Today was the first (official) day the bookstore has accepted donations since we moved locations! We set up a table and canopy thing to receive donations, and stood in the cold windy weather for three hours, what fun :P (I'm still thawing out haha). We got a fair amount of donations..I was hoping there would be more, but we got in some great new fiction titles, DVDs, vintage books, etc. Amazingly, NONE of the customers got upset about us giving books back that we couldn't use, or waiting for us to sort their books (I found two I wanted..yep, new donations are dangerous LOL). I thought we were going to accept donations every Thursday, but Lucie and Shelby aren't sure yet..they want to do a poll on Facebook to see what would be the best donation day for people. They also told us me and Bill we did a great job today..praise doesn't come often from them, so that was nice lol. It'll be great shelving fresh new books!

I was helping mom with a crossword puzzle, and one of the clues was something like "canopy cover/support"..I looked at the letters already there and I was like "...tester?!? No way!!" A tester is another name for a four-poster bed! What are the chances of that?? It made me very happy lol

I hate when I hear a song I love but can't find it, so I found an app called Shazam, which will tell you what song is playing when you open it! I tried it at a restaurant yesterday, and it told me the song was "Helena" by My Chemical Romance. It also has a "lyrics" button and it will follow the lyrics (the words get bigger) as they're being sung. So cool! It's amazing what technology can do!

I had a regular doctor's appointment yesterday, and she said I lost 8 pounds since August?! I have no idea how that happened lol, but I did notice some of my shirts were looser. I haven't really been doing anything different..weird haha

( oct 4-9 )

Ughh I've had a rough week..I've felt very tired, even before what happened last week. Two or three weeks ago I chomped hard on a popcorn kernel, and my tooth had been sore ever since. My face has been in constant pain, I've had awful migraines, my joints have ached, possibly because of the constant rainy weather this month. I was very grumpy those two sale days at work, and ended the week wiped out. I went to the dentist on Monday, and they took x-rays, but didn't see cracks or anything. He said that tooth was very worn from grinding my teeth and was too crowded in my small mouth, so he said the best thing would be to remove it, so I had that done (good thing it's one that was in the very back). I think this is revenge for me telling the dentist I'm boring because there's nothing wrong with my teeth LOL. I woke up on Tuesday EXHAUSTED, and knew I definitely wasn't going to work. I went to the doctor and they did All the Tests (bloodwork, etc), but the only thing they found was a high heartrate. The doctor said I probably had a virus, and I do remember feeling like I was coming down with something earlier in the month, but I drank some Emergen-C and that seemed to take care of it. Even though I didn't get all the way sick, my body was still tired from fighting the virus. It definitely felt like post-covid tiredness. I decided to take the rest of the week off of work..I definitely have been working too hard. I should listen to my body before I crash! This whole week I've felt SO tired, my jaw has ached, and I've had a terrible migraine, especially today. I went back to the dentist and he said there was no dry socket, and to take pain meds every six hours. I did a couple errands after that, and was COMPLETELY exhausted when I got home, so I took Motrin and Excedrin, and crashed into bed. I felt tired when I woke up, but my face and migraine felt SO much better! I could think again! I've been too exhausted and fuzzy brained to write until now. I took a shower and when I tried to get out, my back twinged weirdly, and now I can add back pain to my list of maladies. Are you kidding me?! I don't know who I angered, but please stop!! I'd like to return to normal life again, please :P (I've definitely had to sing "even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise" throughout the week lol)

Jo's birthday was this week, so his mom (Carmen), stepfather (Dorian) and brother (Jonny) came up to visit. We went to a hibachi restaurant for his birthday..dad had never been to one before, so his reactions were very amusing haha. Carmen also made some Puerto Rican food, and yesterday we ate at a Thai restaurant. I think they leave the day after tomorrow..hopefully they had a good trip!

( a few pics from the week )

23. Describe your car: I don't have one

24. A movie that makes you cry: I've cried watching Passion of the Christ (the first one I remember crying to. I could never watch it again D:), Spider-Man 2, Temple Grandin, Raya and the Last Dragon, A Man Called Ove, The Road..that's all I can remember for now lol

25. What's your leadership style? Show people what to do in a kind and encouraging way (and try to be confident doing it haha). If someone makes a mistake, point it out, but still be positive, and give examples of my mistakes too. Positivity almost always gets the best results and makes people empowered and feel good about their work!

26. What's your favorite genre of TV shows? Action-y ones, detective ones like CB Strike, etc
27. How are you different from your siblings? I'm shorter, way more positive, terrible at cooking, I love to read, etc

28. Your first pet: I think it was a cat named Tiggy..if I remember correctly, my parents had to send him back to California for some reason..

1. Which book made you cry? Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition..I had to hug Abby after reading it lol
2. Which book would you like to see adapted for a television series? The Running Grave (CB Strike mysteries)..The Ink Black Heart was released this year (I still need to watch this week's episode!), so hopefully the next one will be released next year. It'll give me time to read it lol
3. Among books you’ve read, which was most recently published? The Mistletoe Mystery (pub. Oct 2024)
4. If your personal January 2025 were a novel, what would be its title? Uhh.."The Fairbanks Bookstore"??
5. When reading a physical book, how do you mark your place when you set it down? A bookmark, or open upside down if I'm coming right back to it

I had to call the doctor back about the CT scan/bloodwork, because he obviously wasn't going to call. The nurse said there's fat on my liver, but it's functioning fine, and I'm anemic, so I should take an iron supplement or multivitamin..I'll have to look next time I'm at the store. Of course my new glasses aren't right either..the doctor forgot to put in the progressive (reading) part! I'm about ready for laser eye surgery, it's ridiculous how complicated and exact my prescription has to be..I'll have to ask next time I see him..

I think I mentioned last year the building at work is for sale..I think we have a potential buyer and have to be out of the building by June. Lucie said she and the board of directors have been looking at buildings, hoping to find a good one. After 16 1/2 years of working there, that'll be weird! I hope I can still walk to the new building. It's definitely going to be hard work moving, we have SO many books and other things stashed away! Hopefully the new building will have lots of space and the ceiling won't drip every time it gets warm haha

( jan 25-31 )

Yay, happy birthday!! I love that Cherry's uncle "liked" my post on Facebook, I'm sure he's happy Cherry will not be forgotten <3 (I love how happy he is in this picture lol)

Today I had my regular eye exam..I had to wait like two months to see my regular doctor, but he's the only one I trust to get my crazy prescription correct. My prisms (for double vision) need to be stronger but the rest of my vision..somehow got BETTER?! Last time my right eye was something like -7.75, and today it was -6.75!! My left eye was -4.50, and today it's -4.25! I didn't even know that was possible?! Mom has told me for years my vision would get stable when I got old enough, but I didn't know it could get BETTER! That's amazing! I hope I'll like the new glasses I picked out lol (they have to send them to the Lower 48, so it takes a week or two to get them back)

Yay, I go back to work tomorrow!! Unless I'm traveling, two weeks is WAY too much time off haha. Work definitely helps my mental health, especially in the winter when it's dark a lot. Hopefully I'm not TOO out of shape from sitting around haha

I found this writing prompt page on Pintrest, so I'm going to try that for the meme this year..I'm too lazy to type out everything lol, so I'll do a month at a time (or more if I get super bored :P). Hopefully it'll be fun lol (somehow it's just not a complete post without a meme/survey question to end on :P)

( jan 1-2 )

1. How ticklish are you? My feet are kinda, and my back is pretty sensitive, if that counts
2. When did you most recently experience physical numbness? Probably recently when my hand or foot fell asleep
3. What’s caused you recently to squirm? I was watching I, Claudius and it showed a dead cat..show me dead humans, but don't do that to me :( (I had to look away, ugh)
4. What recently caused you to gag? *shrugs*
5. Which item in your wardrobe is most uncomfortable to wear? Tight things that don't fit anymore, for one

I saw the sleep doctor this week, and they said the results from the sleep test showed some apneas, but not above normal. I told her I barely slept at all and didn't think that was an accurate representation of my regular sleep, so she's going to see if my insurance will pay for a study at the sleep center, which is probably more accurate and sophisticated. I hope they do, I'm tired of being exhausted all the time!

Next week I'm going to try working three hours three days a week now and see how I do..two hours goes by so fast and I feel like I hardly get anything done. Things are weird though..Shirley disappeared for like a month, then suddenly decided she didn't want to work at the bookstore anymore, and no one knows why..she won't answer calls. I hope nothing bad is happening to her. D: Kathy retired from volunteering because she's in her 80s and wants to spend more time with her grandkids and do projects at home (which is fair, but I still miss her lol). Denise is going to step down from being the Bookstore Manager to an assistant manager..she's completely exhausted, especially with dealing with people who never listen to her and make messes every day (when I came in on Wednesday she was sobbing while trying to clean up yet another mess). The whole atmosphere is stressing me out and just making me feel weird. I miss how things were before covid messed everything up. :( I hope things can get better with a fresh new manager who likes overseeing people, though I always worry about having to get used to a new person lol. Things must improve...

( june 10-16 )

Yesterday I finally saw my new psychiatrist, and she's SO much better than Larry. I told her everything that's been going on, and since so many meds haven't been working, I swabbed my cheeks, and they're going to send that to a lab for gene testing, so they'll know exactly what meds will work for me. Cool! That'll take about a week, so I'm scheduled to see her again the week after next. I hate that I have to keep waiting, but hopefully she'll know what'll work for me when the results come back, and I can be my happy self again! After that appointment I canceled with Larry, yay! No more coldness and guessing :P

( pokemon update )

4 – Ice cream For Breakfast Day: Have you ever eaten ice cream for breakfast (or for any other meal)? Yep lol

5 – World Nutella Day: Do you like Nutella? How often to you eat Nutella? I've never eaten it, it looks gross

6 – Chopsticks Day: Can you eat with chopsticks? If yes, how often do you use them? No

7 – World Ballet Day: Have you ever been to a ballet performance? If not, is this something that might interest you? Have you ever had ballet lessons? I think I saw The Nutcracker once. I have not

Back to the eye doctor I went today! I went back to the original place I went to, but with a different doctor. I brought my glasses from the other place, which caused some raised eyebrows when they looked at them..apparently I had progressives along with prisms and never told me..seriously?? I explained my struggles and this doctor did a very thorough exam..he seemed to have trouble getting the prescription on my right eye, well, right haha. After he was done, he told me I have strabismus, and my right eye points a different direction than my left, which is why I'm having such a horrible time seeing lately (I don't think it's noticeable enough to see when looking at me though). My right eye has always been weaker, and my brain over time has ignored my right eye, causing the muscles to be weak. Finally someone knows what's going on!! When I Googled the symptoms, I was like OMG YES: double vision, blurry vision, trouble reading, a loss of depth perception, constantly tilting or turning your head to see an image clearly. I HATE walking down stairs because depth perception is definitely very difficult now..I always though that was weird lol. The doctor said he was putting prisms in the new lenses again, only less strong ones, and progressives, to help with reading. He said it'll definitely take some getting used to..I've always dreaded the thought of progressives/bifocals, and now that time has come. I hope I can get used to them, and that they help..I guess I'll see (heh) in a couple weeks when they come in. :P At least I know what the problem is now!

( 28. Would you consider yourself to be in shape? )

Today's trivia: A singing birthday card has more computer power in it than the entire Allied Army of WWII

1. What is your favorite thing to drink on a hot day? Smoothies, lemonade, etc
2. What superstitions do you have? Touching a plane before I get on one is a big one lol
3. What is your favorite pen to write with and why? Gel type pens, I like the way they flow when I write lol
4. What books have you read or been reading during the Pandemic? Many haha..Winterkill, Where the Crawdads Sing, etc
5. MTV has decided to resurrect playing music videos and they've decided to give you a two-hour space to program your favorite music on air. What do you air? We Didn't Start the Fire, Super Trouper, Hearts on Fire, etc

Whenever I go to get an eye exam, I always feel like I'm failing whatever test they're giving me haha.."is number one *supposed* to be better than 2?? Is it bad if it's not??" This time I had the added bonus of the glass on the machine fogging up from my mask. :P My right eye stayed the same at -7.75, but my left eye changed from -4.25 to -4.75! Time for new glasses it is (I'll still keep my current pair, since I still like them). :P There was also the added bonus of $6, because they charge $3 for each diopter (a unit of refractive power) -6 and above..terrible vision is expensive!! Haha (they also had to bring out the super magnified mirror when I was trying on new frames and struggling to see even though I was like right on top of it LOL). I hate that it takes like 3 weeks for the glasses to get here though..in Texas I got them right away! I hope I like them lol

( aug. 2-7 )

Today at work Denise told me to go up front because someone wanted to see me..I thought it might be Ingrid back in town, so I was completely shocked when a customer presented me with a smoothie!! She said she appreciated all that I do..wow!! That was so kind of her..awww (another time a customer gave me an entire box of lens cleaning wipes for glasses..our customers are awesome lol)

On Sunday I had the awesome experience of getting an ingrown toenail removed. When the doctor was about to numb my toe with a big needle, he was like "this is gonna suck, don't move." Challenge accepted! I didn't even flinch..mom was just staring at me and later she said "I expected you to go 'ow ow ow!', but you were just calm, cool, and collected." I think even the doctor was impressed, because he kept saying how well I was doing lol. Now I'm terrified to trim my nails, I don't want it to happen again D: (they're super painful!)

I just read a book about Lieutenant Castner's exploration in Alaska in 1898 (that's who Castner Glacier in the Alaska Range is named after!)..it looked interesting, but I didn't expect his awesome sense of humor! Here are some interesting/amusing passages I found
( under here )

( pics for june 11-14 )

Today's trivia: Bob Hope hosted the Academy Awards a record 19 times

FAIRBANKS — For the second time in three years, Fairbanks is chasing a rain record in June.

After the deluge on Sunday and Monday, the monthly total for rainfall at Fairbanks International Airport rose to 3.2 inches — less than half an inch shy of the all-time record.

“It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility,” said Rick Thoman, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Fairbanks.

No matter what happens the final three days of the month, 2016 already ranks fourth all time for total rainfall in the month of June since reporting began in 1912.

Heading into the weekend, the airport had recorded 2.42 inches of rain in this month, but the thunderstorm that struck the Interior on Sunday brought another 0.44 inches, followed by another 0.38 inches Monday morning.

The amount of rainfall at the airport this June is more than double normal. To put the precipitation in perspective, the airport received more rain on Sunday than in the entire month of June 2013.

To get the record, this month would have to surpass 3.56 inches, the mark set just two years ago, in 2014. That year, an eleventh-hour shower late in the evening on June 30 brought 0.1 inch of rain, just enough to break a tie for first place between 2014 and 1949.

The airport would need to record 0.36 inches of rain before midnight Thursday to tie the record, but Thoman said it wouldn’t be totally surprising.

"The airport received more rain on Sunday than in the entire month of June 2013." WOW! That's crazy haha. At least it's sunny again after raining all day yesterday. It would be cool to break the record, just because haha

I love seeing my doctor and being able to say how well I'm doing..I get excited to tell her! Weird how Prozac works when all the other ones just stopped, but I'll take it :P

( List three undesirable characteristics that you have )

Today's trivia: In 1968, Steve McPeak traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles on a unicycle. The trip took him six weeks