February 2024
It's a Leap Year
PA/DE/VA
1- TH- PA
It was a great day. I scored tickets to the Joni Mitchell concert in LA in October. I cant wait. I got two tickets for $450. I thought for sure all the the tickets would be way more expensive than this. But I got two tickets and then I spent the rest of the day trying to connect with Sam to let her know that we were going to see Joni yet again. I know I've seen her at least twice before. But this will have to be her last performance. She last performed over 20 years ago. Then she retired. But then she had a brain aneurysm and it's a miracle that she is still alive. For the last five years, people have been pushing her to perform again and she is and I am going to hear her. And I cant wait!!!
I used at Uptown tonight for the Dane Tighten Art show and a concert.
2- F- PA
The groundhog didn't see his shadow today so I think that means that spring is right around the corner.
I was up and out of the door by 7AM today. I was meeting George Trout at the magistrate's court to listen to Danielo Cavalente's case. He escaped from prison this summer.
In the evening, I sat in the lounge and a few of the regulars joined me. They were so damn drunk that it was annoying and I could hardly wait until they decided to go back to their apartments and leave me alone.
3- SA- PA
It is actually sunny and pleasant today. I've missed the sun.
And it was a perfect day to go to Jake's Bar with Pete and Kevin. The place was packed and I had ordered a pizza to be delivered from next door. We needed a tale but none were available. So I just sat down on a chair in the middle of the bar and a few college kids stepped up, got up and gave me a table. Problem solved. We stayed for a few beers , had a nice time and came home in the early evening and I had to take a nap.
4- SU- PA
Sally, Stacey, Erin and Rose met me at the Stolen Sun brewery (1). We go here a couple of times a year and I always like my beers. Our conversation centered around Sally's 70th birthday party in March. Erin is going to host it. So we started by making a list of the guest. Sally wants to invite our mutual friend Faith whom we both haven seen in 50 years. We aren't even sure of she remembers us.
Everyone has to submit their favorite songs from the 1970s and then we are going to make up a play list for Sally. Im bringing a variety of beers and doing a beer tasting. We are all going to wear name tags that indicate how we know Sally and of course, there will be a focus on being a bit obnoxious. We are going to invite Patty, the women we met in Ireland in Sept 2022.
In light of the fact that I have been looking up former Stroudsburg teachers, I went on a search for Pam Lashbrook and I found her and she is 57. She was about 26 the last time I saw her. And she looks like a middle aged woman which I found to be so damn funny. I don't know why I expected her to look just as she did in 1992. But she's all grown up now and could be a grandmother.
5-M- PA
Leslie and I had lunch today and we sat at our table for three hours, discussing the pathetic state of our world. We fear that trump may rise from his filth and get himself back in to the WH. We recognize how dreadful the Gaza/Israel situation is. We both don't understand why anti-semitism is so strong in this country. We cant understand why people don't understand all of Biden's accomplishments. We are exhausted by the legislators and media's role in creating a panic in all of us. We are tired.
Someone left a brand new set of 1100 thread count sheets in the trash room. What a great find and they will be perfect for me.
Twitter: "Trump is dividing us, not uniting us. Dragging us back to the past, not leading us in the future. Refusing to accept the results of a general election & seeking, as Trump says, to 'terminate' elements to the U.S. Constitution. You tell me that democracy is not at risk?" Biden
6- TU- PA
I wanted to go to Middle Creek to see snow geese but I putzed around long enough this afternoon that it became too late. So I went to the movies instead. I went to see Origin and loved it. Now I want to read the book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. The movie is based on the author's premise that the social ills of our world are not based on race but rather caste systems that we foster in different ways in different cultures.
The verdict came in for the mother of the boy who killed 4 of his classmates. She was found guilty of manslaughter because she bought a gun for her 15 year old son who had mental health problems. so now, the son was found guilty of 4 counts of 1st degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. The mother and father have both been arrested for 4 counts of involuntary murder and she was found guilty. The husband's trial starts next month. It was revealed that the mother was having an affair and that guy had to testify against her in court. And this family is completely fucked.
I started working on my course for China and I am feeling a little panicked. I will be teaching exactly what I taught in Bangladesh and, of course, I threw all of my notes out when I got back home. So now I am starting anew.
I went on line and found Deb Springhorn. She left Stroudsburg in 1991 and she is just finishing her teaching career. Her looks haven't changed much, just her hair color.
7- W- PA
I hate me on days like today. I stayed in the lounge until 4 AM and then I took two sleeping aids and tried to go to bed but that was mostly a waste of time. I was up at 5 and 6 and 7. The sun came up and I wasn't the least bit tired. I had to put my sleep mask on in hopes that it would be dark enough for me to fall to sleep. And then I woke up at 12:30 PM and remembered that I had a zoom call about my visit to the UN next month. I thought the call was at 3 but them I thought it was at noon and worried that I was half an hour late. But then I figured out that it was at 1 and I was just going to get there on time. I attempted to hope on the call and realized that the call is tomorrow.
I ate and got dressed and mapped out how I would spend my afternoon and then slipped back in to bed and listened to some podcasts and fell in to a deep sleep until 4ish. I decided to go to the drug story before the community party that started at 5 but maybe it started at 5:30. And I started getting ready to go outside when I realized that the party is tomorrow, not tonight. So that annoyed me. So I decided to listen to Jeopardy and then go to the drug store since it was open until 8 and I wouldn't have to rush. But I couldn't find Jeopardy and I feel asleep again and I didn't make it to the drug store and I finally got my sorry ass to the lounge by 8 so that I could savage some of this wasted day.
I need to get in to a better routine. I need to take only one sleeping aid a night. I need to be disciplined enough to get up even if I am groggy in the morning. I am wasting my life.
I looked up Linda Dickinson, a former student, and she died in September. Linda went to the tech schooling the morning and then came to my office every day to check in on me. I always looked forward to seeing her as she was a constant, kind staple in my life. RIP Linda.
Twitter: Trump is slipping away right before our eyes. He can't speak, cant walk, can't maintain a thought. He has no policy. He is filled with rage. He's low energy. He can't concentrate. He can't apply his makeup anymore. He looks like a shit face. #Haley is the only GOP choice.
8- TH- PA
I slept well. I was up earlier than usual because I had a WAFW zoom call. Jerrie had asked me to participate in something with a UN Conference on March 18 and I said yes but was unclear about any expectations for me. Now I know, I was just one of several people has asked to join because of her "the more, the merrier" mentality. I am on the tentative list to participate on the day.
The sun is out and shining and it's warm and beautiful. I went to the drug store to pick up a prescription and the beauty of the sun hit me like a ton of bricks. I can't remember the last time I walked around town in the middle of the day and the moment was healing. Why have I locked myself up in my apartment building for the last few days. I need to get outside every day.
I finally booked my trip to Rwanda to see the silverback gorillas. I've wanted to go on this trip for over 10 years and I finally got the courage to commit. Now I have to do everything in my power to get in better shape for this moment of a life time.
We had a pre-Superbowl game party here at CS tonight. It wasn't well attended and so there was plenty of extra beers. Andy got drink and Andy got in to a political debate with Pete and voices were raised and I had to step in and break it up.
9- F- PA/DE
Yesterday, people on DE Birding were posting lots of photos of snow geese so I decided to head down to Bombay Hook to see them for myself. And as luck would have it, there were none there. I did drive around the area and I saw small flocks of the birds in the sky but I couldn't find a large ground gathering of them. I am officially giving up on that area for this year. That's two years in a row that they have been a disappointment.
I wanted to go to Blue Earl Brewery as I like to go there at least once a year. But it is permanently closed and that is just too bad as I liked this place. Instead, I went to Jakl Beer Works(2)- DE. I tried going here before but that didn't happen. So I was happy to be here today. I had an American Imperial Stout, an Imperial IPA, a pilsner and a gingerbread brown ale. All of my beers were delicious.
10- SA- PA
The day started with a lunch birthday party for James Houston. We all meat Filenes in Media. I was full before our main entree even made it to the table.
Sharon had us over for dinner and, of course, it was delicious and she packed me a bag of leftovers. Now I have too much food in my frig.
Twitter: Here is our reality: both POTUS candidates are too old. Both men trip over their words. One man has 91 indictments against him. The other passed the infrastructure bill, the anti-inflation bill & aided in avoiding a financial recession. We only have one choice. #Biden2024
11- SU- PA
I had a dream that I murdered a man who had kidnapped me. Last night, at dinner, we had talked about disturbing dreams and this was my dream this night. I choked him to death and then I shot him and escaped from a moving limo. It was disturbing.
In the afternoon, a few of us met in the lounge and went to Wrong Crowd Brewery (3), Artillery Brewery (4) and Ironhill Brewery ( 5). It was fun and I drank too much.
Jimmy texted us to tell us that he has prostate cancer. I am so fucking sick of this cancer.
The Super Bowl aired tonight and it was boring. Very few of us watched the game in the lounge. The chiefs won.
Twitter: The orange idiot just said he would encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” if it attacked a NATO country that didn't pay enough for defense. This guy is a danger to our national security. #Biden
I walked 5600+ steps today. And I took the steps when I could. I have to get in to this routine every day so that I can be ready for Africa and the silverback gorillas in September.
12- M- PA/DE
I meet Annum in the early afternoon because she wants to apply for her driver's license. She thought she had everything but she needs her tax documents so she wasn't allowed to take the pre-test. We will try again next week.
She did tell me about a problem she is having with one of Sharon's friends.
Twitter: The orange idiot wants to make the current chairman, of the North Carolina GOP, the new RNC chairperson and he wants his dumb DIL Lara Trump to serve as co-chair. He can't even hide how much he wants to be a dictator. #TrumpIsATraitorAndCriminal #TrumpisaRussianAsset
13- TU- PA
It snowed throughout the night. Now everything is shut down once again. But the sun is shining so maybe it will all be gone by tomorrow.
I spent most of the afternoon in the lounge, working on my lesson plans for my teaching in china. I think I have the general idea of what I want to present.
At long last, the underwear drive that I tried to get going here back in August is finally up and running. I had promised an NGO that we would hold it here. But shit got in the way and it was hard to get the building management to get things going. But a lot of things were collected today.
Twitter: “Can you imagine a former POTUS saying that? The whole world heard it. No other president in our history has ever bowed down to a Russian dictator. Let me say this as clearly as I can: I never will. For God’s sake, it’s dumb. It’s shameful. It’s dangerous. It’s un-American.” JRB
14- W- PA
Today was a gorgeous, beautiful cold day. It was biting to be outside in all that wind and cold air.
But I got my oil filter changed and when I do that, I always feel like I do after I get a hair cut. Out with the shabby and in with the new maintenance.
It's valentine's Day, a day where I usually hide from everyone because there certainly are lots of people who can make thoughtless faux pas about my singleness today. So I try to avoid everyone so that I don't have to worry.
I did go to the grocery store and watched young men pile up the flowers and candy for their girlfriends in an effort not to get in trouble on Valentine's Day.
A former student contacted me to let me know that Beth Armitage died. She was only 45 and it looks as if she may have had cancer.
In the evening, I sat in the lounge and got a lot of work done on my powerpoint for my Chinese class.
15- TH
hanging in the lounge
dinner with Sue and Kevin Chinese
ice cream cones
Andre Nelson died
discussion in the lounge about death and cremation.
16- F- PA/VA
I drove to VA today to celebrate Brian's birth day. I brought along my list of my 100 top songs and Brian had his list and we have very different musical taste.
I got a phone call from Jameson. He cant come over to visit with me this time but he wanted to check in with me.
We went to the Devil's Backbone Brewery (6) for beers and dinner.
17- SA- VA
It's Brian's birthday. He's 54 today.
We drove to Williamsburg to see the Presidents' Heads which was creepy. I had heard about these heads in a podcast from Atlas Obscura. These old heads are out in an open flied and rotting away and only available to the public for a very limited period of time. We scored tickets today and I loved it. And I dot need to go see them again.
18- VA/PA
Brian, Cindy and I chatted through brunch and then I packed up the car and headed home.
Desperate Times Brewery (7) in Carlisle, PA
I checked my stats on my blog and 77 people viewed it yesterday.
19- M- PA
Im still getting rid of clothing from the clothing drive here,
I went to Uptown and watched the original movie, The Color Purple.
hanging in the e lounge, chatting with Pete. Some days he does so well with Diane's death. Other days, his grief eats him up.
It looks like 762 people read my blog today. Who are these people?
20- TU- PA
In the afternoon, I went to BMFI to see the Best Short Movies nominations.
I spent too much time packing up a pile of junk clothing for the clothing drive.
Bill Reese, another Stroudsburg person, died. They are dropping like flies.
I spent about an hour texting with a student whom I haven't seen in 30 years. He sent me a message completely out of the blue.
Twitter: “What I do with my life Is nobody’s business, I’m a grown woman and I have every right to enjoy a night out with friends without being judged or criticized by a bunch of losers hiding behind their key boards.” Taylor Swift
Twitter: A survey released by the Presidential Greatness Project put Trump in last place, behind Harrison (#31) & Nixon (#35). Of the recent presidents, Obama was (#7), Clinton (#12), Biden (#14), Reagan (#16), GH Bush (#19), Carter (#22), Ford (#27) & GW Bush (#32). #TrumpIsALoser
21- W- PA/DE
I am up and on the road to southern Delaware in search of those damn snow geese. Someone posted on FB that they have finally arrived in that area. So off I go with so much anticipation and positivity.
In frustration, I gave up as the sun was setting and stopped in to Dogfish Brewery (8) for a quick flight. I've been here many times in the last two years. My beers were delicious.
Yesterday, my blog received 1173 hits!
I listened to the book, Standing My Ground by Harry Dunn. I haven't given much thought to what the Capitol police went through on January 6. This cop lays out every detail of the horror he experienced on that day.
Twitter: Biden cancelled $1.2 billion in student loan debt for more than 150,000 borrowers. “Folks, I'm happy to have been able to forgive these loans because when we relieve Americans of student debt, they are free to chase their dreams.” #Biden2024
Twitter: A Quinnipiac poll shows Biden leading in a matchup with Trump by 4 points. Biden earned 49% of the vote compared to 45% for Trump. The poll targeted 1,421 registered voters nationwide. #Biden2024
Twitter: Nikki Haley needs to take a 9th grade biology class. She agrees with the Alabama Supreme Court's contention that frozen embryos are children. “Embryos, to me, are babies. “When you talk about an embryo you are talking about to me, that's a life." #Biden2024
22- TH- PA
I was up in time to be prepared for my noon zoom meeting to discuss our conference at the UN on March 18. I decided at that moment not to go to NY for the event. I will just be getting back from Switzerland and Sally's 70th bday party and Im going to China two weeks later and I was just feeling overwhelmed so I backed out.
So I emailed Cyd to let her know and went back to bed to listen to podcasts. I stayed in bed too long and then I finally got up and changed my bed sheets and the bed looked so damn inviting that I wanted to slip back in but I didn't. I got my sorry ass up and went to Green Drop and got rid of the car load of clothing I had from the clothing drive.
Something is going on. I have another 1187 views again on my blog. What has happened that people are looking at my blog. It's posted on a dead website.
An acupuncturist gave out free sessions of a technique using seeds (of some sort) to help with sleep disorders. So now, I have these seeds in my ears and I have to leave them there for five days. Let's see if it helps.
Twitter: This is unbelievable!!! A judge ruled that a TX high school did not violate the state’s CROWN Act by punishing a Black teen over the length of his dreadlocks. The kid's hair is beautiful. If we don't get out and #VoteBlue we won't have any freedoms at all.
23- F- PA
I slept well with my new sheets and my acupuncture treatment.
Jaye and Dom picked me up at 10 M and we made out way to Tylersville to visit with Sharon and Glenn
Of course we had to stop at the Creamery since we were on campus. I got a coffee ice cream and had to tell the scooper to stop putting so much ice cream on my cone.
In the evening, we went to the PSU campus and listened to a doctoral student concert. His patents, my new Taiwanese friends, sat next to us and I chatted them up and S,G,J,D looked at me with a message to leave these people alone.
24- S- PA
OMG, I had a dreadful night of sleepinessless. I didnt take any sleep aid. I wanted to see if the acupuncture treatment was still working and it appears as if it is not.
We drove to Williamsport to visit the Little League Museum, the field and my old house.
We also stopped in at New Trail Brewery (9). I had two flights. They were delicious but too expensive. A regular pint is just $6 but a flight (also a pint) is $14. That's too much mien
In the late afternoon, we went back to the cabin and put on a fire in the fire pit and watched the full moon and a star studded sky.
25- SU- PA
OMG, I slept so well.
Jaye, Dom and I left the cabin before 10 AM and I was home by 12:30. And I discovered that I was bleeding heavily and now I am in a complete panic. One of the signs that my uterine cancer is back is bleeding. I have an emergency call in to my oncologist. So I hope I can get an ultrasound or a scan tomorrow.
I am supposed to go down to Newark to take Annum to get her driving permit. I may have to cancel.
Twitter: LA New York judge just rejected the orange idiot's request to delay paying E. Jean Carroll more than $80 million in damages.
Twitter: "Republican contradiction: If you’re pregnant but don’t want a baby, you can’t stop the pregnancy through artificial means. AND... If you’re infertile but want a baby, you can’t start a pregnancy through artificial means." Julie Victory #WomenRightsAreHumanRights
Twitter: TODAY'S FAVORITE HEADLINE: "Senile Donald Trump goes completely off the rails while attempting to give a speech." - Bill Palmer- 2/24/24,Palmer Report #TrumpIsNotWell #TrumpIsALaughingStock #TrumpIsALoser
26- M- PA
My blog had 580+ hits today.
I set the alarm for 8AM to call my oncologist. It went off, I pushed the snooze button. That went off and then I reset the alarm to 0AM. I called and got a call back right away and I have an appointment for 1130 tomorrow. I'm relieved because the woman didnt sound too alarmed at my situation. So I made the diagnosis that I had a cyst that ruptured. And I have decided to stay calm until the doctor finds something alarming.
And now, I am going to book my flight to China but I am going to take out an insurance plan for the flight.
And just when I began to think about going down to get Annum, she texted me to tell me that she isnt feeling well. So we are going to have to rescheduleand I left great reliefto have this day all to myself. When she canceled, I felt like I had just been given a snow day.
I wanted to go to Middle creek to see the snow gees. I have given up on Bombay Hook. But at noon, it was rainy and looked as if it was going to rain all afternoon. So I listened to some podcasts and Jeopardy and a few hours later, I looked out the window and it was a beautiful day and I could have/ should have gone up to see these damn birds who own my free will.
Twitter: TODAY'S HEADLINE: "Kenneth Chesebro concealed a Twitter account from Michigan prosecutors, hiding dozens of damning posts that undercut his statements to investigators about his role in the election subversion scheme." By Steck et al, CNN #GOPCheater
Twitter: Thank you to Nikki Haley for showing us in the SC primary that the orange idiot is slowly, incrementally losing his base. I hope she stays in the race. And it would be a patriotic gesture if she ran as a third party. #Biden2024
27-TU-PA
Today was a stunningly beautiful day: sunny, warm and inviting. My balcony door is wide open. It was only 51F and the warmth of the sun was extraordinary.
I was up early and off to the oncologist. I don't like him. But he was a big help today. He said I had a blood vessel that broke and it is nothing to worry about and I should be on estrogen to strength the tissues surrounding the walls of my uterus as a way to avoid this situation. Damn, I don't want to go on estrogen.
In other news, my trip to China was canceled yesterday, AGAIN!!! It looks as if I will never get to china again. I am disappointed.
So I spent the afternoon trying to figure out where I could go with KT during her spring break. She wants to go to England but in light of the fact that I will just be coming home from Europe, I dont want to go there again.
After so many attempts to resist it, I have been sucked in to the junk shopping of Temu, an Asian warhorse that is trying to take over the Walmart/Amazon market with cheap products. I have places four orders in the last ten days and I have ordered brick-brick shit that I do not need. Today, I wanted to order $100 to compensate for my canceled trip to China. After much effort, I could not even order that much junk.
There were over 800 hits on my blog today.
Today, a multibillionaire gave the Einstein Medical School a billion dollars which will now make tuition at this school free for every student going forward. She has asked that the school not be renamed in her honor. And students who are about to graduate will get their spring tuition reimbursed. The entire student body was called in to an auditorium to learn fo this generous offer. And they erupted with joy and relief. This generous offer will save them about $200,000 in student debt.
KT and I chatted each other up. She wants to go to the UK and Ireland for a week. I dont particularly want to go as I have been to Ireland twice in six months and I will be comping home from Switzerland on March 11. And a trip back to Europe two week later seem redundant.
Twitter: Is it me or have college women’s basketball just explode with excitement right before our eyes?? #Women #WomensBasketball # WomensSports
28- W- PA
I had another 700+ views on my blog. How and why is this happening?
I went to the movie, The Taste of Things, with Leslie. And then we went to dinner @ Bar Avalon in Bryn Mawr. I wish I had been friends with Leslie all my life.
KT and I spent an hour on the phone, trying to figure out where to go during her spring break. It looks as if we narrowed it down to the Dominic Republic and now we have to find a place to stay.
29-TH-PA
It's Leap Year.
In the evening, I ushered at Uptown Theatre- Oscar's Best Short Documentaries. I love to watch movies. I think the movie about the two old grandmothers is going to win. But truthfully, I liked all of the movies this year.
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