Switching devices & the struggle to find meaning

For the last couple of years I was a mostly happy Droid Incredible owner. I held on to my new every two year upgrade and waited for it to hit the market and took the plunge. I had a few problems with the device, the largest of which was its pathetic battery life. This was a problem I solved by purchasing a larger battery. Now my phone lasted all day but it was now nearly 40% thicker. There were also other strange errors that would pop-up from time to time (something about running out of application memory) which were an occasional nuisance. 

Overall the Droid Incredible and I had a great relationship. I especially was fond of its camera which eventually became my only camera (Keep in mind, I do not take many photos). I also loved the Google account integration.

I didn't seriously consider getting an iPhone when it came to Verizon as I already  had a variety of Apple devices in my life (Macbook, really old iPod video, iPad) and I didn't feel I was missing anything. All that changed with the announcement of the iPhone 4s and iOS5.

So I made the jump, got the iPhone 4s and I love it. It took a shockingly short amount of time to get used to the phone and an even more shockingly short amount of time to realize that using the Android phone no longer felt "right." I can't really explain it other than using it felt cumbersome in a way it had never felt prior to iPhone ownership. I did not expect that.

Another thing I did not expect was for the 4s to render my iPad useless. Ok, maybe 'useless' is too strong a word, but now I don't feel the compulsion to reach for the iPad anymore. In my day-to-day life I do not use the iPad in a way that is unique to the iPad. Occasionally, I will try to catch up on my digital subscriptions as it is far easier to read the New Yorker on my iPad. Watching video on the iPad is another victory for the iPad. The problem is that I don't watch video on the iPad.

So I'm not sure where the iPad fits into my life at this point. But I am happy with the new iPhone.  

A new job, in a familiar city.

I've found it difficult to write a post about my new position as Outreach Librarian for Scottsdale Community College, and I am not sure why. After numerous false starts over the last two weeks I have decided I really need to get an update posted. This is that update.

Two weeks ago I started my new position as outreach librarian for Scottsdale Community College, one of the ten colleges that make up the Maricopa Community College District. I left my position with SUNY Potsdam in New York on July 1st, drove 2600 miles in three days then spent the next month or so relaxing, swimming, reading, going to concerts and managed to fit in a trip to California to visit my brother and his family. Overall it was a nice vacation, but now it's time for work. 

As of right now I already have a few things on my plate. I am currently at work on a Outreach Marketing and Communication Plan for the library, creating a 9/11 Anniversary Libguide and planning displays for Banned Books Week. This is in addition to the regular librarian duties like working the reference desk and instruction (which starts for me soon). I am looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that this job will bring and know that there is a group of people here that will help me out when I inevitably stumble. 

Breaking it Down

July 05 - July 07, 2011

Total Hours: 63

Total Miles: 2,596

Gallons of Gas: 87.767

Miles per Gallon: 29.57

Number of Check Engine Lights: 1

Horrific Accidents passed by: 1

Number of animals killed by other motorists: countless

Number of animals killed by me: 0

States slept in: 2

States driven through: 10 

Total number of states my 2008 Subaru Forester has driven through: 22, the District of Columbia and 2 Canadian Provinces

Pounds of poisonous food and beverages consumed: countless

Saving (audio) grace: The Judge John Hodgman podcast

Number of pieces of evangelical propaganda passed: countless

The long road

A little more than two years ago I started this blog and named it 'the peripeteia.' I chose this name because at the time it was a turning point and a reversal of fortune in my life. It marked the end of nearly 14 months of unemployment.

After just two years there has been another reversal. Tomorrow morning I am hitting the (hopefully) open road and beginning a journey back to the southwest. With any luck I'll be back in Phoenix late tuesday night. 

I am going to try to relay news and pictures and video of my journey via my tumblr page. If you are interested in following along you can do so here: www.dannewton.tumblr.com

Oh, the things you will find.

While weeding books over the last couple of years i've run across a number of interesting finds including old due date slips and other oddities. While cleaning out my filing cabinet yesterday (in preparation of my move) I came across some of my finds. 

The first of my finds was a due date slip from 1989 which was a pretty long time ago (I was 8!). This isn't the oldest due date slip I've come across, it's merely the one I didn't lose. As you can see, the library's propensity for verbose communication has always been a problem. 

The second item I found was a small religious flyer warning about the possibility of going to hell and whether it was worth risking it. This flyer was two sided as you can see in the image below. I've heard the rumors that there was once a staff member here a long time ago that used to place these sorts of flyers into books as the were either cataloged or checked-in (I can't remember which). I am not even sure how something like that was ever allowed to happen here in the library as it seems rather improper.

If I manage to dig up anything else of interest, or find the other artifacts I've previously come across I will update this post accordingly.

What's type of things do you find in books you've weeded or bought second hand? Anything strange?