Teens “socializing” (Photo: internet-safety.yoursphere.com)
A recap of what I was up to for the rest of April…
I’ve had some interesting assignments at work this month. First, I was invited to an elementary school for their Career Day. I spoke to 9 classes about what you do when you work in a library. They all thought you had to be quiet and you got to read a lot. I quickly disabused them of those notions. I haven’t visited a P-6 school for a long time and I was very impressed by how caring the teachers and staff were. Then, I was in charge of the Teen Nights for a couple of weeks. We had a video games evening and the ones who stayed and participated, liked it. However, an equal number decided to hang out in the “library proper” instead where they commenced to chase each other, wrestle each other to the ground, and give a blow-by-blow account of their sexting adventures. Eventually they got tired of me directing their behaviour, and they escaped to the lobby, where the building security officer ended their escapades promptly. We’ll see how it goes tonight for Week 2!
I work one Saturday a month (plus special events on weekends) so I get a weekday off in exchange. I procrastinate a bit when it comes to making personal appointments, so this month I caught up on car stuff. I had to buy new wiper blades (frozen too many times), swap out the tires and get an alignment due to all the pot holes in the roads following the winter, have the brakes adjusted, and book a “rust check” inspection. Now I am ready for safety inspection next month.
Yes, I had the summer tires put back on, and put the snow shovels away. I might be tempting fate if I believed in it!
Funnily enough, I’ve now had to amp up my exercise routine to compensate for the lack of snow shovelling. I have increased my twice-weekly skates from 40 minutes to an hour, and added a long walk on the weekends. I have maintained my clothes size for 6 weeks now following my latest trim-down. It will be another month before any real yard and garden work kicks in. I would like to swim at the pool (swimming is one of my few good sports) but I can hardly stomach the idea of dealing with changing rooms and bathing suits and chlorine again. I am trying to work up the chutzpah to Just Do It.
I am in a negative cash flow situation due to shopping at Banana Republic and Record Store Day boiler repairs and car repairs, so I am borrowing against savings until it works itself out. I am rarely in that position and it doesn’t feel good, but that’s what savings are for.
Photo: bythedrop.com
Finally, the birds are gradually starting to use the feeders, and we now have an influx of goldfinches. The cardinals haven’t been caught by cats yet (as happened in one of my co-worker’s neighbourhoods). And the pheasant still visits twice a day. Rom has named him Bert.
How was April for you?
An Exacting Life 
Great bird picture. It is hard for us southerners to appreciate the exercise need after show snoveling wanes. I bet you were great with the kids.
Thanks. I do fine later in the spring with lawn mowing and gardening. Tonight’s program went well due to having co-hosts planning the activities!
Awwh. BERT! Is there an Ernie?
Honestly, I think I would have loved being a librarian. I was a library helper throughout elementary and high school. I was even the president at one point. Yes, president! It was fun. We shelved books, patched them up and organized library events.
Being a librarian is very rewarding and I highly recommend it! Funny you should ask, Bert did show up with an Ernie one day but we never saw him again 😦
LOL We’ve just changed our wipers because they were too dry!
It would seem youngsters are youngsters wherever they live – there are always some who don’t want to conform – ask me how I know that :). Hope they are more cooperative next time they visit?
Cathy
The second teen program was good; someone was in to do improv. Their behaviour in the library was much better. I think it is a matter of “training.”
I’m looking forward to May…
Yep. Our temperatures are supposed to be above 10C (50F) every day next week!
I’m sure the school would have loved having you, Dar. And it’s great to have teens in the library even if there’s a bit of wrestling involved (lol!)
I like your list of activities! Snow shovelling and ice-skating would be great fun as ways to keep fit in winter. (snow shovelling might not be ‘fun’ but at least it’s a necessary task which motivates exercise.) I’m trying to swim more often but my hair is long and very thick…it takes at least 5 hours to fully dry naturally. And when blow-dried, it puffs up like a meringue!! (I’m making plenty of excuses here for my lack of exercise!)
My hair was like that when I was a kid! I didn’t swim in pools for ages because it was so hard on my hair colour. I don’t have that excuse any more! The teens did better last night and were only reprimanded a few times for loudly swearing in the library. Calm night!
Now I’d like to see what you bought at BR!
Couldn’t find the exact items online, but similar to these (2nd pair in navy):
http://bananarepublic.gapcanada.ca/browse/product.do?cid=1009305&vid=1&pid=969866003
http://bananarepublic.gapcanada.ca/browse/product.do?cid=1009306&vid=1&pid=492280003
Nice work on the trousers – did I mention that I challenged mum and I to a year of ‘second hand only’ clothing, from my birthday? She’d doing well – she’s evidently a little impulsive with shopping!! I know you were trying to get into it, but found some challenges too. I noticed now that I’ve packed away summer clothing, my ironed hanging items are very thin!!
I don’t think I knew that – I would like to hear how it goes!
Ah the joys of adolescent exuberance!!!
I love watching the birds in our area. Even the noisy and destructive cockatoos!
So all the snow has melted everywhere?
You can only see snow now in the woods – the last of it only disappeared this week!