I’m connecting up once again with Kimberly at Caffeinated Reviewer.
I kept the Easter themed button for another week since I go from Sunday to Saturday. On Sunday I got to just relax around the house on a kind of overcast day, finished up my March end of the month wrap-up as much as I could, but waited till Monday to post it so all my StoryGraph data would be as up to date as possible. I did give in and officially mowed my lawn for the first time in 2024. It got up to almost 80 degrees. My mom made ham and cheesy potatoes and a smaller Easter dinner since it was just her, my stepdad, and me. And I spent the day dreading going back to school.
Monday I started off the day in a good mood on my way to work. I was prepared for the day to be like they had been. Then, I noticed first that someone had messed with the little fan on my desk. Then as I went to sit down, I realized my chair was gone! So was my clerk’s chair, and when I went in my little office area, both the one for people to use when they take breaks, as well as the little office area that is being used had their chairs gone as well. I soon found them back in our technology office. Which was also unlocked. Ugh. And then none of our techs came in. So that started my day off bad. But I did get my April poetry display up. Hoping to get a few more poems from teachers to fill in the side walls too. Then I hurt my hip/sciatic nerve in the afternoon and was hobbling for the last hour of the day when I had to get up. Came home to a little bit of a rain and expected storms in the evening.
Monday night was rough as some teachers from my school commented on one of my posts where I complained about the hall sweeps. Their comments basically said that the library isn’t my space, and it is just a great useful area for meetings and events. It’s frustrating because that tells me they obviously don’t know what a library or a librarian’s job is supposed to be. Based on that I was up all night upset, and couldn’t sleep with my mind going 90 mph.
Tuesday I went in to school with basically an I don’t care attitude for most things. Not the students. I will always be there for the students. And I was lucky enough one of the English teachers asked to come in to look for some multicultural poetry for their assignment, so it was nice to work with a teacher.
Once again I spent part of my day filling out an application for another job. Even though I really never have wanted to do elementary age, I applied for a job in the school district where I graduated from and still live. I guess to be fair, at least at the elementary level I get to interact with students, usually all students go to the library at least once a week or every other week at that age. We’ll see how that goes. Also it was really cold temperature wise today, back down to about 50 degrees from the 80 degrees we had on Sunday.
And in really exciting news when I got home from school on Tuesday I received an email from the American Association of School Librarians that they wanted to offer me a spot on the Member Engagement committee for the next two years.
Wednesday was just a slow day in the library. Cold again in the morning, had to wear a coat! My library clerk sub finished up the display for National Humor month by adding a few more things to it.
Thursday was a day. While I’d realized/remembered after the issue with my co-worker on FB Monday night that I really did need to stop broadcasting work stuff on my social media, even if my FB is visible to only my friends, I got a big reminder when my assistant principal pulled me in to talk about how some people had shown her my posts on Facebook. And while she was supportive of me, I also found out the reason I hadn’t been allowed to be on the Building Leadership Team like other librarians usually are is supposedly because they felt I was so negative that they didn’t want me to be there. Which is BS because I don’t act that way at school. I use, or did use, my personal social media for personal things. But I go to my job, that I’ve been unhappy in for a while, and I do my best. I do my best so that I can try to get teachers to work with me. Because it’s not the students’ fault the issues that are going on, or at least not in a way that I want to make them NOT come to the library. Anyway, that meant I did a bunch of unfriending on FB as I want it to be a place I can be me. But I will also be taking a step back from any work posts, as I knew better than to do anyway.
Friday I made it all day without crying at school. But still left the building and couldn’t concentrate on my audiobook because I still am not happy and am very miserable at my job. The fact that the assistant principal even said she thought it was probably too late to change anything this year and that we should concentrate on next year when we talked didn’t help. Because there are 7 weeks left of school and I still have to work with every teacher to have them bring their classes down to check laptops in and out. Ugh. But I did a fun thing for myself and stopped to get a Blackout Slushie from Sonic on the way home from work along with the solar eclipse glasses they were handing out when you bought one.
Saturday I enjoyed sleeping in, and then I got up and went to have lunch with a friend that I haven’t seen in a while. Unfortunately the Chinese buffet place we’d planned to go to is closed now! So we ended up just going to Red Robin where we sat and ate and talked for a while. It’s crazy how we both have so much of the same things going on in our lives. I guess not too crazy since we’re both educators in public schools. Then I stopped by the Barnes & Noble where I used to work and decided I deserved to treat myself with a book since I’d had such a lousy week. Came home and relaxed and sat outside a bit to enjoy the beautiful, but windy, spring weather.
Books Finished
The first two were e-galleys and all reviews were posted this past week. The third one is an audiobook I started when I drove down to Branson two weeks ago, that review will be in my L-L-L at the end of the month. The last one is an ARC I finished before bed Saturday night and will post a review this Monday. I also had a DNF this week.
New Additions to My Library
ARCs:
None
Audiobooks:
My Audible subscription started back up with perfect timing for me to purchase the 4th book in this series so I can listen for the read-along discussion later this month. I also started listening to it this week.
Bookish Stuff:
None
E-galleys:
So I used to be a HUGE Maureen Johnson fan. I followed her on social media and was just always a big fan. I didn’t get the last series she had started though, so I’m behind on that. I saw this on Edelweiss on Tuesday and since it doesn’t come out till August, I went ahead and downloaded it since it is a standalone.
Free E-books:
None
Physical Books:
I’m in the Entangled Insiders group on Facebook and they send out surprises occasionally, and this is the latest they sent me. Unfortunately I don’t really read this type of book. It was the same with the last one they sent me. So I am feeling like I’m being ungrateful, but I know I won’t read it. 🙁 Second is my B&N purchase from Saturday. I wavered between this book that I haven’t read and purchasing a copy of Bridesmaid for Hire that I just finished an e-galley of. But ended up going with this one, as well as this fun bag, which I got for free with my membership. Then I got home on Saturday to my Book of the Month pick for April, which I kind of forgot about and should probably have skipped the B&N purchase, as well as a book from the publishers, not one I requested, or that I will probably have time to fit in to my reading schedule. But it is a book I definitely want to put in my library for my students no matter what!
What I’m Watching
Of course there was rewatching of Outlander, even though I found out the second part of season 7 doesn’t come out till November. I was going to cancel STARZ till then, but they offered $1.99 for the next three months, so I kept it so I can easily continue my binging of it. I also remembered that I was enjoying Resident Alien, and thought I’d try to get through the 16 episodes of season 2 before I cancelled Peacock, but then I found out it is also on Netflix which I plan to renew next month, so I’ll just wait and catch it then! My usual weekly shows, The Amazing Race, Survivor, Young Sheldon, and Ghosts.
Coming Up Next Week on My Blog
First is an ARC that doesn’t actually publish till the 23rd I think, but my publisher contact asked if I could fit it in earlier, so I did. Both of the other two are e-galleys, the first from the author’s review team, the second for a blog tour.
Final Thoughts
So next weekend I’ll be going down to the library conference in the Lake of the Ozarks. Looking forward to that getaway with other librarians to refresh my librarian well. How has April started out for you? I’m loving the pretty purple flowers of the ground ivy in my backyard and wishing it just would overtake the whole yard so I wouldn’t need to mow.
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So sorry to hear about your troubles at work! I feel like you should be allowed to vent privately about work and such on your personal social accounts. But then I guess I wouldn’t have expected coworkers to find you like that or being “friends” and such. I can understand your frustration though about people using the library as their “punishment” so to speak. It’s turning librarians into babysitters almost and that’s not the job you were hired for. I hope that some of your applications come back with good news for you! I’ve been stuck in horrendous jobs like that desperate to get out so I’m rooting for you and hoping good news comes your way soon!
Nice new reads! I ended up buying that Do Your Worst book on a whim a while back! It was apart of the BOGO 50% section and there was one book I did want to try among them so I was looking for another to go with it just for the heck of it! I also picked this bag when I switched my membership over to the new one! Before no one was really explaining how it would work to switch from the paid legacy membership to this new paid one. Finally had a bookseller to explained it better and I thought, that sounds easy! Why didn’t anyone else say it like that instead of just “would you like to switch?”
Hope you enjoy all of your lovely new reads! I also hope this next week will be better for you at work! <3
Here’s my StS
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower 🙂
I switched back when it first started, but I was lucky that I had a former co-worker from when I had worked at that B&N who explained it better for me. I love this bag so much! I’m hoping I haven’t heard from the one school district yet because maybe they’ll be down at the library convention this weekend and I can talk to her then, the head library person for the district.
I cannot believe the comments the teachers made! And the assistant principal pulling you aside… I am frustrated on your behalf. I honestly wish you the best of luck on the job search and I hope you find something you will love. I work at an Elementary school and I like it… most of the time. Lol. The kids are a riot and can be really fun to work with. But it’s also difficult over here because of the teachers and admin. The teachers have started being very clique-y and there’s some drama going on, and I am just over it. I’m in a unique position where I don’t technically work at the school… I’m a home care nurse and my patient is in grade school, so I go where she goes. My company does have a contract with the school district so I am able to accompany my patient to school, and while there I am basically a one-on-one school nurse. But I’m still surrounded by the chaos and the drama, and it’s honestly been getting worse over the years. I can’t imagine having to deal with all of that directly
I am manifesting a good incoming week for both you and me! 😆
You definitely have a unique job! Wow! But yeah, the drama working in a school is ridiculous. I’ve dealt with similar in other schools, the clique stuff, but this is the first time I’ve dealt with being treated like I’m not a teacher. Which I know is part of the library job, it’s just frustrating. Fingers crossed the week is good for both of us!
I hope you find a much better position where you don’t have so many not library tasks and work. I’m sorry they are so negative. At least you have your clerk more than the one on leave to help with the administrative tasks. I just finished that WTZ book and it’s amazing. I hope you love it too! Thank goodness you only have 7 weeks left. Do you have summer plans?
I just started the new WTZ book and am really enjoying it so far! At least when my brain lets me concentrate on the audio.
Sounds like you had a nice Easter celebration. That feeling of dreading to go back to work is horrible :(. What a shame Monday started with your chairs missing after you were in a decent mood. That sounds very upsetting how the other teachers don’t respect the library or your job, that sounds really tough to work in such an environment. I feel bad for you every time I read about your difficult work days. Hopefully that job application pans out. And how they reacted on your social media posts doesn’t sound nice, that should be your personal life and not how you act on your job. Good idea to do some unfriending so you can be yourself on your Fb. That slushie you bought looks good! I am glad you did something nice for yourself after getting through such a stressful week at your work. I hope next week is a better one!
I’m doing the same as I did last week, planning to go in with a better attitude. Going to work at not letting things make me break my goal to be more positive again. But still planning to kind of separate myself from a lot of this job and make it just a job. Of course, not towards the kids, because they are the main reason I’m there.
Sounds like you had a nice Easter! That’s unfortunate though that some people don’t appreciate what a library is! And ugh the work stuff. I’m sorry that happened. That would be so dishearteing.
I read Truly Devious but still have to read the rest.
I need to see the new Godzilla movie
I need to read the Truly Devious series because I have always loved that author’s books. Godzilla was fun!
I’m so sorry to hear about the issues with your coworkers. I love education, but the adults are what makes it so difficult. I’m sorry it had you feeling so down, and I know EXACTLY what you mean by your mind going too fast to sleep afterward. I hate when that happens. Hopefully this week is better and you find a new position for next year.
You are so right about it being the adults. Even when the kids are causing issues, they are kids, and it is how the other adults handle it that can make or break things. Monday was okay, let’s hope it keeps going okay.
To tell a librarian that the library isn’t her space is crazy! I’m so sorry to hear about all the social media drama. Fingers crossed you’ll be able to find a new job. Hang in there, Lisa!
Thanks, I don’t know that it will happen, but I’ve got to at least try for something else.
Hugs. I am going to hope you get the other job. I avoid posting anything about work on my personal social sites. It’s hard because you want to share with those who understand, but even employers look at them. Ugh.
Yeah, I think I go through stages when it gets so bad I let it spill over onto social media, so I know I’ve got to stop it. I don’t know if anything else will work out, it’s so hard since I’m basically 4 years from being able to retire and they probably want the brand new out of college people over hiring someone like me who would have a higher salary. But I keep trying!
We are not at lawn-mowing status yet, but the snow is melting fast now. I’m sorry to hear about your work woes, hope it goes better this week. I enjoyed Bridesmaid for Hire a lot. Hope you have a great week.
I think I’m going to need to mow again, yet I’m going out of town on Saturday and don’t want to mess with it on a weeknight yet. But guess I’ll be doing that next week, lol. I loved Bridesmaid for Hire too!
So sorry to hear about your work troubles, Lisa! It sucks that your personal comments were shared around and then marginalized! I hope you’re able to find a better position somewhere else!
I really enjoyed the WTZ #4! Hope you can clear your mind and enjoy it, too!
I may be stuck in the job for longer than I want, but I’m just going to try to get by. I’m getting into WTZ #4 now for sure! Looking forward to my drive to my conference this weekend when I’ll be able to finish it!
Im really sorry to read about the stress at work last week; it sounds like a really stressful situation. Its unfortunate when you cannot use your own private space to express yourself/get things off your chest without worry of it coming back to bite you in the behind – i’ve gone through the same experience.
Hopefully this week is treating you kinder!
It’s crazy that we can’t just vent when we need to, it’s harder for me since I live alone and sometimes I just want to vent that way and not have to listen to family tell me what I should do. Oh well. So far this week is at least less eventful.
So sorry work has become a hostile (ish) place. I hope you find something else that suits your skill set. Until then, you will have to make your space safer so you can vent and be yourself.
Were your chairs missing and stuff because it was April Fools Day?
Yep, doing my best to make it an easy place to be. No, they had a technology meeting the Friday before spring break after all the teachers were gone, and the chairs were left in the tech office instead of being returned to where they belonged.
Sorry you are having such a tough job at work and can’t just do the job you are supposed to do. I meant to drop in earlier but my mother-in-law passed rather suddenly Saturday morning and it was a lot to deal with. I did end up reading the next WTZ book and am still loving the series. I didn’t like the ending though because I see trouble on Angel’s horizon. Hope you had a better week this week.
I’m so sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. I hope your family is doing okay. I’m enjoying WTZ and should finish up on my drive to a conference this weekend.
It sounds like you’re having some really challenging times with your work – I hope getting together with colleagues will help give you a lift Lisa. Take care.
Thanks! I’m hoping to get refreshed this weekend too!