Helping The Library

When you're not working, there's a fair amount of down-time.
I took advantage of this today when Lynn and I went over to
the First Congregationalist Church to help set up the twice yearly
Friends of The Mesa County Libraries sale.  Books are sold for
either $1.00 or $2.00.  When we arrived at 9:00, much had already
been set up the night before.  However, Lynn was able to help
set up the children's section and I was able to bring lots of books
in from storage.  Almost all of the books were donated and we
probably could have held two sales with the amount of books
there wasn't room for.  I overheard that these leftover books might be
taken over to the Clifton branch for a sale there.  Because we helped
out and Lynn is a member of the Congregationalist Church, we were
able to put a couple of books aside that we were interested in.  The
biggest reward though, was being able to help out for a worthy cause!

Peace and Quiet

I went to the library this morning and had to go shopping at
a couple of stores in the area. Something was different. Things
were surprisingly quiet. It wasn't an extreme case of the flu
keeping everyone at home, although it definitely was an event
that caused the quiet. Today was the first day of school for
District 51 in the Grand Valley. I was almost giddy! No
screaming, no running, no tantrums. Can you tell that I don't
have any children? LOL.

We Love Our Library

Apparently so do a lot of people. It was announced today that
patrons checked out 135,960 items from all locations within the
system. This is the most ever in one month and shattered the old
record of 124,645 set just last year. Almost 700,000 items have
been checked out already this year. Some say it's because the
economy is bad. This is a "free" service that allows people to
obtain entertainment at very little or no cost. I think this might
be partially true, but I think that the Library is just doing a good
job of getting out there and letting people know what a valuable
resource is available to them. And the future is only looking
brighter. According to the newest Annual Report, the MCPLD
has initiated a Central Library Catalyst Site Project that is
exploring "a mixed-use development project that will combine
public and private entities with a new Central Library at 5th Street
and Grand Avenue". This is our branch! I hope it happens sooner
rather than later.

Who Mourns for Borders?

I am not a happy camper today. In the big picture,
it's not a big deal. However, in the land of Tom's
hangout time, it's a tragic day. Borders Bookstores
announced that it's closing 200 of it stores across
the country. Included in this list of closures is
our location in Grand Junction, Colorado. As a kind
of tradition, Lynn and I would go there on Thursday
afternoon, buy a coffee or a pot of tea and spend the
time reading books and magazines. Now we will have to
go to the other big box bookstore in town to do the
same. I hardly think that if we would have bought more
books or magazines at Borders they would be more
financially secure. At least we bought something!
I have been a fan of Borders since I first visited
their original location in Ann Arbor, Michigan back
in the late 1980's. I followed them wherever I lived
since then and was thrilled when I found there was a
location in Grand Junction when we moved there in 2006.

I read an article trumpeting the decline of this big
box book chain as a "victory" for the Independent
bookstore. I say, hardly is this the truth. I feel
that small, independent booksellers are in bigger
trouble now than ever. What drove Borders near non-
existence was the fact that Amazon.com and e-books
are driving store-front book retailers out of business
in general. If a company that has capital assets of
1.2 Billion (yes, with a "B") and very large inventories
cannot make it, how will the little guys survive. I
believe in small business, but let's be real. Most of
the time, the small bookseller doesn't have the inventory,
prices or amenities that an online retailer like Amazon
has.

So, who will be the real winners when the battle for
books settles, and who will remain?

1) Amazon.com - They do it better (and cheaper than anyone)
Plus, you can shop in your pajamas at all hours of the day.

2) Used Book Stores - If they smarten up, used book stores
will begin lowering their prices to move inventory. I've
been to too many used bookstores where prices are way too
high and I ended up not buying anything and walking out the
door.

3) Local Libraries - If patrons are smart, they will continue
to vote for bond/tax issues that will support/build really
good community libraries. Public Libraries are still one of
the best ideas and best values around.

So there you go. Borders in Grand Junction will be an empty
building by the end of April. And I'll miss it. I will move
on...I just hope that the retail book world will move on as well.

Dinner at Scott Base

Tonight we had the fortune of joining our Kiwi co-workers
Gid and David for dinner at nearby Scott Base. They were
wonderful hosts and after a nice glass of wine, we enjoyed
a nice steak, Indian dahl, and broccoli and cauliflower
casserole. YUM. The food at Scott Base is always the best!
Of course, I discovered while I was at dinner that I forgot
to put the memory chip in my camera, so I wasn't able to
get any photos! ARRGH! After dinner, I got to make lattes
for some of our dinner companions. It was fun being a
barista again! Then David took us on a tour of the station
and we got to go to some places that most folks don't get
to see such as the Library. It's one of my favorite places
and I haven't seen it since 2001!. All in all, a great
visit to a very cozy spot, just a few miles from McMurdo.

Inception

Click on photo to enlarge

We did something rare this week and went to the movies. Between
Netflix, Cable and the Library, we don't feel the need to shell out
$8.50 for a matinee very often, but we go about once a month, just
to see movies that have been hyped or are supposed to be very good
and we can't wait to see them at home. We went to see the movie,
Inception. We both thought it was very good and I really enjoyed the
twists and turns. It was also a movie that made you think. In a way,
I'm surprised it's done so well for that very reason. Most folks go to
the movies to escape. They don't want to be challenged or made to
think too much. As a result, the buzz about Inception is that it is
confusing to many. Made perfect sense to me and I'll leave that as
it is without further comment.

Creepy Little Frog Boy

I'm sure the artist that created this sculpture is very talented,
but every time I go to the Library, I'm creeped out by it. Over
the years, I began calling it the Creepy Little Frog Boy statue and
I guess it's just stuck.

Farmington Public Library

Back in 2006, we almost moved to Farmington, New Mexico
just because of this library. We decided that although a good
library is a contributing factor on where to live, it shouldn't
be the only factor. As a result, we decided that
Grand Junction was a better option. However, we visit the
library in Farmington every time we're in the area and
even if the book selection was lousy (it isn't...Lynn says that it
has the best fiber arts collection she's seen), it would be worth
visiting just for the architecture. It was designed by Hidell &
Associates Architects in 2003 and takes into account the local
Navajo heritage by being built in the shape of a kiva. The building
is round and all sections spoke from the center, like a wheel.
It even has markings on the floor marking the summer and
winter solstices, when light will shine in from the ceiling at
these particular times. It's a fantastic library and the people
of Farmington are lucky to have it.

Librarian Shift

Tonight was my first shift of the season in the Library.
I typically try to be a librarian when I'm on nights because
it gives me somewhere to go while my roommate is sleeping.
I even had two patrons today. I think that there are more
people working on the overnight shift this year than in
seasons past, just by looking at the large amount of people
that are eating in the Galley from 12:00-12:30. Hopefully,
more of these folks will find themselves in the Library on
their nights off.

Victory!

Today, I received this email message in response to a rant I wrote to
someone on station who is of a much higher position than mine.

"The Aerobics Gym – Library move has been put on indefinite hold
pending further notice. The move will not occur in the near future".

It turns out that the "Aerobics Gym people" were just as unhappy about
the move as the "Library people" and a co-worker of mine started a
letter writing campaign which proved successful. Yes, this is probably
a short-lived reprieve as everyone will forget all about it and spring it
upon the populace again...but at least for now, victory is ours!

I'm Not Happy...

This photo pretty much sums up how I feel
right now. "They" (The MAN...those in charge)
announced yesterday at a town meeting that
the library is moving. It is moving to the
building that holds the Gerbil Gym (the aerobic
exercise gym) and the gym is moving to where
the libary currently is located. I am NOT
happy about this one bit. Yes, the gym will
be closer to the weight gym, but the current
library location is cozy, albeit dark, and
more homey...the gym location is way too bright
and is a refurbished trailer. Plus, 60 square
feet smaller than the current location. Not
a lot, you may say, but when storing books is
concerned...it's a lot. I have the feeling
that decisions are being made by people who
don't even use the library. What troubles me
the most is that the "new" library building is
slated for demolition in the "master plan".
At that point, "they" (The Man) will decide to just
shut down the library...won't that be convenient.
At that time, why do I have the feeling that
Fahrenheit 451 will be the most popular book on
station?

A Sunny Spring Day

Late in the afternoon yesterday, I found out that I
would again be delayed and the soonest I will be
leaving Christchurch is October 4th (October 3rd in
the States). Oh darn. Another day in Christchurch
AND getting paid for it? A good deal I'd say. I also
received a note under my hotel room door that told
me that this morning, I would be moving to a different
hotel. I dumpier, not so nice place you might say?
No, actually an upgrade to the Crowne
Plaza on Victoria Park. The hotel I had been staying
at, the Grand Chancellor, was nice, but this new hotel
is even nicer, and I get a great view of Victoria Park
and am only two blocks from the Library (yes, that's
important to me). Plus, I still continue to have it paid
for by the company! Apparently many of us had to
move from our old hotel because people are starting
to back up, arriving in Christchurch. I guess they
felt that we have been here so long, they would upgrade
us instead of the new arrivals. Works for me! The
Crowne Plaza is also where several of my
friends are staying, including my good friend Susie.
We went to lunch today at the Cafe Torenhof. It's a
Belgian Beer cafe and one of Susie's favorite places
to eat in Christchurch. I had never heard of it before
but it was located close to the hotel and it's definitely
a place I want to take Lynn the next time we are here
together. Belgian beer is some of the best in the world,
and this didn't disappoint. Really good stuff. Also,
mayonnaise for our French Fries! Definitely a plus!

Surfing Buddhists?

Since I knew I wasn't going down to the Ice today,
after picking up my per diem at the CDC I headed out
to one of my favorite places in New Zealand...the town
of New Brighton and it's Library. Easily reached by bus
from Central Christchurch, it's a pleasant little spot on
the Pacific and their library is one of my favorites in the
world. Plus...they also have free wireless internet. Not
a bad thing. This is the view I looked at for several hours,
sitting in a nice comfortable chair, staying connected with
the rest of the world.


Even relaxation can get tiresome after a while and I
decided to take a stroll on the pier, snapping a few
photos along the way. I was stopped by two Buddhist
monks and one asked me if I would like to have my
photo taken with his master. Sure, I said, always
trying to meet new people and see different cultures.
I think they thought that I was taking their photo on
the pier, but to be honest, I didn't even see them until
they spoke to me. Very nice guys.

Christchurch is such an international and always
interesting place and it's never surprising what you'll
see here. In these few short days, I've seen Buddhist
Monks walking on a pier, a woman wearing a burqa,
a little person acrobatically riding a skateboard in
Cathedral Square and a man riding a unicycle down
the street as his form of transportation.


After walking farther down the pier, I watched a dozen
or so fishermen of Japanese descent plucking fish and
crabs from the water with both long fishing poles and
bucket type crab traps. Interesting to watch. Also
interesting though, were the half a dozen or so surfers
that were braving the bitter cold water of the Pacific.
It's always fun to watch the surfers but even more fun
to watch them from the vantage point of the pier, where
you can see from above and behind them instead of
just from the shore.

A Most Thoughtful Gift

Today, I received the most thoughtful gift from my
friend, "The Delightful Carrie *********". While
we were back in Indiana, Lynn, Carrie and I went to
the book sale at the Kouts Public Library. This
was shortly after my Dad passed and her visit helped
cheer us up. Unbeknownst to me, Carrie found this
book and just today I received it in the mail from her.
Even though the book has nothing to do with my Dad and
the story is about something completely non-related,
the title reminds me of my Dad and his love for gardening.
Thank you Carrie. I will treasure this book always.

All To Myself

How does one gain access to thousands of books and
have to share them with no one? Become a night shift
Librarian at McMurdo. Kaska decided she was going to
volunteer in the Library on Tuesday nights from 2am to
4am and I thought it was a good idea that I do the same
on Wednesday nights. So tonight I'm going to have
several thousand books all to myself. Why to myself?
Well, I don't expect a lot of customers...that's why.
At most, a couple, at least, none. A good gig if you
can get it. Of course it's volunteer work so I don't
get paid anything, but it's a nice place to read for
a few hours, surf the internet, drink coffee and generally
hang out while Lynn is sleeping in our room. Plus, it's
a community activity that will make my end of season eval
look better. And again...all these books! Yay for me!

Cosray

Last night a few of us got together to hang out at Cosray.
Sitting halfway between McMurdo and Scott Base on the
Scott Base Road, I'd been by Cosray probably a hundred
times but had never actually been inside. There's lots
of great artwork inside but this is one of my favorites
in an old 70's Coca Cola motif.


Cosray stands for Cosmic Ray Observatory and was built in
1961 to detect what else...Cosmic Rays. It's the oldest
continuously running experiment at McMurdo. One of my
favorite signs at McMurdo is the TraveLodge sign that you
can just make out by the front door. One of the best
things about the outside here is the quiet. It's really
really quiet compared to McMurdo. No beep beep beep of
heavy equipment operating. No Power Plant humming. Just
quiet. More like the rest of the continent and not the
noises of a small town.


Next door sits the Little House building. I've learned from
another website that it was originally built as the data
recording station for the Windless Bight infrasound system
and this was in the late 70's. Now it sits unused.
Doesn't it look like it would be a cool clubhouse or
something. I really like the widow's walk on the roof.


This is part of the inside of the Cosray building. Those
are the actual Cosmic Ray detectors on the floor. Our
frien Jen calls it the washing machine room. It does
make me want to do my laundry for some reason.



Apparently Cosray is also the building where old computer
equipment goes to die. I think that some museums (or boat
anchor sales shops) might be interested in some of this
stuff.


One of the coolest parts about Cosray however is it's living
space. There's a kitchen, living room and even a really
neat library of old science books and science fiction novels.
Even lots of games leftover from the 70's. This building
includes a huge amount of history and is historical itself.
It's one of the oldest buildings here but maybe not for long.
The Cosmic Ray experiments are winding down and I've heard
that they might be either tearing it down or moving it.
According to one source, it might even be turned into a new
version of the Greenhouse. But for now, it remains just a
neat old building with tons of character...something rare in
McMurdo architecture.