Two Worms

Check out this movie of Jeff showing my nephew how to do the worm (from last November). Oliver’s on his way to becoming a pro breakdancer.

Thanksgiving Vacation

We’re off to Alabama tomorrow for a week of family time. I just wanted to make sure I took a moment to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving!!

May you eat till your bellies are full and may you be graced with the presence of loved ones.

SirsiDynix / SirsiDynix Institute

Wow! I just realized Sirsidynix is headquartered in Huntsville, AL. I’ll have to drop by there when Jeff and I go in a little over a week. Perhaps I should call first though.

Coincidentally, it’s 10 minutes away from my dad’s house. How crazy is that?!

How I learned about it:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Stephen Abram Named Chief Strategist of the SirsiDynix Institute

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Nov. 6, 2006 – The SirsiDynix Institute, a forum for professional development in the library community, announced today that Stephen Abram, vice president of Innovation at SirsiDynix, was recently named chief strategist for the SirsiDynix Institute. Abram will continue in his role as vice president of Innovation at SirsiDynix.

The SirsiDynix Institute is an ongoing forum for professional development in the library community. The Institute monitors library industry trends and issues of concern to the library community. The Institute will utilize Abram’s renown nationally and internationally to attract speakers that are industry leaders in the industry for the Institute’s webinars, executive conference and other events. Abram will also assist in developing themes and topics for these events and will continue to speak and represent both SirsiDynix and the SirsiDynix Institute at national and international library and technology events.

A leading, international librarian, Abram has been with SirsiDynix since 2004. Abram has more than 25 years of experience with libraries, both as a practicing librarian and in the information industry. He is a frequent keynote speaker on issues that affect libraries, their communities and librarians. Abram is the president-elect of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) and is set to serve as president of SLA beginning 2008. He is a Fellow of SLA, and, in June 2003, he was awarded SLA’s highest honor, the John Cotton Dana Award. Abram is also the past president of the Canadian Library Association and was president of the Ontario Library Association in 2002.

“The SirsiDynix Institute has been near and dear to my heart since its inception,” said Abram. The Institute reaches out to the library community as a whole and is not tied to particular technologies. Not all in the community share the same technologies; they do, however, share the same concerns, hopes and visions for their libraries. I look forward to working even more closely with the SirsiDynix Institute to continue to grow and expand its reach and impact throughout the industry.”

Longings for sweet home alabama

Sometimes I really miss living in the south:( I know I’ve said this before but it’s about time I say it again. I miss how small it felt in Huntsville, the picturesque mountains, the music, going to Nashville and Atlanta for bands, family, on and on. Whenever I listen to certain albums it brings me back to my longings for the south. Usually it’s Silver Jews, Pavement, or R.E.M. that really trigger the intense feelings. Did I ever mention on this blog how obssessed I was with R.E.M. Umm yeah. I saw them perform two days in a row once. Once in Birmingham AL and then in Atlanta GA. Back when I had all the time in the world to just “hang out.” Everytime I listen to R.E.M’s “Don’t Go Back to Rockville” I feel like it was written just for me. I just relate so much to that song. After moving to Michigan for college I ended up working in a factory for three years. It was a lost three years, despite making shitloads of money. I was unhappy and I was pretty lonely. Sometimes calling my sisters in Alabama crying how much I hated it. While the entire song “Don’t go back to Rockville (Michigan)” sums it up for me, it was a few lyrics that I really held onto:

Going to a place that’s far so far away and if that’s not enough
Going where nobody says hello they don’t talk to anybody they don’t know
You’ll wind up in some factory that’s full time filth and nowhere left to go
Walk home to an empty house sit around all by yourself

Indeed. That was me for years. It sucked tremendously, but I got through it and I am now in a different place thankfully.

Back to my longings for the south and what triggers them. A lot of Pavement. Especially the album “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain.” It’s like I’m driving around with my friends all over again or watching the skateboarders downtown, daydreaming about my future. Also, whenever I have to leave the south to go back to Michigan I end up feeling extremely depressed as the landscape changes from mountains, perfect roads and views, to construction, flatness, and dreariness. I know that sounds a bit mean to say about heading north…..but it’s true! I wouldn’t say it if it weren’t. Evidence is evidence. Just take a drive down south and head back up on I-75 to see for yourself. It usually hits once you hit Ohio. It’s all of a sudden like, hello flatlands!

Really, I just miss the charm of the south. There are some beautiful old historic homes down there too! I just adore old historic homes.
Sometimes I ask Jeff if he would ever consider moving down there with me someday. I usually get a wishy washy answer of “I dunno.” Then the feeling wears off and I forget about it. Sometimes we throw around the idea of moving elsewhere and it feels like such a dream compared to where we are at with the house. Sometimes the house becomes a rock between Jeff and I, but I won’t get into that here. I would love to move to Chicago or Portland Oregon after I graduate from Library School, however Chicago probably won’t happen for the mere fact that Jeff can’t stand it there. He claims he would rather live in New York. Now Oregon I might be able to persuade him one day. It’s cheap, it near the ocean, it’s probably beautiful (I’ve never been…I’m assuming). I very well could hate it though. All I know is I never planned on sticking around Michigan after college (undergrad) and then I met Jeff and now I’m having THOSE feelings again with my MLS degree. I just can’t picture myself living in the same place all my life. Too long of a life to NOT see other places and experience new things. Then again, I have to evaluate where the significant other is in his life and take that into account.

Only time will tell. In the meantime, I am content listening to all the albums that bring me back to the south where my memories lie frozen trapped in each and every song.

Peeps in Bama

Alabama

Leaving Alabama
Originally uploaded by Eglectrik.

I went home to Huntsville Alabama on February 25 through this past Sunday. My younger sister Andrea and her then fiance’, now husband, went on a cruise to get married (plus, it was my dad’s birthday on the 26th). I took care of their adorable son (my nephew) Griffin while they were away. I loved every minute of it. I got the chance to bond with my 2 year old nephew, see my other nephew and niece, sisters and dad. Being down there reminded me of what I am missing every day while living so far away from them. I tried to take in every little moment, enjoy it to its fullest because I knew I would be leaving and would miss seeing my niece and nephews grow. I also took advantage of this time to hang out with two of my sisters a little bit. Its such a strange feeling seeing your sisters, whom you are used to growing up with, grow up without you there to witness it. Every time I see them they look so different to me. Sometimes it saddens me so damn much to think of how time flies. My parents had all four of us girls within 6 years. I was their first born in September of 1978. Jessica came a year later, 1979, in October. Andrea came two years after her in July of 1981. Natasha, the baby of the family was born in March of 1983. We were always referred to as “the girls”. As if we were all joined at the hip. There was rarely a time when we were separated from one another. When holidays came, we usually all got the same thing, just different colors or sizes. We even got the same haircuts again and again. It continued for a long time. Whenever one of us got something, the rest of us got that same something or the equivalent. At first I hated this. I hated that we had to be grouped together all the time. I hated that my sisters would copy me. I hated that we shared friends. Looking back now though…I miss it. I miss being “the girls”. I miss my sisters copying me. I even miss having the same friends. Mostly I just miss hanging out with my sisters whenever I feel like it.
Now there are phone calls. Lots of phone calls.