How electronic things work

This is ironic, but I checked out a book on my Nook. It is called How electronic things work....and what to do if they don't. The weird thing is, this book caused a problem I have never before had on my Nook! I can't figure out how to make the page advance. A strange message came up that I have never seen before. So I went back to another book that DOES work. Is that stupid or what?

Spent a lot of time with friends over the weekend. Also a lot of time with some six year old twins who seem to love me right now. I know that these stages are very temporary so I am taking advantage of it. They tore my sister's whole house up and made pretend houses out of chairs and blankets and cutlery and pillows and wall decorations and snacks. We had some playing cards and we were pretending that they were cell phones and video games. My sister and her boyfriend were just too tired to be disciplining so things got pretty wild. They are like whirling dervishes and love machines. It is so very upsetting to know that kids of that adorable age were murdered in Connecticut. Later Sunday night I was crying as Obama gave his speech at the memorial service in Newtown. It came on right after 60 minutes, which is the only TV show I actually watch ON PURPOSE.

I am kind of starving, waiting for a Christmas party to start. Using the computers at Rutgers Camden where I have staff privileges. Unfortunately, I no longer have parking privileges so I had to put over $4 in the street meter. Just got out a wheeled cart I knew I had to practice wheeling my "crap" around. My purse and my traveling folders and other bags full of business stuff are really wearing me down. I was surprised at how well this thing works. It is designed for one suitcase (back in the days before they thought of putting the wheels ON the suitcases) and is more lightweight than I had remembered. Guess I won't ask Santa for that, after all. It "kind of" works if I pile my stuff up and don't go over any uneven surfaces.

I am half-sick of shadows

Kind of a silly title and kind of a silly book. I did enjoy it although the audiobook kept skipping in my car. I think it is my player. The book is by a man, Alan Bradley and is about a young girl, who is part sleuth, part alchemist. She lives in a house that is almost a castle with her father, her two aggravating sisters and some servants.
Her mother has died and they have fallen on hard times. Her father decides to rent out the house to a movie crew around Christmas time. Trouble ensues and includes snowstorms and fireworks and a murder. This is considered the author's second "Flavia de Luce mystery". I enjoyed it for the descriptions and the very British witticisms.

Hung out with some really fun six year olds last night. We watched an old fashioned cartoon called The aristocats. I was amazed that modern children could enjoy such a thing. The kids were delightful, so loving, delivering occasional kisses, "just because"... So sad to think that children this age were murdered by another crazy American. Although I guess it is not just Americans who are crazy. Japanese and Vietnamese people knife each other as they do not have our easy access to guns. But what is going on? Do they just get the idea from TV and other events? But why?

Working today. Went to the cafeteria for lunch. I love it over there. Except for the fact that this is a PEPSI campus. Thinking of all the trees and all the seasons I have witnessed here and also thinking about a coworker who retired and died too soon.
I like this one tree out there. The leaves turn all brown but they do not fall off. It is juxtaposed next to an evergreen. I have been working here part time going on twenty five years! They already had a goodbye party for me several years ago but I keep on hanging on. Now I work only once a month, and not every month.

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.

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.

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.