Watcha' Doing - 2023

[Sandra, Moderator]

I got curious and looked up for overpasses in Pennsylvania. I found a publication by the PA department of transportation explaining how the overpasses work, the different types, which ones fit better for which animals. I've never seen one, and it is not clear if the document was a plan or something that it is already being done somewhere in the state. I hope it becomes something common, anyway.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Your backyard sounds amazing, Kristie.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Tricia, that is me. I carry so many books when I'm on vacation and rarely get any reading done... The older my kids get, the easiest becomes to find some reading time, but still. I'm overly hopeful every single time.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Haha, that's always the way for me! You were too busy enjoying your vacation and your family. Glad you had a great time!

[Peggy]

I googled and we have over 50 animal passes in the country. I didn't think it would be that many!

Lol, I always read less than I planned to and compared to usual on vacation too.

[Christine]

Wish me luck because I’m seeing a new pulmonologist today

[Kristie, Moderator]

Nice, Peggy! I love that.

I just decided to google too and the US has over 1,000! They are still considered scarce because we have about a "4 million mile road network." The world's largest crossing is being built in California, near Los Angeles, because there were so many animals being hit on that road, including mountain lions! They started construction on it on Earth Day (April 22nd) last year and it is scheduled to be completed in 2025.

I never thought I'd know so much about animal crossings. lol

[Kristie, Moderator]

Christine wrote: "Wish me luck because I’m seeing a new pulmonologist today"

Good luck, Christine!

[Christine]

Thanks Kristie

[Janice, Moderator]

We were talking in another thread (don't remember which one) about FictFact. I received an email from them with a Christmas greeting. I followed the link. and it looks like a fundraiser to come up with a new way to track our series.

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/BooksOnT.... I'm not promoting this fund raiser, just showing some forward momentum in getting a new tracking system.

[Sarah]

I realised yesterday that my car MOT was due 5 days ago. Doh. And no time to sort before the holiday. I have got it booked for my first day back but I can't drive it now. Luckily, I have everything ready and the things I do need to do, I am getting lifts for which is great. I did this last year too, although I think I went nearly 6 months before I realised so I'm improving lol

[Christine]

I just got home from seeing my new pulmonologist and everything went well

[Sandra, Moderator]

Christine wrote: "I just got home from seeing my new pulmonologist and everything went well"

Great, Christine.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "I realised yesterday that my car MOT was due 5 days ago. Doh. And no time to sort before the holiday. I have got it booked for my first day back but I can't drive it now. Luckily, I have everything..."

It happened to me once. It is so annoying. The year passes by so fast.

[Kristie, Moderator]

That's great improvement, Sarah! lol

Glad it went well, Christine.

[Christine]

Thanks Sandra and Kristie

[Saar The Book owl]

I went to an agriculture and farming fair with my son yesterday. When we were on the train, we saw 3 deers in the woods. It made our morning. I told him he needs to cherise those little moments of hapiness. The fair was so interesting. During the corona years there wasn't a farm fair. It's the only and biggest one in Belgium, so there was a lot of people there in those 4 days. We saw huge machineries, I've seen interesting farming methodes and a lot of interesting animals. There was a bull (breed: Blonde d'Aquitaine)who weighed over 1000 kg and sheep who looked like aliens (if you're curious: google 'Rouge de l'Ouest). There were shetland ponies, mini- horses and sheep contests too. But the cutiest of all were the mini zeboes: again, Google is your friend ;) These are mini cows that you can keep as companion animals (so, not for meat/milk), but you need a big pasture.

@Kristie: good luck to your younger daughter with the vet tech studies :)

@Tricia: well, you didn't get to reading, but you had a great time with your family at the Great Wolf Lodge and that's really important. I'm happy for you that you had a good time.

@Christine: I'm glad it went well for you.

[Tricia]

That sounds like a great time, Saar. I googled the alien sheep of course. When I showed them to my son, he said they looked "cursed" lol How interesting though; I learn something new from this group all the time.

[Sandra, Moderator]

They do look a little wicked!

[Saar The Book owl]

@Tricia: that's such a funny comment from your son :) They look even weirder in real life.

[Jayme, Moderator]

@Saar - My husband just woke up and walked into the computer room asking me what I was doing. "Googling sheep" was not the response he was prepared for. lol They are interesting looking.

[Saar The Book owl]

@Jayme: Haha, he might think that you were looking for a new hobby ;)

[Fiona]

Good morning guys!
Look what was on my desk when I came into work today.


I guess my boss had a good day haha

[Peggy]

That's a nice way to start your day Fiona!

[Sandra, Moderator]

That is a great way to start a working day, Fiona!

[Fiona]

I found out that my colleague told my boss that he wishes for a little more appreciation and now everyone had some candy on their desk lol

[Janice, Moderator]

That's a great way to start your day! I love your keyboard, btw.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Aw, that was nice of your boss. Good that your boss really listened. :) I love your inspirational sloth wrist support. Very cute!

[Fiona]

@Janice: Thanks, I love it too :)

@Kristie: it’s so cute right? I have the matching mousepad as well!

[Margo]

Fiona, what a nice surprise! I have to say I'm very envious of your keyboard. It's gorgeous 😉

[Pragya]

I need that keyboard, Fiona and I like how GR was your priority at work in the morning. What a great way to start the day haha.

[Fiona]

Pragya wrote: "I need that keyboard, Fiona and I like how GR was your priority at work in the morning. What a great way to start the day haha."

Haha yes, I had to see what's going on in this group lol

[Saar The Book owl]

@Fiona: that's super sweet of your boss!

[Fiona]

Saar The Book owl wrote: "@Fiona: that's super sweet of your boss!"

Right? What's also sweet is that my second boss finally posted the job advertisement for the position that's free in my department. Currently I'm doing the work of two with the energy, time and pay of one yay!

[Saar The Book owl]

I hope they find the new collegue soon. I can imagine that it's hard working like that.

[Fiona]

I really hope so too! It’s really exhausting like this.

[Peggy]

Has anyone ever tried to get a book added to GoodReads that's not yet on here?

I posted in the GR Librarians group a couple of weeks ago. But so many requests are made there that your own request drops a couple of pages in just a few hours and it seems almost like winning the lottery if your book is added.

I know I can bump it and that there are just too many requests to be handled and it all has to be done by people who are volunteering their time, but this seems to be a very inefficient and random way of doing it.

[Esther]

Peggy.
PM me the info, i will add it.
I am a librarian just so i can add and edit books in french as so many are missing or incomplete.

[Peggy]

That's great, thanks Esther!! :)

And smart thinking. I would probably do the same if I had this issue on a regularly basis.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I'm one as well. I got frustrated at me posting at Aussie time and it being lost before US time started.

[Christine]

HAPPY FEBRUARY EVERYONE!

[Peggy]

Rusalka wrote: "I'm one as well. I got frustrated at me posting at Aussie time and it being lost before US time started."

Lol, that would have been my next step. Just get up in the middle of the night to post in the US evening when maybe someone would see it.

[Tricia]

Christine wrote: "HAPPY FEBRUARY EVERYONE!"


February? How is it February already? Seems like the year just started. lol I really did have to go check the calendar to make sure you were right.

[Christine]

Yeah I know Tricia and yeah I know Tricia and yeah I know Tricia lol your funny Tricia lol and I was right after all Tricia

[Christine]

IT’S GROUNDHOG DAY!

[Kristie, Moderator]

Yes, it is, Christine! Unfortunately, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so he predicts 6 more weeks of winter.

I'm not a huge fan of Groundhog Day because it seems kind of mean to the groundhog. I'm sure if I came out of my home (or was woken up and unceremoniously dragged out) and saw a bunch of people, bright lights, cameras, etc, I'd run back inside too. I'd be predicting more winter every year!

[Pragya]

Kristie wrote: "Yes, it is, Christine! Unfortunately, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so he predicts 6 more weeks of winter.

I'm not a huge fan of Groundhog Day because it seems kind of mean to the groundhog. ..."

What a weird, funny tradition. Had to look it up! Aww poor groundhog.

I love winter, because the winter here in my city (the lowest is 2 degree celsius, no snow) is not really the kind you guys get to undergo, so I am always sad when the winter decides to pack its bags (hardly here for 2 months). Summer, however is like 45 degrees, I can't bear it!

[Peggy]

I think if my summers were 45 degrees I would prefer winter too!

I like it best when it's 21-25 degrees, blue skies, a few small clouds and a little breeze. Unfortunately those days are much too uncommon.

[Fiona]

I love the summer! I visited India last September where it was 38 degrees. I really liked that haha
When I came back home from that trip, it was 8 degrees and I got a cold lol

[Roz]

When I lived in the Northeast (NY) I liked looking at the snow....from inside the house with a fire going in the fireplace and reading a good book. Didn't like driving to and from work in it, or shoveling it, just looking at it coming down. It was so pretty. Now I've been here in Texas for a year. No snow. Oh, there may be a flake or two occasionally and the Austin Texans freak out because they don't know what to do with it. But the past couple of days have been horrible. We didn't get snow, we got ice. It rained and turned to ice on the trees, loading them down. I had 2 beautiful crape myrtles in my backyard. Several branches completely broke off. My tree in the front lost several large branches too. The whole neighborhood looks like a disaster zone. To add insult to injury, we lost our electricity for a day. I wasn't going to let that stop me from reading. Oh no! I charged my kindle in the car so I could finish my book!