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This website is an informal communication forum for staff members of the University of Oregon Library Staff Association. Contents and opinions expressed herein or on linked personal or external pages are those of individual authors and do not represent official statements, policies, or positions of the Library, the University of Oregon, Oregon University System, or State of Oregon.

Many Fish

When I was a kid, I used to think that one of the great things about being grown-up was that you got to have adventures all of the time. You could hop in your car, or take a train or an airplane, and go wherever you wanted-foreign lands, faraway deserts, mountaintops, the bottom of the sea. Around every corner awaited rare sights, the mysterious, the exotic, the unknown.

When I grew up, I learned that this is indeed true. I also found out a couple of things every adventurer should know. For one thing, a trusty travelling companion is an absolute necessity. Mine is my husband Tod, who, like the Zen masters of old, knows danger when he sees it, and steers clear of it. This keeps us from having the sorts of adventures that are painful, life threatening or disastrously expensive.

Another little-known fact is that you don't have to travel to exotic lands to find adventure. This is good news to those of us on a budget. Local adventuring sounds a bit tame to some people. True, these adventures tend to be on the small side; they also require a keen eye, and an active imagination. But once you've developed a taste for them, you'll want them all of the time.

One fine fall day, Tod and I were making a tour of the northern Oregon coast. We came across a foreign trawler at dock. Over the side of the ship several sailors were waving and gesturing to passersby. Who could resist an adventure that starts out on the gangplank of a foreign ship?

Once onboard, we were made to understand that this was a Polish trawler, and the sailors were friendly, and eager to take us on a tour of their ship. Only one sailor knew a few words of English.

"Well, thank goodness I speak a little Russian!" I said to Tod confidently, "I think a few of the words are cognates."

A short exchange proved that none of the Russian words I remembered were cognates with Polish words, except for a crucial phrase: mnogo rybi, many fish. That satisfied me-what more did we need to know, in order to tour a fishing ship?

Off we went, clambering down perilous companionways, hustling sideways through narrow corridors, stooping through narrow hatches. Poor Tod; over six feet tall, he narrowly missed braining himself several times on the various pipes and vents projecting from the low ceiling. The Polish sailors tended to be on the short side.

As we went along, our guide would point out areas of interest. "Vot-mnogo rybi" [Here-many fish] he would say. We descended, touring empty holds, galleys, partitioned decks and other storage chambers, all of which had apparently been packed with fish. No actual fish were to be seen, and our collective vocabulary did not stretch to explaining why.

The ship was modern and sparkling clean. A high shine gleamed on the stainless steel surfaces. The ironwork was painted a neat red and black. The black tile floor glistened, free from scuff marks and soil. A delicate odor of pine cleaner wafted through the halls. The smell reminded me more of a doctor's office than of a fishing boat.

We completed the tour of the fish holding areas below decks, and climbed to the control center. This room was packed with scientific instruments of all kinds. Our guide dropped both English and Russian in order to launch into a detailed technical explanation, in Polish, of the function of the various instruments. We listened attentively and nodded. We had, after all, spent our early childhood watching "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", so we knew what all the blinking lights and buttons did: there was the radar, the sonar device, the engine controls, the missile control pad, and the button that electrified the hull of the ship in case of giant squid attack.

Finally, the sailor ushered us into a tiny cabin. This was the lounge he shared with three other men; it was the size of a broom closet and had only six feet of clearance. Tod stooped. We could see that our sailor had been shopping; souvenirs of all sorts, stuffed animals and boxes of candy bars, small electronics and piles of Hustler magazines were piled high on all available surfaces. Then he used another Russian word I understood: podarok, a gift. Smiling, he handed Tod a lovely walking stick, capped in brass. Then he looked at me.

"Podarok?" he asked, gesturing timidly in my direction. I blushed. For a minute, I thought he meant me-after all, he had been at sea for several months. But Tod caught on quickly. "I think he means your shirt," he whispered. I was wearing a fancy tee shirt emblazoned with the University of Oregon seal. I blushed again. The sailor ushered me toward another chamber, which turned out to be the bedroom-four bunks lining a windowless room about six feet square. I pushed the metal hatch to, and quickly changed out of my shirt and into Tod's sweatshirt. Emerging, I handed the shirt over to our Polish friend. "Podarok," I said, grandly. He seemed very pleased.

Now that I look back on it, I'm not so sure that I understand any part of this adventure. For instance, mnogo rybi-who knows what that means in Polish? I certainly said it to plenty of Polish sailors, and there wasn't a fish to be found anywhere on the ship. The Polish sailor-did he really want my shirt? What for, anyway? What meaning was there in that gift of ours-the walking stick with a brass handle and point. What are sailors doing with mountain climbing gear? Maybe it wasn't a Polish gift after all-maybe the sailor got it right there in Astoria, along with the candy bars and the Hustler magazines. Why give it to us? And what happened to all of the fish?

Other travelers have their knickknacks and souvenirs from foreign lands. Tod and I have a walking stick from Astoria, Oregon. It gives us something to mull over, on a stormy afternoon.

And on to news from our home port:

The LSA Newsletter Committee would like to welcome Mark Watson to our editorial staff. Look for Mark's Fitness Corner column every month, and be sure to check out the accompanying webpage. Mark is off to a great start!

The House Committee rejoices at having found replacements for the aged furniture in the staff lounge. Emily Glenn donated a lovely sofa, available now for your lounging comfort. Many thanks to Emily and to all the other staff who have donated furniture recently, and to the House Committee for sprucing up the place!

LRS

Letters to the Editor:

GREAT NEWSLETTER!

Congratulations on yet another excellent issue of the LSA Newsletter! I savor every word of Lonni's essays and love the staff profiles and reviews too. Thanks for all of your work on this publication; it is appreciated!

Lori Robare

Welcome to Fitness Corner, a new monthly column in the LSA newsletter and its eponymously named feature page on the LSA web site. My name is Mark Watson, and I'll be your host for what I hope is an interesting and even inspiring quest for fitness and health. Over the life of this feature, I'll tell you about my own fitful strivings to get in shape and, with your help, profile your own efforts to maintain health and vitality.

Mainly, I want to share stories and see if we can learn from one another. I certainly don't have many answers, nor am I an expert. Hey, this is a soon to be 40-year old, middle aging, slow metabolizing, family history of cancer, slightly high cholesterol, fondness for any food with ingredients that no one can pronounce guy talking here. A paragon of fitness your editor is not, but I also know that I'm changing. Maybe it's getting older and realizing that I can't take good health for granted over the next 40 years. Maybe I'm terrified by the thought of stroking out at my desk, slumped over my keyboard with a bag of Doritos at my side. Maybe I'm just sick and tired of confronting a lifelong embarrassment of taking my T-shirt off to go swimming or water-skiing. Yeah, that's it. I want to run lean and bare-chested in the surf like one of those guys in Chariots of Fire ... okay, so I have issues like everyone else, but the point is that being healthy, feeling good and being fit seem more important to me now--important enough to actually DO something about it! And, that my friends is what we're going explore in the coming months. What am I ... what are you doing to make sure that the next 40 years of our lives can be enjoyed in good health? Let's find out!

On the Fitness Corner feature page this month, your editor muses about Body Mass Index, bears his fitness soul and tells you where to get the best "pick me up" drink on 13th street.

Been to an interesting conference? Send us a brief report for publication in the next newsletter. Thanks!

LSA Holiday Potluck a Success!

A festive scene of greenery-laden tables greeted those of us who attended the LSA Holiday Potluck on December 15. The Browsing Room was transformed by the sights and smells of the fresh-cut greenery and the favorite holiday foods; the palate-pleasing tastes of those home-cooked specialties; the sounds of seasonal music wafting through the room, and the feelings we get when all these senses coalesce at this time of year.... Ah yes; I'm transported back to that day. Pass the See's peanut brittle, please. But I digest, oops, I mean digress.

The potluck was a success again this year and a wonderful time of camaraderie and good eating. It was nice to see such a good turnout and also to see some family members of staff and faculty in attendance. Many toys and checks were contributed for the Toys for Tots program. The turkey was again contributed, cooked, and carved to perfection by George and Khrys Shipman, and we thank them. The Excelsior gift certificate was won by Xiaotong Wang, Chinese Copy Cataloger. Thanks to everyone who participated and entered into the joy of the season by cooking and contributing their favorite casseroles, salads and desserts, and by those who volunteered their time and energy to set up, deck the halls with fresh-cut greenery, clean up, fold up, and wash up.

And thanks to LSA for sponsoring this event and coordinating the work involved

Stephanie Midkiff

January staff profiles:

Lara Nesselroad, Student Coordinator, Access Services (Circ/Reserve)

Dan Cogan, Serials Receiving Clerk, Acquisitions Dept.