It is harder to schleppe in winter

I have enough trouble getting my many bags from here to there without the addition of a COAT! I find that everything slides off of my shoulders when wearing a coat. I should just break down and clean up my clutter enough that someone can get into my house to install the wifi. I have been informed that WIFI is not the same thing as WIRELESS.

Starting a relationship with my new phone. It is probably smarter than I am, but I foresee many happy hours of getting to know it. Missing my KEYBOARD with my old LG phone. I can't deal with "pictures" of keys. My nephew and my brother-in-law tried to straighten me out on some procedures with the Samsung Galaxy S IV. There are scarily on top of technology. I am at the other end of the spectrum. What is the opposite of an "early adaptor"? I have to be dragged kicking and screaming into anything new. Not really the update kind of a girl.

It is so frigging COLD around here. I must try and plan some future vacations. A friend called and told me he got a round trip ticket for $60 on Spirit. How come I never see those kind of deals? Plus, I DETEST Spirit for their nickel and diming of customers.

All things shall pass, even the bad ones

Usually, if I could be more patient, the neighbors will move and Yahoo will get around to fixing the things that are broken. Every time they "upgrade" I go crazy looking for things that I could do before. Just in case they aren't paying attention, I submit at least one complaining support ticket each day.

Started off with a good reunion of the French group. Now that we have had a meeting in the daytime, more hours have opened up as possible gathering times. It is absolutely amazing how difficult it is to get 5 people together, even though we are all RETIRED! Then the sun came out when it was not forecast. I LIKE those kinds of surprises. Brought leftovers down to my Wednesday hangout. My sister made some yummy quiche - one was watercress and spinach and the other was CAULIFLOWER and pepper jack cheese. How creative!

Today is election day. Even thinking about our government makes me sick. I would like to strangle some Tea Party Republicans. I can take some comfort in the fact that I live in a BLUE town in a BLUE state.

I can't take all of these changes

What is it with October and changes? Google now makes you go to a bunch of little squares, Yahoo has been revamped (again), Windows 8.1 comes out on October 18, our government is shut down, it is time to change your Medicare backup plan and your drug plan. I am really behind the times as I prefer WORDS to icons or pictures. Words seem to be on the way out.

I'd like to add a spot on this blog for books finished and songs listened to, but not quite sure how to do that. Just finished Bad monkey by Carl Hiaasen. He has really gone over the top with craziness in this novel. I heard him speak once and he does get his ideas sometimes from actual news events. And life does tend to be nuts in South Florida.

Have frittered away the day hanging at the historical library with a group of convivial people. Weather dreary. Even worse weather forecast for tomorrow when I have an excursion planned to Grounds for sculpture in North Jersey.

Got rid of some stuff today

Had some trees trimmed in the back yard. Workmen and change make me nervous so I couldn't relax until they were done. I also took a Xanax to help forget about the stress. The guy came with about 8 helpers (he promised me 3). They were all over the place and making one heck of a racket. I do like the final result and will consider having a trim every year instead of once every ten years. Of course, the LAST time my father owned the property and paid for the trim.

Going to court tomorrow and am totally unprepared. It is really the mediation ordered by the court. I am sure it will be just as big a waste of time as the court was. Embarrassing, too, since I am complaining about the barking pit bull next door and the dog DIED. I called and they said you can't cancel the appointment even if the dog is dead.

Brought my own computer to the library today as the computers here are getting really old and sluggish and most of them have big fat mice. I am just so hard to please.

Bridgeton noise complaint ends in dead silence

I went to the City Council to complain about the neighbors and a reporter there put it into a NEWS article in the paper!  The online title was better.  The title in the paper was "Dog complaint ends in tragedy".  I am not used to being so OUT.  In the papers twice in one week.  Time to go back under my rock.

Hate rushing around to get my Internet in and my exercise in on the weekends.  Everything closes early....libraries, the pool and the health club.  Sunday is even worse.  There are NO libraries, pool closes at 4 and health club at 3.  Barely enough time to get to church and lunch and have time for anything else.  Sigh...

Flash drive is a mess. Can't open and save to a new place.  Have to copy and paste each document into a new document and then save it.  I bought a new flash drive and it has STUFF on it which I do not understand.  Better leave it there.  It is a Cruzer something.  Doesn't even come up as a flash drive.  I HATE progress.

What happened to the day?

It seemed like your average dank and chilly March day when I left the house.  In the middle of my exercise class, I turned to the side with the imaginary ball and saw it was SNOWING.  Huh?!  No wonder a friend of mine is leaving for Florida.  The wait for Spring is ENDLESS.

Another stoplight, oh no!  My small up-and-coming bank now has a new Shoprite across the street and they are putting a STOPLIGHT at the driveway.  Another impediment to progress and speed.  Have you ever noticed that they are always putting UP stoplights and never taking them down?  So, life and traffic just get slower and slower.

Inspira - the new (stupid) name of the merged health care system.  I used to work at Bridgeton Hospital.  Then it got merged and became South Jersey Regional Medical Center.  My health club has had three names, but I still call it "the center" the name three names ago.  Inspira sounds like the name of a drug or that someone wants you to think good things about them like in inspiration.  The secret name was just announced today.  I have been dreading this moment because I HATE CHANGE.

Not totally prepared

Just driving by....stopped into my brother-in-law's new shop to use the wireless.  Some of my supplies were in the car but not all.  Looking forward to a day of NO PLANS.  OK, computer and exercise and going out to breakfast, but, other than that no plans.  Tired of being out late the last two nights.  I feel a nice listening to Prairie Home Companion night coming on.  That is my favorite Saturday night activity 6 - 8 PM.  What will I do if Garrison Keillor ever retires?!?!?  And he is of the age (around my age I do believe).

Bingo, is it worth it?  Did my yearly bingo last night.  6 hours, $50 and NO prizes.  Felt like such a loser by the end.  Most of my friends had won something.  Not that I need any more CRAP to find a place for.  But 6 hours is much longer than my attention span.  In fact, one game is longer than my attention span, especially the one where you have to completely fill in the sheet.

Attended a Sweet honey in the rock concert Thursday night in Philadelphia,  I have heard them once  (or twice).  My friend got in a funk cause they were sort of different.  Two new members, instruments in the background (they are known as an acapella group) and they sang songs from the "canon" of Odetta, Nina Simone, Miriam Makeba and Abbey Lincoln.  They did a lot of individual performing rather than all together.  One of them sang Another man done gone while playing the violin.  Other instruments were involved and a tape of thunder and lightning.  I wish I could find a video to post for you.  Forgot to mention the really nice part of the evening when my friend cooked dinner for us all before the concert.  African peanut stew (vegetarian version) was yummy.  We all brought something.
So we drove to Philly in one person's car.  Came back and got in yet another person's car to drive to MY car.  Miles to go before I sleep.

Unnecessary car inspection

I went to get my car inspected today. It had a sticker on it that said 1 year extension. Somehow I didn't really get it and it seemed like I hadn't been to the car inspection in forever. But after I got into the building (after waiting in a short line) I found out that I did not NEED to come there until NEXT year. But since I was already in the building, I had to wait my turn.

Went to pick up some drugs and saw new parking signs. 11 spaces are now reserved for the Bridgeton Tourist center parking. That is a laugh. We don't have much tourism going on in our town and the thought of needing all of those parking spots boggles the mind. Two were occupied today. Another example of how the rules of the world keep changing in more strict and annoying ways every time something happens.
I dread all the new rules insurance companies are going to make after Hurricane Sandy.

Oh dear, I logged onto my work email and it was something new. It is called Roundcube - free webmail for the masses. Now, if the masses can just figure it out!
I knew they were threatening to close down the access point I use in December....I just hadn't figured out where else to go or how to proceed. I need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the future, that is just how I am. I relate to the poster of the cat falling down the wall that says, I never left anything that didn't have scratch marks all over it.

Feeling kind of manic. Too many ideas rushing around in my head.

I think I will make a good "crone". Well, I can't figure out the female version of curmudgeon. I hate to keep harping on this "senior citizen" issue but I am feeling more every day like I will make a good one.
- I hate change
- I don't like it when libraries, newspapers, etc. change their names. There is nothing like a library named after a town. You know exactly where it is. Please, do not name a library after me when I die. I would much rather have a bench or a rocking chair in Cape May. (If it costs $150 to buy a BRICK at Wilberham Park in Cape May, how the hell much does it cost to buy a BENCH!)
- I can't stand this concept "they" are trying to sell us of REGIONALIZATION. Local library system was told to do that and twenty years of sharing and organization just went down the tubes. Now, our local newspaper is changing their name and losing any local focus they ever had. I really don't WANT to read about the arrest of drug lords in Camden. Of course, the LOCAL stuff I read makes me want to move away. Three paragraphs of these blowhards and I get depressed and have to stop reading.

Library reviews: Millville Public Library (from a computer user standpoint)
Pros: Lots of room to spread out in case you have a lot of CRAP like I do, you can plug in your headphones without an extender cord,they will usually give you more computer time if it is not busy
Cons: No food or beverages, no cell phone, only one hour of computer time

Saw some friends when I was out with Breakfast club. I was asked what I have been doing. "Just trying to get used to retirement", I said. A friend quiped, "What's to get used to. It took me about an HOUR."