Tailgating, the sport of idiots

Funny thought posted on the back of a pickup truck. Reminds me of all the times I wish I could put up some signs out the back window of my vehicle telling off the jerks that are the other drivers.

Voting morass. Every day wondering, are they going to postpone the election? Good when Christie and Obama shake hands. Bad when residents are desparate and complaining already about FEMA (or the lack thereof). Good when Obama takes charge. But states in Hurricane area were already "blue" states. People are going to be too distracted to vote. Some polling places were washed away. My mind is a mess hearing all of this.

So many fortunate (me) and unfortunate (you) hurricane stories. Feeling sort of superficial. All I care about is, "Will my Vietnamese nail technician be able to get back from Vietnam?"

My excursion for the day

I can build a whole day around an appointment. Today had a chiropractic/massage appointment in Vineland, the town I used to work in. Did many errands on the way there and stopped in to visit the old gang for break time. Now, a day with NO appointment causes me some anxiety, but I can fill up a whole day with just one.

It is very peaceful here today. And quiet, like a library is SUPPOSED to be but so seldom is, these days. And the teak colors of the furniture go nicely with the fall colors out the picture windows. In addition to the whole library system going into freefall and changing, Verizon lines have been out since the storm.

Going to WORK on Saturday. I have a job. It is only ONE day a month. And not EVERY month. Now, that is MY idea of a job.

Reasons to be happy

1. Family relatively unscathed in Hurricane Sandy
2. Took two pain pills
3. Listening to Rachmaninoff piano concerto #2 in car
4. Gorgeous clouds and sun and fall leaves on ride down to Greenwich
5. There is no five, but things sound better in fives

Actually, that was Ellen's joke which I heard last night as she got Mark Twain award at John F. Kennedy center in DC. I adore Ellen DeGeneris. I would love to go to her show, even. I think I tried to enter a contest to get tickets but you had to submit a picture of yourself and that stymied me. She just gets more adorable as the years go by.

I have always hated our Governor, Chris Christie. Have never been able to watch him complete a sentence on TV, even. But, now, I have been obsessively watching Hurricane coverage for five days and I am glued to his every word. He really does seem to CARE about New Jersey.

Fishing in the firehouse

Two feet of water in the Avalon, New Jersey, firehouse and they were FISHING in there! I am taking the lazy man's approach to storm investigation...watching it on TV. My sister and her boyfriend went out in the car to check on status of boats which were pulled into dry dock in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy. 10,000 Atlantic City Electric customers are without power in Cumberland County. 7.4 million people woke up in the dark this AM, Tuesday. Luckily, not us. I am looking out the window onto Clark's Pond which is relatively calm and drizzly. We might even see the sun tomorrow.

Worried about the beach. My worries about Sea Isle seem to have been well founded. Bridges are out or closed between Avalon and Ocean City and Avalon and Sea Isle City. That means if anyone wants to travel between the towns, they have to go inland to get on the Parkway. And all of the lovely libraries I hung out in this summer. I spent more time at the beach this year than any other summer, because I was retired and had time during the week. Between the death of a young man last week and the storm this week, I am very struck by the fragility of everything.

Have never been able to watch our Governor Christie even complete a sentence prior to now. I must admit I was glued to his every word during the crisis and he seemed to be doing a good job.

Things to do when the electric goes off

Just trying to get my lists together:
- Things to do while the electricity is on: watch DVDs, cook, enjoy the heat
- Things to do when the electricity goes off: read, eat the ice cream

Went down to my sister's to try and distract myself from Hurricane Sandy. We have been watching the approach on TV and getting ready for DAYS. If it is going to leak at home, it is going to leak and there is not much I can do about it. I'll just have to clean it up when the storm is over. I just got BORED with my home activities and thought I would come down to where there is a fireplace and they live on top of a hill. We watched a really great DVD called Page eight, a British spy caper that I missed on Masterpiece theater.

I'd like life to get back to normal, but I don't really know what normal is any more.

Dazed and confused

Life somewhat crazy lately, what with a friend from out of town around. Maybe the storm is telling me it is time to stay home for a few days? Did get to the grocery store today. I was running around doing NON-essential preparations for the storm such as going to the movies and getting a manicure. We have several days of anxiety-building news to get us all worked up about the storm. I detest rain, especially a hard rain and don't like the fact that I have no Internet at home.

I am lagging behind. Now I have a laptop but I can't live off my phone like many people and I still pay my bills the old fashioned way, by writing a check and mailing it. My friends look at me like I am a dinosaur, but they send me incomprehensible texts such as, "Matchwood is on". He meant Marshwood, which is some town in a British series called Midsomer murders. He texted me from the sun room, I was in the kitchen.
Earlier, I had texted another friend to say it was gorgeous at the beach and to ask if it was sunny. The message I got back was, "It is dark and sample". I STILL don't know what she really meant. There seems to be an awaful lot of sloppy texting about.

It appears to be the night for walking around for Trick or treat. I seem to have missed that whole scheduling, costumy experience. No one comes to my house anyway cause they can't find my door. I'm not good at costumes and only party was tonight. I am going to the Symphony instead. Killing time in Starbucks cause tired of driving all over the county for this and that.

He was far from being gruntled

I love P.G. Wodehouse. I know his politics are doubtful, but I enjoy the clever repartee between Bertram Wooster, gentleman, and his manservant, Jeeves. Just started reading "The code of the Woosters" since I am spending the night with a friend and forgot my "travel" book. Luckily, "the green room" was well supplied with books and I found a few Jeeves books in there. I laugh when I read sentences such as," He spoke with a certain what-is-it in his voice, and I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled, so I tactfully changed the subject."

My friend just handed me a cup of coffee in a cup from Bob's Bunz in Islamorado in the Floriday Keys. A reminder of a fun vaction we took in a big house on "The gold coast". It was sort of a 1950's affair, with many outbuildings, right on the Ocean. We had our own osprey, peacocks (mating), parrot and quite a few more creatures.
They really did have delicious sticky buns. Their slogan is "Bite my bunz" and you can find them at www.bobsbunz.com. We "won" this house at an auction to benefit something or other. A delightful excuse to investigate yet another part of Florida.

Yesterday attended a very sad funeral for a 19 year old. One of two unrelated adopted Brazilian boys, he and his brother had many wonderful opportunities growing up. Hundreds of students were there dressed in black and weeping. He was taken, suddenly, tragicly, in a motorcycle accident on his way to college. He was an adventurous, happy, energetic, daredevil, smiling, friendly, lovely, old soul, according to his dads and many other friends. I knew him hardly at all, but it was one of those services where you get to know him, love him and miss him all in one day.