Ray slept a little late yesterday, then we walked a little more than usual, then I took him to Aderhold, where he was giving a review session, so it was after 9:30 before I got in. We had our staff meeting and I worked some on the budget. M. found out that there was a report she had to turn in today (based on the data they have been entering since last week). She gave me a couple pages that ask for numbers--how much we spent in various categories last year, and where our matching funds come from. It took me about an hour, but I got that done. I left at 1:30, picked up Ray, and we went to Kroger. We were out of just about everything, so we spent over $100. Orange juice, milk, eggs, bread, fruit, veggies, yogurt....

Then we came home and tidied up some before Cathie came to clean our house. It took her 4 1/2 hours to clean just the three bathrooms. I know she worked really hard and they look great. But I was hoping to get a couple of the bedrooms and the living room clean too.

I watered the garden and moved the baby plants outside. I know the Captain is going to be upset some of them died. Three asparagus spears are poking up.

I made supper while Ray worked on his test. Then he wanted to watch Dancing with the Stars. There were exhibition dances by the professionals, which were fun to dance, but mostly they just dragged out the agony of announcing which couple had been eliminated, asking them dumb questions like "how do you feel after hearing that?"

Ray was up until 11 and woke up again at 4--I think that is why he got sick last week and it is not going to help him get better. But he has to finish making up a test. I don't think his students appreciate how hard he works.

Worked hard most of the day: payroll, DCA grant. Weather was sunny, breezy, a little cool. I walked over to Habitat to turn in our registration for the Run/Walk for Home. A sweater was sufficient.

I waited a bit for Ray to be done with his faculty meeting. As we were heading home, he remembered to stop by and pick up the dogs. Thank goodness! I was mortified that it was a little after 5:30. Dr. Cown is so agreeable; he didn't seem to mind. He says Cameron is right about a year old--put down a March birthday in the computer. He calls him a lab mix--not much new information. They both had shots and baths and boarding has gone up. He gave us a discount, but it was over $300.

At 6, we met with Cathy, who is coming tomorrow to clean house! yay! She seems perfect, charges $20/hr, brings her own supplies (except they are not "green"). I suppose the fact that she home schools her 17-year-old son and he goes to Bible study 3 nights a week doesn't  mean she can't do a great job. She is Mary jean's cleaning lady and has been in the business 17 years. We had a nice chat and she didn't seem horrified by the state of my house. She's coming at 3 this afternoon.

Ray made dinner. He threatened to go to bed at 8, but managed to watch most of Dancing with the Stars. I like the dancing part, but there was a lot of fighting and negativity (possibly staged or at least encouraged by the producers), so I switched to a Big Bang rerun after he went to bed. Tore out the other sleeve band on Ray's vest and worked on it some, but too tired and late to get it right.

Home Again

It's about 5 hours driving time from our house to Tybee Island, each way, if there are no traffic or other problems. Then we (OK, Ray) spent a couple hours or more Friday night and Saturday night, driving to the Savannah airport to pick people up late at night. The weather was not perfect--rainy, cold, windy, overcast--but we had a pretty great beach day yesterday morning, playing bocce with Nate, getting water in a bucket for Lidet. Molli dug tunnels with the kids. Captain, Molli, Ray and Bonney went in the water. I went in up to my knees, but as the tide was out, it was a long cold wade to get to the deep water and I chickened out. I had less than 40 hours with Amelia, less than 20 with Molli, a third of them sleeping. Was it worth it? Absolutely. I love the ocean. There is nothing as calming and exhilarating as the sound of the waves and the sight of the beach, sea birds, and my family all together. Yesterday morning when I woke up, it was light, even sunny, and everyone was asleep. I climbed up to the third floor deck in my pajamas and bare feet for my first look at the ocean. As people gradually woke up and said hello to each other, some for the first time, it was a great joy. We played Cancellation Hearts. Nate, who is seven, can play about as well as the rest of us. We played Carcassonne, just Nate and Molli and me. We played Banangrams, a new game like Scrabble.

On our way home, we all had dinner at Uncle Bubba's, in a corner with windows where we could see the marsh and even walk outside with the kids when they got tired of sitting still. We had pink drinks--I had an orange cream daiquiri. We had onion rings and fried pickles. We had seafood all around. And we had three large awesome desserts--pecan pie, strawberry shortcake, and chocolate creme brulee. We passed them around several times. Nate thought that was pretty fun. And then we were on our way at 7 pm. Fortunately, the trip went well. I drove the first 2 hours, straight on route 16, at 65 miles an hour. It rained some. At Dublin, Ray took over, and I slept most of the rest of the way, including the thunderstorm.We were home by 11:30, amazingly, and what a joy to sleep in my own bed.

Tybee Island, Day 2

It is sunny and I can see the beach from here, but there is a houseful of sleeping people that I love (9 of them) and I don't want to leave in case one of them wakes up!

Molli arrived safely and on time at 11:55 last night. I told her I would be there to pick her up, but I was in bed asleep. Ray and Amelia went though, and the Captain offered and so did Bonney. They said hi to me when they came in, but I don't expect them to be up for a while.

I told Nate (age 7) he could wake me up when he woke up, as long as it was light out. It's almost 8 now, but no sign of him yet. He is from Seattle, so his body thinks it's not even 5 am. He loves to play games, and so do I. Most of our family does. He knows whenever we get together, I will play as many games as he wants, almost all day every day. I try for a little outside time too.

My Mom will probably be the next one up; she will want to make breakfast for everyone. Good thing, because I'm starving! Yesterday she made bacon and eggs for all takers. And Amelia brought bagels from NY--ymm. I was trying to get a count for her of how many wanted bacon. My sister Polly said, seriously, "why would anyone not want bacon?" Well, of course, Amelia is a vegetarian, but Ray and I don't eat much bacon for health reasons. Polly is skinny and probably doesn't need to worry about her cholesterol or blood pressure.

After breakfast, Ray went back to bed and the 7 of us went out to the beach. It was crazy windy, with rivers of sand blowing down the beach. We walked backwards into the wind and enjoyed the shells and other things on the beach. It was pretty cold. I had brought hat, gloves and scarf, but not a coat, just a sweatshirt. Captain and Vanessa turned back pretty soon, but the 5 of us found a big driftwood tree stump to sit behind and keep the wind at bay for a minute. Sand kept blowing around the edges into our faces, so we headed back before long. We ended up missing the place we had come onto the beach and walking on the roads a ways before we found our house, so got a lot of good exercise.

Vanessa made grilled cheese sandwiches for most of us, with tomato for those who like. We have piles of cookies that she made and froze for weeks. Polly and Amelia and I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things and then we stopped at Waves for sand toys. This is the same shop Ray went to Friday night to get flip flops and shorts. It is a stereotype of the beach store--lots of really tacky stuff, including hermit crabs with painted shells. I bought Lidet and Nate t-shirts and some outdoor stuff--frisbee, nerf football.

Polly and her kids headed off with Amelia to walk to the lighthouse, but I needed a little down time, reading and knitting with most of my favorite people. When Ray asked to go for a walk, I couldn't say no. So he and I and Bonney walked to the lighthouse to meet the others. Captain and Vanessa stayed in. So I got lots of exercise yesterday.

Dinner was ham with mac & cheese that I had made ahead. Polly made a salad. We managed to fit 9 around the dining table, with stools from the counter to augment the chairs. It was good and popular. Bonney doesn't eat wheat gluten these days, so she had potato and sweet potato instead of mac & cheese. Amelia had a sweet potato too, to add to salad and mac & cheese.

After supper, the big Hearts game. But first, Lidet's birthday party. She was four years and one week old (except that the orphanage just estimated her age). Vanessa had made and frosted a sponge cake and brought it from Athens. It already had 4 candles, but we had a time finding matches. My Mom had some in her purse that were really old. Apparently Lidet doesn't like cake, but she enjoyed the ice cream--and the presents. She and Polly drew with her new crayons and notebook, while the rest of us played cards. Nate held his own. Ray was having a really bad game, but it was still fun. I had to bow out at about 10:30. Must sleep, cannot keep eyes open...

Friday was good, worked hard until 1:30 or so, and then Ray and I drove down. The trip went very well. The last hour is always awful and I think, "this is not worth it." But it is. We were on Tybee by 6:30 and it was still sunny. My parents had beat us by a couple hours. We ate at Sting Ray's, a fun seafood place. I admit to being so radical that I can't really enjoy drinking daiquiri out of a styrofoam cup, but the food was very good. I had low country boil, which I thought was a little healthier than fried seafood, but still fun: boiled shrimp, sausage, potato, cole slaw. In fact, there is still some in the fridge.

I woke up too early because i am excited about seeing everybody (tonight!) and have a lot to do. but it's still dark and the house is asleep. Yesterday, Ray stayed home and slept and hopefully is getting better. he also did a load of wash. I still managed to be a few minutes late for work! I worked on the DCA grant some more, lots of numbers to balance and questions to ask. M. had a call from the powers-that-be. Apparently, the people we helped in 2009 were not entered into the computer system properly. Although many people were entered and exited, it looks like very few services were provided. Our local government office, HED, has to turn their report in April 1, based on that information. So we now have to go back through the 2009 client files (over 300) and make sure that every service provided was entered into the computer record-keeping system. This is when I say, TG I am not the director! She was pretty angry, but we know how important it is to do correctly going forward.

I had a nice lunch with Becky to make a good break and heard about her crazy life, involving a horse show in Florida next week, driving down.

I left at 4, going by the bank to make a deposit. Two of our residents have gotten income tax refunds. One is buying a car for $2000 down. The other is paying off her debt at the housing authority, over $1000. I thought, oh, good, then she will be eligible for housing there, but no. It will clear her history, though. I was home before 5 and started packing my suitcase and a box of food and looking for games. At 6, I went to a Chili Cook-Off fund-raiser for the Homeless Shelter by the Women's Council of Realtors. I had a ticket for Ray but he was asleep in bed. I called around but couldn't find anyone available at a moment's notice. It was rainy, but I found the place--a goat farm with several baby goats, as well as adults (about 10 in all). Ten kinds of chili--some were pretty good. I wonder if I can enter next year, because I think mine is better. Not many people I knew, except Regina C., and some board members. I met Meredith's husband, Ken. He is cute and pleasant. He is studying at UGA for an MBA. He is starting a company to make fortune cookies with insults: called Mis-fortune Cookies. Hmm--would you buy them? Mary Kelly was there with her husband Mark. Nick is graduating from college this year and Zara from high school. She is going to UGA and can't wait to be in a sorority. They don't know where they went wrong--except letting her be herself.

I was home by 9, eating ice cream in front of the TV. Ray was up, feeling a little better.

Ray is sick. Poor baby! I knew he had not been getting enough sleep. His throat was scratchy and he would have stayed in bed if he could have. He took some medicine and went to work. At AAHS, I continued working on the DCA grant, getting to the budget part. whew. We have a new family-5 children! The 3 and 4-year-olds were around for now, until child care is arranged. M. was at a meeting, applying for money. We did get the $1000 I asked for from the Junior League. One of us has to go to the ceremony next month to get it.

I thought I had forgotten my lunch, so Ray went to Wendy's and got me a grilled chicken sandwich and we ate in my office. At 2, he came back and got me, we went home, and he went to bed. My lunch wasn't there either. Then I remembered, I had stuck it in the refrigerator at work when I got there first thing and then forgot about it.

It was a beautiful sunny hot day in the 70s. I finished up two giant pans of mac & cheese to freeze and spent most of the afternoon out in the garden, shoveling wood chips and manure. Good news! The first asparagus is up. It was getting so late in the spring, we were worried about it. The Captain attached pipe to a raised bed to make our second "hoop house." It will keep the squash warm and protect them from insects.

We didn't go to potluck. Captain and Vanessa had bought hot dogs and ground beef and he cooked them on the grill. I cut up the yellow squash and got the frozen French fries in the oven. I woke Ray up for dinner (he had asked me to) and he stayed up for a couple hours. I went to choir at 8:20 to rehearse the song we are singing for Easter (Sakura), but not the rest of the music for this Sunday.

Of course, I feel terrible that Ray is sick. I hope it is exhaustion or a 24-hour bug and he will be better tomorrow. Driving to the coast for 5 hours will not be fun, and spending the weekend in a strange bed, trying to be nice to people. I also hate how it impacts me--no racquetball, no chili cookoff tonight. And I sure hope I don't get it--or my parents--or our relatives this weekend. I feel a little stuffy and scratchy--but it could be psychosomatic.

Took Vanessa to yoga yesterday morning and was at work a few minutes late. M. was already there. Worked on the grant some more. Only got about 4 pages done yesterday. I'm going to have to ramp it up soon. Of course, it involves asking other people questions and waiting for their answers some. At our weekly staff meeting, we talked about record-keeping and measurable outcomes. The fact that we "served" 365 people is not an outcome. We just don't know how many people moved into housing--mostly because they don't come to us once they're doing well. The ones that stay at the shelter are easier, but we serve a lot of people in the community who are at other shelters and "unsheltered" through the Job TREC program. We give them bus passes, cab vouchers, work uniforms, tools, IDs and other things to help them find and keep employment. Also education.

Had oatmeal for breakfast and was hungry by 10. Went to Big City Bread and got a great blackberry muffin and a club sandwich for lunch. At 3, I went to a meeting because M. was at a different meeting. At 4, picked Ray up and headed home. Started the mac & cheese, but didn't get far. Watched two episodes of Star Trek and worked on Ray's vest. One of the armholes I made is too small, so I took it out to start over. I am not sure how to pick up more stitches, but I guess I can make two in one hole. Slept pretty well, but I am getting excited about our trip this weekend to the beach and seeing my children and other relatives.

I hope you weren't worried about me. I slept late yesterday--no time for blogging, no time for email. That was because I was out late again for the second night in a row. On Sunday, we walked the dogs, made and ate pancakes, and went to church. Vanessa came, because I told her she would like our song. It went very well and I enjoyed singing "One Breath" with the choir. I was home just long enough to eat some lunch (delicious pea soup from the freezer) and relax for a bit before heading to the Classic Center, where I gave the sound cues to Peter for the Dancing with the Athens Stars. Also the video cues to Mary and the lighting cues as well. It was really fun, but quite challenging. I slipped out at 5 during the union break and grabbed dinner with the family next door. I called and told them what to order for me and had time to walk there and eat and drink and walk back by 6. The show went very well. They raised $93,000 for Project Safe, the battered women's shelter--net! That is an awesome fund-raiser. Meredith and I will have to come up with some equally awesome annual event for the Shelter.

Weather-wise, the day was drizzly and gray--a good day to have something to do. My parents really loved the show.

Yesterday, back to work. Meredith and I are still working really well together. It's a pleasure to go to work. Now I am starting the DCA grant, which I will write a draft of and pass along to her. They have changed it a bit this year and are asking hard questions: What percent of your clients achieve permanent housing? First off, we don't really know, because they don't always tell us. And secondly, I don't think it's very high. We'll see what we can come up with. The grant is due April 4.

In the afternoon, Ray and I met with a financial advisor to try to talk about retirement planning. He was a real wheeler-dealer and my Dad had warned us against him. He had lots of ideas, but I didn't like him at all. I made supper and started work on the chicken casserole I am going to freeze for this weekend.

Watched some TV and went to bed.

I am sore this morning, especially my back, but it's understandable. In the morning, we went for a short walk, then to pilates class. In the afternoon, we worked in the yard some. And last night, we went contra dancing. I had to stop about 10:30 and sit out the last 2 dances. We left just before 11 and they were about to start another one. Really good music and calling. There were 80 people there. They said it had been up to 120 earlier in the year. The room at Memorial Park isn't really big enough for everybody. We saw Tim and Susan again and Dale and Alice, with Emily and a friend (Lauren). Emily and Lauren asked us to split up and dance with them, because they didn't know what to do. That was fun, too.

Captain and Vanessa had people over for bridge, so we did some whirlwind cleaning. Vanessa made apple cake with cream cheese frosting--yum! Ray dug holes for a couple more fruit trees. Captain was out in the garden most of the day. Good thing, because it is raining this morning. We are starting to wonder why the asparagus hasn't come up. Could the winter have been too long and cold for it? I can't believe it died; it grows in much colder climates than this. We sure put a lot of work into it--it will be heartbreaking if we don't get to eat any. This was going to be the year we finally got to harvest some. About the only thing we are eating from the garden now is parsley and other herbs. We also worked around the pecan and fruit trees, digging up weeds and surrounding them with wood chips.

We got to bed about 11:30, but I still woke up at 5:30. My secret? Take a pain reliever and go back to sleep. It was light out when I woke up the second time--almost 8.

I hope I'm not getting another cold. Stuffy and achy. Didn't sleep that well. Woke up from strange dreams. Ray's mother and a bunch of other people had driven to Athens to see us. They were sleeping all over some run-down apartment. I was trying to figure out what they wanted to do in Athens, but they were sleeping and I couldn't keep track of who was who and didn't know when they were leaving again.

Yesterday at work was pretty good. Turned in a couple reimbursements and started working on the policies and procedures for the Shelter. Went to the bank and picked Ray up at 3:30. It was sunny and pretty warm, 75 degrees. I had to run the ac in the car. I did a little work outside when we got home, made supper, knit a bit. Ray went to a movie, Creation, but  he didn't decide until the last minute and none of the rest of us went. I watched some TV while he was gone and stayed up too late.

Ray slept until almost 8, so we didn't play racquetball. Vanessa was concerned and confused because we hadn't left. We walked the dogs, ate breakfast, and got me to work by 9:30. Aside from reimbursement requests and routine things, Meredith had me read over a job description she is posting today. She and I talked some about plans for future staffing and the new building, which should be started in 2011. I worked until 4:30.

We didn't get home until after 5 and I was a little hungry and stressed, not knowing what I was going to make for supper. But it turned out to be delicious. The weather was warmer, and somewhat sunny. The Captain worked in the garden, as well as going to the dump, and wore himself out. We have probably100 healthy baby plants that he has started and moved to their own pots, mostly tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, some basil and zinnias.Watched TV, in bed by 9:30.

I slept soundly until almost 7. wow. Still dark, but it's a little warmer this morning. 45.

Yesterday I did standard work until lunch. Jaron and I went to the Food Bank's Empty Bowl luncheon, which I used to help organize. It was huge and I saw lots of people I knew, many of the same board members. Several of them said nice things to me. The food was good. Becky and Kent joined us. Meredith wanted me to read over the JobTREC policies & procedures she was working on, but I didn't get to it before I left, so I brought it home.

Ray made potluck and I talked to the Captain about the garden.

We are singing one of my favorite songs on Sunday--One Breath. "an ugly spark with a will to be a fire. All it takes to blow it out is one breath from me." The service this week is about evil. The minister is leaving soon and we are in negotiations with a new minister. I am excited and hopeful that I will really like him (or her).

Didn't watch TV long before I fell asleep.

Woke up at 1:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. Re-read a book I had forgotten I already read.

Yesterday at work staff meeting, reimbursement requests, listening in on an online training for the Homeless record-keeping system we have to use for some of our grants. I don't personally do any of the data entry, but might need access for reports.

Left at one. It was a beautiful day. Ray and I took the dogs for a walk. Vacuumed, made dinner, walked again after supper while it was still light. Watched TV.

Meredith told me over and over how much I was missed last week, so that made up for the having to go to work part of yesterday. Kerri had food poisoning and the interns were on break. Some money came in last week, probably in response to the newsletter, including two members of the Fellowship, so that was good. I paid bills and did payroll. Then I worked on the reimbursements I had started before I left. I had leftover Chinese food for lunch--yum!

It was a beautiful sunny day, hot in the car, and we were  home about 4. The Captain was sitting on the porch, repotting plants. There are many tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Vanessa put the roast in the oven and I did the potatoes and vegetable. We had a pleasant dinner and quiet evening watching TV.

It is surprisingly hard to readjust to coming home from vacation, although my own bed is very nice. Arriving home early on Sunday allowed me to put things away, do a load of laundry, get caught up on bills, all good things. But there was a certain amount of maundering around, wondering what to do with myself. Ray went right to bed.

My parents were just getting up. They had expected us a little later. The vacuum cleaner was out. I let the dogs out and Cameron was off like a shot to the neighbor's, completely ignoring my calls. Apparently, he can only go out on the leash now. When I went in the fridge to get some breakfast, I found meat blood had leaked all over the shelf. So, the first thing I did was empty and wash the bottom of the refrigerator. They were very apologetic, but it needed cleaning anyway.

The baby plants look very good. We just need some warm sunny weather now for a while. I'm afraid we will go right from winter to summer and be too hot before we know it. 

When Ray got up, we had some lunch. He was still pretty tired. I went to take a bath and fell asleep--was I surprised when he woke me up!

My parents and I drove to the last gymnastics meet of the season. We were afraid we wouldn't be able to get tickets. I let them out while I sat in line for the parking deck--$5 to park. I met my Dad at the door and we found our seats just as the action was starting. Some woman had been giving away free tickets. We enjoyed it very much. The view was good, even though we were high up. I went down and got drinks and popcorn while they were changing events. Georgia won--natch! We walked to the car and drove home without trouble. Since it was after 6, the idea of making supper seemed kind of overwhelming, so we stopped and got Chinese takeout on the way home. That really hit the spot.  Fell asleep watching Get Smart--funny stuff still. I didn't realize it was written by Mel Brooks, but now that I know, I can see it.

OK, I guess today vacation is really over.


Lately, I have been having more dreams (or remembering them) having to do with other careers. It'll be a year at the Shelter soon and I really like it in lots of ways. But I suppose I am always looking for new things to learn. I have officially notified the Department of Instructional Technology that I will not be taking any more classes from them. There are a few interesting classes on environmental design, but the degree is in Historical Preservation or Landscape Architecture. It's also really hard to get in. I just want to take those classes. And then what? Set up as a consultant on green building? Not sure there is a lot of demand for that...this morning's dream involved working in a school. I was a substitute teacher...or my mother was...she had fallen asleep at lunch, I think. Dreams are so strange.

Home safe in Athens. Train ride was fine. We made up part of the hour lost to the time change, so got in to Gainesville about half an hour after we were due. Sleeping on the train is kind of uncomfortable. I keep thinking I won't be able to sleep. Then I wake up and it's morning, so I must have slept some. This morning when I woke up, Ray was gone. I thought maybe he was in the bathroom. Then I thought maybe he found an empty seat to sleep in more comfortably, but his pillows were still here. Eventually, I found him in the club car playing solitaire. Now he's asleep in his own bed.

Yesterday was rainy in New York--and cold and windy. We packed while Amelia baked. Then the three of us went to brunch. It was brutal trying to keep the umbrellas from turning inside out. After a pleasant brunch, we fought our way back to the apartment. We decided to spring for a car to the train station to avoid dragging the luggage through the rain to the subway. The traffic was pretty bad, though, so it began to be a little stressful as it got to be 15 minutes before departure. The car let us off on the wrong side of Penn Station and we had to slog through a giant puddle with our things.

We did, however, get on the train, and had a pleasant afternoon looking at the wet scenery and being glad we weren't flying or driving it. Ray continued to work on his notes for teaching and I worked on my photo albums. Since there is an outlet on the train, the computers can be charged whenever they run down. We had dinner in the dining car about Washington DC, with a woman named Fran from Jacksonville, who is originally from the Bronx. She talked about taking the subway out to Coney Island to find it is in danger of being sold for condos.

This particular train ride was very full, with a couple of young children in the seat ahead of us. Their caretaker, a grandmother, I think, was the kind who was constantly threatening to "pop them" if they didn't be quiet. Since the fussy child was about 1, I thought it might be more effective to try to soothe her... After they got off, behind us, a couple of young women spoke quietly about their classes, but I just listened to music on my iPhone. It was also really hot. But our car was there when we got off the train and my parents were just getting up when we got home.

Back in NYC

We packed up, went by Barbara's to say goodbye to everybody, and drove to Providence with no problems. The Enterprise people took us to the station and Ray got a sandwich and we made our train comfortably. We snagged the seats near the door, the pair that face forward and backward and put alot of our stuff on the facing seat. I spent the time working on my photos. My iPhoto album has been messed up since I got this computer. Apparently the backup we made didn't snag all the photos. For about a year in there, some of the photos are only thumbnails, no actual photo. Then some of the dates are wrong. I have hundreds of Gerald's photos of his high school friends and other subjects of little interest to me. Anyway, there are over 7000 photos, some are duplicates, some have the wrong dates, and it is very slow work going through them and fixing it up, but kind of a fun excuse to look at them all again. Seemed like a good use of my time. Knitting a bit, looking at the ocean as we go by, or the winter trees or the towns. Maybe some day (probably not in this life), I will move to a tiny house on the ocean--there must be one I can afford somewhere. I might like to keep my southern home for the cold long winters though. And of course, it shouldn't be too low, or it will get washed away.

We were about on time, then shlepped everything through Penn Station to the subway. Since it was raining, we took the 1 one stop instead of walking to the N. And then to Queens. The funny thing is, we went right over it in the train on our way in about an hour earlier. If we could just jump out, James Bond style, we would have been there much sooner. Amelia was cooking again--veggies with coconut milk and rice. Then she went to work and left us to veg a bit. Kevin got home about 6:30 or so and the three of us went to explore. I must say, it is really nice to wander down the street and randomly choose a restaurant. You could eat out at a lot of different restaurants without ever driving or even taking the subway. The Greek restaurant we had been thinking about was closed--who knows why? The one we went to across the street turns out to be just desserts--fabulous looking desserts though. They directed us down the street and we ended up in a little Italian place. The man (owner?) was a caricature--swarthy and outgoing. He said that it was a new restaurant and didn't yet have a liquor license, but we could go next door and get a bottle of wine if we wanted. The menu was very authentic and there was even a separate vegetarian restaurant. Kevin had gnocchi with gorgonzola, I had risotto with spinach and Ray had pasta carbonara with pancetta. All yummy. He had a great salad too--baby greens, cucumber, tomato and a great dressing. They brought us bruschetta when we sat down and Ray ate a bunch of bread with balsamic vinegar and oil. Chocolate mousse cake and an excellent tiramisu for dessert--the real thing. The host said they made their own desserts. I hope Amelia and Kevin will go there again. They tend to go to the places they have been and liked rather than take a chance on a new place.

I could not stay awake after we got home.

Yesterday was a little quieter. We were at Barbara's by mid-morning, playing Spider and spending time with baby Ray. After lunch, Chieko and Casey headed to Newport to visit a friend and Ray and I eventually hopped into the car to see a little more of the Cape. Barbara and Doug were working. It was raining a bit, but not bad for driving. As we went further out the Cape, the highway changes to only 2 lanes and the water is closer with fewer buildings. One of the interesting features of Cape Cod is the many ponds dotting the land, reducing the usable space even more, but making for very interesting views and wildlife. There is a huge national seashore and we stopped there during a break in the rain. At Nauset, the beach access was closed--most of it has been washed away by the winter storms. Still beautiful to look at. There is also a giant stone we enjoyed climbing on. The rain resumed and we headed back to civilization, braving the traffic and stopping at the grocery store for a little lettuce. I was thinking to pick up some wine, but forgot that grocery stores in this part of the world do not sell it.

Ray's Mom made beef stew for a crowd and it was delicious. Barb put together a salad. Little Shawn and MacKenzie were there--first time we had seen them on this trip--and Deb and Kevin and Doug L. Jesse showed up after a bit. As people headed home, we said goodbye, and the four of us sat around watching TV very companionably.

Yesterday we got going in good time, so we stopped at Craigsville Beach for a few minutes, so Amelia could say she had at least seen the ocean during her visit to Cape Cod. It was gorgeous, sparkling and nearly deserted. Our drive to Providence went well, so we were there almost an hour before the train left. We spent a few minutes shopping in Borders, buying craft books and magazines about chickens and low-fat cooking. We were back at the station in good time and Amelia got something to eat at the cafe there. Glancing at the board, it looked like her train was delayed 10 minutes and then 15, so Ray and I got something to eat too and we sat together. When he was done, Ray went over and looked again at the board. We had been looking at the wrong train! She grabbed her things and ran down the stairs--luckily, she made it. Man, we would have been cross to have been sitting right there as the train left! The advantage of a train--it is not far to the tracks! She called later and it was about 30 minutes late getting into NY, so she had to take her bags to work with her, not a big deal.

We headed back to the Cape and were at Barbara's house by 1 or so. Nothing much happening. Devin was leaving for California and his parents drove him about 3. I had some baby time and took a little walk with Chieko and SBR. It was cold but sunny. We didn't stay out very long, but he seemed to like it. I am reminded of the exhausting and sometimes frustrating and lonely life of the mother of a young child (or two). Since he has been born, she has not had a break of more than an hour or so. I was really depressed at times. Thank goodness for my friends with children--and, of course, they get older.

For supper, we took Debbie and Kevin, Ray's mother and Doug Lynde out to dinner. Mom picked a place called Ninety-Nine, a chain I had never heard of before. The food was good and quite reasonable and we all enjoyed it. We were asleep by 9.

We had some bagels for breakfast, got the three of us showered and dressed, and went to Barbara's. Debbie and Kevin had gone to work. I spent some time with the baby while Casey was at the gym with his Dad and Chieko tried to get a little nap. Then I finished up knitting my mittens--only the thumbs were left. After lunch, we went with Casey and Devin and Jesse (and his roommate, Derek) to play frisbee golf. Amelia and I were the worst, but it was fun in the sun. A little cooler than the day before. Good exercise and enjoyable company.  We dropped the boys off and headed to the grocery store to pick up a few things. Ray wanted to buy a present for Laura's son Eamon, whose birthday was the fourth. Amelia and I shopped--Arborio rice, Parmesan cheese, veggies, apples.

At Barbara's, I peeled the apples and made apple crisp. Amelia worked on the risotto. Grating the carrots was the worst. Doug had gone to pick up lobsters for those who wanted them and Barbara made a salad, as well as BLT's for some who didn't want lobster. I enjoyed mine tremendously. Don't make me think about it too much! The apple crisp was very good with ice cream, but the top did not brown. Barbara thinks there might be something wrong with her oven--again. She's had it fixed 3 or 4 times since she got it a few years ago. It was a very pleasant evening, with wine and family--a little bit like a scene from a movie or a commercial.

After dessert, we rushed off to Chris and Laura's to see the boys. They were up a little later than usual because of our visit and I felt bad, because they would have a time getting them to sleep. Eamon enjoyed his presents (a plastic alligator that grows when you put it in water and a t-shirt with reptiles on it). Owen assembled a pile of pillows with a line of stuffed animals. They were the reindeer and he was Santa--he even had rope for reins. Then to Debbie's and to bed.

Cape Cod

Sunday we had a leisurely morning at Amelia's and a light breakfast. Then we went to Manhattan to the Chelsea Market. We wandered around and ate a good New York lunch. Then we walked on the High Line, a park they have opened about a year ago where an elevated rail line used to be. The tracks are there, but they have paved and planted around them, so you can walk and look at the views. It was sunny and almost warm. There were lots of people there. All the seats were taken. Ray noticed someone he recognized and called me over. It was Carl Martin, the cutting-edge builder/architect (from Athens) and his wife and son. I can't remember her name, but it's not Martin. The son they introduced as Jackson. He looks like Hank, but smaller. Hank is apparently working in Atlanta--on the show Drop Dead Diva. That was kind of fun--to run into someone from Athens. Hank is a year or two younger than Molli and they were friends.

We went back to the Chelsea Market to get gelato, Amelia went on to work, Kevin to the library, and Ray and I walked some more and looked around the Chelsea Market some more. We enjoyed the kitchen supply store--many things we didn't even know existed. We went to the theater where Amelia is working on a show. The space is called the Kitchen. Amelia had gotten us comp tickets. How can I describe this show? Well, it includes some quite traditional ballet, but it also uses multi-media. A video of an older man talking in the woods. Sometimes the dancers talk--they are at a meeting discussing the top 10 ways the world will end. They dance with chairs and tables. The show is apparently built around a quote by David Hasselhof, the actor. He had a drinking problem and his young daughter tried to get him to stop. He was eating a hamburger on the floor and she said he was going to get fired from the show if he didn't stop drinking. Different dancers repeated the same words together or separately. Amelia's job is stage manager; she has to make sure everything is in the right place (including the burgers).

The show also has two guys she calls "the twins" who aren't dancers. They are more like stage hands, I guess. They wear uniforms that say Staff. Anyway for this show, some water got spilled on the stage early on and Amelia decided to send "the twins" in to clean it up. We, naturally, could not tell that they were not always supposed to do that. Apparently the director was initially very concerned, but decided that had been the right thing to do by the end of the show. So Amelia had a stressful show. We waited a little while until she had finished her work (setting everything up for the next day).

Then we headed back to Queens and met Kevin at a restaurant for dinner. I had a great mojito. Ray had lemonade mixed with beer--hmm. Very sweet. We had really good food, including butternut squash soup. Back at the apartment, the Oscars were on TV. I didn't see much of it, because I went to bed.

The next morning, we took turns showering and finished packing up. Kevin headed to work and we went to Penn Station to catch our next train, picking up some bagels to take with us. There was quite a long line and we didn't all get seats together, although Amelia was just across the aisle and one behind Ray and me. Our train left at 8:30 and it was a very pleasant ride. Amelia slept just about all the way. Ray worked on his computer and I knit a pair of mittens. Ray and I walked to the snack bar and got a yogurt and an egg-and-sausage sandwich. Better than McDonald's and cost more, but not too bad for travel food.

In Providence, we got off. Ray had already called Enterprise to meet us at the station. They took us and our stuff back to their office. We upgraded about $10 to keep the Toyota Corolla we had been picked up in and not move our things to the smaller car (Aved?). We picked a restaurant in Fall River, using my iPhone. It was really fun and there was a great yarn store down the street that we had to visit briefly. The trip to the Cape was uneventful. The weather was beautiful. We went to Barbara's house, which was full of people. Ray's mother, of course. Ray's sister, Barbara, her husband Doug. Their oldest son Casey, who lives in Japan, with his wife Chieko and their baby, Ray. The baby was asleep, but we did have to admire him. Casey's younger brothers, Jesse and Devin, who was here from California. Devin has just completed classes to be an EMT and got a job, although it is very part-time for now. Apparently there were more than 100 applicants. You have to start part-time and work your way up. Jesse's huge dog, Nitzy. After a little visiting, the three of us took a walk around the neighborhood, including the working cranberry bog. Lots of people were outside, enjoying the sun and warm weather. Back in the house, the baby was up. He was a little fussy. When he was not nursing, there were a lot of people to take turns trying to calm him down and make him smile, including Grampy. Deb and Kevin arrived, with Kevin's grandson Shawn (not Deb's grandson Shawn). Casey's friend Mark showed up too. We all had dinner. Barbara and Amelia had made cupcakes for Ray's birthday and there were some presents too. People dispersed after supper. Ray and Amelia and I are staying with Deb, who has some extra bedrooms in her basement.

It looks like another beautiful morning here.

in New York

The train was pretty good, a lot less exhausting than I had feared. On Friday, I skipped a grant-writing workshop I was supposed to attend. Meredith went and can fill me in. I printed the labels for the newsletters and put them on 1900 newsletters, with the help of everyone in the office. Even Meredith got back in time to finish them up. I rushed out at lunch to buy Ray a birthday present (he does not read this blog,  but I won't say what it was just in case--it was inspired, if I do say so myself, not the usual book or shirt, which he obliging is always happy to get) and some yarn because I had to have a knitting project for the train. Then finished up a few more things at my office (paying bills, for instance) and made sure Meredith knew everything she needed to. This is the first time I have been gone since she started in January, but I am sure it will be fine. I went by the bank and picked Ray up and we headed home. I had packed the day before just in case I had to work late, so did not have much to do. Checked out what knitting needles I needed and packed the knitting bag and the carry on with snacks. My Mom and Dad helped with dinner and we left before 7.

We were at the train station in Gainesville an hour and a half early, knowing the train is usually running late. It is an old train station, no longer staffed, with big wooden benches. My only concern is leaving the car there for a week. My Dad kept offering to drive us, but it seemed more efficient to leave the car there so it will be there whenever we get back. At first, we were the only ones there. Ray brought in all our luggage and we sat on the wooden benches. I was knitting and Ray was working on his computer, plugged into an outlet. There was a sign that said you can only have 2 carry-ons and other luggage should be checked. However, you can't check it at Gainesville...We had more than 2 carry-ons and they were pretty big and heavy, starting with two laptops. More and more people arrived as the departure time got closer. There were about 8 of us in the end, all the rest singles, I think. The train was about 15 or 20 minutes late, not too bad. We climbed up with all our stuff and were off before we had quite gotten it all settled. There are big overhead racks where we put most of it. But just like when we are traveling in the car, I had a big bag under my feet with everything I might want--scarf and hat, snacks, books, computer, knitting...the seats reclined and there is even a foot rest that comes up. My scarf doubled as a light blanket and we had brought pillows, although they did distribute some the size of my computer. The cabin lights were dimmed about 11 and we tried to sleep. The motion and the sound of the train is quite soothing, but I had trouble getting comfortable and worried about my back. I don't usually sleep on my back, and the angle wasn't quite right. As we came into a town, the train would whistle, not too loud, but again kind of soothing. Every now and then we would stop and people would get off or on. They had them kind of sorted by cars, so I don't think anyone in our car got off, they were all bound for further north, but they did get on. I didn't think I was sleeping too well, but at one point I looked at the time and it was 5 am--I must have slept some. I got up and went to the little rest room and got some more water to drink and slept a little more.

At 7, the sun was streaming in and we were at Charlottesville, VA. It was a beautiful morning, with a little snow left on the ground. As we chugged along, Ray and I made our way back to the dining car for breakfast. The food was okay, not great, but not terrible, and not as expensive as I had feared. It was quite fun to sit and look out while the waitress lurched her way around. The tracks seemed to get worse north of DC, but we only had a few hours left after that. I read some and knitted some. There was an "in-flight" magazine, just like on the plane, with some interesting articles, in particular about the greening of Philadelphia. I would love to open a "green" store in Athens--building supplies and other products for people who want to live more environmentally. Too bad I am not an entrepreneur. I tried using my computer, but it was a little too rough for me. Ray didn't seem to mind and there was even an outlet so he could keep his battery charged. We ate the sandwiches we had packed and apples.

We got into Penn Station about 15 minutes ahead of schedule! Then the hard part began. We had to get all our stuff off the train and traipse through Penn Station and out onto the street. I don't know it well enough to find the best exit, so I am sure we back-tracked some. We headed for 34th Street and Macy's and went up a block to the N train, bought a pass and went through the turnstile. Ray had so much trouble with all the luggage that he ended up swiping the card twice (and paying double). Then we wandered around in the subway, down the stairs and waited on the platform. Three trains went by before the one we wanted--uptown to Queens. Oh well, so much for being early. Fortunately, it didn't matter at all. We got off at the last stop, Ditmars, and struggled out of the station and down the stairs. The train is elevated in Queens and there didn't seem to be an elevator--no handicapped access? They would definitely do it differently today.

It was a beautiful day and I didn't even mind that I didn't pack any gloves. We walked three or four blocks with our stuff to Amelia's building: three stories with a balcony and even a little yard. She and Kevin were home and had cleared out their spare room for us and locked up the cat in their room (Ray is allergic). It is a really nice apartment with wood floors and lots of light. They repainted the walls when they moved in about a year ago. Seems like a pretty good deal to me for NY ($1800). Of course, the toilet doesn't flush right and one of the handles is off the shower, but that is typical of NY landlords, I would say. She had made me a sweater (purple of course) that I had to try on and we played with our iPhones some (showing each other our favorite apps). Then she made bean soup, while Kevin went to the library to work on his paper. Ray and I vegged and chatted with her some. Her kitchen is small and a little crowded, but about twice as big as her last one and very well stocked. It is such a joy to spend time with her.

Amelia had to head out to work, so we walked her to the subway. Then we went on to pick up some things at Key Foods. We apparently walked right by it and had to find it on my iPhone, before turning around. We went in (city grocery stores are so fun, crowded into small spaces) and started to get a few things before realizing that neither of us had any money or credit cards. I wonder if there is an app that lets me use my iPhone as a credit card... Not a big deal, we walked back to the apartment, ate some delicious bean soup and corn bread and watched TV. My knitting project is making great strides; I hope I brought enough yarn (3 skeins).

I had thought we would be asleep very early, but I guess we needed to decompress some too. Kevin came back and said the paper was nearly done. We inflated the Aerobed in the spare room and Ray made it up with sheets and blankets. I took a shower in the iffy bathroom, which was fine. Slept like the dead, as they say, and ready for today's adventures. Ray is on the couch, so I am guessing he did not enjoy sleeping with me on the Aerobed...luckily it's a great couch.

Big sigh. TG I am not a commuter. I spent yesterday at a conference in Marietta. It took me more than two hours to drive each way. Why intelligent people would tolerate the traffic is beyond me. In the morning, I did not get going until almost 7:30 and it was after 9:30 when I arrived. (Among other things, I really had to use the bathroom when I got there). The meetings were good, but not good enough to be worth the drive. I left at 4:00 before the session was over to try to beat it, but sat for more than 30 minutes inching along from 285 turning onto 85 North. No accident, just steady regular traffic. That is not okay, people. It's crazy. The waste of gas, time, energy spent on roads!

Mom had put the quiche in the oven that I had taken out of the freezer. Ray cooked the asparagus and heated some sweet potato from the freezer. The quiche was not that good, so I will not make it again, but it was nice to have dinner ready. I spent my evening reading over knitting books and finishing my packing. I switched the middle-sized suitcase for a bigger one. No reason we really have to travel light, since we are not flying.

I wanted to charge my phone one last time and saw that I had missed two calls. I wish people would call my home phone when I am home. One was from Peggy on the Nominating Committee, so then I checked my email to find that the committee (except me) is more or less unanimous on a Treasurer that I do not think is a good choice. Unfortunately, we have contacted about 50  people who all turned it down...so I don't have an alternative to propose. This got me charged up, and, along with worrying about the trip and the work I need to get done today, made it impossible for me to go to sleep until around midnight. Then Ray woke up at 4:30. Jeez. Maybe I will be able to sleep on the train tonight.

I don't know if I will be posting every day for the next week.

Yesterday morning, the ground was frozen with bits of snow, but the roads were fine for driving. I found one small slippery spot, but it didn't cause any problems. I took Ray to his office so he didn't have to walk. I continued working on the reimbursements, except for an hour and a half attending orientation for a new kind of software for organizations in Athens to request volunteers. The board treasurer, Joni, came to meet with Meredith and me and that went very well. She is following up on a couple things I had trouble with (like the IRS saying we owe taxes that we paid). Yay! I listened to a webinar about why non-profits need an Audit Committee. It was about "best practice," but I am guessing that we are ahead of most organizations our size. It's good to know what we are aiming for, though. Meredith and I continue to be in agreement about most things. The budget we are proposing now has a $50,000 deficit, but that is because we did not get recommended for some grants. We can adjust it by cutting expenses or increasing donations and grants. Neither of us is worried.

We came home and Ray made mac & cheese for potluck. The Nominating Committee med once again at 5:30 to try to come up with a Treasurer. No luck yet. We did get the okay from the Board that they will name an Assistant Treasurer to help the person. Hopefully that will be an enticement that will help us convince someone. I didn't stay for all of choir, since I am going to be missing two Sundays this month, including a special music service. This is the time of year when choir dwindles, so I feel bad.

When we got home, I was studying my knitting patterns to decide what project to take on for our trip until bedtime.

Crazy! Snow again in Athens shut down the University at 2, as well as the schools. When I walked the dogs, it was raining. It had stopped by the time we left. I just had a sweater on, no coat, hat, gloves, scarf--even though I am usually better dressed for the weather. I didn't have any idea it was going to snow or be that cold. Staff meeting, reimbursement requests. I met Janna for lunch, driving in the snow. It wasn't sticking on the roads or freezing. Ray and I left a little early, before 3.

After supper, my parents headed out to see Lord of the Dance. It wasn't canceled, and they had no trouble. They enjoyed it very much, although it was a lot of the same dancing over and over, with different costumes and combinations. They were home before we went to bed. My Mom had made a birthday cake and it was delicious. I just dozed in front of the TV all night, when I should have been packing or doing something useful.

Apparently, the cold is only a problem early and late in the day, so that's good.

Worked too long yesterday. Got a proof of the newsletter late in the day I wanted to look over before approving to go forward. Had weekly meeting with the boss--it's going to be a wild week. Starting on reimbursements for February, tried to match up some old charges and find out if they had been submitted or not. Tedious work, going back through the files to try to find them.

Went home, made dinner, worked on Nominating Committee. Had emergency meeting, calling people in desperation to ask them to be Treasurer. Still no success. One person sleeping on it. Chose other board members somewhat carelessly due to pressure to "get it done." Home a little after 9. Fell asleep watching TV.

Vacation is coming!

Apparently, I missed blogging yesterday and didn't even notice. Sunday was a busy day. I was well enough to sing our challenging song at the service and it went quite well. It was Fourth Sunday, so I enjoyed lunch at the Fellowship. The Nominating Committee was hanging over my head and I really was sick of trying to deal with it. I drove down to Athens Seed Company in Watkinsville to buy some onions, but they are closed on Sundays. I drove over to a dance studio where the rehearsal for Athens Dancing with the Stars was. Joan and Pat were going over the cues with the dancers. Joan knew I had signed up for cooking class and was writing down the cues for me. I'm looking forward to it.

Then I drove to cooking class, where Shae, the pastry chef at Five and Ten, taught us to make macarons. This is a French treat that is apparently the latest cool thing. They are very pretty and lots of work, but personally I prefer brownies or other cookies. You make little meringue wafers, bake them and cool them. Then you make filling, such as buttercream, and put them together. Shae prefers Italian buttercream. I did not know there were different kinds. It was a much smaller group than the others--maybe 8 or 9, at the home of Angela Meltzer in Five Points. Angela's husband, Richard, was on the field trip with Ray, and brought him to the house when they were done, so that was convenient.

We drank champagne, but my favorite thing was talking to Emily Meltzer. She is about 5 years older than Amelia, graduated from Clarke Central, and had been living in Astoria, up until a few weeks ago. I really liked her a lot and would have liked Amelia to know her. Life is interesting. She got married last fall (reception by Five & Ten) and is going to Ghana to live. Her husband works for Guinness there. Weird! Two of Becky Vaughn's daughters were there, too: Jenny and Laura. I had seen them when Becky was running for office a few years ago. Now they are adults and very interested in cooking. There were two or three others, but they were my age or older and less interesting.

Ray and I drove home, ate supper, watched Olympic closing ceremony, went to bed.