Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Mediterranean cruise 9/13 - 9/24, 2008
My mother is taking her three daughters on a cruise around the Western Mediterranean. This will be a first for me. If I do any journaling about the day to day experience it will be here. Stay tuned.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
What is the lesson?
Grace under fire? Humbleness? Go with the flow? Uncle, shall I say it again, uncle? I get it I get it I get it. Or maybe I haven't, and that's why I keep being thrown onto the mat again, and again, and again. Just as soon as I get the keys from the gods of "through", "connected" and "on the aids", the demons of spring grass rear their green heads and run cackling down the barn aisles.
I should have known when I turned Ren, fully tacked up, to go back into his stall, and he planted himself, and with every possible communication skill he possesses he said, no, we need to head out that door to the green, get it lady?, grass. This, even though he always goes back in the stall tacked up while I go put on my boots and helmet. It gives him a few more minutes of hay time and well, I can run to the room of rest if need be. What was he thinking? I was going to take him out to graze with a saddle on? Sigh. I should have known.
I took him into the indoor arena and longed him. We did it all, he did it pleasantly, no bucks, all business. Great. Got on him with the intention of walking out the door into the lovely afternoon and down the hill to the outdoor arena for our session. Hmmmm. I should have known. He came out of the arena as though he were performing for the crowds with a pack of wolves at his heels. Interesting. I should have known. It usually takes me 30 minutes of work to get that engine going, and here we were, as Patty so aptly put it when she saw us in the parking lot - all fired up. I kept walking around the driveways, the parking lot, the grassy areas, mulling over whether heading down the hill in the wind to the faraway outdoor arena was really the smartest thing to do. I decided no. So we walked some more, he's still on his toes, I keep my seat bones planted, asking him to go left, go right, do this, do that. Finally, I say, let's go into the arena. He stops, backs up, goes sideways, telling me, not softly, that that's not on his agenda. Well, that starts a 30 minute tango of go forward, okay, well, then back up, okay, you like forward better don't you, taking off, coming back, hauling me sideways, head tossing, and after a couple of boots, really just jumping up and down. I tried faking him out, heading on a slight diagonal towards the door, praising all the while. He balked halfway there. There was no tiring him out. When I found us in a tight spot between two buildings and his pants all in a twist, I hopped off and lead him into the arena. Alright, already, uncle.
I walked him around briskly while I cooled off. Then I got on. He promptly tried to haul me out the door. I said uh no, and we had a little tiff. He was obsessed, and it seemed as though nothing I could do would help him turn off of the path he was on. I tried all the things that worked so well over the weekend. I was pretty determined to make it all go just that well again, when he popped his tongue out. At 15 years of age, my beautiful horse has chosen to show his tuning out by hanging his tongue out of the side of his mouth while going around the ring. I immediately backed off, loosened the rein, the tongue returned to its normal location, and I just rode him on large loopy circles that I determined. He couldn't haul me out the door, but I couldn't force the issue. It was a draw.
What is the lesson? I have control over very few things in my life. I have control over my reaction to things. Renny is not a bad horse. He is just a horse. He has opinions that are not mine, he tries to tell me, sometimes I can hear him, sometimes I choose not to listen. We muddle through. Sometimes we have moments from the gods, somedays those demons run amok with glee. But in the end, we have each other, and we are the better for it.
I should have known when I turned Ren, fully tacked up, to go back into his stall, and he planted himself, and with every possible communication skill he possesses he said, no, we need to head out that door to the green, get it lady?, grass. This, even though he always goes back in the stall tacked up while I go put on my boots and helmet. It gives him a few more minutes of hay time and well, I can run to the room of rest if need be. What was he thinking? I was going to take him out to graze with a saddle on? Sigh. I should have known.
I took him into the indoor arena and longed him. We did it all, he did it pleasantly, no bucks, all business. Great. Got on him with the intention of walking out the door into the lovely afternoon and down the hill to the outdoor arena for our session. Hmmmm. I should have known. He came out of the arena as though he were performing for the crowds with a pack of wolves at his heels. Interesting. I should have known. It usually takes me 30 minutes of work to get that engine going, and here we were, as Patty so aptly put it when she saw us in the parking lot - all fired up. I kept walking around the driveways, the parking lot, the grassy areas, mulling over whether heading down the hill in the wind to the faraway outdoor arena was really the smartest thing to do. I decided no. So we walked some more, he's still on his toes, I keep my seat bones planted, asking him to go left, go right, do this, do that. Finally, I say, let's go into the arena. He stops, backs up, goes sideways, telling me, not softly, that that's not on his agenda. Well, that starts a 30 minute tango of go forward, okay, well, then back up, okay, you like forward better don't you, taking off, coming back, hauling me sideways, head tossing, and after a couple of boots, really just jumping up and down. I tried faking him out, heading on a slight diagonal towards the door, praising all the while. He balked halfway there. There was no tiring him out. When I found us in a tight spot between two buildings and his pants all in a twist, I hopped off and lead him into the arena. Alright, already, uncle.
I walked him around briskly while I cooled off. Then I got on. He promptly tried to haul me out the door. I said uh no, and we had a little tiff. He was obsessed, and it seemed as though nothing I could do would help him turn off of the path he was on. I tried all the things that worked so well over the weekend. I was pretty determined to make it all go just that well again, when he popped his tongue out. At 15 years of age, my beautiful horse has chosen to show his tuning out by hanging his tongue out of the side of his mouth while going around the ring. I immediately backed off, loosened the rein, the tongue returned to its normal location, and I just rode him on large loopy circles that I determined. He couldn't haul me out the door, but I couldn't force the issue. It was a draw.
What is the lesson? I have control over very few things in my life. I have control over my reaction to things. Renny is not a bad horse. He is just a horse. He has opinions that are not mine, he tries to tell me, sometimes I can hear him, sometimes I choose not to listen. We muddle through. Sometimes we have moments from the gods, somedays those demons run amok with glee. But in the end, we have each other, and we are the better for it.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
School's out for the summer
For all my many readers, hehehehe, the MLA class is over. This blog is not. I've enjoyed writing here, so I will most likely continue. Until the next time, happy trails.
The end
This is the end. My link to Rollyo in my earlier post was so not a link. I finally got it. I think. Persistence has paid off. I may even make more of these little personal search engines. Kinda cool.
I'd like to thank my colleagues for putting up with me during these 9 weeks of this 8 week course. They have graciously listened to my squeals of delight and my groans of despair and looked with real or feigned enthusiasm at the new (possible) tools of our trade.
I'd like to thank my colleagues for putting up with me during these 9 weeks of this 8 week course. They have graciously listened to my squeals of delight and my groans of despair and looked with real or feigned enthusiasm at the new (possible) tools of our trade.
Week 8 - Mashups
http://rollyo.com/dashboard.html
This is the link to my Rollyo dashboard. I created my own Dressage search engine. I tried it out with the word "half-pass". This was the advanced and optional part of exercise 2 in Week 8.
Honestly, I thought exercise 2 and the privacy writings was more difficult. I really didn't want to read too many of them. I chose two - one by the Shifted Librarian and one by the Librarian in Black. Shifty made me aware that I may be the insane one because I haven't accepted the fact that my private life is really public and that resistance is futile... LIB gave me an article on 6 tips to protect my search history privacy on the web - the six went from easy to ridiculously difficult IMHO. I can't switch IP addresses at work, and I don't know how to do it at home, neither do I want to learn... And using some software program like TOR? Okay, I give up, privacy is an illusion, and I will just continue bumbling around looking at horse sites and buying household goods from Amazon. Now you know all about my sordid online adventures...
Seriously, thank you to all the MLA instructors for broadening my Web 2.0 horizons - I never would have stretched so far on my own. Have a great summer!
This is the link to my Rollyo dashboard. I created my own Dressage search engine. I tried it out with the word "half-pass". This was the advanced and optional part of exercise 2 in Week 8.
Honestly, I thought exercise 2 and the privacy writings was more difficult. I really didn't want to read too many of them. I chose two - one by the Shifted Librarian and one by the Librarian in Black. Shifty made me aware that I may be the insane one because I haven't accepted the fact that my private life is really public and that resistance is futile... LIB gave me an article on 6 tips to protect my search history privacy on the web - the six went from easy to ridiculously difficult IMHO. I can't switch IP addresses at work, and I don't know how to do it at home, neither do I want to learn... And using some software program like TOR? Okay, I give up, privacy is an illusion, and I will just continue bumbling around looking at horse sites and buying household goods from Amazon. Now you know all about my sordid online adventures...
Seriously, thank you to all the MLA instructors for broadening my Web 2.0 horizons - I never would have stretched so far on my own. Have a great summer!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Week 8 - Mashup
Well, that was great fun! Yesterday when I first started looking at the most popular mashups, I wasn't impressed. Especially when the blog rater I chose rated my blog a big zero! Who am I kidding? I knew it was going to get a zero, zilch, nada, big nothing rating. No one reads my blog (except for you instructors, of course), much less comments on it, and there are no ads...
Anyway, I tried Programmable Web today, and discovered Coverpop and Phylotaxis. Coverpop takes covers of books, magazines, seed packets, you name it, makes a mosaic and as you mouse over the lovely to behold poster, each individual bit comes up and you can read about it, or order it! Amazing! You could sit there all day, all week, years could pass!
And Phylotaxis makes keeping up with science news around the world a very fun endeavour indeed. You launch the program, and it allows you to manipulate the images towards science or culture (agitation is allowed, even encouraged), and then you can choose an image marble for perusal. Oh what fun!
I forwarded both these mashups to colleagues, so we could all share in the adventure.
Anyway, I tried Programmable Web today, and discovered Coverpop and Phylotaxis. Coverpop takes covers of books, magazines, seed packets, you name it, makes a mosaic and as you mouse over the lovely to behold poster, each individual bit comes up and you can read about it, or order it! Amazing! You could sit there all day, all week, years could pass!
And Phylotaxis makes keeping up with science news around the world a very fun endeavour indeed. You launch the program, and it allows you to manipulate the images towards science or culture (agitation is allowed, even encouraged), and then you can choose an image marble for perusal. Oh what fun!
I forwarded both these mashups to colleagues, so we could all share in the adventure.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Week 7 - Podcasting...
I couldn't access podcast.net and podcastalley.com caused such problems for Internet Explorer that Windows Task Manager couldn't even end the non-responding programs. I forged ahead, like the Web 2.0 pioneer that I've become... I set up my Odeo account, and subscribed to an NPR Sports Channel , I think it's called Not just a game, anyway, I listened to a very interesting podcast about Kelso, The Horse of Gold.
I then explored YouTube. I found the frenetic video from U Penn which I put on this blog. And I checked out a few personal topics. Yes, the word horse was typed, I cannot tell a lie.
I would love to make videos for YouTube that we could use for training in our library system. Not that we don't like these face to face, or phone to phone meetings, but I think some very cool, like Lee LeFever's on the Common Craft show, and catchy videos could get the points across in a fun and memorable way. This, of course, is not going to happen anytime soon - still with the firewalls. Of all the new technologies that I've explored in this class so far, I think these videos have the greatest potential for library use. And I thank you for gently encouraging me to explore more... Bart, if you read this, you really saved your video this week with the Star Wars Pez dispensers - see? fun and memorable - thanks
Podcasting in my library isn't going to happen any sooner than videos, but I can see how useful they can be. The lecture series from the Claude Moore HSLibrary can be accessed over and over again by listeners around the globe. That's a good thing.
I then explored YouTube. I found the frenetic video from U Penn which I put on this blog. And I checked out a few personal topics. Yes, the word horse was typed, I cannot tell a lie.
I would love to make videos for YouTube that we could use for training in our library system. Not that we don't like these face to face, or phone to phone meetings, but I think some very cool, like Lee LeFever's on the Common Craft show, and catchy videos could get the points across in a fun and memorable way. This, of course, is not going to happen anytime soon - still with the firewalls. Of all the new technologies that I've explored in this class so far, I think these videos have the greatest potential for library use. And I thank you for gently encouraging me to explore more... Bart, if you read this, you really saved your video this week with the Star Wars Pez dispensers - see? fun and memorable - thanks
Podcasting in my library isn't going to happen any sooner than videos, but I can see how useful they can be. The lecture series from the Claude Moore HSLibrary can be accessed over and over again by listeners around the globe. That's a good thing.
Week 6 - Online photo sharing
Well, the photo speaks for itself. I managed to get it onto my blog and onto facebook. tada! I think flickr is neat, but I see no future for it in my library as it operates now - that firewall is bigger than ever.
My daughter and my nephews seem to use the photo capabilities of Facebook more than anything else. I can't speak to the long term viability of such a choice.
I figure I'm doing good if I get the few photos I do take from the camera card to my hard drive, and then into some sort of order. I handle photos sort of like I handled gardening - good at planting, not so good at harvesting. I'm too busy riding...
My daughter and my nephews seem to use the photo capabilities of Facebook more than anything else. I can't speak to the long term viability of such a choice.
I figure I'm doing good if I get the few photos I do take from the camera card to my hard drive, and then into some sort of order. I handle photos sort of like I handled gardening - good at planting, not so good at harvesting. I'm too busy riding...
J & L
Another class assignment. Add a photo from flickr to my blog. Here it is. What a fun evening that was!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Week 5 - Web Office Tools
I just spent way too much time on Step #7, trying to publish my Google Docs document on my blog. I tried quite a few times, checking settings, etc. Ran the test button, it said the settings appeared to be correct, but no posting appeared. Sigh.
I don't think these products will be the future of office tools. They will have their place, but they won't totally replace standard PC office suites. Certainly not in institutions like mine - firewalls again. I can't even peruse these new tools without being on VPN. Don't see the powers that be dumping Office anytime soon for web based products. It's good that I now have some familiarity with these, so that I can at least appear somewhat knowledgeable when clientele arrive with questions.
At home, for myself, it may pay to investigate further, find the program I like best, and then start using it. I have no great love of nor loyalty to Microsoft, so I might give Zoho or Webex a whirl. For sure, I'm not going to bother with Google Docs, I just had a brainstorm, well, more like a brain twitter, but I thought I'd try to post to my blog from Zoho. Yeah, that took about 15 seconds, and success was mine!!!! Over and out for Week 5. Week 6, here I come.
I don't think these products will be the future of office tools. They will have their place, but they won't totally replace standard PC office suites. Certainly not in institutions like mine - firewalls again. I can't even peruse these new tools without being on VPN. Don't see the powers that be dumping Office anytime soon for web based products. It's good that I now have some familiarity with these, so that I can at least appear somewhat knowledgeable when clientele arrive with questions.
At home, for myself, it may pay to investigate further, find the program I like best, and then start using it. I have no great love of nor loyalty to Microsoft, so I might give Zoho or Webex a whirl. For sure, I'm not going to bother with Google Docs, I just had a brainstorm, well, more like a brain twitter, but I thought I'd try to post to my blog from Zoho. Yeah, that took about 15 seconds, and success was mine!!!! Over and out for Week 5. Week 6, here I come.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Week 4 - Social bookmarking
I've been using del.icio.us for awhile now, so I was happy that this week's assignment was pretty much done when I received it in my e-mail. As you can see, from the date of this post, I'm still behind with the assignments, and I was pretty much done when I started. Go figure. Blogging takes time, and I have precious little of that where I work. We have nitty gritty things to do here like literature searches, Docline, regular library maintenance, statistical record keeping (wow, has that mushroomed!), and more... Okay, enough whining.
I was thrilled to find del.icio.us because it meant having all my bookmarks available to me at all times from any PC. And I have to work in 6, count them, 6 different library locations. Plus home, if I ever feel like booting up. And, there's that added bonus of setting up bundles for friends or bosses or colleagues so when you come across something you think they'd really like to read, you can stick it there, and they can find it. No one has taken me up on that yet...
My library recently transferred all of its cool and useful (well, we think they're cool and useful) links to del.icio.us accounts and put them up for our patrons perusal. The transfer is going to make our lives as web tenders so much easier. Adding new items, and editing are soooo easy in delicious (are they going to get rid of these dumb periods????) as opposed to what we used to have to do in Content Management. I say amen.
Research assistance. Oh, yeah. That's a no-brainer. Click, add your stuff, bundle away, and then search for your stuff if necessary. Connotea I guess would be the way to go for scientists, but delicious would work, too.
I was thrilled to find del.icio.us because it meant having all my bookmarks available to me at all times from any PC. And I have to work in 6, count them, 6 different library locations. Plus home, if I ever feel like booting up. And, there's that added bonus of setting up bundles for friends or bosses or colleagues so when you come across something you think they'd really like to read, you can stick it there, and they can find it. No one has taken me up on that yet...
My library recently transferred all of its cool and useful (well, we think they're cool and useful) links to del.icio.us accounts and put them up for our patrons perusal. The transfer is going to make our lives as web tenders so much easier. Adding new items, and editing are soooo easy in delicious (are they going to get rid of these dumb periods????) as opposed to what we used to have to do in Content Management. I say amen.
Research assistance. Oh, yeah. That's a no-brainer. Click, add your stuff, bundle away, and then search for your stuff if necessary. Connotea I guess would be the way to go for scientists, but delicious would work, too.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Social networking
Hmmm. I created my Facebook page. My daughter thought it was strange, but let me be her friend, anyway. I found some friends on it that I would never have expected to find there. I left messages on their walls. But I e-mail them, anyway, privately. These sites affect me in the same way that TV news stations have started to affect me when they have banners running under the commentators. There are so many places to look I'm not sure where to start. I end up turning to another channel. I'm one of those folks who hates multi-tasking, so when I'm reading, I'm not watching TV or listening to music, and when I'm walking my dog, I'm not talking on my cell phone. My daughter is capable of having the TV on, talking to me (well, sort of) while IMing several friends online, keeping track of her roommate's messing about in the kitchen... I guess I find these sites messy. I'm a linear kind of gal...
We'll never use these in our library - that firewall thing. Anyway, when I went into Facebook I sort of felt as though I was invading a young person's holdout. I did find some friends of my generation, but why? It's so time consuming. All my work these days is on a computer - I try really hard to avoid computers during my free time. Unless I'm buying horse equipment or supplements.
Now that I've set these accounts up, I'll probably never use them again, unless I'm required to by the powers that be in some future non-firewall reincarnation of my institution. I don' t feel a need to let all my friends know what I'm doing right now. I don't necessarily need them all to know each other either. I rather like having different worlds.
We'll never use these in our library - that firewall thing. Anyway, when I went into Facebook I sort of felt as though I was invading a young person's holdout. I did find some friends of my generation, but why? It's so time consuming. All my work these days is on a computer - I try really hard to avoid computers during my free time. Unless I'm buying horse equipment or supplements.
Now that I've set these accounts up, I'll probably never use them again, unless I'm required to by the powers that be in some future non-firewall reincarnation of my institution. I don' t feel a need to let all my friends know what I'm doing right now. I don't necessarily need them all to know each other either. I rather like having different worlds.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Blog vs wiki
Blogs are solitary endeavours. You got something to say. Here's your forum. Someone might even read it. Good for digesting material for your clientele, keeping them up to date on whatever it is you think you've cornered the market on, good for announcements. I don't see this as hugely important in our library. We have firewall issues. I can only access my blog for this class through a VPN. So far, I'm finding the blogging thing very addictive, but I have a lot of regular work to do, so reading a bunch of blogs and then blogging myself just isn't going to happen, until my director tells me to do it, of course. Which she may do. She's been reading my blog. She's going to read this. Oh, dear, this is so public.
Wikis are communal. We all have something to say, and we can all edit for the good of the group. Good for groups for managing things like schedules, appointments, documents, lists; I haven't even begun to imagine all the possibilities. I think we could actually use a wiki in our library for vacation days, meetings, announcements, working on documents (we do nothing without everyone proofing!), putting up articles, videos, but I'm not sure we have any uses for them at the moment with our patrons. And again, that firewall issue. I created my wiki for my boarding barn. I may flesh it out and present it to a couple of folks at the barn to see what they think - right now they might just say, eh! we're used to looking at three different marker boards, two calendars, and trying to keep up with phone calls. I think it would take a strong directive from the owner/trainer to keep such a wiki up and running. And the boards would have to come down...
Wikis are communal. We all have something to say, and we can all edit for the good of the group. Good for groups for managing things like schedules, appointments, documents, lists; I haven't even begun to imagine all the possibilities. I think we could actually use a wiki in our library for vacation days, meetings, announcements, working on documents (we do nothing without everyone proofing!), putting up articles, videos, but I'm not sure we have any uses for them at the moment with our patrons. And again, that firewall issue. I created my wiki for my boarding barn. I may flesh it out and present it to a couple of folks at the barn to see what they think - right now they might just say, eh! we're used to looking at three different marker boards, two calendars, and trying to keep up with phone calls. I think it would take a strong directive from the owner/trainer to keep such a wiki up and running. And the boards would have to come down...
“There is something about the outside of a horse...
that is good for the inside of a man." --Winston Churchill
Or a woman, of course.
When I approach Renny's stall, he's usually waiting. He can't see me coming, but perhaps after five years, he knows my footsteps. Sometimes he nickers, usually not. But there is an alertness to his gaze, as I reach the door to his stall. Of course, I'm by that time going, Hi, Ren, how are you, Red? Did you miss me? He moves toward the door as if he had no choice, but he does really. I have no illusions about why he always moves towards me. I have been his human treat dispenser for quite some time now. He is hugely motivated by food. I open the door of his stall, and he presents his head for petting and scratching. He investigates pockets and hands. He knows where the good stuff resides. I generally don't dispense treats upon arrival, but he is ever the optimist. Yesterday, we said hello, and as I walked away to change into riding clothes, he started pawing in his doorway. It could be begging, it could be "let's get me out of here!", or it could be something else I haven't even thought of. I don't know - he's not talking.
I longed him first in just his halter. He had no bucks in the back. He was smooth and willing. A good boy, he knows how to longe, moving from trot to canter and back to trot at the sound of my voice. I longed him a second time in the surcingle and bridle. He was more than happy to do it all over again in the side reins. This time he really relaxed and was snorting and blowing, always a good sign. He was working well over his back and was tracking up nicely under himself. When I asked him to canter, I could see him hesitate for a second as if wondering, can I do this without bringing my head up? I encouraged him with my voice, and he smoothly went into the canter. After that little confidence booster, he easily went between gaits even with the side reins tighter than ever before. We even got a bit of white stuff.
We longed for maybe a total of 12 minutes. I took him back to the aisle to untack, and as usual, he expressed a desire to chew on his halter for a few minutes before I put it back on him. So, with one arm holding the halter for him, and my other arm around his neck, I let him chew. His eyes go to half mast, as if the chewing were some equine opiate, I marvel at his chestnut colored eyelashes and breathe deeply as I press my cheek into his neck. If I could bottle that eau de horse and carry it with me for all the times when I cannot have him near, I would be so happy.
Or a woman, of course.
When I approach Renny's stall, he's usually waiting. He can't see me coming, but perhaps after five years, he knows my footsteps. Sometimes he nickers, usually not. But there is an alertness to his gaze, as I reach the door to his stall. Of course, I'm by that time going, Hi, Ren, how are you, Red? Did you miss me? He moves toward the door as if he had no choice, but he does really. I have no illusions about why he always moves towards me. I have been his human treat dispenser for quite some time now. He is hugely motivated by food. I open the door of his stall, and he presents his head for petting and scratching. He investigates pockets and hands. He knows where the good stuff resides. I generally don't dispense treats upon arrival, but he is ever the optimist. Yesterday, we said hello, and as I walked away to change into riding clothes, he started pawing in his doorway. It could be begging, it could be "let's get me out of here!", or it could be something else I haven't even thought of. I don't know - he's not talking.
I longed him first in just his halter. He had no bucks in the back. He was smooth and willing. A good boy, he knows how to longe, moving from trot to canter and back to trot at the sound of my voice. I longed him a second time in the surcingle and bridle. He was more than happy to do it all over again in the side reins. This time he really relaxed and was snorting and blowing, always a good sign. He was working well over his back and was tracking up nicely under himself. When I asked him to canter, I could see him hesitate for a second as if wondering, can I do this without bringing my head up? I encouraged him with my voice, and he smoothly went into the canter. After that little confidence booster, he easily went between gaits even with the side reins tighter than ever before. We even got a bit of white stuff.
We longed for maybe a total of 12 minutes. I took him back to the aisle to untack, and as usual, he expressed a desire to chew on his halter for a few minutes before I put it back on him. So, with one arm holding the halter for him, and my other arm around his neck, I let him chew. His eyes go to half mast, as if the chewing were some equine opiate, I marvel at his chestnut colored eyelashes and breathe deeply as I press my cheek into his neck. If I could bottle that eau de horse and carry it with me for all the times when I cannot have him near, I would be so happy.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Rainy Wednesday
Horses haven't been out for two days. Paddocks are too wet. Will have to longe Renny before anyone gets on him. Always a fun experience since stall time usually means bucks stored in the back. He performs his self chiropractic at a mad dash gallop around the arena, barely contained by the longe line. I'll probably longe him first in his halter, so he can do his airs above the ground, then put the surcingle, bridle and side reins on. I recently reread the section on longeing in the USPC book on Longeing and Ground Training. Good to revisit these classic works. Will be sure to attach the longe line to not only the bit ring but also the noseband so that all the pressure is not on the mouth.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Friday Pub Med RSS Feed
Success! I followed David Rothman's guidelines on generating a custom RSS feed from PubMed. It worked! I think I have fulfilled this week's requirements for the course. I'm going to check in with an instructor to make sure they have received my blog link. TGIF!
RSS feeds
Patrons in my library can use the RSS feeds in Ovid to get their favorite journals' TOCs. We, the librarians, are using RSS feeds to try to keep our heads above water - staying current in the rapidly changing world of 2.o. I have a couple favorite library awareness feeds on my igoogle home page - finding the time to read them in the midst of my extremely busy day is another thing. Thankfully they usually take a topic and deal with it succinctly. Thank you David Rothman and Michelle Kraft.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Cheesh. I just realized I thought it was Monday when I did that first blog this morning early. Before caffeine had sufficiently made its rounds evidently. I guess I thought it was Monday because for me, it was Monday. I took yesterday off to hang out with my home from law school daughter who's on spring break.
This is kind of addictive, I'm realizing. I just watched the two videos about blogging and RSS feeds. That Commoncraft dude is swell! Those videos were almost as much fun as Dylan's original music video. Almost, well, not quite, really not at all. But definitely so much better than one more power point soporific.
Monday, March 10, 2008
First ever post to a blog. Had to log in to VPN. Hospital firewall doesn't like blogs. Now I just have to figure out how to link this anonymous blog to MLA. One mission accomplished. :o)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)