuffed into a bag . The next time I saw daylight I was on a ferry boat and surrounded by water.

I over heard some saying I was on the Savannah River, in Savannah Georgia and that we were heading toward Daufuskie Island, South Carolina.

Wait a minute! This isn't making any sense. I 'm supposed to be learning about Cowboys and the Alamo and instead I'm seeing the Atlantic Ocean.








What's going on?

Flat Stanley Adventures #1

Mrs. ABC Mom asked if I'd be willing to host Flat Stanley for week or two. For those of you who don't hang out in Elementary classrooms Flat Stanley is a book character who accidentally found himself paper thin and living in a envelope. Teachers send him round the globe and he helps make geography come alive.

He show up in my post office box the day before we left for Daufuskie Island & I stuffed him into my computer bag and took him along for the ride. He's really supposed to be hanging out in my library back in Texas but he's taken a slight detour.

Flat Stanley hopes to blog about his trip and adventures. Of course he realizes that his audience is in the second grade so he's not going to tell the ENTIRE story of his trip. His hostess will however, fill in all the details in her blog posts!

And I Helped...

About 10 years back we got a new student - 8 year boy, just arrived from Vietnam. The family was living with their cousins in a home down the street from school. Funny looking kid, kind of gawky, mismatched clothing and an eagerness to learn such as I've rarely seen. He took to the library, to the books and to Accelerated Reader like a duck to water. He started out with Go Dog Go. By time he graduated from the 5th grade he was devouring Harry Potter. He loved computers too -the two of us learned PowerPoint together. He was one of those kids you always remember and go out of your way to give extra help and encouragement. .

Some of the cousins were younger so I'd see him from time to time at school events and we kept in touch. Two years ago he showed as a volunteer via his High School service group.

He's a senior now, graduating in May. Applying to Yale, Harvard, Sanford and Rice. I know his parents, his family, his natural ability and his work ethic are mostly responsible for the fine young man he's become. But I like to think I helped a little bit too.

Reasons for the Long Silence

Last Thursday
Get to work at 7, teach till 2:30, teach after school Primary Gifted & Talented class till 3:45. Take 3 of the Primary Gifted and Talented to kids to daycare (pacifying them with my GPS). Go to post office. Go to thrift store next to post office (find a $40 & $30 book, a Halloween flag and 2 books to donate to my school library). Pick up Spring Rolls at the Vietnamese place for dinner, 5:30, open library for Family Library Night. 8pm. Remove 77 people from library by turning off the computers. Go home. Answer e-mails, list the 2 books, pack books. Go to bed.

Last Friday
Get to work at 6:45 (have to put library back together again after Family Library Night), work till 2:30 (check out 400 books and teach 6 classes + lunch in library for 30+ kids). Rush home, meet a friend who drove in from MacGregor. We , drive to Galveston for the annual Friends of the Library Sale.. Arrive at sale at 4:30. Doors open at 5. Shop the sale till they kick us at 7:30 (awesome sale – they weeded the art books-spend $110, and have a $400 book in the lot). Have dinner, drive back to Houston, We kill half of a big bottle of wine, go to bed.

Last Saturday
Get up at 6:30, arrive at the Heights Friends of the Library sale by by 7:30. Buy books (spend $120) , Go to Zen center sale, buy more books (spend $30) . Go to brunch with 2 other book sellers and talk shop for 2 hours.. Go to Half Price Books. Buy more books (spend $40)- including 10 Betsy Tacy books . Come home Do laundry, clean up kitchen, clean up after cats (one has a new habit of pucking). Drink rest of the wine while listing books (that might not have been the brightest of moves) .

6:30pm The Universe calls (via Lou): Spiritual Man has more books .
Guess what I’m did last Sunday at 2pm?

It’s beginning to look like the Soccer’s Apprentice has switched from buckets of water to boxes of books

I'm a History Geek

Thanks Library Girl!

Those Dead White Guys....

Really did know what they were doing .

Last week was “Constitution Week”. Believe it or not,, all public school students must be exposed to the Preamble of the Constitution on or about September 17th. It’s the law. While I love history I don’t like teaching The Constitution in September. It’s to early in the year for 5th grade, who are still discovering America and the little ones are still struggling with The Pledge of Allegiance.

However, Congress decided they solved all of our problems and having nothing better to do mandated Constitution Day a couple of years ago. To ensure it’s done my principal delegates it to me since I see all the classes.


This year I tried something new – I turned my Mr. Magoo puppet into James Madison and had him “read” a new book by Picture Window called “The U.S. Constitution. Actually, he paraphrased it, since parts of it were totally over everyone’s head.

It turned out rather well – the kids loved the puppet – even the 5th graders who think they are to sophisticated for puppets. James of course did quite a bit of improvisation depending on the grade level he was addressing. James’s voice got hoarser and hoarser as the day went on and James’s alter ego went home exhausted.

James read and explained the Preamble some 40+ times. It is one outrageous statement. Those Founding Fathers weren’t staid, conservative, white men. They were wild eyed radicals intent on creating a form of government like no other. They did it too. And did it well.

I do wonder, if in this post 9/11 World if our current Congress would ever manage to pass it, shoudl it ever have to come up for a vote again?

I do know that if they did our current President would veto it in a heartbeat.

Houston, We Have Found the Motherlobe

It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad garage sale day till the last sale – which was not advertised and we almost didn’t go to – my friend was hot and my friend was tired.

“Let’s just do this one, it’s only a few blocks away. I said. Then we can call it a day”.

It’s almost noon. Old house in the “arty part” of Houston. Sale was in the back, in a garage apartment occupied by a self proclaimed ‘natural healer & herbiest”. We walk up and there are 2 big tables piled with books. Big, thick fat books. Books without dust jackets and shiny picture covers. Books published by Gulf, Mosby, Wiley & Academic Press. I scan the first 3 and suddenly have $600 worth of inventory in my hand. We each fill up 2 boxes.

“Folks just give me books” says the guy, “ I need to clear them out, in fact just threw some away, go look”. I lift the lid of the trash can and pull out the first book - $250. Gives new meaning to the phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.

“Got more inside – you want to go look? “. Is the Pope Catholic?

2 hours later my friend calls her husband to come and pick her up – there isn’t enough room in my car for all the books.

I have 12 boxes of academic, technical and medical books, all of which I scanned. Most rank in 2,000,000 and up but for those prices they can sit and wait for a buyer

I paid: $100!

My friend has the same. And paid the same.

The “Profits” screen of my Axim read $10,000+ when we’d finished.

On my way home I stopped at a sandwich shop next to Half Price Books to grab a bite to eat.

For some odd reason I had no desire at all to go inside and check out the Clearance Shelf.

I wonder why?

P.S. We went back twice during the week and bought still more books.

13 Reasons I Love My Job

Thirteen Things I Like About My Job

1. Kids (well most of the time)
2. I get paid to read aloud
3. I have a ironclad excuse to buy puppets, kid lit & lava lamps
4. There is a ready made appreciative audience for any new cake recipes I want to try out.
5. Computers to play with and on
6. Long holiday breaks
7. Wonderful staff
8. Even more wonderful principal
9. 10 commute
10. Outstanding leadership from our library director and staff
11. A new and different project ever year
12. Never the same and never boring
13. Getting paid to do what I’d do for free!

Reading, Reading, Reading

Many eons ago my district somehow started receiving review copies. They are still arriving, though not in the numbers they once were. Any librarian who is willing to read one and write a short (25 words) review gets to keep it for their library. Hey, I can read for books - such a deal!

Oddly, not everyone jumps at this chance - a couple of years ago our Library Director had to insist that everyone read at least 10. A librarian who doesn't want to read? Maybe they should re-think their profession.

The reviews are due on Wednesday so this weekend I underwent a reading marathon. One problem with selling books is that one doesn't have nearly as much time to read them as one would like.

This weekend it rained. And I read. And read. And Read.

Some good books, some bad books and some really bad books. Children's literature is all about graphic novels and fantasy these days. Neither genre appeals to me but I plowed on. Picture books are featuring computer generated art and after a bit all the illustrations start to look alike. All the children have abnormally big heads, stick legs and bug eyes.

The most memorable: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. It reminds me of ,The Giver, both have an ending that stays with me way longer than I like.

Book I most enjoyed: Shelter - a book that brings home "many people are just one paycheck away from a homeless shelter". Laura should read it to George.

Book I never want to read again: Hot Dog and Bob - if this had any redeeming virtues they certainly escaped me.

Latest trend - precocious 2nd or 3rd grade girls - all of which are a carbon copy of Ramona Quimby. And like all carbon copies they are fuzzy and blurry and not nearly as sharp as the original.

What Fresh Hell Is This...Redux

The beginning of the school year always seems to find me quoting Dorothy Parker.

Last year's quote was"What fresh Hell is this" - which summed up the "District Convocation" .

This year the quote is again apt. That's really very sad since it's not a positive quote.

August, 2007 brought "The Teacher Institute". The idea was that we'd get to pick our own in-services so that we could go to what interested us. That way we might be a better audience (teachers are notorious for being rude). Then the district started requiring some people to attend some sessions and other other people to attend other sessions. By the time it was all over many people had no choice at all.

The site was one of the districts very large high schools. It was built in the mid seventies , a nadir for school architecture and at the zenith of the "windows, who needs windows" theory of building. The place looks like a large brick prison. Inside there a maze of wandering corridors that make no sense to anyone - even the maps don't work. The "A" hall is next to the "L" hall.

Oh, and did I mention the air conditioning wasn't working properly? And that the temps have been in the 100s? I did mention that the building has no windows didn't I?

The parking lot is totally inadequate for the number of attendees. Car pooling was encouraged but teachers don't car pool very well. They come all areas of the city, and being that most are women many have to drop a child off at daycare or run errands on the way home. Besides, this is Texas, home of big oil and big trucks. Real Texans don't car pool. That's only for wussy Yankees. Cars overflow= the parking lot and are spread far and wide throughout the surrounding neighborhoods. Some folks are getting parking tickets as their back to school present


I'm to do a presentation on "Blogging". I'm told to bring my own projector but that there should be a laptop set up and waiting for me. Being an experienced cynic , I pack the projector,and also a laptop, a very long extension cord, Internet cable, power strip and jump drive.

I find my room. On the teachers desk, an ancient Dell faces the wall. It's dusty. The desks are lined by row by row (and I'm thinking I'd like to go to Flander's Field where the Poppies grow). A lectern lurks at the front on the room. The room screams "Sage on a Stage" and "Didactic Teachings R Us".

I unpack my equipment. A desk turned sideways, crowned by a box and a 4 heavy literature books becomes a computer stand. The orange extension cord snakes across to an outlet at the east end of the room, the Internet cable goes west. I plug in, hook up, configure and turn on. Lights come on, Windows sings its happy song and all appears to be going well till I click on Internet Explorer. Nothing happens. I trouble shoot, I re-configure, re-power and search for available wireless networks. Still nothing happens.

I stick my head out the door and spy our Director of Library Services. He tries. Nothing happens. I catch a roving computer geek. He tires. Nothing happens. He gets a different laptop. Still no Internet. There is a strong wireless signal but the computer can't find it. We hard wire it with my 20 feet cable. Still nothing.

"Firewall" he mutters.

The clock is ticking...it's 8 and the programs begin at 8:30.

"Gotta go find another laptop" Dripping with sweat he dashes from the room.

That leaves me, with a presentation to give on Elementary Blogging and no Internet. The dusty laptop is on. I awaken the monitor to find that the teacher who owns it gets as much nasty spam as I do. Leaving one's e-mail open is a district no-no, as is leaving one's computer turned on and logged ion. But e-mail means the Internet is working. I restrain myself from sending tacky e-mails from her mailbox and find the USB port.

The computer can't find my jump drive. It's still running Windows 98, which predates jump drives (and many of the students who will be using it) and it doesn't "see" it. So much for plans A, B, C, & D and maybe E. I know my presentation is supposed to be on the Ed-Tech web site.

I log on and yes, it's there. Whoo -Hoo - finally a bright spot. Only the ancient Dell is locked down and I can't D/L or save it. I can only view it on the web. Well, it's better than nothing.

I gather the class around the monitor and it's on with the show. 4 slides into it and we're interrupted by the geek, toting 2 more laptops. He hooks up , configures and powers up. No internet.

"Internal firewall".

He notices I'm sitting cross legged on the teachers desk and doing a presentation by monitor.

"I can hook your projector to that computer so that everyone can see"

Sounds good to me, I stop so he can once again hook up, configure and power up and down.
Nothing happens

"Windows 98, it can't find the projector"

"Or my jump drive "I chime in.

He does a little this, he does a little that, suddenly we have a projected image but now what is on the screen doesn't match what's on the wall.

"That's a Windows 98 thing - you'll get used to it".

He notices my presentation is via the Internet.

" You should save it to the desk top"

"Can't " I retort.

He tries.

He can't.

"Give me your jump drive!"

Reluctantly I hand it over. He scurries out of the room, saying "I'm going to save it to the server"

He leaves me with my audience and returns 10 minutes later. The audience by now is wondering if they are attending an in-service or an Abbott and Costello skit. Not only does anybody not know who's on first, we aren't to sure about second, third or home plate either.

In bursts the Geek, my jump drive in hand.

"It's on the server, you can open it that way".

"Show me" I say, since by this time I am taking nothing for granted.

He clicks here, there, and everywhere and ten folders later finds my presentation.

We are ready to begin (again) and the intercom squawks to life.

"Good morning teachers, it's time to move to your next session".

So much for enlightening folks as to the joys of blogging.

The Geek looks at me.

"You are sure are flexible"

Well, it's either go with the flow or have a nervous breakdown.

I hope the class participants are forgiving when it comes to doing the evaluation.

Somebody Stop Me!

You Are a Not Pack Rat

You're not a pack rat - and there's probably no rats in your home. You have a living style that's totally minimalist. You're definitely not attached to stuff.

Are You a Pack Rat?

These are Addictive!

You Are Grape

You are bold and a true individual. You are very different and very okay with that. People know you as a straight shooter. You're very honest, even when the truth hurts. You are also very grounded and practical. No one is going to sneak anything by you. People enjoy your fresh approach to life. And it's this honesty that makes you a very innovative person.

What Color Purple Are You?

This is so me!

Blog Quiz

One interesting sideroom of the Bloggerspace are all the "what / who are you quizes" that have prolifereated, many of which can be found on Blogthings. . Musings of a Library Girl is Picasso.

Who Should Paint You: Alfred Gockel

All American yet funky, you inspire an artist's imagination And while not everyone will understand your portrait, you will!

What Artist Should Paint Your Portrait?

I have no clue who Alfred Gockel is - guess I'd better go to Wikipedia and find out!

Hummm...no wonder I don't know anything about him - he's a contemporary artist. Who know Blogging was so educational?

13 Things I Need to Do to Get the Library Ready ...for The First Day of School

1. Create the AR incentive charts
2. Unpack the stuffed animals
3. Catalog all the books I found at the thrift stores & garage sales this summer
4. Update my Calendar
5. Change out all the flags
6. Put together the library schedule
7. Create a fall library display
8. Dust!
9. Plan the teacher’s book preview and food fest
10. Lesson plans for the first 3 weeks
11. Finish my Activ-Board FlipChart
12. Lay in a supply of food to bring for lunch.
13. Find the alarm clock!

Summer is over...Whahhhhhhhhhhhhh

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Unmentionable Thoughts

Thoughts that flitted through my mind last week while spending enforced time with someone who had a bit to much to contribute:

After the first hour - sore throat
After the second hour -laryngitis
After the third hour - transparent tape
After the fourth hour - duct tape
After the fifth hour - strep throat
After the sixth hour - a thought that should not be commited to cyberspace

A Welcoming Environment?

First day back on duty; and as always it was spent in an all day library meeting. Theme for the year is connecting with students and being extra careful to ensure that the libraries feel friendly and welcoming.

Other topics of discussion - Web 2.0, social networks, blogs, wikis, pod casts and all the other new technologies the digital native use to keep in touch. I know that sooner or later the terms "real life connection" or "real world connection" will pepper an in service.

Meeting is held in a high school library. Above every computer is a large sign stating :

"NO E-MAIL"
"NO MUSIC"
"NO VIDEO"


Perhaps the meeting should of been entitled :

13 Goals I Didn't Attain This Summer

1. Lose 20 lbs
2. Exercise 3x a week (hence the failure of #1)
3. Clean out the closet under the stairs
4. List the back log of books in the garage
5. Re-do the front porch window boxes (60 days of rain)
6. Blog at least 3x a week
7. Plan all my lessons for the entire school year
8. Go to school and get the cataloging backlog caught up
9. Write an article for Library Sparks
10. Write an article for BookThink
11. Wax the floors (ugh)
12. Re-organize all 600+ Amazon books (halfway done!)
13. Get my checkbook balanced (I hate numbers!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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13 Reasons Why Today was a Very Good Day

I sold a $650 book. It arrived safely and the buyer is happy. Yeah for hitting a new new high dollar book selling goal

I spent a good bit of the afternoon sitting in Cricket’s Creamery lost in a new book. Yeah for Beth Gutcheon. Must find some more of her books.

I arrived home to find I’d sold a $100 & $150 book. Yeah for making money while reading.

I thought my scanner was broken. The Socket Scan folks sent me a patch and it’s fixed. Yeah for technical support that works.

I had a facial today. My skin feels wonderful and I’m still feeling relaxed. Yeah for being pampered!

It poured late in the afternoon and I was safely home as opposed to being stuck in traffic.
I love a rainy day- providing I’m home! Yeah for summer break.

I found a copy of the Rich Dad/ Poor Dad Cashflow game at the Goodwill for $1.99. I sold it last night on E-bay for $170. Yeah for E-bay.

The house is clean & I didn’t have to do it – yesterday was cleaning people day. Yeah for them!

I put out 3 different things for Freecycle and every one of them was picked up. Yeah for stuff moving on to a new home.

I now own one of my Holy Grails of books -an ex-library copy of Carney’s House Party. It’s just like the copy I read as a child & I got it a steal of a price on E-bay. Yeah for finding a Holy Grail.

I may actually make my elusive and never attained bookselling goal this month. Yeah for Art of Books.

I found a barely used pair of Ann Taylor brown shoes at the thrift. Yeah for my feet not hurting!

I have another book that’s just as engrossing as the one I just finished. Yeah for summer reading and Linda Francis Lee.


Now if I didn’t have to go back to work in 2 weeks life would be absolutely perfect. But then who said life was perfect?

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Life As Seen by ESPN

It’s been an all ESPN sort of day at my house (My Beloved is home with a virus).

ESPN operates from a slightly different universe than the rest of us frequent.

A comment on the unfolding NBA Gambling Scandal: “This is an international incident”

Hum, if a corrupt NBA official is an “international incident” what does that make the War in Iraq? An international catastrophe perhaps?

NFL is investigating whether Michael Vick of the Atlantic Falcons has violated the leagues “Personal Conduct Code”. Seems they aren’t sure because the lawyers never thought to include a clause regarding the torture of dogs. Guess they thought nobody would be so stupid, so heartless and so cruel. Hopefully the code will be amended.

Whether Michael Vick returns to play another day is still under discussion. Cynical me thinks he will, because in the mind of the NFL wining touchdowns trumps dead dogs any day.

Let's hope that for once professional sports does the right thing.

Orlando

We’re now in Southern Orlando, some two miles from the Land of the Mouse and the Pond of Shamu. The area is wall to wall hotels, motels and restaurants. It’s an area where everyone is transient and nobody lives, they come only to stay.

We are at a sprawling hotel & event center complex, chosen partly for it’s golf courses and partly for it proximity to the Mickey, Goofy et. al.

The hotel is chock a bock with people. Conventioneers mingle with tourist families. It’s pretty easy tell them apart – the conventioneers wear big badges around their necks and the tourists wear sunburns and mouse ears.

Odd Sights:

Children hang out in cocktail lounges – and treat it like a playground.

People walk through the lobby in swimsuits that really need a cover- up of some sort. Wobbling butt cheeks are not a particularly attractive sight. It really isn’t necessary to be a walking advertisement for the rampant obesity in this country.

Each drink costs about $10, the lounge seats about 100 – just how much money does it rake in between in the hours of 4 pm & 8pm?

If every child who goes to Disney World buys a set of ears, who many ears are sold each day? How much does Disney make on said ears? How much do the sweat shop employees in China earn who make them? I suspect the former is much, much more than the latter!

Tattoos are not for bikers any longer. None the less, they are not an attractive sight on women who are budging out of their skimpy tops. Tattoos aren’t meant to stretch.

Only in Disney World would you see small children eating a $20 hotdog at a 4 Star restaurant at 10pm.

This hotel, like all the other abounds with minions. Where do they live? Do they ever resent having to wait on people who spend the equivalent of one weeks salary on dinner and drinks?

Thrifting

The thrifting in the small towns around The Villages (always spelled with a

capital T) is prime. These tiny towns abound in Thrift Stores – Belleview has 4,000 people and 8 Thrift stores. There aren’t the “for profit” with the corresponding high prices thrift stores like Savers and Family Thrift, these are Little Old Lady thrifts in the best and vanishing sense of the world. In one day I paid a visit to St. Jude, St. Phillip and St. Theresa. They are clean, nicely organized and the prices are from a by gone era. At most of them books were only a quarter and the highest I ever paid was a $1. It’s a far cry from Houston and the $4.94 & 6.96 prices I’m accustomed to seeing at Family Thrift.

Even the Goodwill was reasonable – all the books were $1.99, with of course the exception of what they consider “Better Books”. Luckily, their idea of better books is radically different than mine. Better Books consisted of some dreary copies of old People’s Book Club Books and some hardback classics with nothing to distinguish them from thousands of other hardback classics.

I struck gold in the “ordinary” books – a definitive book on Irish Wolfhounds and another on Worchester Pottery. The first was courtesy of MediaScouter, the latter from my own brain. Naturally, the latter was the most satisfying, though the former will bring in a bit more money.

The Villages does not allow estate or garage sales – that’s another reason I wouldn’t want to live there – so guess the only outlet for excess stuff is a thrift store. So many people come to the Villages with nothing more in mind that playing golf till they go on to the Great Golf Course in the Sky so there stuff has to end up somewhere. The Great Golf Course in the Sky comes with an eternal supply of everything one could ever need!

The Villages - Florida's Friendliest Hometown

My Beloved is playing a golf tournament and I came along to check out the local thrifts.

Our destination is The Villages – an “Active Lifestyle” community. Think Sun City, only with Live Oaks and Spanish Moss as opposed to sand and cactus. The other major difference is that Sun City is now adjacent to the city of Phoenix, The Villages are an entity unto themselves.

It’s a series of master planned, gated communities ten minutes south of the town of Belleview (population 4,000) and 10 north of Lessburg (population 19.,000). The Villages residents number over 50,000 – and over 60 % of those residents are over the age of 65. 98% of them are also Anglo. The residents have an annual income that is more the twice the annual average of the surrounding towns. To say that The Villages have Clout with a captital C is an understatement.

It reminds of Main Street at Disney World. It’s picture perfect world, small town living in a “It’s a Wonderful Life, meets Leave to Beaver, meets Father Knows Best” sort of word. The sort of world that really doesn’t and has never existed but the powers that be have done their very best to replicate it, smack dab in the middle of central Florida.

The main street is named what else - “Main Street”. There is town square surrounded by shops, all with outdoor cafes and lots of little boutiquey like stores.
Within the Villages golf carts are the preferred mode of transportation – there are special golf cart lanes, golf cart parking and golf cart garages. Each golf cart is lovingly detailed and customized. IT gives new meaning to the phrase "Pimp My Ride".

No only are these used on the many, many golf courses, they are also used to get around. Unlike a real small town, where people walked, The Villages are in reality a series of sprawling suburbs, complete with cul de sacs, long winding roads and very few through streets. Even when one tries to walk in The Villages one finds one can’t. The sidewalks are more for show than actual foot power. I tried to walk to the town square from our hotel and found that I kept having to cut through parking lots or walk on the grass as the sidewalks abruptly petered out.

Just outside The Villages, on Hwy27 is the shopping area – also golf cart accessible ,color coded and appearance mandated within an inch of it’s life. The Wendy’s looks like the McDonalds which looks like the Publix. All the restaurants are national chains – no funky little dive on a shoestring budget could ever afford to open up in a place like this. The stores are all part of national chains too – again only a deep pocket national retailer could afford the start up costs necessary to blend in. Eye sores, funky chic, shabby chic, one of a kind and individuality are not allowed.

The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit has migrated to The Villages. He’s traded in his suit for a golf shirt but otherwise his life is hasn’t changed a bit. Life is safe, bland and oh so well planned out. In a way it’s like High School all over again, those who fit in are happy as can be, the lone wolves must be leading lives of quiet desperation.

Me, I’m a lone wolf who would never make it in a place like this.

8 Things About Me

MS Watsit tagged me with a meme that's making the rounds - 8 Things About Me. I like memes, especially when my brain isn't feeling very original. We've had 39 Days and Night of what seems like nonstop rain and I think my brain is growing mold.

1. I haven't read all the Harry Potter books. I started the first one and just couldn't get into it. Fantasy just doesn't ring my chimes. This may get me drummed out of the ranks of librarianship but I am not going to be standing in a bookstore line at midnight eagerly awaiting the latest installment. I do have multiple copies in my school library for all the kids who do adore it. Every now and then a child will admit they didn't like HP and I whisper to them that I don't either and we have a bonding moment

2. I've always wanted to live in London - not just visit but live there for a couple of months. One of my favorite quotes comes from Helen Hanff's 84 Charing Cross Road, "I told him I'd go looking for the England for English literature, and he said: "Then it's there." I know when I go it will be there - The Victoria & Albert, Madame's Ballet School and of course 84 Charing Cross Road.

3. I love to cook and I'm good at it - something which often amazes folks. I think it's because I'm also good with computers. It seems like people who have an aptitude for one aren't supposed to have an aptitude for the other.

4. I can't "just watch TV". I have to be doing something else at the same time. I inherited that from my mother who always knit while watching TV.

5. If I had my way I would not own a car. I hate to drive. I love cities with good mass transit. And I live in one of the most auto dependent cities in the country. Go figure.

6. Between pushing books on kids and selling books to others I rarely have time to read myself.
The cobbler's children go barefoot.

7. I get great satisfaction from throwing stuff out. During the summer I always clean out closets. Voluntarily.

8. I haven't been to a movie in a movie theater in over a year. But I love my Netflix subscription.

Here are the tagging rules. Have fun.
1. Let others know who tagged you.
2. Players start with 8 random facts about themselves.
3. Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8 random facts.
4. Players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been tagged

Now do I know 8 other people who haven't been tagged - this one has been around for a bit?
Let's see.....

CLM, because she has a brand new blog
ApronThriftGirl - a new friend from the Booksellers Group
VWB - just to see what her caustic pen will do with a meme
The Library Lady....because she loves to rant... and does it with style
The Librarian Philosopher.....I do love to rattle his cage - and he always takes it with smile.
The Library Girl ...whose posts are as random as mine
The Bookworm ...who skins a mean blog when she's not reading
Elsewhere - I'd like to hear 8 random things about her new life

There's One for the Rich...and Another for the Rest of Us

The Shrub commuted Scooter Libby 's prison sentence today. It was "to harsh". Bush's popularity ratings are so low that I guess he figured they couldn't go any lower so why wait till after the elections.

One thing we can say about Georgie Boy, he's loyal to his friends - or perhaps I should say Cheney is loyal to his friends. If Cheney wants it, Bush obliges him.

Halliburton's quarterlies not looking so good?
"Don't worry, Dick old Buddy , I'll make sure they get a sweetheart deal in Iraq"

Libby doesn't look good in stripes?
"Don't worry, Dick old Buddy, I'm the President, I'll take care of it"

Just think, if Paris had played nice with Dickie boy she wouldn't of had to go to prison either.

And in the meantime, it's very apparent that there is one set of rules for the rich and well connected and for the rest of us peons

13 Things about Thrift Shops

Thirteen Things about Thrift Stores 1. Child having a tantrum 2. Several small children making a mess of the toy area with no parent in sight 3. A woman chatting so loudly on her cell phone that the rest of us know way more about her love life than we want to! 4. Multiple copies of "What to Expect When You're Expecting" 5. Several woman who are already expecting 6. A Singing Billy Bass (may or may not work) - not that anyone cares 7. Someone plaintively asking if there is a bathroom (there never is) 8. A pervasive smell of sweat and mothballs 9. Last years fad holiday gift - Blooming Onion makers are no longer all the rage 10. A Clear Channel Communication radio station - and during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas it's Christmas Carols 24/7 11. Zillions of Beanie Babies - the bubble burst on those long ago 12. Numerous customers in need of a wardrobe makeover - and a good dentist 13. Treasure! Such as the 13 Leather Bound Franklin Signed First Edition books I found today Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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What Kind of Reader are You?

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Non-Reader
Fad Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Do these results surprise anyone?

Brain on Over Load and Over Drive

Spent aay to much time hunched over one computer or another this past week. Among my summer plans was to down load and start using Art of Books. Thanks my scanner and some good garage sales and thrift store runs book inventory is up by 1/3 and my sales are too. That’s a very good thing, but getting the books packed up and shipped out is taking more and more time. Enter Art of Books, a combined listing, packing and when paired with Endicia shipping program. Excellent solfware but a killer learning curve. The Endicia / AOB shipping pairing spits out professional looking labels in the blink of an eye but somehow I can’t seem to get all the steps down in the correct order. This morning’s snafu resulted in triple printed labels. Good thing Endicia gives postage refunds!

Education, in an attempt to capture the attention of the video game generation is becoming more interactive. A chalk board and an over head projector just don’t cut it any more. Enter Promethean , the educational version of a the Smartboard. Very interesting – a Promethean board is akin to an interactive PowerPoint presentation on Speed but overwhelming to say the least.

After 15+ years of new technology becoming old technology and being replaced my newer technology (even though the original new technology has never been taken out of the box.) the district has finally realized that folks need to be held accountable. The district is investing some very serious dollars in the technology and if you want to play, you have to go to training.
So, this time nobody gets the laptop necessary to run their gizmo till they attend training and nobody gets credit (necessary for continuing education) till they complete a “homework” project and bring it the advanced training.

Never being one to turn my nose up at a new piece of technology I dutifully took myself off to an all day training session. Great fun, but so much to comprehend in such a short time. I lucked into a small class – only 3 of us, and a class where all of us were already computer literate and it was still to much to absorb. New terms, new techniques and new methods all coming at me at warp speed.

Note to Self: Don’t ever try to master 3 new software programs in the course of one week. Especially after the age of 50. There just aren’t enough brain cells left to cope.

Learning While Playing.

Just as in most professions, teachers must garner continuing education credits. However, unlike Doctors who get to go to Hawaii and sip all expense paid by the pharmaceutical companies mojitas by the pool, we gather in a converted high school and drink coffee out of paper cups.

We used to have no choice as to what we were going to be educated in. That made for some worthless experiences. In my 16 years, I've had to suffer through everything from "how to make a bulb work using a battery and wires' to watching a talking head with a bad toupee give a canned motivation speech. A couple of years ago someone in administration finally figured out that if we were allowed to select what we wanted to learn we might not only actually learn something but also be a better audience. Teachers are notorious for inattentive and rude behavior when they are the student rather than the teacher.

This past week groups of librarians and teachers gathered together with the folks from library media services at the annual Summer Integration Academy. The goal is to create "technology rich lessons" and foster teacher / librarian collaboration . We started with a crash course in various programs and web tools - blogs, Inspiration, Kidspiration, databases on the Library Research page, streaming video, film editing and more – the brain is on overload.

It's been great fun. The levels of knowledge range from “ how do I turn it on” to semi expert, however everyone learns something new. It's also joyfully informal yet most professional, no assigned seats no "turn to your neighbor" and no cutesy, wootsey, bonding activities. We even get to go out to lunch like worker bees in the real world. It doesn't take much to make a teacher happy.

The created lessons; actually they are full blown units range from Nutrition to Greek Mythology to American Historical Figures to classroom rules to job interviews to the water cycle for bi-lingual second graders. All the lessons are posted on a website so that everyone in the district has access.

The class has many objectives - increasing librarian & teacher cooperation, replacing pencil and paper activities with computer related activities and replacing the traditional paper or report with a PowerPoint, a pod cast - anything other than a paper purchased from an online term paper company. After 3 days of intense work we all present our lessons. It's amazing to watch the transformation- what was a nebulous idea on Monday crystallizes are a full blown unit, complete with lesson plans, film clips, PowerPoints, rubrics for grading, blogs, student activities and follow up activities. TEKS and TAKS objectives are integrated and we even have differentiated activities for the students at the Special Ed and the Gifted/Talented end of the spectrum.

The teachers range from second grade to high school so we have a wide range of abilities. Technology a great leveler - it's amazing how I can adapt a high school lesson on nutrition and share it with our school nurse for her Housman Health Club or a 10th grade speech lesson for our own annual career day.

After each presentation, there are informal comments and suggestions. We all learn from each other and make mental notes of how we're going to adapt each lesson to our own schools and situations.

This is what teacher ed should be, unfortunately, it rarely is.