Beautiful weekends without school work to worry about don’t happen very often these days, but this weekend I got one of them. Aside from going for a couple of walks and a bike ride with my Bookman around the lake, I got some reading in too.
We have an analog television and don’t have cable and, mostly on the principle of the thing, chose not to get a converter box, so the signal went dead Friday. Not that we watched TV all that much to begin with, but it is so nice to not be able to turn on the TV and lose an hour or so of my life watching Cops or some other dreadful reality show because I haven’t the gumption to figure out something to do. My Bookman can still watch his Simpsons on Hulu, and when the next Dancing With the Stars season starts up we can watch that over the internet too if we feel so inclined. So Saturday night with no TV and no desire to watch a movie, we decided to start listening to Stephen King and Peter Straub’s The Talisman.
I am a bad audiobook listener because I get restless unless I have something to do with my hands, and my wrist feeling pretty darn good, I chose to knit while listening. It was marvelous. The tendinitis in my wrist is pretty much in abeyance right now. My wrist gets tired from time to time, but the pain is blessedly gone. It is feeling so good I can knit and listen to audiobooks again. This makes me so very happy. So I picked up a sweater I have been working on in short spurts for the past, oh 4 or 5 years. Yikes! To give myself some credit, the sweater is almost done. It is knit in the round which means all on one needle so I won’t have to sew it all together when it’s done. The sweater is knit up to the sleeves and I have one sleeve done and am now 5 rows away from having sleeve two done. Then I attach the sleeves to the sweater and knit up a little more, make the collar ribbing and voila! A new sweater ready for winter. Oh, and The Talisman is pretty good too. It’s such a big book I might still be listening to it in the winter when I get to wear my new sweater.
Also read this weekend, a book I borrowed from the library at work, The NextGen Librarian’s Survival Guide. I’m technically too old to be next gen, but I thought the book might offer some useful advice on the whole new librarian thing. It has a chapter on getting through library school, getting your first librarian job, dealing with Baby Boomer librarians who have been working in libraries for 20, 30 or more years and don’t want to let go of their power or the way things have always been done.
It didn’t turn out to be all that useful (though I suppose if I were 20 it would be very useful). The only thing I learned from it is that older GenXers like myself tend to act as a bridge between Boomers and Millennials in the workplace because while we haven’t always had the internet we still tend to be techie but we also understand what it is like to not have technology because many of us still remember using card catalogs in the library. We can see where both generations are coming from and sort of explain them to each other and help smooth over the bumps and build consensus. So if being a librarian doesn’t work out, I could probably get a high-paying consulting gig as a generational mediator or something.
I love it–a generational mediator! I may become one, too! Right now I’m mediating between my new teenager (he turned 13 on Thursday) and the rest of our family…
I think life without TV sounds pretty good. Perhaps I’ll join you…
While we don’t have the same tv issues as you (yet) here in Canada, I only get 1 channel (sometimes 2 if the weather is good). So I relate to watching most things over the internet. But, glad to hear that you’ve had both a weekend off and an abeyance of the tendonitis pain — I am impressed with your knitting skill. (I have a quilt that has been half done for about 7 yrs so I don’t think 4 yrs on a sweater is too bad!)
Also, regarding the Next Gen Librarian book, I suppose I would fit in as an older Gen X as well; my first job was completely manual, memberships and card catalogue. But my husband, who is definitely in the Baby Boomer age range, is not at all Boomer in outlook – he’s more tech than I am. Still, most of my coworkers of that generation are, sadly, resistant to change. But in my case, there is only one librarian younger than me, so I don’t have much to mediate!
Sounds like a perfect weekend and I’m very pleased to hear how much better your wrist is. As for the generation book, I’ve been meaning to ask you for the title of the book you read a while back about Gen Xers and Gen Yers and all the rest of it. I am sure it was here that I read about it. I’d like to read it myself, you see! Umm, can you remember what it was from my insufficient description…?
Our analog television, here in south Los Angeles, went “blue” on Friday. Actually, it didn’t go to blue screen like everyone said, but it went to snow. Reminds me of the 1950′s when I was growing up in North Dakota and we were just starting to get television; we had one channel and that channel often had “snow.” I always thought “snow” on television was so appropriate for those of us living in the far north, as if we didn’t have enough snow outside. Anyway, back to original subject: I finished Schwartz’s Finding Oz (c. 2009) and Pamuk’s Istanbul (c. 2003/4). I found the former, somewhat dry but very interesting; the latter very depressing.
Bravo for you on all counts. I have so many knitting, quilting, needlepoint projects started, but never completed. When the kids were small I used to be better about finishing these projects because, now that you mention it, they weren’t allowed TV very often and it was almost never on. I never made the connection until now. We can really become slaves to the set.
So, just as I’m now rediscovering TV (which basically just means DVRing lots of movies I’m sure I’ll never watch, because the books are always calling out to me), you’ve let yours go. Good for you! I keep meaning to try knitting (the shawl that is going to take me as long to knit as the far-more-complicated sweater you are knitting) while listening to audiobooks but never seem to do it. And I love the idea of being a generational mediator. Maybe THAT can be my Next Big Thing.
Generational mediator. The war has gone past the sexes, eh?
I never watched much TV until I was both deprived of it completely and learned to knit. Audiobooks are fine to knit by but not if they’re TOO interesting, then I need the book.
I don’t watch a lot of TV either, but it still must have been a little bit spooky when the signal died out. I used to be able to get both Nebraska’s and Iowa’s PBS channels, but the Iowa station has migrated to the digital cable tier (which I don’t get and don’t want to pay for, and should free TV channels, be….free? I guess that’s no longer the case). I can still get NE luckily. I do admire people who forego TV altogther–I still need it as a source of ‘white noise’ sometimes. I love those knitting needles that are just one big round one–my sister uses them–they look cool (and easier to use than the traditional ones?). I’m at the same place when it comes to being in the middle–I can understand boomers and millennials–but wouldn’t really want to be part of either!
Gentle Reader, I think mediating involving teenagers deserves some kind of hazard pay or something
Melanie, oh I think quilt is more complicated than a sweater, all those pieces to cut and sew together! Since you don’t have much to mediate in your library, you are in the perfect position to work as a consultant for other libraries or maybe even the ALA
Litlove, oh yes I know what you are talking about. It wasn’t a book though, it was a couple of articles. I will dig the information out and send it along.
Bruce, ours is snow now too. Snow is much better than a blue screen. Sounds as though you’ve been reading some good stuff. I’ve not read either but I have read Pamuk’s Snow and liked it very much.
Grad, why thank you. Even though I only ever watched less than a few hours a week, the lure of it was still there and sometimes would suck me in. I am glad to have it gone.
Emily, knitting and audiobooks are a great pairing but you sort of have to be in the mood for both at the same time to make it work. I find when the weather is bad is the best time then you don’t feel like you should be out in the garden.
Carrie, I know what you mean about the audiobook can’t be too interesting. I need to be able to read the pattern and block out the book and then tune back in without feeling completely lost.
Danielle, you’re right, it was a bit spooky when the signal went out. I keep getting the urge to turn on the TV just to make sure it’s still not working. I love circular needles too. I even use them instead of straight needle for flat pieces because they are easier on my wrist. And I am very happy being Gen X as well.
I think knitting and listening to audio books sounds great — I like audio books and would like to learn to knit, but each one sounds a bit boring on its own. But put them together, and I’d be fine! I’m glad you had a nice weekend and got some reading in.
You must post pictures of your sweater Stefanie. I’d love to see it!
We got rid of our t.v. earlier this year because we weren’t going to mess with the box or cable. A principle thing too. We do watch a couple of shows but usually download those or buy the DVDs. It’s really nice actually not to have a television anymore.
Dorothy, knitting and audiobooks do make a good pairing. I’ve made several pairs of socks while listening to Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter.
Iliana, Really? Ok, when it is all done I will post a photo. Considering my snail’s pace it will probably be the end of summer. I’m glad to hear I am not the only one who has chosen not buy a converter box and to let go of the TV. All my friends looked at me in utter astonishment when I told them.