Tired tonight, spent the day traveling and ended up back where I started from. Went to A meeting in Alex Bay, on the St. Lawrence, leaving home at 5:45 and returning almost 12 hours later. It was a good meeting, speaker I'd heard many years before on more or less the same topic--Trends in Library Technology. He was pretty good at calling the shots in the past, so let's see how he compares now. Interesting notions which I'm too tired to dredge up right now. I've been listening to this man since I worked in RI. But it was a pretty day, with a nice view of Boldt Castle during lunch and I got to sit with people I really like and have been appointed to the Automation Committee, which is sort of an honor.

We stopped at Jenica's and my favorite spot on the way home, the farm stand in Nicholville (or wherever it is). I found great annuals and bought $32 worth of stuff that I can't find anywhere near Plattsburgh. Nemesia, diaschia, evening phlox, nierembergia and the most beautiful violas ever, they look like a painting of pale orange and magenta.

I got home to relax for a few minutes, then Ken called to say they were finished cutting down trees and my drink was waiting for me so I went to his house. Bill was there and so was Stevie, the man who's going to build my deck and has now become the neighborhood's Number One man. So the 4 of us hung out for a while, drinking our whiskies, shooting the shit, having a really nice time. What a nice group. Bill was really pleased to have participated in bringing down two huge birch trees. I was just happy to be with normal, intelligent and caring people.

I have been trying to set up a meeting with Jamie, the ex-husband. I thought it was time to make it easier to be in the same room so suggested that we meet face-to-face. I had ground rules, mostly about alcohol. He didn't like what I said and now refuses to meet with me. So I emailed him that my answer for the inevitable question of "How do you and he get along?" will have to be "I get along fine with him but he can't stand me. He refuses to see me." My email wasn't quite like that but I did ask him why he didn't want to see me. What's the matter, big boy, afraid of what you might find out? Well, that's it for now. I can ignore him at his wedding just as easily as he ignored me at my brother's funeral. Heck I could even bring a date to ignore him too.

So this is the beginning of my big break from work. Weather due to be sort of crummy for the whole 5 days, which is just as well because I'll be more productive indoors if I'm not tempted to sit outside in the sun. I have my long, optimistic list of duties. I'll try to get an early start tomorrow. Linda will be here so I'll have to take lots of breaks to visit with her. That will involve alcohol but I'll try to rise above it.

And now I have a fire in the fireplace because it's 46 outside. Tomorrow I hope to get some containers planted. I think I have nearly enough flowers to plant but I have to get more coleus because it was ALL killed by frost and I need to get cukes, tomatoes and seed potatoes for Ken anyway. Wish me luck