Dagnab it, I'm sick! I was so looking forward to having all my class work done and being able to do other things, like baking and paying bills. Now my brain is not really up for much of anything. Sore throat, cough, headache. The weather is very pleasant, though, and I am grateful for a lovely place to be while I am sick and people who care about me.

Yesterday, we were awfully close to late taking Ray and Dan in. Ray had trouble sleeping and didn't wake up until 7:30, so it's pretty amazing that he was ready to teach at 9. I went on to the Ramsey Center and dutifully rode my bike for 30 minutes. The machine said it was over 5 miles. It seemed easier than other times--could be I'm getting in shape. Or it could be that bike was set slightly differently than the last one. Took my shower, but I had forgotten to bring soap--gross!

I went to the library and renewed some books and got some more. I even checked out an audiobook to listen to on car trips. I had a lot of trouble trying to pick one my Dad will like as well as me, but eventually I did. There was a child absolutely screaming its head off and I found myself edging into the category of people who find that gets on my nerves.

I met Linda Lloyd at the Economic Justice Coalition and talked with her about volunteering there on Wednesdays. She gave me a packet of information to read and left before I did. I saw Joseph S., who asked after my children. They need help with grant-writing, among other things, and I offered to help.

Ate my lunch, which was potato salad and a yogurt. Went to class with Dr. Poon, a guest lecturer who was in charge of the Georgia Centenarian Study. Several students were absent. Hmm.

Picked up Ray and we stopped at Earth Fare. I felt like I was going to pass out and couldn't make it to potluck, so bought a baguette and some chicken salad. MMM, tasted like ambrosia, and saved my life.

Potluck, choir, Jeopardy, and bed. Slept pretty well in spite of the mask and the cold, with the help of cough syrup. Achy this morning.

Yesterday morning Ray took me to the Red Clay Cafe on campus. I carried my umbrella, my lunch, my water bottle, my computer, and my purse. I sat in a lovely quiet room and worked for over an hour, but the air conditioning was blowing on me and I didn't have a sweater and my hair was wet.

At 12:00, I went in the back of Ramsey. I was supposed to meet two students from my Epidemiology class to work on a project together. I kept trying to get my email and checking my phone, since I just knew Alan was somewhere in the building, getting out of class at 12:15. Finally an e-mail came through: in room 352. I went up two flights of stairs and walked around looking for the room. The numbers went from 351 to 353. I was tired and stressed and frustrated. I asked someone for help and she showed me the room, a nice quiet small conference room. Alan was on his computer and Mai showed up in about 10 minutes, saying how hard it was to find. We managed to do our assignment. Alan emailed it to us as we left.

I tried to paste the graph here, but it doesn't seem to work. It was very interesting, comparing death rates in the South to the northeast. They are quite similar for the younger group (25-44), except for one thing. There is a huge spike in the northeast in 2001. Yes, that would be almost 3000 deaths from terrorist attack. For the older group, 45-64, there are more deaths by about 100 per 100,000 in the South in 1999. The rate here is not declining very much, while it is in the Northeast, so by 2009, the difference is almost 200 deaths. Ray and I said we better move. I should look at the older group, and/or break it down by state.

As I was leaving, I realized I no longer had the umbrella. Ray had warned me not to lose it, so I backtracked until I found it. He picked me up back at the Red Clay Cafe about 30 minutes later. We headed home after a stop at his office and one at Normal Hardware, getting fasteners for the new fence we hope to put up around the garden this week to keep the deer out as they get more agressive. There are way too many deer in Kenney Ridge and they will not all survive, competing for whatever they can find to eat. Our plantings will be casualties.

At home, I worked on the readings and printed the journal article for yesterday's class. Ray cooked some ham steak and broccoli for me to eat before I left again.

Class was interesting, even fun. There was a simulation of what it is like to be old and live in a nursing home. They took away our possessions and self-esteem cards and gave us goggles and earplugs and made us use a walker and drink Ensure. Some of us had stickers on our heads saying we were confused or cantankerous...Then a professor of kinesiology spoke to the class about Physical Function--muscle and bone loss, etc.

At home, I had a little wine and some sherbet and watched a couple shows. I was starting to get a cold, with a sore throat. Yes, it is very predictable: stress is followed by illness. Stuffy nose, headache, body aches and a sore throat. Hopefully, it will be a mild one.

I am grateful for the rain and the cool weather.

It's raining steadily and very gray. Wonderful for growing things. Not so good for walking. I had trouble sleeping last night. In fact, I think it is the first time I dreamed about my mother dying.

I went with Ray and Dan and then drove to Bishop for a great SGM discussion. The topic was Ecclesiastes, To Every Thing there is a season... I met Becky for lunch and then went to class.

We had a guest speaker, a professor of Pyschology who does research on memory loss. It was very good. Then I did my presentation, which went fine. Dr. Emerson seemed pleased. The class was its usual unresponsive self. With only six people, I would think we could have some good discussions. We continued to talk about dementia and memory loss. Do you know how many different kinds of memory there are? Eight, if I'm remembering right. And only a couple of them get worse as you age, usually.

We came home, I made omelets with peppers and ate leftover potato salad. Then I went to the Green Sanctuary meeting, which was well attended.

Watched TV, went to bed, nothing to read.

Had trouble sleeping and slept late.

My Power Point is almost done and I did some of the other readings for Monday.

We went for a longer walk and that made us nearly late for Pilates. Captain was here, but I didn't have time to chat much. There was a sub for Amanda and I didn't like her as much. Becky was there. We went to the Farmers' Market, but didn't buy anything. I was feeling too cheap to buy potatoes at $2/lb or squash at $3.

We went to Kroger to buy the potatoes and a few other things. Big lines because it was a home game day. At home, had some leftover pasta salad and a few cookies and an apple. Worked on my class work.

Ray mowed the lawn and then we cooked some shrimp for supper. Good with rice and a salad. A little ice cream afterward. Time for a couple TV shows and then bed, but I couldn't sleep. I finished my book and then got up and worked on my powerpoint. I inserted photos from Mexico, since it is a Mexican study. Slept until 7--with my mask on.

I enjoyed my day at home to some extent, but I am working hard on a Power Point presentation for Monday's class. Of course, I still have to do the regular work for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I want to get this done, so I can stop stressing about it and do some other things, like gardening and cooking.

Ray left before 8, so he could get lab work done for his annual physical. He took breakfast, of course.

My Dad came around 10, but he didn't come to garden. He was pleased because he had gotten his driver's license, thanks to a helpful person there. I made some cookies while he spent time on his computer, sharing news items with me. It seems like Obama is more and more sure to win the election.

I couldn't make cowboy cookies, because I didn't have enough chocolate chips. I started to make oatmeal cookies and found I was out of raisins! So I made oatmeal-coconut cookies. They were pretty good, but would be better with raisins (oatmeal-raisin-coconut)!

I ate some leftover couscous--it was really good. My Dad talked to Aunt Norma for a while. I took the phone and chatted, too. She was a bit confused and repeated herself, couldn't remember her granddaughter's name, although she said, "the one that went to Harvard." I think they are coming to visit her. Her legs are swollen and she is supposed to walk, but it is very difficult for her. She was also distraught that she couldn't come to Molli's wedding and that she couldn't even afford to send a check. That was sad. Captain said I was a really nice person to talk to her. I said, "it might be the last time."

He left and I went back to my computer for a while. Ray came home and went to bed. Liz took Cameron for a walk and brought him back and we chatted. I had some phone calls. But mostly I just worked on my assignment, until it was dark, eating more couscous and leftover mini-quiches.

Ray got up about 8 and cooked us some green beans from the freezer. We watched a little TV and ate a little ice cream and went to bed. Not sure if he slept all night, but I did, although I woke up ready to get back to work.

 Yesterday was busy, some parts better than others. We had a brisk 20-minute walk. We are trying to get up to 30 minutes a day. We think we're active, but apparently we don't walk as much as I thought. And it needs to be brisk.

As Ray and I headed out, we passed Captain Mudge coming in. He beeped and we kept going. I dropped Ray off and went to Janna's. She was almost ready and we drove to her dentist's. The appointment didn't take long and then we went back to her house. We scheduled several more appointments at times that are good for both of us. Then we went to lunch at Big City Bread, sitting on the patio outside where it was very pleasant.

After she went to work, I picked Ray up and took him to his doctor for a physical. I did some reading in the waiting room. I was dozing but there was a woman on her cell phone that made it hard for me to concentrate (or doze).

I took him back to the university and headed to Five Points. There is a German AFS student (Alisa) who is staying with a family there. I chatted with him a bit and when she came in, we said hello. I took her to ATT and added her to our family phone plan. It's only 9.99 for an additional person, but you have to have a 2-year contract...unless you have your own equipment. She had brought a Samsung smart phone with her, unlocked, and gave it to the salesperson. But it's another $30 a month for the data plan. Plus a $36 one-time activation fee. And then they asked about text messaging. We have not had unlimited text messaging, but a high school student will need that. It's $20 to add it for just her, but $30 to add to the whole group. So, naturally, we went with the $30. Now we all have unlimited text messaging. I'm pretty sure my Dad will not be using that feature, but Ray and I already do almost enough texting to make it worth doing. I took Alisa home; we were both pleased. She had been two days in high school with no phone and already people had been asking for her number of course. She will pay for her plan, when we get the bill. I hope we understood each other. Her English is very good; she has studied it for 9 years.

Ray and I came home; the traffic was pretty bad. We had about half an hour to throw together a pasta bean salad for the Kenney Ridge potluck, which was very nice (and tasty). Adah was there. Sometimes she is delightful and sometimes frustrating. I know her parents find her a challenge and I understand why. The more we can all help, the easier. She sat with me and then we went outside. When I said I was leaving, she grabbed my hand and started walking with me. "I'm going home with  you," she said. It was pretty endearing. Her sister Ruby was carrying flowers around from person to person and offering them to be smelled. That was cute too. At one point, I was playing War with Soli (card game) and coloring with Adah at the same time, not totally satisfying for any of us.

At home, I had meant to make bread but was too tired. We watched a little TV and went to bed. I slept well and am looking forward to a quiet day. I have lots of school work to do.