My Fellow Virginians

Have you studied for the election? Why the heck not?! Go to the Virginia State Board of Elections : CandidatesList site to see what will be on the ballot.

We missed both Governor Kaine and candidate Webb at the India Festival yesterday (P needs to go both days, I learned), but that timing allowed for the zen moment of a Sunday afternoon knock on the door that I answered. I almost didn't answer: bound to be about church, or the election, and having enjoyed a very good party the night before, I was in no mood for either. Luckily, it was Dan, enroute home from homecoming and needing a stiff glass of iced tea.

At the Festival Of India, Mayor Wilder wore a burn-orange jacket and made mayoral remarks. Having enjoyed our lunch already, we ducked out as he introduced VCU President Trani. (Leaving me to wonder what he has to do with Indians living in Richmond.)

City So Nice I Blogged it Twice





















Look, that's New York, over there.

K. Tours at Ease in Union Square













Dressed for the opera

Local News

I didn't focus in on coverage of the President's visit to Richmond -- to fund-raise for our dufus junior Senator -- until I saw the feel-good piece on channel 6 about his stop at the produce stand near Phiance's old apartment, to buy "an 8 pound pumpkin for the First Lady." I think WCVE's local news coverage gave a few generic sentences like, "he attended a fund raiser for 250 people at the Science Museum of Virginia." Only WRIR gives a clue that there were protesters.

Ah, no, here's AP coverage on channel 6's website of protesters. I missed all the action as author Elisa Carbone spoke at our area library. At first, I thought the large crowd of middle schoolers and their grown ups were there for the extra-credit, only, but once she got going, the youngsters were engaged and eagerly answered the questions she asked about Jamestown.

Vacation No Longer

This week, I studied up on the sort of diplomacy I'll need to better develop if I want to be a branch manager when I grow up. The Boss had to take a call from a patron who "tripped on a pebble" in our drive, hurt herself, but didn't come back in because she was running late. The Boss expressed all kinds of warm concern and sympathy, jotted down some notes, explained that she'd write up an incident report, and said she'd go take care of that "pebble." Which we did.

I also practiced working from Plan B. After just over a week with our proud, new online events calendar and meeting room reservation software fully running, the inevitable happened -- to our branch. All computers were down when we arrived yesterday morning and remained out until about 12:35.

The first thing I did was call another branch: -Um, could you print out, or read, our room reservations? I can't tell if our rooms are booked because we have no computers.

Then the calls started:
"Could you tell me if there's still room in that computer class?" -Not without a working computer.
"I don't understand the bounce-back message I got from your new room reservation system -- do I have the room or not?" -Your familiar group will be approved as soon as our computers work again.
"Can you tell me if a meeting room is available on the xth?" -No! Okay? No.

In person work was a little better:
-Sorry, we're not sure how long it will take to get them working. A technician (where did I get that word?!) is on the way.
- Resume books? YES! I do know where those are!
- Information on bilingual special ed?? That doesn't sound like the sort of book we'd have, but you can browse in education (if I can find that area).
- A particular diet book? Yes, that title sounds familiar, let's browse. When we didn't find it, I called another lib to ask them to do a catalog search for me: Nope, no titles like that in the system.
- A dictionary? YES!

Things We Did Last Week
(I will add the links all week, and will rediscover the coding to make a new window open for them; perhaps there will be pictures, too.)

In Brooklyn

Ate pizza.

Enjoyed the view of Manhattan.

Fishs Eddy.

In NYC

Admired buildings along Central Park and popped in on Strawberry Fields (are there always so many offerings of flowers and people singing, or was that because of his birthday?).

Ate at Fine & Shapiros; Cafe des Artistes; Jean Georges.

Had breakfast at Angela's Rock n Roll Deli.

Walked.

Ate congee.

Shopped in Chinatown.

Drifted across the edge of Soho (too unhip to stop?) and Little Italy.

Ate more pizza.

Admired the zodiac in Grand Central Terminal (wept over the stupidity of Cap City's Staples Mill "station").

Shopped at the Strand.

Took the subway.

Saw the last two floats of the Columbus Day parade on 5th Ave.: City parks' bocci league champions, followed by Bacardi Rum gals.

Saw The Magic Flute at the Met.

Walked; admired tall buildings (Rockefeller Center, Chrysler, Empire State, Flat Iron).

Shopped at the Strand.

Shopped at Fishs Eddy.

"Shopped" at Virgin.

Did not see Rod Stewart up the street from where we stayed. (Monday and Tuesday mornings, Phiance and I were up early, ate at Angela's, walked in the park, and came out next to where CBS does "The Early Show" And every morning P said, "Let's go wave at the cameras," and I was all "No, that's dorky-touristy, and I don't even watch morning T.V." Wednesday morning (while P took, like, the world's longest shower), I flipped on the T.V., and there was Rod Stewart singing just up the street from us! He quipped that the strong morning wind proved that was not a wig on his head. I hesitated, then dashed out. . . to a corner dominated by wind, emptiness, and a smallish stage with something that looked like a high school dance backdrop, all lattice and pink. Stewart hadn't been on live! He was pre-recorded! Grrr.)

Sat next to Mary Tyler Moore at E.A.T.

Attended at taping of "The Daily Show" (Lou Dobbs on War on the Middle Class...).

Caught a cab in the rain(!).

Bought 5 dozen bagels (well, Dad did; he's like that) at H&H and headed south.

In Richmond

Enjoyed the National Folk Festival.

Volunteered at Making Strides in Byrd Park.

Ate at Liberty Valance.

If you are going to the Folk Festival, you must go hear the Quebe Sisters: the Andrews Sisters meet Bob Wills. Awesome.

Life in the South

Exhibit 1
Here's the R&D conversation I imagine:
Q: What does the South run on?
A: College sports and air conditioning.
Q: Can we combine the two, somehow?
A: You bet.

Exhibit 2
The University of Mississippi dedicated a civil rights monument last week.

Exhibit 3
Capital City's Willow Lawn turns 50.