Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Mislaid

Part of my many excuses about why I no longer take photographs.  I have an OLD SLR I could dust off and try out, if they still make film.  The digital camera given to me by my family has been MISLAID and I think the megapixels are 3.2.  My polaroids can no longer be supplied with film.  (Wonder how much I could get for a brand new Polaroid camera still in the box?)  Now I am taking really crappy pictures with my phone, an LG Rumor.  Just have not made the transition to the digital age.  I used to have a darkroom and all.  Several friends keep harping about what a great photographer I am (was).  So today I have an appointment with a techy person at the TLC (Technology learning center) at the Cape May Court House Public Library to ask questions about photo stuff.

phillie phanatic photo: phillie phanatic phanatic-3.jpg

Just tried to copy a picture I took last night of the Philly Phanatic. Had to get one off of the Internet. Apologies to whoever took this one.  I get a kick out of him.  A whole hour of him was weird though.  He came to the Cumberland County Library last night.  I wonder if there is only ONE of them?  He doesn't talk, and was trying to get across the idea to the kids that they needed to TURN AROUND in order to pose for pictures.  They were so busy looking at him that they forgot to pose.  First he turned around in a circle, trying to give them the idea and almost wacking people with his tail.  Then he made circling motions with his hands.  I worried about the SPANISH kids, which was dumb, cause he doesn't speak ENGLISH either.  It must be really hard for him to NOT speak. Anyway, the kids were adorable, with PP dolls, headdresses, etc.  Some of the kids were in tears or on the verge of tears.  He is more scary than Santa Claus.  A kid from Canada, who didn't know from the Philly Phanatic, burst into tears when he saw him.

It's July 2 already and I really haven't made any summer plans.  Clay College or other art class?  Summer rental?  Travel plans to Maine or ? Visit old friends with beach houses?  I think the SUN just came out.  That was not in the forecast.  The forecast is rain off and on all day, heavy at times.  When I asked the librarian if that was the sun outside, she said, "Yes, but it is humid and gross out there."  Now I feel better about staying the the nice, cool library all day.



Monday, July 1, 2013

An instrument from the Bible

Met a kid named Zephen and was told that his name came from an instrument in the Bible.  Just now getting around to looking it up and I think a ZEPHYR is an instrument in the Bible.  Zephen is just one of those weird names that people make up.  It brings up a lot of hits on the Internet, but most of them are databases waiting for you to comment on names.

Struggling to do this today.  I left my glasses and my coffee in the car.

I think it is still raining.  It has been raining most every day but it is unusual for it to be raining in the day time.
Mostly we have violent thunderstorms in the night time.  I have decided I prefer short and violent to all day rain.

Waiting for a CD by Macklemore.  Thrift shop is a fun song and I really like Same love.  Perhaps will become the anthem for the Gay rights movement?

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Su perro esta molestandome

I said to a friend, "My worst nightmare is that a barking dog moves in next door to me."  "Surely", she said, "You have worse nightmares than THAT!"  Trying to figure out how to say "Your dog is annoying" in Spanish.  Although I think I have made my displeasure evident in English AND Spanish.  It doesn't seem to have made any difference in the behavior of the neighbors or their dog.  Yesterday, the dog was barking and whining all day INSIDE and late afternoon outside.

Really fun surprise 60th birthday party last night.  My girlfriend was SO surprised, her eyes and her mouth were big Os for about five minutes.  She was totally shocked that her family had come secretly from all over the country.  I had to leave "early" as I had to get up and go to work this morning.  I only work ONE day a month, but when it rolls around, it always seems somewhat inconvenient.
Lots of food (Indian) and I totally avoided the desserts, which were plentiful and gorgeous.

We have had 10.1 inches of rain so far this June and June is not over yet!  That is a record.  Every day we have a few storms, mostly at night, thank goodness.  Having drainage problems near my garage where we park the cars.  Sometimes I have to wade through 4 inches of water to get to my house.
Well, it wasn' t THIS deep, but you get the picture....





Friday, June 28, 2013

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.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Forgotten

SprintPhoto_byhpeb.jpg 

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.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

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...                                                                                                        

Monday, June 24, 2013

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.