Saturday night randomness...

I should have my new computer next week! My old computer died -- although it was doing this weird-possessed-thing where it would turn on by itself at odd times. Very strange... I finally unplugged the darn thing! Anyway, Josh has been building me a computer for awhile, he even custom painted the chassis. Very cool. :-) He shipped it earlier this week, it's scheduled for delivery on the 28th. Yay!

I ordered a new widescreen flat monitor and a new keyboard. Many of the letters were worn off my old keyboard... haha. It was time for a new one. I'm excited for it all to arrive. :-D

I had the orientation session for my class on Tuesday, it went well. I think that this course should be relatively easy. I'm looking forward to it.

Looks like we might be moving the library in the next month or so. We haven't set a definite date yet, but things are coming along.

Robbie's girlfriend Vanessa loaned me the first two seasons of Grey's Anatomy on DVD.... sweet! Now I just have to find the time to watch them. :-P

July was so hot, and August has been so cold and rainy and lousy -- there was even a frost warning the other night! It should has made summer alot shorter. I can't believe that school starts next week already. It's a bit odd not have anyone going anymore. Weather-wise, I sure hope we get an Indian-summer. It's far too early for this cool weather.

That's all the randomness I have for tonight. Boring, I know.... lol. Back to my book, now. ;-)

*~*~*~*~*~*
Currently reading: One Grave Too Many ~ Beverly Connor
Currenty playing: Leave Out All the Rest ~ Linkin Park (I love this song)

Library course

So, I've been back and forth for months on whether to continue with the distance-ed. library course. I did the challenge in May for the prerequisite, and the next class doesn't start till August 21st. I had something happen a few months back that was unexpected and difficult, I was struggling for awhile, and it made me question whether I should go ahead with this or not. I had almost talked myself out of it, but then thought that I should do it anyway.

The other stuff worked itself out for the positive ( :-) ), and I was still thinking I'd continue. The full course will take at least a couple of years (probably more like 3) to complete. I'm looking at possibly being out of here before then. So should I do some of it, even if I can't get it all done? Would I continue it at a later time? Will it be worth the time and money spent?

Then the big issue -- the cost. I don't earn alot. My expenses are relatively few, so I do okay. But there isn't much extra. I have some things coming up that are going to require some expense, so once again I was questioning whether to spend the money on this course. I've been back and forth over this so many times, and was at the point where I was fairly sure that I wasn't going to do it. I need that money for other things.

Well... I got an email regarding the course when I was at work on Friday. The northern library region that is offering this course to their staff had offered for any of the staff from our region to take it with them, but initially it was at our own expense. They got a huge grant to cover their expenses, and have now offered to cover the tuition cost for us -- for this next class and possibly the one following. It's a substantial amount.

My tuition would be covered, probably for two classes from now until June. I actually emailed my supervisor back to get clarification, because I thought that surely I must be reading the email wrong! She assured me that it was correct, and that I would also be reimbursed for the fee I paid to write the challenge exam. Sweet.

Am I being told something here? "Hello, September... you haven't been listening to me! Can I make it any clearer?!"

I guess I'm supposed to keep going. :-P

Finished book 7

I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last night. It's almost a let down, in a way.

Overall, the book was great. There is one part I didn't like and I think could have been left out, but aside from that... great. :-)

I'm considering re-reading Half-Blood Prince because there's things that I don't remember that well.

Our town is having the annual "Old Fashioned Saturday Night" -- art displays, live music, pie and ice cream, cotton candy, a dunk tank, old buggy rides, etc. The library is hosting the beef-on-a-bun supper as a fundraiser. We made up tons of coleslaw and baked beans last night, and I have to go help out at the supper as soon as I'm off work in a few minutes. It's really, really hot out today, so hopefully that won't keep people from coming out. We're hoping it will be a good fundraiser for us.

Speaking of it being hot... I was checking online, and it's hotter here today than it is where Josh lives in AZ... lol.

SK: 97 °F / 36 °C
AZ: 91 °F / 33 °C

Anyway, I'm off.... I hope you're all having a great weekend!

So good....

... Deathly Hallows is so good. I'm trying not to read it too quickly, but once I get into it... well, last night I read till 2:15 if that tells you anything... lol.

The next couple of days are busy, but I might be done it by then anyway. ;-)

Ahhh.... Harry Potter :-)

I'm impressed... I pre-ordered Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on Amazon.ca. Being in a rural area, I didn't get guaranteed Saturday delivery, but it did arrive on Monday. Very cool. I wasn't expecting it so soon, so that was a very nice surprise. :-)

Now I'm wishing I could be at home reading... lol. I'm going to be sad when I reach the end -- I've been reading these books for years now, and to reach the final one is sad. I want to know what happens, but I don't want them to end... *sigh*

It's been so stinkin' hot here for the last few weeks. It's clouding over and we've had a bit of thunder this afternoon, but only a sprinkle of rain. We could really use some rain -- everything is parched, and it might cool things off a little. In addition to the heat, it's been very humid, which we aren't really used to. I'm trying not to complain about it -- just a wee bit here and there. ;-)

Didn't sleep very well last night, so I'm sitting at my desk at work yawning and wanting to go home. :-P

Big Brother tonight, and more Harry Potter. Maybe a real good thunderstorm... that would be cool. :-D

This and that...

I went to Saskatoon on Monday. I did a bit of shopping, but the real reason I went was to see "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". I went without any expectations this time. I saw "Goblet of Fire" with Josh last year, and while I enjoyed it, I was also disappointed. They left out so much, and because of that it didn't seem to "flow". It was my least favorite to date.

I must say, I loved "Order of the Phoenix". It was also one of my favorite books. Yes, they left out a lot, but with a book that is like 700 pages, there isn't much choice. Instead of dwelling on what was left out or changed, I just enjoyed the movie. I really did love it. I'd go again... lol. The DVD will be on my Christmas list. ;-)

On Sunday, Sheldon and I went to Moose Jaw to the family barbecue. I had a nice visit with my brother and sister-in-law and my aunt. We left shortly after supper because Sheldon needed to drive back to Saskatoon yet (hour home, an hour to S'toon). I know he was rather bored, not even knowing some of the relatives there, but he hung in there and I appreciated that he went. It was a good day.

I heard from a friend today, one who I thought was gone. I'd met her on a message board about 3 years ago, at a time when my life was a mess. We had many things in common -- it was almost scary... lol. She had a very positive impact on me at that time, but she was very ill and didn't want to talk about it. Suddenly, she disappeared. PM's and emails were never answered, and I would periodically check with some others to see if they'd heard from her, but no one had. She just vanished. Knowing that she was very ill, we all hoped for the best... but feared the worst. I came to accept that she may have passed away.

I rarely log into those message boards anymore, but I had a notification this morning for a PM. It wasn't from her, but when I went to my inbox, lo and behold I had a PM from her as well!!! She'd sent it last week, but for some reason I never received a notification. I was totally stunned! I was also so happy to know that she was indeed alive, and well. :-) Her message was brief, so I'm awaiting her reply to my message to her -- which of course was not brief. Can't imagine that, can ya? :-P

I was going to post about something else that was bugging me, but I changed my mind. At least for today. I'll stick with the positive, and leave aside the negative. ;-)

Oh, one more thing... I'm excited for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". I have my copy pre-ordered on Amazon. Unfortunately since I live in a small town I won't get it delivered on Saturday, but it should arrive within a few days after. YES! :-D

Friday update

Ahhh, nice weather. It's supposed to be quite hot for the next week, but I'm not going to complain. ;-)

Work at the library is bang-your-head-against-the-wall slow. We have GOT to get this moving. I'm beyond frustrated with it.

My brother and sister-in-law are coming out from Vancouver this weekend. They'll be at my aunt & uncle's in Moose Jaw, and there's a family barbecue on Sunday. Rob & Vanessa went to Calgary this weekend, so they won't be there, but Sheldon and I will be going down. Should be good. It's supposed to be 35°C that day... toasty for us. I have to remember to take pictures. I'm so bad at that -- if I remember to take my camera, I get busy and forget about taking pictures... lol.

Sheldon was home last weekend. He seems to be enjoying his job, and is adjusting to that and living with a roommate and all that stuff.

I can't think of anything else... life is generally pretty quiet around here. Have a great weekend, everyone!

*~*~*~*~*
Currently playing: Hey There Delilah ~ Plain White T's

I went for lunch today...

... with Robbie and his girlfriend, Vanessa. They've been together for awhile, but I hadn't met her until now (she's from Nova Scotia, going to university in Saskatoon). He was in S'toon over the weekend, and they came down today and took me out for lunch, then they were heading to the lake for the day. She's very nice, easy to chat with, they seem to be very good together. :-)

On an unrelated note... I really want to go see Transformers, and then Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I need to get to Saskatoon one of these days soon!

So...

... my baby is on his own. He left for Saskatoon last night, to start his new job today. He's living with a friend for now, so he just took his clothes, etc. I was doing fine, until he drove away... *sigh* Still a little sad today. It doesn't matter that I've had 18 years to prepare for this, or that I'm very proud of him for the young man he's become and for being independent and responsible and for getting this job so quickly, or that he's not far away and will be home often, at least for awhile.... it's still hard to let go.

June update...

Has it been that long?! Wow....

Well, my computer died yesterday. I might be able to revive it... Josh thinks it might not be the hard drive (although that has been failing), but the operating system. We'll see if I can get it going again. In the meantime, I'm thankful that Robbie recently bought a computer, because at least I can use his some. Not the same, but better than nothing! Josh has been building me a new computer, but it'll be a little while before it gets here. I was hoping my old one would hold out until then, but she didn't make it.... lol.

Sheldon got a job at Sharp Auto Trim in Saskatoon and will be starting there on July 3rd. He's excited about moving and the job -- just getting out on his own. I'm not quite as ready, but it will be okay. At least he won't be too far away -- for now anyway. :-P

Speaking of far away, I last talked to Chantelle a couple of weeks ago, she was just about to start her new job working at a ski resort in New Zealand. I hope all is going well, she'll likely call again soon.

Hmmm... not much else happening around here. The "new" library building still isn't ready to move into -- it's taking forever. I'm not optimistic that we'll get in before fall. I took my last vacation around when we thought we'd be getting ready to move, and that never happened. Hopefully I won't be trying to work my next vacation around the move!

The next class in my library course starts in August. That should keep me busy for awhile. ;-)

We've had lousy June weather-wise, with it being cold and rainy much of the time. I am really ready for summer!!! My brother and sister-in-law are coming out in mid-July, and my aunt is having a family barbecue that weekend so we can all hang out together (in Moose Jaw). Should be good... my bro and sil don't get home very often, usually only every couple of years or so. I saw him twice last year, but that was because of my grandma's illness and then her funeral. Otherwise we don't see them often. So I'm looking forward to that weekend. *Pray for nice weather!*

That's about it for now...

*~*~*~*~*~*
Currently reading: Velvet Elvis ~ Rob Bell

Well, that was short-lived. It's the end of May, and it's 5°C, windy and rainy. It's getting just a tad bit depressing. :rolleyes:

You in the south with warm weather, send some our way, okay? :-P

Yay, the sun is shining! :-D

(Sometimes it's the little things in life, you know?)

So, I got my transcript today. The grade is just "Pass", nothing more. I wish I'd gotten an actual grade/mark, so that I'd know how well I did rather than just that I passed. Oh well, I guess I'll have to settle for that. :-P

It's cold, cloudy and kind of drizzly today (is that a word?). Not nice, especially since the RCMP Musical Ride is performing in town tonight. Hopefully the rain holds off, at least, or it could be quite miserable. I have a couple of tickets to the performance that someone was kind enough to give me. I need to find someone to go with me. Sheldon would have gone, but he's working. I'm going to call a friend and see if she'd like to come. :-)

*~*~*~*~*
Currently reading: The Pact ~ Jodi Picoult
Currently playing: Always ~ Newsboys (on Launchcast)

Since Susanna asked...

... Grad was good. ;-)

The weather that day was terrible -- very cold, very windy, some rain. Those poor girls in their gowns were freezing.

It was a time of mixed feelings for me, a weekend of reflection and varied emotions.

I didn't see Sheldon alot over the weekend, he spent much of it with his dad. We had pictures on Saturday afternoon, and later in the day the grad banquet and the ceremony. It all went very well, we had a good time at the banquet. My dad came down later in the afternoon and attended the banquet with us. He came back to the house to visit with me after the grad ceremony, while Sheldon and his girlfriend and invited guests went to the grad party (which is parent-supervised -- his dad took on that duty this time). He wasn't home again until Sunday afternoon.

It was kind of an odd time for me, and I missed not having Chantelle home, as well. But overall, Grad itself was good. :-)

I passed...

Yup, passed the exam. Which I honestly never questioned... lol. I want to know what my grade is though! As of 11:00 this morning, there was still nothing listed on my student account, so I sent an email to inquire about it, since it's been over a week since I wrote the exam. I got an email a little while later saying that the instructor had submitted a pass for me on May 11th, and it should be on my student account. So I checked. And *now* it's there, but it wasn't when I emailed her, because I checked beforehand! Oh well.... Apparently my transcript was supposed to have been mailed last week, too, but I haven't received it yet. All I know is that I passed, no grade. I wanna know how I did! LOL.

EDITED at 1:30 p.m.: Oh... and Maggie went into surgery about an hour and a half ago -- noon SK time -- for her shoulder (finally!).

No grade for my exam yet... hopefully soon.

My (ex)mother-in-law fell today -- simply tripped on the curb and went down -- and she broke her shoulder very badly. Sounds like possibly shoulder replacement surgery. She will not likely make it to Sheldon's graduation this weekend. I know she'll be disappointed. She just celebrated her 75th birthday, and has otherwise been in reasonable health. She spends a lot of time crocheting, so this will probably frustrate her that she can't do it. I hope she recovers quickly, and fully.

I've been busy housecleaning yesterday and today, in preparation for Sheldon's grad. Not that I'm expecting much company (most of our relatives are close by), but it needs to be done just in case. ;-) (If I wasn't so housework-challenged, it wouldn't be such a big job... lol.)

Exam today

I'm a little nervous, but I think it should be okay.

I'll let ya know how it goes. ;-)

EDIT: It went okay... aside from technical issues (it was done online, supervised at our community college) -- the browser froze completely and wouldn't let me submit!!! With only 10 minutes left before the cutoff, after which time it wouldn't be accepted, we had to call the tech. to find out if I was allowed to re-login to my account that I was working from. Fortunately I could, and I got it all submitted with mere minutes to spare.... lol. That was more stressful than the actual exam! :-P

Now I have to wait to find out how I did.

Arrggghhh.... computers!

I would be completely lost without a computer, I really would. (Sad, isn't it?) But some days computers drive me nuts.

I'm having issues with my network at the library. First one public computer not connecting to the Internet, then today a second one, and none of them connecting to the printers. Ack! Did a diagnostic test and found a problem, but I'm not sure if it's a software or hardware issue (I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to networking). Trying to get some help with it. Wouldn't you know it, our computer tech. person at HQ is away at back-to-back conferences until May 5th. She was already scheduled to come out here on May 7th, but I am seriously hoping that I can get something figured out before then!

If you've been reading my blog, you may remember that I decided to challenge the prerequisite course for the Library Training Certificate course. Well, it took forever to receive the textbook, which finally arrived a few days before I left for vacation. So once I got back, I called and registered, and have to write the exam within 30 days. I have that scheduled for May 8th. There is WAY more to learn than I expected, but I am plugging away at it. I found out yesterday that the group that is actually taking the course online -- they started at the end of February I think (at a cost of $500 vs. the $50 that I'm paying to challenge) is STILL taking the course -- it has been extended because there is so much material to cover -- and they have until May 14th to write their exam. Man! And I'm trying to learn it all on my own in a month! Oh well, that was my choice. Hopefully I'll do okay.

In other news....

Sheldon's graduation is May 19th. I was supposed to go to a library workshop for 2 days right before grad, but I decided not to go... I have too many things to get done at home.

Chantelle's in New Zealand, she's been there for about a month now. Her and a friend were in Perth, and debated about going back to Surfer's Paradise because it's easy to get work there, but they decided instead to go to New Zealand. They plan to be there for a few months. She's changed the date for her return flight to Canada, to mid-September. That'll be a year from when she left.

I don't have anything positive to report on the library move. We still can't find trades people to do the renovations that we need done. There are people around that can do the job, but they are all too busy. It's so frustrating. Until we get the renovations completed, we can't get the painting done or flooring installed. I guess we'll get there eventually!

It was raining (and cold!) earlier, but the sun is shining now. Much better. :-)

Doing okay

Thanks to those of you who have or are praying. Much appreciated.

I'm doing okay, better than I was. That first few days after I got home from Arizona were awful. I'm feeling stronger, though, and things are going alright. :-)

I Will Lift My Eyes

I love this song by Bebo Norman. I first heard it on Sylvia's myspace a few months ago. It was also posted on the SCCFANS board recently. It's one of those songs that really touches me, and I can listen to it over and over again. (I've always loved Jason Ingram's songs, so the combination of the two artists is wonderful.) If you haven't heard it yet, you can listen at Bebo's MySpace page: http://myspace.com/bebonorman

I Will Lift My Eyes
Written by Bebo Norman and Jason Ingram

God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs You now
God, be near, calm my fear
And take my doubt

Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can’t climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, my God, let Mercy sing
Her melody over me
God, right here all I bring
Is all of me

‘Cause You are and You were and You will be forever
The Lover I need to save me
‘Cause You fashioned the earth and You hold it together, God
So hold me now

© 2006 Appstreet Music (ASCAP) / New Spring (ASCAP). All rights for the world on behalf of Appstreet Music (ASCAP) administered by New Spring (ASCAP). / Peertunes, Ltd./GrangeHill Music/J Ingram (SESAC)