To the question, "how have I been?" I think freakishly busy should be a good enough reply. In the time since my last post I have filled in for a while at my library's branches whereupon I did:
- A crap-ass attempt at a first storytime. (I have gone to state competitions for speech and debate, I have done Shakespeare in front of nuns as well as lead roles in other shows, I've pitched PR plans in front of companies, nothing prepares you for tanking in front of pre-schoolers.)
- Recover the next week to have those same kids eating out of my hand on a weekly basis for the next month and a half.
- Become slightly uncomfortable working circulation as an older patron checked out our entire collection of "guy in a kilt" trashy romance novels.
- Fall in love with an accent. For any of you who have never had the pleasure of meeting somebody from New Zealand, trust me, wow.
- Work alongside two phenomenal ladies who welcomed me with open arms when I had amazingly large shoes to fill as a substitute.
- Encounter some of the best patrons any public library system should hope to have.
- Get sent off at the end of my time there with a cookie cake, a big ol' sammich and a bottle of scotch.
Unfortunately, when I got back to the main branch, things had changed a bit. Due to what I can only think of as an epileptic fit on the part of organized labor, my position at the library has taken a turn south. As the union sees it, as a substitute I should not be able to do storytime, other children's programming, special projects around the library, or even work the desk on any regular basis. The only times I am permitted to work the desk are when one of the regular staff in the children's department is unable to. As such, I no longer have regular hours, but have to rely on other employees to take vacations. What makes this even more cute is that the day after this was decided, the director of our library system called me over to share something that had been mailed to her. Five of the local high-schoolers who would show up at one of our branches every Tuesday and Thursday after school had written her a letter asking that I be kept at that branch. As far as my job is concerned, I'm not sure I'll ever get a compliment quite like that.
Though it still doesn't take the sting out of the fact that I'm hunting for a second job right as the holidays are closing in on me.
