Yesterday, Ray was the guest lecturer in another class. It started at 8. He was there at 5 after, pretty good considering. The time change should have been a help.

I drove to Deb's house, where I didn't have to be until 9:30. I parked in the drive and listened to Morning Edition. John came out to walk the dogs and I walked with them. It was a lovely morning, sunny and not too cool.

After a bit, Deb came out and told me to come on in. We chatted a bit and set out the banana bread and cream cheese. Other people arrived. We had a discussion about the holidays. Not one of the six of us really loved Christmas time and preparing for it, to varying degrees. One usually travels then (I like that plan), another just doesn't celebrate at all...so I felt pretty conservative in my general Scroogey-ness. We do have some nice traditions and good memories. This year will be hard without my mother. She did a lot of decorating that I am not that into, but I will try to do some of it. I was thrilled to see Nordstrom's policy: "We don't decorate until November 27, because we prefer to celebrate our holidays one at a time."

Tim Echols at Trumps banquet room

I left a little early because I had an 11:30 OLLI luncheon. Tim Echols is a Public Service Commissioner and he was talking about alternative energy sources. Apparently the other commissioners think he is crazy and the Atlanta paper has written a lot of negative articles about him. He has a solar water heater on his house and drives a natural gas-powered car...when he can get it filled. There are only two stations. He is a little abrasive and the situation is bleak, but I was reluctantly impressed with him. He argued in favor of elected public service commissioners, because he is out meeting with and talking to groups like ours. Did you know France recycles its nuclear waste? And 82% of their energy comes from nuclear? Not that I am about to embrace it. But I had no idea.

After that, I waited a little bit for Ray to be done and brought him home. My Dad came after a bit and we drove to Cofer's to buy a red camellia for Molli's wedding next spring. We stopped to visit the pigs and I gave them a couple scoops of puppy chow. They were still afraid of me, but came a lot closer than the day before.

My Dad was heading to his first rehearsal for A Christmas Carol. The church where they rehearse is on Tallassee, but much further in town. So it makes sense for him to come to the house for a while before hand. I think he will be doing that regularly. Rehearsals are currently scheduled for four days a week all month. He had a piece of pork and headed out.

I was working on our dinner, but it wasn't ready before he left. We sat down and ate and were done by six! We watched some TV and I was dozing off, and it wasn't quite 8 o'clock. I went up and tried to stay awake with the computer and reading, but I am sure it was before 9 when I fell asleep. Of course, I woke up at 3:30 and I wasn't really surprised. The surprising thing is I managed to go back to sleep until after 5.