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Barbara Fritchman Thompson Diary Week of 10 May 2004 Latest Update: Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:04 |
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Monday, 10 May 2004 [Last Week] [Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Next Week] |
| It has been a typical spring for me. With working full
time, I have to use the weekends to get the bulk of my other work done in
the yard and the house. That combined with getting to they gym, taking
care of the dogs, and helping dad get his yard caught up I have been
working pretty solidly for about four weeks running now. Interestingly
enough, although at times, like yesterday I am dead tired, I usually
rebound the next day ready for action.
Last night I finally finished the Ivan Doig book. His books are not what you would call fast reading plus I have been so busy at night and too tired to get more than a couple of chapters read at a time. He had several pages at the end of the book where he cited his reference sources and how he used the real events in the storyline. I think this book was one of his best ever. We had leftover pizza for dinner tonight so I could make the 5:30 double step class. The advantage to the early class is getting me home earlier in the evening. Time to check my mail and pick out something new to read. Hope you have a great week.
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Tuesday, 11 May 2004 [Last Week] [Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Next Week] |
| I started a new mystery last night also a new author for
me. Very often I find books for Bob and I end up reading them too. Lea
Wait who has written historical novels for young adults has now
ventured into the Cozy mystery genre for adults. Her series, titled
Shadows Antique Print Mystery Series stars Maggie Summer, a recently
widowed antique print dealer who solves crimes using clues from her
prints. I am reading the first or two books availble in the series Shadows
At the Fair. The third one is due out this summer.
Wait, like her character, is an antique print dealer. Her autobiography on her web site is fascinating reading telling how she grew up encouraged to read by her parents, dreamt of becoming an author, and to live someday live in Maine. She "adopted four “older” girls born in Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong and India, founded a support group for single adoptive parents, edited an adoptive parent newsletter, and became very involved with adoption advocacy. I am still on the board of the National Council for Single Adoptive Parents." I am about a third of the way into the first novel where Maggie will help to solve the crime of a string of murders of antique dealers in the last few weeks previous to the show she is attending in New Jersey. I was hooked from the first chapter, highly recommend them. Otherwise, not much on the news front. I skipped the gym tonight to get caught up on some work at my desk, pay some bills, etc. I also did the grocery store run this afternoon which makes getting home rather late to make the gym for a class anyway. The garage door person came today. Just like when you take a car to the mechanic it will not do what it was doing before you arrived...well our garage doors worked fine when he came. Apparently we have a slight crack in one of the upper panels that may have caused it to malfunction. He said the door could last one day, one year, or whatever. Bob's door also seems to have a similar problem though not as bad. I have no idea what the life of a garage door is. I think we had these put in around 1988 or 1989. He left giving us several options which we will pursue should the door stop working altogether. In the meantime we have changed sides where we park so I can wear the other door out. Since we hardly drive the white truck that door gets very little use some weeks not going up at all. This way, my door can rest and I will wear the other one out. Very nice of the man who came out, they did not even charge us for the consultation. [Top] |
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Wednesday, 12 May 2004 [Last Week] [Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Next Week] |
| When I left work this afternoon it looked like it was going
to pour rain any minute. The skies were black toward the west of town and
sunny to the east. By the time I got home, checked my mail and fixed
dinner the sun was out and no rain.
I have been to the gym for Body Pump class. Other than play some ball with the guys and read, the night is pretty much a wash for me.
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Thursday, 13 May 2004 [Last Week] [Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Next Week] |
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Dad called about 1:20 this afternoon. Seems the cable on his lawn mower broke just when he was getting started on the back yard. The John Deere place told him if he could bring it out they would try to fix it for him. Fortunately, I have one of those jobs that depends on me to be there to get my work done but not support persons or keep things open. I told him I was on my way. I peeked over the wall of my cube to Kirsten's, my supervisor, told her what was up and left. From downtown where I work I am only about ten minutes away. We picked up the mower, hauled it out past where I live, had it fixed and returned back home by 3:30. I had a Friends of the Library meeting at 4:30 making it back across town for that in plenty of time. We had grilled ham and cheese for dinner since I was late getting home to get me out of the kitchen and back here into my office early enough to check mail, etc. I did finish the antique print murder last night. Not sure what I am in the mood to pick up tonight. Maybe something off my TBR shelf. We had another day of hit and miss rain showers. Dad said it rained briefly at his house. On the way across town with the mower it looked like it had poured over here. We hit a couple of stray showers on the way. The sun seems to be out for now.
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Friday, 14 May 2004 [Last Week] [Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Next Week] |
| Whew! The end of another long and hectic week. I worked
7:15 to 4:45 to make up most of my time from yesterday. I came up half an
hour short of which I just took PDO time. I could have stay another half
hour but I was too tired. Plus, we had connectively problems all day with
both InterAction and the Web. Our Internet service kept going up and down
until late this afternoon. After sitting through another 1.5 hour boring
meeting I came back to work to find the Web up but slow as heck. I decided
at 4:45 to toss in the towel.
I fixed chef salad's for dinner. Other than checking mail and web sites, I am finished for the day. Tonight I shall read, relax, and play with the dogs. Hope you have a great weekend. [Top] |
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Saturday, 15 May 2004 [Last Week] [Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Next Week] |
| Greetings from sunny North Carolina. Today has been a nice,
mild spring day with lots of sunshine, low humidity, and temperatures in
the low 80's. I spent the morning getting some yard projects completed
including the weekly mowing. Instead of going to the gym I made an early
run to Wal-Mart and Lowe's. My third stop at the license plate bureau to
renew Bob's tag. HA! I forgot today is the 15th of the month when the
previous months tag grace period expires. The line was out the door and I
had more important things to do here at home. I will make a return trip
out one afternoon after work. We still have several weeks. I guess I could
just mail it in to Raleigh but I had a SNAFU with that once now preferring
to do it at the local place. I usually go during the week when there is
never a line.
This afternoon I took The Guys down to play with Emma while I visited with Steve, Mimi, and Shane for a few minutes. Back home, I had some e-mail and other stuff to catch up on this afternoon. Tonight, the NASCAR race is being run in Richmond, always an exciting track. Now that the next to last remaining track in North Carolina has been sold, NASCAR is going big market with tracks in Texas and California. All the smaller tracks are loosing at least one date on the schedule to those larger markets with 100,000 plus seating. In the next few years I am sure the small tracks in Virginia and Tennessee will see the same thing happening to them. NASCAR racing is no longer a small track sport and business but instead becoming a big time player in the sports game. In order to draw sponsors for the car owners and tracks, NASCAR is being forced to be visible in high market cities rather than small places like Rockingham, Martinsville, and North Wilkesboro with half mile tracks. The local race track here in Winston, Bowman Gray, a quarter mile track, was one a stop on the NASCAR circuit. I can remember laying in bed at night in the summer, no AC of course so the windows were open, and listen to the cars going around the track. All the old timers including Richard Petty, Fireball Roberts, and Bobby Alison raced here in the mid to late 60's. Now of course it features the local Saturday night racing. The middle of the track is a football field. I guess like everything else, money is the bottom line. What started out as moonshine running business has become a multi million dollar enterprise.
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[Last Week] [Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Next Week] |
| Dad and I played a full 18 holes of golf this morning. The
first time for him since before his knee surgery back in January. We were
joined on the front nine by our friend Paul and his dad who has flown out
from Okalahoma for a visit. Paul had an afternoon appointment which
prevented him from playing more than nine. Also, his dad is recovering
from major surgery and is just now getting back on his feet. Paul did not
want his dad to push it too much. If the weather is nice next Sunday we
plan to play again.
Speaking of weather. We are getting little storms popping up all over the area. They are hit and miss so we may or may not get some rain out of them this evening. This afternoon I gave the house a quick run through with the vacuum and dust rag. After my shower I sat down to read most of the newspaper. I still have a couple of sections to read but took a break to put up this post and do a mail check just in case we get a severe storm and loose power. Tonight I want to watch the next two episodes we have taped of the Masterpiece Theater Prime Suspect starring Helen Mirren as Detective Inspector Jane Tennison. While we watch those two episodes we will be taping part 1 of a new one. [Top] |