A bit of trivial information about me…

Mom. That’s the most important bit you need to know. I have two boys, one husband (who has time for more than one??) and a big goofy dog. I love reading, but the kids – mostly the baby – make that hard. I love language and the trapping of interesting words into my lexicon.

I have my English degree, but I am far from being a grammarian. I work at a university, but I am a peon and an office-slave. I am now officially accepted into graduate school. I plan to become a librarian, chiefly because I am curious and I love helping people with research.

For now, that is it about me.

**Update:

Started graduate school in August 2008.  Still work at the same university, only finally got a small promotion but the money isn’t quite there yet….

Small fry is walking and doing some talking.  Bigger small fry is in kindergarten.  Dad is back in school for the new year and kicking butt.

Life is crazy busy, but that’s just how it goes.  New office, new problems… And our house is still too small!

I’m sure I’ll think of something else, down the road, and will flesh this out a bit more.

**

September 13, 2008…  6:00am

Finally… here I am with a few minutes to spare and I thought I’d update this.  Everything else I’ve said is true, but I suppose, as with all things, it doesn’t give enough of a picture about me.  So this is the addition that explains a bit more about who I am and also perspective on why I write.

To begin (yet again), I wouldn’t change the beginning of what I wrote before, so that’s why I’m leaving it up and simply adding to it.  Being a mom defines almost everything about me.  The decisions I make are informed by the fact that my boys are the center of my world.  Then comes my family, with my husband, mother, and sister right there at that core.  My husband’s family and my extended family are next, and this is by no mean a concrete prioritization or anything like that.  It’s not a way of ranking who is more important in my world, it’s just the way I think about things and my loved ones when I’m faced with decisions…

And my extended family includes quite a few friends.  I have to say this because it’s all a part of my nature.  I’ve had people tell me I worry too much.  Well.  As Mama Bear might say, “That may be so,” but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s my nature.  If I’ve learned anything in these last couple of years, it’s don’t go against your essential nature.

Personality-wise, I’m analytical and that means sometimes I can’t let go of something until I’ve worked it thoroughly through my mind.  I believe that we all need to look after each other, so caring and warmth matter to me.  I believe that education is the key to the future, not just of individuals but society and our world population.  Along with that, I don’t believe that opinions should be forced on those around them… so in that vein, this is my blog… it’s nothing more than a place to express what I think and feel at any given time.  Sometimes it will bug people… sometimes they won’t get it, will think it’s trivial and a waste of time, but the understanding is this:  it’s my little piece of expression and it doesn’t reflect anyone else.

At the same time, I’m recounting my experience and perception, so keep that in mind when you read it.  Point of view is subjective.  It is colored by bias, experience, and global position…  The guy next to me likely (and often) will see it differently.

Ok, on to a more light and “fluffy” tone…  I am studying to be a librarian.  I got my English degree, writing emphasis, in 2004.  I wanted to be an educator, still do as a matter of fact, but was drawn to Early Childhood Education only to discover that somewhere along the way I had become old.  Hey.  I’m cool with that.  There’s nothing wrong with aging.  It just put a bit of a crink in my plans.

So anyway, I loved it, and what I gained as far as useable parental knowledge was fantastic.  But a sickly child took precedence and I ended up leaving the program.  Within 6 months I was fretting because I wanted to be back in school (this was 2005).  My dear husband made the comment then that I’d never be happy (and by extrapolation, neither would he) until I finished my graduate degree.

I began exploring options.  I considered an MBA because of my long years of experience in business and finance.  I even went so far as to submit my application and application fee to one program.  It just didn’t feel right.  I took career and personality assessments.  They supported the fact that it wasn’t a good fit for me with the interests I have, so I kept looking.

One of my top results on the career assessments was Speech Pathologist and I gathered all the information about the program that I could enroll in here, including emails back and forth with someone who came through the program.  The only downside to it was the amount of clinical time, something I just couldn’t do while working full-time.  It remains on my list of what I would dearly love to do if money weren’t an issue, but the fact remains that money IS an issue…

In 2006, I gave in to what I now term the “inevitable arc of my life.”  (Just being a teensy bit dramatic, but it works well for effect)  I began looking into Library and Information Science.  Librarian was one of those career choices that kept coming up high on my assessments.  Up until late 2005, early 2006, I didn’t even know what education was necessary to become a librarian.  As early as the mid-90’s, I’d developed an interest in being an information broker and fact checker, due in great deal to the fact that my curiosity knows very few boundaries.

Anyway, back to late 2005 and early 2006.  I was working in a university administrative office where I was (in part) responsible for filing transcripts for faculty.  One by one, I’d check out the coursework of each transcript, completely curious about what each area of study entailed.  Sometimes I was fascinated and sometimes I was absolutely NOT fascinated.  Then I hit the transcripts for a couple of the new academic librarians.  Wow!  These were cool classes.  When I looked back at the oldest transcripts for the librarians approaching retirement age, I was amazed at how much things had changed.

I still wasn’t convinced though.  I needed to know more from the inside.  I contacted a reference librarian at our library on campus and went over to talk to him.  That was the first of many long and interesting discussions with him.  It progressed to my doing some volunteer work at a local library, at least until I became pregnant with second cute son.  I interviewed the dean of the library on our campus…  I read articles about where the field was headed. I was fortunate to find a mentor who had come through the very same program I’m now enrolled in…

Every person I talked to expressed the same love of the field.

I realized, even in my methods of information seeking, this was the place for me.  I could see entering this career and loving it for the rest of my life.

And now, here I am, an MLIS student… working full-time and taking on a part-time job in a library so I can combine experience AND education.

That’s a good lead into my next bit… I love to write.  I love to talk to folks.  I love learning.  I’m also a bit nuts, which is sometimes good and often-times not so good.  I’m bossy.  I’m emotional, but it’s combined with a deep passion for logic.  (go figure on that one… if there was ever any doubt that the fates have a freakish sense of humor, that should put it to rest)

I have a temper.  It’s a bad thing.  I’ve learned more about how to deal with it, but some days I don’t do a great job.

I have a strong sense of justice and I sincerely hope that karma does tend to balance out over time.

I ramble.  (NO!)

I wish life were more simple than it is and I suspect it IS more simple than I perceive.

I have a strong sense of intuition and when I don’t pay attention to it, I PAY.

I love my glasses.  They are black, cat-eye shaped, with a small white rhinestone in each corner.  I collect skull t-shirts and really love it when I find them in funky colors.  I like the contrast between lively color and the skull, yet another example of my perverse sense of humor.

Well now… the baby is up and needs my attention.  I’ve already managed to get in a cuddle with him, while he was enjoying his morning bottle and baggie of cheerios.

If that isn’t a good way to start off a day, I don’t know what is.

More to follow, another day…

****

November 26, 2008

Not much time.  I’m in super-mommy mode.  Cleaning, unpacking, and then cake baking.  Left the LIS program to return to Early Childhood Education – variety of reasons, including money, kids, and the feeling that something was not right.  Long story, been blogging on it.  Very peaceful about it.  Still want to write and be published.  Some day will get off butt and do it.

More to say but the garage needs me and I am a woman on a mission.  Sorry this is so long, but I’m a bit verbose.

Oh!  And my husband makes the best cinnamon rolls on the planet… yum!  And his pizza rocks too.

signing off – crazy mom