Here we go again!

John, Darlene, Reid, Chandler & John M.
Amy, Gayle, Caitlin , Ron & Darlene
The Group- Charlie, Caitlin, Gayle, John & Anne, Ron, Mark, John M, Steve M. Denise & Mike, Reid, Amy & Chandler,Mark, Paul & Connie...incidentally John is NOT wearing a fish on his head...hahaha

This week went by pretty quickly....I guess having the Holiday in the middle of the week helped....but here we go again IT'S GAME DAY! My schedule was weird this week...I was off Monday, worked 3pm-8pm Tuesday, off Wed, then worked Thursday & Friday. It was a relatively uneventful week......except we are still getting used to a new system for reserving computers at the Library...and that was trying a times. It used to be that you did NOT need to have a library card in order to get on the computers, you just signed in at Reference and got on. Most of the year we do not have waits for our computers...except when all the "snowbirds" are back in town....they are coming now For some libraries this new system will be very helpful...it automatically shuts off after your 1 hour is up, keeps track of who's on the computers,when they started and their time remaining, etc....which is all well and good...except the transition period is causing some commotion....like lots of new library cards getting issued, updated, etc. So Tuesday I arrived at 3pm and it was like jumping into the frying pan....it was busy...and hard to catch up! Friday wasn't as bad...just a long day, extra hour tacked on to make up for the one hour not covered in the Holiday pay.....so I was happy at the end of the day Friday.
Saturday (today) we invited some people over to watch the Gator/SC game and to eat some fish...we needed to cook some of the stuff that's been in the freezer...so we called in some Gator fan friends of ours, and we ate and drank and enjoyed watching the Gators beat South Carolina. Like I said last week...watching the game is just more fun with a crowd of people...especially if you throw in some fried wahoo, snook and lobster.... Paired up with cole slaw, macaroni salad, chicken noodle soup, 18 bean and "smoked hog" soup, apple crisp and cookies....and you have a PARTY! We
were a little nervous when the score was 17-14...but once again our team came through with the win. The weather here was absolutely gorgeous...blue skies and mild temperatures...so all the windows and doors were open and it was a great afternoon/evening.At 9:00pm when things were winding down....it felt much later than the time on the clock. A couple people had to go...they work tomorrow, John and Ron are getting up early to head to Miami for the Miami/Tampa game. They got tickets from a friend...SECOND Row...50Yard line....NICE seats! It should be a beautiful day again tomorrow...they will have a great time....we'll be looking for them on TV! haha As for me...I'll be sleeping in and tidying up...getting things put away until the next get together.......................................

The Case of the Missing Keys

The Case of the Missing Keys....or you could call it Anne temporarily loses her mind!
Aggggh! I had to work Saturday...(which is never a good thing...hahaa) and I really wasn't having a problem with that, usually we only get scheduled for one Saturday a month. My problem was that I left my keys at the little get-together we attended Friday night. I was not aware that I had left them, because John also had keys with him that night...and when it was time to leave he handed me the keys and off we went.
Saturday morning I had good intentions always of getting up in plenty of time to exercise, eat a good breakfast that would hold me until I got off of work 5 hours later well....as usual the plans didn't quite work out...but I was doing okay. Problem number 1 was when I realized that the clock in my room was NOT 10 minutes fast like I like it...(don't ask...it's a mental thing) it was actually only 5 minutes fast because John had reset it the night before. he asked me what time I wanted and I THOUGHT he agreed...but discovered otherwise the next morning. For the record...he just can't understand WHY I want it set fast.,..instead of just getting up 10 minutes earlier...which of course makes perfect sense...but I don't care...I just like feeling like I have some extra time.
now that we have that straight So I was a little aggravated when I discovered that I was only 5, not 10 minutes ahead of the game...then I went to get my keys.........and that is when the meltdown started. hahha I looked in all the "normal" spots...I am usually careful to keep them on the key rack...because I have been known to set things down when I'm distracted and then it isn't good! Not on the rack, not on the dresser, not in the purse, closet,bag, desk...you name it. OKay...now I started getting nervous...because my built in 10 make that 5 minute window had evaporated and I still had no keys, no spare and John was already gone and working at our friends house in Melbourne. I called John in a panic (not very nicely I might add)... I believe the conversation started with me telling him the clock was set wrong and now I couldn't find my keys...blah blah blah...I was close to tears....Luckily John stayed calm....John didn't yell back at me...he told me to take a deep breath, call Susan and tell her I was running late, and he would be on his way home with a key. I did those things and then started getting creative in my search...went through the trash (already out at the curb for pick up)....(I knew I had them when I got home from the store right before we went out Friday....)not there. They were just GONE! John brought me a key...I got to work 25 minutes later....and when I got home we decided maybe I had left them at the party and someone had found them when they were cleaning up. I called Gayle and sure enough they had found some keys. Thank God!....I seriously thought I was really losing it this time! Secretly I was glad to know they weren't sitting in some obvious spot in my house the whole time.....(at least I know I really did a thorough check). So...the mystery is solved....and I hope I don't have another one to solve any time soon!

A Good weekend

Notice the "tablecloth"...actually a Shower Curtain I saw at Target...that was perfectly proportioned to fit my table!

>
last year's shirt...I'll have to get it out again!
It's been a nice weekend. It started with Friday...which happened to be a day off for me. I didn't really have any plans....so it was great to get a call from my friend Lisa inviting me to join her and another friend Debbie on their Friday morning bike ride. (I had run into the two of them two Fridays ago...they were heading out as I was heading home...mostly due to the fact that the rainstorm that I assumed was going to be brief and blow over in no time, kept getting more persistent and I was getting soaked!) So I ventured out with Lisa and Debbie on a lovely although breezy morning ride. When I got home there was a message from Gayle inviting us to join them for the First Friday Art Walk in downtown Eau Gallie. The studio where she teaches and works out was having an Open House. We decided to join them and ran in to several other friends during the course of the evening. They were playing music and showing some of their routines...and while it was tempting...I did not join in. I sat with Nancy and watched. I am generally not good in Aerobics and/or Dance classes because it never fails.... the whole group will be going one way and sure enough I will be going the other way. Kiena and I didn't do well in the dog training class for the same reason...it's hard to get the dog to follow the "commands" if your spending all your time trying to figure out which way you and the dog are supposed to be turning/walking whatever....and since we had no future in Dog Shows.think Best in Show..hahha I knew it didn't really matter.
Okay back to the story.....naturally JOHN had to get up and dance around with all the girls...and he wasn't too bad! heard they were looking for him when they met for class on Sat morning! Anyway...it turned out to be a fun time.
I did have to work Saturday...which was NOT fun.....busy and frustrating because we just had a new computer system installed at MBPL....more on THAT later!
Saturday afternoon and evening we headed over to Reid and Amy's for some steak and lobster while we watched the Gators play. Looks like we are going to have a repeat of last year's SEC championship match. .....only this year it might be a closer match-up! Their neighborhood was having a Block Party...so there was a lot of activity going on....and it was a BEAUTIFUL evening...cool for a change!
Today....we decided to have some people over to watch the Dolphins play get beaten. We cooked up some Teriyaki Chicken with rice and vegetables and fruit salad. Also cooked up a batch of some Chicken Tortilla Soup (recipe I got from my sister-in-law Kathie). Our friend Pat made an Apple pie; which was great! (even better after a quick trip to Moo's for some soft serve Vanilla Ice Cream!). John & I, Chuck and Pat, my brother Mark (!) who never shows up! hahhaRon, L.J., Mike R., Tom S. and John M, all came and we had fun. The game is just more fun to watch when there's a crowd watching with you I think! Alas...the Dolphins couldn't pull off the win....but L.J.(Patriots fan) was happy! and we did have a good time anyway!

Halloween wrap-up

Malibu Barbie
Darth Vadar BatGirl & Princess
the birthday girl
Ghostly fun!
A few friends seen here and there around Halloween

And now the costumes......

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater aka Ms. Di
Puss in Boots minus the boots & the Golden Goose (?)
Anne the Unicorn even though I've never been very fond of unicorns....this was kid friendly for Storytime
Cindy (the boss) and Heather at the Front counter
Little Red Riding Hood aka Mona and Alice in Wonderland aka Nancy. Mona is actually wearing a cape that was part of Brenna's costume back in 1986? I wish the company was still in business...it was a little company of women up in the northeast who handmade the costumes....great quality... and so cute!
The Mad Hatter aka Irma the Reference Librarian & Alice
Nancy & Heather with our own "Fractured Fairy Tales"fairy aka Denise
two of Bo Peeps missing sheep...Baa Baa Book Sheep and Kathy Bo Peep was off...she'll be in on Saturday>
Here's what Librarians do on Halloween....
We had a lot of fun and the patrons seemed to enjoy it. I was a big hit with the little girls! Nancy finally had to ditch her costume at about 4:00 pm...the wig was itching, sleeves were tight, shoes hurt...the usual sacrifices we make hahaha. Irma's Mad Hatters hat was made out of a brown paper bag....painted and decorated and placed on top of a smaller hat so it would fit on her head! The kids who ventured in yesterday got to make a hat of their own and go on a scavenger hunt throughout the library looking for each characters "lost" , etc. And of course we had treats available at the various desks for those patrons who said the magic words...."Trick or Treat". Lots of fun...only one cranky person who said we were all making too much noise and all of the staff should be shushing people...like the librarians he always grew up with. Sorry mister....our library does get noisy....but I've had more people tell me they LIKE our library because it is a little more relaxed than others they've been in...versus the kind where you feel like everyone is giving you dirty looks for making the least bit of noise. I agree that sometimes the kids AND the parents ,mostly the Moms get talking sometimes and the noise level goes up...but we are a small town library and it's a community meeting place and it's never going to be like the old days. I don't want to have to chase people around all day telling them to be quiet...I do if they get out of hand...but I usually just hope common sense and courtesy will prevail.
All in all...it was a fun afternoon at the library.

Halloween Fun at the Melbourne Beach Library

"Baa Baa Book Sheep - our entry in the "Pimp Your Bookcart Contest"

The library is decorated for the holiday fun. Dianne always gets out her assortment of cute holiday decorations...and this year we have decorated one of our bookcarts. It is being entered into a contest "Pimp Your Bookcart"...(like the TV show). Winning library gets a new bookcart....some of the entries are pretty impressive!
Our "theme" for this year, is "Fractured Fairy Tales"...so we are going to have a variety of characters and games throughout the library along that theme. The bookcart is one of Bo- Peep's missing sheep. We had a contest for the patrons to name the sheep...and the winner was "Baa Baa Book Sheep". Here's some of the decorations....I'll take photos of the staff later today.

Kids On The Move....and Breaking News!

The Bad Dog


The Good Dog


Lover Boy


Friends



It's been crazy around here. Brenna flew home last night and is already on her way back to Virginia...only this time she's in the rental truck with John, Haze and all her things that have been gathering dust out in the garage for the last year.
Up until now, she has been living with her Uncle Rob and cousin Shane while she was working at a bakery in Leesburg and looking for a "real" for lack of a better word job. Well she got a job with a Government contractor about three months ago (?) I think, and it was a long drive to the city from Lansdowne. She had a temporary place to stay...and now...she will have her own place in Arling ton. Haze has been staying with us during the job/apt search...so he is heading back with his "mama". Brenna will be glad to have him with her again. He's goofy sometimes...but he's a lover boy. He always greets you at the door with his wagging tail if he's not trying to sneak out! and he will get right up in your lap for a belly rub...or in your face to give you a great big "dog kiss" (picture Charlie Brown's friend Lucy..."I've been kissed by a dog!)Anyway there are some things I will miss....and others I must confess I will not...like having to keep everything out of reach on the tables and counters,,,since he can poke around up there and snatch things if you aren't looking. John will no longer have to worry about Haze stealing his dirty socks...a habit he only recently picked up...."Ah that lovely tempting aroma!" I can now keep my floors clean...no more big paws tracking in the fine silt. There will probably less hair gathering in the corners...Kiena sheds...but Haze has that long, red wispy hair that seems to ALWAYS be around. The pool will be cleaner...but I'll miss watching him drop the bone in and watching it drift down to where he can retrieve it. Kiena is definitely going to miss him...even if it means she will now be able to play fetch and actually make it to the ball without Haze snatching it up first. And the neighbors are going to miss "Mr. Happy" wagging his tail at the fence. I think John is relieved that he can now mend the screens (they're not too bad) and touch up that paint around the doors where Houdini...I mean Haze, worked to get them open. My house is missing a few pieces of furniture...they're packed up and heading to VA. I'll get a new couch out of this deal...so that's good. John has plans to make one of the bedrooms into an exercise room....which is making Brenna a little nervous...we assured her she can come home anytime...we'll have a place for her to sleep. There were also some things for Megan packed into the truck, since she also found an apt. She has been staying with some friends in their basement apt....it was a perfect opportunity...but the drawback was it took her 1 1/2 hours to get to school. And as Brenna found out...not too many of their peers live out in the areas like Lansdowne and Purcelville...so it was a long haul into town to get together with friends. not to mention dodging the deer on the way home They have been wonderful to her...kind, generous and supportive...I am so thankful that she has had them helping her out. She bought a bed and bookcase from them "Shop at the Borgelt's...the prices are right!" and they even helped her move everything. Again I am so Thankful to them and Rob for helping my kids out!
And now...the hard part of letting them go. You work hard to help your kids grow and be independent...and when they do...they move on in life. It's hard to let go......even if
I know they'll be back. I am very proud of them both. I would never take off...on my own...to find a job/go to school...whatever. This must be the "John" in them! It's exciting...but I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry a little. The nice thing is...they are both in DC. Brenna in Arlington, Megan in Fairfax....so we will be able to see both if we go up. Plus Rob and Shane are in Lansdowne and Elizabeth and the kids aren't TOO far away in Virginia Beach. I wish I was heading up there right now...to see the leaves changing...but my new schedule didn't allow me to do that. I will have to be content with READING about the changing leaves...which I have been doing, at Storytime
After John, Haze and Brenna headed out....I got started organizing everything here. I moved some things around a bit....John is going to wonder HOW I did it.. I only got caught on one corner He decided we were going to unload the old furniture on Brenna and Megan ...so my house feels a little empty. Among the missing items was a fold-out sleeper chair I got from LL Bean. John never liked the thing...but I did. He told me it was the most uncomfortable chair he'd ever sat in.hahaha Haze liked it! I sat it in /dozed off in it more than once.....we only used it as a bed once or twice...and the feedback was...that it was adequate. Megan's friend Aaron was the first to test it out. When I enthusiastically asked how comfortable it was...he politely said it was okay...but not really what he would call comfortable. hahahaha....reminds me of a couch we had a my Mom and Dad's...it was getting a little worse for the wear...one of David's buddies spent the night at our house...the next morning he thanked my Mom for letting him stay and handed her some $...he told her it was his contribution to the new couch fund! hahaaha

AND NOW...the Breaking News..........my brother David called a bit ago to tell me he was awarded "BEST IN SHOW" in the Winter Springs Art Festival today. He said he thought he might get something...when 1st and 2nd were announced he was a little disappointed...until he heard his name being announced as Best in Show! Nice $2000.00 prize to go with the ribbon! Not bad!
In other breaking news just in case you missed it...haha The Gators eeked out another Win! Too bad Tennessee couldn't pull off the upset in Alabama!