Conversation Club Chatter

I read in yesterday’s paper that Mary Auberry died - she was the Speech and Hearing Specialist at Greenbriar while my boys were there. She was only 53. Sort of funny, I remember her mainly because she never smiled - always had such a serious look on her face.

Bobby made a difficult descission and decided to leave his internship with the Reds ( since it wasn’t going to lead to a job) to go to a small college in Barbourville Kentucky. He has decided he definitely wants to coach sio he applied for a possition as an assitant coach at Union College. They will pay for his Masters ( it’s a two year program) give him a job as an assistant coach that pays a little. He will also tutor. Bobby will live in an apartment with the other assistant coach for very little rent. He visited the college last Friday before he made his decision. Elliott wasn’t happy about the change but surprisingly his parents are thrilled. Bobby started organizing tings today in his office. He starts classes and Tutoring Tuesday. Yesterday he met the baseball team and watched the players take Battiong practice.
We had our SRP wrap up meeting and once again we were one of the five out of the 22 branches that won a pizza party ( $75 Dollars worth>) for best decorations.
More later. I’m beat. I did see Nanny Diaries tonight and enjoyed it

What a relief. Nothing wrong with my mouth except it was ugly looking under my tongue. That’s the last time I ask the dentist to look at any spots in my mouth.

It is:

UGL Drylock
Latex Base Masonry Waterproofer
“Guaranteed to stop water”
Gray

It is real thick – I applied it with a big brush. It dries quite grainy and rough. I painted over it with Ace Royal Hi-gloss Latex enamel.

I painted the garage door but the bigger story is …. Kevin and his cousin, Marie, made it safely off Mt. Rainier. On Thursday they hiked to base camp which is halfway up the mountain. After going to bed at 5 pm they woke up at 11:30 pm to begin the hike at 12:30 am on Friday. Because of cracks in the ice they were taking an alternate route that would add 4 hours to the trip.

There were 3 groups. Kevin and Marie were roped with Bill (this is who we are not going to like). At the first rest stop everyone was asked to think about how they felt. Now was the time to speak up because another group was coming down the mountain and could take whoever needed to return with them. No one spoke up.

That is until 15 minutes after they had begun the second part of the hike. Bill, a 67 year old, decided he couldn’t make it. It turns out that Marie stayed with Bill while the guide took Kevin up to meet another group who also had someone who needed to return. It took about 20 minutes to reach them. Kevin roped in with that group and the guide brought the other hiker down and roped in with Marie and Bill. They arrived back at camp at 4 am.

Kevin is now roped in with a brother and sister. The sister had summited before. The brother had made at least one previous unsuccessful attempt. After hiking for about 2 more hours the brother couldn’t go on and so the whole rope had to turn around. He made it to 12,400 feet and Mt. Rainier is 14,400.

The guides felt so bad about what happened that they arranged to give Marie and Kevin 300.00 off either this or the next trip. Kevin at least got to see the views because by the time he was forced to turn around it was light. Marie didn’t see anything but what was within the circle of light created by her head lamp.

Kevin was to say the least, extremely disappointed and upset with Bill but he did enjoy the experience and is looking forward to doing it next year. He had devoted hours to training and felt that it paid off because he knew he could have summited. So at least he knows what he needs to do for next year.

Even Kevin’s grandmother is upset with Bill!

thanks Carol I savored the flavor. Eating slowly to avoid biting myself is not a diet method I would recommend but I am sure I lost weight this week. My tongue was so sore that I had them take out the stitches today. I was biting the thread and hurting myself. Dentist said it all is healing well but I won’t know the important results until next week.

Since the four of you said the 23rd was ok I will have CC this Thursday. I will call Barb and Raquel, hopefully tomorrow. I stayed in Munster, last night so I drove back this morning, went home, changed clothes and came right to work. Elliott and I both enjoyed the Wedding, Saturday night and I had a great time at the Four Seasons 60th Anniversary Brunch. I will tell you more Thursday. At the Wedding we sat next to Barb’s Brother and Sister-in-law for the ceremony and dinner. I haven’t told her yet.
Today I was late to work due to an accident near Thorntown and the pouring rain on 65.

My surprise Anniversary dinner was at Kincaids at Clay Terrace. I had Salmon and it was delicious. For our Anniversary, Elliott and I got an Anniversary card frim Kincaids anda complimentary piece of Keylime Pie.It was also delicious. Bobby is coming to Indy, tomorrow, onh our actual Anniversary. It’s too bad we already commited to the wedding at 6:30 and Sunday I am leaving early for Munster and Chicago. Ihope I can have lunch with Bobby. I plan to sleep in tomorrow before I decide what to wear for tomorrow night and Sauday.

It seems a dream now, but Tuesday night was absolutely real! A full house of about 150 people listened to Eddi sing her heart out for over 2 hours. I would expect most of us were “first timers”. Before the show I was able to talk to her, and thank her in person for recording the Burns poems for my poetry group 2 years ago. It was not surprising to me that she knew who I was and we chatted for a bit. This show was a benefit for the Illinois Saint Andrew Society who claim that they will be bringing her back to Chicago “soon”!! The pub was a perfect setting - we sat not more than 15 feet from her and the boys. She sang so many songs that I lost track - some old, some new, some Burns, some I didn’t know. Including an a capella “Clare” and other songs that brought out the hanky. Eddi Reader is such a lovely, talented and gracious lady and we Americans are so fortunate to have her visiting. I’m thrilled to join the ranks of all the other concert-going braggers in her usual touring spots in the UK, Australia, Japan, Spain etc etc:)

I can die happy now.

2 half days and Friday will be a full day. There is the usually crop of names and spellings of names reflecting origins of other countries and our own diverse population and trends. I really haven’t had time to start matching names, faces, and stories yet! We have had a few no shows - one had even come to the ice cream social and hasn’t come to school yet. We have had one withdrawal also.

With the beautiful weather forecasted for the weekend I think we’ll be going for some bike rides and … painting the garage door.

Tuesday morning will see Steve and I driving north to Chi-town to go that evening to Martyr’s Pub where Eddi Reader will be singing. She is the Scottish singer with the unbelievably beautiful voice. She is also the lady who is common enough to read some Robert Burns poems onto a CD for our poetry group, and send it across the sea to us! Craig sent me some of her CD’s about 3 years ago, and from the moment I heard her sing I was hooked. Since then I have kept up with where she is singing - most often somewhere in the British Isles, but also in Japan and Australia. But FINALLY for the first time in years, she is on a mini-tour here in the states. New York, Boston, Milwaukee and Chicago! I can’t wait, but I am a bit worried that when she begins her first song, my emotions will all spill out and I shall be weeping the rest of the night!! Adding to the enjoyment of the evening will be Craig and Nereida driving over from Minnesota to join us! What a grand way to put a bright spot in the dog days of summer!

Ladies, I had a great weekend with my nephew, Josh! I took him to his first movie in a theater! We saw Ratatouille. He did great. He watched the whole movie without talking, figiting, getting up, etc. There was a family in front of us that had one of their children laying on the floor ( definitely not interested in the movie). Josh wouldn’t eat or drink until the movie was over. THen we sat in the lobby so he could eat his popcorn and drink an ice. He did well at two baseball games, also. I’ll tell you more when I see all of you. This Thursday isn’t good for me to have CC. It’s better next Thursday since I’m off. If anyone can’t wait and wants to have it this Thursday let me know. This is a Hectic week for me and Saturday is a wedding and our Anniversary.

I am very interested in how the AT&T thing goes. Bill’s stepsister is housebound and we’d like to help her get set up on the internet. She would balk at paying for something she didn’t want. She also doesn’t like people coming into her house, so let me know how invasive it is and how it works. Thanks.

I drove home yesterday, and was well aware of the fact that I sped up over all the river bridges - the longest being the one over the Illinois River on I-39 (1 1/2 miles), followed by the bridge over Mississippi at LaCrosse at 1/2 mile long, and a bit less for the one over the Wisconsin River on I-90. Thankfully my drive was uneventful, if long, and I pulled into the driveway around 7:15 pm having only stopped once the whole day, for gas in Janesville, WI. The Lexus was quite fine to drive, and I got 21 mpg which was the same as our minivan.

I have a couple of bridge survivor stories to share at next CC. And one about coming upon a Yeshiva in the tiny town (pop. 300) in Minnesota where my dad was born!

CarolFay - you’re up next! And tell Elliott thanks for calling Steve last Wednesday evening to let him know about the bridge collapse - he hadn’t heard yet. He then called me up in Minnesota at my folks, and we hadn’t heard yet either!!

I really enjoyed Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. We had dinner and dessert after the movie and it just got to be too late! I am trying to finish reading the sixth Harry Potter so I can get to the seventh and join in the conversation with Pike Staff! My big news is the other Children’s librarian is leaving Pike to go to the Anderson Library and be in charge of their Teen collection. That means it will only be Doriene and me left as children’s librarians. The adult librarians will have to help us for the time being since there are no plans to replace Staci, at this time.
I have been in charge of inventory and ordering SRP prizes. It will be over Saturday.
Maureen, You will just have to wait about the divorce news until I see you in person. Sorry, it’s better I don’t put it on the Web site.
Elliott has had a tough summer! First Kidney Stones and last week he had Vertigo!
He is now on the mend and will take off two days before he starts School. Today was his last day at the driving school.
This weekend is when I meet my sister in Lafayette to transport my Nephew. He will stay with me for two nights. Since Elliott can’t go with me to pick him up, Friay night, Barb is going to ride with me to get him. I plan to take him to his first move, in a theater, and then a baseball game at Victory field, of Course!
I also so the movies No Reservations ( very good) and Transformers ( funny and enjoyable)! More later

I am fine - sad about everyone else who is not. What an awful thing. Yes, the bridge has been news around the world it seems. I crossed the Mississippi that very day after leaving Steve’s folks, but downstream a piece from the collapsed bridge - you can’t get through the cities without crossing that river, or a lake or another river once or twice at least en route from here to there. (Steve and Ella crossed a different bridge than me going to the airport.) This one is right near the U and I have been across it hundreds of times when we lived in the cities and many times since then too. Barbara’s daughter Alicia goes to the U and she tried to walk to the site but was turned back. Caitlin and Mike live in St. Paul, and Mike was at a bachelor party for a friend who is an EMT and was paged 5 minutes after it happened. The mood in Minnesota is one of disbelief - people pay extremely high taxes here, and roads etc are kept in exceptionally good shape consequently. Apparently bridges are held to a different standard - here and all over the country. I should count how many bridges over lakes and rivers I have been on since I got here last week - it is unbelievable due to the number of bodies of water in Minnesota. Now I am thinking alot more about that kind of thing!!

We had a fun time up North at my brother’s and didn’t encounter any bears thankfully. Also had a nice visit with Steve’s folks in the cities. He and Ella flew back to Indy on Wednesday afternoon, and I drove our “new” SUV down here to my folks in New Ulm. I will head back toward home on Sunday, stopping first at an old-time family reunion on my mother’s dad’s side, and then on to my sister’s near Rochester overnight Sunday. So I will drive home on Monday from her house, should take about 11 hours.

Well, this is pretty long - will catch up with everyone at next CC. Where? Raquel’s? I can check the list when I get back and see who is on tap!

Sue and I had relived our vacation experiences … all the good places to eat and lamented that all too soon it will be back to work. She served crustless lemon pie topped with the blueberries. A nice lite and light dessert in this heat!

It counts as her turn even though it was just she and I. So Carol Faye… all the stuff you were going to fill us in on (divorce, your hot news etc) you’ll need to post.

Carol H … waiting for a post from you to let us know that you weren’t near the bridge. I don’t know if I have your cell phone to call you! Hope this doesn’t count as part of your story as to whenever you go home….

Whose turn is it next?

I’m going, with Susie Speedy and Brook, to the 6:15 H.P. and the Order of the Phoenix. Then we’ll grab a bite to eat and I’ll try to get to CC as soon as I can. Carol,
I was sorry to hear about the tragedy, with the bridge, in Minn.! We have lots to talk about tonight. Hope to see all of you. I’m off tomorrow so I don’t mind getting to Sue’s late.