I'm starting to see why so many people go around all day with a portable music player going and headphones on. Having music along has made things I really didn't much look forward to surprisingly pleasant. For example, yesterday I discovered it was an intensely nice day and actually went out for a walk along River Road (aka the Mississippi River Boulevard), to the accompaniment of Marilyn Manson's "Mechanical Animals" album and an episode of an old radio play, "The Incredible Adventures of Jack Flanders". I walked much farther than I believe I've ever done, certainly more than I've ever done without a specific destination. But it barely even registered.
Likewise, I used to dread having to go down into the work area of the library and check in materials from the gray boxes we use to ship things between branches. It's not that shelving is especially stimulating, but at least there's motion and a little bit of mental processing going on. Plus occasional patron interaction. Doing grey boxes is entirely rote repetition and unless you're doing it alongside someone else, there's nothing else going on. It's intensely boring and I find I actually get rather uncomfortable as well. Today, though, it was great. Some Manson, some Das Ich, and the day just flew by. It was a good day for it, too. Hot, somewhat muggy, and the library (especially on the main floor) tends to amplify both qualities. The building *is* air-conditioned, but it's inadequate and the building's air circulation is very poor. But when downstairs, not only is it cooler, and not only was the work less physical, but I was able to run a fan.
Of course the music player in question is my PSP. It's not really ideally designed for the task for a number of reasons, prime among them the fact that you can't easily operate it from your pocket without special headphones (with remote controls) that normally come with new PSPs but not so much my used one. And I'd still like an iPod. But it's a lot better than the nothing whatsoever I had to play music on the go before.
Likewise, I used to dread having to go down into the work area of the library and check in materials from the gray boxes we use to ship things between branches. It's not that shelving is especially stimulating, but at least there's motion and a little bit of mental processing going on. Plus occasional patron interaction. Doing grey boxes is entirely rote repetition and unless you're doing it alongside someone else, there's nothing else going on. It's intensely boring and I find I actually get rather uncomfortable as well. Today, though, it was great. Some Manson, some Das Ich, and the day just flew by. It was a good day for it, too. Hot, somewhat muggy, and the library (especially on the main floor) tends to amplify both qualities. The building *is* air-conditioned, but it's inadequate and the building's air circulation is very poor. But when downstairs, not only is it cooler, and not only was the work less physical, but I was able to run a fan.
Of course the music player in question is my PSP. It's not really ideally designed for the task for a number of reasons, prime among them the fact that you can't easily operate it from your pocket without special headphones (with remote controls) that normally come with new PSPs but not so much my used one. And I'd still like an iPod. But it's a lot better than the nothing whatsoever I had to play music on the go before.
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
zarth:
That sounds interesting. I'll probably look into it when (well, if) my income dysfunction stops being so oppressive.
zarth:
I'm bad with libraries. I actually still have unreturned library books from 1982. I really, really, really can't be trusted.