Laboring in obscurity

Is it kind of silly to be writing a blog that no one reads? I write stuff down here and forget to tell it to anyone I actually KNOW. Went out to lunch today and felt rather underdressed. The Coach Room is where all of the lawyers and judges go and also many office Christmas parties are held there. I went with some friends who wanted to eat the chicken pot pie. I went against my principle of "only eat out one meal per day". Today I will be eating out for THREE meals. The menu? Oatmeal, chicken pot pie and beef stroganoff. Not exactly the diet menu. I did walk for 30 minutes in the neighborhood. Chicken pot pie I can take it or leave it. Once a year will suffice. Some people get really excited about it.

Just participated in the census for the Current Population survey. That is that boring book which arrived at my library, was a pain to catalog, and that no one ever looked at. I had to answer questions about my health, my eating, my spending on food, my hunger, my education, etc. Realized all of my spending is based on my own little rules of frugality and not on actual running out of money. In reality, I spend a lot more money eating out than I do on groceries. They said they are going to visit me once a month for four months and then again in a year. I felt kind of special being one of only 55,000 people, but then I read it again and saw that they ask 55,000 people every month to get the official government figures on total employment and unemployment. I guess I am now one of those people who are NOT LOOKING FOR WORK.

Ravi Shankar died. I heard on NPR that when he played at Carnegie Hall, he was warming up his sitar playing. When he stopped after 3 1/2 minutes, the audience gave him a standing ovation. This was only cited to say how little Americans understand Indian music.

The key is not to let go

Highly enjoyed this audiobook by Anderson Cooper. Dispatches from the edge : a memoir of war, disasters, and survival talks about how he got his start in television reporting, chasing difficult situations around the world. I guess he doesn't do that anymore and has settled down with his own TV show. The book was published in 2006. Anderson Cooper narrates the book. His mother is Gloria Vanderbilt. His father died when he was 10, "that slap of silence that reset the clock". His brother was two years older and committed suicide when Anderson was away at college by jumping from the ledge of Anderson's bedroom while his mother pleaded with him to not let go. The author goes to many war-torn countries...Somalia, Niger, and New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. He has trouble relaxing and vacationing, always wanting to be on the go and on the way to the next bad thing. Many good quotes... This one is from the epilogue..."The world has many edges and all of us dangle from them by only a thread. The key is not to let go." I really admire him and his charming good looks. A friend spends a lot of time on Fire Island in the summertime and says he sees him walking on the beach. Another good quote is..."I never understand people who are obsessed about the weather. One of the great joys of living in New York is that I can forget about the small piece of sky that I can actually see".

Drinking my daily Diet Coke. I limit myself to only one. And one cup of coffee. However, I was reading something which detailed at least three benefits of drinking coffee. Don't think I have seen any benefits of drinking Diet Coke.

Feeling very stiff around the shoulders. Even my weekly massage does not seem to have any lasting benefit in this area. Trying to get back to exercise but it is a struggle. Also trying to figure out how to add WHEELS to my lugging stuff around experience.

A man is admiring my ability to type. He asked me if I would type his resume.
I guess that is one thing I got better at working all those years.

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.

I know why they have hand blow dryers in libraries

Blow dryers are annoying, especially when they are not WARM. And I DO like to have a wet paper towel to wipe down my computer area. But, having worked in a library, I have to tell you paper towels are often misused by the public, who seem to have an endless variety of mischiefmaking in mind when they are using free services. Why don't we jam some down the toilet or leave them balled up all over the bathroom?

I just finished a BIG boook by John Irving called Last night in twisted river. I don't really like his books. First of all, they are way too long. This was an audiobook and I slogged my way through the whole entire thing despite the violence and weirdness and cursing of the characters. Yes, there were some colorful characters that came and went. The subject was an author and his father and his son and their best friend and their loves and moves and murders, etc. He got down and dirty with murderous frying pans, farting dogs, odd ways of committing suicide, hideous weather, naked sky divers and more. I'm glad it is over with and I am not looking to read any more of his books. Sometimes the language seemed stilted or self-conscious. I jotted down several of his adjectives...the hippie carpenter, the blubbering sous chef, the dumb Canuck, the snoring logger.

Last night I attended a delightful event at the Bridgeton Public Library. Books were donated by the Willits Foundation, set up by a Quaker in the 1880's to provide "tracts" on peace in the South and in Liberia (talk about limited and specific). Since my town is SOUTH of the Mason/Dixon line and since my sister is involved with this foundation, she coordinated a group who chose a bunch of books on diversity which were then donated to the library. Our lovely evening encompassed introductions, distribution of quotes about libraries, books and reading, a reading of the quotes and lighting of candles, presentations on specific books by teenagers, reading of a poem, singing of a revised version of This little light of mine and then snacks. It was quite heart warming. I realized that I used that library when I was a little girl and then I grew up and became a librarian.

Today I am using my laptop at the Camden County Library in Voorhees. It is named after someone but I am ignoring that name. I cannot believe the great number of people in this room all sitting quitely and behaving themselves! I am not used to this degree of attentiveness. Didn't really find a perfect place but am sitting at a table where there is a plug. The outdoor view is rather grim today so I am avoiding thinking about the weather.

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.

A committed underacquirer

In other words, I am FRUGAL. Decided to get a new window in my house. I love the big old wooden windows, but really, I have to admit that they do not function! A pane broke out, the storm window is broken and the pulley broke so that the window does not even open. Still, it is very hard for me to part with it. Maybe I will replace them one at a time? The storm windows rattle when the wind blows and some of them don't work well anymore. Costs about $500 for one, I fear. I have 13 windows.

I have love/hate relationships with many things. BRIDGETON, the town that I live in, lacks interesting stores and restaurants, but it is quiet. Our local NEWSPAPER just became "regionalized" and now incorporates Salem, Cumberland and Gloucester Counties. I love having a paper delivered that I can read at night but many articles are now about places I don't care about. Did I mention they also changed their name (I hate that) to South Jersey times? The DENTIST causes me pain and stress and breaks my teeth but I love the feeling AFTER I get my teeth cleaned. And some of them give me free stuff.

Went to an author lecture last night at the Cumberland County College. Heard Joyce Carol Oates. She read a short story called San Quentin. She shared with us the difficulties of teaching writing in a prison in that the prisoners don't really want any criticism of their work. Then she read a story called Ugly out of her anthology which was the One book, one college selection this year (Faithless : tales of transgression). She has quite a range of topics in her writings. She teaches at Princeton and tells her students she doesn't care if they like or don't like a book. The important thing is how did it make you feel. Someone asked her what does she like to read for pleasure. She said that she is a masochist and does not read for pleasure! She reads for review.

The trash fairy

Haven't figured out new neighbors yet, but I LIKE one older, white, bearded, odd guy. Because he takes my trash container out to the curb and brings it back. Just being nice? I call him my "trash fairy" since it started happening and I didn't know why. I still don't know why, I just know WHO. That is the NICE kind of neighbor surprise.
I have had some bad surprises lately, too, which is mostly what I expect. On the back of the corner are a bunch of loud white people who curse a lot outdoors. Hate that.

Went to my exercise class this AM. I LOVE the teacher. She just came back from workshops in Arizona. Learned about "brain gym". She will be springing that and other stuff on us in the upcoming weeks. She is adorable and is always saying inspiring stuff, like, when you are thinking "no", make it into "ON".

Took a pill for my dental appointment today. I think it gave me a positive outlook on a lot of things. Unfortunately, I was told I have to get my wisdom tooth pulled out. I have had nothing but BAD news about my teeth ever since I retired and stopped having dental insurance. I don't get it. I was supposed to have inherited very good teeth from my mother and father.

The weather is too perfect. Went up to 68 degrees today. And it is winter.