Confessions of a Brownie

CONGRATS!

2006-08-01T21:37:00.000-04:00

OMG, I just visited all of the other student interns' websites and they are AMAZING! You guys did an excellent job! I am so very fortunate to have gotten the chance to meet and work with such intelligent, driven, unique individuals. It's strange b/c I felt like I knew a lot about all of you, but after going through your webpages I actually got a real feel of your personalities...outside of work. I guess everyone has there own story to tell.

A CHEESY NOTE TO ALL THE INTERNS...

Rick, I am so glad that you were able to be yourself and finally let your friends in on your experiences in life and how they have shaped you into the person you are today. Being honest with yourself and your friends probablly feels pretty liberating...so congrats on that. I'm sure it was difficult for you, but YOU DID IT! Everyone has a past, you can't escape it, but it's what you make out of it. In your case, your past has made you a strong, determined individual. I'm sure you'll make a great cardiac surgeon one day.

Julie, you are one funny girl. The "frilly dresses"...I TOTALLY understand...for some odd reason my mom would dress me in those dresses....for lack of a better word...b/c they weren't really dresses they were fashion hazards...that were the most uncomfortable thing in the world!More seriously, I think your interest in archaeology is pretty awesome. It's very rare you come across someone who is interested in discovering ruins and learning about ancient cultures and civilizations. It's cool that you want to be a diplomat to the UN...I mean how often do you hear someone say that! I hope you reach all your dreams...I know you will actually...keep on smiling.

Melissa, you're the first girl I have met who lists "shopping" as her least favorite thing to do...haha. I find your fascination with Xena hilarious. Transferring schools so many times must have been difficult but you took it with stride. When you first said you were majoring in equine studies...to be honest I had no idea what that meant..but it's such a cool major. I always wanted to learn how to ride horses, just never got the chances...maybe you can teach me one day.

Matt, I had no idea you had such a sense of humor. Your blog entries were quite entertaining to read b/c most of the time they were completely random. I would have never guessed you were a cry baby as a child..and the fact your dad worried that you would be teased...makes it even more funny. Ice skating? Dance? haha who knew? I didn't know you were interested in English and history...for some reason I thought you were always a science person. Oh yeah...what's up with referring to yourself in the third person in your biography? The story of a king...haha...umm hmm.

Tarrez, you have the prettiest smile! Working with you I got to see your more outgoing, spirited side but from your biography I saw another side to you. I am so proud of all your accomplishments. You have worked so hard to escape social pressures and your determination as a child to do well in everything is truly inspiring. Like you, I turned to my faith when I was feeling sort of doubtful and unsure of things. I hope that God gives you many joys and that you future is prosperous.

TINAAA!!! haha...awwww....When I was reading your biography I could picture everything so vividly. You sitting in your kindergarden class and simply smiling..barely talking...aw..TOO CUTE! It's weird b/c I think since I am one of the youngest Urdu was my second language and my relatives would always ask my parents why I never spoke urdu and it was b/c the older sibs knew english and so that's what I spoke. When my grandpa came from India I learned Urdu like in two months or something and I tought him English...funny...just thought I'd tell you. I'm so glad I met you in orchestra, 7th grade, where we mutually sucked at playing the violin! Well you know how amazing I think you are....or else why would I have been friends with you for so long? You're goofy, beautiful, intelligent and totalllyyyy cool...haha.

I'm done...this is so cheesy, forgive me...haha.

I'M DONE!

2006-07-31T13:58:00.000-04:00

yay! I'm done with my website!!!! *sighz*

Wow, so this week is our last week. I can't believe how fast this summer has gone by. In a few weeks I'll be off to college....kinda of a scary thought....and I'll be living on my own.

I have to order a laptop for school...any suggestions on a reliable notebook computer for the year? Whatelse...x-tra long twin comforters...haha.

I'm out.

M & M

2006-07-26T14:21:00.000-04:00

The other day Julie fed a squirrel some M&M's...and we watched the squirrel eat them...it was amusing. blah

Valpo Trip

2006-07-21T08:20:00.000-04:00

I know it's actually been a few days since the Valpo trip but I just now found time to update. I thought it was a beautiful library, the architecture was awesome and the food was good too. I enjoyed the tour of the library, especially the automatic book thing. Also the posters the Valpo students made were a cute idea. The presentation by the students was well done. The movie that was presented, Lord of the Librarians? was hilarious! I'm done for now.

bye.

Heat Wave

2006-07-17T14:01:00.000-04:00

My goodness, it is so hott outside it's ridiculous! I had to walk to the BIC this morning and afternoon and I felt like I was fried into a shish kabob. My second day in the BIC wasn't so bad. The people down there seem to be pretty laid back, which is nice. I got to work at exactly 8 am but the BIC was still closed, so I waited for about 15 minutes and Scott came and opened the doors. I continued where I left off last week with the inventory check, which I again finished rather quickly. Then I did something called SPSS? I don't remember exactly what it's called but I was recording the comments an audience had to a presentation by Stephen Hayes. I cleaned up some shelves for an open house that is going to be held there and then I was off. I am now in payroll, enjoying the luxury of AC.

peace.

Rainy Days

2006-07-14T14:14:00.000-04:00

The Chicago trip was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the tour of the Chicago Public Library. It was so nice to see people actually utilizing the facilities and resources the library has to offer. Walking the streets of the downtown with Eirene was also blast. She made the bus ride there and back quite entertaining as well. We'd been planning a trip out to Chicago for awhile and Thursday happened to be the most opportune time.

Lucky me I got to sleep in the next day, since we didn't have to be at work until 10:00. It was raining really hard by the time I left the house, I was just hoping that I wouldn't have to walk in it. Fortunately by the time I got to Hesburgh the rain wasn't so bad. Liz drove us to the Career Center so we wouldn't have to walk which was nice...we're a lazy bunch. I didn't even know that there was something called a career center. I mean it's pretty cool that there's a place to go to help find a person find a job or build a resume.

On our way to lunch the rain started up again, CRAZY-style. I felt so prepared b/c I had an umbrella. It never occured to me to grap an umbrella before leaving the house, but someone was nice enough to lend me theirs. As I was leaving La Fortune a bird pooped on my shirt. Quite a misfortunate event, but what can you do. Life goes on.

Until next time...

I'm out.

Late

2006-07-10T10:52:00.000-04:00

Today my new schedule started. It's not so bad thus far, except everyone I work with is in some meeting which leaves me time to update my blog. I had to check the inventory but that didn't take to long. I have highlighter marks all over my hands b/c I was using highlighters to cross off the books on the list.

I woke up at 7:30 today!!! I was running really late but I ended up getting out of the house a little earlier than usual (not sure how, but I did). So I was thinking I'd make it to work on time even though BIC is quite a hike from where I park. I guess my brain wasn't functioning or something because while I was driving I ended up on Juniper, which is obviously closed...and I KNEW that!!! I guess I was so confident that I'd make it to work on time that I got screwed in the end. To make the long story short, I got to work 10 minutes late due to my lack of attention to where I was going. I guess that's what I get for waking up late. ah well.

Later gators!

Reference

2006-06-30T11:28:00.000-04:00

As I have begun my research here in instructions class, I am beginning to doubt my topic. There is so much to say and I don't know what the basis of my paper should be, like what should I focus on. Following is the assignment for Cheri.

Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century African History. 2003.

pgs 218-220. DT 29 .E53 2003

It's apparent that poverty is definatley a concern in Africa. The combination of environmental and political instability has effected all aspects of living in the nation. The food scarcity leaves devastatingly large death tolls.

2006-06-28T10:50:00.000-04:00

I finally got my net ID. yay!!! For some strange reason getting a net ID makes me feel.....official? I don't know if that's the right word to express what I am feeling, but that sounds right.

I have not started doing any research for the topic I have chosen, but I hope to start that soon. I actually saw an interview with Angelina Jolie on CNN with Anderson Cooper that was pretty interesting. (Felicia I think it's the one you were telling me about). She is truly a remarkable and inspiring woman. The work she does is something I aspire to do one day.

I have exactly an hour left of study hall. Felcia and I have made plans, so I'm looking forward to that. Oh yeah I got my debit/ATM card in the mail yesterday and today was the first time I used it....that was exciting. haha...okay I think I should stop now, I have nothing left to say...except for THAT'S ALL FOLKS!

2006-06-26T17:48:00.000-04:00

Felicia you are A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!! Thanks for a gRrreat time at the gym.

So I'm actually enjoying coming to work. In the beginning I thought that work was considerably boring, but it's not so bad anymore. I like the people I work with--everyone is extremely kind--and I really like being involved with this program. I am learning a lot of interesting stuff that I know will benefit me in the future--the web course on maximizing the abilities of google was pretty cool.

Now off to help my mom in the kitchen...I love cooking!

2006-06-22T22:56:00.000-04:00

Today has truly been an exhausting day. I managed to get myself up for work after a restless night, listening to my brother and his friends playing halo. I really don't understand what the fascination is with that game. I tried playing it once but I guess I just wasn't as excited about it as my brother. Ah well. Off to work I went. I worked with Tina in preservation and instead of sewing books we scanned barcodes. For some odd reason Tina and I were having an unusual amusant scanning barcodes. Don't ask. Needless to say we had a good time.

At lunch I found out where La Fortune was. It was an amusing adventure considering I was walking the wrong direction for a good 5 minutes untill I decided to ask someone if I was headed the right way.

In web course I started on my webpage which was kind of interesting. Then the rest of the day kind of flew by.

After work I went home, made some salad and a killer dessert for a few friends who came over for dinner. We played an intense game of BS and the night ended.

Later!

2006-06-21T10:24:00.000-04:00

I am currently in study hall and I'm not quite sure what to do...so I decided to blog. Well after I got home from work last Thursday, I started chatting with my sister. She was telling me about something she saw on CNN that really depressed her--CNN was documenting on the poverty in Somalia. A father of six boys, five of which died of starvation, was now losing his last son for the same reason. In such destitute circumstances the old man still attempts to put on a brave face for the cameras. He has maybe a cup of water or less than that. With what little water he has he tries to decide whether he should use the water to wash the body of his last son before the burial or if he should save the water to drink for himself. After hearing this I was reassured that my topic for the research paper would be famine in Africa, Somalia particularlly. What has this world come to when a father has to make a choice like that? Life is too unfair.

Research Paper

2006-06-16T11:08:00.000-04:00

I just got done with my first instructions class. Quite interesting actually. I have been assigned to write a research paper on a topic of my choice. As of now I am thinking about writing something on famine in Africa. To narrow the topic I will focus on maybe a particular region in Africa and discuss the reasons why poverty may exist in that region. To further the discussion I will talk about the efforts being made to help those that are living under those conditions.

Feel free to give me any suggestions on how I can elaborate on my topic.

Peace.

Commencement

2006-06-15T14:28:00.000-04:00

I graduated from high school this past Sunday and let me tell you, I am so happy to be out. FREEDOM!!! Well somewhat, right? I started working this week--my first job too--and I'm not going to lie, it's difficult. I am a night owl and getting up at 8 in the morning hasn't exactly been a walk in the park. I am however, enjoying the experience of working in the library. I had no idea how much work had to be done in the library before and now that ignorance is slowly being replaced with knowledge and I am grateful for that.

I remember when I was first interviewed for this job I was asked what I thought librarians did. When I think back to my answer I can't help but think of how naive I was. All I knew before was that librarians help answer questions and file books, but there is so much more that is done. So far I've learned that the library functions sort of like a factory. There are several departments that take on specific tasks. Without each departments efforts the library probably wouldn't function as smoothly as it does.