National Punctuation Day

Dang! I missed National Punctuation Day. I can't believe it. I did spend most of yesterday's work day re-writing a website and using my copy-editor skills, so maybe that makes up for it a bit, but I'm still sad I didn't get to celebrate.

I love how dorky the NPD website is. Just straight up, in-your-face dorky. There's a man wearing a cape and an exclamation point on his t-shirt holding a cake shaped like a question mark. Can you imagine anything more dorky?

Of course, I mean "dorky" with the utmost respect. Just like I like following the rules of spelling, I love knowing the grammar rules and following them (mostly). I remove unnecessary gerunds that can be replaced with active verbs. I know the difference between insure and ensure. My office mate was shocked (and I was surprised) when I didn't immediately know whether she should use "hardy" or "hearty" for an email she was writing (turns out either would have been fine).

(source)

I found out about NPD from The Bride's Guide, a Martha Stewart wedding blog. I've fallen way behind in my blog reading because I've been so busy at work and after work. Since blogs are such a part of how I've been researching and visualizing different parts of the wedding, falling behind in my Google reader means falling behind in wedding plans, too. Back to the blogs I go!

Library school fun fact #1: Dewey

Whew! First week of school and work - I'm already worn out! Looking forward to a restful weekend.

Meanwhile I wanted to share my first (of what I hope will be a long series!) of fun facts from Library School. (Yes, I might just capitalize it all the time. It's important.)

As you probably could predict, we've already talked a little about Melville Dewey, inventor of the Dewey Decimal system. He was also the co-founder of the American Library Association, which held their first conference in Philadelphia in 1876! He also founded the first library school, so of course he's a big name in the history of libraries and librarians.

So ... drumroll please ... the fun fact is that Melville Dewey was also a proponent of spelling reform, that things should be spelled simply and phonetically. Check out this letter to the editor Dewey wrote in 1914 from the NYT archive:
He uses his suggested spelling rules, spelling "called" as "cald", for example. I'd love to talk to "Melvil Dui" and ask him some questions about his system. How does it account for different dialects or regional pronunciations? Does phonetic reform base spelling on pronunciation instead of the rules of written English? How does that relate to his obvious passion for the care and preservation of the written word in the form of books?

I'm thinking maybe I'll add him to my fantasy list of people alive or dead I'd have dinner with.

Efficiency and balance

First day of school! Today I started a Master's program in Library and Information Science at Drexel's iSchool. I'll be taking three courses each quarter for the next two years, if all goes according to the current plan.

And yes, I'll still be working at my job, 40 hours a week. Plus each class will apparently take 8-10 hours of work each week - two of the classes include a three-hour weekly meeting on campus, one is all online. Plus countless hours of wedding planning that up to now have been happening at work and after work. Sounds busy, right? Sounds to me like I'm going to be giving up several hours of primetime TV watching. :)

So, the next few months will be my study in efficiency and balance.

(my photo from Vancouver, BC)

How to keep getting all the work done and still play some?

Right now I'm afraid I'm overthinking it, or over-organizing. I already have a work to-do list and a work-only calendar, and I keep a Google calendar with my social plans, exercise opportunities, CSA share pickup dates, and birthday reminders. Adding school schedule to the mix has mixed everything up! Now I bought a new day-organizer to try to keep track of everything in one place. (I know a paper organizer is old-fashioned, but I'm waiting until the iTouch gets a camera - maybe then I'll sync all my paper and computer calendars!)

Maybe being this busy will take my mind off the steady movement toward winter. I love fall days like we had today - cool in the morning, but warm in the afternoon. Bright blue skies and high white clouds. Haven't noticed the leaves starting to change, but I know it's coming. Soon it'll be time for boots and corduroys and soup. For now, back to my lists and organizers.