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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.