E:\LETTERS\SepBan09.txt This file is posted at http://davebeeson.home.comcast.net/LETTERS/SEPBAN09.TXT 4 September 2009 Just made an appointment to have my picture taken. Hope they will sell me a copy of the file. 8 September 2009 Decided to wash today & ride tomorrow, since nothing would be open on Labor Day. Weather Underground says that it's going to rain. Washed my "taxicab" linen, and dried it in the dryer. I think I'll make some new briefs before I cut it, though. Lots to write about, but I've stayed up too late already -- that's tomorrow's date that PC-Write put on this entry. 9 September 2009 Yesterday turned out to be gloomy & wet, and I don't think much of today. No hurry to get my books back to the library. I don't think much of the new online catalog. It's shiny and slick, and doesn't re-load the page when you are halfway through reading it -- but there is no trace of the reviews, summaries, etc. that it used to have. This makes it impossible to tell what order series books should be read in. I was delighted to see that three volumes of The Obsidian Chronicles are "available": they must have found the missing book! So I resorted to Wikipedia to find out whether _Blood of a Dragon_ or _Dragon Venom_ was the next book after _Dragon Weather_. Neither: it's _Dragon Society_, which, it appears, WCPL has given up on finding and taken out of the catalog. I put it on my shopping list, intending to ILL it tomorrow. And . . . The Obsidian Chronicles is a trilogy -- what's with this fourth book? Might be the start of a new story. The catalog has a new feature I like: it tells you how many times a book has been checked out. I was surprised at how little circulation the books I looked at have had. I made rye'n'injun again yesterday, a half recipe in the rice cooker. I was afraid that the rice cooker on "keep warm" would cook faster than the crock pot on "keep warm", but the bread wasn't done at supper time. Didn't start it until about one pm. It not being ready to eat with the chili is just as well, because it's *dreadful*. I chickened out of making it with no sweetener at all, and put in the smallest blob of blackstrap I could scrape off the mouth of the bottle, and maybe an eighth of a teaspoon of honey. The molasses turned out to be just enough to turn the bread an icky color and make the taste a little off. Not to mention that I ate a chunk of bread just before bedtime, and it disagreed with me all night. Which is one reason I've chickened out of today's expedition. And I'm not quite through reviewing _Survival Sewing_. I've found my watch chain -- and lost my watch. When it wasn't in my pocket Tuesday night, I wasn't alarmed because I'd pinned it inside my jersey pocket. When it wasn't there, I remembered taking it to church last Sunday, but it wasn't in that pocket either. And it isn't pinned to my wallet, where I stick it when I take it out of a pocket. Well, *that* didn't last long. I haven't even gotten around to taking the rest of the charm bracelet to the Goodwill. So I've wound my vintage Wesclox and put it into the watch pocket of the pants I intend to wear tonight, even though we plan to work in a room that has a clock on the wall. 10 September 2009 And when I was getting ready for my ride today, I found my charm watch. I'd pinned it to my *other* wallet. I had been expecting to find it by hearing something clicking in the dryer. Stumbled across Lowery's on my way to Warsaw Health Foods (I'd ridden around the south end of the lake) and was disgruntled to realize that I could have bought thread if I'd brought a swatch of the taxicab linen. After buying pine nuts, I went to the library and put in a request for _Dragon Society_. I do not like the new catalog AT ALL. The interface is ugly, it's clumsier to use, and where they had three access stations before, only the one that is not on the same floor as the main collection of books still works. One has been switched to a "World Cat" thing, which -- very clumsily -- will allow you to find out which libraries have a specific edition of a particular book, but is totally useless for such questions as "What books by Theodore Sturgeon are available to me?" And the third terminal was locked out. I sure hope that they aren't quite through installing the new system. I have no hope that the ugly is temporary. Ugly & repulsive is all the rage among artsy types this decade. I said something during Banner Making that I never thought I'd say -- I *approvingly* called a print "nicely icky". We are looking for ugly colors because one of the banners is to depict the chaotic results of grasping control too tightly. Which is a philosophical point that comes to mind during every bike ride. When you are about to hit a surface that threatens your control of the bike, you must *loosen* your grip on the handlebars. I had given thought to going to Menards for some recreational shopping after dropping off magazines at the emergency room, but I was tired by then and went straight to Owens. I'll have to go back pretty soon, because I forgot to write "lettuce" on my shopping list. I cut out a pair of briefs yesterday. I'm still not through reviewing _Survival Sewing_, but I did create a file to write the review in. I'll check the book out again when I go in to collect _Dragon Society_. I stashed my notes under the keyboard so that I can find them again. 11 September 2009 Grumble, gripe, snarl, snap. Another flaw of the new interface is that when the catalog server is busy, it tells you that your browser isn't compatible. Not much use searching for books by a fellow named "Smith" when you've forgotten his first name anyway, said the fox. I miss the days when new programs weren't downgrades. And retain an irrational hope that the new catalog is having infant difficulties. Slept late & fiddled away the whole morning. Didn't get anything done except wading out to the sand bar to carry in a log. It was waterlogged, but was also hollow, so I was able to carry it. I put it on the fireplace to dry. Did find my polyester shorts I bought for a bathing suit. *And* they were right where I put them several years ago. 14 September 2009 As I hoped, they weren't quite through installing the new on-line catalog for the library. Unfortunately, what they weren't quite through with was fixing it so I couldn't access it with Firefox. I haven't tried looking at my account yet. Since I didn't check anything out at my last visit, I probably didn't pay my fine. Weird dream this morning -- Alice & Nancy appeared outside my classroom door (I seem to have been a student) and said "but you *answered* the e-mail saying that we'd start a week sooner" Me: "but I haven't a clean stitch, and I haven't even *started* on Martha's banners" -- both in real-life true. Black-windowed tour bus such as I sometimes see outside The Boat House appeared, waiting impatiently; I said I'd grab my debit card and go, but couldn't remember where I'd put it -- not surprising in that "home" was, as is usual in my dreams, a place where I'd never been either sleeping or awake. I've got the banners ready to cut apart and hem now. Also sewed the felt books for Pastor Bonnie today. In cleaning out what is now the Kiddy College office, she found some blank books made by stapling rectangles of felt together, and thought that staples were too dangerous for the cloth-book crowd, so she asked me to take the staples out and sew them. When I started to work, I found that the staples were also too short; I easily popped them off with a bodkin -- one of two Grandfather made for Grandmother out of sheet aluminum -- and one of the pages had already fallen off. I used the staples as basting, where they weren't too crooked, and straight-stitched near the edge (to clear the staples) with some huh-colored thread I happened to have on the machine (I'd just overcast along the cutting lines of the banners; lacking brown, I used huh color). Then I picked the staples off and zig-zagged with red thread, leaving the basting thread in place because it doesn't show much. For both passes of stitching, I used each little book as a hump-jumper for the next one. My old Necchi didn't object in the slightest to sewing such thick fabric. They are much nicer little books now. Hope I don't forget to drop them off tomorrow. 15 September 2009 Dave's new toy was delivered yesterday, and the lawn looks great. He's wanted a zero-turn lawn mower ever since he learned that they existed, and this summer the Honda co- operated by wearing out. The Honda did pretty well -- we bought it second-hand, and used it to mow a half-acre field and a big lawn quite a long time before it spent nine summers tidying a lawn that isn't exactly small. When I woke up from my nap yesterday, there was a contoured un-mown strip around the clothes on the line. Only two loads of wash again this week. Don't know whether we've gotten cleaner or dirtier. Just sent Lynnette a note saying I'd work the photo shoot Friday night. That means that every single evening next week is booked. Planning to stay home and sew today. 11:00 and I haven't gotten started. Dave made an appointment for me to sign some papers at 3:00, so I'm going to have to take my nap early. 17 September 2009 Time to decide which suitcase to get down out of the attic. I'm only going to be gone two nights, so I could put everything I need into my purse, but I like to have a complete extra outfit, just in case, and with summer drawing to a close, I should take a long-sleeved shirt along. And I'm *not* making the annual discovery that I have no clothes --- I've been aware all summer that I have only one T-shirt and two pairs of jeans. I do have another nice short-sleeved T-shirt, but when you want short sleeves, you don't want black. I made that shirt to wear under winter shirts that I might want to take off. I did drop off the little books, but forgot to tell Pastor Bonnie that I'd done it. Peeled potatoes yesterday morning and made banners yesterday evening. There were *real* mashed potatoes with the chicken-and-noodles at yesterday's Wednesday supper. I didn't go to the supper, but Candy sent up some pumpkin bars for me to take home to Dave. I meant to go to Aldi and Aunt Millie today, but it's 10:32 and I haven't even started to dress. Perhaps I'll mend the hem in my striped T-shirt instead. I do need it! 24 September 2009 Pastor Bonnie found the books, and thanked me when she passed by Banner Making yesterday. Finally got around to ironing the shirt I want to have my picture taken in tonight! I ironed my upholstery-cotton jacket while I was at it. Al curled up on the pile of stuff I moved from the ironing board to the bed, but when I failed to react, he moved to a hollow in the wool blanket. I had the next-to-the-last egg for lunch today. I'd better shop sometime soon. Might walk over after the picture-taking, but carrying my bag would rumple my shirt. I mended the hem in my striped shirt just before finding out that the week-middle with the girls was off. I hope Nancy is feeling better by now -- perhaps I should send e- mail. To my surprise, she was able to cancel the reservation. The confirmation said that you have to pay even if you don't show up. Just realized that if I'm going to write our Christmas letter ahead of time, I'd better resume work on it. So I read the April Banner just before naptime. Nothing of interest happened, except that April was when I gave up on Thunderbird and resumed writing the Banner with PC-Write. I can't print hardcopy with PC-Write any more, but that is no longer a defect in a text editor. It's really groovy for writing Web pages, for example. And Open Office has drivers for both printers. 26 September 2009 When dressing this morning, I noticed a pair of cotton socks which have been in my drawer for decades, and reflected that this pair is going to wear forever -- because I dislike them intensely. Finally picked up my book at the library yesterday -- going to the Farmers' Market today. 1 October 2009 Quite a lot to catch up on . . . but I no longer remember what I meant to say. My photo session was fowl: wildfowl, that is. I had my choice between laughing like a loon and staring like an owl. Since a frozen laugh looks incredibly unnatural, I chose staring like an owl for the directory. Needless to say, I didn't buy any pictures. One of these years I'll have Dave photograph me for my Web forum icons. When you crop it down to the face, the picture of me gazing at the lion cub has a peculiar expression. I need some new photographs for my woven-jersey how-to- sew page, too. I'm about three-quarters of the way through _Dragon Society_, and still have a couple of weeks to take it back. Fines are only doubled on Interlibrary Loan, which surprises me a little. But the regular fines have been raised to the detectable level; perhaps they figure one fine for each library. Dragon Society came from the Allen County Library; I don't know whether Fort Wayne has a separate library. (Typing FortWayneLibrary into the URL field in Firefox got me the Allen County Library catalog, so I guess not.) Yesterday, I made a porcupine loaf out of a one-pound stick of "taco seasoned" raw-turkey puree and a cup of Aldi's parboiled brown rice. Assorted herbs and veggies mixed in, and a can of tomato sauce and a can of diced tomatoes on top, baked a couple of hours in my deep glass loaf pan. Came out pretty good -- just as well that I forgot to put in a can of mushrooms; I don't think they would have been good unless I chopped them small, so as not to interrupt the texture of the porcupine loaf. Tonight I'm trying a chicken-and-romano pinwheel, baked with assorted veggies. The pinwheel is to be covered with foil for the first half hour, so the prepared tray looks like a TV dinner. Finished my black interlock briefs today. I'm quite pleased with the way they came out. Still haven't made an appointment to have a mammogram taken. Keeping the appointment isn't nearly as much trouble as making it -- perhaps because they are expecting me when I keep it. Haven't checked lately to see whether the library's Web site is now sophisticated enough to let me use the catalog. The notes for _Survival Sewing_ are still under my keyboard. 2 October 2009 Martha and I put in an overtime session yesterday, and Cora also helped. We got the banners done, but Martha couldn't hang them up, so we left them draped over the choir pews. Something looked different about the pole from the time I tried (and failed) to use it. Both my summer T-shirts are in the wash for smelling of sweat. My clothes seldom stink before I spill something on myself. Chicken pinwheel with mixed veggies and fingerling potatoes was delicious, but I should have cooked it twenty minutes longer than the packages said instead of ten. If Aldi still has those pinwheels the next time I go, I think I'll get some more. And I hope Aldi still has no-carrot mixed veggies. Carrots don't freeze well, I nearly always have fresh carrot to put in -- and mixed veggies that have any carrot at all tend to be mostly carrot. It's noon and I haven't got any work done. I think I'll cut up the rest of that hemp-and-cotton jersey. I wonder whether there is any use looking for cotton jersey at Lowery's? They get their money from selling stuff to make patchwork, but they do have other fabrics.