Our Holiday Travels and Adventures

Only about half of us decided to travel during the holidays this year. We went every where from Indianapolis to as far west as Portland to as far south as Florida and as far north as Toronto, Canada.

One person came back with the story that the plane he and his family was traveling on came across some turbulence. The flight attendant then proceeded to scare everybody to death by dropping to her knees in front of his family when the plane hit a bump in the air.

Another staff member surprised us all and accepted another position in Phoenix, AZ. He spent his holidays travelling to Phoenix and back and then up to Wisconsin to visit family.

Toronto was the vacation of choice for one LIS member. She spent 4 days shopping and seeing the sites of this northern city. A couple of evenings were spent visiting the alternative clubs in the area. If you have a chance, you should ask her about the Velvet Underground and the Bovine Sex Club.

Portland, Oregon is the hometown of another staff member. She was able to take a vacation there after the holidays. While she was there she took a side trip to see Mt. St. Helens up close and to get her feet wet in the cold Pacific Ocean.

The rest of you who traveled preferred to keep the miles close to home. Many Library staff and faculty visited family in Indiana and nearby states. One member relayed to us that her travel for the holidays included many trips to the grocery store in order to feed her son, who was home from college!

Those of us who stayed home entertained family and friends who traveled to see them. The general concensus with this group is that it is much better to not have to travel during the holidays, but rather to let guests come to them.

Santa’s checklist: ISU Library Personnel Deemed Good.

It appears to have been a good year in the gift receiving department for ISU Library staff and faculty. People were quite pleased with most of the gifts they received over the holidays.

You may not have heard, but someone in Lending Services was surprised to find a diamond ring under the tree for her 25^th Wedding Anniversary.

Other interesting gift items include: 1) Coca-Cola popcorn set to add to the recipient’s coke collection, 2) cabbage patch dolls for another collector, 3) a treadmill, 4) job offers, 5) a porcelain music box and a wall plaque of the Last Supper carved from olive wood, 6) money, 7) videotapes of movies, 8) pictures, 9) a Swiss army knife, 10) and the list goes on. It is left up to the reader to guess who got what.

A few members of our crew could be seen standing in the return lines or just wishing they could after the holidays. Some of the odd and annoying gifts people received this holiday season include the following: A watch with an attitude that was returned the next day. Dress socks that were not appreciated by the recipient, but he thought he would use them anyway. Someone in ILL does not like the color puke green, so the sweatshirt she received in that color was promptly returned. An LIS member takes the prize for the strangest unwanted gift. She received a box from her sister-in-law in Haiti. She goes on to tell us, "it smells funny and looks like a cat coffin." The recipient’s name is carved in it and her chances of getting to Haiti are slim, so she thinks she is stuck with it.

Packers Predicted to Win Super Bowl

60% of the voting members of the Library community have predicted that the Green Bay Packers will be Super Bowl Champions this year. 30% expressed unconcern over the outcome of the game, while one lost soul voted that the Nebraska C ornhuskers would rule the day?!

I am sure that regardless of the outcome, it will prove to be an exciting game.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm…

Email humor to make you smile. These funnies have probably been sent to your email at one time or another, but even after a few reads, they can still bring a smile!

1. If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?
2. What is another word for synonym?
3. Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all"?
4. If a man speaks in the forest and there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong?
5. Should vegetarians eat animal crackers?
6. If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?
7. Why do people who know the least, know it the loudest?
8. If the funeral procession is at night, do folks drive with their headlights out?
9. Instead of talking to your plants, if you yelled at them, would they still grow, only to be troubled and insecure?
10. What should you do if you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?
11. Why isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food?
12. If a turtle loses its shell, is it naked or homeless?

Library Personnel Make New Year’s Resolutions

The beginning of each New Year gives each of us an opportunity to reflect on the past and contemplate the future. In many instances we will make resolutions of things we will do and not do during the year in order to make ourselves better people.

The top priority for Library personnel appears to be losing weight. Some have committed themselves to exercising while others have admitted that they have already given up on their diet.

Others have resolved to be more patient with others and to be more careful about the words they choose to speak.

A more active member of our group has resolved to be a faster runner and a better student. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have mush confidence in his ability to keep these resolutions. He thinks he’ll probably break them in 1 or 2 weeks.

Another important resolution that a staff member has made is to reduce her spending and quit one of the two part-time jobs that she works.

One of the Librarians has resolved to keep track of the books she reads over the year.

Good luck to everyone who has set a goal or goals to attain in the coming New Year!