I'm a recycler! And the next stumbling block.

I finally found the drop-off recycling center. Perhaps you, with you handy dandy tub that the city picks up every week do not understand what an accomplishment this was for me. But after trying three separate times to find a place to drop the crap, it feels great to know that I can recycle and not turn into someone who throws away bottles and plastic tubs. Makes me shudder just to think about it. Of course, the lucky homeowners who get the tub don't have to sort but the drop-off people do. I *will* be writing a nasty letter to the city.

In other news, I had a very productive day today. In an effort to get out of bed at a reasonable hour, I set myself an agenda. Today I was required to: practice morning yoga, get a Nebraska driver's license and new plates, find the *!$%* drop-off recycling center, open a new bank account and wash the dog.

Everything got done except for washing the dog. I've had an extremely difficult time finding somewhere to wash her. In Portland, there's a do-it-yourself dog wash on (it seems like) every corner. About once a month, I pay $20 to wash her myself at Beauty for the Beast on Sandy. Here, the only self-service dog wash I can find is at Petco. The groomers are all far away and very expensive.

Petco was an awful experience. The two groomers up front both seemed irritated with the dogs and I thought one of them was mean. Both dogs seemed very stressed and the groomers were doing nothing to make them feel better. No kind words, no petting, nothing. I was, however, willing to overlook this because I would be washing Jesse myself. But the self-service area is just a back room converted. We had to walk past dogs in cages waiting to be groomed or picked up. There were dogs chained to the wall, waiting for who knows what. As soon as we entered the room with the tub, Jesse started to shake. She never likes to take a bath but I've never seen her so afraid. So we left. I'm not going to subject my dog to such a terrible situation and I'm surprised that anyone would allow their dog into such an environment.

So now I have a dirty and stinky dog on my hands. I suppose I'll have to go to a groomer and just suck up the cost. It's worth paying for, though. That place was horrible. I was stressed just looking at the poor dogs.

a day in the life of....

I've had a busy and frustrating couple of days.

Yesterday, I tried to get a new license, plates, etc. I drove all the way across town to the DMV, only to have the guy tell me that I have to get my car inspected before I switch everything over to Nebraska---another DMV back across town. He says I can do everything at once in the new building. I get my car inspected and find that the DMV in the same building is closed. So now I have to wait until Monday.

I also tried finding the recycling drop-off. You may remember from my last post that I cannot recycle at home and have to take everything to a drop-off location. I couldn't find it. I drove around the same block for 20 minutes and I swear it isn't there. I now have a car full of recyclables and I'm acquiring more every minute. I guess I never noticed how much I recycle. I've thrown away a few recyclable things for lack of space and I feel guilty every time. I want to keep it up but I'm not sure it's feasible.

An oil change was next, where I found out that I have a spark plug out. Now I have to find a mechanic. This is very stressful to me because I don't like being in situations where I'm anxious that I'm being taken advantage of. I know nothing about cars, don't really care to learn and just want the damn car to run. A whole boat load of wishful thinking.

This morning I went to synagogue. The closest one to my house is Temple Israel, a reform congregation. It was fine, very much like every other temple I've been to. The rabbi was pretty charismatic, so I'll give it another shot. Then I worked out at the Jewish Community Center (it was a Jew-filled day), a beautiful facility that is probably way out of my price range. Thank goodness for a free week pass.

Sushi for dinner, at a place that had fresh guacamole and sweet potato fries on the menu. No joke. This is a strange town.

Tomorrow I'm going to watch my new boss and her husband put on a puppet show. Also not a joke. I'll try to take some pictures.

By the way, it was 40 degrees and sunny here. I hear it's freezing in Portland. Hmmmm...can I say HA!

Recycling in Omaha

Yes, they recycle but they won't pick up from a residence that has more than 4 apartments. There are 5 apartments in my building. This means that I have to take my recycling to a drop-off location. My guess is that no one around here does that. Garbage was picked up on Tuesday and all three bins are full already.

Nice work, Omaha. Way to motivate people to recycle.

A snowy day

Snow really is lovely. For my first day alone, I shopped at Whole Foods and unpacked. I can't even express how nice it was to go to a store that has my kind of food. I feel like I haven't eaten anything green in a week and it was wonderful to be able to buy whatever I needed. Tofu in Nebraska. Who knew?

Jesse the dog and I took a short walk in the snow today. I could have walked for longer than we did but I'm not sure how long her paws can handle the snow. Anyone know?

Here's a picture of my apartment building. My place is on the bottom right.



This is the park that is two blocks from my house. I think it will be wonderful when it gets a little warmer or when I figure out how much time Jesse can be outside. Don't you just want to slide down that hill?

This is my neighborhood. It's full of old houses that have been converted to apartments and many of the occupants are students at University of Nebraska at Omaha or Creighton University. My place is quiet, big, cheap and I have a garage. Never underestimate the beauty of your own garage in 5 degree weather.

And just for contrast, here is the view I had from my hotel in Cancun two summers ago.

Tomorrow I have my wireless internet set up and my gas installed (which I think just involves lighting the pilot). I decided to get my own internet connection not for ethical reasons (because I still haven't made up my mind) but for practical ones. Since I don't have a television I am torrenting tv shows and slowing down the connection. Seems only fair that I don't do that to someone else.

I really am here

We made it! And, an ethical dilemma.

Greetings from Omaha, Nebraska! Two humans, one dog and one cat made it after traveling for 3 days straight. The drive was fine because Ry and I travel very well together. We only had two issues; Sammy the cat, while quiet all day in the car, decided to meow all night long. We slept about 3-4 hours each night and drove 9-12 hours each day. Needless to say, by the time we made it to Omaha I felt less than human. The other issue was the bad weather in Wyoming. I-80 was closed at Laramie because of blowing snow and low visibility. We had to hole up for the night and wait out the storm. Don't worry, we had a hotel room. Luckily.

We got in about noon yesterday, unloaded the trailer, bought a futon and started shopping for stuff. I forgot how expensive it is to start over. I don't have sugar, flour, herbs or other essentials. We've been to Target, Petco, Nebraska Furniture Mart and Cabela's (Heard of that one? Me either. It's a serious sporting good store, complete with taxidermy animal displays.)

Today we went to the Old Market, which is a revitalized section of downtown. It's a few blocks wide and full of art galleries, restaurants and specialty stores. We bought some really good chocolate. I really hope I'll be working at the downtown library because it's close to the Old Market and it seems like a great place to walk to at lunch. It also seems to be the place to take tourists, so expect to go there if you visit me. We also tried to go to the library, but it was closed. I guess next year I will have MLK eve and MLK day off from work.

So far, everything is going well. I like my apartment, it's very well situated (I'm right off the street that divides the city...the Burnside of Omaha), spacious and cute. There are a couple things that I'm having to learn, like how to use a radiator, gas stove and who shovels the steps. And speaking of snow, we've had some of it and it makes the city so magical and pretty. Yes, it's cold (8 degrees yesterday) but it's bearable. Maybe I'm a cold weather person but I don't think it's that bad. Most people here don't ever wear a hat. It's the summer that I'm dreading because I hate the heat and I really hate the humidity.

All in all, Omaha is doing right by me. I have Ry until Tuesday evening and that really helps. I'm nervous about him leaving because I'll be all alone and I haven't lived alone in years. But I feel optimistic and happy to be here. And very happy to have the moving part of the move over with.

Finally, my ethical dilemma. I really want to know what you all think. I have an appointment with Qwest this week to have wireless internet installed. I'm not going to have a television or cable but I want internet. How am I on right now? My computer found an open wireless network in the area. I don't know who it belongs to or where the person lives. I'm using the network now because I can but is it ethical to continue to use it? Ry says that most people know how to encrypt their network and that means the person might leave it open so other people can use it. Sounds crazy, but we leave ours open in Portland for that reason. So do I cancel Qwest, use this network and save myself $50/month? It's very tempting but it feels wrong.

Goodbye Portland!

I miss you already. Update when I get to my new home.

(My landlord told me it's too cold to be icy. I didn't know it was possible to be too cold. Brrr.)

bored and more podcasts

I hate to admit this because I know you all work very hard and have busy lives but I have officially traveled to the Land of Boredom. I'm packed. I have new all-season tires, snow chains and an oil change. I have a route, a Uhaul and a new AAA membership. Emergency supplies for the dog, cat and humans are ready. Gas, electricity and Internet are set up at my new apartment. I've changed my address at all the appropriate places.

I'm ready to go five days early. Sometimes it's nice to be a planner but it doesn't mesh with not being able to sit still. I'm a bit stir-crazy and it doesn't help that Ry is super busy and there's nothing I can do to help him feel less stressed. Just counting down the days and sittin' on the couch.

Pop Culture Podcasts

I'm not ashamed to admit that I love pop culture. I adore reality tv and I think we're experiencing a television drama renaissance (at least, before the strike). I'm not a movie person but I think it's important to stay knowledgeable about anything that a patron may ask me about. As I always say, I try to minimize the amount of time I appear stupid while on the reference desk.

These are the pop culture podcasts I enjoy.

Hollywood Party Girl. Complete and total guilty pleasure. Hear about all the star-studded parties and ridiculous Hollywood gossip.

Make It So: A Star Trek. I have fond memories of watching Star Trek: The Next Generation with my mom. I am not a true Star Trek fan but I find it fun listening to these two British fanatics.

Movies You Should See. A podcast by the same people who produce Make It So. They pick a movie and spend an hour or so talking about it. In-depth and wonderfully British.

NPR: Pop Culture. The high-brow side of pop culture.

Reality TV Podcast. You know I'm committed to being honest about my listening habits when I admit to this one. A warning: these young men can say some offensive things and they watch some really bad tv.

Totally Rad Show. This will also show up when I talk about my favorite tech podcasts. Three guys who live in Los Angeles and work in entertainment talk about movies, tv and video games. It is a video podcast with the best visuals I've ever seen in a podcast. I cannot emphasize how much I love this show. This podcast should be watched by all reference librarians. (can be watched on their website)

TV Guide Talk. This is a well-produced, professional podcast that helps me keep up with television shows that I do not watch.

Have I mentioned I love podcasts?

Review of Proof Positive by Philip Margolin

I read Proof Positive to fulfill a mystery book requirement. It's been a very long time since I've read a mystery; the last one was very likely a Sherlock Holmes story. I chose Philip Margolin because he lives in Portland and I know my mom (and avid mystery reader) likes his books.

The story takes place in Portland and centers around a series of murders. Amanda Jaffe, a character used before by Margolin, is a defense attorney who is hired by a local rabbi to defend his mentally ill and homeless son who has been arrested for murder.

I didn't hate the book but I didn't love it either. The concept of a corrupt forensic scientist is creative, although the character went from good to unbelievably horrible a little too quickly. It drove me crazy that Margolin spends half a chapter developing a character only to kill him/her. I read a lot of books and it's hard enough to remember the main character's name, let alone a minor one who dies 10 pages after being introduced. I also thought it was pretty poorly written and that surprised me. But what surprised me the most is that it was very similar to some of the thrillers I have read. I lean towards political thrillers but I have read a few cop thrillers and this wasn't that different. It has made me start thinking about the difference between a mystery and a thriller. To me, a thriller can have elements of a mystery but must have a fast-moving plot with many twists and turns. I also find that there is clear evil and clear good, with little gray. A mystery can be less plot driven, move more slowly and be more descriptive. Proof Positive is a whirlwind of a read, with little character development and tons of action. The library catalogs Proof Positive as general fiction. This makes me think that I made a mistake and the book falls into the thriller category and not mystery. What do you all think?

A well-designed web site and food podcasts

I love when I encounter a well-designed website in an unexpected place. I have to have a drug test done for my new job and the City of Omaha picked the place here in Portland for me to go to. QuestDiagnostics walked me through picking a day and time for my appointment and the final confirmation page had a Google map and a button to save it to my Google Calendar. I don't know anything about this company but I appreciate a customer-friendly site that makes it easy to go about my day.

In other news, I have finished packing! Now all I have to do is get new all-weather tires, have my car checked out for weather readiness and an oil change. Tonight I'm saying goodbye to the library ladies, a wonderful group of women who I've grown close to over the past year. Isn't it always that way....just as I've started to make new quality friends it's time to leave?

Food Podcasts!

Thanks to anonymous for reminding me about Studio 360 with Kurt Anderson. I don't like it for some reason, but I think it's very good for the This American Life crowd. I'd also recommend Weekend America, which isn't exactly the same as the others but just as entertaining.

Today, though, I want to talk about food podcasts. Most people know about the fabulous The Splendid Table but Good Food is great too. It's produced by KCRW, a public radio station in Los Angeles. That means that they talk a bit about Southern California, but not enough to alienate a listener who doesn't live there. I recently subscribed to VeganFreak Radio because I loved their book. I'm also trying out Vegetarian Food for Thought, ReMARKable Palate and Delicious TV Vegetarian. I can't say anything about these new ones but I'm happy to share once I get a few episodes under my belt.

I'd encourage you to check out other KCRW podcasts, as they are producing some really good shows. And I'm not saying that because I grew up listening to the station. They are worlds beyond Oregon Public Broadcasting, the station I used to listen to before podcasts. They lost me as a listener and a contributor because they have nothing to offer me anymore. I now give to individual public radio stations.

Obama!

Barack Obama wins in Iowa! I'm still not sure who I will voting for in the primaries but I am surprised that Obama won. Shaping up to be an exciting election.

Guess I should figure out when the Nebraska primary is. And register to vote.

The latest news is that I have gas, electricity, Internet and a change of address. I packed most of the kitchen yesterday. Today I'm hoping to go to the pet store. It doesn't feel like a normal move...it feels more like I'm getting my first apartment. Because Ry is staying here for a few months, we need double of many things. So today I'll be getting a second litter box, litter, liners, dishes, etc. Expensive.

I'm not thinking about libraries too much right now. I know a big study just came out about how teens use the library but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I will, though. I like to read the original study because I think it's important to know the details of a study before putting too much stock in it.

I have been listening to a lot of podcasts and I thought I'd start highlighting my favorite ones for those of you who may be looking for new stuff to listen to. All of these will be available on iTunes because I don't ever feel like messing with anything else.

For those of you who love This American Life, you should try out To the Best of Our Knowledge from Wisconsin Public Radio. It's very similar to TAL , with a general theme and vignettes around the theme. It's not quite as gut-wrenching or funny as TAL but it's interesting and very well done. Back in the audible.com days before free podcasts, To the Best of Our Knowledge was the show I subscribed to every month.