So they came into the library yesterday and installed this software that lets me monitor what's on every computer screen -- there are 14 public computers -- from my desk. Most likely, people assumed that we always had this kind of thing, but actually, we would have to walk around the library to see what they were doing. This software had already been installed in other computer lab-type environments in the school. In the library, where kids are all working independently, as opposed to assignments in class, we assumed it would just help us spot kids trying to do stuff they're not supposed to in school, like chat or installing programs.I came back from lunch and immediately spotted someone at the computer farthest from my desk installing a downloaded program. I took control of that machine and checked to see who was logged in. It was a teacher's login, but there was a kid sitting there.
Oops.
The kid practically crapped a brick when I called him over. He begged me not to report him, and ultimately I decided just to dock his internet priveleges for two weeks. I did have to report that a kid was logged in as a teacher though; I said I wasn't sure who the kid was because (duh) he wasn't logged in under his own name. Let's see if this comes back to bite me in the ass.
In other news, K and I are driving down to our nation's capitol in the morning, and coming home on Sunday. I'm not picturing an exciting evening there tomorrow, once we've had our dinner, so I'll probably read diaries and post from there. She was this close ][ today to getting shelves from Ikea, so I would have spent my evening assembling, but she figured out another place to put stuff. Of course, the fact that she picked out a shelf that was cheap but seven feet high had something to do with her decision. She showed me the picture in the catalog, along with the dimensions. I said "It will not fit in the car." She made a sour face, and said "But this is the best one! It's so cheap!" I said "IT WILL NOT FIT IN THE CAR. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW CHEAP OR GOOD IT IS. IT WILL NOT FIT IN THE CAR." Imagine my delight when I got home from school and she said she had an alternate plan. As it is, we have just gone to the A&P and stocked up on non-perishables, which are waiting in the car along with her other goods: Christmas presents, cake-baking supplies, other things to bring back to school. Just clothes left to pack. And then -- I know this sounds weird -- but she's coming back with me for one more week of vacation and going back my train next Saturday. It works for us.
I mentioned to the Colleague today that I was going tomorrow and hadn't even given a moment's thought to what I needed to bring with me overnight. She said "Boy, you really are sick." Well, I'm much better (although still not terrific), but I'm playing this one uncharacteristically by ear. I did make a list about five minutes ago, and I did pack a bag of food things, but that was mostly a function of unpacking the groceries and putting them where they belong (which for some of them was a bag to take with me when I go.)
Oh, I got the butterfly loom. I will say, it took me ten or fifteen minutes to figure out the directions, even realizing that they were probably written for children, but then I cranked out my first square. It looks kind of like one of those woven trivets you see sometimes. I just used some scrap yarn I had around since I was only trying it out; I'm thinking of bringing some varieties of yarn with me and maybe doing some tomorrow night at K's. One of the things that I liked about it when I read the initial article is that it's an extemely portable kind of craft. (Not that crocheting or knitting isn't portable. But the loom only makes squares -- mine makes 9" squares -- so you're not toting around a huge growing afghan wherever you go.) I'll post a picture or two next week, or whenver I make a nice one, whichever comes first.
Okay, two entries today, although the second one, a meme, I actually wrote last night. So if you're reading this first, click next and read the next one. Or vice-versa.
Have a good weekend.
