here with a mug of coffee

I could write most places, but I have to get comfortable. --- Though some places are more appealing than others.

I often thought I would like to write a play in a store front. I seem to remember reading about a writer working like that and thought it would be fun. Mostly I liked the 'tourist' or 'performance' aspect of the scenario. Where you are working, but people might be walking by to see you. Perhaps waiting to see the finished product and to eventually go see the show (read the novel).

I thought of this as I started to write this where I am watching the dogs, the previous blog was mostly written t here, but posted from the home where I have internet access.

So I come here to write. Since I have the week off, I have more time to think about writing an entry, which is how I am enjoying my time off.

A week from now will be school again, that will be a short week, since I have a conference to go to at the end of the week. I went to the SLMS (School Library Media Specialists). I went to the one that was in Buff of low when I was in school. It was kind of fun, but interesting when I ran into the librarian who over saw my practicum.

I, by most accounts, had a bad experience with the librarian at the elementary level. After one week she turned me over to the students and had me run the classes for three weeks while she planned her vacation to Florida. When I tried to eat lunch with her so she could 'teach' me. I was told that she likes to spend time alone.

Well alone time was mostly sitting with the phys. ed. teacher and complaining about other staff members. After one week, I asked her to give me some input on how I was doing. Her response was: "how do you feel?" I told her how I felt, but I really needed feed-back from her. She changed the subject.

perhaps this says a lot, I went to her web site and she lists some things about herself, like:

• Favorite Color: Black

Ironically, I thought it was a great experience. I got to plan three weeks of lessons, which was helpful in the real world. I saw how you DON'T interact with your co-workers. When I asked her about making out lesson plans, she said: "Don't ask me, I have tenure and I don't make out lesson plans."

So.…. after I had gone through that and found out she had given me a bad evaluation, it was kind of funny to run into her at the conference. She showed up at the conference is a lace bustier, a little pink jacket and capri slacks. The colors worked, nice for a lady of pleasure. It was funny to come face to face with her and she kind of acted antsy. I suppose what made the moment was when one of the professors, at the UB booth, called me aside and said: "is that the elementary librarian?" Which means nothing, if you don't add the 'eye roll' that went with it.

I feel that I was very instrumental in the future of her family. She took off much of last year for a pregnancy leave. I am guessing she planned that trip to New Smyrna so well that her family expanded.

I almost always feel that the more difficult things are, the more you learn. Although the teacher who over saw my High School practicum was so helpful, things she taught me, I am using today. Many of those things I still try to incorporate into the library now. I guess there is the easy way and the not so easy way to learn.

The way I really think about it, if you turn a cup up, it will fill up; if you turn it down it remains empty. So if you create the right environment, something will happen. The difficult thing is making sure your students are cups up and not cups up.