Too many comings and goings

At my nail salon, employees are always coming and going. Some of them come seasonally. was very upset to learn that my favorite nail tech is moving to Texas. I don't like being left. So I took a picture of both of us and took her picture and put it in my phone with her cell phone number. Don't know how we will make out with texting. Her English is not so good but we have a great time talking in person.


The poet (book), by Michael Connelly. This is a strange book for a book club but I think that is where I got the recommendation.
It is grisly and a mystery. Did have an interesting literature link that I didn't totally understand. the killer left a fake suicide note with a phrase from Poe.

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 dreary dismal day missing one tooth

My only consolation is pain pills, some really good ones. Plus I got my nails done. New color is by OPI - called "Color to diner for". It is a sparkly red.

Full planets, empty plates : the new geopolitics of food scarcity (book), by Lester R. Brown. Given to me by his brother-in-law, it is a nice thin book, detailing many of his thoughts which I have heard before. How the balance of the planet is off, how eating up the food chain contributes to food scarcity, how the increasing population numbers put a strain on our food resources, how political unrest contributes to food insecurity, how water shortages make it difficult to grow crops in the places where the food is needed. Food is the new oil, land is the new gold. One of our best environmental theorists comes from our area.

OK, so it is ONLY December 1st. But I have missed Black Friday, Small business Saturday, Cyber Monday AND Giving Tuesday. The fact of the matter is, I am totally uninspired as far as Christmas gifts go. On my list of things to do today was to make my Christmas list, both what I want, and all the names of all the people I should/want to get gifts for. Shopping isn't much fun for me. Deciding isn't much fun for me.

My schizophrenic day

Perhaps that is not the name for it, but I have gone from serene to angry to pissed off to happy again. Started out at Cape May Point listening to the ocean, painting in the sun, smelling the flowers, enjoying the peace and quiet. Then I drove to my town and up to get an emergency manicure for a party tonight. Top nails is so unpleasant I had to leave. No one acknowledges you and when I spoke to a woman she looked like I had done something HIGHLY inappropriate. I was hating it so much I couldn't even stay. Accidentally walked out with one of their nail polishes. That's what they get. Then working up a sweat at home trying to get all of the things done for party tonight and spending several days away from home. I am all discombobulated. Laundry, phone messages, trash, sheet of sister appreciation, stuff to wear, etc. Left with only a few minutes to get an audio book for my long drive and check the email at the library. Lo and behold...in addition to air conditioning, they had new big screen computers and the kind of mice that I like, the small, dainty ones. I am in seventh heaven! And they got FASTER too.

Am in a real Diane Keaton phase. Finished the audio book of Let's just say it wasn't pretty, humorous essays about her life and loves and kids and beauty and aging. She has 48 pictures of men "imprisoned" on her wall and is a serial house renovator. She has lived in 10 houses in 15 years. I can't imagine that!
Really enjoyed this audio book and laughed out loud in several spots.

Now someone is hacking and coughing next to me. OK, I forgot about the other irritating thing after the nail salon debacle. Came home and ALL THREE of the annoying dogs in my neighborhood were barking at once. I really do resent dogs that bark at me when I am just minding my own business. That was the best thing about Cape May Point, no friggin' barking dogs.

The Holland collection

This week I have nail polish that is pink with silvery overtones. It is called Pedal faster Suzi! Last week I had I don't give a Rotterdam. Half the fun of O.P.I. is the names. Sometimes I pick my color solely based on the name.

EEK! Running out of time on the computer. My favorite thing is doing STUFF on the computer. Of course, it involves SITTING (my favorite activity) and MUSIC (how can that not make you happy) and RESEARCH (it is the librarian in me)and JUMPING around from thing to thing (just what the person with ADD loves). But I am about to be kicked off the computer at the Millville Public Library.

Job titles I would like to have

Wouldn't it be nice to tell someone at a party that you were an "Equine portrait photographer"?

One of my pet peeves is people who talk on their cell phones WHILE THEY ARE WORKING, especially when they aren't even speaking English. I think it was a Cambodian nail technician that brought on THIS rant. Then one of the other workers turned on his MAC and started blaring some program in another language even though the TV was on. Grrrr.... The manicure was OK but the ambiance was terrible. Won't be going back there soon or ever.

I fear I am getting early-onset Alzheimer's. (Also have been unable to resolve the issue that once I heard that there was no longer an apostrophe in Alzheimer's but that seems to have been a DREAM). I went to get my haircut and couldn't remember which side I parted my hair on. Can I blame it on the mirror effect? A few days ago I went to pick up a friend at the bus station and had trouble remembering exactly what exit and which road to turn around on. Is it NORMAL aging or ABNORMAL aging? I do feel somewhat foggy even when I am NOT taking a pain pill or a Xanax.

French Quarter for your thoughts

Clever name of my weekly nail polish from O.P.I.  I usually explain the puns to my Vietnamese nail technician but this one made me tired just thinking about it.  "Why did you pick THAT nail polish"?, inquired a male friend of mine.  Because I saw a picture in the April edition of Ladies home journal of many earthy tones that were "in" this Spring.

Was reading a blog by a young person who had someone die...a twin? a sister?  who died.  She was all broken up about it and lamenting about the trivial things that people complain about on social media.  That's me.  Like talking about my NAIL POLISH.

Sitting with the father of a friend today who needs watching.  Since I am a doer and a thinker, I always want to ENGAGE the elderly.  They are very hard to engage!  Asking if he wants to watch TV, read, listen to music, go for a ride in the wheelchair to look at the flowers and trees.  Even as I am saying it, I am thinking how LAME I sound, if these are the only possible activities available.  Of course, he exhibits NO interest in any of these.  Perhaps one should just do stuff and not ask?  Or just let the aging "vege out" as my friend used to say.  I do not approve of aides who talk on the phone instead of paying attention to their clients, but here I sit on the laptop while two aides bathe my ward
I don't want to bother him but I don't want to ignore him either.

What the hell version is this?

I swear these songs change on Playlist.com.  Now I seem to be listening to a version of Halo on which Beyonce cannot even be heard!  I am deleting it right now.



Didn't really understand the name of my new nail polish for this week, My boyfriend scales walls.  So I couldn't even explain it to my Vietnamese nail technician. I looked it up and it is from the Spiderman collection.  This wasn't really what I had in mind for Paris.  The Guidebook recommended just clear polish but that is too extremely plain for me.  They said that French women don't get French manicures.  Neither do I!  I was really looking for a very pale barely white. 

Just registered for the Cancer prevention study 3.  While I was filling out all of the forms was feeling bad cause my memory is so bad and I had to confess that I actually eat very few fruits and vegetables and that I spend an inordinate amound of time SITTING...reading, at the computer and driving my car.  It was all so depressing that I had to come over to use the Internet and listen to music.  Was not really in the mood for exercising.  Especially because it is so HOT and humid today.

Am all stressed out due to upcoming trip(s).  So many undone things.  I haven't finished even ONE of the four books I was supposed to read before hand.  And I realize I am RUNNING OUT OF TIME, to find things, buy things, prepare things,etc.

Audiobook review: Pimsleur basic French.  Finished listening to these 5 CDs in the car.  It was instructional and amusing.  The conversations were silly and dumb with a great emphasis on eating, drinking and shopping.  I did find them helpful for getting the feel for the language, and even though I am fluent in French, I couldn't always get it right.  The pronunciation is the hardest part.  There was a lot of repetition (sometimes TOO much).  I borrowed these from the Vineland Public Library (448.342 Bas) because it was all CDs and no books, easier for me in the car.  Had a great time laughing about the conversations with a friend on a long drive.

Mahogany, Marquise and Makiah

This goes against my blog policy of never NAMING NAMES.  But I found this piece of paper that I wrote on while I was working and I didn't know where to file it and I couldn't bear to throw it out.  So I am writing it down here so I CAN throw it out.  I just love these creative names that a library patron named her children, especially Mahogany.

Measures of popularity - Everything is measured now in number of friends on Facebook and number of Twitter followers.  You can't argue with the hard cold facts!  These poor late night hosts have to compare their numbers of Twitter followers to see who comes out at the top of the pack.  I guess my only measure of popularity is whether anyone comments on my blog, so please do.  I don't even know how to ASK for "followers".  And I cannot understand why anyone would want to be friends with someone on Facebook that they don't even know!?  I guess I don't get it.

Where does the time go?  I have spent two hours just organizing my computer and dealing with my email!  Went to get my new glasses and they were closed for lunch.  (There oughta be a law...why can't they take staggered lunches like we do (did) at the library)?  So I had to come in to Larry's II to use the computer.  Practically every table was taken up by some card playing group so I couldn't sit where I usually do.  It is ALMOST perfect here except there is no PLUG.  Sigh.  I wish I was in Portland (Oregon) in some cool cafe.

This is the nail polish I got today.  I'm such a GIRL.  I really enjoy my Vietnamese nail technician and trying to explain the names of the O.P.I. polishes to her.  Usually they are PUNS which are hard to explain to someone whose language is not English.  This is Charged Up Cherry.

Down in Cape May, New Jersey, for the very first time all summer. How can I let someplace so incredibly beautiful be unexplored?
Thinking about lists....Angie's list, Craig's list, Emily's list. I have a lot of lists, but what could be of interest to the entire world!?!?!?
Spent a lot of time with Sprint representatives this week. My cell phone or my cell phone provider are REALLY getting on my nerves. In fact, I need to start a new list of all the problems with my phone. Could life be any better with another company? Trying to resist the temptation to get the iPhone. In fact, I tried it in the store and decided I just can't deal with something SO SMALL. Listening to the people complaining in the store made me really glad I retired two months ago. I lost my patience for listening to people needing and griping and demanding. And that was when they were getting stuff for FREE. It horrifies me to think about how they act when they have PAID for something.
Went to a new nail salon yesterday. I should have walked out immediately, but I sat down and had a manicure by a distasteful young man of Asian descent. He was shabbily dressed with holes in his jeans and seemed either very ill or on the way to death. I can't stand sick people and was trying not to breathe the air. The place had no customers and nothing creeps me out like that. Plus it was dirty and shabby. Well, I will try anything ONCE but that almost did me in. Just cause I was too lazy to drive to another town where I usually go to have my nails done.