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.

Government by tantrum

Yes, that is what we have in the United States of America. The Republicans all strike me as hard-edged, white, too thin, uptight, tight-lipped, tight-assed whiners. Get over it, please, and let's just TRY the Affordable health act. I refuse to call it OBAMACARE any more. I think that just encourages them and discourages the American public. What is so bad about socialized medicine, after all? Medicare is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. At least one thing in life just occurs and it is a good thing. No decisions needed, not much paperwork involved and it saves you money.

Sitting on the porch of the New Dodge's market in Elmer. It was on my list of places to use the wireless. However, it is on a REALLY busy and noisy intersection of Route 40 and some other street and it is very unpleasant. The weather is great, however, and unseasonably warm. Had a delicious salad with a fabulous salad dressing.

Time to get back to Bridgeton and buy my new and old prescriptions. Ready for a rest. Had a biopsy even though I went into the dermatologist determined to not get cut. This is practically impossible when you visit this (or any) dermatologist as we all know. I vow to try harder to not scratch. I felt the visit was worth it and perhaps there is HOPE for the future. Hard to be positive when you have had a skin disorder for 16 months! (Can't believe how time flies). She wanted to know if I was anxious (just about the neighbors) or depressed, (no, but I AM highly medicated). Scratching is related to OCD (OK< I admit it, I do have that).

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.

Sittin' on the "group W" bench

I went to Municipal court this week.  I forgot to take a Xanax and I really needed it.  Felt like Arlo Guthrie, sittin' on the" group W" bench, with mother stabbers and father rapers and the like (listen to the song/album called Alice's Restaurant if you don't know what I am talking about).  I sat there for a deadly but entertaining and educational three hours listening to all the other cases.  Finally got called in to the prosecutor and felt like she blew me off (actually I should have had a succinct statement ready).  I had a one page document and a chart of all of my neighborhood annoyances, but a 15 word statement would have been more to the point.  She referred my case to "neighborhood disputes" of which I had never heard.  I guess it is some kind of mediation which I learned about reading a really fascinating book called "Neighbor law", put out by Nolo Press. ( I really should have read the one called "Dog law").  I signed a complaint against my neighbor who insists on having a pit bull live on her steps.  I have lost the use of my yard and the peace and quiet of my home due to the barking.

It was horrible being in court, even though I was the filer of a complaint and not the perpetrator of a crime.  They made everyone, complainer and criminal alike, wait in this tiny vestibule with no chairs for a half an hour before letting anyone enter the court. THAT was awkward, but I got the feeling that lots of these people do this very often.   I was out on the porch listening to a woman and a man talk about their domestic violence history, where one person files a complaint and then the other person turns around and countersues.  When the police come around to serve them with papers they just don't open the door.  When they do get into court they generally say that they aren't going to press charges.  What an unpleasant way to spend your afternoons!  It is just a game and a big waste of time.  The woman talked about just getting an ROR.  What's that, I asked.  Release On Recognizance, she said, (but she didn't pronounce it properly).  Some of the people had multiple "crimes" at once....driving offenses, domestic violence, paraphernalia possession.  One guy didn't know (me either) that on the third paraphernalia offense you get a mandatory 90 days in jail.  He was wearing orange at the time.  A really FAT white woman came up and declined to press charges against him.  Then ANOTHER large white women was there with a black guy and as they walked out, having declined to press charges, I noticed a large hickey on her neck.  Some of the people were polite, some had major attitude and some were snickering.    I did learn of some unsavory individuals who live near me. 

Below you will see a photo of a flower blooming at Giverny in July.  I borrowed this pic from a blog I read called Eye prefer Paris (doesn't everyone?)  He said that July was  REALLY hot in France, just like it was here.  I need to take time out of every day to enjoy beauty and calm and elegance.  Thinking about my vacation in France is quite pleasant.  I need to start thinking about the next stage of my life.  Living in Bridgeton is getting pretty taxing, what with the changing neighborhoods.  Too much coming and going around me and people who think the barking of pit bulls is not annoying.

Not really feeling like a "happy baby"

That's a yoga pose.  I am feeling more like a cranky adult.  Trying to forget my woes by using the computer, listening to my playlist and eating chocolate hershey kisses at the Cumberland County Library.  I thought scary Mondays were just for working people, but here is what has gone wrong so far:
- stopped in to Little Mama's cafe - they no longer have real cream, just powdered creamer.  Then I bought a chocolate covered graham cracker but there was too much candy and it was too sweet
- went to city hall to get a T-shirt left over from the walk on Saturday, but the mayor's secretary knew nothing about it
- visited the tax office as my name was in the paper for the tax sale.  I got so highly agitated and ungracefully paid the water and sewer bill including fees even though it was NOT MY FAULT.  They had changed my address in the system and the bill got sent to the owner of the house next door and then returned to them.
I am feeling wronged and not very forgiving.  May have to write a letter of outrage.
- then to yoga class.  She did a number of moves of which I am not fond....too many downward facing dogs, the plank (which seems suspiciously like pushups which I do not do), squats (another thing I CAN'T do).

Remembering a gorgeous hotel I happened to stumble across in Paris.  It took up almost an entire block and around the corner again.  It is called the Plaza Atheneum on Rue Montaigne.



Went on Facebook, although I really feel it is a pretty big waste of time.  Tried to send an encouraging poster to a friend.  Advice that it is hard for ME to follow, not sure why I think it might cheer HER up.

Maybe they don't WANT us to know

Had to go to the Post Office and get another letter filled with gobbledy-gook from the City of Bridgeton.  They had been charged $6.11 to mail it and it came "postage due".  The last time they sent one it cost half that amount.  I HATE certified mail.  Just makes me worry unnecessarily. And then you have to get to the Post Office and wait in a big long line to get it and then it is incomprehensible and you wish you had never gotten it.  I called the city to complain and ask why they couldn't just give us a few "bullet points" about what it really means to ME, the man on the street.  We went around and around and I really learned nothing except that they mailed these change in zoning letters to 700 people.  "It's the LAW'", the head of Planning told me.   What a waste of time and money!  I guess I SHOULD have said, "What are you trying to ENABLE and what are you trying to PREVENT?"  Of course, there is another possibility and that is that they REALLY DON'T WANT US TO KNOW!  All he really said was that it is so complicated that it would take en entire huge volume to explain it.

Had a mouse emergency today.  First time my wireless mouse has failed. It has been working perfectly for  9 months.  Thus, I don't know what to do.  I don't have the instructions with me and even if I did there is no phone service down here in Greenwich.   Thank goodness one of my gentlemen friends down here at the Cumberland County Historical Society came up with a mouse which I could plug in.  (The first one he gave me could not be plugged into my laptop due to no compatible hole).  But at least I didn't have to face a DAY WITH NO COMPUTER (it's like a day with no sunshine).  Yesterday I was online for THREE hours and I thought THAT was not enough time.

Saw a bound book of the Dollar weekly news lying on the table.  So I checked out what was happening on April 8th, 1938.  The was a humorous debate at a grange meeting on this topic: Resolved - that a wife is more useful than a wheelbarrow on a farm.

Hanging out naked

Just can't picture it, but some men are abusing the open-minded spirit of San Francisco by hanging out NAKED in the Castro District. Just another thing I don't GET. Are they flirting or what? So, of course, as I have noticed before, LAWS ARE GOING TO BE CHANGED to try and put a stop to it. There were actually people on the radio today debating the PROS and cons of hanging out naked. A woman was FOR it.

Being naked in itself is not always so erotic. I worked for awhile at printing press where we published a magazine for nudists. I forget the actual title, but it was billed as "a scientific, educational and cultural publication for the advancement of nudism". I just remember photos of people playing tennis wearing only socks and shoes and nothing else. The people weren't particularly attractive, either.

Hurricane Sandy losses were great. The statistics which come to mind are 10,000 trees in New York City and 100,000 cars. Not a good time to buy a used car. The prices are going to be high and how can you be sure you aren't getting a car that has been FLOODED?