The hurricane sisters (book), by Dorothea Benton Frank: Enjoyed the interaction between the generations. The story is told alternately from the viewpoint of the grandmother, the mother and the daughter. Theme of abuse of women comes along eventually. Author is lightweight but I like the southern milieu of her stories, which usually take place around Sullivan's Island, near Charleston.
Two boys kissing (audio book), by David Levithan: Heard about this book during a wedding of two gay guys. The preacher mentioned it during the service. Two boys try to break the world record for kissing. They have to stand up kiss for over 32 hours. Interwoven with this story are a few other stories. The author got the ideas from some true stories.
Last night was stuck in Camden in the DARK, and in the RAIN, with a FLAT TIRE. Now I remember why I try to get home every night and stay there before dark. Also had to drive for an hour to get home in a hideous lightning and rain storm. It was really scary. Going to the only gas station in Camden in the dark wasn't really that scary (sometimes I don't know enough to be scared). A nice man changed my flat tire. He put too much air in it, but I remedied that today. He did work for the gas station and charged me $22 but they weren't really even OPEN.
Showing posts with label Camden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Camden. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Conversational snippets
I like feeling invisible as I circulate throughout the world hearing snippets of other people's conversations. Perhaps one could base a novel on such? Today I was at a college campus and overheard a woman telling a friend that she blamed her problems on her "mother being high on acid" when she was conceived.
Snippets I would rather NOT hear are from the house of the tenants across the street. They are LOUD and VULGAR (the tenants) and I can't wait for them to move or get kicked out(this eventually happens to ALL of my neighbors). As I was walking down the street admiring the fall leaves and the pleasant street I live on, I passed their house and from inside the house, I could hear FUCK this and FUCK that. And I fear that this woman has several children. No wonder people grow up strange.
Had a very enjoyable day today even though it was raining. Went up to where I work part time to have a photo shot for the new web page. I am quite pleased with it and the photo session was fun. The campus was beautiful with the fall leaves. Went to lunch with three colleagues and had a delicious salad that was not too expensive.
Snippets I would rather NOT hear are from the house of the tenants across the street. They are LOUD and VULGAR (the tenants) and I can't wait for them to move or get kicked out(this eventually happens to ALL of my neighbors). As I was walking down the street admiring the fall leaves and the pleasant street I live on, I passed their house and from inside the house, I could hear FUCK this and FUCK that. And I fear that this woman has several children. No wonder people grow up strange.
Had a very enjoyable day today even though it was raining. Went up to where I work part time to have a photo shot for the new web page. I am quite pleased with it and the photo session was fun. The campus was beautiful with the fall leaves. Went to lunch with three colleagues and had a delicious salad that was not too expensive.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
An entire afternoon without a snack
Can I do it? Ate my lunch early cause it was here. Nothing to eat all afternoon. I brought no snacks to work because I am trying to be careful and my coworker apparently is in the same boat.
Practicing French in the car. Pronouncing things properly gives your face and neck quite a workout. I need to be doing those exercises anyway to combat the double chin affect. Then went to get my nails done and the only magazines I could find were Essence, something in Vietnamese and People en espanol. So I read People in Spanish.
Working today but hardly working. Classes are over and exams are starting and there is just not much activity around the library today.
Practicing French in the car. Pronouncing things properly gives your face and neck quite a workout. I need to be doing those exercises anyway to combat the double chin affect. Then went to get my nails done and the only magazines I could find were Essence, something in Vietnamese and People en espanol. So I read People in Spanish.
Working today but hardly working. Classes are over and exams are starting and there is just not much activity around the library today.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Slower by the day
OMG...it took me TWO hours to deal with my email today. I thought one hour was a long time.
Of course, there have been some side trips, like verifying that Ella Reeve Bloor lived in MY HOUSE in 1895-1898. I learned two other interesting facts about this somewhat obscure socialist/communist. She wasn't actually married to Mr. Bloor; they just pretended to be married while researching for Upton Sinclair about the meat yards of Chicago. Sinclair later published a best-selling book on this topic called The jungle. I also learned that she is buried at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden, New Jersey. She grew up in Bridgeton, New Jersey, another one of our moderately famous residents-who-don't-live-here-anymore. Others in that category are Sylvia Beach, Jonathan Adler, and James Galanos. I am one of the obscure people who still live in Bridgeton.
After seeing Paula Poundstone at the Landis Theater in Vineland, New Jersey, I had to listen to the audiobook version of her book, There's nothing in this book that I meant to say, read by the author. It was funny, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, but a lot of jumping around between historical stories and her own life. Celebrities discussed are Charles Dickens, Sitting Bull, Lincoln, Helen Keller and Joan of Arc. Perhaps if she paused at the right times, the jumping around would not seem so glaring, but then again, maybe not. I learned a lot about her, such as that she is not into sex (with anyone), is a recovering alcoholic, adopted three special needs kids, is a compulsive talker and cleaner, bites her nails, and lives in Santa Monica. You can find this audiobook at the Bridgeton Public Library (AUDB BIO POUNDSTO).
Of course, there have been some side trips, like verifying that Ella Reeve Bloor lived in MY HOUSE in 1895-1898. I learned two other interesting facts about this somewhat obscure socialist/communist. She wasn't actually married to Mr. Bloor; they just pretended to be married while researching for Upton Sinclair about the meat yards of Chicago. Sinclair later published a best-selling book on this topic called The jungle. I also learned that she is buried at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden, New Jersey. She grew up in Bridgeton, New Jersey, another one of our moderately famous residents-who-don't-live-here-anymore. Others in that category are Sylvia Beach, Jonathan Adler, and James Galanos. I am one of the obscure people who still live in Bridgeton.
After seeing Paula Poundstone at the Landis Theater in Vineland, New Jersey, I had to listen to the audiobook version of her book, There's nothing in this book that I meant to say, read by the author. It was funny, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, but a lot of jumping around between historical stories and her own life. Celebrities discussed are Charles Dickens, Sitting Bull, Lincoln, Helen Keller and Joan of Arc. Perhaps if she paused at the right times, the jumping around would not seem so glaring, but then again, maybe not. I learned a lot about her, such as that she is not into sex (with anyone), is a recovering alcoholic, adopted three special needs kids, is a compulsive talker and cleaner, bites her nails, and lives in Santa Monica. You can find this audiobook at the Bridgeton Public Library (AUDB BIO POUNDSTO).
Monday, December 17, 2012
How electronic things work
This is ironic, but I checked out a book on my Nook. It is called How electronic things work....and what to do if they don't. The weird thing is, this book caused a problem I have never before had on my Nook! I can't figure out how to make the page advance. A strange message came up that I have never seen before. So I went back to another book that DOES work. Is that stupid or what?
Spent a lot of time with friends over the weekend. Also a lot of time with some six year old twins who seem to love me right now. I know that these stages are very temporary so I am taking advantage of it. They tore my sister's whole house up and made pretend houses out of chairs and blankets and cutlery and pillows and wall decorations and snacks. We had some playing cards and we were pretending that they were cell phones and video games. My sister and her boyfriend were just too tired to be disciplining so things got pretty wild. They are like whirling dervishes and love machines. It is so very upsetting to know that kids of that adorable age were murdered in Connecticut. Later Sunday night I was crying as Obama gave his speech at the memorial service in Newtown. It came on right after 60 minutes, which is the only TV show I actually watch ON PURPOSE.
I am kind of starving, waiting for a Christmas party to start. Using the computers at Rutgers Camden where I have staff privileges. Unfortunately, I no longer have parking privileges so I had to put over $4 in the street meter. Just got out a wheeled cart I knew I had to practice wheeling my "crap" around. My purse and my traveling folders and other bags full of business stuff are really wearing me down. I was surprised at how well this thing works. It is designed for one suitcase (back in the days before they thought of putting the wheels ON the suitcases) and is more lightweight than I had remembered. Guess I won't ask Santa for that, after all. It "kind of" works if I pile my stuff up and don't go over any uneven surfaces.
Spent a lot of time with friends over the weekend. Also a lot of time with some six year old twins who seem to love me right now. I know that these stages are very temporary so I am taking advantage of it. They tore my sister's whole house up and made pretend houses out of chairs and blankets and cutlery and pillows and wall decorations and snacks. We had some playing cards and we were pretending that they were cell phones and video games. My sister and her boyfriend were just too tired to be disciplining so things got pretty wild. They are like whirling dervishes and love machines. It is so very upsetting to know that kids of that adorable age were murdered in Connecticut. Later Sunday night I was crying as Obama gave his speech at the memorial service in Newtown. It came on right after 60 minutes, which is the only TV show I actually watch ON PURPOSE.
I am kind of starving, waiting for a Christmas party to start. Using the computers at Rutgers Camden where I have staff privileges. Unfortunately, I no longer have parking privileges so I had to put over $4 in the street meter. Just got out a wheeled cart I knew I had to practice wheeling my "crap" around. My purse and my traveling folders and other bags full of business stuff are really wearing me down. I was surprised at how well this thing works. It is designed for one suitcase (back in the days before they thought of putting the wheels ON the suitcases) and is more lightweight than I had remembered. Guess I won't ask Santa for that, after all. It "kind of" works if I pile my stuff up and don't go over any uneven surfaces.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
I am half-sick of shadows
Kind of a silly title and kind of a silly book. I did enjoy it although the audiobook kept skipping in my car. I think it is my player. The book is by a man, Alan Bradley and is about a young girl, who is part sleuth, part alchemist. She lives in a house that is almost a castle with her father, her two aggravating sisters and some servants.
Her mother has died and they have fallen on hard times. Her father decides to rent out the house to a movie crew around Christmas time. Trouble ensues and includes snowstorms and fireworks and a murder. This is considered the author's second "Flavia de Luce mystery". I enjoyed it for the descriptions and the very British witticisms.
Hung out with some really fun six year olds last night. We watched an old fashioned cartoon called The aristocats. I was amazed that modern children could enjoy such a thing. The kids were delightful, so loving, delivering occasional kisses, "just because"... So sad to think that children this age were murdered by another crazy American. Although I guess it is not just Americans who are crazy. Japanese and Vietnamese people knife each other as they do not have our easy access to guns. But what is going on? Do they just get the idea from TV and other events? But why?
Working today. Went to the cafeteria for lunch. I love it over there. Except for the fact that this is a PEPSI campus. Thinking of all the trees and all the seasons I have witnessed here and also thinking about a coworker who retired and died too soon.
I like this one tree out there. The leaves turn all brown but they do not fall off. It is juxtaposed next to an evergreen. I have been working here part time going on twenty five years! They already had a goodbye party for me several years ago but I keep on hanging on. Now I work only once a month, and not every month.
Her mother has died and they have fallen on hard times. Her father decides to rent out the house to a movie crew around Christmas time. Trouble ensues and includes snowstorms and fireworks and a murder. This is considered the author's second "Flavia de Luce mystery". I enjoyed it for the descriptions and the very British witticisms.
Hung out with some really fun six year olds last night. We watched an old fashioned cartoon called The aristocats. I was amazed that modern children could enjoy such a thing. The kids were delightful, so loving, delivering occasional kisses, "just because"... So sad to think that children this age were murdered by another crazy American. Although I guess it is not just Americans who are crazy. Japanese and Vietnamese people knife each other as they do not have our easy access to guns. But what is going on? Do they just get the idea from TV and other events? But why?
Working today. Went to the cafeteria for lunch. I love it over there. Except for the fact that this is a PEPSI campus. Thinking of all the trees and all the seasons I have witnessed here and also thinking about a coworker who retired and died too soon.
I like this one tree out there. The leaves turn all brown but they do not fall off. It is juxtaposed next to an evergreen. I have been working here part time going on twenty five years! They already had a goodbye party for me several years ago but I keep on hanging on. Now I work only once a month, and not every month.
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