I sat on an ant and he BIT me

I know that I had ants in the kitchen...big ones.  Then I saw a bunch of tiny ones in a box of wrapped candy.  Apparently there was a medium sized ant on the toilet seat when I sat down.  I discovered him when he bit me.  GROSS!  Time to do something about the damned things.


Book review:  Fifty shades darker by E.L. James.  I was reluctant to read this book as I was worried it would be even more extreme than the first one in the series.  Then a friend told me how much she was enjoying the audiobooks.  So I got this through Overdrive on my Nook.  I liked it even more than the first one.  It is hard to look away.  OK, the guy has faults....he is controlling, bossy, messed up and jealous.  But, on the other hand, he is gorgeous, rich, attentive, generous,  creative and wants her. Each love scene is different from all of the others.  It is true that she can't find time for her friends.  She does continue to want to "work" although she seems to spend most of her time at work emailing Christian.  Somehow the author keeps you routing for their love instead of thinking, "Watch out, lady!"  He sort of backs off from the kinky stuff in this book but the question remains whether he will continue to be satisfied.

I am in "Onederland" today.  That is when you get below 200 pounds.  So what did I do to celebrate?
Went to Terrigno's bakery and got treats for the gang down at the Cumberland County Historical Society.  Of course, I do that EVERY Wednesday, even though I am not supposed to be eating sweets.  Feeling generally sluggish and lazy and in pain.  Stopped taking my anti-inflammation drug and it is 95 degrees.  Exercise does not seem to be making me feel better.

I prefer to labor in obscurity

I guess Facebook is where it's at...and it is fun in it's own way.  Kind of interesting to find out what all my old boyfriends are doing.  But I prefer blogs.  You get MORE info from fewer people and I'm kind of scared to say anything on Facebook  And I don't really WANT my old boyfriends to know what I am doing or NOT doing nor do I want them to know what I look like.  Where in the world will my remarks be going?  At least now I know when I write my thoughts down in "my blog that no one reads".  I didn't check that out as a blog name, but I DID check out quite a few names and they were all taken, including ALL THE GOOD NAMES WERE ALREADY TAKEN.  I did decide to investigate Twitter yesterday, but when it came time to choose a name, I got stymied.  To listen to the news, you would think that everybody in the world EXCEPT for me is tweeting.  But, really, do I know ANYONE who tweets?  Don't think so.

Sick of hearing about:
- Twitter
- Immigration
- Celebrities and their bad dress choices
- Marriage (especially GAY marriage)

It is almost a full time job listening to my music.  Playlist.com has a lot of problems.  Some days it does not save, some days it gets jammed up, sometimes the songs change and sometimes the links go bad. So then I move over to YouTube.  But YouTube has problems, too.  Now I am back to playlist because the Beyonce videos to two songs were stupid.  I like some gansta' rap songs and when I have to watch the videos, I realize how distasteful they really are!  I don't really want to watch Rihanna in black leather and chains.

I've been living in the past all weekend

Is this what it is like to get older?  The past suddenly seems more interesting than the present.  Saturday night I went to  a concert at the Landis Theater in Vineland, NJ.  Lauren Fox sang songs of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen.  She seemed like Joni Mitchell of long ago.  When she sang Leonard's songs, she put on a fedora.  It was interesing getting the back story behind various songs.  She sang the one Joni wrote while hanging out with Leonard at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City.  Then she sang the one that HE wrote there, but it was about Janis Joplin.  He was quite the womanizer.  (Actually, weren't we all?)  It was taking me back to my youth.  She finished up with a song by each of them.  The word "FREE" came up an awful lot.  We all wanted to be free forever, not realizing that we could be imprisoned by our own selves.

Also thinking about the past a lot as someone is researching a communal house I lived in perhaps from 1975 - 1980.  So, there is a flurry of emails back and forth as we all recall things.  I have been procrastinating on my answers for a questionnaire that he sent out.  I had better hurry before all the stories THAT I REMEMBER have already been mentioned by others.  It was a good time at Atlantic Street House in Bridgeton, and I still love all the people, those that are not DEAD.

Sunday I went to a classical music concert which was fabulous.  Had to drive all the way down to Stockton State College in Pomona but at least a friend went with me.  I HAD to hear Rachmaninoff piano concerto #2 as it holds great sentimental value for me.  I was in LUST with a Frenchman who chose that record at my mother's house (she was away), put it on the stereo and proceded to tell me that it was "the most erotic piece of music ever written".  Need I say more about our subsequent activities?  I enjoyed hearing it again and reminiscing about former loves and one night stands. (I need to make a list!)

Finished a book, Beautiful ruins : a novel, by Jess Walter.  It has been mentioned in quite a few places and lists.  It jumps around a bit between time periods and locales.  Interestingly enough, I was on the Italian coastline in 1967 and there was a rumor that Liz Taylor and Richard Burton were dining in an outdoor cafe in Protofino.  So this guy writes a fictional (?) tale of a hotel owner who encounters an actress who apparently had a daliance with Richard Burton and is being hidden away in this obscure town and inn on the coast.  Later in life, an old man and a young writer meet at an agent's office in Los Angeles and, along with his assistant, they reveal more details about this story.  I thought is was pretty interesting and suspenseful and could almost have been true.  I borrowed it from the Vineland Public Library (FIC Walter Jess). 

Black people have more fun

Just finished a fun romp of an audiobook...Baggage claim, by David E. Talbert (never heard of him).  Performed by Kim Fields.  "She's got thirty days and thirty-thousand miles to find a husband".  Book was quite silly in spots and I am not really into chasing men in order to marry them, but I learned a lot of black lore and the book was laugh out loud funny at times.   Montana Moore is a flight attendant with best friends at work, a black woman and a gay man.  Due to family pressures she finally caves to the idea of getting a husband and travels the country to "try out" five former beaus, who couldn't be more different.  They all have their stumbling blocks and the book keeps you glued to your seat waiting to see WHO she will end up with.

I am a creature of habit.  Thinking about the fact that I live in the same house where I came as an infant.  Of course, I haven't lived there the whole time, but I am back there.  Saw an old friend today in an art gallery.  Remembering back decades ago when we got friendly at the art opening for a show in which we were both participants at this very same gallery.

Started another audiobook which won't be as good, but the previous one ended up on Christmas eve in Baltimore and this one starts on Christmas eve in Malibu.  They both involve airplanes.  Life is full of coincidences.  Using the computer at the Bridgeton Public Library.  Going to look for an audiobook of Paula Poundstone's book.  Still laughing about HER performance the other night.  This is my SECOND library of the day.  Spent 15 minutes at the Vineland Public Library in between errands today.

Got this nail polish today from my favorite nail person.  Road house blues by O.P.I.

I want you to be my sex slave

These were the lyrics that caused me to turn the dial on the radio in the car. Power 99 out of Philly played this song. Too much. Reminds me of the time I met a guy on a cruise ship. It was a cruise ship where we only spoke Spanish or Portuguese. I met a guy in the club who whispered to me, "Quiero ser tu esclavo" (I want to be your slave). Kind of more romantic sounding in Spanish, don't ya think?
Not to mention that it is the total opposite kind of request.

Better late than never? Was "balancing" my checkbook this AM, reviewing a statement from July 7, 2007. I don't really call what I do balancing, because I can't keep a checkbook balanced for more than a month. I have to keep a big balance in there in case of problems. I DO try to add and subtract various things but it never comes out exactly right. That is why I tell them to not count on me in church to count the money. I count everything three times and if it comes out the same twice, I consider that to be reality.

So much on my mind these days....shopping, wrapping, computers, exercising, appointments. Don't know which way to go first. So much to do at home, but so much to do OUT. Currently OUT and probably will STAY out til bedtime. Don't really enjoy being home in the DARK, cold night. I want to be HOME when it is sunny and nice but I want to be out then, too. See what a quandery my life is? It is so hard being me.

Turn off your watch alarms

Was ordered to do this before the open rehearsal of the Philadelphia Orchestra today. Don't know how to do this. My watch beeps once every hour and the alarm goes off at midnight, 5 after, 10 after and 15 mins after. I don't know how it GOT that way and I don't know how to make it stop! So I took off my watch and put it in the pocket of my coat.

All the things one thinks about during a classical music performance. For some reason, I started thinking about past lovers. Professions of cello players, urologists, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, cameramen, art directors of movies, I could go on. Countries of origin, US, France, Tunisia, Columbia, Guatamala, to name a few.

Today I had my first experience of the Kimmel Center. OK, I am a few years behind the curve. Walking in is a WOW...wood, wood, wood, and beautiful rose colored seats. Nice that you can park underneath for only $10 if you arrive before 10 AM. But, no parking attendant, they make you use this machine which was confusing to the elderly. There was a big long line of people trying to get their tickets before 10 AM. The machine did not give change, to make it REALLY user friendly. Someone put in a twenty dollar bill before they discovered this unpleasant fact. When we left, no one checked our ticket. How necessary IS this ticket? Do I want to find out? Anyway, this gorgeous wood symphony hall is inside an ultra modern glass building. The Verizon Symphony hall wood reminds me of a boat or a cello. In fact, the ceiling is shaped like a cello. Highly recommended is the TOUR of the building. My friend said she took the tour THREE times and it was different stuff every time. it is given every day except Monday at 1 pm.

Things I love:
- Spring
- Fall
- Listening to MY music

Things I hate:
- People who go out of business and leave a sign up saying - SALE! - STOP IN!
- Summer
- Winter
- Change

I used to fall in love about once every ten years. I think I am WAY overdue, by about 12 years!

Next week, I am renting a place at the beach. It has been on my list of things to do for about 40 years. So many places....so little time! I always think: "But I could just DRIVE down here. It is only an hour away." With the current price of gas, it might cost as much to DRIVE down every day as it does to RENT a place. And I am ONE hour from SO MANY interesting shore towns. I plan to think about my HISTORY in Ocean City. I had a very interesting life here about almost 40 years ago. Just toured a house rented by a friend of mine. He has a history here going back almost 80 years ago. And he even brought a picture of himself and his parents and his dog in Ocean City when he was five years old. Boy, does he have ME beat! I will have to keep an eye out as I keep hearing about more and more people who have connections to this town.

Still involved in a Downton Abbey watching marathon. The plot got REALLY crazy last night (somewhere in the middle of season two). There are people we LOVE (Matthew) and people we HATE (Thomas) and it is quite addicting. Maggie Smith plays what must be the best role of her life as the Dowager Countess. The costumes and the furnishings and the rules and the scenery are all mind-boggling and truly fine.
It gives a good view into the changes wrought on English society and country manor life before and after World War I. I enjoy the role of letters in this series. Yes, before texting, there were letters. Season three starts on PBS in January 2013 so you have some time to watch it.

I used to have a boyfriend who was a parapalegic. I met him in a bar in Vermont. I was on one of those weird ski weekends where four couples sleep in two bunk beds. I moved to Vermont to be with the guy I met in the bar.

When researching blog names, I came across so many abandoned blogs. It must be a temporarily addicting pastime. One I like is Stuff white people like.