A FEW PAGES OUT OF MY LIFE

BY LUCY WARNER

OCTOBER 6, 2019

I WAS JUST GOING THROUGH MY COMPUTER DIARY TODAY AND CHANCED UPON THIS. IT IS A TRUE “SLICE OF LIFE.” THIS IS A RECORD OF EVENTS DURING ONE OF MY PERIODS OF SPOTTY PART TIME EMPLOYMENT, IN WHICH I ACTUALLY MARKETED MYSELF AS “THE ORGANIZER,” AND DID SMALL MANUAL PROJECTS OR LONGER TERM PART-TIME WORK FOR INDIVIDUALS AT THEIR HOME OR BUSINESS. I MARKETED MYSELF LOCALLY THROUGH A LITTLE CREATIVE OUTLET OF MINE CALLED “THE ARLINGTON TRADE SHEET.” HARD AS IT WAS FINANCIALLY, THAT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE WORK PERIODS. MAINTAINING AND DISTRIBUTING THE TRADE SHEET MADE A LITTLE MONEY AND GOT ME OUT THE DOOR, KEPT ME ACTIVE AND GAVE ME DAILY HUMAN CONTACT.

I WAS ALSO TRACKING ADS FOR PERSONAL EMPLOYMENT AT THE SAME TIME, AND KEEPING THIS COMPUTER DIARY WHICH SERVED AS A PSYCHIATRIST AND TIME KEEPER. IF THERE IS NOTHING LISTED FOR THAT DAY, THERE IS A FAIRLY GOOD CHANCE THAT THERE WAS NO WORK DONE EITHER. I AM NOT AN ORGANIZED PERSON BY NATURE OR BY PREFERENCE, AND THE COMPUTER ON WHICH I ALSO MADE FORMS ON WHICH TO WRITE DOWN PLANS, NEEDS, AND ACTIONS WAS A LIFE SAVER. TRULY, A COMPUTER HAS BEEN CRUCIAL TO MY LIFE FOR YEARS, FROM WORK TO CREATIVE ACTIVITY TO COMMUNICATION, AND MY ARLINGTON TRADE SHEET WAS THE KEY TO MY BEING GIVEN A PART TIME JOB THAT LASTED UNTIL MY RETIREMENT IN 2013. MY NEW EMPLOYER AND SOON TO BE FRIEND LIKED THE WAY IT LOOKED AND HIRED ME.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Foggy early morning, beautiful, and now sunny, also beautiful. The Dillards meeting yesterday consisted of getting a schedule for training for the gift-wrapping job. I need to call her to clarify one thing, she said I’d have to come back again to do paperwork, is that besides the Wed, Thu, Fri schedule? If so, when?

Interview at 1:00 this coming Friday on the northside for a potentially very good job at Jacksonville Job Corps. I would move for that one if I got it. There are decent living places on the northside. I just have to find them.

9:32 AM -- Do Times Union ads now. 9:56 ads done. 10:06 just started a laundry load.10:32 Just started the one laundry load in the dryer, and have had bath – hair is drying. Cook plantain now. 10:38 Stewing – timer set for 20 minutes. 11:02 plantains cooling and dryer finishing – timer set. coffee pot soaking in baking soda water.

11:03 Andrea Yates has new trial, recognizing a CLEAR case of insanity. Probably, they said, will be moved to a treatment-centered facility (either a prison with more treatment given, or a mental health facility). It was also a case that involved fundamentalist religion.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Today: hazy sky, pleasantly cool, windows open. Got up at 9:30 – no alarms were set. Looked for new TU ads and found none. Last night sent emails to ads from Sunday TU. One wouldn’t go, either from lucymanesswarne or from manessmorrison. Was having accesibility problems with the internet though, so maybe that was it. Should try again now.  1:20 tried one more time and got my carbon copy back. Good. Now, am hungry, so put rice & stew into microwave and eat it.

3:52 To WS for faxing. 8:07 PM Those FrickFrack people at WS closed at 5:00 today and thru rest of week, with no advance notice, and wouldn’t let me fax at 4:50 and I’m pissed off. Also closed on Friday. 10-12 miles each day wasted = $3.00 of gasoline. Aaaaaarrrrrrgggghhhhh!

Did email Annette before the wireless network shut down. (That’s the other problem.) Last night and tonight wireless thingeee went out and this morning was back up again. Maybe tomorrow morning it will be up again, but still not good. It shouldn’t be shutting itself off. AJ out of town and Dee said she’ll turn hers on and see if she can get the Internet up. Over and out.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Receiver is back on again this morning mysteriously, as before. This is like one of those Grimm’s fairy tales. However, it’s slow to process the Internet changes. Am still waiting for the TU ads to come up. Am microwaving a pot pie for breakfast/early lunch. TU is up – at least 2 minutes to do that. I notice http:fastclick was there over and above the popup blocker’s blocking action for one other. It seems that it can’t block but one and the others come through. Pie smells good.

Ron called so I will go to his office tomorrow at 9:00 AM. Haven’t heard anymore from Dillard’s.

8:11 PM – did get faxes done. One email to do now. 8:51 tried on both yahoo and email websites to send it and didn’t get my carbon copy back yet. Check again tomorrow and CALL BJ’s if necessary to get a fax # instead. Some of these businesses reject my email.com as “spam” and maybe that happens with yahoo too. Anyway, check again tomorrow. Need to eat and then go to sleep to be at work tomorrow at 9:00.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Trying to get in touch with David. He called back but didn’t speak up so I could hear him & I didn’t pick up. I did caller ID, so that’s the way I could tell it was him. His voice is very SOFT, almost inaudible since the brain operation. Called him back and told him he needs to talk so I can hear because I don’t answer even if I’m there unless I know who’s calling.

Mother was in a semi-coma – stays asleep and can’t wake up, with irregular and very harsh or gasping breathing – we are afraid she will die at any time. Nothing “happened” to precede the condition that I know about. I told Audrey at work (Dillards) that I don’t know when I may have to go up there. I’m going to pack partially ahead.

Talked to Carol Baldwin and she’s using my name as a long-term friend for a security clearance. It’s for Homeland Security job, and they may come down here and talk to me or may send me a form. I’m trying to be alert for it.

Good news: I have $933 in City of Jax Pension Plan. Waiting for that form also.

Monday, November 28, 2005

Hilda’s birthday. Spoke to her and she said Mother is getting very little water or food but shows some reaction to loud sounds and has some peripheral vision because she moves her head toward the door when people walk by in the hall. Gwen said she shows more response to her nurses who see her frequently every day.

Have eaten -- fried onion, pimiento and golden potato with scrambled eggs and 2 oreos smothered in peanut butter. Am doing laundry. Called Ron re schedule and he said Thursday all day would be okay. 2:01 Computer off soon. Humongous cold air mass with wind pushing toward the east. Tornado watch boxes in AL, TN now and severe storms by tonight predicted in Pan Handle. Blizzards in the western half of the nation – literally nearly all of it, and a very visible circulation of rain up the whole east coast and curving westward in the far northeast making a large loop of circulating warm moist air around the middle eastern area. Think I’ll go to the internet and copy the weather map onto my bitmap collection. I’ve heard some distant thunder already. Try to get my emailing done and then log off.

3:20 PM Even darker now, almost like early evening. I can see a little light through the tree leaves. It’s so dreary that I’m going to run the risk of lightning by keeping up this diary to keep my spirits up. Also, this kind of darkness during the daytime makes me simply nervous, and the diary is my little electronic companion. So, I did emails and am in the middle of laundry. Have printed a blank calendar for the week and list of things to do. 3:23 change laundry now. 4:23 Dee’s mildewed towels didn’t dry & need rewashing anyway, but they’re redrying right now. Did all the dishes. Still dark, dark, dark outside. 4:24 check those ugly mildewed towels again because mine also need to dry. 5:20 two more of my loads left to do. Might do them tomorrow. Still raining outside. Check the weather map again. 6:02 So far we haven’t had anything severe here, though the weather map has some yellow-red streaks between here and the beach. Going thru the news now and copying to files.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Tomorrow evening at Dillard’s. TODAY: have cleared dark bookcase & dusted it. I feel like sneezing almost, though I used duster spray. I put the black valise & black large handbag w/ basic items & long peacock blue expanding files onto the bottom shelf. Only big stuff there. Found Ogden Nash. On bed to take to Library. Put less necessary items from lamp table onto top shelf, for morning or daily use. Put DICTIONARY and Bible books and some unread mysteries onto top shelf.

1:35 have eaten chicken rice and fried golden potatoes with onions. Have all but finished laundry (one last load is washing) and did bathroom floor and changed rug. Have picked up mail – nothing for me. 3:52 all laundry is done. Need to shop – cat litter, GoodWill for clothes, and more.

Got cat litter. Found black top so don’t need GoodWill.

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

No mail for me today. Printed some poems & stationery for Gwen and Hilda & the Deer photo. Have eaten, feeling sleepy, want a little nap. MUST DO: LOTTO

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Marjorie Maie Morrison Maness died today in the late afternoon with Hilda, Gwen, Mac and Laura by her side. Hilda said it was very peaceful, and that she “had a beautiful look on her face.”

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Mother’s funeral was simple and beautiful. The young minister, Rev. Stein, from West End United Methodist Church performed the ceremonies in the J. C. Green Funeral Home chapel and at the graveside at Holly Hills Cemetery. Hilda Warner sang. She had a cold but sounded good, if husky, anyway. It was very chilly and windy, but warm enough with the thickish tan suit and all weather coat and Hilda’s scarf and hat. Brenda Bean Smith and Margaret Marr and others from the church gave a reception after the funeral. I forgot the mint jelly & other sweets that Margaret fixed for me. I have cards to send. We all got together Friday in a restaurant in Cary, NC, and Laura and Bob Sides showed their wedding photos.

The trip home was chilly, but I was prepared. I was exhausted Saturday when I got back here, so did some necessary errands and went to bed mid-afternoon. I slept until 11:30 or so PM and took my night pills and slept again about 2:00 AM until 8:30 AM. I feel much better today.