What Should I Read Next?

I found this very simple Web site that asks you to input the last book you just read and the author and it gives you a list of books to read next. They really want people to register and keep updating it with their favorite books to make it more accurate. I didn't do that yet, just tested it out. But I do find it interesting!

Long time coming

It's been a REALLY long time coming but the Cavaliers finally made some big trades and got rid of some of its unbelievably high salaried players for some players that actually back up that salary with some skill in some big blockbuster trades! I'm very excited about it, although I'm still not sure who is going to play point guard. Also, I'm bummed that I don't have cable and cannot watch it get analyzed every hour on SportsCenter.

I'm a winner!

Thanks to the Washington City Paper, I won a free pass to see the new Imax concert movie U2 3D at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History! It's just one pass so I guess they expect me to go alone but it sounds pretty cool. And I love winning things!

National Portrait Gallery

I spent a couple hours today at the National Portrait Gallery. I'd never been there before since it was closed for renovations during my DC internship in 2005 and I just haven't done much museum stuff since I moved here permanently. But with the recent talk about Stephen Colbert's portrait hanging there temporarily, I figured it would be a good time to check it out. I enjoy portraits and really read a lot of the descriptions of the people who were depicted. I only wish that there was more discussion as to why or when the portraits were made.

It's shocking how much attention the Stephen Colbert portrait is getting. As soon as I entered, I heard people talking about it and heading upstairs solely to check it out. And there was a large assembly of people hovering around it, all snapping photographs. I debated about taking a picture of it as well as taking a picture of all the people taking pictures of it but decided not to bother. I think there are enough pictures of it. In fact, there are hundreds of pictures on Flickr from visitors. But I did take a drink out of the drinking fountain below the picture. Also interesting is that after looking at hundreds of portraits in the museum, you can tell how crappy the Stephen Colbert one is.

Boring book club

A few people at work started a book club and chose the first book as A Tale of Two Cities. Now, I like the idea of being in a book club but I CANNOT force myself to read A Tale of Two Cities. At all. The book was chosen about six weeks ago and I've tried, really tried, to read it. But I hate it. And I end up falling asleep nearly every time I try to read it. It's so frigging boring. I feel bad - as the only librarian at work - not getting through it but geez, it's so dull!! I've been trying - unsuccessfully - to get somewhere with it during most of today but ugh, I ended up just taking a bunch of naps. We're supposed to talk about it on Monday and I guess I'm going to have to not participate because I have absolutely nothing to share. However, I'd like to participate so I can have some input into the next book!

What would Sawyer call me?

Awesome! Sawyer from Lost loves nicknames. Whether it's Freckles or Doc or Mr. Miyagi, he never calls his fellow castaways by their first names. And here is your chance to find out what he would call you if you were stranded on the island with the Sawyer Nickname Generator. I got "Sweet Cheeks" and then "Wilbur" for marking the exact same characteristics. But I'd let Sawyer call me whatever he wants! (via)

"Estevez goes 'Public'"

This article announces that Emilio Estevez's next movie will be about a Los Angeles librarian staging an act of civil disobedience and allowing homeless people to stay in the library after the library is inundated with people on the coldest days of the year. Interesting. Always nice to have a movie showing a librarian doing something good, rather than a librarian just angrily shushing people!

Celebrity Sighting

I saw Hillary Clinton today! Her campaign headquarters are next to our office at work so there have been sightings by some of my co-workers... more often there are just secret service sightings. But today one of my co-workers who actually has a window view called me at about 5:15 to tell me that there was a lot of secret service and gawker activity and that she was bound to come out soon so I went to his office and watched and waited. We saw her at about 5:30!! Another one of my coworkers had gone down there to wait and brought her camera so she snapped some pictures! She got really close but unfortunately the pictures were kind of dark. Anyway, it was a pretty exciting way to end the workday! Also kind of ironic since it was the day I decided to send away for an absentee ballot from Ohio, since I'm still registered to vote there. Will I be tempted to vote for Hillary now that I've seen her in person? I'm not sure. I'm still undecided on my vote. Although seeing her is nothing new. I actually saw her in person in 1992 and not out a window when she came to Cleveland to give a speech during Bill's presidential run. I have a picture of her to prove it - maybe I should get it scanned and upload it.

My weekend

I had a pretty decent weekend, all things considered. I spent a lot of it trying to catch up on sleep and just relax, lay low. Did some laundry, watched some movies... I pretty much finished up straightening up the last of the moving crap still in my room, which was driving me crazy with the mess. And socially, I had a couple of fun plans. I went to a Happy Hour at a wine bar I'd always wanted to check out on Thursday night and went crazy at a Mardi Gras party Sat. night. While at the party, I upped my bead count from 3 strands to 11 and I didn't even have to do anything to get them! Except look cute, I guess. I enjoyed the band, That Guy, who only do cover songs, and would totally go see them again. Now the Super Bowl is about ready to start and I swear I have ZERO interest in watching it. Zero. As an avid sports fan, I fear that something is wrong with me. But maybe it's the rebel in me acting out, detesting how everyone and their brother watches the Super Bowl, even if it's the only football game they watch all year.