Random Update Blurb

Too long has passed since I have written in this journal. Many things have happened such as I had the most healthy, robust, and beautiful 9 lbs 16 oz baby girl Mackenna Claire via C-section on 4/8/11. Having two girls under one roof has been quite the challenge, but it is the most rewarding. Mackenna is so much different from her baby sister that it makes me so happy. I love how they are so different and yet they get along as if they were twins almost. Leona is a chatterbox and I cannot believe she is already going to be FOUR in September! Soon, I will have to find a suitable pre-K that is not going to charge me an arm and a leg.

The hubby is doing well too, though he lost his job toward the end of last year and has been since rehired back at his old job where his parents live. It is hard since he lives with his brother, brother’s girlfriend, and cousin during the week and travels home for the weekend to spend with the girls and me. It is hard because I never see him especially with my crazy work schedule. It does not ever seem like things are going to look up at work and I will never get off this evening schedule. I do not think I mind the evenings so much as having to work the weekend…like every weekend. That is what is so hard especially since everyone I know wants me to hang out and have fun with them…on the weekend.

I know some day things will change, but it is always so hard to vision the future especially since the future is never fixed. I think this is what makes me so annoyed about the future and it makes it hard to plan stuff out right. At least, I do know and am planning on a vacation this year! We are going to Manteo, NC for a couple of days to be ourselves and the girls get to go to the beach for the first time ever! I grew up at the beach and I suppose we could have gone to my hometown, but just thinking about my hometown makes me want to move even further away. I am not sure what it is about hometowns, I’ve never really been too keen on it. Perhaps it’s because of my rocky childhood or maybe the closed-mindedness that over half of the population possesses.

Anyway, out of the dismal past and into the bright future of this vacation I’m taking. It’s the first since childhood I believe that I finally get to go anywhere…well wait there was that one time I did go to DC for the weekend, but I hardly count that since it was the weekend and not a week! True, my Manteo trip will only be for 3ish days, but it’s with family and I’m taking off a WHOLE workweek using up 40 hours of vacation time on something other than childbirth! I’ll get to go see Roanoke Island, maybe the Outer Banks where my girls will get to play and possibly fear the ocean, and go to the aquarium up there. I’m so excited!! Something about vacations, make everything feel better. I already feel refreshed just thinking that I can actually going somewhere and have fun…now I just need to find a suitable bathing suit.

Another thing about the future that I’m excited about is that I get to set up a book display on the history of the British Monarchy come August. I figure it will be an awesome tribute to Queen Elizabeth II as she celebrates her Diamond Jubilee. I already have a few items selected as well as I’ve ordered a few savory books to add to the Jackson Library collection (I hope). I feel like I’m actually using my history master’s degree toward something useful and my secret passion: a piece of British History.
Well, I’ve rattled on for enough now, but I thought an update was much needed and if I can ever figure out how to post pictures to this blog, I will dutifully do so in the future.

P.S. - Sorry about the poor grammar if it’s in there. I’m writing this close to midnight after a long day of going to work early and discharging library returns for 3-4 hours today (something I secretly love I might add).

Wake Me Up When September Ends...

I don't know why I have this song stuck in my head. When I arrived at my blog site, something I haven't done since July (oops!), this song popped into my head. I think it might have something to do with me not writing in so long, feeling like I was in a deep slumber and finally waking up a the end of September. However, I do have a valid excuse. I spontaneously got married, I discovered that Leona will be a big sister in April, and my family has moved into a cozier apartment.

In addition, work has been busy with all the books folks can't find, which are either in the right place or slightly misshelved. I don't mind looking for things, but it gets to me when people lack the initiative to look for things on their own. However, it's all not that bad, I spend a couple of hours on the reference desk each Friday, and help people with their technology woes at the checkout desk when I'm not looking for missing things or attending classes on how to be an awesome supervisor.

I think I've finally decided on going to library school for the following reasons: 1) I always wanted to work in one ever since I was little and have found it incredibly rewarding. 2) While history didn't exactly fit me properly, I still love it and the documents associated with it and since the library is full of historical documents, it seems like a great fit.

I'm still taking my year off, but I'm going to study for the GRE and take it next summer once the baby arrives. I'm excited, though a little apprehensive as to how my job will accept it. Hopefully they'll be flexible enough to allow me to take the classes; after all, it will boost my job review in theory.

Anyways, September finally ended with rainy cool days, so welcome October and your wind, coolness, brightly colored leaves, and great holidays!

Running Up That Hill

I always imagined the first posting for a journal to be something memorable filled with words of wisdom, or at the very least something meaningful. However, all I can come up with at the moment are the lyrics of "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush covered by the band Placebo at 2:30-ish in the morning. Why write this at such a late (or for some early) hour remains to be determined.

I've recently graduated with a Master's degree in European history and I work at the academic library of the institution from which I supposedly emerged enlightened. I have a beautiful little girl and a wonderful fiance who is about to graduate from technical community college. Life seems good, but in reality it always provokes an uphill battle of thinking, challenges, and multiple paths. I almost wish I could switch places with Life, then maybe it would know how confused I feel right now and make the choices for me. However, that would be too easy and then I wouldn't have anything to write about.

I'm at a crossroads currently in terms of academic or even professionally. I could have the opportunity of pursuing a ph.d and become a true historian, or I could attain another master's degree in library science to work with the archives I found so interesting to study during my studies of history. Perhaps the second choice would be better as I am probably proving how terrible I am at writing with each keystroke. Though it is late so maybe I get some credit for this fact?

Hopefully this journal will help with this as well as describing what is going on in my consciousness, which in return will hint at my subconscious...or so psychology suggests. The other goal of this journal is to document moments of my life even though I probably won't write everything about every moment I experience because that would probably be too monotonous. Thus, the continuous working title of this journal "Snapshots of Life," in particular my life, and my marathon of running up its hill.