The Laundrymat

This past weekend, I spend a couple of hours at our local laundrymat washing quilts.  Haven't been to a laundrymat since my college days.  Can't say much has changed.  Except now I have a laptop with a movie I can pop in while things are sudsing.  What I should take into account are the cast of characters that reside at the laundrymat who need to offer commentary to you or anyone who wants to listen.  "Hey, is that a porn movie???  Turn that thing up!  I could use some porn right now!" Mabel responds "I could make alot of money if I did porn in the laundrymat."  That led to various porn scenarios..sitting on washing machines, stretching across the dryers, rolling naked people in baskets...really, more info that I  needed to know.    Good thing most were over the age of 21...most like over the age of 60.  Remind me to bring a flask next time I hang with Mabel and Ginger.   

quality sibling time

I had a quiet weekend which is like the lull before the storm.  Lacrosse doesn't gear up until this weekend for my daughter. So, I took the opportunity to spend some time with my brothers at their respected businesses. Share some chat, food, and drink.  I dropped in to see Tim Saturday..place was hoppin.  There was live music and seems the food and great service drives them in.  I sat at the bar-immediately made friends with the woman to my right and her husband.  She spent a good part of an hour trying to think of people I might know from Annapolis back when i lived there 40 years ago. Are u kidding me?  After suggesting the names of about 76 people and I continued to respond. "No, doesn't ring a bell." she gave up. She turned her attention to the music and throwing out her requests-Jim Croce, Billy Joel...yeah...welcome to the 80's.
Then I met a very nice couple who came in for dinner. By the time they left, we all decided to attend the Blue Festival together. 
And just as the evening was winding down, friends of my brothers dropped in, which led to long chats of their misbehavior growning up. See, i really don't need to travel with anyone-I just pick up whoever is around.
Sunday, we drove down to Southern Maryland to have lunch with Nick.  My hubby ordered a marguarita-they can't give it to him until 12 noon.  COunty law down in them parts.  Cause I guess if you are going to get sloshed, you have to do it after church.  Had a great meal and shared the perils of management. 
Great seeing you my brothers.  We need to connect more often. other than during sports season.

social networks: good or bad?

I often have discussions about social networks with my very hip young adult son, who has made a conscious effort to avoid most networking opportunities..text only when necessary, email for information only, and the evil facebook..well, that is another whole animal.  He truly believes facebook and other social networks might be causing more of a wedge to face to face interaction, or even a human voice connection.  Think there is some truth to that. I wonder how the new generations of preteens will conduct themselves in a job interview.  Perhaps they could text the interview.  I also think, however, those folks who are a bit socially shy-it has opened up a new door for them.  Quite easy to hide behind the computer and communicate as opposed to a face to face.  And heaven knows how many connections we made from our past from this tool.Wonder what will be the next big tech breakthrough next year...

Overheard in the Library

"Sir, you can't leave your 3 preschoolers here in the library unattended."
"Well, isn't this the play area?"

"Can you give me the nutritional information for ALL of Starbucks coffee drinks?"

"You must love the library to volunteer like this!"

"I'd like a recipe for chocolate covered strawberries."

"Ma'am, I want this document to print in color. It isn't printing in color."
"Sir, that is because your document is a black and white documernt."

"I just won 60 Hungry Man frozen dinners!"

"Please get off the recycling trashcans and put your clothes back on."

"It must be a full moon today."

Living in a Republican World

Most can gather from my posted pic that I spent a great day in Washington DC at the "Stop the Insanity" rally with many like minded people. See, these are necessary for my own sanity.  I live in a community where McCain signs outnumber Obama signs 10-1.  Discussions among most are centered around Obama's birthplace, driving the country into despair, and let's not forget 'socialized' health care.  It's white, middle class, and conservative.
I pride myself in my liberal roots.  I grew up on picket lines and marches on Washington.  I knew the words to "We Shall Overcome"  before the "Star Spangled Banner".  I was working polling places for Hubert Humphrey-and I am still not sure how we got around the age thing.  Yeah, there were moments where I wish pogo sticking and sailing were on the agenda, not a long day of fighting for the migrant workers.  But the trade off was a solid understanding of the value of all walks of life.  The importance of diversity and looking at the world from a global perspective.  We seem to be headed in a direction of isolation in America. How scary and unproductive. The bumper sticker says it all.

Monday beginnings

Considering I live in a world of quirky individuals (thanks to a life in a public library), a love of learning, and the need to share, what better way to do this than here.  Yeah, there will be eye rollers, but hey, isn't this the beauty of technology?  Never getting published, yet read by few.  Or many..who knows. 
Which brings me to Monday.  A rainy one.  Which has brought out the regulars to the library. Case in point. He walks to the library every day around the same time.  Middle aged, brisk walker.  Always dressed for the weather. Today is has donned bathing trunks, yellow slicker, complete with duck tape to hold it together, Morton's fisherman rain hat, latex gloves, plasitc grocery bags on his feet, and a rope around his waist to tie gallon milk jugs to when he makes his return trip home. Spends his time at our computers-rolling from one computer to the information desk so there is no need to walk.  As quick as he arrives, he vanishes, leaving the slight pungent odor of a basement.
Libraries are the epitamy of diversity.  Where else can you see the homeless, the rich, the young, the elderly, the physically challenged, the mentally challenged all under the same roof?  Well, maybe the MVA, but is by far much more pleasant.