It's A LibraryThing

A while back, Franklin, was extolling the virtues of an online cataloguing system called LibraryThing. Basically it provides you with a place to keep track of your books. Duh. Simply enter the ISBN number of your book and it looks for it either in Amazon or the Library of Congress, returns the book in question, then you click on the link and it adds the book to your online library. Very simple.

I like to read and I've acquired a few books over the years. I've never had the desire to catalogue them though. But being unemployed does strange things to one's mind. Why, I could pretend I'd gotten a job as a librarian and enter in all my books, I thought to myself last Monday. I only have about 150 or so. And it would sharpen my data entry skills. You don't want to let the ol' data entry skills go, that's for sure.

Not only that, but you could enter up to 200 books FOR FREE. What a deal. I could indulge my obsessive compulsive tendencies and not have to pay a cent. I was practically delirious. First, I would start with the books in the bedroom. Just to sort of ease into my new job as "Head Librarian Of Chez Insanity."

Three hours later, I was still in the bedroom and had input the quota for my free account. Apparently I have been in some kind of literary denial. Where had all these books come from? And I was beginning to notice a disturbing trend. One of the cool things about LibraryThing is that you can tag your books so that you can get an overview of how many books you have in a particular category. Which has led me to wonder why I seem to be so fascinated with memoirs written by recovering alcoholics. I also have 54 books on the topic of "Writing." Perhaps I'm grooming myself to become the next Ernest Hemingway.

Thankfully, I have 38 self help books. So if I start to slide off the rails I'll know how to get back on. My library also contains 25 books on "Tropical Fish." Very useful when you've got a five gallon tank with 3 platies in it. Which apparently are all the same sex since I've yet to have any babies from them. I guess I must have missed the many chapters on fish anatomy.

I've finally finished entering all my books. Not to mention upgrading my account because there are actually *cough* 509 *cough* books in my apartment.

Wasted Days, Wasted Nights

This is your cat on drugs.

Andy has been having "litter box issues" the past few days. Despite me repeatedly telling him that this really WASN'T the best time to be ill, he refused to listen. What the hell does he care, he's not unemployed and broke. So I had to make a decision. Sock yarn or a healthy cat, sock yarn or a healthy cat. To my surprise, a healthy cat won. I put a bunch of yarn up for sale on Ravelry and off we went to the vet today.

Dude, I think I hear the cops!

Now please bear in mind that the first six months of Andy's life were spent as a feral feline. He no likey being in a confined space. Like say, a cat carrier, for example. After thrashing around for a good 10 minutes in his kitty carrier, Andy decided to go the 600 decibel yowl route. All the way to the vets. Then in the waiting room where everyone in the building became quickly aware that Andy was in da house. Then he screamed in the examining room where the vet grimaced then inquired, "Do you think he'd be happier back in his box?". And back out in the waiting area while we waited for his meds. Let us not forget the trip home. Where the ATT&T repair man, who was up the telephone pole called down, "Don't worry, kitty, you're almost home."

Quick, hide in the cupboard.

One of the medications he's on is for pain. And let me tell you, Andy is higher than a kite. He has spent most of the evening lying on the living room carpet and spinning himself around with his paws. This is when he's not running from room to room to stare at the walls. Or wandering around aimlessly, purring to himself. DeeDee is hiding in the bathtub and I'm afraid to go to sleep tonight.

Whoa, have I got the munchies.

Pray for us.

Lights, Camera ... April?

Mi mi mi, la la la, figaroooo, figaroooo ... Oh. Hi. Uh, don't mind me, just warming up over here in hot, icky, Campbell. Do, re, mi, fa, so ... What? No, I haven't lost my mind, I'm getting ready for my big break next week. Yessiree, I'm about to make my debut in the entertainment world. For I, April E. Weirdo, will be working the registration desk at the American Idol auditions next week in San Francisco! Woohoo! "Yo dawg, you were pitchy."

Ah, the wonders of craigslist. There was the ad, in black and white, "MAJOR REALITY SHOW LOOKING FOR PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS." OK, so maybe I've never been a Production Assistant before but isn't the entertainment field all about ACTING? So I called up my main man, Nico, down there in L.A. and said, "Dude, hook me up, I'm all about the producing." And Nico said, "Have you had much Production Assistant experience?" So I said, "A bit." He then informed me that, "This isn't a Lights Camera Action job, you're workin' the registration desk." Ha! They haven't heard my rendition of "I'm A Little Teapot" yet. Ha. Then we'll see who's workin' the registration desk.

In less exciting news ... I'm working on the heel flap for my first pair of Summer of Socks socks. I had originally planned on my store sample socks being the first pair until the owner told me she only wanted one sock made. Hmm. Methinks you have to do TWO socks for the SoS '08. Anyway, this is the Baby Cable Rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks.

And the Pile O' Hats for Kristy's Hat Drive continues with the addition of Charity Hat #5!

I seem to have a rather large stash of Lorna's Laces Shepherds Worsted which is quite nice for charity hats, being superwash and all. This is the Spiral Hat from Designer One-Skein Wonders, a very useful book.

OK, I need to get back to my practicing. Stardom awaits! "I'm a little teapot, ooo, ahhh, short and stout, ooo, ahhh ..."