MLK, Jr. Day

It's wonderful to have the day off. However, I had to break my staying-in-jammies all day to go for groceries.  That's the problem: if I don't have anything scheduled, I do nothing.

Today I began with some housework (I really wish the house would vacuum itself) and then went for groceries.  Luckily, after having rained all day yesterday the ice had begun to thaw today.  I was able to get the trash barrel out and in without falling in the driveway.

At Stop and Shop, it soon became apparent that the college students are back.  There is an enclosed part of the store at the entrance that normally has at least 50 shopping carts. There was not one cart there tonight! I had wheeled a cart in from the parking lot, so I was o.k.

And the end of my otherwise uneventful shopping trip: does anyone teach their staff how to bag groceries? Nobody seems to understand that the foil lined, zippered, recycled bag is for meat and/or refrigerator items. And if they do happen to use it properly, they never zip it up.  But just once, I would like to see all refrigerator items in one or two bags -- not mixed in with the canned beans and canned tomatoes!  (Did you know there is no "d" in refrigerator? I do now!)

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I was so happy to get an email from Natsumi who lives in Japan! She even sent me a picture of her new granddaughter.  She already has one grandson.  It was a life time ago when they were first here.  My Debbie was two and a half years old and their son, Hide, was a bit younger. (I was pregnant with Emily and they got to see her as a newborn.) Now they have three adult boys and I have two adult girls. It is true that time flies!

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And now for something entirely different:

http://fox2now.com/2015/01/15/surprise-receptions-erupt-after-pop-band-crashes-the-wedding/

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I got a call from JetBlue yesterday.  You may remember that Emily and I went to Orlando and did the theme park thing last August.  At that time, coming home, the airlines damaged my almost new walker.  Yes, if I want to do extended walking, I need that walker so I can sit for a bit.  Leaning on it seems to help my back as well. 

It wasn't a lot of damage, but it was frustrating because I had only had the thing for a couple of weeks.  We must have spent a half hour giving them my information and taking pictures.  Then: nothing.  Until yesterday.  It seems that they will replace the walker entirely.  This is good news because then I can give the old, hardly used, walker to the Senior Center for them to loan to people who cannot afford one.  But it took another three phone calls.  I finally just let it go to voice mail.

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I'm off to work -- it's Tuesday! And it's a balmy 29 degrees.