Rough week... Ed, Farrah, and Michael

Wow! Ed McMahon died, then Farrah Fawcett, and then Michael Jackson. Out of the 3 of them, I think Ed was the most talented, but unfortunately it is Michael who is getting the most press. He was the youngest, the richest, and the most unexpected. Everyone knew that Farrah was battling cancer since she'd done a documentary about it. Ed McMahon was getting old, and mostly retired. He was sick for a while I guess. I noticed that the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes wasn't using him in their ads anymore. Michael... I didn't even know he was back in the United States. I knew he'd lost his Neverland Ranch or whatever, and I knew he'd gone to Bahrain, and then I'd tuned out. So the prince of Bahrain sued him, he came back to the States, and he was planning a comeback series in London or something. Yeah, right. That never would have worked out. So now we'll be stuck with Michael Jackson publicity for the next few weeks, the autopsy, the funeral services, all the fans etc.... I'd rather hear about Ed McMahon, or even Farrah, although I think Farrah's fanbase was smaller than either of the other two. She was pretty, sold a lot of merchandise, helped launch Charlie's Angels etc, good for her. Ed McMahon had a longer career, and Michael made millions of dollars. Of course Michael probably molested little boys who came to visit him too. I'm sure his kids won't inherit much since Michael had so many financial problems. Too bad for them. Hopefully they won't inherit his crazy brain too.

Okay, enough on this already. You can't go to any news site, on tv, radio, newspaper, or online without seeing a headline about Michael Jackson. I'll be glad when it's over.

Not sure if I'm ready for this...

My mother is leaving Florida, after 8 years, and heading back up here to live. Less than a week before her arrival. Hope her move goes well. Hope we all survive living so close to each other. She'll be 10-12 miles away from my house, not exactly neighbors, but it will be the first time in many years that she'll be in the local calling zone.

Thanks Arlene!

Taking a tip from my friend Arlene, I'll start the walk ticker thing just for laughs. At 1/2 mile at a time, it will probably take me a few years to complete this, but it looks like fun. I don't think I have it set up right though. Can someone help?

Feeling old...

Well my 20th high school reunion is this weekend, and I stepped on the scales last night and just about cried. Then I thought "well maybe I can get down to my high school weight by the time I turn 40..." That was a great thought! I started to think "How many calories do I need to cut? How much walking do I need to do? I'm sure I can find something on the internet to help me figure this out..." And then I figured out how soon it was until I turn 40! No way can I lose the weight by then! 40 is just around the corner, sooner than I thought. Heck, my husband is already there, as he keeps reminding me. SO I'm going to shelve the plan of losing X pounds by then. Sure I can try to eat better, exercise more, etc. but I'm not going to hold it over my head that I need to be at my high school weight by then because I know it's just not going to happen, and with I'm going I'll probably be heavier by then, not lighter.

Getting old! 20th High School Reunion is coming!

Well I just looked at the calendar and realized that my 20th High School Reunion is next weekend. A quick look at the website leads me to think that there will be about 40 or 50 classmates there, plus spouses I suppose. Not a bad party, but I think I'll skip it. My jeans and t-shirt wardrobe really isn't up to par for visiting with people who I haven't seen since graduation. Oddly enough though, I really haven't moved too far. I'll be within walking distance of the high school tomorrow when I get the oil change done on the Element. I occasionally see some of my classmates when I'm out shopping or walking around campus or whatever. A lot of us are still local and many of my classmates are on Facebook. Some have "friended" me, others not so interested maybe. In any case, I'm local and findable, and skipping the reunion I think. I did spend a few minutes on the reunion website and was pleased to see I wasn't the only one who waited until after the age of 30 to have a kid. Well I knew I wasn't the ONLY one, but I was surprised at how many there were... and a few had twins too! Cool!
I'm still here, I still look the same... well plus 50 pounds, and my hair is a little longer, but still wearing glasses and acne, and jeans. So if anyone from Greenfield High School (MA) sees this, and wants to say "HI" and all that... leave a comment. I hope a lot of you do support Stephen Oates at the Red Door Friday night, and go to the Country Club with Tim Farrell and the others on Saturday.

I'll be out with my dad maybe in one of the hilltowns, or up by the lake relaxing at home.

Politics: taxes and health insurance

Yesterday I got something from my union telling me that the state representatives are trying to increase our health insurance premiums. Instead of only paying 20%, they want us to pay 25% or 30%. Today I got an email from Directv telling me that the state reps want to add a 5% tax to my satellite tv bill (I can't get cable where I live). A coworker sent me a news article saying that the state reps also almost eliminated 2 of our holidays- our 2 floating ones where we have to be open on those days, but we're encouraged to take the day off to honor the holiday if we can (and if we can't, then we get another day off). Plus of course, I think the state has already said it IS going to raise the sales tax, and probably the gas tax too.

All of this means less money in my wallet of course. I understand the state needs money, but come on! I'm not getting a pay raise, I don't make megabucks to begin with, and we're already on one car for our family.

Go ahead, raise the sales taxes, and raise the meals and hotel taxes too if you want. I'm not going to have any money left to buy anything or go out to eat anyway. We've already been cutting those things, and we'll just continue to cut them. But please, leave my health insurance and tv alone. I'm not in favor of the gas tax increase, but I know they'll do it anyway. I have to use gas to get to work, to preschool, and to the grocery store, and to the library (since we can't afford to buy books anymore). We'll just keep it to a minimum, as much as we can.

And maybe someday, someone will decide that those of us who live in small towns deserve high-speed internet. Then they can tax us for that too!

just random thoughts again

At work with the headphones on. Trying to dim the background noise and get some work done, but am still too easily distracted. Tried to tune into WRNX, but the computer wouldn't let me, oh well. Got another reminder that my department head will no longer be my department head soon, by the end of the month maybe. We are merging departments and the man who manages the department next door will eventually be in charge of our department too. Changes are coming! Changes all the time in this place... good benefits, good pay, mostly I like my job, but there are days when I worry if I can hack it here for the next 30 years or whatever. Kind of like being married, isn't it? Good place to be if you can hang in there without going crazy.

what I am working on today

Several months ago, back in December, a man died. His books were given to the library. No surprise really since he was a librarian.

Many books still have the receipts in them. I can tell what you what bookstore, and sometimes even what clerk, and of course the date, price, and hour that they were bought. Kind of creepy.
Today I am sorting through those books to see what we already have, and what we don't. Then adding whatever I can to our library collection.

December 9, 2008 a man died. Hit by a train. Suicide.

Every time I pick up one of these books I wonder why. I add "In Memory of..." stickers to some of the books, but not all. There are too many.

Cats, Opera, Jewish History, and more.... this is what I am doing today.