Get the Internet or listen to Phillip Glass Einstein on the beach?

Why do I continue to come to the public library to use the Internet? Frequently seen patrons insist on talking to their friends at the computers with a certain cadence and vocabulary that irks me horribly. I almost got into it with a woman but now, at least, she has stopped talking constantly to people on either side of her. I put on Phillip Glass from Youtube and this is a great way to block out talking!

On the move (book): a life, by Oliver Sacks. What good timing. Just as he announced that he is dying from some condition, he put out a biography. He fills it with zingers such as recounting a sexual incident and then saying that he didn't have sex again for 35 years. He fell in love again at age 75. I am semi-interested in his books which are all quite different, although all focusing on the mind. There is a picture of him on the cover as a young motorcycle stud and a picture of him today on the back at Machu Pichu (?) writing something. He did drugs and had casual sex (didn't we all).

The language of flowers (audio book), by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. This book was somewhat excruciating in spots. I just wanted to shake her or stop reading it. But all turns out OK in the end. Flower communication is quite interesting...although human communication is seriously lacking. I did not really enjoy it much.

Is there a better way to list books read?

Since I can't SEARCH this blog, it is not a very efficient way to list books read. All I can do is COUNT them and not even break them down into time periods or types. Being list obsessed, I may need to develop a better method! Also should I rank by loved it! - it was OK - did not really like it?

Torch scene (ebook) (a Reed Ferguson mystery), by Renee Pawlish. Not so great. A guy keeps doing dumb things to try and solve a mystery all the while telling people he won't do anything stupid. Was the fire deliberately set, by whom and why?

Using the internet in a not-open-for-business coffee shop downtown. I know the owner and have a key. Sitting here all by myself with the door open hoping that no one tries to take advantage of me or steal my electronics.

Jeanne's rules

I certainly have a lot of them. As does my girlfriend, CM. Perhaps it is a luxury of us aging singles who live alone?

People who don't look 80:
- EB at exercise class wearing short jean jacket. She got it at the Bridge, a faith-based donation center in town.
- FA - a dynamo with a fascinating history and a busy present.

The most beautiful walk in the world (book), by John Baxter. Stuff about Paris is always welcome to me. He gives literary tours of Paris and lives in the same building where Shakespeare and company started out. So, he has tourists always clustering. Got it through Overdrive as an ebook. Miscellanea of the present and past. Talks about what makes a tour interesting or not and the importance of walking to discover a place.

Dissatisfied

Sitting here typing feeling unhappy with my hair and my body. Not a great haircut? Too long without exercising and too much good food!

Wonderful weekend with old school mates...we have forgotten the problems of youth and who was friends with whom or not. Now we are mostly all just feeling the love. Lots of hugging and talking and eating. Weekend just whizzed by without a moment to use my computer or my bathing suit or my calendar. A waste of time to lug them all over to Newtown, PA. Of course, I FORGOT something in the hotel room. Left a six pack of O'Doul's in the fridge along with a bottle of Diet Coke. Really could have used them as I was driving around later!

Moby Dick (audio book), by Herman Melville. Wow, did I enjoy this! Beautiful language and great meditations on the whale, blackness, whiteness, friendship, Nantucket, the sea, whalers, etc.
I was always a bit intimidated about taking this book on, but very glad I finally got around to it. Now I must read the book Why you should read Moby Dick.

Welcome to Dock Mike's! Party of 1??

Not much of a party...all by myself. Tried a new restaurant. Pancakes for lunch. Kind of good, except for the coffee.
I enjoy being down at the beach before all of the people get here.

Beatrix Potter, the complete tales (book). Book is so large, it is hard to read in a chair. Drawings are wonderful, stories OK.

Another beautiful, sunny day! Out and about. Taking a class down at the Sea Isle City library. Good excuse for an excursion, a walk, a sunbath on the beach. Love it!

Just took my daily Vitamin D bath

So I laid on the grass out in back of the Cumberland County Historical Society. Just relaxing in the sun for a bit over 15 minutes. It was HOT. (but delicious)

Bright young things (ebook), by Anna Godbersen. I stopped about half way through. Was not pleasing me. Young girlfriends get separated while questing for fame in the 1920's. One has just been tricked into singing for a bunch of surly men and the other has just caused her newly found father to be shot by her pretend (?) boyfriend. Nobody really likeable in this book that I got probably for free off of Barnes and Noble.

Enjoy wasting my time filling out surveys and entering contests which I will most likely NEVER win. Monopoly at Acme is getting boring. Guess I just like mindless activities!

New Jersey, love it or hate it

One of my proposed lists is pros and cons of NEW JERSEY, where I was born and where I have been living for the last 40 years. Today a list came to my attention of the ten worst states in which to retire, and NJ wasn't on it!?!

The realms of gold (book), Margaret Drabble. I think I have read this one before. It was a yellowing paperback that I carried around in my overnight bag to read when away from home. Since I do not spend much time away from home, it took me quite a while to get through it (again?) I like this author, she is Canadian. The book was written in 1975 and follows a woman who is an academic archeologist, to her various conferences. She has been involved for a long time with a married man.


My god, I am like a bag lady with all of my folders and containers spread out like I own the place (at the Bridgeton Public Library). Only thing on my calendar for this afternoon is to go downtown to hear a free concert by a great group of guys from The Praise and worship institute in Nashville, TN. Might have to get something to EAT first.

Out of audio books

Started an audio book called 13 1/2 by Nevada Barr. Wait a minute! It is not about her usual heroine, Anna Pigeon, and it says it is about HORROR. I don't DO horror. Well, the first CD starts out with some asshole raping a nine year old. Nope, not gonna do it.

During my Senior Stretch exercise class, I have ample opportunity to ponder since I have done this class so many times. Was thinking about things I hate:
- Underwires in bras
- the complications of our tax code
- trash all over our countryside and my neighbor's property
- barking dogs
- people who reassure you but don't know what they are talking about

And things I love:
- adorable, earnest college students in our Praise and worship band
- sunshine
- good friends
- snacks
- living across the street from my church

The age of doubt (audio book), by Andrea Camelleri. OK, now I have the formula down. A body is found. The detectives must determine what happened and, usually, who it is. Our Detective Montalbano lives by the sea in Sicily, is a terrible driver, smokes, drinks, loves his food (which is rendered in delicious detail), and cheats on his girlfriend. You get a good feel for the pace of life in Italy, the traffic jams and other aggravations. The interpersonal interplay is good, the names are a bit confusing.

Am in a tax funk

Trying to complete my taxes "early" (on April 14th instead of April 15th, which is when I usually do them)! My eyes are bugging out, and my shoulders are stiff. I would like to give the award for the most ridiculous, mind-boggling, and nonsensical form/worksheet to Schedule D from the IRS and the worksheet 22-1 for determining if any of your Social Security benefits are taxable. How are the many incompetent United States citizens doing all of these crazy math calculations!?!?!?

The Sistine Chapel (book), text by Fabrizio Mancinelli of the Vatican Museums. Not too much text and great reproductions. Shows how the cleaning has improved the paintings on the ceilings. Even though I went there last year in May, it is nice to have a real up-close-and-personal view.

The girl on the train (book), by Paula Hawkins. Didn't really read every word, since the book became due at the Vineland Public Library. There were several woman and the book jumps around from their various perspectives. I couldn't keep track of the dates and whether they were important. Our main protagonist was not very likeable....she drank was too much. She becomes obsessed with a woman she sees from the train and imagines her perfect life. Then circumstances bring her rather too close to this woman.

Lila (book), by Marilynne Robinson. A lot of musings by Lila, who was stolen as a baby, lived a hard life and ends up married to an older man, who is a preacher in the small town of Gilead.

Fast and furious

I do not ordinarily do action movies, but agreed to go with a friend. I jumped into Fast and furious 7 (movie) even though I had not seen 1 - 6. It was preposterous! In retrospect, it was all about fights, explosions and car crashes....and nobody ever DIED?!?! They got out of these smashed cars like it was a walk in the park. Rarely did anyone bleed or complain.
the PREVIEWS were hard to take, especially the one for the redo of Mad Max. What a disgusting movie!

Jersey Angel (audio book), by Beth Ann Bauman. I picked up this young adult book cause it was about the Jersey shore. Not my shore, I am pretty sure. The town is unnamed but it seemed like Long Beach Island area. Boy, these high school students were pretty dissipated...drinking, drugging, smoking and sleeping around. Angel was a bit of a loser with no goals. She wasn't very likeable. She made some bad decisions but vowed to do better in the end.

A very dreary day. Drizzle and back to being cold. At least my ceiling does not seem to be dripping onto my table.

Unwholesome lyrics

Trying to delete really wicked songs off of my Youtube list. It is hard to delete Eminem and Elton John singing Stan at the Grammy's, but the lyrics are really bad. I am KEEPING, however, Janie got a gun, by Aerosmith.

The memory palace (audiobook) : a memoir, by Mira Bartok. Had to stop listening to this. Essentially, I am not interested in hearing about the schizophrenic mom who had lots of great ideas, but ended up homeless and crazy. Her daughters come around for her dying days. The narrator sounds kind of drugged, adding to the general gloom. (Bridgeton Public Library - AUDB BIO BARTOK)

Feeling somewhat self-righteous, as I cleaned part of the bathroom today. Also, I cooked a turkey burger from the Amish market and had it with some summer slaw I bought at the Acme. Nice to have some REAL food, for a change.

Technology is driving me crazy today!

Cell phone uncharged. Lots of connection problems at work today. And does anyone care about FIXING is on a weekend? Yahoo suddenly has lost a bunch of my contacts....very unnerving. Realized some had been lost a while ago so I do not know if I should attempt a RESTORE. More like a RE-TYPE...thus ruining my plans of printing out my address book today. It is a herculean task anyway. I had almost 700 contacts, now down to 600. Quite a bit for someone who rarely calls anyone.

What to do when there's too much to do (ebook), by Laura Stack. Another one of those books relating to the workplace. Can't really remember much about it except that it was SHORT. That is a benefit to me these days.

The Potter's field (audiobook) : an Inspector Montalbano mystery, by Andrea Camilleri. I really enjoyed this audiobook. Yes, it was kind of confusing with all of the Italian names of people and places, but it didn't bother me like it sometimes does. Takes place in Sicily. Montalbano is an aging detective. He lives by the sea, is a terrible driver, has a girlfriend in another town that you have to fly to. There is a mystery of a chopped up body discovered in the rain and a story of his right hand man who is acting strangely. Also great descriptions of the food, making me quite ravenous. In the book he reads a book by....Andrea Camilleri! I found it quite funny and captivating. I loved the banter between the various employees.

Ate too much chocolate

I asked a friend to get me some salted dark chocolate from Something Sweet, a chocolate store in the front of Bogart's books. I should have just eaten ONE square. Two are making me feel a bit overstuffed.

A spool of blue thread (book), by Anne Tyler. I like her. Liked the book enough. Stories of an aging couple, their children and their house in Baltimore. Back stories tell how they came to have the house in the first place. Now, they will be aging out of it. The blue thread reminded me of the blue paint argument of some of their ancestors. He wants the porch swing to show the wood grain and she wants to paint it blue. (Millville Public Library - F TYLER)

"The thing about caller ID is," Red said, more or less to himself, "It seems a little like cheating. A person should be willing to take his chances, answering the phone. That's kind of the general idea with phones, is my opinion."

Things I hate about New Jersey

Things I love about New Jersey:
- people pump our gas for us

Things I hate about New Jersey:
- Very high property taxes
- Top in the nation for car insurance costs
- 4th in the nation for number of active hate groups

MY car insurance seems to be TWICE the average rate, even for NJ. time to shop around. It HAS been time for quite some time but I have been paralyzed by the good customer service received from Palisades and the sheer number of companies who want my business.

I really need to get the Internet at home

Using the Internet in public places just gets me aggravated! People talking loudly about people back in prison and getting high and people owing them money.

The millionaire next door (book) : the surprising secrets of America's wealthy, by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko. Read that one of the authors died recently so I thought I would read the book. Also, because I am trying to be frugal and I know that is the theme of the book, that a lot of wealthy individuals are careful and not profligate with their money. I didn't read it all that carefully as it is somewhat dated and full of statistics about millionaires.

Wolf hall (book), by Hilary Mantel. Was a bit reluctant to read this. First there were two pages of historical characters, the Tudors and the Yorkshire claimants to the throne. I don't know how I could ever keep all of them straight. The book starts out with a man beat within an inch of his life by his own father. I said to myself, "I can't read this!"

What I like about yoga

I like that yoga is SLOW. That is me. If I had to identify with an animal, it would be a turtle, hesitant, sluggish, and prone to hide.

Here at the library with the great unwashed and the I-don't-know-enough-to-not-use-my-cell-phone-constantly-in-a-library crowd. Unpleasant sights and smells, which I am trying to overcome by listening to Joni Mitchell real loud on Youtube. One of my five things to accomplish this week is to figure out how to get the Internet at home. There is just too much to do, watch, or listen to online! Two hours a days (and not every day) is just not cutting it. My piles of papers and things to investigate just keep on getting bigger. But, then again, this has been my life-long problem!

The PMS outlaws (audiobook), by Sharyn McCrumb. A few too many characters who went by their initials. I am easily confused these days. I liked the mental institution patients the best. The plot involved college friends, brothers and sisters, interior decorating, lawyers becoming criminals, mistaken identity, long held grudges, home-made alcohol and other fun stuff.

Short term memory problems

Seems like my memory has been extra bad since my recent bout of food poisoning. I ask people if I just asked them something. So far, no one has mentioned it except for myself.

I would like to figure out a better way to record books that I have read. I put them here but no one reads this and I can't really SEARCH it so what is the use?

The happiness advantage (book): the seven principles of positive psychology that fuel success and performance at work, by Shawn Achor. Not sure why I keep reading books about the workplace even though I am retired. It sort of went in one eye and out the other (short term memory problems as I mentioned before).

The night of the gun (book) : a reporter investigates the darkest story of his life, his own, by David Carr. I wanted to read this because he recently dropped dead too young at work at the New York Times and I wasn't really familiar with his work. He looks into his history with addiction by interviewing many people in his life ad nauseum.

First day without my snow boots

Actually, I kind of miss them! Someone asked me to wear them to a meeting tonight so that they could take a picture of me in them. Glad to oblige.

Tried to read The turn of the screw and other short fiction (book), by Henry James, but I really couldn't get into it. I kind of skimmed through it. Perhaps I am having trouble with dense fiction due to my ADD?

Oops... forgot to work on my memories and bio for a high school reunion coming up in May. I really find writing is not my thing. Hard for me to concentrate on anything taking more than 15 minutes.

Too many comings and goings

At my nail salon, employees are always coming and going. Some of them come seasonally. was very upset to learn that my favorite nail tech is moving to Texas. I don't like being left. So I took a picture of both of us and took her picture and put it in my phone with her cell phone number. Don't know how we will make out with texting. Her English is not so good but we have a great time talking in person.


The poet (book), by Michael Connelly. This is a strange book for a book club but I think that is where I got the recommendation.
It is grisly and a mystery. Did have an interesting literature link that I didn't totally understand. the killer left a fake suicide note with a phrase from Poe.

And the winter drags on...

In the midst of a three day weather event. Lots of rain yesterday but it didn't keep me from doing stuff. What, do I want to stay home and listen to the rain dripping down from my ceiling?! Today kind of warmish, foggy and drizzly. Scary snow predictions for tomorrow. I AM really getting tired of things being cancelled left and right. It's MARCH, for God's sake. Staffing the Code Blue center tonight from midnight to 3 AM and I know THAT won't be cancelled.

Out of control in the eating department. Bought some ice cream last night but it was really distasteful. Note to self : I do not like any ice cream with cookie dough in it. Ben and Jerry's just gets overdone in the loaded-with-crap area.

Invited to go to dinner tonight. I had every minute planned and those minutes did not include driving to another town, but I am trying to be more flexible. I messed up my dinner invitation the other night by arriving late and not paying attention to the cook. He got into a mood and rightly so.

You tube blasting in my ear.....Monster by Eminem

Kind of embarrasses about my fascination for the rap artist Eminem.

The public library (book) : a photographic essay, by Robert Dawson. I am such a library nerd that I have to read books ABOUT books or libraries. Photos of grand libraries, repurposed libraries, abandoned libraries. Only a few of them have I actually visited but that is a hobby of mine.

Photographs I should have taken

I'd like to TAKE pictures, not just regret NOT taking them later...
- the FOOD at the recent Chinese new year celebration
- the shoes sticking out under the blanket at the homeless shelter
= the geese all over the field in Vineland

Today I DID stop and take a picture of something that catches my eye every week. It turned out disappointingly, but at least I TRIED. It is a dead tree with dried corn stalks behind it.

The storyteller (audio book), by Jodi Picoult. I don't know what has come over me, but this is the second audio book I have stopped listening to. I am getting kind of sick of Holocaust fiction. There is quite a spate of it and other WWII stuff these days. I just did not want to listen to a guy with a German accent describing the horrible things that he did. There was a bit on an interesting premise to start....a young woman and an older man meet in a grief support group. He confides in her his secret that he was a Nazi. She has Jewish ancestors and a terrible scar on her face. I just did not want to hang around to hear about how she acquired that scar.

Today I went on an excursion all alone

I need to get "away" once a week. That means doing different things and seeing different sites. I do this best all alone. Then I can stop and turn when I want without having to justify or explain to another person. Drove down to a movie theater I have been to before to see an "art film"...Still Alice. Stopped at a new restaurant on the way down. Johnnie's breakfast and lunch in Mays Landing had juke boxes on the walls. They were not working but still. Did we ever dream that someday we would all be carrying around tiny jukeboxes of our own in our pockets?

The theater is out of the way. In fact there is no way to get back on the highway going the direction I wanted to go in. The cost of the Senior citizen ticket was 75 cents less than the Regal in Vineland. The cost of the popcorn was $1 MORE. I bought a box of candy for $4.01.
I liked that they had the name of the movie and the starting time above the door of each theater. Also the theater was WARM. (I haven't been warm in days!) There was a bird in there but he didn't attack anyone. The theater sits all alone in a big parking lot bordered by woods. There is an Outback steakhouse out there next to it. I will definitely be going back even though it takes over an hour to get there. On Tuesdays, you can get in for $6 before 6 PM.

The strange library (book), by Haruki Murakami. Seems like it should be young adult, but it wasn't at the Vineland Public Library. Translated from the Japanese, it is like an art book, with a page of type across from a design. The type is like really huge typewriter type and the pages fit in a fold. Of course, I had to get it because it about a LIBRARY. Kind of a fantasy library adventure of a young boy.

Feeling like a bull in a china shop

Winter has settled in around my waistline. Lack of exercise and excess of stuffing my face has led me to feel like a blimp. Add to that bathrobes and bulky coats and my usual clutter around the house and I feel like I am always knocking into things and making oddly perched boxes of what-not fall to the ground. Have STOPPED wearing a coat for just such reasons....all of my shoulder bags fall off my shoulders with all that excess bulk. I had to pick an outrageous weather week/month to go coatless. The weather is brutal, the wind is ferocious and my house is cold. Spending today in my car (WARM!), at the Health club (oh so proud of myself), in the library (right now), at the chiropractor, and volunteering at the college performing arts center. Staying home just depresses me since I have no fireplace.

Freedom (audiobook), by Jonathan Franzen. I usually try to listen to an entire audiobook, no matter how it displeases me. But this one I had to abandon halfway through. There were no people to like and they were making a lot of inappropriate, pedantic speeches to each other. It followed three friends from college into later life. They all were assholes in their own way. Things happened and then the narrator went back in time and told the story from another perspective.

I'm a stranger here myself (ebook) : notes on returning to America after twenty years away, by Bill Bryson. I like this author and read much by him. They are all so different. This is essays on life in America. He married a British woman and then they moved back to the states and took up residence in New Hampshire.

Vegetarian cooking for everyone (book), by Deborah Madison. Had to get this out of the library because my sister made some really good oatmeal pancakes from it and I wanted to copy the recipe. I have a few more to copy, like a sage and butter sauce, which is what I had in Italy. I aspire to be a vegetarian. Do not really enjoy meat most of the time when I get it.

They don't wanna f*** wit me

Listening to Missy Elliott via Hoopla. Previous to that I was listening to Nicki Minaj.

Got into the Girl Scout cookies I just bought and ate three already.

Finally got to the hair salon....only because I "won" a gift certificate at a recent fundraiser. So, now, my hair is a different color and a different style. Getting tired of myself, the same old same old. Got quite a bit cut off and I got BANGS. Tired of flipping the hair out of my face. I notice it even makes me have a bit of a tic.

I can mess up any space

My computer space at the library looks like a whirlwind hit it....clipboard, container of wipes, plastic folders bulging with papers, plastic bags containing all of my little essentials, a ring of keys, my cell phone, thing that I keep my headphones in, thick folder of books I want to look up, pile of "New business", big black calendar where I keep a two-page-per-day manual calendar. plastic folder of things-to-be-filed in current file folders that I keep in the car, a large blue purse, a larger brown leather briefcase, ripped papers to go in the trash can. Some of my friends refer to the library as "my office".

Going to a lecture about George Agnew Chamberlain downstairs at 7 PM. Enjoy living in my neighborhood for HISTORY reasons....three of Bridgeton famous historical characters lived or visited at my house or across the street....Mother Bloor, Sylvia Beach, and George Agnew Chamberlain. Unfortunately, there is not much left of the good old days. I guess they weren't so good because Mother Bloor and Sylvia Beach couldn't wait to get away!

I have a sudden need to replace my fence. The only thing uglier than my fences are the neighbors on either side. I have a dumpster on each side. I know, I know, I should be throwing crap in their dumpsters. I want to put in a HIGHER fence so I don't have to look at the neighbors. But who knows what regulations or permits are needed? That is why I fix nothing!

Signs of Spring

Here are some signs of Spring that I have seen:
- brilliant sunsets
- cars on the corner FOR SALE
- people renovating their homes
- robins
- birds making a lot of noise on top of my air conditioners
- me no longer wearing a coat

My dream of you (book), by Nuala O'Faolain. Don't know where I picked this book up. It was a so-so fiction tale of a travel writer who goes to a town to do historical research about things that happened around the time of the potato famine in Ireland.
A woman of the higher classes was vilified for having an affair with a tradesman....true or not?

I am an obsessive list maker. One of my lists is called "Computers to avoid at the Vineland Public Library". I just added THIS computer, number 9. I hate it when those little thingys are broken off, the thingys that hold the keyboard up at an angle. Invariably, ONE of them is broken, rendering the other one useless. Problem number 2 is that the keys are worn away and you have to type from your memory of what the keys are. Also, I hate the mouse. It is a Dell and very "reluctant". The screen is tiny but that does not really bug me so very much.

Phuc Dat Bich

Learned from my Vietnamese nail technicians...there are some names in Vietnamese which become BAD words in English. Of course, the pronunciation is different in Vietnam, but. For example, the name Phuc means happiness or good luck but comes across kind of dirty in English. The word Bich refers to a kind of gem (jade). They actually knew somebody named Phuc Dat Bich. But mostly, people with these names change them. They witnessed one guy at the Motor Vehicle agency who didn't change his name and the lady had to SPELL his name instead of call it out loud.

Tried to read the book Alan Turing : the enigma (book), by Andrew Hodges. This is the book that inspired the film The imitation game. I found the book totally dense and full of mathematical jargon. I gave it my best effort because I really enjoyed the movie and because Alan Turing is everywhere these days.
He makes the analogy that gay people are always playing "the imitation game" when they try to appear heterosexual. Another comment was the irony of the war (WW II) being won by a gay, atheist, British mathematician. I was glad to learn that he did have a number of friends and relationships. The movie made him seem like a bit of a loner.

It is a very gray, gloomy day. I don't enjoy being home of such grim days. It is DEPRESSING. Starting my plan of getting myself together and getting ON TRACK. That means eating right and exercising every day. I have to get myself under control as a 50th high school reunion is coming up. That is a daunting thought.
I am not calling it being on a diet, I am calling it ON TRACK. I have been extremely OFF TRACK lately.

Where does the time go?

OK, so I was LATE getting to the library. I wanted to get my TWO hours on the computer (the bare daily minimum a person needs, in my book). I was puttering around the house this morning and called my cousin. We only see each other every 5 or ten years and don't communicate all that much, but I love her. She caught me up on most of the family down there in Cajun country and said she would be at Disneyworld during Mardi Gras. That was OK by me since my February is totally overbooked already.

I can't believe the head of the reference department just reprimanded me for having my wet ones next to the computer. She thought it was a beverage and then thought it looked too much LIKE a beverage and asked me to put it away. Yes, I do sometimes expect special privileges since I used to be a librarian. Strange that I get more special privileges at libraries I DIDN'T work at.

The chocolate castle clue (book): a chocoholic mystery, by JoAnna Carl(MYS Carl JoAnna at the Vineland Public Library). I picked this up at a "Cozy mystery" display. That is the kind of mystery I like but I didn't like this one so much. Silly with stupid characters and too many of them. There was the culinary theme, which I sometimes like. I ended up skimming this light-weight book.

Murder at a Vineyard mansion (audiobook), by Philip R. Craig (AUD CD MYS Craig Philip at the Vineland Public Library). This was a find, probably because it was read by Tom Stechschulte. I must get more books narrated by him. A main character, J. W. Jackson, used to work for the police solves crimes within the limited purview of Martha's Vineyard. I have been there and enjoyed hearing about the local landmarks. He has a nice relationship with his wife. So I am also interested in reading more in this series. I guessed who the murderer was.

Too many Tasty-cakes

I brought two boxes of Tasty-cakes today and of course I had to sample BOTH.

Younger (book), by Pamela Redmond Satran. I know the woman who wrote this and it is being made into a TV show. So I had to borrow it on interlibrary loan.
It is a light chick lit sort of book about a woman from the New Jersey suburbs who needs to start a new life after her husband leaves her. Finding that there is discrimination, she has a make-over and pretends that she is 20 years younger. Things start to go her way, both in the workplace and romantically. The lies become more difficult to maintain eventually.

Bad things happening

Not even talking about the WORLD...things are tough in our little town. MOST recently a home invasion that left a 94 year old man beaten on the floor until someone discovered him 12 hours later. And a homeless Mexican man found beaten to death outdoors. And now we have demonstrators making a commotion about a real thug killed in a traffic stop by two of our policemen trying to keep the lawlessness under control around here. Where is the balance between civil rights and law and order?

Things have evolved and gotten way more complicated since the days of Selma. Saw that movie yesterday with a gang of 5 women friends. Simplified emotions said that black people were good and white people were evil and hateful. I do not recall all of the events....I only retain the memory of how much I hated George Wallace.

God what a gloomy winter day

The only saving grace is that it is not too cold. Should have worn my rain boots. When am I going to remember that my driveway sucks you down and messes up your shoes?! The ONLY good thing about this winter is that I have not had to shovel once.

Sitting here at the Millville Public library. At least it is bright. But there are smelly patrons - smoke. Also other people talking to themselves while trying to create passwords. Me, I am lost on Youtube, listening to Emili Sande singing You can read all about it, part 3. Just have to keep myself from singing along and thus becoming another annoying patron.

Vanessa and her sister (book), by Priya Parmar. An enjoyable, fictional story about the Bloomsbury group. Boy, did Virginia Woolf have problems dating back even to childhood. The story starts when the four Stephens siblings are living together in London after the death of their parents. Vanessa (later Bell) was a painter and her sister, Virginia, was the more famous writer. People move in and out, fall in and out of love, sleep with this one and that one and generally enjoy themselves in salon society.

I think of many good titles during the day

But, now that I am on the computer, I can't remember any of them.

The Boston girl (audiobook), by Anita Diamant. A good fictional rendering of a biographical story of one woman's complicated life growing up in the early twentieth century. Born to immigrant parents, becoming modern is very difficult for the three daughters. The tale is told by a grandmother who is asked how she got to be who she is by her granddaughter.

Tales from Code blue....working with the homeless to shelter them when the weather becomes REALLY cold. I was sitting in a chair near the front door waiting for the snow to fall. It started at 11:30 PM and I realized I was listening to a really LOUD symphony of sounds.....snoring from many quarters, farting and one guy grinding his teeth (this makes a sound like a duck quacking).

There is a general panic about the snowstorm

50 million Americans are waiting for the storm of the century or some such nonsense. Sitting here in the Cumberland County Library like there isn't a scary storm going on. Tonight I volunteered to sit with the homeless people. Am enjoying this volunteer assignment less each time I do it. But I do really like the pastor in charge so I think I will make every crazy effort to go even though it is going to be quite messy and possibly dangerous. A commitment is a commitment, in my book. I only have to drive a few blocks.

Testament (book), Vickie Gendreau. I read this book in French and I am not sure I understood much about it. It seemed to be about a group of friends, some of whom die. Each section is preceded by a name or the name of a file. It was all very young and hip and hard for me to comprehend. Lots of English words were thrown in and the short sentences were helpful.

My friend is going nuts taking care of his parents in their waning years. He even called them "fucking morons" on Facebook today. THAT was a bit extreme. They are losing it and are not really aware of how bad they are doing. May get together with him later because he needs SOMETHING a bit distracting to do on his birthday.

LOL, all by myself

Got up at my usual time, 9 AM. Made breakfast and was not happy with the $2.97 coffee I bought yesterday at the C-town.
Like most every day, I sat in front of the TV to eat, even though I know that is a big NO-NO. Jon Stewart making fun of John Boehner and other Republicans and Tea party people during the President's speech was HILARIOUS and Oh-so-right-on!
Then I read two pages of a David Sedaris article in The New Yorker. My day was off to a good start!

Returning this book to the library today. It was a bit ridiculous. The tapping solution for weight loss and body confidence (book), by Jessica Ortner. There were some helpful suggestions in there but the idea of tapping various parts of your head and neck while you recite affirmations is just too dumb.

Today is my "self-indulgent" day. On Thursday, I come to Vineland and get a manicure and a massage and use the best library in Cumberland County. Heard a good story the other day. My doctor said that her father wanted her mother to move to the Friends Village in Woodstown. Her mother wouldn't go because the libraries over there are limited.

Things you think about in the shower

I don't have time to think of ANYTHING in the shower, other than getting myself clean and the rituals that accompany this goal. Plus, I am a very fast showerer. When I was in Paris, you had to buy a JETON to put in the shower. It was only good for 5 minutes. I was quite proud of the fact that I came in UNDER 5 minutes.
Where I think of a lot of things is during Senior stretch class. We sit in front of the DVD and I am so accustomed to the routine that my mind can wander all over the place.

Lately, I have been obsessed with LISTS, made and unmade. Here are some lists and charts that I would like to make:
1. a chart where I can keep track of the cleaning of coats and scarves. Each year, I say I am going to clean them ALL at the end of each season, but then I don't.
2. a chart listing physical symptoms and their relationship to foods eaten and drugs taken. Trying to self-diagnose.
3. I can't think of them NOW

Disocvered a new website called Bookbub. Actually someone at Yoga class told me about it. You learn of cheap or free ebooks. I already downloaded one from Barnes and Noble for my Nook!

Martin Luther King day

Trying to figure out whether trash is being collected on a regular schedule today. Could not determine this from the website of the city. I was going to volunteer for the code blue program as my volunteer activity for the day, but they are not having it (though I think it is going to just about cold enough). Perhaps I will pick up some trash? And I did help the lady next to me on the computer. I showed her how to make her viewable screen bigger. We are encouraged to have a "day of service" on MLK's b-day. Could go to see Selma, but saving it for a friend who is out of town this week.

Don't even think about it (audiobook), Sarah Mlynowski. An interesting premise. A home room gets the flu shot and it causes them to be able to hear thoughts. This causes a variety of happenings, some good and some awful. Then, their eyes start turning purple. Quite a few relationships come and go due to this ability. Then they are offered an antidote and have to decide if they want it. This is a young adult title that I borrowed from the Vineland Public Library.

Have to go to lunch now, which is good, cause hunger is making me shaky!

If this doesn't feel good, you don't have to do it

I wish more exercise instructors would say this. I go to the senior center each Wednesday to do Senior stretch sitting in a chair.

The book of unknown Americans (book), by Cristina Henriquez. I liked it, although I had to skim near the end because this book was only a two week loan. An immigrant family comes (legally) from Mexico. (They gloss over it like it was so simple). They end up in Delaware in an area with other immigrants. They have a special needs daughter who becomes friendly with a young man from a Panamanian family. Deals with the difficulties of finding and keeping jobs and other challenges for people new to the US.

The Charles Schwab guide to finances after fifty (book), by Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz. I didn't read it all, but I did learn a few useful things such as when taking your minimum distributions at age 70 and 1/2, you have to do it with each account. Sounds kind of complicated. I am going to copy page 2 which tells you how to determine your net worth.

And another week begins

Pleasures and annoyances already on this Monday morning.
Pleasures:
- yoga
- getting up at usual time of 8:45 AM
- Sam Smith CD, In the lonely night, on Hoopla sharing service at library
- sound is really good today through my phone headphones
Annoyances:
- loud people at library disturbing my peace
- had to get outfit out of dirty laundry basket and I am noticing clothes have been worn too long
- hungry but have to stay on computer to get my two hours
- rain

Not much on calendar today....just yoga and helping the homeless tonight. Spent the weekend running around so it is OK with me.

Tried to watch a DVD on my computer this week. DVD was acting up. Will return it and get another before I start complaining about the DVDs. Having worked in Technical Services in a library, I know all about people who complain about the DVDs when the problem is really due to their equipment. We used to WATCH videos and DVDs looking for the problems.

A fucking bitch?

That's what I was called today by a woman at the nail salon. I asked her if she had headphones to use with her phone cause the video she was watching was annoying. She had been on the phone the entire time she was getting a pedicure so I already thought she was rude. When she left she started off with "Have a nice day" and soon progressed to calling me "a fucking bitch". It seems that the video she was watching was of her nephew who had died yesterday. That didn't stop her from getting her nails done. I should have known I was in trouble when she called someone from the dryer station and asked if the person hadn't received her text. Then she said over the phone, "I'm not going over there, cause if I open my mouth, I'm gonna punch her in the fucking face". Such a high class of person we have in Vineland, New Jersey. How can I escape? I should have just ignored her or put in ear plugs.
It just occurred to me that she was probably talking about ME!

Discovered a new author, about whom I am wildly enthusiastic. Unfortunately, none of my local libraries have any of his works, other than this audio book, Let me be Frank with you, by Richard Ford. It is the fictional meanderings in the mind of Frank Bascombe, age 68, living in New Jersey. These stories almost sound like a novel which takes place the Christmas after Hurricane Sandy. I enjoyed his cynicism and social satire. I am going to have to work to find his 3 or 4 previous novels.

Noisy people in the library. Trying to keep my mouth shut, although I feel like giving them a librarian-like shusshing. Also trying to block them out with my Youtube. Finally discovered that Youtube problems can be overcome by using CHROME to get on the Internet. Crafty little devils, aren't they? (Google) Shall I make a separate French and Spanish list on Google? Then I could more easily share with lovers of the language.

A rough day at the computer

OK...I should be happy. The sun is out and I am online. Troubles with printing from Microsoft Word. Did learn that I could be doing it better. Haven't learned very many things since I retired. Just getting along with the same old knowledge I had two years ago.

Heads in beds (book), by Jacob Tomsky. a tell-all expose of the hotel business. I probably won't be instituting any of his suggestions for better service because they all involve TIPPING and in a big way. Not really my frugal way.

Grandma Gatewood's walk (book) : the inspiring story of the woman who saved the Appalachian Trail, by Ben Montgomery. If I ever heard of her, I forgot. I liked the way she just set out to walk, alone, when she was 65 years old.

Easing on into the weekend

Don't know how I am going to fit exercise back into my life. Now that I have lapsed. Not too much time left over after I get enough sleep, get online and be with my friends.

Listening to Into the woods and a Joe Cocker album on Hoopla, the library borrowing database. Just saw the movie of Into the woods yesterday and Joe Cocker died this week. There is no connection between the two.

It is a rainy, gray, dreary day in January. I MUST plan a getaway...maybe drive my home-away-from-home? Need sun and warmth and blue skies.

Resolutions or to do list?

So, it is January 2nd and I haven't organized my January calendar pages. Nor have I made any New Year's resolutions. Maybe I should list ACCOMPLISHMENTS of 2014 first.

Lucky us (audio book), by Amy Bloom. Didn't really like this book much or was it the reader? A lot of weird stuff goes on during the era of the second World War. Not much thinking or describing, just stuff happening.

Sunny today, but a bit cold. Listening to the soundtrack of the new movie, Into the woods, which I plan to see later today.