The Home Stretch...

What am I going to do with my MP3 player? Excellent question. Honestly, I'm not sure. I thought about giving it to my mom or brother. I have a soon to be six-year-old niece, and maybe this is a fun introduction to her for technology. Or maybe I'll just be selfish and keep it for myself. I already have one, but maybe I dedicate this one to audio books and the other to music. So there!

I have to say, LibVibe is totally cool! What a neat audio snapshot of what is happening across libraries across the country. Even cooler would be to hear about OCLS on there. The adult program for Baby Boomers Month they talked about down in Broward County sounds like so much fun! We need to do something like that!

So, tomorrow is the 4th of July. I've been making the same dessert for the past 10 or 12 years. I came across it in one of those little cookbooks you buy in the grocery line. Super simple but soooo yummy! You take buttermilk biscuit dough (I get the Publix generic brand.), roll each biscuit in butter, then in sugar and bake according to directions. Split the biscuit, put fresh blueberries and strawberries in the middle and top with fresh, homemade whipped cream. Unbelievable!

As we celebrate this day of freedom, all of our troops are in my thoughts and prayers. May they stay safe and come home soon.

Copyright, digital rights...um, who's right?

I gotta tell ya, my head was spinning after wading through all of this copyright stuff. I respect that creators of content deserve to receive the royalties for their works. I do believe that it has gotten pretty expensive. Is that because they have to charge more since more and more people are downloading illegally? Or are they just like the rest of the world raising prices in general? I think that perhaps downloading music should be cheaper since there isn't a physical product and packaging required. Just a few clicks and there it is, but I doubt we'll see a legal product soon that will make that happen. As a library, we are never sure what people are doing with the great materials we let them check out, but I'm certain not all transactions are copyright simpatico.

In terms of DRM, I will say that I personally chose to purchase an MP3 player just so I could download audiobooks from OCLS and have more downloading options.

I checked out the social music networks. Liveplasma was pretty cool. I tried Bon Jovi and Juan Luis Guerra. I was surprised with some of the results, which I guess it the point to hook me on to other musicians. I didn't actually sign up for any accounts, but will keep it in mind when I'm looking for something fresh or if I need help when a patron asks for something related to a liked artist.

Flickr Fun

I'm running a little behind here, but I had a lot of fun for Week 8 with Flickr. I took a couple of pictures of current displays going on at the Edgewater Branch. I have them tagged properly, but mine aren't coming up yet. I hope they are just pending for approval. Of course, for my browsing in Flickr, I looked for photos of Derek Jeter because HE IS THE MAN! Even though it doesn't seem like it right now...poor Yankees.

Moving on, I enjoy online learning. It allows you to be a little more self-paced, not to mention go over something more than once. For me, library school was half online and half face-to-face. I preferred a combination of both. Still not ready to let go completely of that human connection! There is still something to be said for a traditional classroom, although I know I would be just fine in a solely, online class environment.

I've pretty much been flying solo on my Learn 2.0 journey, but we have a few Edgers who have buddied up to help those not as techno savvy as others. It's been awesome to see coworkers learn about new technologies they wouldn't have otherwise been exposed to if not for this course.

It's all fun and games...

All I can say about this week is that it is verrrrry dangerous! I love word and trivia games, so Blufr and The Puzzle Player were particularly addictive.

I also signed up for Dogster. I don't really like how this is laid out and is a bit confusing. I've created profiles for my angels, Moxie and Whiskey. I'll add their pictures soon and send along the link so you can see them.

I signed up for Trainco, but I'm generally not very disciplined at tracking that stuff. So I'm interested to see how I do and if it motivates me a little bit. I need it! It seems pretty easy to use, but I haven't played around with it too much. Wish me luck!

Maybe on that note I should be including healthy recipes. I'll see what I can come up with. Monday is Italian Day at Edgewater, and I'll be making baked ziti and sausage with peppers and onions. I usually use low fat ricotta and mozarella cheeses and lean ground beef. I'm also considering using multi-grain pasta instead of enriched. I'll let you know how it goes! In the meantime, check out Heart Healthy Texas Chili. This was delicious, and I loved the handful of dried lentil beans you throw in for a little extra something. It makes a huge batch so either cut it in half or have enough to freeze for two meals.

Big subway series going on in New York this weekend. Unfortunately we lost tonight, 2-0. We really need to pick it up and kick some butt for the rest of the series. We were making great strides towards closing the gap between us and Boston, and we can't afford to lose any ground. I'm a little irritated that this is the second game with Clemens pitching and it wasn't televised on regular cable. I would like to see how he is pitching. Maybe later this weekend. Go Yankees, GO!

Library Technology

It is so interesting to see traditional library tools being used virtually for the average Joe. GuruLib is cataloging for the people! I didn't have any luck using the ISBN to add items, but I added a couple using the title, and it seemed to take some time to upload a title to my account. I also set up an account on Elf. I don't think I'd use this if it weren't for the RSS feed feature. One of the things I like about OCLS is the option to have email reminders sent. As long as patrons check their email and make sure it is not in a junk file, it can be a lifesaver! I think that III (Millennium) is supposed to be devising an RSS feature in a future upgrade. Tagging and "social bookmarking" are also layman's cataloging. But more and more libraries are looking at this as a way to catalog items. This way people are able to search using terms they relate to instead of these weird Library of Congress Subject Headings that can be misleading or obscure.

Shelfari is pretty cool. And you can add it to your MySpace page or other personal sites/pages. Neat! My friends and I have recently decided to read HP7 together, and this could be a cool way to share our progress. BookMooch is kind of interesting. I tend to donate my books to Friends of the Library, but I did like that you could donate your points to charitable organizations so they could use your points to get books.

Along the culinary homefront, I've had two successes (Hearth Healthy Texas Chili and Chocolate Cinnamon Bread Pudding). We won't talk about the disasters. I'm off to Bern's Steak House next weekend. It is on the top ten list of things to do in Tampa before you die. The cool part is the tour of the kitchen and the separate dessert rooms. Their macadamia nut ice cream rocks!

And I have to give a shout out to the Yankees who have won their last five games! They are playing some incredible ball right now, and it is fun to watch. I can't wait to see where they are when I see them play the Devil Rays in September! Pitching has improved, and players like Cano and Abreu are getting back on track with their hitting. I love Robinson Cano. I see him and Melky Cabrera being future Jeter's of the team. Gooooo Yankees!

It's all about me, I mean, you. Um, us?

Wow! There was a lot packed in Learn 2.0 Week 4. Some familiar, some new. What amazes me is that this desire to have a virtual presence and opinion is almost more of a sense of entitlement or need even. Everyone is a superstar on the Web! Now there are no excuses for getting your stuff "out there." MySpace and YouTube allow places that have otherwise been perceived as traditional and boring (I don't know, like the LIBRARY?) to be cool and savvy. Not to mention free advertising! I was sorry that I missed Step Off, and now that I watched the YouTube spot, I really regret it! It looked fantastic!

I took the opportunity to check out LibraryThing which was a third place winner in the book category on SEOmoz. Pure, traditional library catalogers of the world must be coming out of their skin! What a wonderful way to organize your own literary experience, capture it and share with others. I also found Farecast (first place in Travel) to be fascinating. I am curious to see the viability of this product when I plan future trips. Imagine, it's like the Wall Street of travel! And Zillow (first in Real Estate) is the social network of real estate. Check it out if you are interesting in buying, selling or not sure if you want to sell but willing to see what others would be willing to bid on your home. Wicked cool!

Also, with cooking and restaurants being my thing and all, I had to check out toEat. I added Dom's Pizza, a great pizza place in the Northgate Plaza where the Edgewater Branch is located. Dom is a big supporter of our location, and I am glad to add him to this site. I'm still on a quest for Ethiopian food, but didn't have any luck here. Hopefully it will continue to develop...

RSS Feeds and Wikis

As part of our Learn 2.0 adventure, our week 3 assignment was to sign ourselves up for some good ol' RSS feeds. I have been accessing feeds through my personal Yahoo account, so it was interesting to see another resource and it hooked me on to feeds I hadn't previously considered. I signed up for the following:

• Wired top stories (I thought this might be interesting as an OCLS Trendwatcher.)
• The Shifted Librarian (Besides the fact that Jenny Levine talked about how OCLS rocks in gaming, I had the chance to see her speak at Computers In Libraries this year and really enjoyed her presentation.)
• Cooking Engineer (I'm already subscribed to this through Yahoo, but I wanted to share with other cooking fans this feed because it is really neat how they diagram each recipe like a blueprint. Enjoy!)
• Simply Recipes (I'm thinking this one is pretty obvious, and the pictures are great.)
• Comedy Central joke of the day (I can always use a good laugh!)
• OCLS General Announcements (Good reminders of what is coming up for our patrons.)

Now, I did a few searches on Grokker, and I have to tell you. It hasn't grabbed me 100% yet. Wait, I take that back. I think I just prefer the outline view to the map view. (Guess I'm notan absolute visual learner. It feels like I am a combo of tactile and visual. Learn 2.0 is a great fit for me.) I think Grokker is pretty nifty though. One thing I searched for is Ethiopian cuisine. I did get a hit for an Ethiopian restaurant in Orlando. If that pays off, I will be to the moon! If you've never eaten it, like a little kick in your food and enjoy eating with your hands, it is fantastic! I'll let you know how it turns out.

I relatively familiar with wikis. I read Orange Slices and I participate on the OCLS Trendwatcher's wiki.

I have to say that I am glad to have something else to write about right now considering that the Yankees are in what can only be described in a downward spiral. My fan status exists out of sheer loyalty, but if I was Joe Torre, I'd be cracking skulls!

Excitement and intrigue in Yankee Stadium!

Of all weekends for me to miss a televised ball game! First, the Yankees and Mariners clear the benches AND the bullpens, almost getting into a brawl. Plus Scott Proctor and Joe Torre are ejected from the game. Then Roger Clemens announces his return to the Bombers! Can you stand it? I'm reeling!

Okay, so was Proctor out of line, or was he looking out for his boys? Why is it when the Yankees do something like this, there is a higher scrutiny? Yeah, it's a classy team, but ball is ball. Besides, it's about time we saw some emotion come out of these guys! Now let's convert that energy into solid pitching, I say. Having The Rocket back is a beautiful thing, but I remain cautious until I see him in action, actually producing wins. I know it's a different animal, but I still have the Randy Johnson nightmare ringing in my brain...

On a different note, I had good times at Sea World and swam with the dolphins at Discovery Cove this weekend. Today was recuperation day and Girls Movie Day. This of course meant lots of yummy snack foods. Here is the sausage-cheese dip I made that is always a winner, wherever I go:

Mexican Cheese Dip

1 block of Mexican Velveeta, cubed (You can add a mini Velveeta to cut down on heat or stretch it.)
1 can of Rotel tomatoes, lightly drained (Mild or hot-it's your taste buds)
1 lb. ground sausage (I use Publix brand. Hot or mild depends on the level of heartburn desired.)

Cooking instructions:

1. Brown sausage.
2. Mix all ingredients together
3. Melt in microwave until thoroughly melted.
4. Serve with chip of choice. (I prefer Tostitos Scoops. Little bowls of heaven, I call them.)
5. Enjoy!

I have to give credit to Britta for introducing this one to me. Give it a try. You'll be the hit of the party for years to come!

Close but no cigar...

It is completely disappointing when I go through the trouble to watch a game online, play by play on the Yankees website, only to see another loss. And losing 15-11? Insane! The good news is that they did manage to sweep the Rangers, so I will be thankful for small Yankee blessings. Very interesting that Cashman dismissed their strength coach, Marty Miller. I'm curious to see how DeSalvo and Rasner work for the Bombers against Seattle for the rest of the series. We just need a good, strong rally going and I know we can pull forward! Right now I can't tell if it's a battle for second place or last place in the AL Eastern division!

My friend, Kristi, had a great suggestion for enhancing Yankee Kitchen. She thought it would be fun to feature a Yankee and recipe of the week. I love it! Now to figure out how to do it, and I'll be good to go. I've managed okay with the point, click and type features with the blog, but I'm game to see if I can take it up a notch. Keep an eye out for the upgrade! Thanks, chica!

Until next time, down with the Mariners and may the Red Sox crumble.

I'm looking for a ray of light...

Well, the good news is that the Yankees won the last game they played since the Boston debacle. The bad news, as Britta was sweet enough to point out, is that they are still in a glaring last place. (Thanks, Brit, 'preciate it.) And even better, ANOTHER pitcher is on the disabled list. Seriously? There's talk that the Yankees are waiting to see what Clemens is going to do at the end of May and go after him. If I were Roger Clemens, I'd run in the other direction. There is bad medicine hovering over the pitching staff at Yankee Stadium. Run for your life, Roger!

So, Cinco de Mayo is coming up this weekend. Anyone lining up some yummy Latin food to celebrate? I was driving around around Winter Haven today and saw this little cantina called El Kiosco Boricua that should be opening soon. Can't wait to give them a try. We have several great Mexican restaurants in town (El Norteno and Broncos), but no Caribbean Latin restaurants. This is very exciting! I recently purchased the cookbook Daisy Cooks! from her cooking show. It has wonderful recipes, mostly puertorican, but also from other Hispanic cultures. Have a look!

Buen provecho and Go Yankees! (I'm begging you!)

Lesson Learned...

Okay, yesterday was not a good day for my kitchen OR the Yankees. Let's just say that I should have gone with the mashed potato chicken doodad and not the curry chicken debacle. Complete and total disaster. And I am NOT overexaggerating. Absolutely unedible. And I should have known better. Any time there is a recipe that requires me to add rice to other "stuff" and let it simmer, horrible things happen. It is my cooking karma.

As for the Yankees, anyone looking for a job? Like, pitching maybe? I must have jinxed things when I said they broke their losing streak. And my brother corrected me; they lost eight in a row, not seven. Thanks, brother. Let's hope they enjoy their day off today and come back with a game plan tomorrow, but like, a good one.

Good luck in the kitchen and think happy Yankee thoughts!

Welcome to Yankee Kitchen!

Hi everyone. This is my first blog, so please be patient as I make my way through the blogosphere.

When I thought about what might be fun and interesting to blog about, two of my favorite past times are cooking and watching the Yankees play ball. So here we are in Yankee Kitchen!

That being said, I must say HURRAY for the Yankees breaking their seven game losing streak yesterday against the Red Sox. Whew! I was starting to panic. Hopefully we can keep it going today with the last game in the series against our arch rivals.

In the kitchen, I'm wondering what to cook for dinner tonight. I recently purchased a cookbook from the for sale table at the Edgewater Branch of the Orange County Library System, so I am considering what one dish meal I can try out. Right now I'm stuck between roast chicken stuffed with mashed potatoes or curried chicken and rice. I'll let you know how it goes!

Bon appetit and Go Yankees!