I am fascinated by words. Went to an exhibition of A day in Pompeii, at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, and all I could think about was all the unfamiliar words that might come in handy while doing crossword puzzles. Seems that words relating to ancient gods are popular in those puzzles. I had the same experience while watching Downton Abbey. I have to keep a paper and a pen handy to write down unfamiliar allusions. Now, where did I put that paper?
A nice calm evening using the computer at the Vineland Public Library. Well, pretty peaceful, except for the guy typing wildly and cursing at his Facebook account.
It was a gorgeous, sort of warmish wintry day today. I was going to take a "Vitamin D" bath in the back yard, but it wasn't really THAT warm, especially when the breeze blew. But it was mighty fine compared to what we have been having.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Grumble grumble
Can't find much good about today. It is rainy and gloomy and having difficulty getting over the freezing mark. Called REI and found out that I RUINED my cross country skis by getting them wet and then leaving them in the car overnight while the temperature went down near zero. The base peeled completely off of one of my skis, and, according to the guy at REI, IT CANNOT BE FIXED. The problem with STUFF is that is needs to be cared for and I am terrible at caring for stuff. I have a whole garage full of uncared-for stuff that I let get dusty, dirty, damp, cold and hot.
Finished a book on the Nook, probably a FREE FRIDAY (Barnes and Noble) book. Bring on the blessings, , by Beverly Jenkins, is a heart-warming tale of a town that needs a lift. The townspeople, who are black, agree to take on sponsorship of needy children. I think a rich woman helped them. Various badly behaved orphans came to town and were assigned to single people and married couples. I think some people actually moved to the town to take part in this experiment. The match up of the kids and adults is interesting and the whole town takes part in this project. In addition, there are past lovers and new residents to spice up the story.
Another nonfiction book I borrowed through the Overdrive program through the Vineland Public Library. I gained a few morsels from People can't drive you crazy if you don't give them the keys, by Mike Bechtel. Most of the time I was thinking I don't HAVE any "crazy" people in my life but then I realized my neighbors and people on the roads did aggravate me just as he described in his examples. I was glad when this book was over.
Finished a book on the Nook, probably a FREE FRIDAY (Barnes and Noble) book. Bring on the blessings, , by Beverly Jenkins, is a heart-warming tale of a town that needs a lift. The townspeople, who are black, agree to take on sponsorship of needy children. I think a rich woman helped them. Various badly behaved orphans came to town and were assigned to single people and married couples. I think some people actually moved to the town to take part in this experiment. The match up of the kids and adults is interesting and the whole town takes part in this project. In addition, there are past lovers and new residents to spice up the story.
Another nonfiction book I borrowed through the Overdrive program through the Vineland Public Library. I gained a few morsels from People can't drive you crazy if you don't give them the keys, by Mike Bechtel. Most of the time I was thinking I don't HAVE any "crazy" people in my life but then I realized my neighbors and people on the roads did aggravate me just as he described in his examples. I was glad when this book was over.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Christmas is now officially over
It is the 7th, even past three kings day. Saw a Christmas movie today (Madea). Time to put away the Christmas-themed return address labels and stickers. I think the last presents were exchanged today as well. Time to start dieting and exercising.
The cold is horrific - only consulation is that the sun is shining. Looking forward to getting home since I have been running around a lot. NOT looking forward to it, as my heat can't deal with the extreme cold. I turned the heat way down to give the heater a rest. A bill approaching $700 was delivered along with my oil yesterday. The wind is making it a bitterly cold day. Had to come out, however, for exercise class and Christmas breakfast date and movie and library visit. I guess it could be worse....I could live in Minnesota.
The good news is that I cross country skiied. The bad news is that my skis fell apart while traveling in my car. Read something on the Internet about the base peeling off of older skis that had not been properly cared for. Certainly my skis have not been cared for at all. There they sit, at the base of my steps, waiting for winter to roll around so I can try them out. This year, it worked, but now my skis are broken. Seems like much in my life has been ignored for so long that it disappears into dust. Sigh.....
The cold is horrific - only consulation is that the sun is shining. Looking forward to getting home since I have been running around a lot. NOT looking forward to it, as my heat can't deal with the extreme cold. I turned the heat way down to give the heater a rest. A bill approaching $700 was delivered along with my oil yesterday. The wind is making it a bitterly cold day. Had to come out, however, for exercise class and Christmas breakfast date and movie and library visit. I guess it could be worse....I could live in Minnesota.
The good news is that I cross country skiied. The bad news is that my skis fell apart while traveling in my car. Read something on the Internet about the base peeling off of older skis that had not been properly cared for. Certainly my skis have not been cared for at all. There they sit, at the base of my steps, waiting for winter to roll around so I can try them out. This year, it worked, but now my skis are broken. Seems like much in my life has been ignored for so long that it disappears into dust. Sigh.....
Monday, January 6, 2014
Neighbors, quiet for some time, blew it yesterday
They were getting on my nerves all day. Kids outside making kid noises, being boisterous. People in back yard setting up an outdoor cooking stove. Had a stupid looking small black dog on a leash. Uh-oh, I thought to myself. So I went out for a Downton Abbey viewing party and heard shrieking, laughing, who knows what. Came back to find out there was a bottle fight with police cars, ambulances and street blockages. Sigh.... See what happens when friends get out of hand?
Neighbor said she was taken out "on a chair" with her head lolling back. THAT sounds pretty weird!
Just finished a good book about health, Dr. Melissa Palmer's guide to hepatitis & liver disease. I checked online to see if it has been redone since 2004 and, unfortunately, no. Must return it to the Vineland Public Library today. It gave me a lot of good info about Hepatitis C and various ways to help the liver. I need to find a liver specialist but I don't think there are any around here. I am getting batted around between the family physician and the Internal medicine guy and I think I need better advice.
My eyes are really going. Can't see the choices on those game shows on TV. Even this screen is sort of grayish and not all that clear. Was having problems last summer and said I am going to update my prescriptions for the glasses before I get REALLY worried. Well, now, I am getting really worried.
Neighbor said she was taken out "on a chair" with her head lolling back. THAT sounds pretty weird!
Just finished a good book about health, Dr. Melissa Palmer's guide to hepatitis & liver disease. I checked online to see if it has been redone since 2004 and, unfortunately, no. Must return it to the Vineland Public Library today. It gave me a lot of good info about Hepatitis C and various ways to help the liver. I need to find a liver specialist but I don't think there are any around here. I am getting batted around between the family physician and the Internal medicine guy and I think I need better advice.
My eyes are really going. Can't see the choices on those game shows on TV. Even this screen is sort of grayish and not all that clear. Was having problems last summer and said I am going to update my prescriptions for the glasses before I get REALLY worried. Well, now, I am getting really worried.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Temperature guages gone wild
Which is crazier?...the weather or the temperature gauges? A vast difference between our various measurements of the actual temperature. Phones, cars, TV give inconsistent temps....is it 2 below? or 6 degrees or 18? My car registered 18 when I left Bridgeton and 28 when I got to Greenwich. That is only a 20 minute drive. Also dealing with 6 or so inches of snow. Feel like the little kid in A Christmas story, all bundled up and having trouble walking. I am all bundled up and walking on ice and carrying many parcels. Sigh. Am getting slower and slower.
There have been many armed home invasions in my town. Must get better about locking my front door. I forgot to do it the other night and it snowed on my doorstep. Starting to lock also the door at the TOP of the stairs to further deter the robbers. My only consolation is that whoever breaks into my home will think it has already been ransacked! A home on the 100 block of Hampton Street was invaded one night. People were sitting on their porch at 10 minutes after midnight. Three women came down the street and started talking to them. They moved from the porch into the house and then three men joined them with handguns and robbed them. One of the six suspects was described as being four months pregnant and wearing a blue zip up jacket and braids. All I can say is there must have been drugs involved.
Finished a book by a "local" author. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The Fifty-first state is a novel written by Lisa Borders. Someone loaned me her "uncorrected proof" copy. The milieu is Millville and Bivalve. The author made up locations, such as a town called Floyd. I found this rather off-putting, although we do have a town called Norma nearby. Lisa lives in Boston and this is her second novel. The book begins with a car accident. Hallie Corson returns from New York to help her long-estranged brother after their parents die in the car crash on Route 55. Themes involve research of frog abnormalities, old boyfriends, teenage angst, city versus country life, and family histories.
There have been many armed home invasions in my town. Must get better about locking my front door. I forgot to do it the other night and it snowed on my doorstep. Starting to lock also the door at the TOP of the stairs to further deter the robbers. My only consolation is that whoever breaks into my home will think it has already been ransacked! A home on the 100 block of Hampton Street was invaded one night. People were sitting on their porch at 10 minutes after midnight. Three women came down the street and started talking to them. They moved from the porch into the house and then three men joined them with handguns and robbed them. One of the six suspects was described as being four months pregnant and wearing a blue zip up jacket and braids. All I can say is there must have been drugs involved.
Finished a book by a "local" author. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The Fifty-first state is a novel written by Lisa Borders. Someone loaned me her "uncorrected proof" copy. The milieu is Millville and Bivalve. The author made up locations, such as a town called Floyd. I found this rather off-putting, although we do have a town called Norma nearby. Lisa lives in Boston and this is her second novel. The book begins with a car accident. Hallie Corson returns from New York to help her long-estranged brother after their parents die in the car crash on Route 55. Themes involve research of frog abnormalities, old boyfriends, teenage angst, city versus country life, and family histories.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Life is weird
Strange things which I have noted lately...
- A woman died while doing yoga.
- A young man was shot in Newark. He had recently become a father AT AGE 14.
- It hasn't even started to snow and they have been talking about the coming snow for hours now on the television
Feeling kind of self satisfied since I got online today and also worked out. What more can a person look to accomplish in retirement? I did call and volunteer to staff the homeless shelter which they established after a guy died a few weeks ago. I am sort of worrying about stuff like illnesses and bad behavior and how you get them to LEAVE in the morning. And now a snowstorm and freezing temps during the day adds a new layer of complication to the whole thing.
Really depressing weather day today. Freezing and grey and looking and feeling like snow all day. My heat does not even work when it gets THIS cold (a low of 6 degrees predicted for tomorrow!) At least I have some new, fuzzy bedroom slippers.
- A woman died while doing yoga.
- A young man was shot in Newark. He had recently become a father AT AGE 14.
- It hasn't even started to snow and they have been talking about the coming snow for hours now on the television
Feeling kind of self satisfied since I got online today and also worked out. What more can a person look to accomplish in retirement? I did call and volunteer to staff the homeless shelter which they established after a guy died a few weeks ago. I am sort of worrying about stuff like illnesses and bad behavior and how you get them to LEAVE in the morning. And now a snowstorm and freezing temps during the day adds a new layer of complication to the whole thing.
Really depressing weather day today. Freezing and grey and looking and feeling like snow all day. My heat does not even work when it gets THIS cold (a low of 6 degrees predicted for tomorrow!) At least I have some new, fuzzy bedroom slippers.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
More hideous weather
Escaping the raw, rainy day here in the library. I used to work here and remember it as being warm and cozy and colorful. Winter has not even started yet and the weather is despicable.
Returning a book that I got on Interlibrary loan. The last bohemia : scenes from the life of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, by Robert Anasi. As Brooklyn gets hipper, I get more like a country bumpkin and an OLD one at that! Feel like life is changing and that I am getting more "out of it". This book is about young, not rich, people viewing the gentrification of a funky place and lifestyle. And it was short so I could finish it before the due date.
Nighttime eating getting out of control. I think I got some cheese out last night, even after I pigged out at French club. There was an "old" me and a "new" me. I have lost touch with the "new" me.
I thought I heard a mouse last night and there were a few nibble marks on the cheese that I don't think were made by me. Need to set some traps. I hear rustling in strange places. I don't think I am alone.
Returning a book that I got on Interlibrary loan. The last bohemia : scenes from the life of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, by Robert Anasi. As Brooklyn gets hipper, I get more like a country bumpkin and an OLD one at that! Feel like life is changing and that I am getting more "out of it". This book is about young, not rich, people viewing the gentrification of a funky place and lifestyle. And it was short so I could finish it before the due date.
Nighttime eating getting out of control. I think I got some cheese out last night, even after I pigged out at French club. There was an "old" me and a "new" me. I have lost touch with the "new" me.
I thought I heard a mouse last night and there were a few nibble marks on the cheese that I don't think were made by me. Need to set some traps. I hear rustling in strange places. I don't think I am alone.
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