I think of many good titles during the day

But, now that I am on the computer, I can't remember any of them.

The Boston girl (audiobook), by Anita Diamant. A good fictional rendering of a biographical story of one woman's complicated life growing up in the early twentieth century. Born to immigrant parents, becoming modern is very difficult for the three daughters. The tale is told by a grandmother who is asked how she got to be who she is by her granddaughter.

Tales from Code blue....working with the homeless to shelter them when the weather becomes REALLY cold. I was sitting in a chair near the front door waiting for the snow to fall. It started at 11:30 PM and I realized I was listening to a really LOUD symphony of sounds.....snoring from many quarters, farting and one guy grinding his teeth (this makes a sound like a duck quacking).

There is a general panic about the snowstorm

50 million Americans are waiting for the storm of the century or some such nonsense. Sitting here in the Cumberland County Library like there isn't a scary storm going on. Tonight I volunteered to sit with the homeless people. Am enjoying this volunteer assignment less each time I do it. But I do really like the pastor in charge so I think I will make every crazy effort to go even though it is going to be quite messy and possibly dangerous. A commitment is a commitment, in my book. I only have to drive a few blocks.

Testament (book), Vickie Gendreau. I read this book in French and I am not sure I understood much about it. It seemed to be about a group of friends, some of whom die. Each section is preceded by a name or the name of a file. It was all very young and hip and hard for me to comprehend. Lots of English words were thrown in and the short sentences were helpful.

My friend is going nuts taking care of his parents in their waning years. He even called them "fucking morons" on Facebook today. THAT was a bit extreme. They are losing it and are not really aware of how bad they are doing. May get together with him later because he needs SOMETHING a bit distracting to do on his birthday.

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!

A memorable Valentine's day?

Really only because the temperature got into the upper 40's and the sun was shining. Got the predictable Valentines from my nephew and my girlfriend (but they were really GOOD ones). A friend bought me breakfast and my sister gave me two elegant chocolate bars from Bolivia. My neighbor swept up some of my snow, but he does that many days. Just going home to stay there and read tonight. Ho hum.

Had a nice day volunteering at a local art gallery. People came in, had some good conversations and sold some stuff. I bought a photograph. I always like to buy something when I am working in the non-profit art gallery.

Today getting online. Tomorrow I must make more of a priority EXERCISE. Am starting to feel like a SAUSAGE again.

The weather is somewhat traumatizing

It was a gloomy day. I HATE being home when it is cold and not sunny. Here I am, out and volunteering. If I had not made a commitment, the tendency would be to stay home. It snowed today and it was cold and windy. The sun did try to come out once or twice. I DID see a couple of people sliding and swerving on the roads, reinforcing my thought that I should be at home. But I am getting bored out of my gourd at home and it is not so warm there. The other night I went out I was GLAD as it was to a cozy house of people talking about a book, as opposed to me all alone reading and watching TV. So, tonight will be good, as I get to hear the Bay Atlantic symphony along with volunteering. Also I stopped by the local art gallery to volunteer for January, too. The only thing I haven't gotten around to doing is volunteering to supervise the homeless.

I did my good deed for the day, driving an older person around, to breakfast and back. Also spent over $20 on birdseed. There is quite a gourmet guzzling going on at my house.

I should go AWAY next week but managing to get every day scheduled up with one thing or another. Am absolutely hating this weather. I think I have said that ad nauseum.

Life is weird

Strange things which I have noted lately...
- A woman died while doing yoga.
- A young man was shot in Newark. He had recently become a father AT AGE 14.
- It hasn't even started to snow and they have been talking about the coming snow for hours now on the television

Feeling kind of self satisfied since I got online today and also worked out. What more can a person look to accomplish in retirement? I did call and volunteer to staff the homeless shelter which they established after a guy died a few weeks ago. I am sort of worrying about stuff like illnesses and bad behavior and how you get them to LEAVE in the morning. And now a snowstorm and freezing temps during the day adds a new layer of complication to the whole thing.

Really depressing weather day today. Freezing and grey and looking and feeling like snow all day. My heat does not even work when it gets THIS cold (a low of 6 degrees predicted for tomorrow!) At least I have some new, fuzzy bedroom slippers.

I'm his guardian angel?

I meet some characters at the car mechanics. I like the car mechanic as they are honest and down home. They scribble what to do on a piece of printer paper smudged with oily fingerprints. Then they put your car keys on top. Calendar seems to be day by day and hand written. I brought stuff to do but I forgot about the loud country music they play. A guy came in, looking for a left hand mirror that he had ordered "a long time ago". He had left the country and his brother took over the truck and then kept it for awhile. When he finally got it back, the left hand mirror was STILL broken. He said if the mirror was still in the back room, he was going to call ME his guardian angel. It was. I am. He counsels prisoners as a labor of love for 40 years and his work is never done.

The weather is hideous. I can't stand it much longer. Two days of dank, damp and dreary. The only good news is that my roof didn't leak (yet).

I am busy organizing nuts and delivering them. Due to the horrible weather, I have not lugged the four boxes of nuts upstairs into my house. I am organizing them IN THE CAR. Soon, I will commence to binge on nuts every night until they are gone. I sort of overbought, if that is possible.

Volunteered for something I really don't feel like doing. I gotta stop that.

Bad travel dreams have started

Last night I dreamt that I missed the plane and also that I forgot my suitcase.  Just went to visit a supremely organized friend of mine.  She loaned me some Euros and told me about a few things to do in Paris off the beaten path.  She has many travel purses and a list of what she has done every year in Paris and an ongoing list of THINGS TO DO there.  I am feeling overwhelmed.

It is National Stroke awareness month.  See if the person can SMILE and raise both arms over their head.

I seem to have been catapulted into a position today.  Mostly a figurehead at this point.  Just by hanging around.  Possibility of a part-time temporary job.

Went out for a walk down the street in Greenwich today.  Appreciating the quiet and the lack of traffic.  Soon, the seasons of BUGS will start and I will no longer want to stroll outside.  But, today, great smells and not too hot or cold.

I don't understand what you mean by "ha ha ha"

That Siri, she is a riot.  We were making fun of her and she gave us the above response.  My sister and brother-in-law were trying to show off with Siri, but she wasn't really getting it.  My sister fell in the river from the kayak and got her iPhone all wet.  Luckily, she found that her upgrade had just become available so she got a brand new iPhone 5.

Was awake in the night.  There was a curious beeping noise.  Then a few minutes would pass.  Just as I was about to fall asleep, the beeping would resume.  I was racking my brain for what new source I had brought into the house.  Finally, I got up and walked around waiting for the beep.  Turned out it was my PHONE.  I had entered the birthday of a friend of mine and I guess the alarm had started ringing around about midnight.  Jeez...Can't stand that calendar alarm!  Once I entered my WEIGHT and the alarm started going off.

Was late to my usual hangout today. the Cumberland County Historical Society in Greenwich, NJ.  When I got there, all the chairs were taken. I went before hand to the College to volunteer and also get free breakfast and lunch.  Sat with a few convivial souls and put address labels on postcards.  Now, after a long drive from Vineland to Greenwich, I have a nice view of almost good weather.  It is sunny but still chilly.  Watching a man trimming his bushes on Ye Greate Street..

Barihunks

Couldn't think of anything to write about today so I clicked on the NEXT BLOG link. I always look at two of those plus one I have in my "favorites" list. Yes, I like READING blogs as well as writing blogs. It always amazes me the focus of some of these blogs. This one is Barihunks : the sexiest baritone hunks from opera...http://www.barihunks.blogspot.com. Another one was reviews of concerts in Paris called We left at the interval...http://npw-opera-concerts.blogspot.it. Don't think I will add either of these to my favorites list because it gets out of hand.

Volunteered today. The job was to put mailing labels on postcards. A rather mindless task but hard on the shoulders. It was fun talking to the other volunteers and they fed us breakfast AND lunch. Also put on some Christmas music for us, which I wouldn't be caught dead listening to otherwise.

Only got one phone call today and it was a wrong number. Sometimes I wonder why I bother with a cell phone. Plus this whole UPGRADE thing has me quite anxious. I do not wish to sign any more two year contracts. My two year contract with Sprint will be up at the end of the month. It has been the longest two years of my life.

I DID wrap one gift this morning and FIND one gift as well, but am generally procrastinating about this whole Christmas thing. Did make my list of stores I would like to stop at before the holiday (there were only four). I'll be busy the rest of today getting a massage, exercising and practicing choir music.

Having trouble getting online

OK, the weekend was SO busy, no time for Internet OR exercise (the eternal struggle).
Here I am at the Vineland library trying to fit everything into ONE hour....so stingy with the computer time. Not just Vineland, ALL the libraries, except for the Ocean City Library.

Glad about the following things:
- The sun finally came out at 3 PM
- There was an accident on Chestnut Avenue and I was not involved
- It did not actually rain today, just looked threatening and damp
- I brought my interlibrary loan book back and found out that it was WAY overdue
- I got something to eat for my prior co-workers and also supported a friend who is trying to have business selling only candy and art

Sad about the next five things:
- My ceiling started leaking in the middle of the night, exactly where it has been fixed not so many months ago
- Today just felt weighed down with issues about my roof, my teeth, my pills and many other undone things
- Gloomy weather really depresses me
- Can't get in the mood for Christmas. Feel like a real humbug (but I am like this every year)
- There is no number five, but things sound better in fives

Had a good weekend. Reunion with girlfriends of the 70's and saw Lincoln and ate at Coriander (an Indian restaurant in Voorhees). Ate with Breakfast club and volunteered at the symphony on Saturday. Sang in the choir and volunteered as a host for Christmas in Greenwich on Sunday and then had dinner with a friend.

Desperate for daylight

Seems like everything needs to be done in the daylight....exercise, stuff at home, errands. I am always rushing around trying to figure out what to do before it gets dark. Oh happy day, the librarian just gave me another hour on the computer. Don't know why I "insist" upon being so technologically deficient (like not having the Internet at home and having a lame phone).

America...the only country where we gather to be thankful for all that we have and then the next day go out and try to kill each other in order to get "deals" on more STUFF! I wouldn't be caught DEAD at Black Friday shopping. Of course, this is because I am a very "under control" (cheap) consumer and have no ideas for gifts for anyone else. Today is "Small business Saturday". I think I can get behind that and do have some plans for stopping by a few stores in Millville. No box stores for me today. Already spent my daily allowance on gas for a great price of $1.37 a gallon in Bridgeton.

Had a good day yesterday with family. And the weather was delightful and warm and gorgeous. We didn't actually WALK as much as stroll and hang out in Greenwich, admiring roof handiwork and boats and riverfront property. Then I spent some time at home, which I love to do when it is sunny. Next drove to Parvins State Park for a walk around the small lake. It should be about a twenty minute walk, which is my current goal for daily exercise ("BABY STEPS...") I hadn't been to Parvins since the derecho struck on June 30th (killing two young boys who were in a tent). The only people killed in New Jersey were there. Anyway, it was amazing the trees that were down, even now, four months later. The park was entirely closed for several months due to the extreme damage to the trees. It still looked pretty shockingly different. I took a bag to collect trash (my new idea for helping the world) but I only saw an occasional cigarette butt. About halfway around the pond, I looked in my bag and it was EMPTY. Then I decided to carry it more securely. I guess my trash blew right on out!

The peripatetic librarian

As part of my obsessive record keeping and list making, I record where I go every day to access the computer. I try to go somewhere DIFFERENT daily day so no one will think my life is TOO pathetic. This week I have been to:

- Monday - Sea Isle City Library, Sea Isle City, New Jersey
- Tuesday - Vineland Public Library, Vineland, New Jersey
- Wednesday - Little mama's cafe, Bridgeton, New Jersey
- Thursday - Cumberland County Library, Bridgeton, New Jersey
- Friday - Bridgeton Public Library, Bridgeton, New Jersey
- Saturday - Paul Robeson Library, Camden, New Jersey
- Sunday - Starbuck's - Millville, New Jersey

Today I volunteered at Wheaton Arts crafts festival. It used to be called Wheaton VILLAGE but now we must refer to it as Wheaton ARTS(dumb). It was kind of fun, although raining at first and the temperature dropped precipitously. It sounded like a good idea at the time I signed up. I kind of forgot that I am not really a fan of being on my feet for four hours at a time. Then church lasted too long due to COMMUNION and I was a bit late. My job was "booth sitter". I had to walk around, introduce myself to the artists and offer to babysit their booth while they went to the john or to get a snack. Met some nice people, saw some real creativity, felt bad that I didn't buy stuff but shopping causes me anxiety. Got my kettle corn and saw some friends. Decided nex time I should take my envelope of cash from my drawer so I don't always feel like I CAN'T BUY ANYTHING. Sometimes I take this frugality thing too far. Why do I always have to DECIDE between crafts or gas? Why can't I have BOTH? Just askin'.

Now a report on an audio book and a book which I have just finished. The book is Faithless : tales of transgression, by Joyce Carol Oates. I read it because it is the One book selection of the Cumberland County College this term. The 21 short stories do involve a lot of sex and violence and other weird stuff. Some of the topics listed in a New York Times book review were, "loneliness, divorce, revenge and not a little gun ownership". It kept my interest at least. I will try and attend the lecture they will schedule with the author.

Was very glad to get to the end of my audio book called Last lessons of summer, by Margaret Maron. I did not like this book. It involved an old house down south, a family business of children's books, a suicide and a murder and trying to figure it all out. Boy, but this women had one annoying family. Amy goes down to North Carolina to clean out her grandmother's house after her grandmother is murdered. Many boring and bothersome family members are waiting for the house to be sold so they can get some money. Add an irresponsible, cursing sister and a jar of poisoned fig preserves.

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