tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79510202024-03-08T10:59:50.076-05:00Larocque and RollMy mind has wandered - have you seen it?Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comBlogger486125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1160792052650808632006-10-13T22:11:00.000-04:002006-12-16T13:35:50.840-05:00Moving II: Electric Move-a-looIt's not enough that I moved to a new city and learn a new address. Nooooo. Now I'm moving my blog and learning another new address, and making you learn it, too. I'm sort of mean that way. Anyways, go here to find me.<br /><br /><a href="http://larocqueandroll.com">http://larocqueandroll.com</a>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1160708037071803332006-10-12T22:49:00.000-04:002006-10-12T22:53:57.106-04:00So, what's the weather like outside?Oh, it's been snowing a little.<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlarocque/268162825/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/110/268162825_47c38afc88_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="So, what's the weather like where you are?" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlarocque/268230551/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/101/268230551_7b788545c2_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Three hours later..." /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlarocque/268230552/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/120/268230552_438e1a7e1f_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="What did I do with my scraper?" /></a><br /></center><br /><br />My neighbour just turned on his Christmas lights. I though to myself, "Awww, I should do that.... WAIT! It's not even Halloween yet! Sheesh!"<br /><br />And Alice Cooper is playing at the arena about five bloocks from here. I'm not suggesting these events are somehow related. But it is awfully coincidental.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1160426392713808962006-10-09T16:30:00.000-04:002006-10-09T16:39:52.753-04:00Doing something or doing something elseSo far today, I've accomplished quite a bit, but not really what I wanted to do. I've made muffins, cleaned the kitchen, watched a movie ("<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079472/">The Magnificent Butcher</a>"), written 8 reviews <a href="http://bookswhichihaveread.blogspot.com/">over there</a>, and had lunch. Part of me wants to continue playing around online because I'm sort of in a groove, and I don't like interrupting it to go do something else.<br /><br />The something else is watching the five videos I borrowed from the library and are now overdue. It's likely that I'll be getting an overdue notice for them sometime this week, which seems silly in light of the fact the librarian who does the overdues could just come downstairs and kick me in the shins until I promised to bring the movies back. Plus, I'm so closed to being finished <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlarocque/265323544/">this mitten</a> it seems ridiculous not to finish it this afternoon so I can move onto something else.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1160412148986329732006-10-09T12:28:00.000-04:002006-10-09T12:42:29.010-04:00So sorry for the lack of posts lately. Usually when I get home for work, I have three brain cells left - one for hunger, one for watching TV, and one for napping. Sometimes they gang up on each other and beat the other into submission, so I don't have much brain power left over. The job is amazing, and I'm still loving it, but it's still taking all of my mental energy during the day.<br /><br />And also, for the first time in almost three years, I have a cold. It sucks. All the natural immunity I built up working in a public library over the years has obviously worn off, so now I have to build it back up again.<br /><br />Thanksgiving was a pretty subdued affair, as my parents came up for the night. Instead of a turkey, we had a nice little chicken and some pumpkin cheesecake. Yum!<br /><br />Other than that, it's been pretty quiet here.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1158980094891502622006-09-22T22:16:00.000-04:002006-09-22T22:55:02.610-04:00Customer service conundrumToday I faced one of those customer service dilemmas which I really hate - do I help someone find a book that isn't where it's supposed to be, even though it's one minute to closing, or do I gently remind him the library is closing in one minute, and could he come back in the morning and we'd find it for him?<br /><br />On one hand, going the extra mile for the patron* always makes us look good, and if the patron really needs the item, gives them a feeling of gratitude towards us. They might tell the next person they speak to, be it a family member, friend or classmate, how great it was that the librarian found that book on birding which the catalogue said was in but wasn't where it should be.<br /><br />The other day I helped an elderly woman track down an issue of the French version of Reader's Digest she was looking for because there was an article she wanted for her daughter, despite the fact I was on my way to the server room to fix a problem that was occurring in the system. When we discovered it had been checked out, I took her to the circulation desk, explained to the librarian who was there what we needed (to put a PIN on her card, and then reserve the issue), and then continued on to fix the problem. The woman told the librarians at the desk how helpful I'd been, and was grateful for all our assistance. That's what we do - we help people, and we love doing it, damnit!<br /><br />But on the other hand, we're only human. I wasn't feeling the greatest - there's a cold/flu going around the staff, and it isn't even officially flu season yet. We were short staffed today, so I'd spent a lot of time helping out at the circ desk and not getting paperwork done. I work tomorrow, I'll be the only manager in, and there's serious potential for all three departments to be short staffed. Plus, there's a glitch in the system that's preventing me from uploading MARC records for a bunch of new materials, but I don't know where or how to solve it. Long story short, I was a little stressed, tired, distracted, and just wanted to shoo him out.**<br /><br />In the end, I had to go with the shooing, but I did promise to have a look for it in the morning, and explained how he could go online and reserve the material so that when it did turn up, we'd give him a call. What would you have done?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*That's a weird term for me - patron. As in, a library patron, or someone who patronizes a library. In library school, there were many discussions about what you call someone who goes to the library: a patron or a user?<br /><br />For the last few years, I've used the term "library user" to describe someone who comes to the library, checks out material, and participates in programming. Because that's what they do - they use the library. A patron is someone who generally <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patron">supports or favours something</a>, like an arts program or even a library, but it doesn't mean they necessarily </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >use</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> the library.<br /><br />It doesn't mean that "library users" aren't also patrons of the library, and "patrons of the library" can also be library users, it's just that, to me, they have different connotations. Library user sounds like a more neutral term than patron (which sounds a bit snooty in my head), but to some, library user sounds cold and statistical and patron is a friendlier term. However, since everyone at my new library uses the term "patron" to describe the people who are in the building and aren't staff, I've also started using the term.<br /><br />**Add to that the fact I'd had to run around looking for him - twice - because he'd left stuff in my department, and then seemed to have very little idea what it was he was looking for. </span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1158710762795038602006-09-19T19:59:00.000-04:002006-09-22T23:09:52.626-04:00It's Saaaaarsgaaaaaarrrrrd!Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day!<br /><br />You need to watch this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWnxsVcNL2w" target="new">video of a pirate's convention</a>.<br /><br />ARRRRRRRR!<br /><br />(<span style="font-weight: bold;">Edited to add</span>: D'oh! Thanks for the catch, John! No wonder I had such a hard time finding it! And the Sarsgaard SARS-guard skit was hilarious.)Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1158618547039220382006-09-18T18:08:00.000-04:002006-09-18T18:29:07.063-04:00I wish The Cranberries would shut up alreadyI did a stupid thing yesterday, despite taking every possible precaution to prevent what happened last night from happening.<br /><br />I watched a scary movie, <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289043/">28 Days Later</a></span>. It was the middle of the day, the sun was shining, and I had all the blinds and windows open. I could see the kids playing across the street, riding their bikes around, and laughing and having fun. I planned to watch other non-scary movies after it to lessen the impact, but to no avail.<br /><br />The movie was good. It was really good - I'd consider watching it again sometime. The most graphic thing about it was when the Infected* vomited blood (note to my mother and sisters: don't watch this movie. One word: ew.) Other than that, I was okay with the ending, and liked the alternate endings, especially the radical alternative ending.<br /><br />The problem began around 11, when I started getting ready for bed. There was thunder and lightening, and when that passed, it was very quiet in the neighbourhood. I'm not used to that kind of silence; in my apartment, I was on a busy four-lane road, near an ambulance and fire dispatch centre, and above a bar, so there was always a lot of noise, even early in the morning. Here, in a residential area, it's oh so quiet - too quiet. I lay there with my eyes wide opening, knowing that it was just a stupid movie, but unable to shake the fear that someone was going to come bursting through the bedroom door. Nightmares would have been a relief because it would have meant I slept.<br /><br />I did drop off eventually, and snapped awake a couple of times. Around 4am, crazy singing dude with headphones** wandered by, and it was oddly reassuring. If CSDWH can wander around the city unassaulted by violently ill people intent on killing, then surely all must be well.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">* They weren't really zombies, were they? More like plague victims.<br />** Crazy singing dude with headphones is this youngish guy who wanders around wearing these huge headphones, carrying a discman, and singing along at the top of his lungs, usually off key. I think he's harmless - he doesn't seem to be headed anywhere specific, but he always looks like he's headed somewhere with a purpose. </span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1158460531050830832006-09-16T22:13:00.000-04:002006-09-16T22:35:31.830-04:00Friday night it was Tim Horton's and "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart"But I didn't dork out that hard because there were two really hot guys there, and heaven and hell forbid I act like myself (or someone weirder) in the presence of hotness. So there.<br /><br />Anyhoo...<br /><br />Unpacking has progressed nicely, but it's come to a scretching halt because I can't find the pegs to hold the shelves in one of my bookcases. I know I packed them, and I've found the pegs for all the other bookcases except that one. I've also found all the stuff around where I am certain I last saw them. The good news is that <span style="font-weight: bold;">they are here somewhere</span>. When I went back to clean the place, I didn't see them, and I looked in every cupboard and drawer and on every shelf before I left, so the only possible explanation is that they are already in this house.<br /><br />The bad news is that <span style="font-weight: bold;">they are here somewhere</span>. Since I've already found the stuff that was around them and similar to them, and have looked in the all the possible containers that I might have put them in, but haven't turned them up yet, I'm running out of possible places they could be. It's one of those things where if I spend too much time thinking about it, it will drive me bananas, get frustrated, and accomplish nothing. If I stop thinking about where they might be, it's possible they'll turn up. Eventually.<br /><br />My grandparents are here. Yay!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1158294069142220042006-09-15T00:05:00.000-04:002006-09-15T00:21:09.166-04:00Yes, that was me dorking out to "Afternoon Delight" in Canadian Tire tonight*So tired. But in a good way. Loving the job, even though there's so much to catch up on.<br /><br />Really, I should have been cleaning and unpacking tonight because my grandparents are coming to visit on the weekend. Instead, I posted <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlarocque/sets/72157594284650861/">pictures</a> of the interior of my house (my house!) and played around with Vox (meet my alter ego, <a href="http://rlarocque.vox.com/">Girl Tuesday</a>). But they're not coming to see the mess - they're coming to see me!**<br /><br />(Incidentally, the pictures were taken the morning my stuff arrived, before the movers got here. That's why there's a lack of furniture.)<br /><br />And happy belated birthday to <a href="http://touchyoulast.blogspot.com/">Dave</a>. When the doctors said you'd never make it to 31, they were wrong - it's the thirst for revenge, not the iron lung, that's keeping you alive.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">* The snappy title is to make up for a decidedly unsnappy post. But it's true - I did dork out when I heard it.<br />** The mess is just a happy bonus.</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1157037600898926042006-08-31T10:58:00.000-04:002006-08-31T11:20:00.926-04:00All the leaves are brownOne last thing... I cleaned up the balcony yesterday, which means I had to disassemble my little garden. The outcome:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Winners</span><br /><br />Newton Pulsifier the 6th - the little ivy that double its size over the course of the summer. His tendrils are long, and there are a few more.<br /><br />Spyder - the spider plant is growing a spider, or one of those shoots with a bunch of leaves on it. He's much healthier than when I bought him at the market.<br /><br />The Lavender Ladies - they've bloomed once, and they're starting to go through a second growth spurt.<br /><br />The Roses - I am beyond shocked that I didn't kill them. Not only are they not dead, right now they're going through a third flowering cycle (there were flowers and buds when I got the plant, which died off a few weeks later; two weeks later there were new buds, two weeks of flowers, then two weeks dormant. Now there are buds again.) I'm bringing this plant with me on the weekend, only because I don't want to miss the flowers again.<br /><br />The Jade plant - Once I took it inside because it was starting to look sunburned outside, it popped out a whole bunch of buds. It's doing quite well.<br /><br />The Orchid Cactus - Last count, there were six little stubby nubs on the ends of the "branches" (what do you call those on cacti?)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Losers</span><br /><br />The Herb Tarleks - Sadly, none of them made it. The basil never did as well as it had the previous year, nor did the mint. The sage never really took off, and the rosemary always looked pissed. When I got back from my last road trip, which was only a few days, they'd all given up the ghost, despite having been watered before I left. Alas.<br /><br />The Kramers - Also sadly, the cosmos never really took off. They flourished briefly, threw out a few flowers, and then withered and died. I like to blame it on the fact they flourished during the Inco shutdown, when they do repairs on the smokestack (which I can clearly see from my balcony), and died when they started up again, pumping soot and dust into the atmosphere again.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Also-Rans</span><br /><br />The Chives - Still kicking. Nothing really new there.<br /><br />The Aloe - One branch fell off - I was moving it, and it got knocked askew. It didn't fall off right away, but it started turning brown, so out it went. Other than that, it's doing fairly well.<br /><br />The Portulaca Twins - Lovely. They pumped out flowers all summer, mostly scarlet ones, but occasionally orange, fucia or pink. However, it was starting to look like a tanned-and-leathery old woman who wears velour jumpsuits, gaudy jewelry and too much makeup: once they were beautiful, but now they're compensating for something. In this case, it was the colourless leaves and wilting. So even though I ended up throwing them out, I'm happy they did so well over the duration of the summer.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1157000391164629702006-08-31T00:42:00.000-04:002006-08-31T00:59:51.186-04:00House proudI got a call at 10:30 this morning saying everything had gone through, and the house is now officially mine.<br /><br />I'm excited. I'm scared. I'm so looking forward to this.<br /><br />On Tuesday, the realtor and I did a last walk-through of the house. The family who lived there had already moved out, and had left me the sweetest note (we both "awww!'d" over it). Saturday I head down with my trusty sidekick, Karen T., and a week's worth of stuff. We'll clean, we'll put down contact paper on the cupboard shelves and drawers, and maybe we'll paint (or at least get the paint, and I'll paint during the week).<br /><br />All the utilities have been switched over, so there will be lights and water. The phone won't work until Tuesday, so I'll be relying on my cell phone for a few days.<br /><br />Packing is almost finished. There's little things that need to be done which probably won't get done until the movers show up, but I can live with that. What will be tough to live with is what I'm going to do with myself when the cable is shut off here (tomorrow, hopefully). No television (even though there's nothing on worth watching - I just like knowing Food TV and Space are there if I'm bored) and, worst of all, NO INTERNETS!!! Whatever shall I do with myself? Read, I suppose.<br /><br />Tomorrow, a little bit of running around, some laundry, and packing the rest of the obvious stuff.<br /><br />**<br /><br />Last night while out for a walk, I was stopped by an elderly gentlemen who wanted to know if I knew of any plumbers in the neighbourhood. Ah, long gone are those days of yore when you could wander the streets looking for skilled tradespeople and reasonably expect to find one by approaching random strangers and making an inquiry.<br /><br />**<br /><br />I'll be back sometime next week, y'all. Have a good long weekend!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1156624215058125752006-08-26T16:09:00.000-04:002006-08-26T16:30:15.673-04:00Boxed inAnd so the packing continues. I'm at the point where I think I've packed things I need because I can't find them, so it's the only explanation I will accept. I'm also looking for things I know I have but I can't find them, but I don't remember packing them. Like my string of paper butterflies from Peir 1 - certainly not a big ticket item, but they were pretty and added colour to a room. Also, the postcards I promised <a href="http://canknitian.blogspot.com/">J.</a> - one minute they were on the fridge, the next, BAM! Gone!<br /><br />There are also piles of things that haven't been packed yet because everything they should have been packed with have already been packed. For instance, there's a collection of knick-nacks on the table behind my laptop, some breakable, some not, which need boxing up soon. The big problems is that all the boxes I have at the moment are huge, so they'll have to wait until I find smaller boxes.<br /><br />Also to be done - sorting through the accumulated papers and correspondence from the last two and some years. I have a shiny new shredder to help get rid of the sensitive stuff, and folders to file the rest of it. I need to spend a day on stuff like that, and tomorrow's looking wide open.<br /><br />The part of this whole production which is driving me batty is the piles of stuff that are everywhere, from on my bed to all over the kitchen, by the front door, and several spots around the living room/dining room. I want to pick them up, but they need to be packed just not right away, so there's not much point putting them away if I'm just going to take them out again shortly, is there? (Did that make any sense?)<br /><br />What I'd like is for someone to come over and help me figure out what's left to do, and then spend an hour or two helping me do it. Mostly, it's packing up the rest of the stuff in the kitchen that isn't food, the bedroom, the bathroom (which is tiny and won't take more than 20 minutes*), and the books - which, yes John, I am packing, but not until the end!<br /><br />For now, the biggest decision I want to make is when I'm going to boil the corn I got at the market for dinner, and whether to make peach crisp with the peaches I also got, or to eat the peach pie I brought back. It's a race too close to call at the moment...<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">* Famous last words.</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1156479374630836072006-08-24T23:07:00.000-04:002006-08-25T00:16:14.656-04:00Madonna says, "Holiday!"Ahhhh....<br /><br />This weekend was spent visiting Owen Sound and at my parents, and it was very re-energizing. Friday I went to Owen Sound to see Rachelle's boyfriend play at <a href="http://www.summerfolk.org/">Summerfolk</a>. It was a spectacular concert in a neat outdoor venue - the amphitheater was made of rock and grass, and you could either sit on the rock or set up your lawn chairs and sit on the grass levels. The four of us (me, sister, sister's boyfriend's mother, and friend-to-all) walked to the concert with our chairs and jackets and, in our case - knitting. Of course, we made the requisite stop for junk food before carrying on, and arriving just as Joel and friends got on stage.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlarocque/224138850/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/72/224138850_dafb8bfdbb_m.jpg" alt="Hungry Life" height="180" width="240" /></a></center><br /><br />During the show, Rachelle and I managed to get quite a bit of knitting done, although it started getting too dark shortly after 8:30 to see much.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlarocque/224136543/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/62/224136543_d0a4d3fc82_m.jpg" alt="Killing two birds..." height="182" width="240" /></a></center><br /><br />(Me with my wrist warmer and Rachelle with her hat.)<br /><br />All the performers were amazing - I'd be hard pressed to say who my favourite was, but I have a soft spot for <a href="http://www.jorynash.com/">Jory Nash's</a> "Spaz Loves Weezie." The <a href="http://www.paquinentertainment.com/roster_details.asp?Validate=0&ID=143&page=Bio">African Guitar Summit</a>, who were that evening's headliner, were outstanding.<br /><br />Sadly, I had to miss the rest of the weekend concert. Saturday I headed home for the going away party of a cousin who's heading to university in the fall. It was fun hanging out with the family again, and I finally found out where the scar in my left eyebrow came from - it's not very big, but I didn't know how it got there.(I tripped and hit my head on the corner of a chair at my aunt and uncle's house when I was just wee.)<br /><br />The rest of the weekend until Wednesday was spent hanging out at my parents, reading books, knitting, watching movies with my mother, playing with the cats, and baking. Or at least, helping to bake by staying out of the way or cleaning up afterwards. I came back to Sudbury with a load of stuff, including chicken cacciatore, bread, cookies, dried peaches, cherry tomatoes from the neighbour's garden, and a peach pie.<br /><br />(See how I'm making all those lists up there? It's because I refuse to make a list of all the things I need to do before next weekend in case I forget to put something on the list, and therefore forget to do it at all. So I'm making lists of other things. Everything is sort of floating around my head, but I know it's there and I'm not too worried about forgetting anything. Really, I should make a schedule of what still needs to be done and when - it's not really a list, more like an outline.)<br /><br />Coming back to Sudbury was hard, not only because I didn't want to go back and face the rest of the paperwork and the stack of dirty dishes, but also because it's going to be a while before I get home again, and it was also probably the last time I'll be heading home down the 69. Plenty of pit stops were made at such exotic locations as the McDonald's rest stop in Barrie (to finish <span style="font-style: italic;">I Am Not Myself These Days</span> and use the washroom), the Sobey's in Parry Sound (to get something to eat), and the <a href="http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/mnr/csb/news/2006/aug11nr_06.html">new visitor's information centre</a> in French River (it's seriously cool - you should stop there sometime!)<br /><br />Days until I get the new house: 6, 5 by morning.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1155869815578579152006-08-17T22:10:00.000-04:002006-08-17T23:31:09.986-04:00Done!Today was my last official day at my <a href="http://www.olsn.ca/">most recent place of work</a>.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlarocque/216524630/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/74/216524630_877fdd388b_m.jpg" alt="What was left of the farewell cake" height="180" width="240" /></a></center><br /><br />However, as I had taken the last two days off as vacation, and I didn't really need to go in for anything on Monday and Tuesday, I've actually been off since last Friday. So, between now and the first week of September, I'm footloose, fancy-free, and at loose ends.<br /><br />Monday I started re-watching <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Firefly</span></a>, including commentary where applicable, and finished it up Tuesday. The intention was to watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379786/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity</span></a> some night this week, but that hasn't happened, so I'll leave that for next week. I've also done some running around, including a trip to my <a href="http://www.city.north-bay.on.ca/library/nbplinfo.htm">new place of work</a> for training session. Tomorrow I leave for another trip, but there's no rush to be back by a certain time.<br /><br />The rest of my time has been spent preoccupied with packing. I've deluded myself into thinking I'm well on my way, but if I spend too much time thinking about what needs to be packed versus the number of boxes I have at my disposal (at present), it's a little overwhelming. All I know is that the books will be the last thing packed in order to save the boxes (although I need to make a list of what still needs to be packed). I may be okay with what I have, but it doesn't stop me from fretting about it.<br /><br />Speaking of books, I've been doing a take-no-prisoners weeding of the collection. I cheated a little on the "no packing books" rule so I could disassemble the bookcase the paperbacks are on*, and put a whole bunch of books in the pile to give away**. It will also give me a chance to start fresh with trying to keep track of what I have in my collection.<br /><br />Other news:<br /><br />I finished knitting a pair of mittens I started in April. The problem was that I kept casting on the wrong number of stitches for the second mitten, then got frustrated and walked away for a while. It took a little over a day to finish it once I cast on the correct number of stitches. There's enough yarn to make a scarf and maybe a hat. I've also started another pair of wrist warmers, and would start socks if I had the right number of needles (most patterns call for five needles, and I only have four in any given size. Which makes me wonder - I used five needles for the Sockapalooza socks. <span style="font-style: italic;">Where did the fifth needle come from, and where did it go?</span>)<br /><br />The sidebar is horribly out of date, and the template needs updating. My hope is to do something with the template next week, but I see that Blogger is <a href="http://buzz.blogger.com/2006/08/blogger-in-beta.html">making</a> some <a href="http://buzz.blogger.com/2006/08/beta-update.html">changes</a>, which would make things like updating the template and adding labels, easier. Woo!<br /><br />I still haven't unpacked from my last road trip, which had its shares of highs and lows. I guess I should do that, shouldn't I?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*Except I couldn't find the allen key to unscrew the screws, and the other five I have are all too big or too small. Damn you <a href="http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_CA/">Ikea</a> for not sticking to a standard screw size!<br /><br />**They're in a green collapsible crate, which people dig through when they come over. It's a win-win situation: I get rid of books I don't want/need anymore without having to take them anywhere, and my friends get new reading material they can pass on to someone else when they're finished with it. </span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1155265692502599712006-08-10T22:54:00.000-04:002006-08-10T23:08:12.526-04:00Important reminder for NovemberOkay, this year you can't accuse me of not bringing this to your attention sooner!<br /><br />Don't forget: <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a> starts in... two and a half months! Now would be a good time to start hashing out a plot, getting your characters together, or (in my case) editing last year's story if you're just going to continue on with what you wrote last time.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1155264864029623472006-08-10T22:34:00.000-04:002006-08-10T22:54:24.053-04:00CarsOver the past two years and many, many road trips, I've been lucky enough to drive several different rental cars. Lucky because it's sort of like being able to take the car on an extended test drive. Sure, a trip around the block is fun, but it doesn't really tell you a lot about fuel consumption, or uphill acceleration, or how conveniently located all the knobs and switches are.<br /><br />So far, the worst car I've driven has been the Pontiac Grand Am. Twice, I've had this kind of car, and both times I've found the seats to be uncomfortable and the dashboards confusing. I can't remember if this was a problem the first time I drove one, but the last time I drove a Grand Am (on the trip to <a href="http://larocqueandroll.blogspot.com/2006/07/manitoulin-dreaming.html">Manitoulin</a>), there was no cruise control (which sucks). Also, the cupholders were poorly placed, the steering wheel didn't tilt back far enough, and acceleration was sluggish.<br /><br />I liked the Nissan Altimas - good design, roomy, generally nice rides. The first time I drove one, way back on my very first road trip, I ended up parked beside an Altima which was identically to the one I was driving, except for the license plate, at a hotel. I walked out the next morning and had no clue which one was mine.<br /><br />This trip, I have a Seabring, which I'm loving; while I doubt I'd own one myself, this one is lovely. Lots of room, clean dashboard, and superior acceleration, even on hills. The sound system is nice, too.<br /><br />(Which brings me to one of my favourite/most annoying features - the automatic volume adjust. This is the feature where the volume of the radio adjusts to how fast you're driving. If you're driving down a city street, it's normal, and if you're driving down the highway it gets louder to compensate for the sound of the wind and engine. I loved this feature, and have only had it on one or two cars; however, I sometimes find it annoying because you keep having to adjust the volume manually if there's heavy traffic and it's stop-and-go.)*<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />* Oh lord, this just won the "most boring post ever" contest on my blog. Clearly, I need to write about something else. Give me a sec...</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1155094547855455002006-08-08T23:21:00.000-04:002006-08-08T23:35:47.976-04:00The party is this SundayFor whatever reason, I thought today was the two-year birthday of this blog. It's not - it's on... Sunday? The 13th, at any rate. Start thinking about what dish you'll bring to the party - it's a pot luck and BYOB. I'm making waffles and chocolate haystacks, and I have a couple of bottles of wine, some champagne, and several bottles of <a href="http://www.sleeman.com/en/html/beer/sl_brands/honey/index.htm">Sleeman's Honey Brown Lager</a>.<br /><br />In other slightly boring weekend news, the weekend was terrif. The best moment was watching a hummingbird chase a swallow around the yard. I love watching the hummingbirds - sure, they're pretty and delicate and little, but man oh man do they ever have a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_complex">Napoleon complex</a>. As soon as they catch sight of another hummingbird at the trumpet vine or any other plant in a 100 metre radius, bam! It's ON! So cute!<br /><br />Anyways, tomorrow is my last road trip. I'll be gone until Friday, so behave. And also congrats to <a href="http://thesiswriting.blogspot.com/2006/08/phdizzle.html">Doctor Beth</a>, who is probably out celebrating her brand spanking new Ph.D. in Human Nutrition. I suspect she's out conducting her ongoing ARM research right about now* - she's a real go-getter, that one.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">* <a href="http://touchyoulast.blogspot.com/2006/04/i-am-mayor-of-gastown.html">Alcohol-related meningitis.</a></span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1154570155685676122006-08-02T21:44:00.000-04:002006-08-02T21:55:55.806-04:00Brain gooMy brain has turned into goo and has run out my ears. In addition to finishing up projects at work, trying to read the handbook for new job, mentally prepping for not one, not two, but three road trips in the next two weeks, I'm also trying to make sure all the i's are crossed and t's are dotted on the paperwork necessary for me to become a homeowner. <br /><br />That's right. Home. Owner. Savour it - take a sip, taste it, roll it around your mouth and then spit it into the discreet spit bucket because, like fine wine at a tasting, you don't swallow it. You just sample it and move on to the next glass of overpriced, fermented grape juice.<br /><br />(Oh, have I mentioned it's hot? And humid? So everyone - sing it with me: "It's not the heat, it's the humidity." Very good. You in the back over there - yes, you - were a little flat, but it just added to the overall harmony. Nice!)<br /><br />So, because apparently the weird is not just confined to me and mine, I give you... <a href="http://www.pamie.com/archives/dan/americas_next_t_1.html">kittens</a>!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1153968846237972612006-07-26T22:26:00.000-04:002006-07-26T22:54:07.186-04:00Manitoulin dreamingJust got back from the penultimate road trip, but alas - no pictures. No photograph could have done justice to the wonderland that is Manitoulin Island. There's a reason the Natives believed Manitou resided there - it is gorgeous. There wasn't a single unlovely vista or place to be found, and believe me, I drove the width and breadth of that place, and I didn't find it. Every house had a lovely garden out front, every lawn was neatly kept and every property looked well-tended. I was charmed by just about everything - the rolling hills? Charmed. The brown cows? Charming. The grass growing out of the cracks in the roads? Charmed. The kid who tossed his empty pop bottle into the street? Well, him I wanted to beat the snot out of, but the rest of the town was positively adorable.<br /><br />Monday I was in <a href="http://www.manitoulin.com/gorebay/">Gore Bay</a>, and had lunch at a pretty neat cafe. That evening, I caught a play with the owner of the B&B I stayed at (charming!). Tuesday I visited <a href="http://www.manitoulin-island.com/communities/kagawong.html">Kagawong</a>, also called Billings - the library is tiny, but surrounded by trees and overlooks the bay. And there's a fabulous chocolate shop, as if you needed another reason to visit. Then I went to <a href="http://www.manitoulin-island.com/communities/mindemoya.html">Mindemoya</a> (so much fun to say!) also called Central Manitoulin, <a href="http://www.manitoulin-island.com/manitowaning/">Manitowaning</a>* which is also called Assiginack, and <a href="http://www.manitoulin-island.com/tehkummah/index.html">Tehkummah</a> which is still Tehkummah, no matter who you ask. Today it rained, but it didn't make <a href="http://www.manitoulin-island.com/little_current/index.html">Little Current</a> (aka Northeastern Manitoulin) any less charming.<br /><br />And so I arrived home to deal with rental cars, unpacking to repack for the weekend, realtors, a lack of groceries, and sticky humidity. Ugh.<br /><br />(I should also add I was amazingly productive and got six book reviews done. <a href="http://bookswhichihaveread.blogspot.com/2006/07/giles-fiona-ed-chick-for-day.html">Now</a> <a href="http://bookswhichihaveread.blogspot.com/2006/07/cruise-jennifer-faking-it.html">they're</a> <a href="http://bookswhichihaveread.blogspot.com/2006/07/anderson-dargatz-gail-rhinestone.html">posted</a>, <a href="http://bookswhichihaveread.blogspot.com/2006/07/galloway-gregory-as-simple-as-snow.html">so</a> <a href="http://bookswhichihaveread.blogspot.com/2006/07/savage-dan-kid-what-happened-after-my.html">go</a> <a href="http://bookswhichihaveread.blogspot.com/2006/07/pollack-neal-never-mind-pollacks.html">read</a>! Only twelve to go before I'm caught up!)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*I kept wanting to call it Manitouwadge, which is somewhere north of Marathon. Which is to say, absolutely nowhere near Manitoulin Island.</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1153543878169717242006-07-23T00:44:00.000-04:002006-07-23T01:12:18.383-04:00You guys are awesome!Thank you so much to everyone for your congratulations and best wishes! It was much appreciated and gave me a little happy boost this week, which has been largely good anyways. I'll try and keep you updated about what's going on, but I don't want to become one of those people who blogs endlessly about one thing, like cute cat tricks <strike>of</strike> or George Bush.<br /><br />(<span style="font-style: italic;">Edited to add: hey, who's to say that Bush doesn't know any cute cat tricks?)</span><br /><br />(And for Doris, North Bay is about 130km east of Sudbury, where I am now. Both cities are roughly 400km north of Toronto, and 350-400km west of Ottawa.)<br /><br />Okay, one of the drunken idiots at the bar downstairs is blaring Vegas-era Elvis. That's one thing I think I'm not going to miss once I move, but I'll probably end up missing anyways.<br /><br />So, I've finally got the pictures from everything edited and posted, and will be writing about them shortly. I know you've all been waiting with baited breath to hear about the whirlwind weekend following my successful job interview, and now you have to wait no longer! (Wait - does that sentence make sense?)Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1153629406263646462006-07-22T23:56:00.000-04:002006-07-23T00:48:38.246-04:00One Rebecca leaves town, another Rebecca comes to town(Subtitled: <span style="font-style: italic;">Things didn't start getting weird until after the breakdancing</span>)<br /><br />The very same day I found out I got the North Bay job, Steve's friend Bex (short for Rebecca) found out she got a job in Sudbury, which meant the weekend was spent lurching from one celebration to another.<br /><br />Friday night, the three of us plus Karen went to The Laughing Buddah, where we laughed and talked and toasted for quite some time. It was a lovely evening, and no one got too cold.<br /><br />Saturday morning I ran some errands, and while doing so, I got a call to meet the group at the lake to go swimming. Ran home, shaved my legs, and ran down to the lake. There's a great public beach on the Laurentian University grounds which (apparently) no one knows about because if they did, the place would be swamped. The water is nice, the sand is great, and the beach is huge. We sat around for a while, but I can only take so much unplanned and unfocused sitting around (which is why I knit - I can't watch TV without doing something with my hands). It was decided that, rather than scatter to the four winds for supper before going home to get ready for the concert that night, we'd go to Steve's for supper. While waiting for the lasagna to cook, euchre was played - and my reputation as a somewhat competitive player came back to haunt me.<br /><br />(See, Karen, Steve, Jeff and I had played a few hands while we were at the conference in Thunder Bay. I think I was a little too verbose about winning both games we played. Oops.)<br /><br />After a lovely dinner, I went back to my place for a nap and a shower. Around 10, which is normally getting close to bedtime for me*. The opening band, <a href="http://www.elephantband.com/">The Elephant Band</a>, came on at 11, and they were awesome. The mother of the bass player (*swoon*!)*** was sitting at the table in front of us, bopping along and dancing in her seat.<br /><br />The main act came on at around midnight, and they were... words fail me. I think you have to see <a href="http://www.newmusiccanada.com/genres/artist.cfm?Band_Id=5847">Zuul's Evil Disco</a> in action to understand why they defy description. Think <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Teeth">Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem</a> get into a car accident with The Red Hot Chili Peppers****, and what's left is these guys. If <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaphod_Beeblebrox">Zaphod Beeblebrox</a> had a talk show, they would be the house band. The show was loud and totally funky, and the whole audience got into the act. How can you not love a band who has a song about pancakes, and another one called "What You Talkin' 'Bout, Willis?" (LOVED it!) Tragically, since I was hosting breakfast the next morning, I left around 1:30 and missed the breakdancing***** - bummer.<br /><br />Sunday morning everyone was coming over for waffles at 11, and I discovered at 10:15 I didn't have any baking powder. I managed to dash to the grocery store, grab a container and make it home before everyone arrived. The waffles were great, but it was (as usual) the company which was stellar. After we finished eating, we painted canvases I'd picked up at the dollar store; the art portion of the morning served two functions: to stretch our creative muscles, and to provide me with art to hang around this place. Two birds, one stone.<br /><br />Karen and Steven both had Monday off (me? Not so lucky), and I got a call at work asking if I would like to meet them at Red Lobster for supper? Hey, why not? It was a great way to end the weekend.<br /><br />(The pictures from the concert are <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlarocque/sets/72157594208336427/">here</a>. The pictures of the artists and their work are <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlarocque/sets/72157594208310626/">here</a>.)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*I'm an old lady, see.**<br />**If I'm old at 30, what am I going to be at 80? Decrepit? Mummified?<br />***The bass player, not his mother.<br />****Originally I had <a href="http://www.canadianbands.com/Bootsauce.html">Bootsauce</a>, but I think I'm the only person who remembers them.<br />*****When I told my mother this, she said, "And that's a bad thing?"</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1153216904042145372006-07-18T05:50:00.000-04:002006-07-18T06:01:44.103-04:00In the eternal struggle of Brain vs. Body, it's the drunken asshole who wins every timeLast night at around 12:30am, there was a commotion at the bar next door, whose patio is overlooked by my balcony and windows. And because the air was still last night, I could hear everything like it was next door. Shouts were heard and names were called.<br /><br />My Brain starts poking my Body.<br /><br />Brain: "Hey - I think there's going to be a fight! Can we go watch?"<br />Body: "Mmphf...no...asleep...."<br />Brain: "C'mon! Please?"<br />Body: "zzzzzzzzz"<br /><br />A few minutes later, more names were called, manhood was called into question, and challenges were issued.<br /><br />Brain: "Wake up! We're going to miss it!"<br />Body: "Shut. Up. We're getting up at 5:30am so we can do six hours of driving tomorrow. I need sleep. I don't need to watch a couple of idiots pound away at each other."<br />Brain: "You never let us have any fun!"<br />Body: "Fun? You call that fun? Just please shut up and go back to sleep."<br />Brain: (sulks)<br /><br />Not long after that, there was the sound of glass being broken.<br /><br />Body: "Okay, this I gotta see."<br />Brain: "Yay!"<br /><br />Unfortunately, I couldn't see anything because of the trees at the edge of the property, but I did see a number of people being dispersed. Fortunately, Brain and Body got over their disappointment easily, and fell back to sleep almost immediately.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1153188720393747482006-07-17T21:45:00.000-04:002006-07-17T22:12:00.706-04:00Movin' movin' movin'...In my universe, a month is really short. Therefore, the fullness of time has arrived and I can tell you the good news.<br /><br />(Before I do, you should know the delay in any real posting is due to the heat frying my brain. The other part is that there are a shitload of pictures to edit and post, and the going has been slow. I also have three drafts in the works - one about recipes, one about my plants which aren't dead yet [yay!], and one about last weekend.)<br /><br />So, I'm moving. And the story isn't quite as exotic as <a href="http://larocqueandroll.blogspot.com/2006/07/youre-such-tease.html#115240219301886380">some would have you believe</a>. I'm not going anywhere as cool (literally) <a href="http://bookmineset.blogspot.com/">as some</a>, or as exotic <a href="http://pixxiefish.blogspot.com/">as others</a>, but it's a move nonetheless. And a new job.<br /><br />Look out North Bay, here I come!<br /><br />(The sea monkeys and the chopsticks were red herrings - sorry!)<br /><br />I'm moving there to take over the Head of Information Services at the public library, which is exciting for many reason. Firstly, it's a move back into a public library, which I've been missing for a while now. Secondly, it's a really cool job, and my predecessor has been doing interesting things which I hope to continue and expand upon. And thirdly, whenever someone asks me what I do, and I respond that I'm a librarian, and they ask me what library I work at, I won't have to give them the song and dance that brings any further conversation to a crashing halt: "Well, I don't work in a library per se; rather, I work on behalf of libraries in Northern Ontario to provide services and training, help them do programming, and assist them with any technology-related issues." Usually, I've lost them by "per se."*<br /><br />So, if posting is more sporadic and spastic than usual, you'll know why.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*Maybe it's the use of "per se." Perhaps I should have found a different way of saying it.</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1152588275990207592006-07-10T23:18:00.000-04:002006-07-10T23:24:36.120-04:00Is it Tuesday yet?I owe you a post about the weekend, in which we sworn in a new member to the <a href="http://larocqueandroll.blogspot.com/2005/12/join-posse.html">Inco 89</a>. There was laughing, drinking (exept for those who were driving, of course!), dancing, singing, sunning, swimming, and, of course, waffles. No gathering is complete without waffles. And forced art projects. Good times indeed.<br /><br />However, I will share one tidbit from the weekend, which I think is finally over: if you're wearing flip-flops, it's probably not a good idea to stand at the edge of the mosh pit. Just sayin'.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951020.post-1152362886683875512006-07-08T08:36:00.000-04:002006-07-08T08:48:06.863-04:00You're such a tease!There's one thing about blogging that bugs me: Bloggers who tell you they have really great news or really bad news, but they can't tell you right now - come back in some specified time period and all will be revealed. Why do that? Why tease me with the promise of a happy story or a tale of woe, and then tell me to come back later to hear it? <br /><br />I don't think it's to make people come back and read you - people read your blog because:<br /><ul><li>they like you already;</li><li>they're related to you and this is the only way they'll know what you're up to (Hi Pepe! Hi Uncle David, Rachael, Denise, Mike, Rachelle!);</li><li>they hate you and are eagerly awaiting your demise;</li></ul>If there's a reason you can't say anything about the details, then don't even hint at it. I suppose if you don't have time to write a proper entry (i.e. you're about to give birth and need to get to the hospital), then you could be excused from that, but at least give us more than an unspecified reason for joy/sorrow. Give us hints!<br /><br />That being said...<br /><br />I have good news. I can't tell you about it right now. Come back in a month and all will be revealed! (Here's a hint: it involves chopsticks, sea monkeys, two bottles of Rebel Yell, and a move.)Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.com