New drug names are laughable

Whenever I see a new drug advertized on TV, the names seem really outrageous and stupid. I don't know what it is for, but a new one is Latudo.

The lowland (audiobook), by Jhumpa Lahiri. Not wonderful, but I listened to the entire thing. Did it get better as it went along? Not sure. Two brothers, living in Calcutta, India. One goes to the states to study and live (Rhode Island) and the other one stays at home, gets married, is involved in revolutionary secretive activities and dies. The other brother marries his wife and takes care of his child, but everyone seems to be hidden and silent and unhappy. This problem continues into the next generation.

Good things about retirement:
- you don't have to set the alarm
- you can appreciate the fine days during the fine hours
- you don't have to rush out and get your car fixed in order to get to work
- you don't have to be rushing and speeding all the time
- I don't have a boss

The masochism that is doing your own taxes

Why am I doing this? Is it FUN reading the booklets from cover to cover each year, twice? Am I good at math? No, no and no. Double checking my numbers in order to get the amount down that I owe, I am only finding mistakes that take me in the wrong direction. Certain mind fucks like....why do I have to pay taxes on dividends and gains NOW and then again when I cash them in? It seems wrong, so wrong. Just learned about a new form, 8949, so you can summarize from this one onto schedule D. Why did I ever think that my life would get less complicated after retirement? It still seems to be getting worse every year. I seem to owe over $3000 and that is giving me a royal pain in the ass.

We are water (audiobook), by Wally Lamb: It seemed way too long. Excruciating in spots and I wanted it to be over. Then it got OK again. Story is told from too many viewpoints and jumps around in time. First I liked it as it just went from husband to wife and you saw how they got to be the way they are. Then the kids got into it and the new girlfriend and the evil cousin. The basic theme is family secrets and how they mess up generations of people. I felt a bit more sympathetic when I listened to the interview with the author and found that he teaches writing in a women's prison and has second-hand knowledge of abuse issues with a great proportion of the prison population.

Warm today, too warm. We had guests at breakfast, which was very nice since out breakfast club has been decimated by illness and death. Sat out in the back yard as I ate my lunch and was pleased to hear only birds and cars, no barking dogs or cursing neighbors. My neighbor left me a variety of gorgeous daffoduls in a honey jar. He's a sweetie.

How do you spell United States?

This is only one of the questions put to me by a young girl who was sitting next to me on the computers at the Bridgeton Public Library last night. She was watching some kind of bloody surgery that I commented negatively on. Isn't it enough that I have to wear HEADPHONES to block out the other people? Now I am going to need BLINDERS too. Then she was trying to register for something she probably shouldn't have been registering for but I answered a few of her questions anyway.

It is such an unbelievably gorgeous day. I can't believe I am sitting here facing AWAY from the windows. But all the good tables were taken, thus impeding me from using my laptop. Can't wait to get outside again to appreciate the fantastic weather. So many reasons to be glad I am retired today. Breakfast at 8:30 AM at the Amish restaurant. Two extra people showed up. Then manicure and pedicure with my favorite nail tech. Did bask in the sun for a few minutes.

Glad about: Google seems to be faster and the stock price went up to $1000. I am the happy owner of TWO shares.

Sad about: Yahoo suggested that I change my password and now I can't get into my email on my phone.

Way too late to go home early now

I thought this was a clever tune title by the Grassy Knoll Boys. They sang it on Prairie Home Companion, my favorite Saturday night radio show. It SEEMED like a new show, but I'm not really sure. My favorite singer was on (Jearlyn Steele) but I have heard him talk about her grandchildren and her degrees previously. I worry about Garrison Keillor retiring as I recently learned he turned 71. But, I suppose I could go on happily listening to reruns and not even notice. I am allowed to retire but my doctor and my radio show hosts are NOT.

I was the first customer at my sister's coffee shop today. Conveniently located several blocks from my house, it provided me with coffee and a croissant, neither of which I have currently at home. Perhaps I should start a new list for a person (or persons) I tell about it every day. Not sure how they are really going to commit to a schedule nor what hassles are involved in getting permits for this, but fun to dream.

Physically not up to par lately. Today did yoga which helped not hindered. But now I just feel like taking a NAP.
Conditions and pains in several locations.

In a windowless room at the beach

My plan for the day was to lie on the beach and then take a walk.  Also spend a few hours in the computer lab at the Ocean City library. And maybe visit a friend in an aging place.   Well, the beach was wild and windy.  I should have been happy as it was beautiful and I was allowed to access it and there was NO ONE THERE!  But I was freezing as I swore never to wear a coat any more a few weeks ago.  I will have to find somewhere inland to get my walk in.

So I came over to the library.  I love this library.  You sit in the computer lab with comfortable chairs and very few people.  They are all well behaved.  Only problem is, there is not enough room for all of my STUFF.  But, hopefully, they still allow you THREE hours on the computer if no one is waiting.  Now, that is more like it! I am always struggling to get all my computer chores done.  It is a never-ending battle.

Actually, this is an "excursion" day.  I need to plan one a week.  Haven't even been able to get THAT in as every day seems to have an event.  Sometimes only one event, but an event nonetheless.  But now I am thinking that I need to schedule TWO excursion days....one for the beach and one for all the other places I would like to go.  Why not?  I AM retired, after all!  I could visit oh-so-many beach towns and get back to my idea of exploring every exit of the Garden State Parkway.  And suddenly, miraculously, my Sprint navigator started working again!  I do have some slight fear that the saleslady at the Sprint store might have signed me up by pushing a button that I never push.  She was trying to show me how to load a picture onto Facebook from the phone.  That, BTW, was NOT successful.  Only a small portion of the picture appeared on Facebook.  It looked good, but was incomplete.  Back to the drawing board on that one.

There's more than one way to skin a cat

Or is it "kill a cat"?  Actually, it has been both, although I can't figure out why anyone would WANT to skin or kill a cat!  Anyway, this phrase just popped into my mind when I went to Google and the usual choices were not at the top.  So I typed in the address for www.blogspot.com and achieved my aim of finding my blog.

Went to a pretty good restaurant last night, Barcelona bistro in Pitman, New Jersey.  The view was nice, big windows overlooking a park and a city building, with occasional passersby and their leftovers.  The service could have been better.  We weren't immediately served with the bread we were craving, but the bread was warm and came with oil finally.  First we got water with no ice but they brought ice later.  Now for the FOOD.  I had trout with almond sauce.  It was FABULOUS.  Also green beans and carrots and a potato croquette that was so good I immediately ate the whole thing.  In fact, I had trouble stopping the eating in order to get the leftovers.  On the way out we noticed that the restaurant had been voted one of 25 best restaurants in South Jersey for 2013.  And my DISH (Truta almendras) had been voted one of the 50 best in South Jersey.  Boy, do I know how to pick'em.  Actually, my friend picked it because she had a Groupon coupon.  This really complicates the bill.  Is it my responsibility to pay for half of what she paid for the coupon?

Did yoga already this morning.  What with getting enough sleep, getting exercise and getting on the computer, I barely have enough time for any other activities.

Shoes or groceries?

I have some personal spending rules in order to be able to afford retirement.  I try to curtail my daily spending in a certain way.  So each day I have to decide, "Shoes or groceries today?"  I am desperately in need of some Easy spirit shoes of a certain kind.  I used to have four colors of this shoe.  Now I only have blue.  The black ones were accidentally left in a motel in Berkely, CA, the white ones are too awful to wear and the tan ones just came unglued so are also due for the trash.  I thought of going down to the outlets in AC tomorrow, but just found out that all of the "brick and mortar" stores in my area have closed.  Guess I will have to go online and try to find a deal.  I am too afraid to buy stuff online with which I am not familiar because I am not very good with the mailing back part of the equation.

Too much drama, not enough time - article about why some people are leaving Facebook.  So, I am feeling better about the fact that I cannot really get into it.  I do have the time ( not the skills) , but I don't like a lot of drama. 

Another lazy day - I seem to be sleeping later and later.  This is the problem with retirementl  If you can do NOTHING, you might do nothing.  (Not that there is anything wrong with that)

Roofers, car mechanics, and dentists

No, these are not guys I have slept with but I have noticed a similarity amongst them. They all seem to criticize the LAST guy who did work for you.

How does McDonald's keep track of who is who when they have the two different ordering stations? I asked them. They TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR CAR.

The good things about retirement -
- I could go to a concert at 10:30 in the morning
- I could go to a birthday party for twin six year olds at 3 PM
- I could go out to breakfast and not worry about the time
- I can go volunteer for the Performing arts center and have breakfast AND lunch there
- Someone deposits checks into my bank account three times each month

What is wrong with Americans? We haven't finished investigating the crazed shooter in the mall when another crazed shooter hits the elementary school.

You don't work here no more?

Sat down at the library and was looking at my neighbor, who was watching a L'il Wayne video on Youtube instead of doing his history homework. The guy looked over at me and said, "You don't work here no more?" Nope, I am just a customer, like you, now. Nice to be remembered, anyway....

Someone came to look at my window today. He was rattling off all of this stuff about windows and managed to OBFUSCATE rather than ELUCIDATE. I like a handyman who leaves you with advice and not with confusion. I am easily confounded. My window has been broken for several years now, but the cold is starting to get to me. OK, I am a procrastinator. One day I was taking a shower and a glass bottle crashed into the shower with me. Someone had thrown a pretty-much-empty bottle of spaghetti sauce through my storm window, through my window and into the shower with me. This is on the second floor! I did get a little glass cut on my foot but it could have been much worse. Especially if there was spaghetti sauce in the bottle. No, I don't know who, why or how. But I suddenly got the desire to get a whole new window, since so much of it is broken. I dread the cost, though, as it is a huge and weirdly sized structure. Guy claims they just throw the old ones out as it is too much trouble to get the panes out.

So I am retired. But why do I feel like I am always rushing around and that I don't have enough time for anything? I guess I should say I don't have enough time for EVERYTHING. I forget that I am GLAD that I DO have time for work parties at my old jobs, appointments galore, presentations at 5 PM, and exercise classes whenever.

"If Pepe hadna' gone bankrupt,

I'd probably be workin' 'til the day I died". Quoted by a retired gentleman I ran into at the Fibre Arts cafe this year. He was a very hard worker and appreciated by his employer, but his employer ran into hard times.

I am sad that this local meeting spot/coffee/fibre arts store and bookstore has left Bridgeton. The bookstore moved to Vineland and the Fibre arts shop to Millville. I enjoyed stopping down for a cheap cup of Community coffee and conversation.

Just finished listening to an audiobook, Just for laughs, for the second time. About 18 comedians which had been interviewed by Terry Gross for her NPR program, Fresh air, were featured. Perhaps Terry Gross is heard all over the nation but I am happy that she lives in the Philadelphia area and is always on NPR. I will just list my FAVORITE ones (perhaps a few names of celebrities will bring traffic to my blog?) Sarah Silverman, Will Ferrell, Denis Leary, Sacha Baron Cohen, George Carlin, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Steve Martin and Woody Allen.

Things I miss

- I miss that phone number you used to be able to call to find out what the ACTUAL time is when you go to change the clocks
- my parents
- summer
- Seabreeze tavern
- the intersections formerly known as circles

Delaware Bay towns are decimated by Hurricane Sandy. We are kind of blessed around here with very little storm damage, Except for our little towns...Gandy's Beach, Fortescue, Money Island. It has been on my "bucket list" to spend the night at the Hotel Charlesworth in Fortescue. I may have missed my chance. I am sure that restaurant is just hanging on by a thread on a GOOD day and this is not a good day.
A friend with a house in Gandy's Beach was one of 13 people permitted to go back yesterday only for 2 hours to survey the damage. They have no roads, electric, decks, porches, bulkheads, fronts. Entire town blocked off and forbidden entry. Similar little town of Seabreeze already abandoned by order of the state of New Jersey. I fear the fate of our other towns is going to follow. Or the state will enact new laws which are impossible for the home owners to obey and thus, they will be forced to leave. New Jersey's "other shore" is a bit downtrodden and full of various runs of bugs, but we love it. The greenheads, the horseshoe crabs, the full moon, etc.

Out and about again today. I really need to stay home and pay my bills and call some people but, when you are retired, you always think there is tomorrow. But then tomorrow is all booked up.

Ok, now I am in library heaven. Got the laptop set up with a view overlooking the Intercoastal waterway in Sea Isle City. Sharpened my pencil, got help getting online and am settled in for a few hours of "desk work". Now I only wish I had a fly swatter and that I had bought fudge. Somehow just arriving in a seaside resort town gives me an overwhelming desire to BUY FUDGE.

So far today I have done a few things around the house, participated in a yoga class, gone out to lunch, driven down to Sea Isle City, and sunbathed on the boardwalk. It is pretty cool to be able to do such stuff on a MONDAY as I am recently retired.
Went to a "new" lunch place, Sal's pizza, on Buckshutem Road in Bridgeton, which was very much like the "old" place, RJ's dog House (or something like that). I did have a spectacular "special" and am happy to go back. My toasty sandwich included chicken, swiss cheese, spinach, roasted red peppers and chunks of garlic. YUM!

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

If Joan Rivers can write a book called, "I hate everyone...starting with me", why didn't I think of that? I am always getting these memoir/essay books by "funny" people. Sometimes they are disappointing, but I continue to seek them out.
Here are some quotes I just copied off of Amazon relating to this book. (I hope that is not illegal...)

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1850

“How do I hate thee? How much time do you have?”
—Joan Rivers, today, about two-ish

Sea Isle City Library review:
Pros:
- New, within the year
- Just a few blocks from entrance to Sea Isle City
- Outdoor deck with tables and chairs overlooking the intercoastal waterway bordered by houses and marshes
- 1/2 hour computer use is renewable as long as there is no demand
Cons:
- tiny little cubicle for computer use with barely enough room for a mouse on one side and maybe a slice of bread on the other side. Totally inadequate for MY needs. I like to SPREAD OUT. My calendar alone is much larger than a slice of bread! Plus I have FOLDERS...and CLIPBOARDS...

Thinking about exercise. I am a total wuss. The most I can hope for presently is to do 2 sessions a day. I'll be satisfied with two 10 minute sessions.

Today I did yoga, really easy yoga. Even yoga I have trouble with. When they say, "And now bend forward" my body won't even go anywhere. And I don't find the "Child's pose" relaxing like we are meant to. I have trouble getting into the position.

I do like swimming. Because I do not like to sweat at all. With swimming you are not even aware that you are sweating. The good thing about retirement (I know I keep mentioning that) is that you can go to the pool during the day and to the beach during the week.

- Have been paying $26.66 a month to belong to a health club that I haven't been going to ever since foot injury several years ago. But I CAN go, anytime I want to I can walk right in. I like that feeling.
- Downhill skis in attic
- Roller blades somewhere in garage
- Bike in garage but the tires have turned to dust and I ran into it with my car several years ago.
- Bathing suit in bathroom.
- Cross country skis in entryway
- Tennis raquet, baton and walking shoes in trunk of car
- Bag of yoga stuff in trunk of car
- Hiking boots in bedroom

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."

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.

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.