Owning a dog

I'm not of the group that thinks that you don't "own" a dog. I believe I do. But my dog is unbelievably neurotic--more on that later. Meanwhile, I've just started a part-time job that has me on my feet for my entire shift: tough on my arthritic hips and all those other joints above, below and in any remote way involved in locomotion. So.

I came home from a 7-hr. shift (six plus a 1-hr. break) and my feet & legs were killing me. I came in the door at about 8:20 p.m. and wanted to feed Holly-dog immediately, since I'd been gone since about 9:30 a.m. (extended office hours for my LIB105 students that day--and I actually had students up through 12:00!). Poor Holly had had diarrhea, and I, not realizing this, stepped into it right inside the door. So of course I tracked it through the kitchen a bit. Caught it and then cleaned from about 8:30 until after 10 p.m. Holly was, of course, mortified. But I let her know I wasn't mad and she seemed to pick up on that. But sheesh, this part-time job stuff seemed to be a big mistake after that! Not really. I'll come home if I have to, to let her out. it was just really really tiring to have to come home and clean, with bleach and Spic 'n' Span and paper towels and carpet cleaner, etc., etc.

I know why I've never lived alone.

Haiku

While walking the dog today, beautiful sunshine at 5 p.m., pretty stiff wind blowing on and off, the smell of fallen leaves, I decided it was just a day for haiku. So, for your enjoyment:

Yellow leaves blowing
Browned by October wind
Reds already left

Flat October sun
Harder, somehow, than summer
But not cold, not yet

Jobs for retired librarians

I guess it's just one job, really. I started on Sunday at our local Borders--that is, at Borders Books and Music in Plattsburgh (said with lilt in telephone voice). Right now I'm a "greeter:" I have to greet every customer who comes into the store and say, "Hi, may I help you find anything specific today?" What's really terrific is that about 1/3 - 1/2 the customers who come in actually want help! So I don't feel like a completely intrusive doofus.

It's actually enjoyable: It gives me the people contact I know I need (I'm still amazed how much I like "cocooning"). And of course I've seen enough books already to spend ALL my earnings! I'm very carefully staying away from the picture book section! So far the baddest thing is that I cannot wear jeans of any type. Rats. I'm going to ask about corduroy "5-pocket pants" that I'm hoping will slide by. I don't feel like buying too many clothes for a job that'll end after the holidays. But I'm definitely buying some black sneakers. I'll be on my feet for my entire shifts so I need truly comfy shoes and I absolutely REFUSE to be that "little gray-haired lady in sneakers!"

So I'll be a bit busier than I have been, and that's a good thing. Maybe I really will lose a few lbs. since I won't be near food while I'm working--thank heavens the mall just moved Aunt Annie's Pretzels way up the row from Borders!

Ooooooh! as in aaaaargh!

Bruce & I JUST got home from going to get our season tickets for the PSU men's hockey team and having lunch. It's 5:08 p.m. We left the house at 12:10 p.m. Tickets went on sale at 1:00 p.m.--JUST to last year's season ticket holders (LYSTHs from here on)--and there are enough excited Cardinal hockey fans to go early to get in line. So we met our friend Bill and were joined by our friends John & Sue; since we all sit together we all bought together. (No one can buy for anyone else. Go figure.)

We walked out of the Fieldhouse with tickets in hand at 2:50. No joke. It took us 2 hours and 20 minutes to pay for 2 season tickets. The set-up for ticket sales was THE worst designed "system" I have ever seen. Literally. I have never in my life seen such poor planning. Add to the wait the fact that the one, yes that's right ONE, computer being used was slow.

Absolutely nothing in the clusterfrak was computerized. The lone computer being used was to re-enter all of our information into a database. For some reason last year's database was not being used for anything, but the Athletic Dept. had printed out the list of LYSTH, so it's clear the database did exist.

The biggest error was that the Athletic Dept., almost certainly after a "meeting with all the stakeholders" and probably thinking they were getting a jump on things, had assigned seats to each LYSTH, in approximately the same place the seats were last year. This is because the seating changed considerably, going from bleachers to theater-style seating. But most LYSTHs didn't like the reassignment. This was the first line to stand in.

The second line was for each single or pair of LYSTHs to go individually (or as a couple) into the actual rink and put a hand on the desired seat(s). Why, I do not know.

The third line was to get that laying-on-of-hands approved by the guy from Line 1. The fourth line was to get each LYSTH's info entered into the database on that one computer. The fifth and last line was to get the actual tickets, one for each home game.

It is truly amazing that no one killed the Athletic Director, who was the guy at the destination end of Line 1. Apparently the idea of using clerical personnel or even work-study students for some of this never occurred to anyone in the Athletic Dept. But I forget, it IS the Athletic Dept. Duh.

We had lunch at 3:10 and after a short stop that I'm sure I'll tell about some time later, we came home. Now I'm going to take 1) a Tums, and 2) a nap.

But we got our tickets.

Awww

I used my new Webcam on Saturday to connect to grandbaby Kaitlyn. Actually I connected to her mom, who then called Kaitlyn over to say hello to Mimi (that's me in Kaitlyn-speak). I was looking right at the camera saying hello and smiling (probably being just a bit silly and the poor little darling was mystified. She had this puzzled half-smile. Emily told her to blow a kiss to Mimi, which she didn't do, so I blew a kiss to her. And when Emily asked her if she could give Mimi a kiss, Kaitlyn bent over and kissed the keyboard!

Things don't get much sweeter.

Powerhouse and Wind Mills

Today Bruce and I took a beautiful drive about 20 miles north to lovely Altona. We were looking to find an old powerhouse that just got a bunch of money from the wind energy company nearby. There had been a picture in the paper and Bruce said that although he knew exactly the dam, which was going to be removed, he couldn't place or picture the powerhouse. So we went to look for/at it. It turns out to be the building below and the dam in front of it is the one that Bruce knew--a few years ago he grabbed hold of a piece of rebar sticking out from it and with a light pull he pulled out a big chunk from the (off-stage left) pillar that's pretty much like the one that says "Built 1923." So both he and I don't share some locals' concern about removing the dam. I think it's ugly and Bruce says it's useless as a dam, too.



So I took a few pictures. The one above is the only one I could get from that side; the others were all from the back and I've put just one here.



I think that refurbed it could be gorgeous. I would put a theatre in it. But what do I know.

The marching pillars in the shot below are what carried the "penstock," which is apparently the name of the big pipe that carries water from a river to the turbines of a powerhouse. The pipe is about 5 feet in diameter (at least the one behind our house that goes to "our" powerhouse is). This particular old powerhouse was built by a local entrepreneur, William Miner, and that makes it special to folks around here.



So what about the wind mills from my title? That powerhouse is not too far from one of the wind farms in the area. The last time we were up in this neck of the woods there was no evidence of wind turbines, now there are a bunch of them and here is a shot of me (in red sweatshirt)sort of near one. You really can't see me--click on the picture to enlarge it and look for a red blob--but if you can you might get some sense of how bloody big these windmills are!



Here's my best photo of the day. I really like the sculptural aspects of the turbines; I've said before that I think they're beautiful. The ones near us were revolving very slowly and silently (they're not online yet)and the sun was in the perfect spot. Put your sunglasses on.

Years

These are the roses Bruce gave me for our 7th anniversary on Wednesday. We went out for a very nice dinner and then shared a split of champagne when we got home--my contribution to the celebration. When I asked Bruce if he had any symptoms of the "7-year itch" he didn't even know what it was so I guess the answer was no. :-) (Me either, BTW!)

I planned to wax philosophical about those seven years but my niece has reminded me of something that I try to remember--and too often forget: I'm very happy with what I have. What I don't have will take care of itself and I don't have to spend any of my energy on it.

I have:

• a loving husband (funny, gentlemanly, protective and caring)
• two unbelievably beautiful and talented daughters who love me (and I don't have to put "I think" after that)
• two sons-in-law who adore their wives and whom I love truly as sons (and I didn't have to go through the scary growing-up part!)
• one perfect grandchild with another equally perfect one under construction
• a snug, comfortable lovely home in one of the most beautiful parts of the country
• an income that lets me live as comfortably as I want to
• a good life

I'll take another 7+ years of the same. Happy anniversary to us.