Archive for the ‘Fun’ Category

99 Things

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

I spotted this on Walt at Random and thought I’d do it – partly to make up for not finishing SLA’s 23 Things, and partly because I want to post something fun on this last day of work before the winter break.

THE 99 THINGS MEME

Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to – leave in plain font

1. Started your own blog.

2. Slept under the stars.

3. Played in a band.
Concert band, jazz band, improv band, and now (debatably) rock band.

4. Visited Hawaii.

5. Watched a meteor shower.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity.

7. Been to Disneyland/world.
I enjoyed it at the time, but have no desire to go back.

8. Climbed a mountain.

9. Held a praying mantis.

10. Sang a solo.
I was permitted to audition for a solo once. I didn’t get it, but I sang in front of about 15 people for the audition. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done.

11. Bungee jumped.

12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.

15. Adopted a child.

16. Had food poisoning.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.

18. Grown your own vegetables.
I accidentally grew two pumpkins outside my front door once.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.

20. Slept on an overnight train.

21. Had a pillow fight.

22. Hitch hiked.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.

24. Built a snow fort.

25. Held a lamb.

26. Gone skinny dipping.

27. Run a marathon.

28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.

29. Seen a total eclipse.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.

31. Hit a home run.

32. Been on a cruise.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
Grandparents count as ancestors, right?
35. Seen an Amish community.

36. Taught yourself a new language.

37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
Money can’t buy me love.

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.

39. Gone rock climbing.

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person.

41. Sung Karaoke.

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.

44. Visited Africa.
Moroccocounts as Africa, right?

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance.
Not an experience I’d like to repeat.

47. Had your portrait painted.

48. Gone deep sea fishing.

49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.

52. Kissed in the rain.

53. Played in the mud.

54. Gone to a drive-in theater.

55. Been in a movie.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China.

57. Started a business.

58. Taken a martial arts class.

59. Visited Russia.

60. Served at a soup kitchen.

61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.

62. Gone whale watching.

63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
Despite my not-so-subtle hints…

64. Donated blood.

65. Gone sky diving.

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.

67. Bounced a check.

68. Flown in a helicopter.

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.

71. Eaten Caviar.

72. Pieced a quilt.

73. Stood in Times Square.

74. Toured the Everglades.

75. Been fired from a job.

76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.

77. Broken a bone.

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.

80. Published a book.

81. Visited the Vatican.

82. Bought a brand new car.

83. Walked in Jerusalem.

84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
The first time, I think, was when my dad was a reporter and used a picture of me for a feature on blueberry picking. Now it happens once a month when my column appears.

85. Read the entire Bible.
Excluding the “begat” sections.

86. Visited the White House.

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
Unless you count the fly I killed and encouraged my dog to eat.

88. Had chickenpox.

89. Saved someone’s life.
I’m not sure whether this is entirely true or not, but it’s best not to take chances.

90. Sat on a jury.

91. Met someone famous.
Mick Foley, Joe Paterno, Jason Ringenberg, Warner Hodges.

92. Joined a book club.

93. Lost a loved one.
Until two years ago, this was only true if you counted pets as loved ones.

94. Had a baby.

95. Seen the Alamo in person.

96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.

97. Been involved in a law suit.

98. Owned a cell phone.

99. Been stung by a bee.
On the bottom of my foot – very unpleasant. Though I guess things were worse for the bee.

See, I have done more than 23 things.

Ghosthunters goes to the library

Thursday, March 20th, 2008

On last night’s episode of Ghosthunters, TAPS investigated the Clapp Memorial Library in Belchertown, Massachusetts. If you missed it, you can watch it online (you’ll have to enable pop-up windows).

Happy discounted candy day!

Friday, February 15th, 2008

DIY LIBN candy heartIt’s been a while since I did a fun holiday post. Today all the heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be on sale – but that may just mean a discount on a marked-up price, if allegations about chocolate price-fixing are true.

The candy heart is from the ACME Heart Maker. Libraryman is also feelin’ the chalky candy heart love.

SLA and zoos

Thursday, June 7th, 2007

One of my favorite things about going to a national conference is that it often takes me to a city I would never visit otherwise. Sometimes I come back and think, Well, I never have to go there again! But often I am pleasantly surprised.

Bighorn sheepWhen I have a day to myself, I try to visit the zoo if there is one I can get to on public transit. The Denver Zoo is well-known and did not disappoint, but I’ve also been to some very nice smaller zoos, like the Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque. Animals that are often verging on comatose in warm, humid East Coast climates, like the polar bears and arctic fox, were quite active on a chilly January morning in Albuquerque.

RavenThe Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa has some great interactive exhibits (feed the stingrays and lorikeets) and a manatee hospital. At the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, I took some close-ups of the ravens. And at the Toronto Zoo, I spent a lot of time with the snakes.

Happy HalloWinter!

Friday, December 1st, 2006

In honor of a balmy December 1 here in Pennsylvania, I headed over to the Orange County Library System’s Web site and made a DIY Librarian Halloween snowman. [link via The Shifted Librarian]

See My Snowman!

Breaking news: Black t-shirts at CafePress

Friday, July 7th, 2006

I just found out from the Comics Curmudgeon that CafePress is now offering black t-shirts. This is very exciting news and I encourage those of you who are inclined to make snarky library-related schwag to take note. (Hey, this tactic worked before!)

Happy Discounted Valentine’s Day Candy Day

Wednesday, February 15th, 2006

Look, I got you something:

You can make your own conversation hearts over at ACME Heart Maker.

To list or not to list

Wednesday, January 11th, 2006

As 2005 fades away and 2006 starts up in earnest, people post year-end lists (or they post reasons why they don’t post year-end lists). The New York Times examines the trend (Jan. 5, 2006), focusing on music critics’ lists.

As I mentioned when I posted the DIY Librarian top 5 library blogs of 2005, I see lists as more of a conversation starter than anything. List-making is very popular in the DIY household; we must run out of things to say to each other.

It’s also a little competitive, though. You know you’ve won the match when you name your top whatever and the other person just says, “Oooooh, why didn’t I think of that?”

Now quick! Name your top 10 songs to catalog to!

  1. 25 Minutes To Go (Johnny Cash)
  2. F*!#in’ Up (Neil Young + Crazy Horse)
  3. Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash)
  4. I Wanna Be Sedated (The Ramones)
  5. Loser (Beck)
  6. Too Much Monkey Business (Chuck Berry)
  7. Whiskey River (Willie Nelson)
  8. Do Anything You Wanna Do (Eddie and the Hot Rods)
  9. It Doesn’t Matter Anymore (Wanda Jackson)
  10. I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart (Patsy Montana)

Happy Halloween!

Thursday, December 15th, 2005

This is perfect for someone like me, who still has Halloween decorations up, mingling with the Christmas decorations: a gingerbread haunted house—and it’s open source. Now somebody please make a gingerbread library! [via Marylaine Block’s Neat New Stuff]