Mormons Not Buying Tickets for the Soul Patrol

While perusing Boston.com's slide show on "Life After Idol" I couldn't help but notice the ad that appeared next to Taylor Hicks' slide.

Looks like the Mormons & Simon Cowell are in agreement on this one

**Updated to add, the text in the box says: "why does God allow these tragedies to happen?"**

Since the photo in the ad seems to be missing, I can only assume that the Mormon's are referring to Taylor Hicks' vocal talents. Which, if you've heard him sing, can only be described as "tragic."

Reminder- Fundraiser on April 1st! Win an autographed Pedroia photo!

Just a friendly reminder that my Boston Marathon charity fundraiser for Mass Eye & Ear is next Wednesday, April 1st at Mantra. Please visit: http://www.got2fundraise.blogspot.com/ for details, or click on the link to the right. Tickets are $25, include food & 1 drink and can be purchased at the door, or via Paypal.

Also, I will be raffling off a signed & framed 16x20 Dustin Pedroia photo taken during Game 1 of the 2007 World Series! It's a great shot of him hitting a homerun! Raffle tickets are $10 each or 3 for $20. Hope to see you there!

This would look great in your family room or office!

The Case of the Missing Stapler

I sit across from a group copier/scanner/printer combo, FAX machine & high capacity stapler area. These machines are often on the fritz and due to my proximity to these clunkers, I'd say 70% of my work day conversations are related to them. Most of the time, people just want me to acknowledge their frustration. Someone will walk up to the printer, realize their documents weren't printed, and sigh loudly enough for me to look up from my computer. We'll make eye contact and I'll shrug my shoulders and smile, but quickly turn back to my screen lest the person ask for help.

Truth be told, I don't mind helping people out, but I can't troubleshoot the printer. I worked at BC's library in college and could never even remember how to replace the ink cartridge, much less assist someone today with why their documents aren't being stapled.

The only piece of equipment I fear more than the printer is the microfilm machine.

I hate you.

The first question I asked the Senior Reference Desk supervisor at Simmons when I worked there was, "Do we get a lot of microfilm questions, because I can't for the life of me load the film correctly. " He assured me we didn't, but I would get a question at least once a week and was thus motivated to become a corporate librarian where microfilm machines are not usually present.

Yesterday, I got asked about the stapler. Having no aversion to trouble-shooting the stapler, I listened as this person told me that it's been empty for quite some time now, but we lacked the correct staples to load back into the stapler. This morning, he came by to tell me that he'd received notification that the staples had arrived, but now the stapler was missing. He walked away in frustration, and a few minutes later I saw someone stop by the work area long enough to drop off the missing stapler. A few more minutes go by and a third person comes by and takes the stapler again; however, in between the stapler being replaced and taken again I notified the guy who sits next to the original requester to let him know that stapler was back.

Why is the stapler constantly being removed? Is someone purposely trying to frustrate this one guy? Will he resort to using a large binder clip? Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion!

Brown Bag Economics

Back in December, I wrote about how my New Year's Resolution was to bring my lunch at least 3 days a week. I'm happy to report that I've successfully kept that resolution since then. Usually I make our lunches at night while I'm making dinner and waiting for other things to cook; otherwise, I'm less inclined to put something together in the morning before I leave for work. Also, the lunches are nothing to write home about; usually, I have PB&J or leftovers, like today.

Leftover linguine

Hopefully I'll stay diligent through the summer months... I think I get lazier when I'm not training for the marathon.

Job Perks

Opening the library's mail, although not a job for the weak at heart (paper cuts are a constant hazard), is not without its perks. For example, I am first in line to receive any promotional freebies our vendors deem fit to send us. The top of my filing cabinet proudly displays a deck of cards, a paper football set with goalpost & and one of those test-your-IQ triangles with the pegs. Today's freebie was from Money magazine.

Behold!

This is the gift that keeps on giving...

Boom!

Selfish SUV at SSP

We're at the SSP armed with wedding gift cards for Crate and Barrel that we still haven't used. The parking lots are filled like it's December 24th, and stunods like this person aren't helping. One spot per vehicle please!
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Quaker Oats Instant Confusion

"Go humans go"

Is the Quaker Oats man an alien? Was he sent from some planet to encourage us from bus stops? I am thoroughly confused by these ads... Any thoughts?
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Seize the Opportunity to Graffiti

You don't really see too many positive messages carved in T platform benches these days. One might argue that it would be even more positive not to destroy public property at all; however, I'll take Carpe Diem anytime over the crudely drawn frank & beans that were also carved into the bench.
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The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I won my pool last year, which means that I'll probably tank this year... Below are my picks. I'm a UConn fan, but won't bring them all the way out unless I think they have a legitimate chance of going all the way. This might be their year, baby!

Go UConn!!

Parade and Party Photos

Nick and I had some friends over to watch the St. Patrick's Day Parade yesterday. It was a gorgeous day, and we had a pretty sweet view of the festivities from our front window.

Here's the festive, "Ronworkers' " float

Bob, Nick, and Tom challenged Mia & Charlotte to see who could chug their drink the quickest...

Guess who won?

It wasn't even close!

And, finally, a reminder that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day

Éirinn go brách

Boy, the Market Sure is Volatile These Days...

Oh, let's see how the market's doing...

Up almost 600 points at 3:43 PM.

And then...

It fell an amazing 550 points 2 minutes later

Whoops. Thank you, FinancialContent, for livening things up a bit this Friday afternoon.

Much Like Halloween, it Seems Women Can Now Use St. Patty's Day...

As an excuse to dress like a ho.
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Get More Burrito for Your Buck! $2 Boloco Burrito Coupons with Ticket Purchase

The awesome folks at Boloco sent me 25 of these bad boys last night, and the next 25 people to purchase a fundraiser ticket via the link on the upper right hand sidebar will receive a coupon! I'll be happy either mail you the coupon, or make it available for pickup at Mantra on April 1.

Shrinky Dink

This afternoon, I went to put my shoes back on to go to yoga (I take off my shoes at my desk), and I noticed that my socks were the same, yet different. When pulled as high as they could go, the right sock reached mid-calf, but the left sock only reached a bit above my ankle.

Pants have been rolled up to my knees to document the dramatic difference!

How I didn't notice this this morning when I was getting dressed, I don't know. What further confounds me though is how the dryer shrank one sock to a mere shadow of it's former self, while the other remained intact. Several of Nick's t-shirts would now be snug on an 8 year old, so I do have a history of leaving things in the dryer too long, but now I've done it to myself!

This photo reminds me of the time I purchased a 3 pack of "slightly defective" Puma ankle socks at Marshall's for $2.99. I figured "slightly defective" meant that there was a missing thread or something, but when I opened the package at home, there were only 5 out of 6 advertised socks...

Are Regular Boston Celtics Fans Not Attractive Enough?

This posting on Craigslist is pretty funny; I wonder what the catch is? The post is pretty sketchy in the first place, but the spelling error definitely sucks all credibility from the ad. Let's remember to tune in on March 18th to see if we can spot the attractive ladies in the front row (who will most likely be sandwiched between the 2 schmoes who posted this ad.)

Falling Flat in the Seltzer Aisle

There was something fizzy going on at Stop & Shop on Broadway tonight. I wanted to get a case of Polar Seltzer. When I arrived to the seltzer aisle, there was a bloody mary mix display blocking the Polar brand, but the Stop & Shop brand, Zazz, was left in clear view. I tried to push the bloody mary mixes aside; however, I felt like the stand might tip over. I also didn't feel like crawling into the bottom shelf to grab a case of Polar. In the end, I just took the Zazz brand, but left the store a little annoyed. There's really no difference between the store brand and Polar's seltzer, it's just that I grew up drinking Polar and that's what I like to buy. I don't think it's fair of Stop & Shop to box out the competitor's brand to push their own products.
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What's in Your Purse?

In the spirit of spring cleaning, I decided to clean out my purse. I carry a small bag that I toss in my larger gym backpack. Mostly just stuff that speaks to my eye & ear ailments, as well as an old tube of lip gloss covered in bits of crud and my 3 crucial plastic cards without which I'd be lost. In no particular order, here's a shoutout to the big 3 who get me through the day: Charlie Card, Dunkin Donuts rechargable card and my work badge.
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Another Bloody Sock

Not quite as exciting as that other bloody sock... After my run yesterday, I realized that I need to start taking better care of my feet. Fortunately, that was the only blood shed during the run as I always remember to apply strategically placed Vaseline.
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No Joke! April Fool's Fundraising Event at Mantra!

I hope you'll join me for a fundraising event at Mantra to benefit my 2009 Boston Marathon charity team, Team Eye & Ear!

Who: Team Eye & Ear Supporters

What: Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased and sent to got2trotlibrarian@gmail.com via Paypal. Or, click on the event widget to the right!

Tickets can also be purchased at the door.

Tickets include a complimentary signature cocktail and passed hors d'oevres (blue cheese naan, potato cakes with onion creme fraice & roasted free range chicken with garlic, herbs & yogurt.)

Where: Mantra, a fun restaurant & bar that boasts some beautiful decor. Check out the photos on the website!

Mantra is located at 52 Temple Place in Downtown Crossing

Manta's staff has been exceedingly generous and has donated their lounge area (complete with comfortable seating and its own bar) for the event.

When: April Fool's Day (Wednesday, April 1) at 6:00 PM. **Please arrive as close to 6 as possible, as the complimentary cocktail and hors d'oevres will only be available from 6-7. There will also be a cash bar and food available for purchase throughout the night.**

Why: Why not? This is a great opportunity to enjoy some food and drinks with friends and co-workers, while supporting a world renowned local hospital, the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary!

Questions? Feel free to leave me a comment or email me directly: got2trotlibrarian@gmail.com
Hope to see you there!

My Boston Limerick

As part of a contest on Boston.com, I wrote a limerick today. Readers were asked to submit one that sums up Boston. I wasn't sure if there were syllable requirements to take into consideration in addition to the a-a-b-b-a rhyming scheme. I also wasn't sure if a limerick should start out with, "There once was a..." Oh well, I had fun writing it! I wrote mine about the morning commute, because that sums up Boston to me. Or at least that's something I spend a lot of time thinking about.

Shivering outside, cold freezes my feet

I see the bus! Maybe I'll get a seat?

Ugh, line's out the door at Dunkies

Iced coffee, skim, no sugar, please

Melt snow! (So I can whine about the heat.)

And, as my family in Buffalo would say, "There ya go!"

Roll Call

I have a whole long list of people to thank for their generous donations! Let's have a virtual round of applause for Dave in Texas, Donna, Mike & little Joey in PA, Allen, Tim & John in Boston, MaryEllen & Bob in Glastonbury, CT, and Maggie in Virginia. Thank you for supporting Team Eye and Ear!

Remember, if you'd like to make a donation, you can do so at: www.firstgiving.com/got2trotlibrarian.

Thank you!

Eat to Prevent Hunger Today at Boloco

I'm on Boloco's mailing list, which has helped me get a bunch of free burritos over the years. I just received an email this morning and wanted to repost a portion of it here, because it's an easy way to help out a deserving charity:

Finally, in support of our favorite non-profit Community Servings (www.servings.org) and our annual commitment to give to their cause, tomorrow we will be presenting them with a check for 50% of all of today's Sales from our School Street, Congress Street, Pearl Street, and Federal Street restaurants.

From CommunityServings.org:

Community Servings is dedicated to providing free home-delivered meals throughout eastern Massachusetts to people homebound with HIV/AIDS and other acute life-threatening illnesses, who are unable to shop or cook for themselves. We provide our clients, their dependent families, and caregivers appealing, nutritious meals, reaching out to those in greatest need. Our goals are to help our clients maintain their health and dignity, provide nutritionally and culturally appropriate meals, preserve the integrity of their family, and send the message that someone cares.

Happy Square Root Day

Today is Square Root Day. I think it would be more fun if it were Square Dance Root Day, which would have been a fun "Mathnet" episode. Something like...

Turn your partner round and round, promenade left and don't fall down!

Take the month & the day, my dear, now multiple together and you've got the year!

"The story you're about to see is a fib, but it's short. The names are made up but the problems are real."

Yeehaw!

Monte Sugarloaf's Revenge

Thursday evening, Nick, Brad, Jenny and I left for a long ski weekend up to Sugarloaf, ME. As is tradition, we stopped to eat at the Chili's in South Portland, ME, which is about the halfway mark between Boston and Sugarloaf. While the others opted for tacos and quesadillas, I bucked tradition and ordered the Spicy Garlic & Lime Grilled Shrimp Salad- it was excellent.

In the past, we've had some trouble with wind at Sugarloaf, and unfortunately we only got 2 runs in Friday morning as the lifts closed (or never even opened) by 10 or so. I went to the gym and then killed time until we went to dinner. About an hour or so before dinner, I started to feel kind of nauseous and was in bed by 10. Little did I know that I would be out of bed around 1:00 AM with the kind of diarrhea that American tourists only fear that Mexican tap water will yield. Eventually I made it back to the bedroom on my hands and knees and fell asleep on the floor. About an hour later, I woke up again and made it to the bathroom just in time to flip up the toilet seat and spew every last content of my stomach into the bowl. I hardly ever vomit when I'm sick; I think the last time was at least 5 years ago, so I sort of forgot what it was like. In a weird way, I was intrigued by the fact that just as much seemed to be pouring out of my nose as my mouth. Six contentious rounds later my gag reflex knocked me out and I was down for the count.

I spent all day Saturday in bed. Here's what my view looked like:

Thank goodness for Gatorade.

There was a mirror hanging over the dressers in our bedroom that reflected the beautiful wall art that the condo owners chose to display. Normally, we get framed ski posters or even family photos; however, in this case, the owners decided to spice it up. In the above photo, you can see the reflection of a framed sketch popping out to the right of my Gatorade bottle. Below is the inspiring image that stared back at me all day while I tried to keep liquids down for more than 10 minutes:

Let's take a moment to reflect on how beautiful the human body is

I almost think my illness was a reaction to this sketch; however, I think the blame lies with Chili's and the shrimp salad which tasted great the first time and not as good the second.