Listening: "Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen.

Reading (perhaps quality): still stalled with "Turtle Moon" by Alice Hoffman. I obviously need to find something else.

Reading (definitely pulp): finished "Needful Things" by Stephen King but it's still in my backpack and I haven't put anything else in yet so I reread parts on the metro.

Drinking: diet pepsi with lots of ice.

August 14, 2002
11:39 pm

Getting all dramatic with the light here... have all the lights off except for the corner light in the living room - and here in the dining room it's basically just the light of the computer screen.

Of course I think I have the lights down low so I can convince myself that the place is clean enough for Mom's visit. Talked with her last night and she said I didn't have to do any cleaning for her - a big admission as I have a reputation in my family as the daughter with the messiest room (having a messy room was my only act of rebellion as a teenager). Actually now that I live on my own I like things being ordered. Maybe keeping things messy is just less fun when you're not 18 and pissing someone off?

But it's all pretty clean. Swept and washed the floors, fluffed the couch cushions, tidied the still remaining boxes, washed the dishes, tried then gave up trying to close my kitchen cabinets (must contact the landlord - the things don't really close so I have them open like my life's a supermarket or magazine ad. Thank god my dishes and glasses are cute.)

She gets in tomorrow at 4:30 - am planning another early morning so I can go get her without having to take any leave. Have museum passes at the ready, a metro card and spare set of keys for her. Excited about her seeing my place, my life here.

Also finally talked to SS the SS last night (Demmert and I were joking that she talked to her more for work stuff than I talked to her as a friend). She's moving out here late this month/ early next month - hooray hooray hooray! I know we'll both be busy with new jobs and living cross town (she's looking at places on the Hill, I'm in Arlington) but 'twill be great to have such an old and dear friend close by again.

Have been thrust into four committees and a fiercely political situation at work and am trying to balance pleasure at their proof-of-confidence in me and apprehension at having to swim in worse-than-shark-infested waters so early in the game. It's an opportunity to do good work, an opportunity to piss people off. Been rethinking the group dynamics discussion in the Goffman book, social psych stuff from undergrad, techniques and theories from qualitative methods last year, trying to make sense of a situation where no one's lying but everyone (understandably) has a definite perspective.

Other than that, work's fine.

Was in a Photoshop course today (have another day of it tomorrow) and am again amazed and how easy tools and techniques are when you're in class and how quickly one can forget them. Have been using Photoshop for several years now - am self-taught so its a relief to learn how to actually use this awesome program.

Am working on a step by step online user-centered design primer for library webmasters. Feel a bit goofy saying I'm putting one together, as there are tons of great ones online but its a good exercise for me (to remember, review, and write about all the lovely techniques I learned in grad school) and I think people will be more likely to read and pay attention to it if they think it was written specifically for them with their organizational limitations and culture in mind. An organizational culture, mind you, I'm still wading through.

"Bird on a Wire" playing now (still Leonard Cohen, not the Willie Nelson version) - "I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch, he said 'You must not ask for so much'. Then a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door, she cried to me 'Hey, why not ask for more?' ". Something to ponder, I suppose.

Doing (life and related tasks): tons of meetings and a Photoshop class at work today, cleaning and a nap this evening.

Doing (crafty stuff): did a couple of rows on the sweater.

Wanting: still the funding for the Corcoran course, better air circulation through the apartment.

Anticipating: Mom's visit this weekend, a couple of September beach trips still in planning stages, SS the SS finally moving out here.