Partly Vegging Out

Well, I spent part of the day vegging out as I had intended.  Did my usual "Cryptoquip" and crossword puzzle in The Press Of Atlantic City after our walk and breakfast.  I do the former every day--and solve about six out of seven.  If it takes me longer than ten minutes, I discard it.  I do the puzzle  only on Sundays and only in The Press.  I find the daily ones too easy and the NYTimes one too hard.  This is one of the little treats to which I look forward every week.
Drove to the cemetery and to Santori's before lunch.  On my last trip there, I had bought Kirby cucumbers to make crystal pickles.  Served the last batch in the freezer for  Aline, Susan, and Jeanne last week.  Made them, put them up in three containers and popped them in the freezer.  Made a big salad, too.  Ate same, then actually did sit on the couch and read for an hour or two.
Susan called and said she wanted to share some of the leftover food from the party with me.  She helped me bring back a bowl of burgoo and the scrumptious pie and cake that had been served.   Think I'll send the latter back with the northern visitor who's coming today to help clean out the front beds.
Got a call from Betty and later, my favorite "visitor," Ellen.  Had a good chat with both,

Kentucky Derby Party

Took the flyers to the library and they were okay with substituting mine for theirs.  Picked up the monthly booklet listing programs for May and, of course, mine was in it erroneously for May 16 there, too.  I'll bet anything it won't be in there with the actual day, June 5.  However, I'm trying to be philosophical about it; it's better the mistake is too early, rather than too late.  Also posted flyers at the Tuckerton and Stafford libraries, as well as the post office.
Jeanne S. had asked me to stop at Habitat for Humanity to talk to the manager, Liz, as she was interested in LETCO.  I did and said we'd be in touch once a modicum of organization returns to the organization.
Decided to wear a hat after all to the Kentucky Derby party and just bedecked myself with the black straw I wore as Mrs. Soames in Our Town.  It looked pretty good, actually. 
The party was great fun.  I sat with many of the same people I had for the covered dish supper.  There were games and prizes and delicious food, all of which was what is actually traditional Derby food and which the committee, headed by Susan and Bessie F., had made from scratch.  It included little cucumber sandwiches, burgoo (a beef and pork stew heavy on the veggies), turkey and bacon on toast with a white gravy,  and three scrumptious desserts of bourbon balls, cake, and pie.  (Full of nuts and chocolate, this last was to die for.)  I was a little taken aback that all three contained bourbon, uncooked in the first two.  That could be problematic for those with an alcohol problem--hope no addiction was triggered.  For the first time in my life, I had a mint julep and hey, it was good!  So good I had another, in fact.  I was teamed up with Ray for a horse race game, where the men had to throw a beanbag into a hole to advance "the fillies" around the tables.  We played other games, too, and Marty H. took lots of pictures for The Breeze.    
Anyway, it was a lot of fun.  I had told Ray and Barb I'd drive there separately and I did.  It started at 5:30 and lasted about three hours. 
Today, I just want to veg out and relax, but may start assembling, then scanning, my Dionne stuff and shaping up the program.    

Flyer Finished

After much trial and error involving scanning, cropping, enlarging, cutting, and pasting, I finally got the Dionne flyer finished.  Went to Staples to duplicate it and will take to the library today.  I want to put some in the clubhouse and any other places I can find, too.  
Got a call from Jeanne P., who will be attending her grandson's graduation from Rider next week.  She's staying with a friend in New Hope, so suggested we get together for lunch.  (Do I ever have to be asked twice?)  I suggested Lambertville Station, right across the river in Lambertville and we'll do that on Thursday.  After, we'll stop in on Elva B. at her art gallery a few blocks away.  I called Elva and we had a nice, long chat.  She said she'll be glad to see me and to meet Jeanne. 
Graduated from St. James with E. and HSHS with Jeanne.

Computer Stuff

Spent a lot of the day working on computer stuff, including Dionne Quint articles and some on Funny Money.  Finished cropping pictures and writing text for the June Breeze cover and sent the result off to Editor-in-Chief Virginia's daughter, who does the graphics for us.  She sent four versions back, each terrific, and wanted to know which to use.  I suggested she have her mother decide.
Drove up to Staples and duplicated some things.  I want to make up my own version of the Dionne Quint flyer for the library and will work on that today.  Called Eric, the guy who was supposed to come do my front flower beds, as I haven't heard from him for more than a week.  He said he thought I had cancelled.  What?  Said he had a message on the machine and thought it was me. Boy, this is annoying.  I can't imagine anybody would get a message like and neglect to call the person back.  Also, did he arrive at the home person who did call and do it anyway?  Wouldn't he be told then they had cancelled?  I think that's a fishy story.  Now Eric said he'd come this afternoon; if he doesn't, I'll actually make that cancellation call.
Picked up Aline and we went to rehearsal.  I had told her I didn't want to stay longer than an hour.  When we arrived, Neil and others in the cast were in the middle of blocking the first scene and, as is usual with him, Neil was directing very intensely.  I didn't want to interrupt, but I didn't want to stay longer than an hour and there wasn't any lull.  Aline needed to talk to Neil about ticket sales, but it was 8:30 and I wanted to leave, so I asked Tonya to take her home.  There really hadn't been any opportunity for decent pictures, so I left a note for Neil that I'd be back on Tuesday before rehearsal. 
WIDER:  From the incomparable Chris Floyd:
"...despite the frenzy and mouth-foaming fury of our political debates today, beneath the surface there is a remarkable consensus. Both parties support empire, militarism, corporatism, exceptionalism, oligarchy, executive tyranny, torture and the shielding of torturers, indefinite detention, extrajudicial killing, regime change (covert, overt, by proxy), special ops, black ops, rendition, the drug war, the terror war, undeclared war, war crimes, the relentless expansion of the "National Security" apparatus, the militarization of police powers, slashing the social safety net, serving the needs of Wall Street and the One Percent, and so on and on and on."
Yep.

Rider Reception

My hair turned out terrific, although it's longer than I had wanted it.  Ashley did a good job, especially on the color.  Got up to Lawrenceville very early and spent time in the Student Center entry room (it was rainy, so wasn't held in the president's backyard) before Marilyn got there.  Was greeted with hugs by half the people who walked in, including many I had interviewed and hired.  Linda K., whom I actually remember interviewing, got a twenty-year gift.  Hired her for our (HR) office and she's a gem. 
I thought it was odd I didn't know most of the ten-year longtimers until I reflected that next month, I'll have been retired for TEN YEARS.  That just blows my mind.
Saw my pal, David P., who was recognized for an incredible 35 years at Rider /Westminster (he's an organ graduate from W., too) and he and Marilyn (ditto, but years later) caught up with each other.  We used to meet for lunch every now and then and he asked me to call him, which I will.  Always had a very soft spot for Dave, who's one of those people you know, right away, are kindred spirits.
Fred H. and I talked--he's such a neat guy and is trying to get up the nerve to audition for a role.  Asked me to e-mail him with encouragement and I will.  Of course, there were so many others.  Much as I loved being there and much as I'm glad I spent 27 years at Rider, it gave me, as it always does, a feeling of freedom to simply walk out the door.  I had no need to return the next day, no pressing work obligations to fulfill, no decisions to make that would affect other people's lives.  On the whole, it was a great place to work, but I've been there, done that, and now I have a new life.
I plan to go to rehearsal tonight to take some pictures to accompany an article for The Breeze.  Called Aline to see if she wanted me to take her;  she does, and I will, but told her I wanted to stay no more than an hour.    
    
 

Ladies's Luncheon

We walked with umbrellas in the pouring rain, but by the time my company came, it was sunny and very warm.  The luncheon went off very well and the four of us talked and talked..well, one of us did and the others tried to get a word in edgewise--'nuff said.
Aline, Susan, and Jeanne liked the chicken salad, turkey breast, pumpernickel and cranberry bread, green salad, and crystal pickles.  A. and S. had soda, J. and me Blue Moon.  Had mixed fruit for dessert,  along with little cinnamon roll-up cookies; A. and S. brought me some fancy cookies and I laid some of them out, too.  J. gave me a book of poetry and water colors.
They stayed until almost four and, after, as I seem to lean toward the compulsive, I washed, dried, and put everything away.  After, took a drive to Manahawkin just to relax.
Got home to fine sister Betty had called; got back to her and talked to the little girls, too. All seems well in the windy city.
Cut and color today, about which I'm a little nervous, then the Longtimers Reception at Rider.     

At The Dentist's

Spent the early part of the day preparing for my lunch guests: Checked my supplies, went to Shop-Rite for a few items, vacumned, and cleaned the kitchen floor.
In the afternoon, I went to the dentist, Dr. P., and whoa Nellie! what a character!  His office, a converted house and quite large, is filled with all kinds of memorabilia--most of them not exactly antiques, maybe, but items like old dolls, movie posters from the forties, depictions of the Titanic before it went down (heh), and so on.  Interesting, but also a bit weird.
Actually, I was there only to get my teeth cleaned, which was done by a young woman from Russia (don't ask), who first took x-rays.  Doc then came in and chatted.  His topic was the odd nicknames for states, especially the negative ones--e.g., "Tarheel State" for Tennessee.  He then segued into hockey teams to arrive at his major point:  the New Jersey Devils.  He said, "What if a hockey team was named 'Child Molestation,' wouldn't everybody be shocked and horrified?  Wouldn't they gasp and cry out and cover their faces?  Yet they name a sports team for the very personification of evil--the devil!  He is the one who causes all the ills of the world, he is humankind's worst enemy..." and so on and on.  I was struck speechless for a time, but did mange to respond enough to realize he was dead serious.  I was nonplussed.  Obviously, this is a very religious man who purely believes the devil is a living entity "prowling the world, seeking the ruin of souls."  The last rose up in my mind easily, as I heard it as part of a prayer at mass all though my early and middle years.  I always pictured, in the days when I believed in such things, a kind of animal-like person, but vaguely shaped like a human, whose skin was leathery and red, striding through a sleeping town at midnight with a mean sneer on his face.  Presumably, Dr. P. has a similar mind picture, which to him is not a vague idea conjured up in a child's mind, not a painting, but is real.  
The guy is a bit odd-looking, too.  I'm pretty sure he wears a wig--his full, heavy, perfectly black, slightly wavy hair put me in mind of the Elvis wig Neil G. wore for Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Coat.  Dr. P. is very much overweight, and it's clearly mostly flab; he looks as if he has pillows stuffed under his clothes.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure he's nuts.  Will I go back?  Oh, absolutely, I haven't been so entertained for years.