Things I Will Miss About My Library Job

the bills: today I ran the bills for the last time. I'll miss seeing what patrons have checked out, and I'll miss signing my name on the bills.

the head counts: I love walking around the library and seeing where all our patrons are and what they're doing. It's fun to see what books get left out, and what notes are left behind after hours of studying.

my coworkers: I've met two of my best friends here, and my other coworkers are great to work with, too. They're a fun bunch of Oklahomans who know how to have fun at work.

my students: they are gone for the summer, but I have really enjoyed working with and mentoring my student staff. I've learned a lot about myself and how to be better in my one year with them.

putting books back on the shelves: it took me awhile to enjoy this task, mostly because I didn't have to do it often, but I actually really enjoy putting books in order and shelving them flush against the shelf.
reading: never before have I had a job where I was paid to read. I could flip through magazines, read blogs, reread Faulkner, start up on Plath or finish Atlas Shrugged. I really will miss this.

the books: I am surrounded by books. Old books, new books, returned books, found books, donated books, books needing to be shelved, books needing mending, books needing processing, books needing me, books on my desk, books on shelves, books on trucks, books on children. It's really some kind of heaven to be immersed in stacks of books.


the parties: each month we would dress up and party.

Magical Movery Stop #7

Stop #7: Charleston, South Carolina
Family: Shawn & Jessica Campbell
Friends: Zach & Brooke Burroughs

This weekend, we are visiting my favorite city in all of the United States, the combination of all things wonderful: the South, the beach, seafood, history and proximity to family and friends.

Our lovely hosts for the 90 degree weekend are Bryan's cousin Shawn and his adorable wife Jessica. We haven't seen them since Christmas, and it will be so nice to catch up - and hang out without all the rest of the family.

We're hitting the beach Saturday with Zach and Brooke Burroughs. This powerhouse of a couple is killing med school. Zach is nearly Dr. Burroughs, and Brooke just graduated number one in her nursing class. If I get bit by a shark or stung by a jellyfish or torpedoed launched by a submarine, I will probably survive in their company.

Three days in Charleston is not nearly long enough to enjoy the crab cakes and the beautiful beaches and our dear friends, but it is all our schedule allows. I plan to live (and drink) it up.

Magical Movery Tour Stop #3

STOP #3: New York City
Friends: Becky Whittemore, James Robilotta

Becky is one of my favorite people. I met her at DSI two years ago, and we rarely performed together but we hung out all the time. She was my girl! She is the best person to visit in New York City because she knows where the parties are, where the best shopping is and how to pregame. We've visited her three times already since living in Philadelphia, and each time has been awesome!

This will be our last visit to New York City for awhile. We're staying with Becky, and we know we'll have a great time. She's even scheduled a party for when we'll be there. I love Becky, and I'm so excited to see her!!


Also wonderful to see is our college buddy James Robilotta. We've known James for five years now, and we still love him to pieces. He's a busy man who is frequently on call at his job when we're in town or performing comedy all over the city. Each time we've visited, we've managed to find a time to get together and rock out over some food.

I love hanging out with James because he always makes me laugh - and he knows where the best food is in the city. I know we'll reminisce about the good ole days of MTS and talk shop about what we're doing now. Oh Woooooooow!

Magical Stop #2

STOP #2: Boston, Massachusetts
Friend: Ryan Higgens

We're about to spend the weekend with Bryan's old college roommate and crew friend Ryan. This guy is hilarious.

We'll probably spend all of it making fun of each other and talking about why we aren't on a boat.

This is also Bryan's first trip to Boston. We'll have to get him some lobsters and an accent.

Buckley Magical Movery Tour

REMINDER: Today starts the Magical Movery Tour.



See you soon!

List of Things I Need to Survive a Week in an Empty Apartment

an air mattress
two pillows
a skillet and a pot
a tv
Wii plus games
laptop
car
muffin tin plus mix
eggs, milk, butter, oil, noodles and sauce
Scrabble Slam
suitcase of clothes

Believe me. That's a real list. I'm living that life.

Small Town Love

When Bryan said he was interviewing for a university in Oklahoma, I was sure it wouldn't be the one we chose. When we flew out west for the campus interview, it still didn't seem real. During our four day visit, we went from "No way we could live in a town this small" to "Oh, this place is so cute! I want a house like that one." An offer, a long talk and some signatures later, we decided Northeastern State University of Oklahoma was it.

In three days, we're moving from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the fifth largest city in the United States to Tahlequah, Oklahoma, America's friendliest small town. It's going to be very different.

There's only one grocery store: Reasor's. And we're lucky because the Reasor's of Reasor's lives in our new town. They're like royalty there, "The Reasor's will be attending the summer production of Oklahoma." "Why then, we should all attend!"

It's going to be cheaper. Both renting and buying houses (the greatest cost of living) is nearly 50% in Tahlequah. When we met with the realtor, I told her how much we're paying in Philadelphia and she said there's nothing we could rent in Tahlequah at that price. Our new home is half our old rent.

Traffic is a mythological creature. When we visited, we were with the realtor at 5:30 and she called a full row of cars stopped at a red light rush hour. We were only slowed by the "traffic" an additional two minutes. Driving into the city on a Friday evening, we can take the same thirty minute route (on weekdays) and not arrive for two hours due to the many, many Philadelphians on their way to a good time in the city.

The internet is slower. Or maybe just the internet user. I've noticed a difference in response times between the East Coast and Oklahoma: it's slower. Also, the Craigslist in Tahlequah is as sparse as 2002.

There's not as much to do. When you compare Tahlequah to Philadelphia, you just won't win on activities. Tahlequah does offer a new festival every month from the Balloonfest in August (I assumed regular balloons to be on the safe side, but they're hot air balloons!) and the Taste of Tahlequah in November (all the restaurants give out samples from their menu, similar to Fall for Greenville).

There's no giant YMCA. I grew quite attached to our large gym here, and it will be hard to find something to replace it. I guess I'll have to use the university gym and work out beside those young sweaty college boys...if I have to.

Town gossip. I've already heard a lot of gossip from our one visit. Gossip seems to be a much bigger thing in Tahlequah than anywhere I've lived, even Clemson. It's the "everybody knows everybody" phenomenon. Which worries me because they don't know the Buckleys, and I doubt they'll be using Google to learn about us. We'll be unable to escape the "new in town" title and questions. I'm excited about being the new lady in town, but if you know Bryan, he's just ready to have his routine and handful of friends with which to kick back.

Visits will be fewer. I am blown away when somebody says he wants to visit us in Oklahoma. I understand if you never visit us out there. It's okay; who has "Visit Oklahoma" on their bucket list? Our home will be bigger, so we'll be able to fit lots of guests. Also, we'll love the company. July is already booked, with our craziest friends visiting each weekend (Jason, Sheryl, Alex, Russ).

They still have internet in Oklahoma, so I'll continue to hold my relationships with people in Philadelphia, Carrboro, Clemson, Florida and elsewhere in the world through skype, facebook, twitter, reader and my blog. In the words of our dear friend Mac, I love you, guys.

Busy as Can Bee

I had a good run in my blog as of late, but that is coming to a temporary stop. My Flash project is due on Wednesday for my Digital Media course that I'm taking at Ursinus College. I'm creating a game. It's quirky, silly and pretty easy, but it's taking me a long time. The animation is somewhat tricky, the photo manipulation takes hours and the action scripting is really complex. I thought I would have finished by now. It looks like I'll be spending all of Monday and Tuesday in the lab working on it.

And don't think that once Wednesday comes, I'll be ready to blog again. I don't know if you realize, but I'm moving across the country in 26 days. Not only do I have to pack my house, but I have to clean it! You see, with finals week here, both Bryan and I have been so busy that we haven't picked up at all.

What's more: we have a road trip planned for the entire month of June. I still have a few details to nail down, an itinerary to type, thank you gifts to find and clever budgeting to make it to August. Did I mention that we have only packed six boxes? And that my inlaws are coming to visit in just two weeks? Oh, and we haven't yet found a house in Oklahoma?

Call me an exaggerator, but I'm feeling a little out of control at the moment. Perhaps I'll procrastinate and find myself at my blogger dashboard, but I'm hoping I don't. This is a test of my lady powers, and it is time to hit this challenging summer headon.

Moving Tip

If you are moving somewhere far away (far enough that you cannot visit), become best friends with your realtor. Done. Ask for lots of pictures, of the outside, each room, close ups of appliances. Done.

MOST IMPORTANT: Get someone you know to visit it.

This saved me. I thought my realtor had found us the perfect house. It was big, modern, had a great yard/view, big windows and the price was good. Bryan's colleague visited the house with his wife. Their review of the home itself was the same as mine: awe of how great it is. But, they had two interesting points. One, it was a gravel road on a hill, so if an ice storm came (it's inevitable), we'd be stranded and possibly without power for awhile since the house is outside the town limits. Two, it's fifteen to twenty minutes from campus. Too far.

Once again, my dream house has slipped between my fingers. We're 0 for 2 on houses. Cross your fingers. I'm a month from moving!! We need a house!

Moving: Step #3

When you move, you no longer need a lot of the services you pay for when you do. Today, I'm calling all of my service providers to cancel service and/or alert them to my change of address.

My list includes:
Verizon Wireless
Comcast
Peco
State Farm
Water Company
YMCA
Netflix
magazines

Additionally, if you have friends that like to write letters or mail you things, alert them, too. Give them a stop date for mailing and be sure to leave a good forwarding address with your landlord and the US Postal Service.

Moving: Step #2

Get your supplies.

You've rid yourself of the clothes, books and kitchenware you don't need. Perfect to start packing. But wait! You need some things. Having forgotten several of these things a few times myself, this list is practical and inclusive. If I have forgotten anything, let me know in the comments.

SHOPPING/FIND-ME LIST
boxes: you need big (about ten), small (not too many of these), medium (lots of medium). Always buy more than you need. You will need more than you think.
packing tape: clear is great, but anything works. It has to be strong because you'll be taping the bottom of boxes carrying heavy things.
sharpies: I like the ones with the chisel tip because it writes thick which is helpful when we are staring into the moving truck wondering which box to grab next. Buy a few. I promise you'll lose at least one.
bubblewrap: If you have anything fragile (plates, glasses, decorations, etc), you'll want to protect it from your own clumsy moves. Like boxes, you always want more than you bought, so buy a lot initially. You can always return it if you keep the receipt and open as you go.
dolly: Moving four boxes is way easy with this. Also, you can prop a couch, a table or a mattress for easier moving. We bought a heavy duty (read: can handle a couch) dolly from Home Depot for $25. It was way worth it.
trash bags: You'll be throwing away things, but these bags are really great for big blankets, pillows and towels (why use a box!).
envelope for receipts: Moving expenses are tax deductible. Also, if your company is moving you, they might need receipts for accurate reimbursements. Plus, it's good to keep track of these costs because they can spiral out of budget fast.
cleaning supplies: You'll be cleaning everything from fridges to floors to carpets. Make sure you've got the supplies. A few bucks spent on cleaning supplies could mean saving you a hundred dollars from your security deposit.

Next up: List of Lists to Make

Moving: Step #1

Get rid of things you don't need. Better yet: if you haven't used it in a year, give it away or throw it away.

1.) Start with your closet. The things hung in the very back and the things at the very bottom of your piles are probably the things you never use. Pull them out. If they're nice, mail them to your sisters. If they're still in good condition, donate them.
2.) Hit your kitchen. There are dishes, containers and utensils that never get used. You know the ones: the spatula that is so weak that it can't even handle a pancake - toss it into your recycling. Many Goodwill stores will accept kitchen items.
3.) Check out your bookshelf. Why are you keeping so many books? Do you want to read them? Do you want to impress people? Do you have space for all of them? Loose all the books that won't impress people (basically all the books you have) and any books you wouldn't want to read again. Someone might want them. See if your local schools need library donations; if they do, donate there first. Donate the rest to Goodwill (or friends that might like them).

That should give you a good start. No use in moving things you don't even want.

I'm anti-garage sales for myself, mostly because I don't want to give up an afternoon to sit outside and haggle with neighbors over things that aren't worth anything, but I suppose you could hold a garage sale if you don't value your Saturday afternoons and you like making $10-$20, and still have to take stuff to Goodwill.