Attack of the greenheads

Was invited to go on a cruise of the New Jersey coastline.  My brother-in-law had to sail his son's boat from Greenwich, New Jersey to Queens, New York.  Due to some previously scheduled events, I declined.  They had a bad trip.  Engine broke down and when they were trying to fix it, they were attacked by greenhead flys.  These are large, slow-moving, sharp-biting insects that come upon us "river people" for a few weeks each summer.  My father's philosophical thinking on the matter was as follows, "At least it keeps the TOURISTS away!"  After they fixed the engine a sail ripped.  So they kind of limped into the New York harbor.

Restaurant review:  Tried a new restaurant in Millville, New Jersey the other night.  The megabyte cafe failed and the PC@Nite, internet cafe and natural juice bar opened up at 110 N. High St.  They have a limited menu but, believe it or not, really good crab cakes!  Also we got a salad that was an iceberg lettuce wedge, surrounded by bits of tomato and croutons.  It was actually visually pleasing and quite tasty.  The owner of the restaurant is cheery and her son has been drafted into being a waiter.  He was charmingly confused by the whole thing.  They have only been open 5 days and are still deciding what they want to be/do.  The hours are in flux.  Number is 856-300-5023.  A table and two chairs are in front on the street and Internet access is available.  I recommend it.

A lot of weirdos in the library today.  People talking to themselves, talking on the phone, acting strangely.  Of course, they are probably called me a bizarro bag lady.  I have STUFF all around me, my pile of things to do, my clipboard, my Wet ones, my blue plastic folder of things to do, my pencil holders, my notebook holders, my calendar ("the Bible"), my phone, my trash, my wheeled cart, my green zippered bag full of file folders.

Forgotten

 

This is the best I can do copying the photo that I took this morning on my Sprint LG Rumor phone.  I stopped to take another photo and spotted this mailbox full of old moldy mail.  Sad....

Seems like the past few days I have spent TWO hours a day doing errands.  Every day I am buying gas.  Today I went to my arthritis exercise class at 8 AM, went to the bank, then had to drive ALL THE WAY across Vineland to get to the Grapevine office so I could get "hard" copies of the paper where an article about my commune in the seventies is starting to run, then got the gas (good price of $3.27), then took pictures and on to Bridgeton to pick up my emergency supply of Ambien.  Found out that you can PAY for drugs any time you want.  It is just the INSURANCE that says you can't have it yet.

Photo series I would like to make...mailboxes,  laundry, trees.  I really need to get a new camera.  My phone is unsatisfactory.  Everything is too far away and dark.  I could try my old SLR and see if they still make FILM.

God, I hate summer

My apartment is "cooled" by 1 - 4 window air units and it just doesn't get rid of the humidity.
A dehumidifier is on my very long list of big-ticket items that I "need".  It seems I am always in need of a FAN, directly on me, or at my beck and call.

I "could" have gone down to the beach yesterday as I had nothing on my calendar.  That is very unusual.  But I chose to stay home and get started on some things like paying bills and save money on gas.  That was enough of that.  My home is not the place to be on a hot and humid day.  I did go out to do some "local" errands, if you call driving all the way to Carll's Corner local.  I found myself sitting in the car in a parking lot wasting gas just to get the air conditioning.

Then I did go out to Millville to a restaurant for dinner.  I was delighted with my meal at Kawa thai and sushi.  There were so many creative menu items!  I had the MAN IN BLACK, #26 on the Chef special II menu.  It was SO delicious, I couldn't even save any for leftovers.  And you can get BROWN rice for only 15 cents extra.  Usually I am disappointed with what I order and am envious of what others order, but this time I was totally enthralled with MINE.

I think I would like summer if I were here...                                                                                                        

I got this stinkin' smart phone.....

No, not me yet.  A friend said this about her new phone the other day and made me laugh.  Some of us aren't really leaping at the latest technology...we have to be DRAGGED kicking and screaming and filled with dread.  And, no, I haven't yet clicked on the link to upgrade me to the latest Yahoo mail, nor given in to the temptation to accept the next version of Internet explorer.  Sorry, but I learned at work that most upgrades may have given us a few new features, but they also did away with some of my FAVORITE things.  So I am ANTI-progress and ANTI-change.

The victory squat is a yoga routine.  If I could DO a squat, I would call it a victory squat.  But, once again, today, we did too many squats at yoga.  Don't like'em, don't do'em.  Maybe someday.

Being driven out of my mind by the librarian who keeps dialing the fax number which keeps not working.  She must have dialed it 65 times. Don't know why it is so EXTREMELY loud.   Had to resort to my usual blocking-out-the-world tactic of going onto Playlist.com.  It only helps a little.

French Quarter for your thoughts

Clever name of my weekly nail polish from O.P.I.  I usually explain the puns to my Vietnamese nail technician but this one made me tired just thinking about it.  "Why did you pick THAT nail polish"?, inquired a male friend of mine.  Because I saw a picture in the April edition of Ladies home journal of many earthy tones that were "in" this Spring.

Was reading a blog by a young person who had someone die...a twin? a sister?  who died.  She was all broken up about it and lamenting about the trivial things that people complain about on social media.  That's me.  Like talking about my NAIL POLISH.

Sitting with the father of a friend today who needs watching.  Since I am a doer and a thinker, I always want to ENGAGE the elderly.  They are very hard to engage!  Asking if he wants to watch TV, read, listen to music, go for a ride in the wheelchair to look at the flowers and trees.  Even as I am saying it, I am thinking how LAME I sound, if these are the only possible activities available.  Of course, he exhibits NO interest in any of these.  Perhaps one should just do stuff and not ask?  Or just let the aging "vege out" as my friend used to say.  I do not approve of aides who talk on the phone instead of paying attention to their clients, but here I sit on the laptop while two aides bathe my ward
I don't want to bother him but I don't want to ignore him either.

Never too early for Coke

Guy behind me in line at McDonald's was getting a large Coke at 8:00 AM.  I was getting a small black coffee.  Yes, I AM feeling slightly self-righteous.

Names of people are getting quite creative, especially around MY town. Here are some from the police blotter, May 11, 2013 - Jaymere, Purman, Quamane, and Tonetta.

I think what I miss most about work is the opportunity to be on the computer ALL DAY LONG.
Today am working at my part-time job, which is hardly working in the summer.  I like to keep a hand in and keep my library privileges.  I have been renewing one book for more than 15 years and don't know if I can ever get it back.  I loaned it to a boyfriend when he was writing a play.  He returned a lot of them recently, but not that one.  He is married to someone else now, so it is sort of awkward. 

Wishing I was at the beach, where it is cooler.....

No body drying with the hair dryers

A funny sign at the health club.  I like the one at the Cape May Court House library that says, Please remember to flush.  I wonder if that would work at the Vineland Public Library?  They don't tell you in library school that you will have to spend time FLUSHING TOILETS.  That was one of the 35 things I had to do every night when we closed down the library.

Came into the Millville Library today and saw a guy with sagging pants and jewelry in both sides of his bottom lip.  My heart sank.  Then he stepped forward to open the door for me.  My heart soared!

A friend is having a book signing tonight.  I am going over in honor of the longest day of the year.  Lots of daylight I mean.  Anyway, Sally Willowbee is a very creative woman who I have known for decades.
Here is the book she wrote about OTHER creative people in the South Jersey area, Found artists : on country roads, side streets and back alleys of South Jersey. 6 PM book signing at the Renaissance Riverfront gallery in Millville, New Jersey.

http://www.rrcarts.com/book-signing.html