Category Archives: Web Exclusive

I admit it, I was nervous. I was only out of work for less than a week but I was still nervous. In the past month I’d applied for over 100 jobs in anticipation of my resignation date. In that time I was getting a lot of “we regret to inform you” emails in response to my applications. With the economy still showing signs of the recession, I was fearful that I’d be out of work for some time and that I’d become very depressed. I know of people, even family, who have gone over a year without a job. I knew that I couldn’t be one of them. I was going to dig deep and find employment in breakneck speed.

Sure, starting over means paying your dues again but I’m anxious to do so. A new town, a new job and a whole new attitude. I’d been applying for everything and anything that looked interesting. I knew that I wanted a change. After working in one career for over a decade, I knew what I did and didn’t want to do. I also knew that I didn’t want a long commute. I accepted the fact that my unwillingness to drive to the big city would impact what I’d be compensated. But I also know that the quality of one’s life is more than just a paycheck.

Valentine’s Day would prove to be a lucky day. The interview that I had most been looking forward to got rescheduled due to the winter storm and I was feeling pretty sad about it. Sure, I was glad to weather the recent storm in the comfort of home but I was also anxious to get back to work. We needed the money and I also don’t like to sit idle for too long. Imagine my surprise when I got the call for a job interview that would occur on Valentine’s Day. Since both my husband and I were no longer working, we opted to spend that special day very low-key. No cards or flowers, just the two of us spending time with our close-knit family. An interview with the hope of getting the job would be the best of Valentine’s Day presents. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently took a trip to Jamaica. I still semi consider Jamaica my home as most of my family members are from Jamaica and I did spend my childhood there. With a family wedding planned it was time to make our almost yearly journey to Jamaica. Unlike most people I’m not usually overly enthused to go back home. It’s hot, air conditioning is still a luxury, and then you have to contend with island time. Island time is not restricted to Jamaica, from my experience, it’s a universal Caribbean island expression and experience.

It’s a bit sad because I too have my own sense of time. When I’m at work and I need to go home I’ll say I’ll be leaving in a ‘LaToya minute.’ That means it’ll be maybe 30 minutes to one hour later. What’s funny is that while I hate island time, it’s manifested its way into my life. Island time, for those who are unfamiliar with the term, is when a set time is more like a general guideline. The wedding I attended was set to begin promptly at 4 o’clock. That meant the wedding would start closer to 5pm as 4 o’clock was when much of the wedding party was just beginning to get ready.

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In the past few days I’ve been forced to give more consideration to my mortality. Just yesterday I learned that a library director passed away at the age of 36. 36! Stress is definitely not my friend. I’m 31 yet I feel considerably older. At least it’s my assumption of what older would feel like. My body also feels as though it can ignore all rhyme and reason and eat whatever it likes at its own whim. I think that my mind and body operate independently. My mind wants to be a size 10 and my body simply laughs.

Like many I stress eat. When I’m down I throw caution to the wind and the wrong foods suddenly become my best friend. Gone too is any concern for a healthy diet. I eat what I feel like with no questions asked. Even as I see the added pounds my mental state listens only to my stomach. Today as I ate lunch I thought, why is it not possible for someone to create a product that makes healthy foods taste like the things people crave and want to eat? I’m not talking about alternatives like garden burgers. I suppose I’m talking about a spray or sauce that makes the most bland healthy items taste like filet minion. I suppose it’s possible but I’d like it to also not end up giving me cancer (as it seems everything does).
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Tomorrow begins Library Card Sign-up Month and as a librarian I can’t help but devote some time on the topic of libraries. It has sadly become a generally accepted belief that while a community staple, libraries are becoming irrelevant and obsolete. Well, nothing could be farther from the truth as libraries have become more widely used in the past several years. Due in large part to the economic downturn, many individuals who may have long forgotten their public library are now being reminded of one of the last truly public (as in the case of public libraries) meeting place. The library is more than a repository of information and old books.

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