08-22-03 - 5:32 p.m.

1. My boss and I at interlibrary loan have moved into our new office, which is right next to the rest of the ILL office. They put a four-foot hole in the wall so it would still be one office. We're also in the middle of upgrading the library and moving to a new software system so we can be part of ILCSO, which is a system of libraries, and that has made the move to the new office a little bumpy. But now I have a new computer with Windows XP on it and a nice, cherry wood desk with actual drawers. The furniture we got for the new office is really nice. We inherited it from the provost's office. Our phones aren't working yet, though.

2. I've decided that my next degree will be in philosophy rather than psychology. But that won't be for a few years anyway because there are a few other things I want to do first. It's nice to have my future plans solidify a little.

3. I've also decided to apply for this job my boss is sort of offering to me. Before last week, I thought she was offering me the job that my supervisor just vacated, and I didn't want that one. But it turns out it's this other position that she has invented, partially with me in mind. So it's made up of the kinds of things I'm good at, and I'm hopeful that I'll get it. But that probably won't be until January, since still want to help out at ILL with the transition to the new system.

4. I narrowed my projects down to one, learning Perl. It just becomes more and more obvious to me that I can't get anywhere on anything if I try to do everything at once.

5. Carlos has been ripping up the carpet in the living room and putting in a wood floor. It looks good. I like carpet because it's quiet, but I think this will work out okay.

6. I found the source of an often-quoted, never-cited remark by the German theologian Helmut Thielicke. This was to help out somebody at work who was writing a book and needed to cite the quotation, but it was a personal triumph for me because it took so much work and no one else I'd seen had done it. So to further the accumulation of knowledge on the Internet, here is the exact quote with the reference:

And that is precisely why the gospel must be preached afresh and told in new ways to every generation, since every generation has its own unique questions. This is why the gospel must constantly be forwarded to a new address, because the recipient is repeatedly changing his place of residence.

And here is another quote, from one radio talk show host to his listeners, to send you on your way:

I bet if you were to put a high-powered microscope up to your arm, you'd see all kinds of little critters running up and down there. Now, don't panic. Don't go running around the house screaming. It's just a fact of life.