Starry Saturday

After brunch at the Route 9 Diner with Ann, I went to the Wine and Canvas event at the Library.  I had to leave early because my cold got a lot worse after 3 p.m.

So while you have to imagine the Library finished, I'm sure you can guess whom we were copying! Some of the others were fantastic!

Before I headed home, I had to scrape another three inches off the car.  Freezing rain predicted.  I think I'll stay in my jammies sipping tea.

Frigid Friday

The good new is that it was still light outside at five o'clock.  Yay! The bad news is that I woke up with a sore throat.  I started getting cold-like symptoms after lunch.  I really had thought the spicy Chinese jumbo shrimp would have cured me.  No dice.

So ... I had to cancel dinner at Tomi's.   Baw!  She's serving spaghetti.  So I'm sitting here in the dark writing to you.

A young college student came into the office today  and said she thought she might need to get a Library card. "The man at the desk told me I'd need one and I needed to show a proof of address."

She proceeded to say she didn't have an i.d. or a proof of address and could I do something about that?  I told her I would be at the desk ready to help her when she came back with the documentation.

"But I have a paper due in a couple of days."

Gently, I said, "But you sort of knew you would need a Library card, right?"

"I didn't even know this Library was here until yesterday!"  She's an Amherst College student.  I wonder if her major is political science.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

Another college student (UMass) who is a work study student at the Library walked into the office and said, "Where's the printer?!"  She meant the chest high, six foot long, copier (which also prints from a PC and faxes).  She was facing the copier.  But the copier had been moved and instead of being behind her on the right as she entered the office, it was in front of her on the left.  

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\

I saw another college student (female) outside at lunch.  She was wearing flannel pajama pants and a heavy jacket.  It was -5 F. this morning and had probably warmed up to about 12 F. without the windchill factor. Should I be worried about our future?  These people are going to be taking care of us (or not) in the future.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I have bought cheese and crackers for 22 people for the Wine and Canvas event tomorrow.  Cheese is ridiculously expensive!  I guess it's all that stirring and sitting around for years.  Maybe I should have gotten peanut butter and jelly -- that goes with wine, right?

****************************************************

I know this is insanity, but I really want ice cream.  No, I'm not going out for it.  But the thought of it is yummy.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I guess it's time to make tea and drop Air Shield in it.  Air Shield is vitamin C and a bit of zinc.  It has worked before, and I hope it works again.  I may resort to the Gypsy cold cure tea.  Yes, it's really called that.  It's a Celestial Seasonings tea.  When you add the water to the tea bag, a Gypsy pops up and stuffs you in bed.  :)

Thursday and No Thaw

I have started this blog many times in my head but it comes out as a litany of complaints.  But it's not just me -- everyone is grumpy.  We all have cabin fever -- even though we go to work every day -- because the weather is getting to us.  I looked out of the window before work today and it was snowing.  Some Pollyanna at work said, "Oh, I like it -- it makes it look all clean and bright!"  Ugh.  Maybe she's on drugs.

I got stuck in the snow in my driveway yesterday before work because I didn't pay enough attention when I was backing out of the garage.  It took me ten minutes and shoveling to get the car out. That would be my favorite thing first thing in the morning.

I had the ends of the roof snow raked but I'm too cheap to pay more than $50 so he wouldn't get on a ladder and do more.

We have two people out of work (a dislocated knee and a broken shoulder) due to falls on ice. And there's the flu ... so those of us still left at work get to do it all! Oh, joy.

A bright note: the wind chill factor is supposed to be so severe that everyone is sure to stay inside tomorrow.  Right? Um, no.  People are still asking why the front door of the Library is blocked off.  I guess the huge mounds of snow and ice right where patrons would enter is not a clue.

They have changed the forecast for Sunday from snow to freezing rain.  I'm really annoyed that I don't have any ice skates.  It appears that I will need them.

***********************************************

You know the snow banks are high when you can't get the wireless signal of your garage door remote over them.  I now have to be in my driveway to open the door.  Sigh.

*************************************************
On Saturday, we have the Wine and Canvas event at the Library. We will be copying "Starry Nights" by Van Gogh.  I'm not sure if a lot of wine or a little bit of wine will be best for the artwork.

**************************************************

I would close with a joke but the only one I can remember is not for mixed company.  Think of your own joke.

I Lost it at 8:46 p.m.

So I was having a really good time surfing the Net, reading Jim Wright of Stonekettle Station, checking in with friends who seem to have the flu in Canada and Missouri.  And the phone rings.  It's loud because I'm sitting right under it.  Remember, it's quarter to 9 at night.

I see the caller ID says, "San Antonio, TX."  I don't know anyone in Texas. 

Him: Hello, Ma'm, this is Adam from ... garbled ... computer service.  You are the primary owner of the computer are you not?  Adam sounds like he is in New Delhi.  He certainly doesn't sound like he's in Texas.  In fact, I'll bet he's sipping chai, admiring the woman in the cubicle across from him. (I can hear voices in his background.)

Me: What do you want? (Tired voice.)

Him:  We have monitored your computer for some time and we have discovered that you are infested with many viruses.

Me: Is the reason you are experiencing this because of the large concentration of fecal matter in your body which has not exited by any orifice?

Him:  I'm talking about your computer, Ma'm. There are so many viruses.

Me: Well, fine.  I suggest an analgesic will clear up your problem.  Thanks for calling.

I hung up.  Do you suppose Adam will take my advice? Reading this, I realize how appropriate (in writing) the word analgesic was.  I didn't know I was that clever.  Should I check the basement for pods?

*****************************************************************************

What you're looking at is a picture of some of the tortilla bowls that I made to convey the veggie chili during my "Watch the SuperBowl Commercials" party.  I bought those fluted pans "as seen on TV!" and it was very simple.  Next time, however, I won't use a 10 inch tortillas because they really are too big.  But they come out nice and crispy and they are just fun.

The potluck was great and the game was even more exciting than I could have imagined.  Yay, Patriots!  :)

666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666

I think I have bored all of you with this, but here's a picture that I painted at a Wine and Canvas event last week.  Give me a couple of glasses of wine and I'll be bold enough to try to copy Monet.  I'm not happy with how the bridge looks but I'm pretty sure that if I had worked on it more, it would not have been a pretty sight!

Yes, it is in a pizza box.  That's what they give you to take your work home in.  All in all, it was a lot of fun.

We are having a Wine and Canvas event on February 21 at the Library.  We will be copying Van Gogh's "Starry Night."  That should be fun.

******************************************************

My friend, John Birch, will be leading the first of three focus groups at the Library tomorrow.  The goal is to get public input for a long range strategic plan for the Library.  The information will also be rolled into a building plan for the renovations that we hope to do in the next couple of years.

He and his associate, Dominique, visited yesterday and they took me to lunch at Judie's.  I think my favorite sandwich there has to be the chicken/guacamole/bacon/lettuce sandwich.  But it's nap inducing.  You really don't want to go back to work after that sandwich!

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

I'm off to read for next week's book club.  We're reading, "Dogs Don't Lie" by Clea Simon.  Cheers!