There is one thing that is dominating my time more than any other right now... pandemic parenting logistics.

I cannot begin to tell you how mentally exhausting it is to figure everything out. This week, we had to shuffle two full-time working schedules while trying to get an appointment for our kiddo for a runny nose. A RUNNY NOSE! Our daycare - who we love and do not fault - has to follow the guidance set down by the oversight/licensing department. That means any runny nose leads to a kick out, which leads to needing medical clearance before our kid can return. FOR A RUNNY NOSE! This became even more difficult with the K-12 schools being back in session because it applies to everyone. So, getting an appointment is exponential harder. Even our pediatrician's office agrees it needs to change. They're seeing kids who don't need to be seen. It's also a slow financial death - one co-pay at a time.

I could vent about this for ages because the regulations need to change to a runny nose PLUS one other symptom.  But I digress... here's what else has my attention.

WORK

• As a faculty member, I have to submit a tenure package at the end of each academic year. One part of that is a document with our yearly goals and objectives. I just drafted and submitted my document for the 2021-2022 academic year.
• I conducted my annual review of our social media policy. Only a few changes this year.
• I hosted the second webinar in our fall series. This once covered our asynchronous course, Library 101.
• Still teaching classes. (Yeah!) The recent classes have all been online. I don't love talking to black boxes, but at least the students are asking great questions.
• I submitted a proposal to speak at Computers in Libraries 2022. It seems so far away...
• The survey for our study on how faculty develop their research assignments closes soon. I sent out more marketing blasts and it helped us snare a few more takers.
• It took our IT guy several days (cause my new office has gremlins) but I finally have an updated computer AND two screens! I missed my second screen so much.

PERSONAL

• I finally got around to scheduling a family photo session. We were gifted the session with our wedding photographer during our baby shower. Fingers crossed the weather holds!
• It's been a few months since I updated my book tracking and readings lists. Head on over to the Reading List page to see what I've finished recently.

I stared at the blank section of this screen for the past five minutes trying to figure out what to write. I've got nothing. That should tell you where my head is at this week.
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Here's what is holding my attention at the moment.

WORK

• This morning, I finished sending the last of roughly 525 individual emails to every faculty member at our University. It was a labor intensive project but I think the response has been worth. I've had more conversation and follow-up from these emails than with any previous outreach project. Doubt I will do this all that often, but it may be feasible at the start of each academic year.
• One of the side projects that came out of the email project was creating requested departmental resource guides for some of the tiny sub-programs we have. I was happy to fulfill those requests.
• I prepped an outline and slides for the next webinar in our fall series. Also doing more marketing on this.
• Prepping to teach a few upcoming classes. I've got a fun one about digital media research tomorrow and one on psychology next week.

PERSONAL

• Our quest to get a new Comcast cable box is (mostly) over. They shipped us FOUR incorrect boxes before the husband requested a fee-free visit from a technician. The tech arrived in the appointment window (huzzah!) and was done in 15 minutes. Now we just have to make sure all the charges related to the boxes are removed from our bill...
• Did a quick weeding of our belongings so that I could time it with our building's donation pick-up day. I also made a note of some items we should consider downsizing if we don't use them by the end of the year. Looking at you mini-elliptical... 
• I am still looking for a new sofa table. I will find something one day, dammit!
• I decided that I need to add category tags to all my blog posts. I'm slowly going through my archives to get that done. You can revisit past posts using the column on the right (if you're reading on my website).

While working from home, I got used to having two monitors. I do not not have two monitors in my office. Suddenly, this is annoying and makes working on certain projects difficult. Our wonderful IT person tried to set me up with a second monitor and, somehow, everything broke. It was weird. The more we tried to fix things, the more the computer refused to function. So, I'm still stuck with one monitor while the new computer gets reimaged. Alas...

Here's what else has my attention.

WORK

• I am about 250 emails through the nearly 600 individualized emails that I am sending out to our faculty. This is one project where two monitors really speeds things up.
• I held the first session in our fall webinar series last Friday. It went well. To be honest, I was just happy a few students showed up. Now I am preparing for the next sessions.
• Still marketing our survey for a research project we're doing at the library. We need a lot more responses if we want the data to be relevant.
• Somehow, I caught up on all the webinars sitting in my "to watch" file. Now I'm back to reviewing videos on LinkedIn Learning. 
• I converted a Google doc about COVID-19 resources into a LibGuide. A professor wanted something like this for a class, so I just used this as an opportunity to make a lasting resource. I figure this virus is going to be "a thing" for the long haul.

PERSONAL

• The power button on our cable box is broken. While the box itself still works, we know its days are numbered. For the past week, we've been working with Xfinity/Comcast (UGH!) to get a new box. They have twice (!!) sent us the wrong replacement box. I made the husband talk to them last time because my patience was shot. Fingers crossed the third box is the charm.
• I have not downloaded the photos on my phone or done my monthly photo management since early July. This week, I started to play catch up. Don't want to lose all those vacation or birthday photos! Plus, I love adding new images to our Alexa shared album and seeing them pop up on our devices.
• Our front foyer closet has one spot (all our cleaning supplies, laundry stuff, etc.) that had gotten out of hand. I used a toddler nap to clean it up and weed things we haven't used since we moved in over a year and a half ago.
• Because I hear supply lines are going to rough again, I purchased our kiddos Christmas gifts. I also sent a list to the family so they can do some early shopping as well.

Life's been a scramble lately. Scrambling back to the office. Scrambling with the new semester. Scrambling because our daycare is closing early today because of the predicted bad weather/flooding from the remnants of hurricane Ida.

Here's where my attention is scrambling at the moment:

WORK

• Getting used to being back in the office three days a week. I switched offices, so I had to relocate everything. Then I remembered that I had no snacks (tragedy!) and went on a quick shop. Also, I got so used to having two monitors at home that going back to one at the office is not going well. I petitioned our IT guy for a second (he says he can probably do it). 
• Back on the Reference Desk! While most of our classes are still online (or hybrid) we are back on the desk. I have two shifts a week and it's been good. I missed seeing the students. Our numbers are down, but at least we can help again. It's a lot more tech support as many students are coming in to use our computers for their online classes. 
• Did another marketing push for our fall webinar series. The first session is on Friday. We decided that, whether or not people attend live, we will hold the sessions. That way, we can share recordings.
• We have a new hire at the library and I provided him with an epic brain dump of information via email. It was hyperlinked to other documents. I estimated that it will take him a full business day to read everything. I now await follow-up questions.
• Back to teaching, yeah! I taught my first in-person class since February 2020 in the very same classroom where I taught my last class. I've also done a few online classes and am prepping for a bunch of other ones.
• Very slowly getting out individual emails to every faculty person on campus sharing resource sheets related to their teaching and research. This project is where I really miss my dual monitors.

PERSONAL

• I just powered through a pile of magazines I had sitting around. Mostly just page flipping, but there were some good articles.
• Our Sitka Salmon Shares Sitka Salmon Shares shipments have started. I am doing a lot of searching for tasty salmon recipes for all meals. If you have suggestions, I am happy to hear them. We're getting about 4 pounds of fish a month and I need new ways to cook it all.
• We went to the Van Gogh Immersive Experience as a family. It was enjoyed by all.
• Set up my bullet journal for September. I am trying to be more reasonable with my productivity expectations given "everything."

I returned to the office on Monday. I spent all of today thinking it was Friday. It feels like Friday. Why is it not Friday? I am tired enough for it to be a Friday.

Anyway... here's what has my attention at the moment.

WORK

• A whole lot of Fall semester marketing in the form of emails and blog posts with a side of social media.
• We are hosting a webinar series this semester. While we developed the plan for it over the summer, I am now starting our marketing binge to reel students in. 
• I'm adjusting to being back in the office. We are allowed to work from home two days a week, so I will be in the office three days a week. This means I am back on the Reference Desk. I had no idea how much I missed it. Every time a student walked by during my first shift, I gave them a (probably) overly enthusiastic greeting. This is all weird and scary, but it feels good. I still would have kept everything online, but I am making the most of it.
• Started onboarding our new Information Literacy Librarian. By Friday, he is going to get a massive brain dump of a document and lots of files from me.

PERSONAL

• We want our kiddo to learn the art of the thank you note. I had her color all over a few cards as a thank you for her birthday gifts. Then, I added a (legible) note to translate her thoughts.
• I can't believe that we are actually making progress on our legal documents. We met with an attorney, listened to his explanations and recommendations, and now we are moving forward on things. This is all scary in a way, but I am glad that we are getting it done.

Reentering work after a vacation is just rude.

Here's what I've been focusing on lately.

WORK

• It took me a solid 6 hours to work through all of the email in my various inboxes following vacation. Could be worse.
• Putting together all of our fall marketing. Lots of email writing and social media content development. It's going to be a really weird semester...
• Lots of PD related things for work. I enjoy that I get to present at this sessions as well. This time, since I could not attend in person, I provided a video on OER.

PERSONAL

• Still searching for a new sofa console table. I hope to put a short list together by the end of the month, but I haven't found anything I like enough to add to the list. 
• Catching up on all my newsletters from the time we were on vacation. Making liberal use of the unsubscribe button. I try to use times like this to evaluate what I get in my inbox.
• We've got four more full days in quarantine before our kiddo can go back to daycare. Fingers crossed her COVID test comes back negative and it's just four days...
• We've got an appointment to actually draft up all those legal documents you need in life. Huzzah!

In a team meeting today, we realized we need to start talking summer projects. I am so not ready for that. It seems like just yesterday we had our Christmas tree up... but no, it's nearly May. 

Work

• Just one more session in our Faculty Webinar Series. I sent the first reminder for said session this morning.
• A colleague and I are doing a syllabus review project. We want to compare course syllabi to our collections. We also want to determine where the library can support assignments and teaching. We just spent some time downloading about 600 syllabi from our Community College courses. Today, I drafted a document listing some questions to consider and what we should track. Now I think we move on to the next step - data entry. This is going to take awhile.
• I drafted a final report for our intern's work this week. I just need to add in his final hours and then it can go off to his practicum supervisor.
• Our website revamp forges ahead. We finalized our proposed site map and I drafted a basic wireframe graphic of the homepage. Now we discuss next steps and probably create an unpublished version to play around with.
• LOEX is in mid-May. Two colleagues and I are in the midst of drafting our presentation, slides, and conference proceedings.

PERSONAL

• I am making slow but steady progress in linking the titles in my Reading List page. I had hoped to finish it by the end of this month, but I doubt I'll make it. I still have 10 years of books to cover.
• This week, I broke out the step ladder to dust our ceiling fans and hanging light fixtures. I try to do this twice a year. Somehow, only one of the fans was really dusty. The others were oddly fine.
• I spent one evening this week doing my monthly "photo management." I download pictures of my phone and our kiddo's daycare app. Then I make sure they get renamed, filed, and backed up. I also share select images to the grandparents album. 

It's hard to focus on projects when we have the first set of fully vaccinated grandparents in bound. My in laws show up tomorrow and I simply cannot wait to see how our kiddo reacts to them being here in person and not on a computer screen. I fully expect to cry tears of joy.

Here are all the things I'm trying to focus on at the moment. 

WORK

• We just submitted our narrative for why we want to hire who we want to hire. This was a tough decision that required a lot of discussion and meetings. It was great that we had multiple candidates to choose from, but it was basically impossible to come to a consensus because each candidate had different strengths and experiences. Here's hoping I don't have to do this again for a long time. 
• I spent far longer than I probably should have developing my content outline and wire frame for my draft version of how I want our website to look. Categorizing and naming information is hard. 
• We held the penultimate session in our Faculty Webinar Series this week. Just one more to go! This was a new initiative for us and I am pleased with how it turned out. We are going to assess the feedback this summer to inform how we move forward.
• I submitted a proposal to speak at the Internet Librarian Conference in October. If it's selected, I get to visit southern California in October.
• While I was able to attend the Computers in Libraries Conference "in person" there were many sessions I did not get to attend live. I am viewing the recordings of the interesting sessions I missed.
• In May, two of my colleagues and I are presenting on our work regarding the ACRL Framework at LOEX. We're developing our presentation and proceedings material.

PERSONAL

• Still adding links to my reading list. It's hilarious seeing the covers of all the old romance novels I read a decade ago. 
• I'm making final edits on the April newsletter for my condo's Green Committee.
• I've hit week 3 of my 5K training program. So far so good. The lungs are hanging in there just fine but, occasionally, my legs feel tired at the end. I do need to buy new sneakers. My current ones definitely have too many miles on them.
• Filed my taxes!

Today is my first day back at work this week (use your vacation time!) which is why this post is late and the intro is short.

Priorities!
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Here is where my attention is going at the moment.

WORK

• We wrapped up the interviews for the librarian position last week. Now we get the difficult decision of selecting our preferred and back up candidates. This is going to be hard. All the candidates could work, but they could all work in VERY different ways. 
• Since I took two days off, my inbox overfloweth with email. I spent much of today doing triage with a lot of follow-up to go. 
• I got wrapped up in redesigning a flyer for our University's upcoming Research Week. It's one of those projects I really enjoy so I just get sucked into it. I was nearly late leaving to pick up our daughter from daycare on afternoon because I was lost in getting some of the finer details looking just right.
• It's National Library Week and I had a lot of fun taking pictures for our social media. This year's theme is "Welcome to the Library." Since we're not really open, I took that theme a different route and made it more "welcome the library wherever you are." I got shots of the logo in various, non-library places to show that your library goes with you.

PERSONAL

• I spent Monday super cleaning our entire home. I'm talking the nooks and crannies kind of scrubbing. Our place now shines but man are my hands dried out. I should just leave them in a bucket of moisturizer.
• As much as I love spring, the change in weather does mean a change in nature. We've had a small incursion of tiny black ants in to our kitchen. We think they're climbing up the brick wall and coming in through a minute crack between the floor and moulding. Our building's exterminator is dropping by later this week to deal with this, but I have been killing lots of ants and washing our floors and counters more often.
• During the ant killing, I discovered a few mouse droppings under the stove. Our building was built in the early 1900s so this is to be expected. We moved the stove to see how bad it was. The problem was worse than we wanted, but not like an infestation - particularly considering that this is the only place we've seen droppings. BUT I discovered that when they patched the hole behind our oven some time ago (because of a gas inspection thing - that's its own story) they left a nice gap where said mice are clearly coming in. On a lunch break, I ran to the hardware store for steel wool and filled the heck outta that gap. I also, scrubbed the floor under the stove because ew. 
• In very happy news, I did some vaccine hunting and was able to schedule my arm jabs. First shot is on Friday!
• In spring, I rejoice at the blooming flowers. Flowers are one of my favorite small joys. Every time I go outside right now, I am on the hunt for beautiful blooms to share on my Instagram.

As I type this, the heavens have opened up outside. The rain is pouring down in sheets turning the alley behind our building into a rather fast moving stream. I did not know it was supposed to rain today. Glad I got my lunch walk in before this happened. 
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Aside from being distracted by the rain, here's where my attention is going at the moment.

WORK

• This week, we're conducting interviews for an open position at our library. It's a lot of Zoom. A lot. This is my second round of doing interviews remotely and, I gotta say, I don't like it. It's just weird trying to hire a colleague when we're not in the same space. The candidates are doing great, but I wish we got to see each other in person.
• I attended and presented at the Computers in Libraries conference last week. Since all the session were recorded I am slowly making my way through the archives to check out the ones I could not attend live.
• We held another session in our Faculty Webinar Series this week. Just two more to go! I'm already making plans with my colleagues to bring back this series in the fall. We're going to spend time this summer assessing this semester's events and thinking up what we want the next events to look like.
• One of our interns is working on LibGuides for our community college programs. I've been handling my end of the review and edits. This week, I was able to hit publish on three more guides.
• The monthly staff newsletter I write goes out tomorrow. I spent today drafting up content and tracking down appropriate GIFs.
• Last week, I cohosted a webinar with DCPL introducing our students to what the public library offers them. We recorded it so I'm using that in our post-event marketing.

PERSONAL

• My newsletter launched this past weekend. I am doing some marketing and sharing of the first issue to grow my audience a little bit. I don't expect this to be one of those viral newsletters, but I am proud of it and want to share it widely. 
• April kicks off tomorrow. (How?!?) I'm drawing up the new slate of monthly pages in my bullet journal. I will also spend time reviewing how I think March went.
• I'm in week 2 of my 5K training program. Still don't like running but there is one upside - I run back from daycare drop-off which means I get home earlier than I used to. Not much earlier but still earlier. I'm hoping I can get most of the training program done before the DC summer kicks into gear. Also, I think I need new shoes. Mine are over a year old and not as cushy as they once were.