Dire news. There's a real bookstore in town -- it's some kind of chain called Hastings, which is obviously trying to outdo B&N. It has movies, music, books in all categories, large magazine selection, cafe, etc. It also takes in used books but not massmarket paperbacks -- only trade paperback or hardback. What!?!?
Got just a few items at the WM, including some powdered graphite to try to make the gray tank valve easier to push/pull.
Checked out the Alamo Senior Center -- it's really big. So I paid my $10 "donation" membership and had my picture taken for my ID card. There's a state form to fill out -- tedious but must jump through the bureaucratic hoops. Found out the swimming is not at the Sr. Ctr. but at the Wellness Center in the middle of town and it costs $37 a month to join it. Hmmm. But the Sr. Ctr. does have line dancing lessons, pool tables, exercise rooms, etc etc.
Have just eaten my trashed browns w/sunnyside up eggs on top. As soon as the computer stuff is done, I'll head home, get hooked up, and hunker down for the two front that are rolling in starting tonight.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Saturday 12/26
Saturday 12/26
Quite busy in the store for the five hours I worked today. Got called down by Kenn as having taken over a customer from Caleb. That wasn't my intent; I was just trying to be helpful, but I apologized profusely. I certainly don't want to be a Rose by any other name.
Two fronts are on their way, with cold weather and possible snow. My knee is certainly letting me know the weather people are right.
Work tomorrow, off Monday. Will go to town and the wifi cafe.
Ooooh. RTV is showing I Bury the Living with Richard Boone.
Quite busy in the store for the five hours I worked today. Got called down by Kenn as having taken over a customer from Caleb. That wasn't my intent; I was just trying to be helpful, but I apologized profusely. I certainly don't want to be a Rose by any other name.
Two fronts are on their way, with cold weather and possible snow. My knee is certainly letting me know the weather people are right.
Work tomorrow, off Monday. Will go to town and the wifi cafe.
Ooooh. RTV is showing I Bury the Living with Richard Boone.
xmas day
After getting back yesterday after errands, my right knee decided it would swell up, which made it lots of fun getting hooked back up, especially getting down on the ground to reach under the rig to open the gray water valve. So I spent the rest of the day alternating aspirin and antihistamine, because I also had an allergy attack.
Today I'm much better, though I spent the day lazing about and napping.
About 6.30pm all we Bowlin folk (four whole people) gathered in the house to have a nosh and chitchat. Carol had made goodies. I contributed a mozzarella/prosciutto roll with some garlic/onion rice crackers. There was "Oklahoma dip" made of melted velveeta and hamburger, hummus, cheese balls, grapes, cream cheese with A-1 sauce on it. For sweets, there was pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, cookies, fudge, chocolate cake. I think there was more stuff but can't remember. All very fattening and midwestern (they're from Tulsa originally).
Caleb left at 7 as he'd agreed to babysit his nephew, but Kenn and Carol and I sat around and chatted till about 8pm. Then we all cleaned up and went home.
I'd heard from Mary-Ann that there wouldn't be the traditional tree-trimming party at Hazel and John's as John has come down with the flu. Not good, especially with his congestive heart failure. I told K&C that if something dire happens, I'm outta here on my way to Asheville. There's a very small group of people I'll drop everything for, and John is high on that list.
Am wishing for the best for everybody, and especially for those dear to me.
Today I'm much better, though I spent the day lazing about and napping.
About 6.30pm all we Bowlin folk (four whole people) gathered in the house to have a nosh and chitchat. Carol had made goodies. I contributed a mozzarella/prosciutto roll with some garlic/onion rice crackers. There was "Oklahoma dip" made of melted velveeta and hamburger, hummus, cheese balls, grapes, cream cheese with A-1 sauce on it. For sweets, there was pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, cookies, fudge, chocolate cake. I think there was more stuff but can't remember. All very fattening and midwestern (they're from Tulsa originally).
Caleb left at 7 as he'd agreed to babysit his nephew, but Kenn and Carol and I sat around and chatted till about 8pm. Then we all cleaned up and went home.
I'd heard from Mary-Ann that there wouldn't be the traditional tree-trimming party at Hazel and John's as John has come down with the flu. Not good, especially with his congestive heart failure. I told K&C that if something dire happens, I'm outta here on my way to Asheville. There's a very small group of people I'll drop everything for, and John is high on that list.
Am wishing for the best for everybody, and especially for those dear to me.
xmas eve
Store is closed today. Kenn and Carol took off in their SUV around 9am and aren't back yet (4pm). They do a lot of geo-caching so maybe that's what they're up to.
I took a nice shower and then did laundry -- you know, traditional xmas events.
Talked to John R today -- he's feeling much better. Phew. Joe, Hazel's oldest son, answered the phone, which was disconcerting (his nickname used to be Lurch -- long story). And Johnny was over, too, so I said happy holidays to them all.
Tried to read a Black London book by Caitlin Kittredge and just didn't like it at all. I know I've read stuff by her before and liked it okay. Maybe it's this series I don't like.
Am trying a book called Darker Angels by M.L.N. Hanover, and so far so good. The style is somewhat familiar but the author's name is not. I read the blurb about the author and it gave me the feeling that this is a pseudonym. I mean, I would recognize the name of an International Horror Guild award-winner, wouldn't I? Diana B -- what do you know about this author?
Work tomorrow and Sunday during the afternoon. Not too onerous.
TTFN
I took a nice shower and then did laundry -- you know, traditional xmas events.
Talked to John R today -- he's feeling much better. Phew. Joe, Hazel's oldest son, answered the phone, which was disconcerting (his nickname used to be Lurch -- long story). And Johnny was over, too, so I said happy holidays to them all.
Tried to read a Black London book by Caitlin Kittredge and just didn't like it at all. I know I've read stuff by her before and liked it okay. Maybe it's this series I don't like.
Am trying a book called Darker Angels by M.L.N. Hanover, and so far so good. The style is somewhat familiar but the author's name is not. I read the blurb about the author and it gave me the feeling that this is a pseudonym. I mean, I would recognize the name of an International Horror Guild award-winner, wouldn't I? Diana B -- what do you know about this author?
Work tomorrow and Sunday during the afternoon. Not too onerous.
TTFN
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Wednesday 12/23
Wednesday 12/23 8am
The storm has arrived. Spattering rain during the night but just now it's begun to snow, lightly and not sticking so far, supposedly windy later but not now. I heard that a huge dust storm yesterday closed I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix (which is where Picacho Peak is, 35 mi. north of Tucson). Pictures were terrible; glad I'm not there right now.
I remember the dust storms in Libya (called "ghiblis") -- the sand out of the Sahara was so fine it was like talcum powder. We could see them coming, usually out of the southeast, huge clouds boiling up into the sky. We would pack stuff around all the doors and windows to keep it out but quite a lot would still filter in. Fortunately, all the floors were marble so it was easy to sweep it up, though it took days as it got everywhere. Folklore said the storms would last 1 day, 3 days, or 9 days. Those long lashes on camels are to keep the sand out of their eyes, as are the face-wrappings of the natives. We non-natives had no such protection.
The Libyan dress is called a barracan, traditionally of cotton or light linen. I was taught how to wrap it properly and still remember how (this for the woman's version; the men's is, naturally, the outdoor version only and they don't have to hide their faces). The material is a rectangle about 3 ft wide and 20 ft long. If you don't start it right, it's impossible to do. When done, you have a chest covering and a skirt with a tight wrap at the waist and a loose cape in back that you can draw over your head and around to cover the face. A short-sleeved waist-length blouse is worn under it to cover the rest of the torso. This is the basic dress but to go outside the house (where strange men can see you), there's a piece of undyed coarse linen that is draped over everything like a cloak, tucked under the elbows to hold it closed in front, down over the forehead and then folded in to make an open triangle over one eye, held by one hand. The elbows and a hand are now out of action, so there's only one hand and one eye in use. Think about doing your errands like that, with a child or two hanging on to the outside of the barracan. Humph.
Somewhere I have a picture of my mother wearing a barracan for a costume party held at the Shores of Tripoli Club (a Corps of Engineers place). She was in her late 30s when we were in Tripoli. I also have a picture of her hula-hooping in a cocktail dress at a party in Livorno Italy. Mom could be a lot of fun until she retired and got religion.
The storm has arrived. Spattering rain during the night but just now it's begun to snow, lightly and not sticking so far, supposedly windy later but not now. I heard that a huge dust storm yesterday closed I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix (which is where Picacho Peak is, 35 mi. north of Tucson). Pictures were terrible; glad I'm not there right now.
I remember the dust storms in Libya (called "ghiblis") -- the sand out of the Sahara was so fine it was like talcum powder. We could see them coming, usually out of the southeast, huge clouds boiling up into the sky. We would pack stuff around all the doors and windows to keep it out but quite a lot would still filter in. Fortunately, all the floors were marble so it was easy to sweep it up, though it took days as it got everywhere. Folklore said the storms would last 1 day, 3 days, or 9 days. Those long lashes on camels are to keep the sand out of their eyes, as are the face-wrappings of the natives. We non-natives had no such protection.
The Libyan dress is called a barracan, traditionally of cotton or light linen. I was taught how to wrap it properly and still remember how (this for the woman's version; the men's is, naturally, the outdoor version only and they don't have to hide their faces). The material is a rectangle about 3 ft wide and 20 ft long. If you don't start it right, it's impossible to do. When done, you have a chest covering and a skirt with a tight wrap at the waist and a loose cape in back that you can draw over your head and around to cover the face. A short-sleeved waist-length blouse is worn under it to cover the rest of the torso. This is the basic dress but to go outside the house (where strange men can see you), there's a piece of undyed coarse linen that is draped over everything like a cloak, tucked under the elbows to hold it closed in front, down over the forehead and then folded in to make an open triangle over one eye, held by one hand. The elbows and a hand are now out of action, so there's only one hand and one eye in use. Think about doing your errands like that, with a child or two hanging on to the outside of the barracan. Humph.
Somewhere I have a picture of my mother wearing a barracan for a costume party held at the Shores of Tripoli Club (a Corps of Engineers place). She was in her late 30s when we were in Tripoli. I also have a picture of her hula-hooping in a cocktail dress at a party in Livorno Italy. Mom could be a lot of fun until she retired and got religion.
Tuesday 12/22
Tuesday 12/22
Big fast-moving front should be here by this afternoon, bringing us rain, wind, maybe snow, and much colder temps (highs in the low 40s, below freezing at night). Front itself will be gone by Thurs, leaving behind cold.
Am sneaking up the idea of a "career" change. Have discovered the American Society of Indexers, which has a course and a certificate for those wishing to be indexers. Not cheap (about $500). However, this is something I can do on the computer anywhere anytime and doesn't depend on my physical state, so it's really something I can do for the rest of my life. Of course, the society doesn't find jobs for you, but it does have a "classified" section on the website and it does put you in touch with other indexers. Networking ta da.
One of the RVW women solos does this and kindly gave me the link to the ASI. I think I'll bombard her with questions. A computer program (such as Word) can be set up to index a mss. by choosing all nouns, but that's really not good enough to be a real index -- that takes a human. I think as an ex-typesetter/proofreader/editor and an ex-bookseller, I have the proper qualifications. Other things mentioned as traits of good indexers are crossword puzzles, reading mysteries, and cataloging/categorizing one's possessions. Guess which of these I have. Yep, got 'em all. I mean, I set up spreadsheets for fun.
I have discovered, though, that it's the setting up and testing that I like. I'm not too fond of the ongoing maintenance process -- that's just data entry. So indexing would be perfect -- studying the material, creating the concept, testing, refining, etc. And then you're done with it and go on to the next challenge. Perfect.
Big fast-moving front should be here by this afternoon, bringing us rain, wind, maybe snow, and much colder temps (highs in the low 40s, below freezing at night). Front itself will be gone by Thurs, leaving behind cold.
Am sneaking up the idea of a "career" change. Have discovered the American Society of Indexers, which has a course and a certificate for those wishing to be indexers. Not cheap (about $500). However, this is something I can do on the computer anywhere anytime and doesn't depend on my physical state, so it's really something I can do for the rest of my life. Of course, the society doesn't find jobs for you, but it does have a "classified" section on the website and it does put you in touch with other indexers. Networking ta da.
One of the RVW women solos does this and kindly gave me the link to the ASI. I think I'll bombard her with questions. A computer program (such as Word) can be set up to index a mss. by choosing all nouns, but that's really not good enough to be a real index -- that takes a human. I think as an ex-typesetter/proofreader/editor and an ex-bookseller, I have the proper qualifications. Other things mentioned as traits of good indexers are crossword puzzles, reading mysteries, and cataloging/categorizing one's possessions. Guess which of these I have. Yep, got 'em all. I mean, I set up spreadsheets for fun.
I have discovered, though, that it's the setting up and testing that I like. I'm not too fond of the ongoing maintenance process -- that's just data entry. So indexing would be perfect -- studying the material, creating the concept, testing, refining, etc. And then you're done with it and go on to the next challenge. Perfect.
Monday 12/21
Monday 12/21
Worked from 9am to 5pm. Was a busy day and had two sales of over $200 each and so will get a commission (day's total was almost $900).
Most fun was two German women, mother and daughter. Mother seemed about 70 or 80, physically frail but full of life and laughter. They bought five pieces of Native American jewelry. Every once in a while I'd catch a German word or phrase so close to English I could understand it, and I would laugh -- the mother enjoyed that. We discussed my name and my German roots. They taught me how to say merry xmas and happy new year in German, which I repeated to them (and promptly forgot).
Then there was the family that bought things such as a Minnetonka leather hat, fireworks, cheap jewelry, and a small longhorn set (which the guy wants to put on the front of his old Pontiac that he made into a convertible by shearing the top off). From Montana.
Caleb has begun to make me his confidante. Today I heard the "confidential" news that Kenn and Carol are to be named manager of the month and employee of the month. Caleb really thought he was going to get "employee" because of the work he's done and the help he's been to K&C since they arrived here. He also thinks Kenn nominated both himself and Carol for the "honor."
There was some other "secret" corporate thing he told me that he wasn't supposed to. So -- no telling him anything I don't want repeated. Oh yeah, he thinks Kenn cheated on the test for manager (used the book) so as to get 100%. Is this true? No idea.
Caleb is ex-military, which is just as bad as a corporation for gossip and bitchiness and political infighting. I believe I'll just do my job, listen to whatever anybody wants to tell me, keep my opinions to myself, and sail serenely on until I can't stand it anymore.
Bones are aching because of a front moving in. Aspirin time.
Got a gift from Blair today of her special fruitcake. Came home and immediately cut two pieces and scarfed them down. Thanks, B!
9.30pm. Watching the Jay Leno show. He asked Jeff Bridges (one of my all-time favorite actors) to tell his favorite joke.
What is invisible and smells like worms?
a
n
s
w
e
r
Bird farts
Worked from 9am to 5pm. Was a busy day and had two sales of over $200 each and so will get a commission (day's total was almost $900).
Most fun was two German women, mother and daughter. Mother seemed about 70 or 80, physically frail but full of life and laughter. They bought five pieces of Native American jewelry. Every once in a while I'd catch a German word or phrase so close to English I could understand it, and I would laugh -- the mother enjoyed that. We discussed my name and my German roots. They taught me how to say merry xmas and happy new year in German, which I repeated to them (and promptly forgot).
Then there was the family that bought things such as a Minnetonka leather hat, fireworks, cheap jewelry, and a small longhorn set (which the guy wants to put on the front of his old Pontiac that he made into a convertible by shearing the top off). From Montana.
Caleb has begun to make me his confidante. Today I heard the "confidential" news that Kenn and Carol are to be named manager of the month and employee of the month. Caleb really thought he was going to get "employee" because of the work he's done and the help he's been to K&C since they arrived here. He also thinks Kenn nominated both himself and Carol for the "honor."
There was some other "secret" corporate thing he told me that he wasn't supposed to. So -- no telling him anything I don't want repeated. Oh yeah, he thinks Kenn cheated on the test for manager (used the book) so as to get 100%. Is this true? No idea.
Caleb is ex-military, which is just as bad as a corporation for gossip and bitchiness and political infighting. I believe I'll just do my job, listen to whatever anybody wants to tell me, keep my opinions to myself, and sail serenely on until I can't stand it anymore.
Bones are aching because of a front moving in. Aspirin time.
Got a gift from Blair today of her special fruitcake. Came home and immediately cut two pieces and scarfed them down. Thanks, B!
9.30pm. Watching the Jay Leno show. He asked Jeff Bridges (one of my all-time favorite actors) to tell his favorite joke.
What is invisible and smells like worms?
a
n
s
w
e
r
Bird farts
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