tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17676908697278580182024-03-04T22:17:29.475-08:00LilyScornsYouA blog written by a cat, who is the furry daughter of a librarian and aspiring writer. I know you probably can't read this but if you can yay you!Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-56247796276762802502013-06-20T17:30:00.001-07:002013-06-20T17:30:51.634-07:00There's never enough time to writeMom really is getting sloppy about her writing. She SAYS she has all these ideas in her head about working on the second book in her spirit series but she never gets off her ass and does it. She could be writing tonight but instead I'll bet she watches the Spurs game! Don't even get me started on her other big time waster. It's something called Dungeons and Dragons. I hate that one because she leaves the house. At least with the Spurs she provides and nice place for me to lay on her lap and have a nice cuddle and purr.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-15399712412875125652013-06-16T15:21:00.000-07:002013-06-16T15:21:33.354-07:00New FocusI will keep the public library rants to a minimum and try and help mom publish her first novel. I've seen author site who want you to promote yourself and recommend you get a blog. She doesn't have much time for that so guess who she chose to do all of her blog writing? That's right....me! Sigh. As if I don't have enough to do what with all the eating and sleeping.
So my mom aka Kahnnie Hejl has written a urban fantasy novel about this chick who finds out her family is like all into Santeria and stuff. Her name is Esther De Leon and she's got powers but doesn't believe in magic. I haven't really read much of it but I'll post more later. This book is the first in a trilogy. According to Mom the book is completely finished after she edited it like five times or something. She's still struggling for a name for it. So far she has named it Family Spirits with the second and third novels to be called Past Spirits and Island Spirits. She's submitted it to Baen and Tor because they let you submit without an agent. Mom's also looking into getting published by eBook but not self published. That's just crazy. If she self publishes it will be through Smashwords because that's free!
Free is good especially when you get paid for your work.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-56409804985984733482012-01-06T13:16:00.000-08:002012-01-24T13:09:41.621-08:00New Year, SOSThere are so many things Mom does not understand. She doesn't understand why people have to be so vicious, back stabbing and self serving. Or more likely just apathetic. I try to tell her it's because people don't think about other people, they only think about themselves. In fact, people don't only just think about themselves they don't even think about what is good for the whole. Good for...for instance, an entire library system. They just want to lord it over their small piece of the kingdom. <br /><br />There is no cooperation. There is no listening to new suggestions or ideas. There is just me, me, me, what about me and MY job. How do I keep my stranglehold monopoly on x-services, y-services, media services, delivery services, z-services, abc branch....etc. etc. <br /><br />There is no: How can I help make things better? How can I make things run more smoothly. Wouldn't it be nice if more people got involved? No, there is none of that. Communication.....bah....who needs it. Cooperation....ha....what's that? <br /><br />Someone wants to be proactive and suggest something. Maybe someone just wants to throw an idea out there so we can all mull it over, perhaps collaborate on a large project. <br /><br />We don't need any of that here missy! Stay on your own patch of dirt, shut the hell up and forget about all your dreams for a better tomorrow. <br /><br />You may have worked on something for years and years but that doesn't mean you're entitled to keep doing it. We'll just give it away to someone else. Someone who hasn't done it before all because WE CAN and WE WILL and NOTHING CAN STOP US. Because we're THE MAN darn it and don't you ever forget that. The gods forbid you should actually enjoy your job and be fulfilled by it. We'll have none of that here thank you very much.<br /><br />I am so glad I am a cat.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-72531162078411308732011-12-15T09:45:00.000-08:002011-12-15T09:51:43.070-08:00Mom's getting tense againThey didn't hire anyone to be the manager at Mom's branch. She is very upset at this. There is a rumor that they aren't hiring from within because those people would be too "laid back." Mom almost went off the deep end and one of her coworkers DID go off to the looney bin because of the last manager was a tyrant. What are those administrators trying to do to my Mom? Last time she laid in bed for three days which is great for cuddling but very upsetting because all she did was cry and watch Top Gear. She's also under stress because now they have a new interim manager who isn't around at all. Somehow mom is just supposed to know how to do all that manager stuff and remember to do things like turn in timesheets when she's never done timesheets before. The double job is very stressful on her and it's the holiday season. Someone please give her a hug and I'll cuddle and purr as much as I can.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-1924931422770297312011-01-13T07:56:00.000-08:002011-01-13T08:04:22.595-08:00can't we get along?You humans amuse me with your "democratic country". You're being held hostage by a two party system constantly at odds. When will the rationalist party form? When will the people band together over morals not religion? When will you stp fighting andtruly pull together? Never is the likely answer as long as corporations are in control and people are disregarded in the name of making money. What will you do when there are no more people?<br /><br />That's not a threat by the way, there is no cat conspiracy to rise up and take over the world. Damn your oppsible thumbs!Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-19789646530620189872010-11-25T17:07:00.000-08:002010-11-25T17:11:52.271-08:00Airport ScansYou humans crack me up especially the Americans. You have such a phobia about nakedness. We're all born that way fur or no fur. Sure I don't wear clothes and can't imagine having to, but it seems to me I'd rather be scanned and safe rather than blown up in a plane. Of course I'd never get on a plane willingly and have never had the desire to fly, but if I had to scan away. I've got nothing to hide. If my naked picture gets looked at by some security drone, it's better than a strip search with a rubber glove!Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-5744510252559648222010-11-19T14:03:00.000-08:002010-11-19T14:06:15.903-08:00Alone for three days...sort ofMom and Dad left to go to some comic convention and left us cats alone. Maggie kept hogging the computer and Bengal wouldn't get out of my favorite window. I did manage to wrestle the television remote so I could watch hours of Doctor Who on the BBC. Then the best thing ever! Grandma and Grandpa came over and gave us WET food!!! I love them. Maggie hissed at Grandma for not being mom. She's so stupid some times.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-19401315237421195142010-10-27T16:08:00.000-07:002010-10-27T16:15:31.615-07:00GleeI think Glee may have "jumped the shark" as you humans say. Last year it had lots of great plots with great music accompanying it. This year it's all fluff and no story at all. The slide started with the Britney Spears episode. Yawn. It's true I don't really care about Britney Spears, I mean I would probably go to a concert if I got free tickets (and they let cats in) but I'm not buying any of her songs. That said, what was the real point of that episode? Did the plot further anymore? It was just a sad excuse to promote Ms. Spears. I wonder who she paid off...hmmm.<br /><br />So last night I was all excited about the Rocky Horror episode because I LOVE Rocky Horror but it was just ho hum blah. Come on, Mercedes as Dr. Frankenfurter. As If! It'd have been more edgy if they got one of the boys to play Frankenfurter. I know they were supposed to be adapting it for high school but they could get a scantily clad boy for once. I did like the sly use of the word "sensational" in place of "trans-sexual". Nicely done.<br /><br />The original still rocks more. The end.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-11951197576141468862010-09-03T15:02:00.000-07:002010-09-03T15:06:57.806-07:00Security guards at the libraryWe've had: The nineteen year old kid who played DDR with the teens and had a picture of himself drinking out of a whiskey bottle on his myspace page.<br /><br />The lunch lady<br /><br />The pregnant lady who spent all of her time in the bathroom throwing up.<br /><br />The racist lady from the Eastern bloc who told a woman she wasn't fit to have children and doubted the father of the child was still around.<br /><br />The depressed guy whose wife just died. He speculated that her sister poisoned her. We didn't want him around with a gun.<br /><br />Grandpa who gave a guy five dollars not to bug people in the library for money. In return he made the guy give up a (stolen?) sander he was trying to sell.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-57550276781239350292010-05-28T13:06:00.001-07:002010-05-28T13:08:03.999-07:00Summer's comingAnd it won't be pretty. Once again we're down a librarian. I wish I hadn't had the bright idea of doing a Camp Half-Blood ala Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It is much more work than I'd thought. It should be fun though. Right? Right? Right?<br /><br />Lily: Whatever you say mom.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-67385774952134581082010-04-08T12:12:00.000-07:002010-04-08T12:23:00.801-07:00Dammit Jim, I'm a librarian, not a punching bagExhibit A. "I put a two books on hold this morning and I thought I'd check to see if you had them on hold for me."<br />"We don't have that book in the library so it'll take three to five business days to get there."<br />"It said the book was there and I need two copies for my kid's report tonight. It needs to say it's going to take three to five days online when you order the book."<br />"Um."<br />"you need to tell someone that they need to put that on the site."<br />"Okay"<br />"I mean I know you can't do anything because you're just a librarian, but you need to tell someone....blah blah blah."<br /><br />And lady, you a. need to learn to read and b. not yell at me.<br /><br />Exhibit B. "I'm in Chicago and I need to renew a book."<br />"Okay what's your card number" Pull up record, renew. "Okay sir, your book is now due on April 24 and you have a late fee of $3.50"<br /><br />"But I called to renew. And I still get a late fee?"<br />"The book was late, it was due on March whatever."<br />Heavy sigh. Hang up.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-13975140885815906752010-04-01T13:28:00.000-07:002010-04-01T13:34:28.281-07:00Are You Kidding Me?The new bright idea for the library to generate revenue is to sell hunting and fishing licenses or possibly do passports photos and all. So that means library staff will have to take pictures and if it's passports the patrons will want us to help them fill it out. It will be worse than the free tax program. I say sure, just do it at the Central library where it's like a tomb and not at the busy branches that don't have enough staff.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-57878824629369082542010-03-12T14:23:00.000-08:002010-03-12T14:41:39.742-08:00Bummed on a Spring DayLily's Mom here: I went to the funeral of one of my blogger friends today. She was the most consistent follower of Lily's blog. Her name is Ginger and she wrote taxicab of the absurd. Ginger was a children's librarian who would play and sing in addition to storytelling. I did hear her sing at a storytime when I filled in at Landa and I thought it was a really cool idea. I knew Ginger mainly through her blog and a few emails. I am very sad not to have gotten to know her better, from everything I've heard, she sounds like the perfect rolemodel for me (an aspiring children's librarian). Her funeral included a storytime for children and one of my favorite songs "I'll Fly Away." It's a beautiful day today and I hope Ginger is flying!Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-13193433454104815582010-01-29T10:09:00.000-08:002010-01-29T10:17:37.301-08:00Decline of the intellectWhy is it you humans seem to have problems with smart people? People who go to college and learn things are being usurped by dumb ass people who will do ANYTHING and I mean anything to be on Telly. I've been watching a few so called reality shows and I don't quite understand what the appeal is in watching obviously stupid people compete for some ugly man. Like this one show all these bimbos live in a house with this guy and he's like doing all of them. I know us cats do that but we're animals. Show some self-respect girls. He's a no good man-whore who is semi famous for being a rapper or something (or possibly famous for being on a reality television show)and all you dumb asses are throwing yourself at him. Even if he chooses you ultimately he's not gonna marry you! There's no freakin' way. Please, tell me a story with real actors acting out fake, but potentially thought provoking stories. I am sick of the "real" life and "experts" on Oprah who don't have degrees in anything. Oprah seems to think anyone who writes a book is an expert. Doctors Oprah....look into them, get a second opinion before you spew out what's "best for everyone." Maybe that's how that Million Little Pieces liar guy was able to fool you. Sigh.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-56661549862696495252010-01-16T15:48:00.000-08:002010-01-16T15:49:09.041-08:00It's a Boy!Mom was surprised when she took India to the vet to be "fixed" and she is actually a he. His name is still India though Dad is trying to call him Indy.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-23251320975119469392009-12-23T15:02:00.000-08:002009-12-23T15:05:47.884-08:00Sure, Happy Holidays and all thatI'm sure some of you are having happy holidays, but I am livid, I tell you LIVID! My parents had the audacity to get ANOTHER kitten. She's mostly black like me and cute, like me and has good fur, like me. So if she's alot like me, why do they have to get ANOTHER me. Okay, she is young and frisky and keeps Bengal from chasing me quite so much. But tell me when will the madness end? Will four cats be enough to make them stop adopting. I sure hope so because I'm not sharing any more food. Just so you know, if you're interested, her name is India.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-67120624357694577012009-10-02T13:41:00.000-07:002009-10-02T13:42:59.619-07:00Can't we all just get alongWoman on Phone: I just wanted to tell you there's a homeless man outside your building everyday at 3 when the kids get out of school.<br /><br />Me: Is he doing anything to harrass the kids? Is he making trouble?<br /><br />WoP: No, I just wanted you to know that he's there EVERY day just sitting out where the road curves in front of the library and there's children out there.<br /><br />Me: Well, it's a public space and as long as he isn't doing anything inappropriate or making troubleI can't just kick him off the property.<br /><br />WoP: You'll be sorry when he rapes one of the kids! Thank you (said sarcastically) -hangs up.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-32451768952088839812009-09-10T10:41:00.000-07:002009-09-10T10:48:42.176-07:00DuhPatron: Can you show me how to delete these pictures off of my phone?<br />Reference: Can you pull them up?<br />Patron: No, my phone's not charged up.<br /><br />Hmmm.<br />My recommendation for Reference:<br />Reference: Sure no problem. (Takes phone and pulls out a large hammer. Hammers phone to smithereens. Hands pieces back to patron).<br />Reference: Is there anything else I can help you with?Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-30794473416536139862009-09-03T13:36:00.000-07:002009-09-03T14:41:56.179-07:00closer to sadnessMom speaks:The closer we get to Oct. 1, the sadder I get. I just can't picture our library without V. She is the heart and soul of our branch. V. is always doing outside work for the benefit of her co-workers. She plans get togethers, creates cool t-shirts, bags, and many other excellent things designed to rally the troops. She's like our cheerleader. But, just because she's our computer guru, we're going to lose her. But see, that makes no sense because if anyone needs a computer nerd full-time it's our branch, the busiest one in the city. Every day and by that I mean EVERY DAY someone asks us something about the computer (mostly about problems trying to log on to the wifi) so now instead of giving even more excellent customer service, we have to say "I don't know anything about that." And by the time we call downtown, that patron will be gone and possibly fed up because we couldn't help them in a timely fashion. But that's not all V. is, a computer person. No V. is an excellent library assistant that is a master at reference. When I was a bright shiny new librarian, V. was extremely helpful in showing me how millenium ran and many, many other things about the reality of manning the reference desk. <br />Then there is C. She has only been with us about a year and a half, but she's really a part of our family. She also has great ideas and is a wonderful cheerleader. She might even make a good librarian some day if this doesn't dishearten her about libraries altogether.<br />And N. She has been with us a very short time, but fits in well here.<br />Everyone keeps telling me I should feel lucky because we all still have jobs. And I am grateful for that. But starting Oct. 1 I will be going to a workplace with a piece of my heart ripped out.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-37930211642449983012009-08-25T13:55:00.000-07:002009-08-25T14:07:01.219-07:00Trials and tormentsAh the exciting life of the cat who belongs to a librarian. Something going on about budget cuts and no pay raises. I am glad mom isn't losing her job, but she is very sad about losing people at work. I think she actually cried. I don't like it when she's sad. Apparently these things happen when you work for something called a government agency. Mom's worked for them all city, state and federal. It's all the same with higher ups cutting and making decisions without any input from the people being affected.<br /><br />PS That stupid Bengal is still annoying, but it doesn't appear he's leaving any time soon.<br /><br />Mom says: Read the Tushy Book for those children librarians out there.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-9291227820338148662009-08-01T14:20:00.000-07:002009-08-01T14:26:05.610-07:00Summer Reading....is mostly finished. There's a few mopping up to be done, such as the last summer movie this week (Mall Cop) and the last Terrific (Terrible? Terrifying? Tremendous?) Teen Tuesday. I found the coolest game ever for the Wii called Rayman Raving Rabbids. That game is awesome. I think I want to dress up as one of the psychotic rabbits for Halloween. All I need is rabbit ears and a plunger. I'll wave the plunger in the air and yell really loud! Hee Hee!<br />My husband an I have been trying to unlock stuff on the game so the teens can play four player games on it. Lily and the other cats love the Wii because it's got a dangling cord they can try to play with.<br /><br />Lily: Stupid human.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-84088763004259053002009-07-24T12:13:00.000-07:002009-07-24T12:18:48.881-07:00Lily's groundedLily's Mom: Lily bit me today. Very Very Hard. Two of her fangs stabbed my hand! I have been looking at bad things that happen to people who are punctured by cat teeth and it's not pretty. I just hope I washed it out enough. I really should stay away from googling in situations such as these. I did see a particularly horrible example of ringworm on this guy's head during my search. It was like the size of a grapefruit. On. His. Head. Ewwwwww!<br /><br />Lily ususally play bites but I think she is mad about the new kitten. He and Maggie are already playing together but Lily is still wary about him. I will let Lily post again when she calms down.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-35823138444504968892009-07-21T16:01:00.000-07:002009-07-21T16:05:46.059-07:00KittenStupid Mom and Dad got a stupid kitten. AND he's a stinky boy! The indignity of it all. His name is Bengal and Mom think's he's quite cute with his Siamese markings of silver tabby. All he wants to do is play...oh and eat...MY FOOD. At least my sister Maggie doesn't eat much but Bengal is like a kitty food hoover. I wacked him on the head a few times to show him who is boss! So far he's bowed down to me and Maggie. He better keep in line OR ELSE!Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-45668396759162698562009-06-30T18:07:00.000-07:002009-06-30T18:08:55.869-07:00Ice Road TruckersI am so loving the Ice Road Truckers on the Discovery Channel. It's great coolness on the oppressively hot days with my hot black fur. I want to be a trucker! Too bad they discriminate against cats.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767690869727858018.post-59933131149199148972009-06-27T13:21:00.000-07:002009-06-27T14:06:37.689-07:00Is it a full moon?Mom speaks: There are many challenges in the public library forum especially when the 100 degree plus days won't stop coming. <br /><br />Summer situation no. 1: Some patrons seem to think getting a book for summer reading isn't enough. One lady asked me what days and time her child was supposed to attend the summer reading program. I think she thought it was like a summer camp or free day care...go figure, this happens every year by the way. Definition of Summer Reading: traditionally when children chose their own books to read and read them where ever or whenever they'd like (yes in the W.C. counts too). Librarians aren't concerned about what they are reading in terms of classics, comics. We don't even care where they are reading such as the dinner table. We are concerned about reading itself. Yep, that's what we're into. Reading! Yeah! Reading! Summer Reading can also mean reading books assigned by the school, those harshers of mellow who bring the purity of summer down with assignments. C'mon dude it's freakin summer give the kids a break!<br /><br />Summer situation no. 2: Patrons think they can just wait for books to come back to the library and check them out then. Especially patrons who are wanting books on reading lists assigned by the mean ol' school districts (see above). Note to these folks: the library is state of the art, computer run there are no more CARD catalogs. What this means to you: people can put books on hold either by yourself from the comfort of your home computer or with a friendly librarian, they love to do it, they live for it. These books on hold can come from ANYWHERE in the city from ANY branch library. If a book is on a summer reading list it will RARELY just come in. In fact, the closer to the school year starting, the higher those hold numbers will get larger lessening your chance of getting a book before you go back to school. Put it on hold people that's the only way. You don't want to be in the library the last week of summer asking about the Red Pony believe me! It's kind of fun for us librarians seeing kids putting off the dreaded reading then two days before school starts trying to read SOMETHING, ANYTHING FROM THAT ASSIGNED READING LIST! Then parents get mad, there's yelling and chaos and possibly beatings. Very entertaining.<br /><br />Which leads to the <br />Summer situation no.3 (actually this one happens year round). Reference staff of all types getting blamed for everything. Here are many sentences associated with this. "But I need the computer because my paper is due tomorrow"-heard 5 minutes before closing time. "But I have to read that book for school next week." "I have to check out that book for a book club, can't you just check it out to me." - said on the phone by a patron who hadn't returned a book, owed money and sent her son in with her card and the card was expired. Work with me here people. I can't help you unless you help yourself! I've been to school and I am not writing your paper for you or reading your book for you either.<br /><br />We're reference librarians, not superheroes.<br />Add in the smelly people, the angry people and the insane and you have last week.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358558486762901737noreply@blogger.com0