Sandra Says

OK, it’s posts like this that make me aware that I either lead a very dull life or just have a bland imagination. Either way, kudos to the bloggess for brightening my day.

So basically it was me, two people in normal clothes and two people in bowling shirts who could have gone into any Starbucks in America without getting a second look. Then Jason handed me the latest copy of Barstool Magazine in which I was mentioned as “a certain bloggess whose vagina I know way too much about”. It was at that moment, reading a glossy magazine about my vagina and dressed in a bed sheet poised to go on live television, that realized I had lost control of my life. Somewhere in between becoming a sweet mommyblogger and this exact moment a series of bizarre choices had landed me in this psychotic life and I had no other choice but to run with it. Someone handed me a badge which said I needed to be escorted by an employee at all times. Clearly these people had heard about me.

Houston Public Library Central Library Grand Reopening

Originally uploaded by Houston Public Library

This is one of my favorite photos from the reopening weekend for the Central Library. I don’t know why, especially since I have hundreds and hundreds to choose from.

Have you checked out the downtown library yet?

Last month was a very active month. I was in the news all the time. Below is just one pull-out quote from my mad rush of work.

BALANCING ACT
Avoid the summer slide
Keep your kids smart over summer and make it fun

By MAGGIE GALEHOUSE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

[snip]

Lounging with books

Imagine a lounge your teenager would never leave.

State-of-the-art computers where teens go online and check e-mail wait off to one side. A semicircle of pod chairs with built-in speakers welcomes teens who want to watch movies or play videos. Nearby, teens take turns playing Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 games.

Brandon Myers, 15, calls it “a fantasy room for kids.”

The thing is, it’s real.

The newly renovated and expanded teen room at Houston Public Library’s downtown Central Library has all this and books, too.

Myers is here to check his e-mail and to make some new friends.

“I’d rather meet them in person than on MySpace,” he says.

A few seats away, Chris Kelley, 17, is checking his e-mail, too.

“I am trying to find a job,” he says, “but I could easily hang out here all day.”

The “shh” is pretty much gone from the teen sections of today’s libraries, says Sandra Fernandez, library spokeswoman. Most local libraries — whether they have groovy-looking pod chairs or not — offer summer activities for teens. And despite all the new technology, reading is still a priority.

[snip]

A great video editorial on YouTube. “PRSA CEO & Chair Jeffrey Julin Issues Video Response to CBS“

MyRaganTV.com posted this video introduction on ways public relations professionals can capitalize on LinkedIn. As someone who needs to improve the way she uses this networking tool, I recommend the three and a half minutes it takes to view the video. Enjoy!

Yesterday a reporter gave me a great compliment. She told me that usually, when she contacts large organizations, she doesn’t really expect to get a callback on the first try. So she wasn’t expecting one from my organization. But one of her colleagues told her “Sandra always returns phone calls.”

What a great thing to be know for, I think. As a PR pro, the fact that my reputation is that I return phone calls thrills me to no end.

I guess you had to be there.