Busy Busy Bee
I’ve been…
Moving – One of my coworkers recently left our firm, and I called dibs on his cube. Which means that after 8 years in the same cube I finally did a big clean-out. Which is a good thing. Except that work is actually (thankfully!) busy right now. Meaning I didn’t have time to move during the work week, and you all know my weekends have been kind of busy lately. So Sunday after church I pulled out the Windex and a big trash can and got to work.
Tuesday I came into work early and finished the last of it. Bosslady helped me move the phone and computer. We felt all puffed up for moving the techy stuff all by our lonesomes. So much so that I got on a tear and starting randomly singing / shouting out “PRINCESS OF POWER!” most of the morning. Obnoxious much? I’m not even sure where I got that phrase.
Reading – One of my favorite things about Maryland is the public library system. You can check out a book in Hagerstown and return it in Ocean City and no one bats an eye. As a Baltimore City resident, I have a membership with the Enoch Pratt Free Library. My nearest branch is 3 blocks from my home. But I must confess that I generally use the Howard County Library (East Columbia Branch to be precise).
Reasons to Use the Howard County Library
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It’s bigger than my local EP branch
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It’s newer than my local EP
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HoCo is one of the wealthiest counties in the country and that wealth trickles d0wn to the library in pretty much every way
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The DVDs are free (Enoch Pratt charges for most movies)
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I can head there on my lunch break
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Bosslady and I make it into a Thursday afternoon ritual on account of the farmers’ market in the parking lot
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However, this weekend I wandered into my local Enoch Pratt. In a city that is cash-strapped, my local branch still embodies all that is wonderful about a library. The employees are friendly and cheerful. The computers and tables are filled with patrons. And best of all, the books are thoughtfully displayed. Ok, sure, most of them are simply shelved in Dewey decimal order. But almost every shelf has a “highlighted” book that really looks interesting! It was all I could do to limit myself to only three books.
My latest discovery:
Thank you Enoch Pratt!
Read this book. It’s fascinating and heartwarming.
Singing – We had two gigs this weekend, Friday and Saturday. Then we had rehearsal for our next gig on Monday and Tuesday. I’m dragging. Even caffeine isn’t helping right now.
This might possibly be a link to a video. I’m not sure if it will work. I’m totally embarrassed to even be posting that, because I think I look and sound like crap. Seeing a video is an incredibly humbling experience. And the wicked witch of the west called. She wants her hair back. But I’m posting this anyway to share my crappiness with you. And because I fervently hope it might be one of those I-am-my-own-worst-critic kind of things. Just keeping it real, people.
Just in case the video doesn’t work, here is a picture from a recent gig.
August 27th gig
Watching – My friend M is always a great source of quality TV. She turned me on to the whole BBC adaptations of Jane Austen novels. Her most recent find is Cranford.
Believe me when I tell you it has consumed my leisure hours. And guess what? I just discovered there is a sequel Return to Cranford. You can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be requesting that from the HoCo Gucci library. Poor Enoch Pratt doesn’t carry it.
Dog Sitting – Matty stayed with us this past weekend. I forgot to download my pictures, so I’ll have to post them later.
So it’s been a little busy in the Juice household. But busy in a good way.
all things juice 
Yes, you are your own worst critic. You sound great and that’s a difficult song, in my non-singing opinion. Plus? Like me, you have The Hair. You look great, you sound great and your link worked. You win!
Ooh, how fun to finally hear and see you in action! Please post more. Of course it bugged the daylights out of me that people were talking while you were singing, but I guess that’s the nature of a ‘gig.’ Are you used to that?
And you are always such a great source for books and good videos. Off to bookmark that video series on Netflix. That will be a good alternative to the Dog Whisperer!
P.S. I LOVE your hair. It is the way I have always wanted my hair to be. Is it natural? I always loved Diana Ross’s hair, and then one of my black friends told me she had extensions. Disappointing, but I still loved it.
Debby, I’m totally used to people talking during gigs. But you know you’re doing something really good (or really awful) when the entire bar gets quiet to listen. It’s happened once that I remember.
What’s really tough is singing during an argument!
And my hair is naturally curly, thanks for the compliment. 🙂
I hadn’t even read Debby’s comment, but dashed over to see the link. What a treat! And yes, I kept thinking, “Oh, will those people just SHUT IT for a minute so I can hear Juice & band SING already?” Yes, I think you’re being overly critical, because you looked and sounded great to me. I never would have had the guts to sing in a band, I only had the guts to sing in the church choir, where people had to be quiet when we sang and couldn’t throw things at us if we sounded bad. (Or good, ala Blues Brothers in that country western bar.) Do you know we sang “Drop Kick Me, Jesus, Through the Goalposts of Life” on Superbowl Sunday one year? I think we got away with it because the choir ladies were über proper 99.999% of the time and my Mr. played a mean trumpet on Easter. 😉 (Well, and we did it after the recessional song.)
I love your hair, too. Wish I had all the money I spent on perms trying to get my hair like that, I could go to Hawaii or something. But then, what do I know about it. My niece has curly hair, and she’s always straightening it. *sigh*.
Hope you enjoy the new cube! I really need to “act as if” I’m moving cubes, because mine is getting all cluttered again.
Cracking up over “Drop Kick.”
My! You have been busy!
You sound great, btw.
I love to read, too, but it’s been many years since I was in the library. The last time I went, I found I had read most of the books they had in my favorite genre and I just couldn’t wait for them to get the new ones. Now I buy them, read them and then give them to the library (or my mom).
First off, know how very proud I am of you and BossLady for moving all the techy stuff all by yourselves! You know that holds a special place in my heart!
And, you were right to yell “Princess of Power”! When I was in college, myself and the two other RA’s in my dorm called ourselves the “Princesses of Power” after the character She-Ra, which was popular at the time. It is truly a badge of honor.
AND, how cool to have the opportunity to see you singing with you band! And you look lovely and like you are having fun. I agree with the other comments – I wished people would be quiet so I could truly enjoy your voice!
So glad things are busy AND fun!
ZM that’s it! Princess of Power is from She-Ra. I knew it sounded familiar when I started saying it. Thanks!
I used to have the She-Ra action figure. She was awesome. Ah, to be young again.
Also I love your hair as well. So much personality.
Really want to read Listening is an Act of Love!