you learn something new…

so i thought about titling yesterday’s post “you learn something new every day” and then decided not to.  but then i learned something new again today and couldn’t resist using it for today’s title.  here are some of the new things i learned today:

1.  backlit photos are not necessarily a bad thing.  which do you like better?  today’s sunflower photo or yesterday’s?

2.  when put to the test, i can come up with a relatively decent storytime in less than 5 minutes that will (more or less, anyway) entertain a crowd of up to 110 people for about half an hour.  longer if need be.

3.  larabar has some new flavors!

and here are the stories behind the lessons:

1–well, really, no story.  i was taking some photos in the early morning today and i tried this shot thinking that it would be too dark since the light was behind the flower, but i really like the way the sun shines through the petals.

2–today was tuesday, which meant that it was the day for my surprisingly popular “tuesday at 2” series at the library.  something outside of work came up at the last minute and i had to be gone until a little bit before 2:00, but since it was a hired performer (and one we’ve had multiple times in the past with no problems, and one i’d contacted to confirm just last week) and all i was responsible for was opening the doors and counting all the people stream into the room, i didn’t think this would be a problem.  i returned at 2:00 to find the room dark, no performer, and a line of people from the meeting room to the front door.  ack!  i called the performer and the program director said that he thought there was someone coming, but he’d check and call me back.  in the meantime, i invited folks to make themselves comfortable with a good book and i’d let them know when the performer arrived.  at 2:10, i’m starting to be very concerned that we’re not just dealing with someone stuck in traffic and one of the moms points out that the kids don’t reeeeeeally care what they see, they just want to be entertained and don’t i have lots of puppets and things?  i figure that at the least, i could read them a story or two until the performer shows up, so i go and start pulling a few things together.  i tell a co-worker that i’m still expecting a status call back from the program director and could she just give me a signal as to whether they are or are not coming when he calls back?  i invite the horde of people into the meeting room and we begin with a book (during which my co-worker sticks her head in the door and solemnly shakes it back and forth signalling that i am the main event after all), we sing “head, shoulders, knees and toes” (after they vote down b-i-n-g-o), read another book, then invite the puppet mouse to come out of his house (it’s a prop i have) and then…i happen to have the movie version of “officer buckle and gloria” and since it’s about a dog and since the performer was supposed to be bringing along a dog, it was as perfect as it could be in the circumstances.  i showed the movie and took a head count.  at least 105 people, plus the few that wandered in and out with cranky kids… yeah.  it was a packed house.  but at least they got a show, right?

later, i learned that the performer that was supposed to visit us had been in an accident the day before and in all of the panic and confusion that goes along with accidents, they’d forgotten that she was supposed to do a program at our library today.  so they weren’t just being flaky.

the good news out of all of this?  i learned what happens when a performer doesn’t show and i have 100+ people wanting entertainment.  and it wasn’t a disaster.  and i even got some compliments.

3–later this evening, when i got home after saying sad goodbyes to good friends who are moving 5 hours away (5 hours isn’t thaaaat far away.  especially when there’s pie in the middle and the world wide web to build a bridge between our houses.) there was a package on our mail pile from larabar.  (look at that cute party fluff!)

longtime readers may remember my hearty endorsement of this fruit/nut bar from awhile back.  at the end of that long-ago post, i mentioned that i thought i might possibly receive some free samples.  well, today i did!  (come to think of it, i think they also sent me a whole box of my favorite “cherry pie” bars soon after the post, so this is my second shipment of goodies from them!)  apparently, they have four new flavors and they sent me three of each.

how cool is that?  i’m pretty full from supper right now–otherwise i’d totally eat one.  they look delicious!  what a great surprise at the end of a day that had a few other less great surprises.  in fact, i’m inspired to do a spontaneous giveaway to spread the joy.  leave a comment below saying which of the new flavors sounds the best to you and i’ll do a drawing and send the winner a bar or two.  here are the new flavors:

larabar–peanut butter cookie

larabar–coconut creme pie

jocalat–chocolate cherry

jocalat–chocolate hazelnut

no, they still don’t have the apricot flavor that seems to me to be such an obviously good fit to their product line, but a girl can still hope, can’t she?

so send in your favorite flavor choices by… let’s say noon on friday and maybe you’ll be able to enjoy a fun food package in the mail too!  in order to maintain the “surprise!” factor, i won’t announce the winner on this blog.  happy tuesday, everyone!