46 degrees out. I was cold all night with the windows open. I can tell it's cold because my shoulders ache from hunching. And I have a cold. But some of my aches this morning are from playing racquetball yesterday. On Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday we can't go until at least 3:30 because Ray has class. And I was held up at work, so didn't pick him up until after 4. But since we didn't really need to rush home (no one at home to worry about...except Zoe), we played anyway. Only one game, since it had been so long and I didn't want to overdo before my trip. I think it really helps my state of mind, so I'm glad we did. But then it was after 6:30 when we got home and took 2 hours to make supper and then I was exhausted and didn't get to bed until after 11. I did find time to make my reservations to and from Atlanta, so now I am pretty ready to go. I still have to do a few thngs, like get my passport out of the safe deposit box, but I don't have to worry about getting there.

Yesterday morning, one of the residents told me that a former resident had died. She apparently took an overdose of some kind, probably deliberately. She had tried before, once at the shelter. She was being treated for it, but if someone is determined, there is not much anyone can do. Her young son will not remember her as he grows up...and her older son will surely be devastated. He is now hearing from his stepfather how he should be happy for her (I'm sure); that she is with God and she won't be unhappy any more. I am very very sad and a little angry at her, but I am also incredibly relieved that it didn't happen at the shelter. Or even next week. We also had a child come home with a high fever. At the emergency room, they gave him a prescription for Tamiflu. Do you know how much that costs? $100! And surely every one in the shelter will catch it. The thing is she should have Medicaid, but hasn't done the paperwork yet.

Really cool here this morning. In fact, cold. All the windows are open and I covered Ray up and turned off the fan. Then I put on jeans and socks and a sweatshirt. I am still not sure it is good for his cold (and mine).

Yesterday was the first day we had Bob, from the Council on Aging. They assign workers to agencies for training, up to 20 hours a week. They pay them. Unfortunately, Bob is not as competent as I would like. I asked him to copy and mail a document for me. After he left, I found two pages stuck in a drawer. I had to tear open the envelope and tape it back up. Fortunately, the mail carrier hadn't come to pick it up yet. Another thing I asked him to mail had no stamp on it. I put in a call to Council on Aging, but didn't hear back. I will ask her if she wants him to just sit here for four hours and answer the phone and door. He also took the recycling for me.

I did payroll, even though I didn't get all the time sheets until almost 4. I have to finish the details today. But it did get submitted, two days before payday.

Then I went to the post office and mailed a small package to Nate in Seattle. I think he is 7 today. There was a line of about 10 people, so it took almost 15 minutes. I just missed getting a parking ticket. The agent was across the street and I had put in a nickel for 12 minutes and it was expired.

Then I went to the VFW for the town hall meeting on health care. There were a few people already there. Other early arrivals included Nathan Horne's dad and Leara Rhodes. A couple of men were complaining about the census and I thought, good, don't answer the questions. Then Pat Priest came with her signs. They finally opened the doors at 5:30. I got a good seat on the end of the third row, where I could leave when I got too upset. Then my phone rang; Janna wanted me to come get her. So of course I did. We got back just at six and found a few seats in the back. It was pretty tense; a lot of people agreed with us, but some of them were yelling out things and I tried to tell a couple of them they were hurting our cause. I did agree with some of the things he said: we need to lower health care costs and we need to have civilized discussion. I will email him some of my ideas. It was 7:30 when we left. I took Janna home and went home. I ate a baked potato, a banana, and the last of the apple crisp with ice cream. Monday is the night we have three shows we like on TV.

It's cool this morning; the computer says 61. I am still achy and a little congested. I took Zycam yesterday, but don't know that it will keep me from completely getting this cold. Ray slept a lot this weekend; that is how he copes.

I went to the forum at UUFA yesterday at 9:30. It was about choosing a retirement home and there was some good info.: common sense, but helpful. Then I sang with the choir, including my 3 word solo: Hunger and homelessness (followed by "we can make a difference"). Other people sang things like "injustice, hatred." Then there was the fourth Sunday lunch.

I rushed off to the AAHS Board meeting downtown at the Bottleworks. It started at 9, but I told them I couldn't get there until 1. I was about 5 minutes late (the service ran over by 20 minutes--it was a good service, but still. Karen B. played an awesome cello Kol Nidre.). The board members were all into revising the bylaws and updating the policies, etc. Good stuff, but no answers for my immediate questions. Luckily, they finished about 3 instead of 5!

Then, I hit the grocery store on my way home and got a few things we need. It was a little more crowded than I like. When I got home, it was still sunny and not too hot. After I put the groceries away, I went out and picked green beans and lettuce. Then I sprayed the knockout roses and everything sticking through the fence with the deer repellent the Captain had mixed up before he left: eggs, hot pepper, garlic...It works quite well, but when it's constantly raining, there is no point in applying it.

Life seems much simpler with my parents gone. Ray and I can keep up with the smaller amount of housework: laundry, dishes... I know it's an illusion, because my parents do a lot when they are here. I like to wander around the house, opening and closing shades and windows and admiring the empty and tidy rooms.

I still have a lot to do to get ready for my trip. I am very excited and nervous and trying not to let it overwhelm me. Take a deep breath...

Warning--I'm going to whine.

My neck hurts and I'm getting a cold. Ray came down with it Friday and I don't know how I thought I would escape. Sometimes I do. He is very prone to respiratory infections; I think because of his asthma. I don't want a cold because I am singing this morning, I am attending the AAHS board retreat this afternoon, I don't want to expose my parents when they come home Wednesday, and I don't want to fly to Madrid with a cold overnight Friday. I am thinking of taking the little plane from Athens to Atlanta (it's only $39--I hate to tell anyone because the flights will fill up) and that is especially uncomfortable with a cold. I hate small planes especially, but no driving to Atlanta in Friday afternoon traffic; no parking, 30 minutes in the air is hard to argue with. I will have a couple hours to kill in the airport, but that's so much better than rushing and stressing.

Yesterday I did not leave the house. Well, I walked out to get the paper and take Zoe for a walk. It wasn't actually raining, just misting a little. When I was coming back, it started raining again. It was like that all day. In the afternoon, around 3:30, it had stopped for a few hours. I went out and picked some peppers, basil, a few tomatoes with bites out of them, and a handful of beans. A half-hour later it was raining again.

A woman named Denise came with a helper (Sheila) to clean the house about 10. They were here two hours; Ray didn't think they did that good a job. $100. But it is nice to have the floors clean and the bathrooms. We had to tell them not to worry about some rooms--the TV room, most of the upstairs.

Most of the day, I cooked, interspersed with some reading of cookbooks and time on the computer. I made pastitsio, a little at a time. We were having Mike and his wife to dinner. But we decided we should let them know Ray had a cold, because she has had cancer and has "white blood cell issues." In addition, there were flash flood warnings and they were driving from Monroe. So they decided not to come. Ray and I enjoyed our dinner (sans salad; they were bringing that). Some heavy storms came through and the satellite was out for a bit. But we have so many programs recorded that we would be fine without for weeks.

I woke up in the night and realized I was getting a cold--bummer.

I woke up about 4:30 and it was raining. I was so disappointed. I had been looking forward to doing some gardening. The Captain mixed up some deer repellent before he left. Anything that is not behind the fence they will eat, including the knockout roses, which rarely get to bloom becaucse they are being munched on. Also any part of a plant that sticks through the fence--pumpkin vines, cucumbers... There are things that need picking, too. I will probably still take a short walk.

The air conditioning is running like mad. Ray must have woken up in the night and been warm, so he turned it down. I don't dare change it. It's probably 70 out in spite of the rain.

I left work about 3 yesterday and picked Ray up. When we parked and got out of the car to play racquetball, he realized he didn't have his bag, so we went home. The traffic was crazy (home football game today). When we got home, I made banana snack cake to take to Janna's for dinner, in honor of the high holy days (Rosh Hashanah was a week ago and Yom Kippur is tomorrow). It called for a cup of pecans. The only pecans we have are ones we gathered from Becky's trees a year ago. Ray started shelling and chopping. It took about an hour and we still didn't really have enough. Then I put it in the oven and we were more than an hour late for dinner! It was delicious though. She served chicken with apricots and currants and rice with wild rice. Deb and John were there too--and Nathan! It was fun to see him and talk with him, now that he's an adult.

I am feeling pretty good about my ability to run the Shelter. The Case Manager deals with the residents and keeps me informed. Sometimes she asks me my opinion. There are three interns who help her--social work students. There is a volunteer who has come in all this week to answer the phones and do any tasks I come up with; he even changed a light bulb for me. I get the phone calls that are too complicated for them to answer, so I can talk to people about poverty and homelessness and how they can help. I am still doing the assistant director jobs: paying the bills and the staff, submitting reimbursements for grants. I don't think it takes 25 hours most weeks. The interns run errands for me: buying groceries and other supplies. I still make bank deposits myself. They are keeping up with a database of contributors and writing most of the thank you notes.

Yesterday I met with a man at Manning Brothers (a restaurant supply store--fun to browse in) about buying a commercial dishwasher. When I attended the ServSafe training about food safety, I decided we really needed one. Our residents are not washing the dishes in a way that will definitely kill germs. They also use a lot of paper plates and plastic silverware, which I want to stop. It will cost about $4000, but we have 2 $1000 donations and the Board has approved spending the difference.

The Maytag repair man came because one of the washing machines wasn't working. He said it was most likely that people were using too much detergent. A front-loading machine only uses about 3 gallons of water and needs less than a tablespoon of detergent, sometimes as little as a teaspoon. ($65 for the trip of course) I pass that info. along to the Case Manager and she makes sure the residents know.

The rest of the day I spent working on the filing system and reading old emails on the Director's computer. I am slowly working on transferring some of my information from one computer (the Assistant Director's) to the other--like my Contacts and Calendar.

Ray had a Democratic Committee meeting and he needed to prepare the Treasurer's report, so I waited at his office to rush him home at 4;30. He did the report and drove back to the meeting and I stayed home alone. I talked to my children on Skype though, so it wasn't really like being alone. Amelia and I are gradually making the reservations for our trip to Galicia--I leave a week from today!

I woke up before 5 even though I wasn't in bed until after 11. Ray and I are enjoying having the house to ourselves, not that we are doing anything differently than we would if my parents were here. They called and left a message on the answering machine, which I think means they're safely arrived for the night somewhere. But their cell phone was breaking up, so I can't really understand the message. I should have called, but it was so late by the time I thought of it that I didn't.

I called the Maytag repair man for our washing machine at work without making any jokes about them being lonely. We had our staff meeting without incident. I wrote and signed and mailed checks to the gas company, the water company and others. I dug up information on our workers comp history to give to a different insurance company to see if we can get a lower rate. Some volunteers from Baldor came to study the kitchen and see about putting the dishwasher in. We have gotten another $1000 from Georgia Power, so we can buy a new one instead of a used one. The volunteers will run a new electrical circuit for it and build a counter, etc. It's nice to work for an organization that has built up such a positive reputation in the community and so many supporters. I know if there were a financial crisis, we would be able to raise the money to keep going.

I was supposed to leave at 3:30 to go get my mammogram, but the phone kept ringing and people kept showing up (interns, etc.), so I didn't leave until almost 4. They have moved some things out to a building in Oconee County and it seems to take forever to get there. There are a bunch of big brick buildings and it took me a while to find the right one. Then of course I had to wait a while, since I had technically missed my appointment. Ray was waiting for me at Transmet, a restaurant near the bus stop, drinking beer and correcting papers, so I didn't feel too bad for him.

When we got home, I picked green beans, eggplant, basil. The ground is still muddy and wet from all the rain, but the grasshoppers don't seem to mind. They are mating everywhere and I can't bring myself to crush them with my fingers like my Dad would. Ray made bean sanp with our own tomatoes. I chopped the basil and peppers for the hot pot salad, as well as peeling the potatoes. Working on dinner together was nice.

Amelia called from Madrid and she and I talked on Skype for 40 minutes. It is kind of incredible to be able to see her room and the things she bought today (yarn, postcards) so far away and absolutely free. We are both looking forward to our visit coming up soon. It will be kind of an adventure for the two of us to be driving around Galicia with our limited Spanish. Fun and beautiful and delicious and interesting, and probably not dangerous.

I was thinking about my next knitting project, so Ray and worked on straightening out a bunch of old yarn while we watched John Stewart...and Cybill.

It was nice to see the sun yesterday, but the heat and the wet earth made it unpleasantly humid, and we opened the windows even so when it got below 78 out. This morning it seems cool and comfortable.

Six o'clock and my parents are on their way north. They are driving to Massachusetts, where my 82-year-old Dad will celebrate his birthday the way he has for years, with a dip in the ocean. We put 4 new tires on the Corolla and got it tuned up and its oil changed. I hope they don't need me to go rescue them from somewhere!

Yesterday at work, in addition to the basic bookkeeping, I was looking through the files in the Director's office. Some of them are really old and might need to be archived--or chucked. And a lot of them are not in much of an order. A young man who plans to start graduate school in social work started volunteering yesterday. The washing machine stopped working; now to find a repair man for that. Where's the landlord when you need him? Oh, right--I guess I'm the landlord, as it were.

Today I was awakened by lightning, not thunder, but lightning. And it's raining. It didn't rain hard all day yesterday, but it did rain a lot. There were a few hours when it looked like it might clear. But today there is a 90% chance of rain and tomorrow 60%.

The service was fun; it was the kickoff to the pledge drive and featured some upbeat music and even dancing by the members of the search committee. The choir sang a gospel song (I've Got Joy in my Heart), with Amber doing the solo since Marti was sick.

Art joined us at the Fellowship and did well. He also made his bed neatly when he got up and cleared the table. We took Ruthie and MaryJean home and then went to the Botanical Gardens for lunch. Unfortunately, the cafe there was closed. It has apparently been under renovation for about a year and due to open in October, but Trumps is not managing it. Then we tried Square One, a new restaurant we thought served brunch, but they appeared to be closed as well. so we went to Porterhouse for brunch. It was very good and not too expensive. The waiters and other staff greeted my parents by name and they didn't have to pay for their meal. The waitress spilled my drink all over where Ray would have been sitting, but fortunately he was at the buffet at the time. Then we took Art back to Colbert to his host family and came home. After that, i worked some on my nightmare piles of old paper. I did make some progress, but there is much much more.

We had leftovers for supper and watched a movie on TV until 11. Also a few peeks at the Emmys, fun but too many commercials.

The Captain says we've had 3 1/2 inches of rain in the last four days. It has been raining in the night since he said that yesterday. I still think it's a lark and love the sound of the rain on the roof. I like to look out the many windows and see it coming down on the wet ground. There are consequences, however. Yesterday we took some laundry to Janna's to use her dryer. The Captain is a little stir-crazy from being unable to go out and work in the garden. Vanessa, the ever-positive, has started to say out loud that she would like it to stop for a while. The outside temperature is not as cool as I would like (70 this morning) and it's much too humid to open the windows. With four people here and cooking, it gets warm enough for the air conditioning to come on most days.

I went to the choir retreat yesterday, a very enjoyable experience featuring time to talk with friends and relaxation exercises, as well as an introduction to some of the music we will be singing in December, including one taize piece in Spanish! It was at the Healing Arts Center, the building where UUFA used to be.

Then I drove to the Bread Basket in Colbert, where I met Mitzi and her son Devin, who are hosting Art, an exchange student from Thailand, this year. They said all is going well, although Mitzi has had a health problem this week: vertigo so bad she fell and may have broken a rib. She is taking medication for the vertigo now. I am the AFS liaison for Art and so he came to spend 24 hours with us in Athens. Ray was home doing some cleaning up so he would have a place to sleep. When Art and I got there, we played a game of Tortoise and Hare. I couldn't find Carcassone--oh no! Is it possible I took it somewhere and forgot to bring it home? Art won. Mitzi said he was doing very well in school, not surprisingly, but I am glad to hear it. Then he helped us make supper.

We took the laundry to Janna's and put it in her dryer and went on to the Town & Gown, where we saw Company. Ray and I were the concession and box office volunteers. We of course saw lots of people we knew. Some people referred to the murders and said they were glad the theatre was still going on. Of course it is! I admit I dozed some during the second act. I have such high standards. The dancing and some of the singing was quite good, but there wasn't that much of a plot, it seemed to me. Plus, if I am sitting in a dark theater, after 9 at night, I often relax enough to close my eyes...Amy Coenen, who is younger than Amelia, played Amy. You may not know the show, but you've probably heard the song, featuring a lot of really fast lyrics, including..."thank you all for coming...and I'm not getting married today." She was very talented and I know I shouldn't be surprised, all grown up. Why shouldn't she be, if Amelia is? According to the notes, she went to Princeton and is back in town. Her parents were in the audience. I always enjoy seeing them. Miss Dowd was Laura and we spoke briefly to her afterward. So we did our volulnteerism and got our culture at the same time, not to mention introducing another exchange student to Town & Gown. Sometimes I really like Athens.

I had lunch with Andy at Five Points Deli yesterday. It was nice to see her and catch up. I only worked until 3; then Ray & I played racquetball. It was great; I finally beat him the second game 17-15 (although I know he could shut me out if he wanted to). Now my lower back is in pain; nothing serious. We had an early supper and headed to see UP at the dollar movie theater--all 4 of us. It was sold out! bummer. so we came home and watched The Avengers instead. Old and creepy but good.

I woke up at 1:30 wide awake and ready to go. Bizarre, not really worrying about anything. No caffeine for days, 3 sips of wine with dinner. I read for hours and eventually fell asleep in the bamboo room.

One of the residents took out all her savings ($700) to buy a car. First, how reputable is a car you can get for 700 down? Second, how is she going to buy insurance, registration, gas and keep it running?

It has been raining for days and I am sure taking the bus sucks.

Another resident wants to buy a TV for her room so she can avoid having fights with the others.

I woke up a little early this morning, before 5. I am calling this nervousness excitement about going to Spain. It is true that I haven't played racquetball in a couple weeks and I probably need to get some exercise. I hate that it's so dark in the morning until I need to leave. It's the only reason I don't like having to be at work at 8 am. It rained again all day yesterday. I was very excited. Vanessa is beginning to get tired of it. The Captain can't work outside. They went to Macy's so she could look for a bathing suit and he sat in the food court watching Fox News and getting depressed.

I talked to the mother of a friend of Molli's who is currently unemployed about coming to work at the Shelter, temporary part-time as an administrative assistant. I have to decide the best way to make the case to the Board. Another possibility is to hire someone through the Council on Aging--they pay older people for up to 20 hours a week of work that supposedly trains and prepares them for employment. The person would have to be really good, understand confidentiality and be more help than hindrance.

One of the interns and I went to look at a commercial dishwasher. The Shelter has been using a lot of paper plates and plastic silverware; I want to change that if I can. BB&T is contributing $1000 and the Board has agreed I can spend enough more to match it. They had a used one that we can afford. The question is will it do the job and how easy is it to install? some volunteers from Baldor are going to come check out the kitchen and make sure it will work. I did a lot of emailing back and forth with the Board and I think I have a better idea of what they can do now. They are not going to be showing up at the Shelter and helping in any hands-on way. But they are generally supportive and encouraging.

I need to finalize the rest of my trip to Spain. Amelia called last night briefly. She is working hard and not eating and sleeping enough. They open today with 2 shows, 2 tomorrow and 1 sunday. Then she gets Monday and Tuesday off. I hope she will get rested up and have some time to enjoy being in Madrid.

Dreaming about architecture...maybe I should look into taking a class in that area...? It would still cost $1000...

It rained! A lot! it was great, I loved walking in it. And it made it cooler.

Lunch with Becky. We tested the cafe at Piedmont College (where Prince Ave. Baptist used to be). It was good, in the meat and three veg style and only cost $7. Always a pleasure.

New family coming to the Shelter today, with four young children.

Also a young man came by who wants to be our next Americorps volunteer. He is planning to go for his MSW starting in the fall. His undergraduate degree is in music. He is going to volunteer some while waiting to find out about the Americorps position and applying for jobs.

Potluck, nominating committee, choir rehearsal. I have a 3-word solo in one of our songs. We are singing one of Robert Frost's poems: Why Not Choose Something Like a Star. It's beautiful and dense.

O Star (the fairest one in sight),
We grant your loftiness the right
To some obscurity of cloud --
It will not do to say of night,
Since dark is what brings out your light.
Some mystery becomes the proud.
But to be wholly taciturn
In your reserve is not allowed.

Say something to us we can learn
By heart and when alone repeat.
Say something! And it says "I burn."
But say with what degree of heat.
Talk Fahrenheit, talk Centigrade.
Use language we can comprehend.
Tell us what elements you blend.

It gives us strangely little aid,
But does tell something in the end.
And steadfast as Keats' Eremite,
Not even stooping from its sphere,
It asks a little of us here.
It asks of us a certain height,
So when at times the mob is swayed
To carry praise or blame too far,
We may choose something like a star
To stay our minds on and be staid.

I was having weird dreams before I woke up: someone had published a book, which involved floor plans, but they had plagiarized some of the material and bad things were happening. Also involved was sea travel...

I can't decide whether I am a high-energy person or stressed. I wake up and jump out of bed like there was something I had to do right away.

Yesterday I went to a presentation about swine flu (which has very little to do with swine and is a lot like any other flu). Soap and water kills the virus, which is surrounded/protected by a layer of fat. Don't get within 6 feet of anyone who is coughing or sneezing and is infected--or kiss them or shake hands. The best thing I learned is why flu is worse in winter. Part of it is that people are together more often, which I knew. But viruses live longer at cold temperatures. They die quickly in sun or heat.

Sadly, the Board is not going to be much help in getting things done. They have full-time jobs and are not volunteers (except to sit in meetings). They have not yet advertised for a new director, but will not be using a recruiter--it costs too much.

I went to a Community Center meeting last night; there were only 3 of us. John G. is still hopeful that construction will start before Christmas.

I didn't sleep too well last night; it's 70 in Athens and humid. I think we're expecting rain today and I can't wait for cool rainy weather. Cook up a storm, bring in some firewood.

Apparently two of the Moms at the Shelter nearly got in a fight this weekend, indirectly started because one older child didn't treat a younger child well and the Mom corrected the other Mom's child. Anyway, the two Moms were very upset, the night staff was upset, the case manager only slept a couple hours and came to me for help. I tried to suggest to her that, although we certainly don't want violence, people lose their temper in lots of situations, including families and friends, and it's not the end of the world, even though we need to take action. The four of us met and I think the Moms will both have counseling. They know they could be put out of the Shelter for fighting. One of the things we need to do, at the Shelter as well as in other situations, is minimize the drama. The residents (and staff) tend to analyze and revisit who said what all the time. What we need to do now is go forward. I felt wise and effective, but we will see how it goes today and in the future.

I was invited to a luncheon sponsored by the Junior League about collaboration. I met the new superintendent of schools and enjoyed talking to him. He seems very down to earth and approachable. He wants to improve the dropout rate and seems to feel that some of the blame lies with CCSD policies, a refreshing change. I am not sure he and I would agree on every topic, but I admire his willingness to be honest with me. Vicky Clark was the speaker; toward the end we were talking about how to end collaborations that are not working. If you are putting more into a partnership than you are getting out of it, it may be appropriate to politely wihdraw. She used as an example somewhere she worked years ago. They had a volunteer training program for young people sponsored by Nestle. They decided to stop it because of Nestle's selling formula in third-world countries where the water wasn't safe. I raised my hand to say that we buy a lot from Walmart, but Walmart contributes to poverty and homelessness. Tina, from the Food Bank, said that wasn't true, she had worked there. We talked a little afterwards. She said she had started there at almost $10 and got benefits even though she was part-time. Joan (from Project Safe) told me afterwards they have struggled with this for years. Being good stewards of the donations given to you means buying the cheapest, right? I'm even having trouble of thinking of a local retailer who sells khaki pants and polo shirts. Is Goody's or Target better than Walmart?

Ray was really tired after his weekend and short night Sunday, so I left work at 2:30 and brought him home to bed. I made supper, watched TV, and went to bed.

Well, Ray got back in the middle of the night. I haven't talked to him, but I opened my eyes when he walked in the room and went right back to sleep. All's right with the world. I am also very glad to have a job to go to this morning. The news is still all about people out of work. I didn't have to look at the want ads yesterday And when I talk to people at church, I don't have to say I'm still looking for work.

I went to the forum yesterday morning as well as the service. Neither was especially inspiring, but I like singing hymns and talked to several of my favorite people, like Deb B. Then we ate leftovers for lunch and Captain and Vanessa went to play bridge. I had the afternoon to myself, caught up on some of my filing. Kenney Ridge had a community meeting at 4--there were 20 families represented, so that was good. We approved some relatively simple changes to how business is done, and added some money from the general fund to the community center budget so we can have a wooden floor in the meeting room and a standing seam roof on the south side for possible future solar panels.

Then I met Captain and Vanessa at UGA, where we left a car for Ray to drive home when he got back late at night. Since there was a home football game this weekend, he couldn't park in his office parking lot Friday night or Saturday. Those spots are for fans who pay a lot of money to the athletic association. Then we went out to dinner. And that was pretty much the end of the weekend.

A lot of my free time was spent reading about traveling in Spain, the northeast part, to be exact (Galicia). I will fly to Madrid, meet Amelia, and we will travel to Santiago de Compostela or Vigo, probably by plane, where we will rent a car and stay somewhere rural. I am excited and nervous about it. I'll only have a week.

Yesterday I was quite cheerful. After breakfast, we went to the Farmers' Market to get our last batch of organic meat. It was almost all beef this time, and one small chicken. We are getting better at cooking it. Friday night I stir fried it and it was tough, but last night I made stroganoff and cooked it for more than 2 hours and it was nice and tender. It was nice to see Lisa Lewis and her Mom. The Captain talked to her about planting onions--they planted 4000 last February, I think she said. We are only wanting about 100.

In the afternoon, I got caught up on my Quicken--paying bills and entering expenses. It is strange here without Ray..I fell asleep before 9:30 watching TV with Vanessa. I am glad my parents are here to keep me company. We all worked together--the Captain even mowed the lawn some. He also cut up the meat and the mushrooms for me. Vanessa is trying to keep up with the dishes while Ray is gone. I alternate between feeling guilty and being glad she feels like she can do it.

It is pleasantly cool this morning.

I woke up early this morning, worrying about travel to Spain. I got on line (where I was before I went to sleep last night) and checked the prices. One of the sites said that there was only one seat left at this price, so I panicked and took it! Flying ATL to MAD Friday night October 2 and back again Sunday the 11th. I'm not sure how I will get back to MAD on Sunday morning before my 11:30 am flight.

Yesterday I worked 8 hours with no break. It was a hard day, but we got things done. Payroll, for one. I'm not getting a lot of help from the Board and I worry about what it will be like when I am away for a week.

pleasant again this morning

Ray getting ready to be away all weekend, driving a van full of students to the coast. I always worry and will miss him.

Spoke to police trainees yesterday about homelessness. Some were a little bored. Someone asked: where do we take a young woman who has nowhere to go at 3 in the morning? Answer: there is no place you can take someone in the middle of the night. Most places do not do intakes then and are usually full anyway. Follow up: where is the nearest big city that has more shelter space? Atlanta?

Lunch with Becky.

Worked 8 hours again.

Nice and cool for sleeping last night--and it rained! yay!

The shelter had a board meeting last night. I was invited, but I said I could only stay for a little bit, since I had choir rehearsal on Wednesday nights. I was able to mention a couple things that I think need to be dealt with, but many of the people on the board do not seem to be very knowledgeable about the field. When I was telling them about the family being evicted, one man wanted to know the ages of the children. I said it was not really relevant, but told them approximately. Many of the board members seemed to be concerned about where they would go, a mistake many people make. If the family is not right for the shelter and will not benefit from their time there, the fact that they do not have somewhere else to go is not our problem. I know that sounds harsh, and I probably need to think of a better way to phrase it, but I said that to Kerri too. If there were a shelter for families where the parents have mental health issues, that would be great. But it doesn't do them any good to be in a place where they are not getting the kind of help they need, and it doesn't do the rest of the residents any good either. I wonder how much they got done after I left.

Ray went home and made mac and cheese and then picked me up from the meeting, which was in an office in the Bottleworks--really neat. Potluck and choir were enjoyable.

I slept well last night; it was cool enough, I guess, and I didn't wake up until 6. Yesterday I had a board meeting for UUFA. I was glad I don't have to go much longer, although it was not really unpleasant. Not much on the agenda and a lot of people missing. I was so tired from the trip and working all day that I would have liked to miss too. I enjoyed making and eating dinner. We were home by 5. The Captain said the garden is very dry and the deer nibbled any vines of cucumber and pumpkin that stuck out of the fence.

I wished I had remembered to take my camera on our trip and show you some pictures of the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. Those pictures never come out as well as the real thing, anyway, but I miss them.

I spoke to a church senior group at lunch yesterday (about the homeless shelter). They gave me free lunch. It was barbecue (yuck) and lots of desserts. I didn't really have time to prepare any notes. Of course, I can tell them about the shelter and poverty in Athens, but it wasn't very organized. I was hoping to have an informal discussion and answer questions, but there were too many--maybe 50. I had thought I would know more of them from IHN, but there was only one couple I knew. They seemed hostile, but perhaps it was my imagination. I had one question about whether we take all nationalities and I said yes, but then I said I wasn't sure and would have to check whether we take undocumented workers. Another woman volunteered, "they should be citizens...and they should speak English." Well, who asked for your opinion? I just nodded. I said I don't think Jesus would ask, "where do you come from?" Perhaps they won't ask me back again! They gave me a check for $25. The woman who asked me, Sally, is the owner of Stanfield Air, which donated a new air conditioning unit last month (worth about $4000), so I was very happy to do anything she asked.

We had a lovely day yesterday and really a good trip overall, but it is so tiring. Going to work today will be hard. The mountains were so beautiful; I can't wait to go back, maybe to somewhere a little closer. We stopped at Mount Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi. The observation point at the top was amazing, although it was pretty cloudy. It reminded me of skiing. It was nice and cold there and still warm and humid here last night. This morning it is in the 60s. The ranger at Mount Mitchell took Vanessa and the Captain to the top in a little truck he had (he took others too). We all enjoyed feeling on top of the world; there were lots of others there, people with kids and dogs. We stopped a little further down and ate a picnic lunch, the same as the day before, bread and cheese and meat and lettuce and mayonnaise; the last of the cookies, potato chips, and pears. Then we stopped briefly at the Folk Art Center, which I love. Beautifully locally made arts and crafts, most of them incredibly expensive: baskets, weaving, glass and wood items. Once back in Georgia, we stopped at the produce stand in Rabun County (Osage Farms) and bought more apples, as well as some other things. After that, we started looking for a place to eat. Well, everything was closed on Labor Day. (We didn't try the Dillard House, not the kind of food we wanted). Eventually, we found a Longhorn's in Cornelia. Apparently they are open every day. We enjoyed it, although I was almost too tired to eat. The Captain, as is his wont, enjoyed talking to the young waiter. We were home about 9:30. Just enough time to unpack and fall into bed.

It's almost 6 am, but I can't get back to sleep. I am in a motel room in Blowing Rock, a nice suite. In addition to my husband's breathing, which sometimes keeps me awake at home, I have my mother and father in the next bed. There is the overhead fan and a trickling water fountain outside. I have a headache, maybe from the wine I drank last nigh (Vouvray). We are having a good trip, but I have trouble relaxing. I knew I would be grumpy if I stayed home for the three-day weekend, but now I miss it. I think of the things I might have gotten done--in the yard or cleaning up the mess I left looking for my passport two months ago. And the money we are spending--probably about $500 for our half of the trip.

When we decided to come on a little getaway, about a month ago, we looked hard for a place that we would all enjoy that wouldn't be too expensive. I am not sure how we ended up here; maybe it was listed on the state tourism website, but there are certainly many other places to stay in Blowing Rock. This guy quoted me a rate of $179 for this suite and we decided it was the best deal for us. It was quite a drive to get up here, although very nice. We ate a light breakfast and were on the road by 8:30, after dropping off the bird, Van, at the neighbors' and the dog at the vet's. About 10:30 we stopped at a Waffle House in Anderson, SC and had another breakfast. Then we didn't stop again for almost 3 hours, when we stopped at a tourist info. rest area in Marion, east of Asheville. The weather was good, the scenery was nice, the traffic was on the heavy side, but not a problem.

When we got here, we checked in and quickly headed to a place we could have lunch, the Village Cafe. Our host called to make sure they would still seat us at 3. It was very enjoyable, we ate in a courtyard (except for the bumblebee that was too interested in our flower centerpiece). The prices were a little on the high side--we ended up spending almost $100, but we did have drinks and desserts, as we usually do. The 3 of them had grapefruit juice mimosas, which were very good, but a little too grapefruit-y. The town was more crowded with tourists than we like. Although there were some very nice arts and crafts, most of the shops were more the candles and fake flowers variety.

We walked back to our motel, about 2 blocks (downhill this time) and took our things up to our room. It was nice, with a kitchenette and a balcony and a large bathroom with jacuzzi and two sinks. When I got around to looking at the recieipt, though, I was horrified: $443. No way the tax on $179 could bring it to that. Ray went to talk to the guy and he said there was a $15 per night charge for an extra person. Well, I was livid. The reason we drove all this way was because of the price he had quoted me. And he knew full well there were four of us! Why is this suite priced for 3 people, with an extra charge for the fourth? That's crazy. I went down there and told him I was angry and accused him of lying to me. He got really mad and yelled back. His wife came out and made him leave; he was too loud. She was mad, too, but she eventually gave me a credit. Don't come back, though, she said. "And we are not servicing your room in the morning!" It really made the whole experience unpleasant for us. I tried to explain that if we liked it, we would tell everyone and if we didn't, we would also share our experiences. He said, "I can't believe you would get so upset over $30." I wonder how many people fall for that kind of misleading stuff. How could I have avoided it? Get it in writing? I guess, although we make reservations on the phone all the time and trust that people are honest and mostly they are. Obviously, look at what you are signing and ask questions. I don't know what other options we might have found here if we had known from the beginning.

Yesterday, we went up to Price State Park and rented a canoe for an hour ($12). Ray and the Captain took it for half the time and then Ray and I went out. It was pleasant, not too hot or cold, not too much wind. Vanessa said her back first started bothering her just about 3 years ago, after they took Dinda's canoe out, so she was not going to get in a canoe again. We took our shoes off and stuck our toes in the water.

We bought sandwich makings and ate in our room. Three of us (not the Captain) went to tour the Cone estate; I had made a 3:00 reservation. Bertha lived there more than 30 years after her husband died, 6 years after they built it in 1901. No children, she did not want the house to go to the Parkway, but no one else could afford to keep up the 3600 acres. They had planted apple trees to make the estate pay for itself, but they are gone now. He was a textile magnate in Greensboro and this was their summer place. She had two sisters, Sophie and Clementine, who spent about half the year with her, helping run things. He had at least two sisters, Etta and Claribel. Claribel studied at Johns Hopkins and became an ob/gyn when that was quite unusual. Etta and Claribel were friends of Leo and Gertrude Stein and visited often in Paris. They got to know Picasso and Matisse when they were starving artists and bought a lot of their works--they are now in a wing in the Baltimore art museum. Of course, unmarried women did not have income of their own--it was their brother's money.

Today we will head south on the Parkway, taking a picnic lunch with us. I have eaten so many good meals, I don't know how I can be hungry. I suppose I could have some fruit and bread. And tonight we will be home and tomorrow I will go back to work. Such a bittersweet pleasure, to have work to go to again. This time last year I was looking forward to scoring essays for the second time, and happy to have any work. But I am really glad not to be doing that again.

It's cool again; in fact, I would have liked something more than my sheet to cover me this morning. My back was really bothering me last night, fortunately not the spasming that I get sometimes, but the lower left side that really hurts when you try to stand up. It's a lot better this morning, but i am nervous about it.

Yesterday, Becky and I had a good lunch at the National, except it cost more than $50. Admittedly, we both had dessert, as well as something different to drink. Work was okay; it is great to have interns. One of them went to the grocery store for us. I just couldn't get the accounting stuff done in the afternoon; too much going on. When the school-age children come home and turn on the TV, I have to leave. Somehow it was after 4, even though I thought I was leaving early. And traffic on Friday afternoons is crazy. (well, I know it's worse in bigger cities, but I still want to avoid it). We had to buy a new dresser and the best we found was $40 at the Habitat store. Good used dressers go fast, so I bought it, even though I think we could have gotten it for free if the director was in town.

Ray and the Captain took down a dead pine in the morning, before Ray gave blood. He was still at UGA in time for lunch with the guys.

Courtney was at the office yesterday morning and she was reassuring about the grants and some other things. She was the director until about a year ago and now she is on the board (and in law school). The Homeless Coalition meeting was at noon and I enjoyed being greeted by many of my peers that I know and like.

But the funnest thing I did yesterday was to go help Allen with a play he is directing. I think I will be stage manager. It made me very happy, but I was gone for all evening. Everybody was in bed when I got home.

Cool and dry here overnight--yay! And a full moon. I am full of energy (we won't call it stress) and woke up several times in the night. Barking dogs and even car horns came through the open windows. I was good when we played racquetball, but no matter how well I played, Ray played better. The thing about racquetball (or tennis and similar sports) is when you make a really good play, you don't always get a point, just a chance to serve and maybe get a point. But at the end of the second game, Ray was able to let me get ahead and I won, 15-13!

Work was pretty good. The evicted family has found a place to live and the parents are helping with the first month's rent. Interns went and got groceries and wrote thank you notes. Amanda is one of them; she and I spent a couple hours visiting some of the resources in town. The Homeless Day Services Center is in an old house off Lexington Road, near a not-always-great neighborhood. There are men standing and sitting on the porch, there are men in the front room standing and sitting. Ed came to greet us; he knew who I was and had heard I was at the Shelter. He was on the phone trying to help someone. There was a woman in the back doing laundry and drinking coffee and another guy came and asked for deodorant. We sat on folding chairs. I would not enjoy working in that space; but he is doing good work. People come there to do laundry, take showers, use the phone. They can get mail and phone messages there. Sometimes they can get some help there or referrals to other agencies.

Potluck and choir rehearsal finished the day.

Yesterday did not start off really well as it was one of many where I was angry at Ray for making us late. But he dropped me off at work on time, then took Vanessa and eventually left the car for me and walked to his office. Work went well; the new time clock for the Job TREC office was well received. It appears that I am working on a reputation as someone who actually follows through when needs are expressed.

I lunched by myself at Siri Thai, enjoying the Guernsey book. I left about 3:30 and Ray and I played racquetball. I feel like I have improved about as much as I am going to, and yet Ray (naturally) plays significantly better than I do. If I return a difficult shot, he just hits it back and I lose the point. Either I can't run fast enough, or I hit it awkwardly. I wonder if it would be more fun to play with someone else or to do something else with him. We enjoy being together, making up silly ways to say the score (5-6, pick up sticks).

We were home a little after 5:30 and started right in on supper, while Vanessa and the Captain had drink and snack in front of the tennis on TV. Ray made the pasta and I made the omelette and side dish. It was the kind of meal I really like, lots of veggies, wtih a little pasta and one egg (per person). Although the weather is a little cooler now, the humidity is quite high. Ray was sweating while he cooked and getting progressively more and more grumpy. If I were cooking by myself, I would be grumpy. So when we sat down to eat, he was quite a pill. Then we didn't leave right away for Clela's book signing so he could cool off and pull himself together. By the time we got there, everyone was leaving. Apparently she had read some of her poetry, I had just thought it was a signing. We got the last copy of the book. I'm still glad we went. Vicky Joiner asked about the girls and told us about her kids. Benjamin graduated from high school and was working at the bookstore on campus. We saw Conoly and Al Hester, too. She was in my dance class with Alice DePass years ago and she seemed really old to me then. Now she seems younger...

One odd thing. Vanessa said her instructor did not show for yoga this morning. He is very reliable (Ash Raymond) and I am concerned about him. I suppose he could have overslept. Anne Brightwell, who taught Molli and Amelia math at Clarke Central, led the rest of the group so they had class anyway.

I slept well, but in spite of exercise and diversion and planning trips and everything going well, I am feeling stressed this morning and really want to figure out how to deal with it. A walk would help, but it is pitch black here almost until time for me to go to work.

Yesterday we had to evict someone from the Shelter. They were not pleased and very unpleasant. I am not looking forward to going to work today, as they have two weeks to make other arrangements. In other ways, it was a pretty good day. I got answers to most of my questions when Alison came by and brought some files and other things.

Sunday we had a congregational meeting at the Fellowship. The only thing worse is a KR meeting. Democracy is so hard! Some of the people I like best were opposed to one of the bylaws amendments. We had to invoke Robert's Rules a lot and it went on for two hours. But the results are good; decisions were made. I don't think anybody went away mad. Vanessa and I went shopping and got her some new sneakers--Keds--at Steinmart. TJ Maxx didn't have anything she liked. They have to be mainly white and not too "clunky."