The Tales of Missus P.

Friday Morning

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Suzanne Schultz Pick

I picked the right week to get sick. I didn’t have any homework except to re-do an assignment that I flubbed up on. Other than that I just got my books at the library for my next two sections. The rest of the time I just hung out at home. I’m finally going to the doctor today.

The paperwork business is getting done. It’s a big process to have everything I possibly need to send in: bank statements, birth certificate, pictures, phone records, etc. But I think we have everything we need now. I just have to get the application done and send everything out. I want to be in England by December.

I’ve send in my name change form for school. I’m so excited – next month I apply for May graduation! I’m almost there! I’m half way through this term and I’ll just have one more class (plus my planned volunteering) next year before I can look for a proper library job.

Posted in All About Me, Books, Library, School | Tagged book, England, library, paperwork, poetry, sick, Visa | Leave a comment

Paperwork, peas and Twitter

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Suzanne Schultz Pick

Today I have to run back to the library. I finished up my reviews for my children’s poetry section and our next section is historical. Larger books to read in two weeks, so I have to get cracking. I will grab the ones I need for the section after historical as well. I have to get what I can get done before I go.

I finally got my passport renewed with my name change and smiley photo. Next is the big Visa application. I have to apply online, make an appointment in Orlando to get my fingerprints done, and send in a lot of required materials. It’s a big process but as long as we’ve been researching this, we should be all set. It amazes me how daunting it all looks. I don’t want to miss any possible ounce of “evidence” they may need. Phone records, emails, bank statements, certificates and license to name a few. I don’t know how long it will take for them to approve the Visa either but my plan is to go after Thanksgiving. With having to get Jake’s paperwork ready after mine, that gives me time to get us ready. Plus, I get to watch the Macy’s parade and eat pumpkin pie! The pumpkin pie mix that’s imported to England is low this year.

And that’s how things are rolling right now. I’m still not very packed but when I can only bring so much, there’s not a whole lot I can do with these things (except donate what I can of course.) I’m sending what I can ahead of me (you can put 70 lbs worth of stuff in a Priority Box and send it internationally – winter clothes, of course, only make the box weigh about 6 lbs.)

Also, I really am not “feeling it” with Twitter. It just reminds me of those chat rooms we use to have in the 90s where people would come into a room, start an argument, get everyone in a fluff and generally torment people for their own enjoyment. This is why I like Facebook – I don’t have to look at random strangers’ posts about atheism, drinking or inappropriate behavior. I just don’t want to sift through that garbage. I like talking to the library community and seeing cool links here and there but now I understand why 70% (some statistic on the news the other day) of Twitter updates get ignored. It just seems like a big mess to me.

But right now I’m still working on my Scandinavian pea soup. The recipe said to put in the crock pot on high for the first 4-6 hours, low for the second. I’ve had it on low all night. No wonder they wouldn’t get mushy! I think they’re actually cooking now. Non-mushy peas wouldn’t be very British of me now would they?

Posted in All About Me, Books, Library | Tagged books, cooking, library, travel, twitter | Leave a comment

And the fun begins

Posted on October 6, 2010 by Suzanne Schultz Pick

Today I gutted the closet a little more since I had bought some more storage bins yesterday. I found scads of clothes that I bought on sale years ago that still had the tags on them. This is the thrift store shoppers lucky day! I’d so rather it go to someone who can use them than have them sit in this closet.

Also, I started getting my named changed on my SS card and my passport. In my haste of getting my things in the mail before 5PM, I forgot to add the extra money for the expedited shipping on my passport (I do not have 6 weeks to wait!) As I was saying in my updates earlier, when I went to Walgreens to have my new photo done, the girl working there made me come back and retake it after someone else had processed the pictures. “You can’t smile in the passport photos.” “Yes you can. I’m smiling in the one I got last year. My husband is smiling in his too…” “Well, they get sent back to us.” “Huh. Must be a new rule.” “Well, people will bring theirs back saying they aren’t accepted though I know they look perfect.” Red flag. I let her take my straight on, unfun picture, then proceeded on to the Post Office where I had the postmaster not only take the right picture (smile and all) but put everything in the Priority envelope with delivery confirmation and all. I felt much better about the whole thing once I had the P.O. handle things – that is until I realized I didn’t pay my extra fees for fast processing. Department of State said I could call in later and give them my payment over the phone for that though once they have the application. Hooray! Everything is fine in the world of me again!

I watched “Teach: Tony Danza” finally. Man, they treated that guy really badly on his first day. Yes, there are cameras involved and a potential distraction to students. But if he hadn’t been a celebrity I think they would have given him way more respect and way more encouragement. I’m talking administrators and parents, not the kids necessarily. Those kids are too young to have seen “Taxi” or maybe even “Who’s the Boss?” (except for the one girl who said she was into the 80s and knew who he was.) I really feel for the guy. He’s qualified to teach, he’d had more instruction and more mentoring than lots of other new teachers have. I just really empathize with that “we assume you’re going to fail and we’ll let you know about it” attitude they gave him. Even that AP who was telling him, in front of student no less, to “stop being vain and put on his glasses.” Yup, I give the man credit for walking into that minefield.

Posted in All About Me, Television | Tagged a&e, closet, clothes, moving, passport, teach, television, tony danza | Leave a comment

Books and Boxes

Posted on October 2, 2010 by Suzanne Schultz Pick

I’ve started taking survey of what I absolutely need to pack up. First of all, my books. I looked through a lot of them but I just can’t part with most of them. Either I used them for classes or they’re classics or I just plain like them. So I’m packing them all up for storage.

After that I’ll work on my keepsakes and other things here and there that I want to keep. The computers, yes. The summer clothes, yes. All I need to take with me right now is my laptop, my iPhone and my winter clothes. Jake too.

It’s hard to look around and wonder exactly where to begin when you’re going to move. Especially when you can’t just hire some movers to put a bunch of stuff in a truck and tell them you’ll meet them in Canada or wherever. But I’ll have what I need and the rest easily accessible when I come back for visits. The rest is going to be donated (as I’ve already started to gut my closet with donations over the summer) or tossed out.

For my Children’s and YA Lit class, I started reading What My Mother Doesn’t Know by Sonya Sones. I love that Push poetry type verse that this book is in.

Posted in All About Me, Books | Tagged books, moving, poetry | Leave a comment

I love rock n’ roll and the reference desk

Posted on September 30, 2010 by Suzanne Schultz Pick

Today I went to the library and stalked the reference desk for a while. I had to observe a reference interview so it was easy to just park myself at a table with my laptop and eavesdrop. There are plenty of people who go to those reference librarians asking all sorts of questions: Questions about school projects, new books, old books, how to look for ebook and if they could help with the computers. I think I’d like working at the reference desk. I certainly know enough about helping people out from teaching and I have a fairly decent knowledge of literature and researching. I think it’s the right job for me. Now all I need is the degree and the library to higher me.

I just finished watching “The Runaways.” It was an okay movie. I guess I would be more impressed if I liked Kristen Stewart, was interested in 1970s drug-induced bands or knew any other songs besides “I Love Rock n’ Roll.” Still, it wasn’t that bad and Dakota Fanning did a good job. Kristen Stewart is just boring as all get-out to me but that made her totally fit the part of Joan Jett’s character; hunched shoulders, mumbling voice, lack of real pizazz in her actions. Maybe Joan Jett is more fun at a party but as far as that movie made it seem, she was snooze central. Anyone else watch it? What did you think?