Statue of Liberty

I was getting ready for work this morning and applying deodorant. I happened to glance in the mirror, and with one arm reaching above my head, I thought, "Hmmm. I look like the Statue of Liberty."

Power Outage

I was completing my getting-ready-for-work morning routine when I heard on the radio that there was a major power outage at the College, the Internet was down and students could not register and the day care center was closed. It was unclear to me what employees should do. I phoned Public Safety (5:30 a.m.) and was advised that portions of the College were without power. I asked if I came into work would I be sitting in the dark. The answer to that was "yes." So I decided to wait.

I turned on the two local TV stations. I eventually caught portions of reports that the College was without power, but it was still unclear what the status really was. One station did actually say the College was closed. I heard differing reports among the two TV stations and the radio station.

I again called Public Safety and inquired (7 a.m.). I told them the media had said the College was closed. They said this was not true, but portions of the College still did not have electricity. I decided it might be best if I reported in and determine for myself if the Library was one of the areas that was impacted.

I arrived around 7:15 a.m. and it was clear that the southwest side of the campus was dark. This is where I always enter. I went to Public Safety and again asked what the status of the Library was. They said the last they heard, about 45 minutes before, it was expected that power would be restored in an hour. That meant it would be another 15 minutes.

I went to the Library, left my stuff in my office, then got my lunchtime reading book and went to a table near a window near the circ desk. I had read only a little bit when Frank arrived for work (7:30 a.m.). We sat and talked. Closer to 8:00 a couple more co-workers arrived. Then one of the Public Safety officers came in with a message: "Nancy could go home." I asked who had made that decision. He said he'd gotten it about 3rd-hand but he thought it came from the college electrician. We all joked that I could leave and they were witnesses that I'd been given the go-ahead.

One of the co-workers phoned the library director who said "Go home," but listen to see if the Library opens later in the day. Frank and I made signs and posted on the Library doors: "Due to power outage Library is closed." Then I left.

When I arrived home around 8:30 I listened to a phone message from a librarian telling me that the Library was temporarily closed and I'd be called if/when the Library opened. That is a phone call which I'll conveniently miss.

Meanwhile, since the College's Internet is not working I am without email service even through "webaccess." We're also going to miss the catered lunch from Panera which was scheduled before today's beginning-of-school staff meeting. Bummer.

Gas Prices - Bummer

While running errands this morning, I was pleased to see that the price of gas at "my" usual gas station was a cent or two lower than prices at the other stations that I drove passed. My last stop of the morning was to fill up.

When I finished I saw that the price on the pump was down a cent ..... from $2.66 to $2.65. I looked at the gas sign and it had come down a penny, too. Woo-woo, I thought. Then I took my receipt and saw that I was charged the higher amount. Bummer. I could have save 14-cents on my gas fill-up if I'd started a minute later.

Really, Truly Leftovers

I was preparing supper last night and opened the door of the microwave and discovered . . . . . . . Vegetables from the previous night's supper.

Yep, I nuked some frozen vegetables and forgot to get them out for supper, and they sat there for 24 hours. No wonder I felt like that supper was missing something! I was really disappointed in having to pitch these veggies.

In a hidey-hole

I woke last night around 12:30 a.m. from a dream where I was in a shallow hole in the ground with a tarp over it. I was hiding, and there were army vehicles like jeeps or tanks driving over my hidey-hole. The covers on the bed felt heavy; I was feeling claustrophobic and a little panicky and couldn’t get back to sleep. So I went to the family room and lay on the couch covered with an afghan. I turned on the TV and dozed. It was chilly, and finally around 2 a.m. I decided to try to go back to bed and hope that the engulfing too-heavy feelings would be gone. I didn’t sleep well, but at least the bed covers didn’t feel like they were crushing me down.

It was a dark and rainy morning

Late yesterday afternoon my sister-in-law called and said she was having car trouble. J. went out to lend a hand. He decided it looked like a dead battery and let SIL borrow his car rather than driving her back to GC himself. He’ll get someone to look at her vehicle, and she’ll return his car today. Meanwhile, J. has my car today so he drove me to work this a.m.

It was a dark, rainy, gloomy morning. J. decided to enter campus from Bradley. Not being familiar with the entrance – which is at least 5 lanes wide with a median – he accidentally turned into the out-going lane. Far in the distance we could see headlights approaching, but they were definitely nowhere near a collision. J. turned left out of the exit and the other vehicle followed …. with flashing red and blue lights. Wouldn’t you know it – it was the PC police. I mean, what is the likelihood you're going to encounter cops at the precise moment you're committing a traffic infraction?

After running his license, the cop gave J. a warning ticket and acknowledged the entrance is very wide and could be confusing in the dark.

Now I hope J. returns to pick me up after work at my quitting time.

Vacation in Virginia

Saturday, September 19
Travel, 12 hours; supper at Country Cookin’ restaurant in Lexington
Sunday, September 20
Lunch at Sticks Kebob Shop; Lawn tour at the University of Virginia campus
Monday, September 21
Montpelier (home of James Madison); lunch at Wendy’s returning to Charlottesville; supper wiener roast (John and Rod cooked the hot dogs over a campfire)
Tuesday, September 22
Richmond – Museum of the Confederacy, White House of the Confederacy, Virginia state capitol, Monument Avenue; lunch at Meriwether’s café at the state capitol; Nancy fixed supper (kielbasa with green beans and potatoes skillet dinner)
Wednesday, September 23
Ash Lawn (home of James Monroe); Monticello (home of Thomas Jefferson); early supper at Wood Grill Buffet
Thursday, September 24
Washington, D.C. – took the Metro (orange line from Vienna to Capitol South); U.S. Capitol tour; Library of Congress tour; Smithsonian Air and Space Museum; Smithsonian Museum of Natural History; Nancy had a late lunch at the Air and Space Museum’s food court (McDonalds), John picked up a Subway sandwich when we returned to Charlottesville; Rod fixed me an Amaretto sour
Friday, September 25
departed; traveled 8 hours; Comfort Inn in Dayton, Ohio; supper at the next-door Cracker Barrel
Saturday, September 26
traveled 4 hours; returned to Champaign before noon


Lovely spending 5 days with Jane and Rod. Maybe fish smell in 3 days, but I'm sure that we didn't! Looking forward to returning and exploring new places when they relocate to Appomattox County.