The best things

A picture of the Ocean City beach from Google images

1. A shower and a shampoo after a dip in the ocean and a walk on the beach in Ocean city
2. NPR - being retired I get to listen to a lot more of it
3. YouTube - At least it works now that Playlist.com doesn't - I just listen, don't really need to WATCH
4. A nice air conditioned public library computer lab with generous time allowances (Ocean City Public Library)
5. I put up a picture on Facebook and got messages from some friends.  One phone call and two beach house invitations!  I guess Facebook is good for something.

I put a picture on Blogger.  I should give credit where I stole it from.  It is a cropped version of "Turtle play" by Hopper Hippee-art.  I found it on art.com.  I identify with the turtle as an animal.  I feel that I am somewhat SLOW.  But I like the idea of turtles at play.  I am trying to become more playful.  Someone today made a sea turtle in the sand.  They made a sculpture of a turtle and covered the shell with SHELLS.  Then they made the words Sea turtle out of broken twigs.  Should have had my camera.

Tomorrow going on an excursion.  Somewhat against my better judgement as I am driving into and out of New York City on a holiday (July 4th).  Trying to seize the day.  I don't get invitations that often.  I prefer the path of least resistance, which is to stay home.

Blogging humor

    
I should give credit to the New Yorker.  I have been carrying this page around since February 6, 2006.  I come from a family of New Yorker readers.  My father used to get all of us a subscription each Christmas, my mom, himself, and his four daughters.  Now that he is gone, we keep up the tradition, on a rotating basis.

Lovely morning listening to NPR and trying to get the humidity out of my house.  I even left the air conditioner on while I'm out.  Can't really justify that now that I don't have pets.  I love the sunshine but hate the humidity.

Yesterday I had a delightful birthday.  Breakfast at my sister's, gifts, flowers, dinner with my "girlfriends of the '70's" (aren't those the best kind?), phone calls, email messages, Facebook remembrances, singing.  Couldn't have asked for a better day except that the weather could have been better.  Torrential rain and drizzles with occasional brightening.

Vaguely Jesus-y bon-vivant

I love this phrase.  A woman told a story on NPR last night about a plane ride and people who may have thought she was a "vaguely Jesus-y bon-vivant".  That's me!

Stopped by a group of people in front of the municipal building in Millville, New Jersey.  I heard singing.  They were singing a patriotic song.  How nice, I thought.  Then I got a creepy feeling that they were gun rights supporters or something I wasn't in favor of.  Guess I will have to read about it in the paper.

Went to Jim's lunch for lunch today.  It is a very colorful little restaurant that closes down for the whole summer every year.  They have three sizes of rice pudding, WITH or without raisins.  Now, where else can you find that?!

My life doesn't interest me

Lately, when I make the bed, I just want to get back in it.  I did get back in it today and lounged around for several hours listening to NPR.  I have a daily routine, but am losing interest in it. 
- one hour of chores
- exercise
- computer work
I know I am retired, but I can't spend the day in bed without feeling highly guilty.  I am falling behinder and behinder.

Valentine's day is this week.  Not one of my favorite holidays.  Liked the words heard in a song on the Lawrence Welk show last night..."somebody soon will love you, if no one loves you now."  One can always hope. I really miss those old sing alongs we used to have at the Quadrangle where my mother was incarcerated

So, why was I watching The Lawrence Welk show?  Trying to get ready for Downton Abbey.  We watched if for three hours....very satisfying.  A one hour show is never enough.  Watched the repeat from last week and the two hour show from last night.  I am already experiencing withdrawal symptoms as next week is the season finale.  There are people I LOVE on that show (Matthew, Mary, Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Carson, Mrs. Patmore) and people I HATE (Miss O'Brien, Mr. Barrow).

Hanging around a historical society doing personal and volunteer stuff. Didn't get much done. Trying to make it a weekly occasion. I've been up for hours. Nice to have a leisurely morning at home. Usually I have to RUSH out and get to library before the annoying people take up all the good spots.

In my retirement I was looking forward to getting up every day around 8 or 9 AM. But now I seem to be waking up at 3 or 5 AM. "Leaping" out of bed might be a bit of an exaggeration but I do seem to have a lot to do.

Sunday took a friend out to the Millville arts, music and antiques fair. It was very pleasant due to great weather. Good for "meet and greet". Good food from local vegan restaurant. I was drawn to the advertizement of 60 musical performers, but then I decided that there was TOO MUCH music and some of it was TOO LOUD and not so good. There was a thrill in the air about the soft opening of the Levoy Theater. It is a really LONG story including a complete collapse in the middle of the renovating. The event later on that night included silent films, actual orchestra, antique cars and people in period dress. I didn't actually go to it but it looked really cool in the newspaper photos.

Things I love:
playlist.com (I LOVE listening to MY music)
Car talk (show on NPR)
Greenwich for lack of traffic and plethora of birds

Things I hate:
playlist.com (it is very tempermental)
businesses that fail and leave sign that says "SALE - COME IN"
women losing their middle names when they get married

It seems that the word is divided - 50%?
Republicans versus Democrats
Iphones versus whatever else there is
People with apps versus people without apps

Hanging out in our new McDonald's again to use the wireless. The other restaurant I was going to grace with my presence today was closed due to Labor Day (I guess). I see some OTHER wackos have discovered this place. One guy came in clutching his mail (bills?) and yet another has a large table covered with his bible, other books, papers, pen, highlighter and coupons. He is reading aloud from the Bible (to himself). Maybe THEY will be blogging about the weird lady filling up a table for four with her laptop, handiwipes, phone, coffee, file folders, calendar, and a copy of South Jersey Journal, (a newspaper) connecting South Jersey's African-American community.

All the black people in my town seem to know each other. I only know the mayor.

I thought life was going to be less interesting after retirement, but it is INCREDIBLY interesting just listening to NPR all day. Did you know that gas costs $10 a gallon in Norway and 6 cents a gallon in Venezuela?

NPR also did a segment on "end of summer regrets". Don't postpone joy, says Dan Gottlieb. There are some things I did't get to this summmer, but, being retired, I can still do some of those summer things:
- kayaking
- The Bull on the Barn Bayshore Crab House

Things I love:
- NPR
- free coffee

Things I hate:
- rain
- sick people

Ok, the bible-reading man behind me just admitted that he is sick. He called someone on the cell phone to ask to borrow five dollars so he could go to the laundromat.

I sure hope it doesn't rain like THIS for three days. Feel like I am in Louisiana. Had to wade through big puddles to even get to and get into my car.

Gathered with friends in "the gazebo" last night. Nice to be with old friends, sort of new friends and COMPLETELY new people. The rabbi and the intern were new. They were delightful and delicious, respectively.

I started to get HUMID after it got dark. Sometimes I have a creepy crawly feeling, like imaginary insects on my skin. I have had it before and researched it before but eventually it goes away. Could it be some sort of allergy?

Little known things about me:
- fotr a few months around 2001 I typed up a newsletter called SISTER NEWS (an occasional publication for sisters and friends of JBG) I found a copy from June 2001 and was highly amused by it. Sometimes I crack myself up.