Well-Known People Here -- Right Here!

Libraries are gathering places for people who like books. But they're also places where interesting ideas are exchanged, where stories are told and culture is shared. And, occasionally, where famous or semi-famous names may appear.

In my oh-so-long library career, I have been privileged to attend a lot of programs and some very good staff training events. And I have met a total of three "famous" people in these official settings. (I can't talk about all the famous people I've helped. Patron privacy is a big deal in the library.)

The first big name was Nancy Pearl, known first as a Seattle librarian, then as the author of the Book Lust series of books and broadcasts. She is so well known that she has her own action figure! Not only does she know a lot about a lot of books, but she teaches others how to identify certain elements about the last good book they read. This, in turn, helps form ideas about what sort of book to suggest next. Great workshop, excellent presentation.

My next famous meeting was with a children's music performer, who also was part of a rock band some time ago. He gave up the nighttime gig in favor of family, and nonchalantly shook my hand as he said, "Hi, I'm Caspar Babypants." Wow. Way to embrace your alter ego, Chris!

Last weekend, a retired TV meteorologist came to talk about the dangers and wonders of mountain weather. What a voice! I had been accustomed to hearing him on our local news broadcasts for twenty years or more, but that was on television. Hearing him speak -- live and in person -- made me a little giddy. Jeff Renner really, really, has a great set of baritone pipes!

So, that's it for celeb sightings so far. But, coming up next month, my brother asked me to get an autographed copy of J.A. Jance's latest novel. She's coming to my library! My brother is a fan, and they have a mutual friend, and she's coming to MY library! It will be great fun to listen to her stories about writing, maybe take a few photos, and then get that book signed for my brother. Woot!

Jeff Renner at my library

Behind the Curtain...

Oh, the dangers of channel surfing. Last night, I came across a documentary on PBS... okay, not my usual genre... but it was so much MORE than a documentary.

One of my favorite TV programs is the Red Green Show. It reminds me of things my dad and his older brother might have done, if there had been duct tape in the 1920's. (Happy birthday, Dad. I miss you.) Red Green is this middle-aged dude who loves his wife but cannot be trusted to be safe out of her sight. Since she never appears on the show, he's pretty much always making trouble or blowing up an engine or scheming about a Possum Lodge activity.

But I digress. Red has a dorky, inept nephew named Harold. (Harold Green is on your far left in the above photo.) Of course, Harold isn't quite as dumb as Red thinks, and he often rescues Red from the best [worst] of his plans gone haywire. Patrick McKenna is Harold, and Harold is Patrick McKenna. Period. Or so I thought.

This documentary had me on the edge of my seat for 90 minutes. Why? Because it's hosted by none other than Patrick McKenna, as himself! It's amazing -- like when a clown removes his makeup and speaks in a normal voice! Like when the wizard comes out from behind the Oz curtain! Like when Mrs. Doubtfire turns into Daniel Hillard!

So, if you've ever watched the Red Green Show, or if you know anyone who might have ADD, catch the next showing of ADD And Loving It?! on PBS. It's humorous and informative, and Patrick McKenna has a really cool wife who loves him a lot. Go figure!

A Guilty Pleasure?

I seldom stick my neck out to offer critical comments or reviews, but having watched a Deadliest Catch marathon last night I've got something in my craw. Following is a note I sent to a friend to dispute her assessments of some of the recent developments on the show. I write this, knowing that I have no basis from which to judge these men... but because I enjoy the show so much, I'll admit to being a pretty rabid fan. Disclaimer done.


Dear J:

Now that I'm up to date on the Catch, I have to argue with you about the Cornelia Marie captain. I don't think Derrick is a bad guy at all. He was put into a really tough situation, replacing not only an owner/captain but the father of two crewmen. And then there was "little Jake's" abrupt departure and refusal to take a drug test. Denial, denial, denial. There's a saying -- How do you know an addict is lying? His lips are moving. The Cornelia Marie had a terrible season of fishing, but so did a couple of other boats! The CM crew couldn't have known how badly some of the others were doing, but those crab counts at the bottom of the list were abysmal. On the other hand, he came right out and said to Josh and Jake that their dad had done them a disservice by not teaching them more before he died. Ooooo... low blow! Sure, Phil could have taught them more, let them run the boat, but he was busy earning a living, and he was teaching them. No one expected him to pass away so suddenly. The whole owner-but-crewman thing makes everything so complicated. In one way, it seems like it might be better for Josh & Jake to move to other boats to get fully trained, and then return to their boat as co-captains. But financially, that isn't workable. If you own a boat, you need to be there to oversee your investment.

Another point of interest for me was watching Wizard captain Keith "interacting" with his crew. I know, you're not crazy about Keith, but I like him. What got me was, after he had chewed them out and then had a long silent treatment from his brother Monty, Monty comes up and totally makes Keith lose it with laughter. ("Can we go in and get a candy bar?" I'm not sure what the joke was, but Keith was laughing so hard he couldn't finish a sentence.) Although they can fight like the best of them (i.e., Sig and Edgar), Keith and Monty have a really solid, loving relationship. That warms my heart!

So, there you go. Let 'er rip and tell me what you think!

Oh, and have a nice day... :-p

Sugar, Waffle, or Cake -- Hold the Bowl

It's self-discovery day at the Wise Dogs Blog! That is, for the human behind the blog.

I buy ice cream once in a while when the good stuff is on sale. Unlike the days of my deprived childhood, there are lots of great flavors available. My favorites are coffee and anything with caramel. But then the ice cream sits in the freezer until one of the guys eats it. I hardly ever eat ice cream, even if it's a flavor I've chosen. What's up with that? More in a moment.

There are a few television shows I can watch repeatedly, much to my family's dismay. I'm almost over my Red Green fixation, but Deadliest Catch is still going strong. The Learning Channel (great name for a network, eh?) has two series I especially enjoy because of how they reveal routine conflict within a family. Both Jon & Kate Plus Eight and Little People Big World happen to feature families who are Christian, but these parents have issues! Many episodes contain conversations of conflict, or narrated segments where the adults say what they really think about their spouse's traits. I'm fascinated by the vastly dissimilar personalities of these couples, and am always impressed by their acts of affection and devotion to one another. Despite their differences, they love each other. They say things out loud that I would never dream of saying, but the conflicts are rather momentary.

Occasionally, TLC has aired shows about exceptionally large families. They were interesting, but I don't recall seeing any conflict beyond getting the new house built before the clan had to vacate the old one. Important, urgent, but not curiosity-raising.

Here's where the ice cream comes into the picture. I finally realized that I am not interested in eating ice cream all by itself, in a bowl. But give me a sugar cone and I could go for a serving after every meal! It's all about the crunch and the softness -- the conflicting textures. Love isn't about unquestioning agreement, it's about commitment and different-ness. It's nice to see examples of love carried out in ways I can relate to, in situations that might be experienced in my home. Okay, not in my home, but one that I can imagine is a little like mine. Without the girls. Just the boys, ranged in age a bit. And handsome.

That calls for another ice cream cone. Pecan praline, on a sugar cone, because it's got caramel... and nuts. Because real life is crunchy and nutty.