Captain came for breakfast. Ray and I had a short walk. We drove to his office and I waited while he got what he needed and then drove to the Biology building. He is teaching a brand new class and thatt was the first day of the First Summer Short Session. He will teach every day until July 6, for about 2 hours. This will require him to prepare notes from a new book, putting in lots of hours to stay ahead of the class.

I drove to First Baptist and delivered the lunches Gere had prepared. I went to the credit union and deposited some checks. Then I went downtown and photocopied my Health Care directive (and Ray's). I met my Dad at the jewelers (Aurum) and they gave him money for a gold tooth! ($22) I went back to First Baptist and met my friend Karen K. and we delivered lunches. At one of the stops, I saw Nathan from ALT and we talked some about this year's bike race. A year ago, I was working at ALT.

I ate my lunch at River's Crossing, where there was an OLLI class I wanted to take. It was about electronic medical records, a good idea whose time has come. Apparently the implementation is lacking. In particular, there are lots of different software packages in use and they are not compatible. Also, they are not very user-friendly and doctors have some challenges to use them. Employment idea? Become a consultant instructing doctors in the use of technology, assuming they would want to pay me. The person teaching the class, who has way more credentials than I do, said she had applied for two jobs at St. Mary's to do that kind of work (she called it hand-holding), but they appear to have hired from within.

I picked Ray up, we went home, I cooked some pork and vegetables, we watched TV and went to bed. Except that I vacuumed the house and we tidied up so that two of Nancy MacNair's sisters could stay with us, Alice and Janice. They didn't arrive until about 10, so we didn't visit much.

not a very impressive building

My Dad has wanted to go skydiving for a long time. Recently, he has been talking about it being on his bucket list. I think my Mom was not comfortable with the idea--or he thought she wasn't. In any case, I think he wouldn't have done it if she were still alive. But he looked in the phone book and there was one listing for skydiving and he called them--and paid ahead. I guess that locked in a lower price. It was less than $200.

We scheduled it for a day that Ray could go with us. Dad came for breakfast and we left a little after 8. I drove so Ray could work on preparing for his new class that starts today, on Pterodactyls. We pretty much had to go t hrough Atlanta traffic, some of it very slow, but we were there by 11, when he was scheduled.

I went through this door--does that make me a future skydiver?

video disclaimer--can you bleieve this beard?

At least they have wi-fi while you are waiting

He had to watch a video and sign a waiver. Then we  waited around a bit, in a dumpy sort of metal building. Other people were there too. After about an hour, his name was called and he met his instructor, Ryan. Ryan was covered with tattoos and piercings, but he was very serious about skydiving. He helped Dad get his harness on and adjusted it to fit comfortably. He didn't like the first one and got a second one. Then he got a couple other guys to help him get it just right. We asked him a few questions. He has jumped 7000 times. The heaviest person weighed more than 300; the oldest was 91.

Captain was in Load 2, so after instruction and having this harness put on, he waited while one group went up in the plane and jumped out and came down. A woman annoucned, "Twelve minute warning for load 2," then "five minute warning," then, "meet at the front to walk up to the plane." As we went out to the plane, the first load was landing, so pretty and so fast!

Before he got on the plane, Ryan adjusted his harness again. They were the last ones on, sitting on benches faces backward. That is when I began to get nervous, thinking of when he had been in the hospital. They told him he didn't have enough oxygen in his blood, and had an irregular heartbeat. I am sure if he had asked, his doctor would have said, "no skydiving." But maybe I was projecting, because I would not have wanted to get in that plane.

Ray and I watched it go up until we lost it from sight. About 10 minutes later, we began to see little dots--beautiful parachutes with tiny people hanging below. The next thing we knew they were landing. We heard a whooshing sound and they came in very fast from the side, not staight down at all. The first few were solo and they obviously knew what they were doing. They managed to slow themselves down and ended up walking as they touched down.

All of a sudden, there was my Dad with Ryan. They were coming in really fast... You could see my Dad's legs hanging down below Ryan's. They landed in a pile of dust and it wasn't clear if anyone was hurt. But when I got closer, I could see them pulling my Dad up. He slowly walked toward us, with the harness attached. Ryan passed him and I thanked him and he said, "he did great" or something like that. He was a little sore, but fine. He said he would have a bruise on his butt.

We got in the car and drove to a restaurant I found on my phone nearby, Sidekicks.

I really enjoyed my OLLI class yesterday. A young woman from Sonoma College (I think) spoke about the American Dream. She is probably in her 30s, she is doing research I would love and teaching and inspiring students. She studied single Moms on welfare who went to college. Four got master's degrees. She has testified in Congress several times. Obviously, getting a degree helps you get a job and get off welfare.

She got interested in the American Dream because education is part of that. It seems that somehow the idea that anyone can get ahead has somehow contributed to competition and greed (keeping up with the Joneses), so that people always want a bigger house, etc. She is interested in young people who are changing the dream to reflect their values--spending time with family, building community, having time to volunteer, etc. See newdream.org. Really interesting.

I was interested and excited, but it also made me sad and angry to think that I am not doing this work. At 57, I don't want to be done being useful and stimulated. I love to bake, but to think that I will never think about these ideas again is very depressing. She said unemployment is highest in people over 50 and under 25.

Other than that, delivered lunches with one of my neighbors, Gere, and now we are committed to making lunches too!

Made pasta salad for potluck, with onions and basil and garlic from the garden. Had to buy tomatoes and peppers, but not much longer. Bugs may get the eggplants, but there are baby peppers and green tomatoes.

Potluck and choir--winding down for a summer break in July.

Yesterday's weather? Cloudy, rainy, with a high of 73! I baked cookies and ate soup for lunch.

It was a stay-at-home day, with Ray gone to work. My Dad was here for a while in the morning and Sky came over for a bit. I was on the computer most of the time, trying to get my emails down to a manageable amount. Yes, I have 12,000 emails, after deleting a bunch of them.

Ray came home, we ate some leftover pork roast, with peppers and onions, and sauteed baby potatoes from the garden, which is doing very well, thanks to the rain and my Dad's attentions. I mostly admire it and harvest and come up with ways to eat it. The green beans are superb, small and fresh, with butter and salt and pepper. We had asparagus, too.

Then it cleared enough for us to jump in the car and drive to Sandy Creek Park, where they had telescopes set up so we could see the transit of Venus, a once-in-a-lifetime event, except that if you are born today, you can live to be 100 and never see it. Nonetheless, watching it is just above watching grass grow. I sat in the car and read things on my phone, while Ray stood around talking with other people who were as interested as he was. My back doesn't like standing much. Becky came too and we talked some with Becky Horne, whose son Nathan just graduated from law school. I looked at Venus three times and it had moved very slightly every time. Becky even managed to take a picture with her phone through the telescope!

We drove to the Melting Point, where my Dad had just finished dinner. Ray ordered dessert, I had onion rings and a kahlua and cream, while he had a tropical drink--pineapple juice, rum, curacao. We were there to see a Canadian group, but there were two young women, sisters or even twins, singing folk/bluegrass. Lots of Everly Brothers. The Canadians were apparently the week before. My Dad is sure the paper made a mistake. I did not check, so reserve judgment. It felt somewhat decadent to be listening to music and eating and drinking on a Tuesday night. We left about 9 and had time to watch a couple of game shows before bed.

In Zanesville: A Novel by Jo Ann Beard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this "coming-of-age" novel, told from the point of view of a clever young woman who is something of an outsider. Dysfunctional family is sad but funny. Thanks, Polly!



View all my reviews

Friday already--and June 1! For someone who is not working, I sure am busy! and even stressed--how ridiculous is that?

We went to the doctor's office early Wednesday and Ray waited to get fitted in. There was part of a tick that I couldn't get out without hurting him.

Ray and my Dad in the pool at his apartment complex

I wanted to tell you all about distributing lunches to kids in neighborhoods. I did it for the first time on Wednesday with my friend Karen K. I am going again today, though, so maybe I'll write more about that tomorrow. My Dad is coming with me today.

I had lunch at his house on Wednesday and then went to Kroger. I picked Ray up and we came back and swam in his pool.

Wednesday night included potluck and choir. We brought pasta salad.

Yesterday morning, I dug up most of the onions and my Dad dug up all the potatoes. I went to an OLLI class on writing and publishing. I was a little cross about it, because it is basically a company that helps people write their stories, encouraging and editing and then finding a printer, all for a fee of course. And I paid $5 for them to try to sell me their service. There was some good information and I guess you get what you pay for. A couple of people took a card and may contact me about typing for them. I wonder how much I should charge. $1 a page?

I had lunch with Becky at Mama's Boy. Good food, good service, quite reasonable, but the sound level was ridiculous! Kind of defeats the purpose of having lunch together if you can't talk to each other. Went to R. Wood to look at pottery. She was buying a wedding present and they have a registry there.

Then I went to the library for a little while. At 4, I picked up Ray and we went to the Captain's to swim a little.

At home, I ate bits of leftovers before heading to UUFA for a Lay Ministers' meeting. It was long and not very productive and I came home somewhat annoyed. Plus I have things to do.

But we did have a thunderstorm, so that is great. It is pleasantly cool this morning, although damp. I woke up before 5, unfortunately. Maybe a nap is in order.