Roundball Rowdiness

Gainesville

Thanks for more great TravelBlogues! I really appreciaate reading them each day, and feeling like I'm some how a part of the visit. And you will both appreciate them when you get home and don't have to do a marathon post-mortem.

What a nice story about the Chapel of the Chimes. I knew Grandma was there, but not Grandpa. I'd assumed the Jensens were too. I think I was there once, long ago, with Grandma, because I have a clear picture of what a mausoleum looks like. Or maybe Pa and Dan took us there, which seems more likely.

Will be interested to hear what Sandy cooked today. And how nice that Mom has those pictures of the New and Improved house to show Thea and Ella.

My presentation today went well. The email announcement did go out Thursday afternoon, so there were people there, more than I expected, actually. What I didn't expect-- the woman who asked me to do this took it upon herself to provide, at her own expense, cookies and other snacks. It was very sweet of her. Bill was there, and he said he'd never seen a library presentation that got such an enthusiastic response-- people did laugh where I wanted them to, and they asked a lot of questions afterward-- a lively discussion.

Here's what my erstwhile boss had to say about it in her weekly professional blog, in which she sums up the doings in her division for the past week:

And finally, Suzy Covey gave a great presentation Friday on her research and work on Comics and XML. When you look at all the coding it takes to describe a single comics panel, you realize that a picture really is worth at least a thousand words! Such an amazing project!

It was quite a long time to have to stand up there, though-- I talked for 45 minutes, and the discussion went on another 15. Glad I decided not to wear heels. Who could see my feet, anyway? (I did wear the cashmere and pearls, and felt very elegante indeed.) I'm feeling rather drained tonight, in addition to being relieved.

Bill has to go to Washington Sunday afternoon, and will be gone til late Tuesday night-- a CNI meeting. This means I'll only cook twice this week. The week after that, we go to Atlanta for PCA-- I'll need to start working on that one tomorrow. It will be basically the one I did in Gainesville last month, but with a few things added that I did put in to this one for the more library-savvy audience. It's only 20 minutes, which now seems short. Two down, one to go.

The town is in a basketball frenzy, since the Gators are in the Final Four. It's all anyone talks about, and the most unlikely people on staff were sporting Gator gear today. We could care less about roundball, but this is inescapable. There are fears that if UF wins, the kids will tear campus and town apart celebrating. I doubt it-- we managed to survive winning a national championship in Football, for goddsake. I'll be glad when it's over, one way or another.

And next week, a REAL sport, Baseball, is back. Yippee!

dateline: Alameda: Friday

Some actual sun and a little blue sky today, rather a treat. Rain expected this afternoon, though.

I went up to Thea's yesterday morning at eleven; she was just finishing her breakfast. We talked a lot about family stuff, and I took some notes. I now have "Aunt Donie" firmly entrenched where she belongs. I also know where all this information is located (several places), so that's good. I've known before, really. The family bible is the best source of information.

While Thea was napping I went down to the Safeway on Broadway (by Broadway Terrace), then thought I 'd go back up by way of Pleasant Hill (south of the Safeway), since I knew it could be done. I turned left off it too soon, on Peidmont, and dead-ended at . . . . The Chapel of the Chimes. I'd never been there, there was a place to park, so I cruised on in. Asked at the desk where to find Herb and Grandpa (not knowing that the Jensens, and Grandma were also there). They gave me explicit instructions on little cards, a map, and off I went. I recommend this experience very strongly to my siblings and offspring. It's an amazing place. Reminds me a little of the Alhambra. It's a maze of beautiful rooms, gardens, fountains. Really extremely nice, particularly if one ignores the names of the rooms (we are in "Loving Kindness" and "Chapel of Consolation," and many of the names are way worse than that). Anyway I found Grandpa and then Herb. On the same wall as Herb I noticed that there was a pair of Jensens, but did not give it much thought, duh. It was LaLa and Fran, of course, as Thea later told me. Anyway, I was glad I went, and I'll go back.

Here's the best part: Thea hasn't been there since Herb died because she's been afraid they'd misspelled his middle name, Matthew, as they did in the obituary in the paper (I assume I've spelled it right here!). Anyway, she was relieved to know that they just put "Herbert M. Searing." so it's moot! That was actually one of the reasons I went in, once I'd accidentally found the place. Thea was very, very glad I'd been there. All of her arrangements are made and paid for long since.

As mom said, we ate at Angela's last night. It was very good, but rich. We've eaten one major restaurant meal for the last three days, and it gets to be a bit much. Today I'll cook at Thea's, and that will be a good break. Tomorrow we'll eat at the Fish Market in Palo Alto.

Thea is fine and chipper except for the Great Panama Controversy, which I will detail at another time. There's always something!

Thursday in Alameda

The trip to SF was great fun, particularly the boat ride. As Mom said, it was quite rough crossing the bay on the way over, but coming back was very smooth. We are considering a quick trip back in the morning tomorrow, just to the Ferry Building, where we spotted a Sur la Table store. We'll see what the weather's like and how much energy we have.

Because of the off-and-on rain, we were really stuck on the Wharf, where all the shops are junky. We could see the Cannery, but it was too far to walk in the rain. Lunch was great, though. I hadn't been to Tarentino's in years (decades, actually). Good oysters, and the steamed clams were great. Like Chris once said, I don't eat many clams because everywhere one can get clams there are also oysters. The only solution is to have both.

My fever from Tuesday night and all day yesterday seems to have passed. Could be the harbinger of a cold, but if so, it's not going to be much of a cold. I feel fine today, a little snarky, and am taking DayQuil. I don't expect much trouble from this, and assume it won't be any more contagious than the last one I had; neither Charlie nor Mom got that one. This all has to do with elementary schools, I believe. I've bought a nostrum called "Airborne," developed by a schoolteacher who was sick of catching colds from her kids. I've taken some, and I just laid some on Mom.

Another gloomy sky over Alameda, but not nearly so cold and windy. I'll spend some time up at Thea's today and see if I can take care of anything for her.

More tomorrow . . . .

One Down (D)

Gainesville

Sorry to hear your ferry (!) trip to SF was marred by bad weather-- bad news for poor Sandy, coming down with a cold! Not surprised that shopping at the Wharf was disappointing.

My reading went well today. As usual, there was shuffling of the schedule, and since I was already there, they asked me to go early. Fine with me, get it over with. Coraline is a wonderful thing to read, feels good in the mouth, and I could hear nice audience reactions. Best of all, when I stopped, there were audible groans-- and someone said "You can't stop there..." The bad part was, my fans started showing up after I'd finished-- who knew I had fans?! Also one of Neil's fans, a freshman, who was crushed he'd missed it, and waylaid me for about 20 minutes as I was walking back to work, just so happy to have found someone on campus who had even heard of his idol.

I work at home tomorrow, and were it any other Thursday I'd go in, just to hear the last day of the Readathon-- some things are scheduled that sound great, like readings from Miss Manners. But I need to spend tomorrow doing final run-through of the hour-long thing on Friday. I hope my half a dozen fans remember, as the usual email reminder for presentations has not yet gone out. Ah well, I've presented to empty rooms before, and one person always appreciates it: me.

It's warmed up again-- mosquitos are back with a vengeance. Swatting at them as we speak. But made for great weather out in the Plaza of the Americas today.

The crock pot stroganoff turned out fine-- had it over some low carb elbow noodles with a side of tiny green peas. Last night I took a swipe at Spinach & Mushroom-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Sherry Cream Sauce (FC, No. 78). It was not a pretty result, as shortcuts were taken and substitutions made, but it tasted great, and the people and the cat enjoyed it.

Bunch more stuff to talk about, but just not gonna happen tonight One down, two to go of the immediate Stand-Ups.

Down to the antepenultimate Diry entry:

Monday, December 1, 1952
336th Day--30 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
Well, back to the old grind of School. It was really howling windy today. The lights went off for a minute once this morning. Thelma's mo & fa took us to Scouts. Troops 8 & 9 are having a skating party. We are inviting Boys. We put down the names of 3 boys we wanted to come. We will have the Place all to us. Tee hee hinted about Rainbow Girls. Suzy

yes! she's ten feet tall

Well, the meal was truly divine. So far they have not posted last night's café menu on the website, but if I see it come up today I'll append it here.

Parking was an adventure, but we had plenty of time. Finally found an appropriate place on Vine just up from Shattuck, and went to a positively wonderful bookstore (I believe I bought Uncle Scrooge: His Life and Times there), Black Oak Books, which I'm sure you know, Suze.

So. Our dinner date was at five, and we were the first people in, of course, but half an hour later the place was full.

First course: I had avocado and grapefruit salad with some crushed red pepper (not hot, just tasty) in a light vinaigrette. Sprigs of chervil. For something so simple, it was positively wonderful. Florence had baked goat cheese and green salad. Again the vinaigrette was just right. The cheese was dipped in crispy crumbs (presence of duck fat unmistakable) and warm. I don't even like goat cheese, but I ate half of one and it was superb.

Second course: I had duck confit with canellini beans, cardoons, and other vegetables. Again, wonderful. I gave the skin to Mom. She had pork shoulder with spinach, potatoes, turnips. Also quite good.

Dessert: I had apple tart glazed with meyer lemon and a scoop of wonderful ginger ice cream. Mom had cherry/vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and chocolate wafers. She ate every bite.

Everything was wonderful. We washed it down with a bottle of Zinfandel made in Napa especially for the restaurant. Also quite good. A great meal; I'll go there again (and again!).

Otherwise an uneventful day. We went to the kitchen store and wine store (corner of Buena Vista and Park in Alameda). Jeff in the wine store recognized me this time. I'm here too often!

Then I dropped Mom up at Thea's and came back here to read and sleep. I only had about two hours, really (after doing some aimless driving around in the Oakland hills), but it was nice.

Thea gets a day off today (I'm sure she's welcoming it!) while we ferry off to SF. We only plan to spend four hours there; it's cold and yucky. Ferry goes to pier 41, so that's nice. We'd talked about a bus tour, but there's not one at a convenient time to allow us to have lunch.

Over and out. Thanks for the damned earworm, Suzy.

FIK, Again

Gainesville

Great posts, the both of ya. I'm enjoying this trip hugely, thanks to your efforts. Glad to know that Chez Panisse still can dish out the culinary thrills, and look forward to the details.

Gotta hit the hay now, as tomorrow I have my small stint as a reader. Best thing for it is a long stretch of shut-eye. It was a dreadfully draining day.

Cooked out of FC on a weeknight, and lived to tell the tale. Although the actual telling will have to wait for another day. Tomorrow, probably.

Stuff's mostly on track, but I do need to figure otu what needs to be done in the morning to get the crock pot started. Let's hope the eyes find a way to stay open...

Alameda redux

I've just gotten back from a nice walk to the coffee place, open today. They do indeed open at seven (were just getting the doors open when I got there), so I had a nice cappuccino and a nice read-through of the Chronicle . It's raining, but not too hard, and I have extremely waterproof shoes (I had them when I was in Florida, the blue & black tennis-shoe like things) and an extremely waterproof coat. A nice walk. I was surprised to see how many other walkers were out in the rain, including one lady with a nice yellow slicker on her poodle!

Thea was dressed beautifully yesterday, in a kind of black suit with some red printy things on the jacket and a white shirt. She had on a little makeup and she looked wonderful! I wish I'd been allowed to take a picture. I'm very impressed with how sharp she is. FYI, particularly Chris, "Aunt Donie" is indeed Sidonia, as I thought, and, as I thought, was Grandma Neisen (née Knorsa)'s sister, the youngest one. Grandma Knorsa outlived all of her children, and I need to get a list of them from Thea. I believe that both Gma Neisen and her mother were named Elizabeth, no? I plan to get as much info as I can. Last time I got some dope on the Soares clan, but need more on the Grandma side.

I went up to the Cal B&L, and they won't do anything for her (she's unhappy because she has a checking account there that requires a $5000 balance with only 1.25% interest, and she wants to close the account, which currently contains 20K) without her physical presence or a power of attorney, both out of the question. But your efforts paid off, Suzy. They did deposit the interest from the CD into her checking account when the CD rolled over rather than putting it back into the new CD.

It was a pleasant day up there, despite the scary moment when Thea said abruptly, "I have to lie down; I suddenly have a terrible headache, and I never get headaches!" I was getting ready to go to Alameda to get the house keys out of my suitcase, and Penny was getting ready to leave. Penny decided to stay until I got back, lest there be trouble. (Penny is wonderful.) When I got back Flo and Thea were chatting away, looking at photos on the computer.

The crab was excellent, and there is a lot left over. Last time I was here I froze the leftover crab, just enough for a sandwich, and during our short visit on Sunday I noticed the plastic bag I'd put it in was out on the counter; she'd had the sandwich the day before. Also during my last visit I made some creamed chicken and froze the leftovers, and I also made a pot roast and froze three meals' worth. She'd eaten two of the pot roast portions and the creamed chicken. She particularly liked the creamed chicken, but I'm sure I could never duplicate it.

A quiet evening here in Alameda last night. It takes me several days to adjust to the new time, but today I slept until about six-thirty, so I'm getting back to normal. Had to get up at five to call Charlie, though, so he could get about the business of his day. Chopping wood.

When you sent me Coraline I really didn't know of Neil; Marty, Julia and I all read it with great relish, but it wasn't until last week, when I was in a third-grade classroom and saw it on a little girl's desk, that I realized that he'd written it! Duh. Guess that if I were in your read-a-thon I'd be reading Philip Pullman. It's fun to speculate on which part I'd read.

Clouds and fog are covering the tops of the hills. It's pretty here at the Marina no matter what the weather.

I'm going to take mom up to Thea's at eleven or so and pick her up at about three; we'll have a couple of hours to kill before it's time for Alice. Maybe we'll go towards the Cal campus and find a bookstore; I'm out of book, and Swing sounds very interesting. And of course we'll drive around. Wonder how the PT will do going up Marin in the rain . . . .

Go Ask Alice

Gainesville

Thanks for two great travel blogs-- definitely worth waiting up for. (It's just about midnight here.) It's almost like being there myself, since I was there so recently and know the area so well.

A PT Cruiser! Very cool indeed-- I can just see the two of you tooling around in that. What fun! And how nice that you are still finding new paths around Alameda, Sandy. I agree it is a strangely peaceful place amid the frantic beauty of the Bay Area.

Will be interested to hear how the visit to Chez Panisse goes tomorrow. Many nice memories of that place, and I was lucky enough to be there in 1973, visiting Connie Penley, who was working there as a waitress, I think-- in any case, she was a close friend of Alice, who was just getting started, and it was all very low key. That was over 30 years ago.

It's still horrendously cold here-- a longer cold snap than we usually have mid-winter, let alone True Spring.

The Readathon has started, and I attended a few of them today. Meanwhile, doing a few final read-throughs of Coraline, Chapter 3, in prep for Wednesday. Meanwhile too, my Show-and-Tell thing is Friday, and I realized today I couldn't do another complete read-through of that whole thing. Will just have to do the pieces here and there and hope for the best. There is such a thing as being over-prepared.

Dinnerwise, Plan A quickly devolved into Plan B and then sank into Plan C. Well, at least we ate at a reasonable hour, and it wasn't half bad. The sheets got changed in stages throughout the day, and the towels are in the washer now. Good the have the FL routines to cling to when things get crazy.

Kitchen is not pristine, but decent, and sink is empty, if not shining.

There's aftermath from Friday's Thud, but the chips are still falling, and no one is exactly sure where they will land.

Keep it up, Pilgrims. The daily dispatches from the East Bay are priceless. Looking forward to Wednesday on the town in SF, too.

Diry Tomorrow.

Alameda

I'll bet Patty Mersman's mother didn't like her child prodigy hanging around with the likes of us. Her mom was a prissy snob. Her father was a snob, too. Once I was over there and he was playing the piano. He said "this is Beethoven's opus [x], number [x], known to the masses as the Moonlight Sonata." Thanks for reducing me to the masses, Patty's dad, for of course I recognized the music. He was a math professor at Stanford.

Nice recipe, Suze. I'll try it when I get home. We read FBoFW in the Chronicle yesterday, and it was printed so small that I didn't see that in the background -- I have gotten into the habit of always looking at her backgrounds, thanks to you, Suzy.

The weather is still beautiful today. I am wildly excited by our rental car, a brand new red PT Cruiser! It is so cool; drives nice, too, and despite the way it looks from the outside, one has really quite a good view of the road. There's one blind spot on the back right side, but it's covered by the mirror. The side view mirrors are a little small, but I'm used to truck mirrors. Big fun!

It was really nice to go to the coast. We didn't get as far as Bean Hollow, but we were there a year ago. Nice surf yesterday, and beautiful weather. It's still nice today, too, though a big storm is supposed to come in tonight. That'll be fun, too.

I've discovered that there's a whole network of walking paths here; one can easily walk to the shopping center on them. Alas I did not stop there for coffee and a paper, counting on the little deli to be open. It wasn't; they must open at seven, and it was twenty till. No cappuccino today, and we'll have to get the paper when we go out.

We came to Oakland yesterday via the San Mateo bridge, a straight shot from HMBay. Then up the dreaded Nimitz, which was not bad at all. Came onto Alameda on Park Street (main downtown part, considerably south of MV Inn), over a bridge rather than through the tube. I always feel a bit of homecoming when I get onto the island. It's peaceful here.

Neither of us is taking many photos from the motel balcony; we both have stacks of views of Oakland and the sailboats, in all lights, all weathers.

Crabfest today; tomorrow it's Alice Waters!

TEA/THEA (D) (R)

Gainesville

Thanks for the great TravelBlog, Mom. I was wondering how the move to Alameda went, and it sounds good. And even a trip to the coast for lunch! I'm so envious.

Glad to hear Thea is doing well. She's always been one sharp cookie. Growing old is not for sissies, and she is living proof of that. Do give her my best, and remind her that Bill and I will be there in July.

A good day here too, though another cold one. I slept through the first half of it-- ah, the pause that refreshes. Getting enough sleep for a change must have energized me, because I got the house blessed, practiced my presentation, read some on my book, fixed us a fine dinner, and left the kitchen in pristine shape.

Bill had to go into work this afternoon, so once again we ate later than usual. Said dinner was a beef stir fry with a lot of bok choy plus onion, mushrooms and snow peas, served over cauli-rice. On the side we had steamed asparagus with a lovely simple dill sauce I happened to stumble on in a Southern Living feature on cooking with kids. (Included below.)

I swore I was freezing the PowerPoint Friday, but when I saw this morning's For Better or For Worse, I had to break the vow-- I just had to insert the panel in the doughnut shop that featured the sign "CHAI TEA / HIGH TEA / WHY TEA" in the background.Adding something so current is just too cool and perfect to resist.

So: the dreaded week is here: reading aloud for 15 minutes from Coraline outside on Wednesday, making an hour-long presentation to who-knows-whom on Friday in a gawd-awful conference room filled with a giant table. I think I can, I think I can...

Dill Sauce
(For Steamed Asparagus)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon salt

Stir together in a small bowl. cover and chill at least 1 hour. (This is enough for 2 pounds of asparagus)

Okay. There are only four Diry entries left, so I will do them one at a time.

Sunday, November 30, 1952
335th Day--31 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning our clocks were still off from yesterday so we missed Sundy School. We had a short club meeting. We are having some trouble with Patty Mersman because her mo. thinks she shouldn't meet so often. We saw "My Man & I" with Ric. Montoblan & Shelly Winters, Wendle Cory. also "The Theif" Ray Milland. Not a word spoken in the Whole thing! ! ! ! Rita Gam struts around, nothing more. Suzy

One Book

Gainesville

Good to hear all went well with the trip west, and that all the little adventures had happy endings. Looking forward to future installments of the LIVE trip journal, and hope you both keep at it. Much easier to do as you go along rather than trying to reconstruct it later (speaking as one who is always trying the recontruction route). Hope you're settled into the Marina Village Inn by now. What a great place to be!

Not much adventure here. Unnaturally cold -- had to unpack the winter blankets and comforter and STILL was too cold to sleep last night. Bill was up very late on a raid with his guild-mates in Japan, which lowered the available BTU's also.

He had another online engagement tonight, and so asked for a late dinner-- 9:00. It was a forgettable meal, so let's just forget it. After the winning streak last week, I was overdue for a compensating loser. Just hope it isn't a streak. This was a meal of my own devise, so no blame to Leanne.

Did vid/ book/ liquor runs in addition to food. Determined to continue watching a movie every Saturday night, and tonight it was Harry Potter IV -- very dark and scary! Not at all a movie for kids, and probably too scary for me. I liked it, but this was such a big long book that I really missed the stuff that was left out, to the point where it did not really touch the emotional heart of it, just the scary parts. Shoulda been twice as long, maybe.

Only picked up ONE (!) book at B&N, and one I'd never heard of-- but how could I resist a book illustrated with black and white renditions of San Fran area post cards from 1940, let alone centered on a swing band, playing a gig at the Claremont, with a Berkeley student as a character and Treasure Island in full glory in the background? Maybe it will be a complete turkey, but I'll love it for the background, if nothing else. The book is Swing, by Rupert Holmes.

Too late for a Diry, and they are getting sparse anyway-- almost done. Have no idea what I have to transcribe once it's finished. A hard act to follow. The Nancy Hughes letters (hers, not mine) are one thing I've been thinking about, but they are buried in some trunk somewhere in remote storage-- I can only hope they're not waterlogged or vermin-infested.

Time for bed. Another cold night. I'm thinking about how to divide up the six weeks of vacation I need to take over the next six months. It's a use-or-lose situation. A day a week? A week a month? Some big stretch somewhere? A nice problem to have.

SFO

I have the most amazing hotel room here in South San Francisco (The Industrial City). Mom and I are right next door to each other, both rooms facing west, and she has a little sound of wind in the windows, but my room just howls and moans. I picked this room for it -- it's not really all that windy out, but on the fifth floor in this particular place -- well, it's wonderful.

I get to tell the next tale of the day. After the miraculous (well, very kind) recovery of the wallet, we did our thing of getting out to the hotel shuttle (Suzy remembers the place). Had to wait a bit, then shuttled off to our hotel (two long miles from the airport). Got to the rooms and Mom did not have her little red water bottle container (with water). Was it left in the Smarte Carte (or whatever the hell they call them)? Was it on the bench at the shuttle waiting point? No! She remembered having it in the very shuttle! But when the hotel desk fellow called the shuttle fellow, he said it was not to be found in the shuttle. Woe! A minor loss (compared to the WALLET), but unnerving just the same.

But lo! when we came down to the lobby for dinner, Mr. Shuttleman was there, and he had the watterbottle item; he'd missed it (I believe he was driving when Mr. Hotelman telephoned to ask about it). So today two items have been lost and found. What can be next?

We are having a fine time. The flight was (thanks Suze) indeed boring, the best kind. A bit windy coming down but nothing scary. I have the weird feeling that I was just here, though.

THUD (D)

Gainesville

Well. A big, heavy shoe fell with a loud thud today: My boss announced she has taken a job at UC San Diego and will leave in August. And she will not be around much in the meantime. It's not like it's completely out of the blue-- she has been very distant for the last four months or so, very unlike her usual hands-on micro-management style. Which was fine with me, because I have no problems keeping myself busy and motivated, but the change was very noticable.

So I will be something of an orphan when I leave. No one to gopher me off, as it were. There are going to be so many personnel changes in the next year or so, especially at the top, that it will take a cheat sheet to remember who is what. And all this combined with a move back into the rennovated and expanded Library West. Oh my. Our heads are spinning here. We kind of sit around and shake our heads. And there is much I can't talk about here, or course.

I continue to flail away at the presentation, and think it's freeze-worthy as of tonight. It's pretty early for this stage, actually-- a whole week in advance. Now comes the practicing. It's hard, because a full run-thru takes nearly an hour. The only thing I'm really worried about it whether my voice will hold out for that long. ALL of it I've presented before, in pieces, I'm comfortable with it, I love it and know I know more about it than anyone in THE WORLD, b'god! (A handy concept for public speaking.) So all that's pretty okay. [does her knock knock thing.]

No time today to visit my beloved Box in Spec Coll. All this political foreground is distracting. I hope that when all the fallout settles down, the artifacts will still remain and be deemed worthy of saving and protecting.

Guess Sandy and Mom are in MSP tonight, poised to fly West tomorrow, and Charlie is there to gopher them off. Hope you have uneventful weather and a boring flight. I look forward to dispatches from the other coast.

And now for a shot of Diry (and two lovely ones they are, too):

[Nothing for Nov 17-26]

Thursday, November 27, 1952
332nd Day--34 Days to Follow
Thanksgiving Day

Dear Diary
This morning we stayed in bed late & Francis had to fight to get us up. we had waffles for breakfast. At about 2:30 we left for home. We got there at 3. Margie, kathy, & Barbara were there. The turkey came with Pa 22 1/2 pounds. We had the "feast" in the "Banquet Room". Yum Yum. After dinner We took some pictures & Did the "Monkey Song" for them. What a Day. Suzy

[Nothing for Nov 28]

Saturday, November 29, 1952
334th Day--32 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning We got up & did our work good 'cause Mom's got a cold. Donnie came down & helped dad hook up the wiring. Then P.G&E came & gave us electricity. We moved the stove into the Kitchen. Then we had a rehersal for the play at Bren's. When we got home the heaters were in. We moved the T.V. into the den. Helen & Donnie & the kids came for din. We had M. Stew. They had steak. Suzy

Non-Blog

Gainesville

It's Thursday, and I don't usually blog on Thursdays, So consider this a non-blog. Just wanted to wish the travelers bon voyage tomorrow. We'll expect reports from the road.

A quiet work at home day for me, finalizing 2/3 of the presentation. Will do the rest tomorrow. Got all my weekly FL stuff done except for the towels, which are not quite dry yet. I'll fold them when they ding, and then to bed. And not a moment too soon. Bill is already sacked out on the couch, snoring away.

It's COLD here again-- cold rainy day. Supposed to get into the 30's tonight, very unusual for this late in the year. I'll need to break out the blankets I'd packed away for the season.

Nice pics of the tree-removal. Will try to get them uploaded over the weekend.

Spring Stuff (D)

Gainesville

Beautiful spring day here. Yesterday's thunderstorm cleared the air, and it was sunny and cool, with no wind. Made for a nice walk across campus in the late afternoon to pick up the the book I had recalled from remote storage, The Guns of Avalon (the second Amber book).

The crazy people in Cataloging had another of their endless series parties at noon, this one celebrating spring-- a full blown indoor picnic and (for some reason) baroque music. I took advantage of the cacophany to sit in my cubicle and read through my entire presentation with slides for the first time-- about 50 minutes. If I can cut another 5 minutes out of it (and I think I can), I'll probably be okay. And I have a week left to get comfortable with it. It's been a very long time since I did a presentation that lasted an hour-- not since I used to teach classes to library staff on what email was and how to use it. After this ordeal, the 20 minutes in Atlanta should be easy. Easier. I hope. Knock Knock.

Spent an hour or so with My Box. Taking some time this pass to read a few strips that have caught my interest: Harold Teen and The Ripples. I'm through April '48 now.

I adapted one of Leanne's recipes tonight by using a bag of frozen pepper/onion stir fry instead of chopping up my own stuff, and chicken instead of turkey. The latter was marinated just 15 minutes in a simple soy sauce/ ketchup/ garlic/ ginger mixture. I was sure it was going to be dreadful, but Bill loved it. Once I put aside my pre-conceptions, I decided I liked it too. Had it over leftover faux-rice with leftover Tex-Mex slaw and broccoli. Another week of cooking done, and for once, I cooked everything I'd planned to on the planned day. That few hours of pre-prep on Sunday really made a difference.

Nice to hear that The Marty's are Wallace & Gromit fans too. I already knew Sandy & Charlie were, since they introduced me to them. And yes, I corrected my spelling errors in last night's post!

Saturday, November 15, 1952
320th Day--46 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning we slept late. Then we got up and did some work. At about 12:30, Bren called and asked us if we would help her and her father leave handbills on the door steps of a certain neighborhood. So for two hours, we walked our legs off. We found some rock candy and ate it tonite. Yum Yum. All clean. Suzy

Sunday, November 16, 1952
321st Day--45 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning we went to Sunday School. There was a communion service. We had a club meeting and everyone but Brenda came. We had committee meetings, rehursed the play and then wrote our scripts. The set committee is doing much better than I had expected. Suzy

Go, Gromit! (D)

Gainesville

Wotta day. In early for a 9:00 meeting with the boss and one co-worker-- only to find out she'd intended to schedule it for 10:00 -- she was sleepier than I was! Not much of a meeting, at that. It was non-stop from there, and I had no time to spend with My Box in Spec Coll, not even time for lunch at my desk.

Did the major re-write of the presentation for the Library-- adding more geeky library stuff and xml-tech stuff. Doesn't feel quite so light-weight now. Shortened the Sandman/History part, and found a better draft of the Beyond the Balloon draft, so replace a lot of that part. This meant having to completely renumber the 170 slides within the text (again). And a new slide print-out (9 per page) has to be renumbered by hand (again). This part is just drudgery. But it's coming along. I think I will indeed be ready to freeze it on Friday.

We got home late again. Good thing I'd made and frozen the turkey burgers (used that press-together wrap to keep them separate but together, if you know what I mean) -- so just had to slice up and sautee some sliced onions and mushrooms and throw together a Tex-Mex cole slaw, and we ate almost on time.

Looks like the Directors are being pressured into reading something for the Readathon this year, so Bill is going to have to do it, too. Of course, he will be wonderful at whatever he decides to do. He's considering some Bill Bryson, some Stephen King, or maybe the great classic, Click Clack, Cows That Type. I'm still planning to read chapter 3 of Coraline, complete with singing one verse of the Rat Song.

I ended up watching the rest of Wallace and Gromit: Attack of the Were-Rabbit last night. It is incredibly wonderful-- I laughed myself silly, and know I didn't catch even half of what was going on. I have no doubt that IT was the Best Movie of the Year, by a mile! Gromit wins the Oscar for best performance in a non-speaking role -- all done with eyes made out of two marbles. Astonishing. And I adored Lady Toffee. And all the great gardening stuff.

Nice to have Chris posting some comments! I think that means all of us have checked in one way or another within the past week or so. Neat-o!

Tuesday, November 11, 1952
316th Day--50 Days to Follow

Dear Diary

Armistice Day

This morning we stayed in bed til ten o'clock. When we got up we did our work and Mom painted the window. after lunch, Sandy went down to Patty's & Later Joyce came down & played with me. Patricia lent me some science fiction books to read. Pretty good. Suzy

[Nothing for Nov 12-23]

Friday, November 14, 1952
319th Day--47 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning It was raining so we had to take the bus. It started out to be a rainy day sced. But by noon the sun was shining so we switched to fair W.S. In the middle of noon it began to rain. So Rainy day sc. When school was out it was nice again. We got our door knobs today. We watched "Tales of Tommorrow" about a mummy. Spooky. Suzy

Paste 'n' Pray (D)

Gainesville

Blogger is down-- I'm writing this on WordPad. I hate that, because there are so many formatting problems when I paste stuff in. Works much better for me to compose in the Blogger window, then paste to Word to backup/archive.

Warm weather again and bugs are back. I hear it's supposed to snow in D.C. tomorrow.

Was so proud of myself this morning for having gotten the crock pot stuff already to just toss in and turn on. Problem was, when I got home I realized I'd forgotten to add in one of the ingredients-- a couple of cubed zucchinis. D'oh! I threw them in, then cooked it on high for half an hour. Actually worked pretty well to have them slightly al dente, although I'm sure the glotch would have been thicker if they'd disintegrated a bit more. This was a Southwest-type thing (cubed top round, red bell peppers, salsa, beef broth, basically) and we all liked it.

Got the sheets changed this morning and the towels tonight. Towels in the wash, a load of Bill's Big Whites almost dry enough to fold. Will watch some more of Wallace & Grommit while doing that. Kitchen is all clean, including the new habit, sweeping the floor. Gold stars for Da Suze.

Trying not to fret about the library presentation. I realize it's all wrong for this audience-- not nearly technical enough, and most of them know zilch about comics. I will do some reworking the next few days but Friday I freeze it and start practicing the reading. Keep telling myself "Just Do It."

Starting to work on logistics for Atlanta. Not sure we're up for the whole four days. Most of it looks just awful, such bullshit. My panel is 8:00 AM Friday Morning (!) April 14. We'd planned to drive when we thought we'd have a new car by now, but we'd need to rent. Maybe we'll just fly up. ATL is not so stressful when it is the destination. We'll see.

Spent an hour plus working on the ads index for 1948. I figure another week and I'll have both 47 and 48 done for both ads and comics. After that, I must talk to some database experts to see if what I'm doing makes any sense.

Sunday, November 9, 1952
314th Day--52 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
We went to Sunday school & BRENDA of all people went to! She may even join the chior. She came down & we played for a while then we went & saw "Rancho Notorious" (murder, hate & revenge) with Marlene Detrich, Arthur Kenedy & Mel Ferrer also "The Merry Widow" Lana Turner, Fernando Lamas & Una Merkel Simply Wonderful. Watched T.V. a little. Suzy

Monday, November 10, 1952
315th Day--51 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning we rode to school as usual. Mr. Kallenbach read my story "The Big Sandpile" and at recess he discussed it with me. He wants to put it in the school paper. At scouts we did our nails for good grooming badge. I have it figured out how I can get a 1st Class and a curved bar in one year. I don't know if its legal tho. We watched I love Lucy. Suzy

Bring It On

Gainesville

A post from Marty! What a treat. I love edamame-- my favorite way is in the pod, served hot and sprinkled with coarse salt. You gently gnaw on the salty pods to extract the beans-- wonderful! I was intrigued by the soup, and will have to give it a try.

I too have numerous pork half-tenderloins in the freezer I need to use. Will put that on the part of my menu plan for "things to try next week." Thanks for reminding me.

How appropos that Mom finds a letter to post where Marty is so new she requires quotes! :-)

Sunday is the traditional Day of Rest, Mom, so you did the right thing. Spring snoozes in La Fuma sounds like the best of all possible spring fever symptoms to me. You have plenty of time to get packed for the next adventure.

Third nice day in a row here, so of course, the bugs are back-- not quite in force yet, just the advanced guard, but enough to remind us of what's in store. Still, during the last winter snap, I actually found myself looking forward to the heat-- I'm just tired of being COLD. Bring it on, I say. (And of course, I'll rue having said this before long.)

Got the floors done (swiffer and carpet sweeper) so I'm caught up with the weekly blessings. Spent much of the afternoon in the kitchen preparing meals for later in the week. Some onion turkeyburgers that I froze, plus everything ready to throw in the crock pot tomorrow morning. And for tonight, Chicken Diane, cauli-rice and blanched broccoli. I've started processing broccoli bunches myself again, after disappointing experiences with the already chopped florets. I like the stems, and it really doesn't take that much longer to do it, especially with the miraculous peeler Sandy left with me.

Tonight I finished the borrowed book I've been reading for the past six months: Roger Zelazny's Nine Princes in Amber. It ended with a big bang-- I was sure that Bill had the next one in the series in his huge sci fi collection, but NO! Now I need to look to my friend Amazon for The Guns of Avalon.

Only an hour or so spent fussing with The Presentation. Good Suze. I think the evening routines are in good order, a few bills written, a loada wash done, kitchen clean (even the floor swept). Was hoping to find time to watch a little more of Wallace and Grommit, but didn't happen. Maybe tomorrow.

And so, to bed.

Cooking up a storm

Hello all-
Cooking up a storm today! I made the edamame-corn chowder from the March Everyday Food for lunch. I loved it - Nate, not being a big soup fan , thought it was OK. If anyone else tries it, my recommendation is to use less broth (1.5 rather than 2 cups) and more potato. It was a little thin. But the flavor is nice and it's very easy. Our first experience with edamame - it will not be the last.

For dinner I am making a big pork roast rubbed with an olive-oil, butter, garlic, fresh rosemary and sage rub. LOTS of garlic. I'll roast some baby reds alongside it, and I'll serve it with braised red cabbage. Right now the wonderful smell of the pork roast is starting to fill the house. I started a batch of yogurt, too. I have been making my own yogurt for a few months now and I don't know if I can ever eat store-bought again.

I am also doing my and Ben's laundry, and have already mopped the kitchen floor and wiped the upstairs bathroom. All in all, a productive day.

Failure to Upload (D)

Gainesville
Hey, Mom-- the kids in Funky Winkerbean agree with you on the spelling! (hmmm... can't seem to get the picture uploading to work tonight. Oh well. Maybe I'll try again later.)

Usual Saturday routine. The kids are still out of town for Spring Break, but the Gator Nationals (drag racing) crowd are still around. Mostly the clog up the roads with block-long RV's and cars on trailers. Not much sign of them in Publix. In fact, Publix was downright dead. Tomorrow will be a zoo, though, when the kids all come back and do their shopping. Won't be long now before they're gone for the summer.

Still nice weather, cooler than yesterday, breezy, perfectly clear. Could do with this kind all year, although we do need some rain. The bit we got earlier in the week was not nearly enough.

I too enjoyed the account of Thea's birthday party. You don't suppose Grandma went all out like that for every kid's every birthday, do you? I love that they had a "peanut hunt" and that they danced, sang, "spoke pieces," and marched to the table! Thanks for doing that, Sandy.

I have only a dim memory of a large birthday party. Just that there was crepe paper on the table, and that Joanne Hazelaar was there. (Whatever happened to crepe paper anyway?) Was it 5th grade, perhaps? I would have been 10 that year, I think.

Started watching the Wallace & Grommit movie tonight. It's a hoot! There are a million wonderful little things about it, so it's hard to pick out any one. Seen it yet, San?

Didn't touch my presentation today-- but did spend time reading some strip history books, R.C. Harvey's in particular. Trying to get the basics down as background. I try to remember ODO (Outcault, Dirks and Opper) followed by Fisher& McKay. I'm still fascinated by Roy Crane-- reading some old Wash Tubbs/Captain Easy stuff. So many strips, so little time!

Friday, November 7, 1952
312th Day--54 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning we rode to school on our bikes. Mom promised she would buy me a pair of shoes like Sandy's or some brown & white Saddle Straps. She didn't, tho. I hear Frank Sunatra & Ava are back together again. Also Lex Barker and Arlene Dahl will get a divorce. They were so sure it would last. Ha ha ha. Suzy

Saturday, November 8, 1952
313th Day--53 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning we got up at 8:30 and did our work. Joyce came down & we had a club-meeting. I got some brown & white Saddle-strap shoes plus some more greens for Meesie & Yousie. We got some snails, too. Dan & Pa came down & brought me an electric popcorn popper like Pa's. Also a slug of pictures. Moppet came down & Mom & Dad went out to din. We saw "Brewster Millions" boy was it swell. Suzy

Thea's seventh birthday

Brilliant sunshine on snow today. I can't imagine it'll last too long, but there's an awful lot of it.

Here's a gem I've been meaning to post here. It's written in the back of Little Prudy's Dotty Dimple, probably by grandma. I'm leaving out the superfluous apostrophe's [sic] so I don't have to keep writing [sic]! Years ago I typed this up and mailed it to Thea.

Jan 26th 1915
Oakland, Cal.

Thea's birthday party.

At three thirty in the afternoon, ten little girls came to celebrate her seventh birthday. The decorations were all in red, and green, seven cupids hung from the chandeliers, with huckleberries in the hanging baskets, and ferns and carnations for the table, being near valentine's day hearts, and place cards and crepe table cloth, doilies, plates all matched. Favors were japanese wonder nuts, chocolate with mottoes on, of sugar, spoons, knives, raisins, Thea's was "If you love me as I love you no knife can cut our love into [surely this was "in two"]. Sister Nelda's was "as sure as the grass grows around the stump, U.R. my darling sugar lump." They had a peanut hunt, and Helen Kastens found the most and won the first prize, a book. Claire Williams the booby prize, a toy. They sang and danced, spoke pieces. Formed a March, gave each a bonbon, marched to the refreshment room in order, as follows: Thea Soares, Helen Kastens, Gene Andre, Carrol Toutau, Nelda Soares, Paula Delucki, Fern Covalt, Helen Covalt, Claire Williams, Louise Gould, Virginia Lee, Elinor Davis. Mama was assisted by Helen Foote, Mildred Fenwick, Grandma Niesen, Glenn Soares. Thea received a few gifts from the little friends, a bottle cologne, five kerchiefs, ribbon, two books, doll's fur set, fan, postcards from God Father Pete Engel, Great Gran Ma Knorsa, Howard Gates. Doll's coat from Aunt Donie. Two bath towels, pink-blue, a crochet bath rag made by Grandma Niesen.

For refreshments, cakes, candies, ice cream, birthday cake, with seven red candles on it, and stood in front of her (Thea) and at the other end, were seven candles in candelabras.

Was a rainy day.

Glenn's birthday will be two days later, so he imagined it was his birthday, was very indignant because he could not sit at the table, but he will be the guest of honor at his dinner party, just three years of age then.

Failure to Scurry (D)

Gainesville

Not much going on this end of the wire. Worked at home yesterday, the usual dinner out. Today Bill had to be in ungodly early, so I took the day as vacation. Only, I ended up working again-- both days on the presentation for the Library. Why, oh why did I ever agree to do this? An hour is too long to try to hold people's attention, let alone the toll on my voice. And it's a terrible room for this kind of thing. I must be out of my mind.

I dusted today, but did none of the other Blessings. (Well, I did the sheets and towels yesterday plus bathrooms, so guess that counts for something.) Tonight when I should have been scurrying around, I read in the new heap of magazines Bill brought home from the P.O. Not really ready for tomorrow's shopping, either.

I didn't bother with anything green today, since I never left the house. We are having beautiful spring weather the past few days. It was nice to be able to spend a bit of time both yesterday and today sitting outside. The cat and I both enjoyed it.

When do you leave for your California trip?

Meanwhile, back in the early '50's ...

Wednesday, November 5, 1952
310th Day--56 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning was of course very dismal. I wore my Stevenson Button to School anyway. Mr. Kallenbach told us yesterday that he voted for Stevenson. Isn't that a mirical? He didn't look to happy this morning. Mom had to take us to School we were so late. We walked home. Tonite we had a fire in the fire place tonite complete with ice cream and everything. I Like Steve Better! Suzy

Thursday, November 6, 1952
311th Day--55 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning we went to school. We played teather ball & 4 square at P.E. I stayed after school for dramatics club. I probably will have one of the comercials. Sandy went to Joyces on scout ubsiness. We were talking about having Faye come to my Slumber party. That will make a total of 8. 4 6th graders 4 8th graders. I got a pic of Polly Bergan the other day. 52 now. Suzy

X Marks the Day (D)

Gainesville

Another of my seemingly lost days, where an idea sticks in my head in the morning, and I spend hours trying to chase down where that little string leads. Google was surprisingly unhelpful. Eventually got enough to satisfy my own curiosity and share it with someone who might be able to use it. (Note to self: this concerns "The Ripples.")

I'm about 300 emails behind on various email lists I try to follow. Moan groan. Spent my requisite 2 hours with My Box, and have now completely finished 1947, both strips and ads. Strips are done already for 1948, so just the ads to go. Could possibly finish it in a week.

Worked a bit more on the Library presentation-- it's almost all there. Have now numbered (and inevitably had to renumber) a print of the slides, and have started locating them in the script. Slowly. Coming. Together.

Got home very late. (My fault; failed to feel my cell vibrating in my pants pocket-- how can that be?) Would have stopped at Bahn Thai, except that I'd started some pork chops marinating last night and wanted to use them. I flew around the kitchen and got some cauliflower steamed, green beans blanched, and said chops broiled in 35 minutes flat! A minor miracle, and pretty good food, too, if I do say so myself. The marinade was lemon/ garlic/ tarragon, and was my-T-fine.

Work at home day tomorrow. Yippee! A chance to get my latest stuff into the database and finish the first draft of ... Library Thing.

And one of these days I need to get back to practicing reading that chapter of Coraline-- that's two weeks from today!

Thanks for the update, Sandy. Nice picture, to complete our Trifecta of the Great Blizzard of '06, and nice descriptions too. I can't believe you braved it all the way into the cities the next day-- you are certainly dedicated to those students of yours. I hope they appreciate it.

Ides of March, huh? Interesting.

Good for you, Mom, not waiting for a weekend or new month to jump back in wherever you are! That is one of FL's important messages--such a trap, and I think that's part of the reason you had so much trouble with your diets, as recorded in your Jottings-- you waited for those "landmark" days, and then declared diet amnesty on weekends, vacations, or any other disruption.

Easy to see in retrospect, of course-- and I certainly understand the mindset, as I do it myself all the time with all kinds of things. As always, when I seem to be lecturing you, I'm really talking to myself! Trying to break myself of the habit is hard, but worth the struggle, I think. Wear the shoes. At least start the routines every day. Starting is the hardest part. Don't I know it. That's why I start my blogs with the Diry!

Monday, November 3, 1952
308th Day--58 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
Well, its back to school again at recess, I cast my vote for none other than ADLAI E. STEVENSON! Yay! Robin Hill was visiting our class this morning. I got her new adress in Newport Beach. Now I can write to her. Mom & Dad went to see "High Noon" & "She's Working her Way thru College" tonight at the Cardinal. I'm for Adlai. Suzy

THIS IS IT!
X
Tuesday, November 4, 1952
309th Day-- 57 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
Well, the new president has been elected. You guessed it by my sad tone of pencil. Yip, it's President Dwight D. Eisenhower. If you will turn to July 11, 1952, you will see the vulger words "I like Ike" (how could I) sprawled across the page. Oh Brother. I'm proud of Stevenson for his beautiful Consession speech & telegram. I'm still for Adlai anyway. Suzy

aftermath

A drift on the east side of our house.



Well, it was/is pretty indeed. We got about half the snow that RF did, but that was fine. Spectacular full moon on snow last night -- one of our most beautiful phenomena, moon shadows. The moon on the crest of the new-fallen snow, etc. -- CC Moore knew what he was talking about, as it does indeed give a luster of midday. Charlie got me out of bed as soon as he got up this morning to see the terrific moonset in the west.

I left at twenty of eight yesterday, and drove over pure glacier until I was just a few miles east of RF. Couldn't face the interstate all the way in, but it would have been better. Twenty-nine (the road by our house that goes to RF) had been plowed a little, but there wasn't an iota of salt or sand anywhere. It was awful. Took me 45 minutes (normally 20) to get to RF. Low gears are handy. I didn't touch the brakes once.

I was headed for the east side of St. Paul, and once I got to RF the roads were o.k., though traffic crawled most of the way on I 94, due to slowdowns for spinouts (new yesterday, not from the storm day, I think), most particularly a semi in the median which closed the left lane. Very, very slow. I had two schools to visit, and miraculously made it on time, since I'd anticipated delay. Trip that normally takes a little under an hour took a little more than an hour and a half.

I am sorry the Diry is coming to an end. I want to go back and read it all again. So many things in that year! You know, after hazing (there's no other word for it) Patty Mersman so mercilessly (and she took it so well), I don't think we ever told her the secret letters. I hope we did, but for some reason we never really wanted to let her into the inner circle. Kids can be mean. And we were really at the end of it then. I'll bet the summer and fall of 52 were the end of the club. Wish I knew for sure, but I think that we began to go our separate ways about then -- I became friends with Susie Sponsler and moved away from the neighborhood kids. Who were your friends in eighth grade, Suzy?

I haven't done much fancy cooking since I got back, with the exception of a nice coq au vin on Saturday, at Charlie's request. The fun part of it is lighting it on fire after browning the chicken.

I also assume Marty got to work o.k., since the roads were decent, and she is better at driving in crap anyway.

Poor Pitiful

Gainesville

Great headline, Mom. Shore is Purtty indeed! Obviously Charlie was able to get in to see about your fallen tree today, so the roads are somewhat functional-- I wonder if Marty was able to go to work?

Poor Neil. He lives outside Minneapolis, and left for England just before the blizzard. He'd been commenting about how it was spring, with crocuses and stuff.

Poor us. Premature summer. However, we did get some much needed rain today.

Poor me. Working on the next show-and-tell night and day. It was officially announced via the "ALL Library Staff" list today. That's probably why so many people suddenly noticed me sitting in Special Collections working on "my box" and had to stop and ask what the hell I was doing. Even Bill dropped by! The attention is nice, but when doing this kind of data drudgery, any interruption is multiplied by a factor of 5-10 because of the break in rhythm, plus all the surge of inner voices that chime in with, "What the hell ARE you doing anyway? You must be out of your mind! You'll never finish this in a million years!" Etc. Takes a few minutes just to strangle them back into silence.

Think I have a reasonable set of 170 (!) slides assembled, and have been working on patching together a reasonable narrative to go with them. And keep reminding myself that the point of this one is to ENTERTAIN, first myself (since I love talking about this stuff) and second the people who come to check it out. Don't need to teach them anything, or convince them of anything. And luckily, I have two enormously entertaining individuals, Neil and Lynn Johnston, doing the heavy lifting for me. Worked on it an hour or two tonight.

Got home late, both of us frazzed. Bill sneezing. Decided a pot of recent crock soup from the freezer was in order, and added half a package of broccolie slaw to it to simulate noodles. Worked rather well for a brainless meal, along with bag salad and some of those nice TLC crackers Sandy left. Carrot loves the crackers too. Still keeping up with my new post-dinner habit of sweeping the floor whenever I cook as part of the kitchen cleanup routine. What I've not been keeping up with is putting stars on the calendar to reflect this.

Enough. Will skip the diry tonight, since there is so little of it left.

Heaps of Stuff (D)

Gainesville

Some snow, guys! I'm glad you are all safe and got to enjoy it at least somewhat. Except for those who had to shovel it, of course. Here you all are with news of blizzards, and our highlight of the day was watching the cat chase her tail tonight. It was a very impressive performance, mind you, atop the hollow tube part of her carpeted gym set, and it went on for about five minutes. But still.

The weather contrast couldn't be more stark: we're having summer here-- mid-80's today, humidity, bugs, and all that they entail. For the first time since November, no turtle was around my neck, either real nor mock. We had to put on the A.C. tonight to feel at all comfortably human.

We went to lunch with Barbara at Sonny's, so I didn't bother cooking tonight. Got the sheets changed in the morning, and towels changed and laundered (well, they're in the dryer right now, but I'll get them folded and put away before sleep, as always). Seems mundane to keep repeating that I've done this, but I'm still proud of it. Pre-FL, there were ALWAYS heaps of clothes on the bed in my study; I tried to keep the dirty ones, and ones needing hanging separate from the heaps of clean ones, but it was a struggle. Sheets and towels would usually sit there for days or even weeks before I was in the mood to fold them. That bed is now pristine every day of the world before work, as part of my morning routine. What a difference that makes both in facing the world, and facing the evening when getting home.

Working on turning a mash-up of previous work into a coherent hour for Library consumption-- March 31. Mostly hacking and hewing, but also some major rearrangements and amputations. Problem is, going through it all, I'm faced with how dearly I love some of it-- but it's not always the parts that it makes sense to include. Lots of angst.

Made myself spend two hours in Special Collections on the indexing. This too is a blissful agony. It's drudgery to sit there by the hour and make tiny little notations on a graph and hope I can decipher them later, but I also have to force myself to not read them all-- I allow myself to read the few Terry & the Pirates there are (most have been torn out by some collector), and Smilin' Jack, since I want to write about him eventually, but if I stop to read any of the others, I will never get through this one box of Sunday strips, 1947-48, let alone make a dent in the whole collection.

Still, the part that seems frustrating drudgery is putting a whole lot of this stuff before my eyes, however briefly, and therefore into my brain, and I know that is going to inform any kind of serious work I want to do in the future.

Nuffa' this. Here's da Kid. And a gentle reminder to myself, the Diry is nearing its end-- I'll need to find some other crutch to make myself blog.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Nothing for Oct 30-31-- except for some scribbles probably made by Chris]

Saturday, November 1, 1952
306th Day--60 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning we got up at 9:00 quarreling all morning with Mom. We cleaned up our

[rest of page blank]

Sunday, November 2, 1952
307th Day--59 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning we rose early and proceeded to Sundae Shchool (Yuk Yuk) When we came home mom & Dad went over & got Frank and Jeannette who stayed for lunch. We saw "At Swords Point" with Maureen O'Hara & Cornel Wild also "Lovely to Look at" Kathren Grayson, Red Skelton, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Marge & Gower Champion & Zza Zza Gabor. (Whew) Tonite around the fire we are making plans for our Snow trip. The latest is us having the Jensens go to Yosemite. Oh Boy. Suzy

I really love that "Tonite around the fire" line. I remember how thrilling it was to have a real fireplace at last. It was a wonderful one, too, up off the ground like that, with a grill rack in it, and places to sit beside it. If I had an image of it handy, I'd scan and post it.

Mom's Snow Pix

Cool Beans! And you thought this one wouldn't amount to anything...

The big one...

Hello from snowed-in Marty! This is the biggest storm in years - I took lots of pictures. Nate went to work only to get there and lose power for several hours. He stayed anyway, because conditions were so bad on the roads. They did get power back about halfway through his work day. He made it home fine and is slaving away outside trying to shovel us out. I got a call at about 7 (after I had already decided not ot go in) from my boss telling me there was no power at my work either, and that he was declaring us closed. First time that has happened since I started working there 12.5 years ago! Anyway, it is quite the impressive storm. I think we got something like 16 or so inches in RF. It has blown into some very deep drifts, as you can (hopefully) see from the pictures.



View out the windows into the back yard - the snow is up to the bottom of the split-rail fence.


Impressive drifts in front of the house.


Nate getting ready to shovel.


The neighbors' even more impressive drift.

live from whiteout town

RF, Ellsworth and Hudson schools are not closed because they're not open! Spring break.

Great snow here, blowing like crazy. Marty's without power at home, and they called from her office and told her not to come (not that she would have), because there's no power there, either.

They've pulled the plows off our road; Chas talked to a plowman (about DO's driveway), and he said they can't see well enough to plow.

About five inches here so far and rising. Nice thunder and lightning, too.

Movie Nite (D)

Gainesville

Sorry bout the hiatus; Friday night I couldn't get into blogger at all, and last night I watched a movie: Walk the Line, but got a late start on it. I'm trying to make Saturday Movie Night just to force myself out of my monomaniacal focus on comics. The movie was pretty good, but not great-- something in Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal just did not convince me, and it dragged in spots. Reese Witherspoon, on the other hand, was just awesome. She deserved the Oscar for that one.

Bill reminds me I don't need to write a book-length post every night-- just a few paragraphs will do-- so maybe with that in mind I can regain the habit.

Got your note on the beautiful new stationery, Mom. Nice work! I don't know that piece of music at all, but Bill does. And thanks for the newspaper clipping of our hockey starlet.

I had to have Bill explain to me what you meant by "the arrow." Every time I watch him compute, or he watches me, I learn something new, so I know how you feel.

Cooking straight Leanne this week: burgers topped with peppers, mushrooms and onions last night, broiled shrimp scampi over Spanish Cauli-rice tonight.

I'm pretty much caught up with the blessings and laundry, which is good, but spent all the rest of my time reading or working on comics. Got the first issue of a subscription to Hogan's Alley, a perfectly splendid 'zine devoted to strips, mostly historical. It's full of revelations. I've ordered all the available back issues, and will need to read them all cover to cover.

Have about decided not to submit anything to ICAF (the major conference in Washington) this year; I just don't think I'll have anything good enough by October, even if I were to get something accepted. The proposal deadline is Wednesday, and I'm just not happy with the two I've come up with. Blowing it off takes some of the stress out of the present.

Hope you get your wished-for snow tonight.

Sunday, October 26, 1952
300th Day--66 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning we didn't go to sunday school. We did a little big of our work & played with Brenda the rest of the afternoon. I got to light the first fire in the new fire place. When Pa & Day came I got a b. compact & B.S. Filly from Lala & A book of plays for teens, a writing book & a cologne stick. What a terrific birthday! (tom.) Suzy

* * * * * 13 yrs. * * * * *
* * Monday, October 27, 1952 * *
301st Day--65 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
Well, I'm 13 this morning.

[rest of page, and next day blank]

Wednesday, October 29, 1952
303rd Day--63 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning I rode my bike to school with Pat. Today was Achievement Test day. Oh Gorr. Nothing but tests all day. Tonite we went to the Rancho Shopping C. first birthday Party. I loaded up with Ice cream, Cotton Candy, Popcicles, balloons & cupcakes. We saw all the New doc & dentists joints. Pretty neat. Suzy

What Fun!! (D)

Gainesville

Back-achin' kind of day, which means this will be short.

Yay, Sandy is home! Red-eye flights are not my favorite way to travel either, unless it's to Europe, when you get there in broad daylight and ready to rock.

Perfect Spring Day here-- we still have azeleas everywhere, clear, dry, mid-70's. I celebrated anti-procrastination day (Bill tells me it's also Anti-Procrastination WEEK) by walking across campus to the Student Union to have my misplaced UF ID card replaced. A most enjoyable journey that took nearly an hour...

As I sat down to blog tonight, I glanced at a nearby bookshelf, and discovered a book there I need to read AT ONCE, if I'm going to continue looking at comic ads: Comic Strips and Consumer Culture, 1890-1945. Don't know when I got it, but glad I did! My study starts at 1946. And today, while I was putting in my couple of hours of physical drudgery in Special Collections, for the first time I actually recognized an artist who'd anonymously drawn an ad strip: Milton Caniff (or George Wunder, possibly) for toothpaste. I felt like I'd found a giant gold nugget at the bottom or a muddy California mountain stream.

Got up in time to get the crock soup launched, only at the last moment to realize, no way was it going to fit into the medium sized crockpot. Managed to get it transferred to Big Bertha, get the medium crock washed and stowed, and still be ready to go to work on time. I count that as some sort of minor miracle. The soup itself was okay, not great, but the leftovers will form the basis of a couple of amazing desperation dinners.

Congrats on getting all your routines done, Mom. I did well too, but have this bit of advice for FlyFolk: Don't sit down with your calendar and multiple boxes of stars when you also have a martini nearby. Stars everywhere. (Not that there's anything WRONG with that...)

Diry-wise, an exciting coupla' days for the kid. And what, pray tell, was a "Paul Jones"? I almost remember.

U. N. DAY
Friday, October 24, 1952
298th Day--68 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning Sandy was home from school again. Edna gave Gay some purfume for her birthday. (How did she know) When we got home we found out Sandy could go to S.P. We picked up the gang & went.

W H A T - F U N ! !

Boy, I got asked in a Paul Jones by unknown boy. Big Thrill. Patty is the best skater.
Suzy

I'm Gladly For ADLAI
Saturday October 25, 1952
299th Day--67 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning We got up & worked hard. We had our club picnic & meeting. Mom & Dad worked on the house. We painted boards.
After the meeting We watched the Georgie Gessel show with Phil Harris. Then Show of Shows & Hit Parade. We saw Son of Monte Cristo" on T. V.
Suzy

Buzzed

Gainesville

So much for Tuesday being my "free" night. In the mail today I got a glorious book of reprinted Buzz Sawyer strips from the beginning, which was also the beginning of WWII, about 2 years worth. I couldn't put it down! I just vaguely remember Buzz, but always liked it. I fell completely in love with Roy Crane's work. I'm about half way through the book, and if I didn't have to work tomorrow, I'd sit up tonight and finish it. It will act as background to the 40's projects I'm working on (put in another 2 hours on them in Spec Coll this pm), but hope to get back to Buzz eventually. In some ways he's more appealing than either Terry or Steve Canyon, and I wonder why.

Was confused by your first paragraph tonight, Mom. Can't figure out what music you mean. I remember a moody, jungle thing called "Quiet Villiage" (?) but maybe not in the same ballpark?

Made a simple Mexican casserole thing with ground turkey. Got a mis en place for tomorrow's beef veg crock soup ready to go in the morning. Swept the kitchen floor! (The prospective new habit for the month). Bill went to bed at 10:00-- a long day working on the final budget, plus more stuff in the student newspaper about the library-- we've become something of a political hot potato.

No Diry tonight. So sorry. Still spring here. A very long azalea season, since it's been relatively cool.

Time for ZZZZZZZ's.

Fly Guy Rules! (D)

Gainesville

Why do I keep having Panic dreams? Last night it was the old familiar big- test- tomorrow- haven't- studied /haven't- a-clue one, this time a college course in archeology. The night before I woke up in a panic, sure I had a paper to deliver later this week-- it took a long time to work through what day/month it was and realize the next real paper is mid-April, and it is essentially the one I've already done. It did make me realize I need to do something about the Library show- and- tell. Today I made a brief outline and gathered together the three PowerPoint presentations I've done, deleting the stuff that repeats in each one. It's going to be longer than an hour, as is. Must shorten-- my voice will not hold out for a whole hour!

Came home at noon to be here for the dishwasher repair guy. He showed up on time, but the damn thing REFUSED to leak, no matter what he did. He said it is most likely a failing gasket, but did not have one with him, and at any rate, would not want to fix something that is not actively broken. He told me where to buy a new one, if it leaks again. Said they are very cheap and easy to install. That was nice of him-- he could have just said to call him again if it leaked again, and charged us another $48.00 plus a ridiculously marked up part charge. I immediately ran the load of dishes that's been in there nearly a week, and no leaks. Nice to have Mrs. Higgins back in operation.

Being home in the afternoon allowed me to get a couple loads of laundry done, plus get started with the mis en place for dinner at a reasonable hour. I had some broccolini I was going to fix Sunday, but realized I had no idea what to do with it, and my cookbooks were no help. It looked kind of tired, too. I almost tossed it, but in the end, rebagged and stuck it back in the fridge. Happily, Fine Cooking (#78) arrived today with lots of good looking stuff, including "five bright sauces for veggies"... and one of the veggies was broccolini. I trimmed the stems and soaked it in a big pot of cold water, and it perked up hugely. I steamed it, and made their Basalmic-Bacon Vinaigrette Sauce, and it was lovely. Spozed to be good on brussels sprouts, potatoes and green beans too, and I believe it. Want to try some of the others.

With this had what turned out to be one of Leanne's better efforts, and very easy: flank steaks sauteed in olive oil with a little garlic, topped with lime juice, lime slices and chopped cashews.

What elaborate plans you had for the Iowa house, Mom. Right down to measuring inches. What derailed the plans-- Dan's death? I would think that would have made things easier for you, if that was indeed what you wanted to do.

Bill is decluttering his magazines like a true Fly Guy-- ALL the cardboard holders under the north windows are empty. And now gone, too, as I moved them back into my study to help me get a grip sorting my own shoulder-high stack of 'zines hidden in a corner. He is determined to get rid of them all, even the ones under the bed. (!) I don't know what has come over him, but I like it! Very inspiring.

And now, a word from our sponsor:

Wednesday, October 22, 1952
296th Day--70 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning Pat & I rode to school alone Cause the rest of the gang went to scouts. Patty Mersman got a chain letter. She gave one to Sandy & she's giving it to me. It is for postcards. Our store friend Jim is leaving. Boo Hoo. I want to get his autog. Sandy is sick. That fouls up our party plans. Suzy

Thursday, October 23, 1952
297th Day--69 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning I rode to school. I gave my speech on William Howard Taft. Today was Hamberger day in the Cafe. Gym cloths are in. I'm getting mine Sat. We had an emergency club meeting. Pattys Dad isn't going. I'm wiring this in the dark. Can you tell? Suzy

Sandy, I'm sure you will remember "our store friend, Jim." I almost do. Wasn't this one of the check-out guys at Rancho Market?

Fluttering/Decluttering (D)

Gainesville

Spent most of the day on Blessings-- the house is truly and well Blessed once again. I even got the kitchen floor done. I want to make sweeping the kitchen floor part of the after-dinner routine as my new habit for the month. Wish me luck.

Bill had to go into work for about six hours today to work on the Library's budget. He was up at 5:00 to go on an online raid with some buddies of his in Japan. Needless to say, he has already hit the sack, exhausted. And he has an early morning tomorrow too.

We are relearning the joys of hand dishwashing. The plumbers we had come in Friday pm told us it wasn't the plumbing (and charged $59.00 for that infobit). So now we will have an appliance guy tomorrow afternoon. I'll need to come home at noon to cover that. We've had Mrs. Higgins less than 10 years, so we're hoping it is something minor.

Made a rather uninteresting Cajun Salmon last night-- had run out of my home-made Cajun mix, and the substitute I whumped up was not very good. Bill and Carrot loved it, though, and when I ate the leftovers for lunch, it tasted better today. Tonight I did Tondoori chicken (breast quarters with bones in) and it turned out great. I was quite pleased. Made FauxTayToes and sauteed some green beans with onions, also one of my better takes on that. I used paper plates and bowls as much as possible during cooking, but there still was a ton of dishes, as we ate off the real thing. I washed 'em all.

Did a couple loads of laundry, too. This did not leave a whole lot of time for relaxation. I really should put in an hour on data entry on comics ads, but not sure I'll manage it.

Bill continued his decluttering of his magazines, to my amazement. He has cleared out 4-5 of those storage boxes lined up along the north wall of the TV room. I hauled out a few armloads of catalogs and throw-away mags to be recycled. Let's hope this momentum continues-- Douglass roped his Uncle Bill into buying magazine subscriptions. To my chagrin, I find I am now subscribed to Southern Living and (not again!) Rolling Stone. I MUST keep up with decluttering my coffee table heap weekly or I will soon be completely buried.

Clothes are next on the declutter list. Sandy noticed right away that I have way too many clothes-- and she was looking at just ONE of my closets!

Glad to hear you are working on some more of your nifty notes, Mom. I can't wait to use mine for something. They are so beautiful and original. And how nice to have some pretty snow this late in the season. It's good you have people to help you deal with it so you can just enjoy it.

Also glad to know you had a good time here-- but really, we didn't knock outselves out at all! Sandy did all the heavy lifting when it came to cooking. Next time I'll try to do more of that, and hopefully will be less angst-filled about my conference presentation.

And now, tonight's episodes of The Reluctant Eighth Grader

[Entry almost totally illegible-- dark blue ink from previous day's entry bled through the page, obscuring the pencil of this one]

Monday, October 20, 1952
294th Day--72 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning was an awful rat race--. I had caf duty as usual and this afternoon I went to Mrs. Duttons house for scouts. We are going to be a [illegible] troop. Tonite Lala & Fran came down & Chewed [illegible] Their was another big fight tonite & [rest illegible]

Tuesday, October 21, 1952
295th Day--71 Days to Follow

This morning all the electricity was off. Brenda had Sandy & I down for breakfast. Then we rode the bus to school. Thelma didn't feel good. She spent most of the afternoon in the nurse's office. Mr. Mersman wants to go to the skating party so dad isn't going. Boo Hoo. Pat brought back her slip. Suzy

Late, Brief

Gainesville

After 1:00 AM here, so this will be brief. Thanks for keeping up with the Blog, Mom. It is interesting to read about the Iowa dreams, even if they didn't come true. And glad to hear that your morning routines are becoming routine again. A good step forward.

I woke up early, but Bill didn't-- a rare occurance. Since I knew there was no coffee waiting, there was little incentive to get up. Good thing I'd done the menu/shopping plan last night, which made it possible to get that done, despite the late start.

Tomorrow's plan is Blessings and Relaxation. And, if we're very very good-- Pre-Season Baseball on the telly tomorrow night! Life's little pleasures.

Back to the Diry tomorrow, I hope. Sorry to hear that the Mac doesn't understand formatting. In any case, there aren't too many diry entries left.

Sleep now.

Read Baby Read (D)

Gainesville

How did it get so late again? Came home early pm to wait on plumbers who promised to be here 2:00-ish. That turned out to be 5:00. It took them all of 10 minutes to determine that it wasn't the plumbing but the dishwasher that has the problem. $59.00 please.

Worked at home yesterday, figuring out how to collect the data I need for the ad part of this two-headed project I've hatched. Couple of hours in Spec Coll on it this morning.

I signed up to read a chapter of Neil's Coraline at the Library's 4th annual Read-A-Thon at the end of the month. This is one of the best things the Library does-- out on the Plaza of the Americas, under a little canopy-- anyone who wants to reads for 10-15 minutes from a book they love. I always go out to hear at least some of them.

Bruce announced another off-beat record/tour. Hope I can squeeze at least one show into an already ridiculously full dance card for the next 8 months. As a retirement prolog, I seem to be planning to go out with a bang.

Let the record show it's summer here. The 80's. Humidity. Bugs. It's early March-- if this is spring, what kind of hell will summer bring?

Let the record further show that unwashed dishes are contintuing to stack up on the drainboard until we can find out what is ailing dear Mrs. Higgins. And that I did the meal planning/shopping list. And that I washed a load of sheets and another of dark clothes. Weekly blessings running a bit behind, though. Yeah, just a bit.

Thanks for the letters to Dan in 1981, Mom. It's interesting to read all the details about an Iowa dream, even it it didn't come true.

We'll all get back up to speed on our FL track eventually.

S T E V E N S O N

Saturday, October 18, 1952
AdLAI 292 Days--74 Days to Follow ADlAi

Dear Diary
This morning I did my work and then We got the WWW members together early and prepared for Patty Mersman's initiation. First she made herself a complete outfit [out of newspaper, I think] and then we cracked an egg over her head [as I remember it, she put on a swimming cap first] then We dressed her up in this outfit and a baggy dress, to long slip, our runny stockings, lipstick all over her face Went to J.C [?] We are having a skating party next friday Skate Haven. Oh boy what fun. Suzy

Sunday, October 19, 1952
293 Days--73 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
We didn't go to Sunday school today Pa & Dan came down. The windows are all in our house. Joyce gave us her permit slip to go to the party. She has a new English bike. Boy am I Jelouse. Daddy id going as our chaperone to Skate Haven. We had a Chinese dinner Boy was it good (Boy I must be boy crazy) Boy Suzy

Okay, I should have been formatting the diry this way all along-- the date headings were actually printed on the pages, centered. Woulda been a whole lot easier to separate my comments and decorations if I'd done this earlier. Sorry. More comments later.

Still Smilin'

Gainesville

So exhausted I can hardly think. I did manage to get down to Special Collections for 1.5 hours this afternoon, starting on 1947. However, since I've decided I want to look at the ads too, it took much longer. I got something sent off for the deadline today (San Diego) -- in fact, sent TWO proposals. Will also send them both to the Washington one, and see who wants what (if anything). One is on the comics ads, the other on Smilin' Jack. (The comics Sandy brought me helped focus on that one.) We'll see what comes of all this.

I also finally wrote up a blurb for the hour long presentation I promised to do for the Library on March 30. I'm not too worried about that one-- it's just a rehash of all the stuff I've done since the sabbatical. And at this point in my career, there's very little at stake there.

Came home to a puddle of water on the kitchen floor-- apparently the dishwasher is clogged up. Thank god it didn't happen during The Visitation! I worked around it, but it did leave a lot of dirty dishes that Bill insisted on hand washing. Good thing it's Thursday, as I can be here when the plumber comes.

I made the Broiled Lamb Patties recipe from Leanne-- and discovered I didn't have enough Feta-- faked the rest of it with a bizarre combo of Dubliner, Brie and parmesan. They were great! Sliced up the rest of the 'Baga into fries, and had leftover string beans and asparagus tips. Good grub.

Mom, I forgot all about that butter pecan ice cream we bought-- sorry! I hope it isn't still in there the next time you visit.

Even though I was around in 1981, I didn't realize you were ever all that serious about moving back to Iowa. Interesting.

Hope your party today went well today, Sandy, and that your trip tomorrow goes smoothly.

Will try to get back to the Diry tomorrow.