July 5, 2016

This morning I woke up, got ready, and headed to campus. I had a brief meeting with my practicum supervisor and we probably spent an equal amount of time talking about the ALA conference and the assessment project. I think the plan is for her to send me all the Excel files so I can combine all the data and make it look better. I believe we're also supposed to have another meeting on Thursday because the other librarian will be back in the office and we haven't had a meeting with all of us in quite awhile.

Following the meeting I spent about three hours wandering around the library and coming up with possible questions/hints for the scavenger hunt. I started at a computer on the third floor so I could use a computer and look up stuff on the library's website on an actual screen, not just my phone. Then I spent quite awhile in the stacks, covering two or three different levels, trying to come up with stuff. One of the ideas is for the students to look up a book in the catalog and then find it in the stacks. I wasn't sure what book I wanted to pick, and went through a few different ones, but then I had the idea for Laurel & Hardy. I checked the library catalog on my phone and found that they had a few books in the stacks, on the level I was currently on, so I tracked them down. There were three books about them right next to each other (I think they had more stored off-site) and I went with one that was filled with pictures from all their different films. I don't imagine it is a book that is checked out too frequently so along with having them find it I kind of also want them to look in the book and answer what film is featured on page ninety-nine. The answer is Brats, and I chose it because it is one of my favorites. If the book is checked out they would just have to take a picture of where the book should be on the shelves. After that I wandered all over the library. I went to the fourth floor and included taking pictures of vinyl, CDs, and DVDs. I went to the fifth floor for pictures of the special collection displays and the statue. And I went down to the first floor for periodicals. I also have several items where the students would need to use the library website. I feel like I have the beginnings of a good scavenger hunt.

After leaving campus and before heading home, I went and got my oil changed. Turns out I was almost two-hundred miles over my little sticker. And several months past the little sticker. I can't imagine ever hitting the mileage before the month on the sticker. Anyway, I got my oil changed and as part of the service they also filled up my tires, so I'm all good again on that front.

I managed not to accomplish anything the rest of the day. I've definitely hit that lull in productive activity caused by an overwhelming amount of stress. It's rough. I'm feeling guilty about work because I really feel like I'm just putting in the bare minimum. I'm too stressed out by all the other stuff in my life at the moment to really devote much energy to my job. Although I am focused while at work and I'm not supposed to work on work stuff when I'm not at work, something that has been stressed multiple times, so maybe I'm doing alright. But I doubt it. I'm also stressed out by the hours needed for my practicum. I feel like it should be centered around my projects rather than the time I spend on them, kind of like school, and work (sometimes). My goal should be finishing my two big projects, not reaching a certain number of hours. But I get it. I think the idea is to treat it more like a job where you're clocking in and out, putting in your time. Something I would have appreciated more if I wasn't also juggling a full-time job and other schoolwork. Speaking of, schoolwork is also stressing me out. I've got blog posts due this weekend and I also have to work this weekend. I don't have a day off until next Tuesday, which means I'm going to have to find the motivation to work on those after getting home from work. Can't wait.

My most recent distraction has been skateboards, more accurately, cruiser boards. Prior to this distraction I was distracted by fountain pens and paper, and I am still into that stuff but I don't have any time to write. I also don't have any time to skateboard, which is fine because I also don't know how to skateboard. But I have always wanted to learn and that is all my brain needs to embrace the idea and run with it, in order to avoid the more pressing responsibilities in my life. I think, if I survive the summer, my graduation present to myself will be a skateboard. I had one as a kid and never learned to ride it, but maybe if I put the time into getting a decent board that actually works, I will be motivated enough to learn. Not any tricks or anything, because I don't want to kill myself. I just want to learn how to ride.

Now I'm going to go to bed because it is 11:30PM and I have to get up early for work. My boss wanted me to experience opening during the week so she scheduled me at eight o'clock tomorrow instead of nine o'clock. I'm not a fan of that but at least I'll get off at five o'clock instead of six o'clock, so that's something.