Blog Blog Woof Woof

I don't think I have hidden my love of Nashville . The city of my birth has continued to grow and change and expand and improve. This week I have seen two prime examples of this... This morning my bus was late by a couple of minutes and as I was hoofing it past TPAC who steps off the Hillsboro Rd bus and says "Good morning." but His Honor, Mayor Karl Dean . How often to residents of a city the size of Nashville run into the mayor getting of the city bus, let alone on day that is predicting 60% thunderstorms?  Mayor Dean is making some bold strides in the city and, of course, catching slack for it. Any mayor who rides the bus on a day like today can't be all bad. The other example is the awarding of the Charlie Robinson Award to Donna Nicely (opens .pdf), Director of Nashville Public Library . The Charlie Robinson Award honors a public library director who, over a period of seven years, has been a risk taker, an innovator and/or a change agent in a public libra...

Can I just say how nice it is to work for people who are compassionate about the people who work for them and passionate about their business? From my boss all the way to THE boss I see that on a daily basis, reiterated and reinforced, no matter the external nor internal conditions. I do have a wonderful life. Addendum: I do realize I have coworkers who's mileage will differ and I am saddened to hear that.

We bid farewell to a wonderful person and coworker. She has made my job much easier .

I've been a little out of pocket recently - What does " out of pocket " mean anyway? - and there are several things to discuss. First, last week I was deeply saddened to hear Mitch Mitchell died . I hadn't thought about him in a long time but those who know me know my utter devotion to Jimi Hendrix . Hearing that Mitch died meant that the last member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience has died. Why that means anything considering all of the music that is available I don't know but I do know that I mourned for Mitch. I owe a lot of my sensibilities, especially music sensibilities, to that band. I owe MY definition of being black, or at least part of my definition, to what Jimi did while he was here and Mitch was along for most of that.  Second, because my father died of colon cancer I had to have a colonoscopy a couple of days ago. I will never look at Gatorade the same way again but I would love to have a sleep like the anesthesia offered once a week at least. I ...

A little self congratulatory post...actually, that's not true. The following is an email my boss got from her boss (the details have been changed or omitted). Hi Jai's boss, I just want you to know that Jai handled this situation with grace and conviction. Mr. patron was quite upset about the red tape, etc. and requested that we have everything worked out by the morning for his kids. I was able to just hand the information to Jai, who immediately knew who I was talking about and had been in contact for months with the proper department. Then, I asked Jai to contact Mr. patron, which he did. Jai is a true role model for public service staff! Signed Senior Administrator. I was quite shocked when I saw the email (my boss forwarded it to me). I didn't think I had done anything more than what she asked. The guy was pissed and he had been given the run-around, mostly because we had questions about how to handle his situation and no one would get back with us with an ans...

Google Desktop just allowed me to 1. help my boss find a phone number 2. impress my boss This is why I love google!

This past week I was on the local NBC News. The library is doing its Food for Fines . One minute I was answering the phone telling Channel 4 that I would transfer them to the PR Dept to ask for permission to film and the next I am out front being ask to be a backdrop for the story. I'm standing there in my BB King tie and unshaven face chit chatting with the library 's PR mistress, Deanna Larson, about living in Inglewood and she also made me aware, although I already try to check myself, about what and how I blog ; I am also a public face of the library. Anyway, the guy is filming while we are chatting. When I got home I watched the 6pm news and there I am just gesticulating away. The next day a coworker said they repeated the segment a couple of times. Woohoo! Not only was I on TV but somebody saw me.

I have just completed my first week as Customer Service Specialist for the Nashville Public Library . When the announcement was made I got several honest congratulations but I got several tepid, even disappointed congratulations. Most of the latter came from people who I have observed as not the most customer service oriented and I imagine they pictured themselves dealing with the "problem" patrons and just couldn't imagine that being a good job. Honestly, I worry about that too but for a different reason. It's not logical but I will take some issues of complaints personally. I think it is usually related to how the patron approaches me. I can't put my finger on what all that means but it does have to do with the way they approach me. The other part of it is that I want to be understood and I don't think I am necessarily confusing but when it apprears to me that someone doesn't understand what I am saying I want to explain more and that usually frustrates ...

Exchange canned goods & other foods for overdue library fines to support Second Harvest Food Bank Resolve to help the hungry in Nashville and get overdue fines forgiven during Food for Fines, January 2-9, 2008 at Nashville Public Library . Library cardholders will get $1 in current fines waived for each can or package of food donated to Second Harvest Food Bank during the drive, held at the downtown Main Library and all neighborhood branches. Items especially needed include peanut butter, canned meats (tuna fish, beef stew), canned vegetables and fruit, macaroni and cheese, and rice and beans. Bring canned goods, or items in boxes or plastic bags or jars (no glass can be accepted) to the circulation desks at Main Library, 615 Church St., or any library branch (visit www.library.nashville.org for locations). Staff will accept the cans & food items as payment for overdue fines on customer accounts at the rate of 1 can or package per $1 in fines. Replacement fees for lost or dam...

This one is for Marjorie. Lunchtime Concert with Harpeth Hall Chamber Choir Dates:Wednesday, November 28 Time:12:00 PM-1:00 PM Enjoy the wonderful music of Harpeth Hall Chamber Choir I was in an interview so I missed them. Too bad.

I was walking through the computer room and I saw a mullet wearing, redheaded white guy filling out a profile on blacksingles.com or something like that. Not the kind of guy you'd expect on that site.

I recently posted about the cute, attractive women who come to my desk. Well, what about the other ones? The ones who don't have their stuff together. The teachers who have Diana Gabaldon books in one arm and are asking to check out more than the limit because they "are a teacher". Yeah, there are plenty of those too.

Yeah, sometimes I feel like a dirty old man. There are many very attractive, sometimes flirty, young women who interact with me throughout my work day. I'm not talking disgusting, Lolita-type young, I'm talking way too young for me, which is college-aged & mid-20s. Some are sweet, some are cute, some are sexy and some are a combo of several. Now, there are plenty of women my age and older who fit this desciption but I guess b/c I just dealt with a young one I am thinking about it. She was very sweet and she walked away but turned around and smiled at me (unsolicited, or at least I think so). Anyway, thank God for women. If I had only been more knowledgable in the ways of women when I was younger. Who knows if that would have changed anything. I love my wife more deeply and fully than anyone I've known, other than my mother. I think she is all the things I listed above and more but sometimes I wonder how things would've been different if I had pursued the women I...

The past few days I have gone through our public access computer room once or twice a day and a vast majority of the users are on myspace.com . Are they looking for jobs or researching Nashville ? If that includes "Power Ass" shaking her stuff then yes I guess they are but somehow I doubt it. I obviously use the internet differently than most. I read blogs and yes, I sometimes look at celebrity wardrobe malfunctions ...if you know what I mean but Jesus H. Christ ! You are in the library and the only way you can figure out how to use it is trolling myspace? Not only that but not all terminals are hidden from the aisles so if you are walking by, like I have been, you see all of this crap. I have a myspace page - don't really use it but I have one. I have many friends who have one too but there are so many other ways to waste time on the internet. I don't know what can be done other than myspace setting tighter restrictions . I'm sure from our POV it's a 1st ...

Today I was going to Provence to get my bread (Monday is 1/2 price day), my coffee and chat with my crush who is a baker for Provence and sometimes comes over here to help. I've already told Tara about her so I feel free to chat. This young woman is adorable and I'll leave it at that. We were talking and this guy walks up behind and asks when I was gonna take the GRE (I had a book in my hand). He was in the library to tutor someone on taking the GRE or SAT but he had a few minutes to spare and he gave me a handful of hints for being a better test taker. I love where I work.

Why this is called the "Summer Series" when it starts in August I don't know but its that time of year and we love it. For more information go to Library Foundation . 2007 Summer Concert Artist Lineup August 1 Serenatta ~ Latin Romantic Ensemble August 8 David Tanner ~ Rockabilly entertainer August 15 Ellen Britton ~ Country-Americana singer-songwriter August 22 Riders In The Sky ~ America's Favorite Cowboys August 29 Judson Spence ~ Rock and Soul talent September 5 Jim Hoke's Jazz Quartet Local Jazz Saxophonist September 12 Chris Casello ~ Rockabilly/Western Swing entertainer September 19 Radio Daze ~ Big Band Dance Ensemble September 26 Anna Wilson ~ Pop/Jazz Artist and Songwriter October 3 Jonell Mosser ~ Blues Rocker

I am happy to include myself in this statistic . I can count the times I have ridden the bus since my senior year in high school on one hand...2. I had ridden the bus 2x in 15 years until this past March when I started working at the library and started riding the bus everyday. I am loving it too. I can read, zone out, people watch, whatever for 15 minutes or so b4 and after work. I walk 1.2 miles everyday b/c of the bus and that doesn't include the wandering I do during lunch. I spend about $30 a month whereas I would spend about $200 a month on gas and parking if I drove to work. Huhrah for public transportation. The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority says ridership is up six percent - or about 500,000 more rides - over the same time period last year. Powered by ScribeFire .

Fall-Hamilton Enhanced Option 3rd & 4th graders treated the library to a 45min morning concert that included everything from showtunes to Rock & R&B classics to Duke Elllington and ended with the classic "Sir Duke" by Eivets Rednow. Leave it to the enhanced option kids to kick out the jams in the library.

Why is it that most of the librarians around here have short hair? I am sure there is a generational aspect but it seems pretty universal.

I just got pranked by my former office. I'm actually working the phones right now at the library. The phone rings and I answer:"Main Library Circulation, may I help you?" A man says he has a question about a word, metadata. I respond with a quick answer but in the background I hear lots of giggling and someone said Landmark. I perked up, thinking someone might be applying for a job at my former office but no, it was the weekly operations meeting and they decided to make a prank phone call to me. It's nice to be loved.