Most new bikes I’ve seen have aluminum frames but I’m more interested in a steel frame. Yes, it’s a little heavier but, generally, I think the benefits outweigh the negatives. (But you can read more about that on the interwebs…) There are few steel frames with good components (Shimano 105 or better) out there that won’t break the bank. The one I’m currently interested in (despite its Tiagra components) is the Salsa Casseroll:

I’ve been drooling over this bike for months now and never purchased it because it’s quite the investment. Considering I’ve only been working part-time since September, I haven’t felt I could afford such a luxurious bike. However! I’ll be starting full-time (albeit temporary) work January 2 so I’ve been revisiting the idea of getting a new bike. The library is only 3 miles away and easily accessible by bike… This is one of those purchases that will definitely have a return on investment. (A fellow Brooklyn bike commuter recently calculated that he saved $549 over 8 months by riding his bike to work. At that rate, I’d have the bike paid for in about 1.5 years.)

So as I’ve been toying with the idea of purchasing this bad boy, I learn that my boyfriend wants to get it for me as a holiday (and birthday and next winter holiday and next birthday…) present. Looks like I’m getting this bike after all :)

I’ve been looking online to see what other professionals keep in their offices.  Based on a couple of blog entries I’ve found, I’m compiling a hefty list of things that I think I’ll keep in/around my desk.  Aside from the standard office artillery (staplers, pens, highlighters, scissors, etc.), here’s what [I think] I need:

• Headphones (big ‘uns!)
• Headset w/microphone (for videoconferencing and tutorial-creating)
• Lamp
• Visitor’s chair
• Fan
• Space heater (because every library office is freezing, especially in the summers)
• iPhone/iPod charger
• Shawl (’cause, honestly, I get cold after sitting still for hours at a time)
• Houseplant(s) (even though I’m awful at keeping them alive, I think it’s important to have something green in the office)
• Bulletin board & pins (or white board & markers — whichever the college provides, really)
• Toys & trinkets (for distraction purposes)
• Personal items (photos, inspirational notes, posters, etc.)

Of course, I’m also thinking of having an “emergency drawer” because I was incredibly grateful when my supervisor at my previous job had a spare pair of pantyhose for me to wear to an interview when my pantyhose ripped.  In this drawer, I will keep:

• Eating utensils:
  • Spoon / fork / knife
  • Chopsticks
  • Plate(s)
  • Bowl(s)
  • Cup(s)
• Pantyhose
• Spare clothing:
  • 1 pair of socks
  • 1 shirt
  • 1 sweater/cardigan
  • 1 pair of shoes
  • 1 pair of slacks
  • 1 skirt
  • 1 blazer/jacket
• Sewing kit
• Umbrella
• Spare sunglasses
• Mints / gum
• Lint brush
• Hair brush / comb
• Hair elastics / pins
• Mirror
• Lip balm
• Excedrin / OTC painkillers
• Band-Aids
• Cough drops
• Baby wipes
• Tissues & napkins
• Hand lotion
• Snacks:
  • Nuts
  • Dried fruit
  • Chocolate
  • CLIF bars
  • Cookies / candies
  • Tea bags
• Reusable shopping bag
• Hand sanitizer
• Tide stain pen
• Flashlight
• Toolkit (screwdrivers, pliers, etc.)
• Petty cash & change

Am I missing anything crucial?  What does an academic librarian (whose responsibilities include coordination of the e-book program and creation of instructional modules on the web, as well as reference, instruction, and collection development) keep in/on/near her desk?

I kinda hate that I’m worrying about this but it’s there and it’s real and I’m trying to deal with it the only way I know how: by making lists.  I mean, clearly, I will not be hauling boxes of this stuff with me on Wednesday (first day! eek!) but, instead, acquiring these things over the weeks and months that I’m on the job… However, it helps me to write this down so I can clear my head for the next paranoid OCD adventure :)

This is a substitute position. In a college setting, that means the library unexpectedly lost an employee and opened up a search to quickly fill this recently vacated position. This person, however, is not permanent. Instead, a full search (which can take months to complete) will be conducted when there is more time and resources. The person in the substitute position, of course, is eligible to apply for the full position so, in a sense, the substitute position may become permanent… but there is no guarantee of that. Unless a full-time person is found, the substitute position can last a maximum of 4 semesters (2 years) but needs to be renewed every semester. So, for the time being, I have a guaranteed 9-5 job until the end of January 2011. At this point, though, there’s no telling what will happen after that. That’s kind of exciting, right?

…Well, no, not really. Because I don’t know what will happen in 6 months, I can’t move on with my life. I can’t make plans and I can’t relax. The college where I will be working is located in a different borough forty miles from my current location. Commuting up there would take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours. And that’s just one way! Ideally, I would love to move closer to the job, cut my commute in half and live in a really hip part of NYC. (I currently live on Staten Island, the least hip place in the city. Anywhere from here would be a step up.) However, because nothing’s set in stone at this point, I can’t do that yet. What happens if I don’t get the job permanently in 6 months? And I can’t find another full-time gig in time? Do I have to come crawling back to my parents with my tail between my legs?  No way!  So I suffer in the meantime. I have to deal with a long commute from one outer borough to another. It’s also an expensive commute: $5.50 for the Express Bus into Manhattan and $2.25 for the subway to the Bronx, or $7.75 one way. That’s $15.50 each day — or $310 per month — on just the commute. If I look at it another way, that’s over 80 hours of reading and/or knitting time a month! Maybe I’d also be able to use that time to work on the article I’m trying to publish.

It’s so hard to look positively at this situation because I want so badly to move to Brooklyn. I even got into a heated discussion with my mother and sister yesterday over it. I was telling them how I was going to brazenly move to Prospect Heights, job security be damned. They, meanwhile, were trying to tell me to wait a while, build up a decent savings account (while I live rent-free on this godforsaken island) so that I’ll have financial security in the future. Near future, they stressed. I was in tears because I knew they were right but I really wanted out. (I told you I really want to move to Brooklyn!  I’m also still young so I’ve got a bit of a rebellious side that rears its head every once in a while.) It kills me that they’re right and that I have to stay on Staten Island for another 6 months.

I just have to suck it up and deal with it, I know that. And I will! I know that you have to work hard for what you want and that things aren’t always fair. I just needed to vent.

Speaking of which, I left my job. Well, one of them. I will no longer be helping out at the reference desk but I am still involved in another project under another title at the same library. However, starting next week, I’ll begin my new job at another library. I’ll be on the reference desk for 15 hours per week, answering questions in person and by phone. I think I’ll also be on chat reference duty for much of that time. I spent several days this week running around campus, getting my paperwork done and taking my photo for the ID card. I was also given a tour of the library and I can genuinely say that I am looking forward to starting this job. The librarians and other staff members seem really nice. However, given that I was introduced to the library when classes were not in session, I do not know what to expect of the students. The first week at any college library is filled with questions like “Do you have this textbooks?” and “WHY DON’T YOU HAVE THIS TEXTBOOK!?” which is always nerve-wracking for everyone involved. I’m just glad I wasn’t there for the first day of classes (today) because I would most likely get a migraine.

So that’s what’s new in my life. If I’m not working (or worrying about interviewing for a full-time gig!), I’m knitting. People are starting to request things and I’ve yet to make something for myself. The vest is for my sister, the slippers are for Alex’s sister. Alex’s mother also requested a vest and his father wants a scarf. Alex himself wants a cardigan. I’ve also picked out a shawl that I want to make for my mother. (Well, I didn’t so much pick it out as I saw a coworker’s shawl and fell in love with it.)  As such, I’ve decided to continue coming in to the newly formed knitting group at my (old? current? existing?) job, even though I will not be coming onto the campus regularly.  I love my coworkers and colleagues so I’ll take any excuse to hang out with them.