Having some problems posting today--lost my toolbar. Oh how we need our toolbars.

Am feeling not great these days, having some problems keeping my behavior under control. Had a fight with some yahoo kid on Sunday--he was a rabbit hunter in a truck at the end of my driveway and when I approached him to ask him to move he started nattering at me. Unfortunately I nattered back and it became very unpleasant, ending with his saying "Just remember, lady--I know where you live." Since he was from Vermont, doubtless hunting without a NY license, on private property posted NO HUNTING, I doubt he'll be back, but I was disturbed that I couldn't just walk away. That's what I've been working on for a very, very long time.

Yesterday I submitted my monthly department report to the board, listing how many records one clerk downloaded, how many ILLs, etc., and praising my clerks as much as you can praise employees and still sound sincere. The other clerk was very upset because she felt she didn't get credit for the records she downloaded. Unfortunately I just couldn't take her seriously and asked her if getting credit was the most important thing to her. Guess what she said? YES! Then I laughed. I LAUGHED. This is not a woman to be toyed with. Anyway, I apologized to her (she was "deeply hurt"), crawled on my belly like an alligator, ingratiated myself, promised her I'd wash her dishes for the rest of her life as well as do her work. Oh yes, what a terrible thing I did, oh yes, getting credit for the work you do is incredibly important. From now on all I'll say in the department reports is "We did" and "The department did" Well excuuuuuuse me, I was only trying to familiarize the board with the members of the department, since they complain constantly that board members don't know their names. My road to hell is paved with cat shit.

So that was yesterday. Good thing was that I got to go right home, no stops, no errands. Bad thing was that I have no money for groceries. We get paid this week, then all will be well. Must squeeze $350 out of savings account to pay elec. company, in prep. for next bill, which will doubtless be at least $500. They sent me a bill for $16 and I sent them a message asking for a full bill. Response: my bill was an estimate and if I wanted a true bill I would have to read my meter and send them the numbers. This after they installed a new meter that's supposed to communicate directly with their computer to give them a reading. AUGH! Am I frustrated by the world? You bet.

This afternoon I escape to the peace of the Adirondack Room in Saranac Lake, then attend their annual meeting. Poor planning, though, because I also told Ken I'd cook him dinner. It was hard to convince him to let me do this--for some reason he's in a very negative place (or else he's sick of my cooking) and thinks it's too much work to have me cook dinner. I asked him what work he does if I cook and do the dishes and he acqueised (no spellcheck). He's in poor shape these days, frail and weak and not interested in much of anything. Very sad to see but reminds me that there may not be many months left with him. A good thing to think about. Had a long talk with Fred about that this morning. Reality check.

Cold weekend, -10 and not warm at all during the day. Three days off, but I completely wasted Sund and Monday. Sat. I had to go to town because I forgot to get meds from drug store. Ran a few errands but got out of town as quickly as possible. Spent the weekend watching The Wire, season 2. I like that show, every season they take on another element of corruption. This season it was corruption among the stevedores. Who knew what stevedores were?

Time to continue cleaning up the data base. Catalog Lady, that's me.