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Barbara Fritchman Thompson Diary

Week of 14 March 2011

Latest Update: Sunday, 20 March 2011 2:30 p.m.


Monday, 14 March 2011

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I am reading a new author from my TBR shelf, Evelyn David. Murder Off the Books is her first novel and introduction of her series A Sullivan Investigations Mystery Murder with a Whiskey Chaser. Whiskey is a very large Irish Wolfhound. Sullivan is Mackenzie Sullivan, a recently retired cop from DC who opens his own PI firm on a very low budget. His best friend happens to be the owner of a funeral home who accepts payment of services in the form of taking possesion of old cars, remains of small businesses, etc. David has a very dry sense of humor that sneaks up on you with character dialog and/or thoughts. Whiskey rides shotgun a lot on his stakeouts adding her two cents worth to the plot and dialog through Mac. The book is light and funny. It's pretty good for a first novel. She has a second book out in the series and third one coming out under a new publisher. In October of last year she launced a e-book series which is now up to four volumns. She also has published a short e-story featuring characters from the Sullivan mystery series,

At some point I guess I will ask Bob to get me a Kindle.

Off to the Y after work. I was not too busy a day for a Monday though things did get a little hectic late this afternoon.

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Tuesday, 15 March 2011

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I had a 2pm appointment with my orthopedic doctor. My right knee started acting up again a month or so ago. I like to wait as long as possible before I get a shot. It will be year next week since my last one. And, with dad off his feet I needed wait until things settle back down to a normal routine. I also had him give me a shot in my right thumb joint. My last shot for the tendinitis was five years ago.

I love my doctor. He wears a knee brace like mine. I asked him how his was doing and told him how people keep asking me why I don't have the replacement surgery. He just laughed and told me to tell them when Ritchie gets his done I will...in about five years. My sentiments exactly.

It was supposed to rain last night and today. Other than a brief shower it has just been cool, windy, and overcast instead.

We finished watching all of the In Plain Site episodes until they release the new ones.

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Wednesday, 16 March 2011

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Thursday, 17 March 2011

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Happy St. Patrick's Day. Yep, I am part Irish, on my mom's side.

Last night I had intended to go to the Y after work. I like to leave at 4:45 when I can to give me 20 minutes to get there, changed, and on the excercise bike by twenty after or so. Leaving at 5 runs things even later because by then traffice makes it more like 25 minutes in route. Last night it was well after five by the time I left the building and walked to my car. It would have been more like 5:45 by the time I hit the bike so I just bagged the whole thing.

Tonight, Bob and I already had plans to eat at Zoe's. It's like spring today with highs well up into the low 60's and 80's tomorrow. Way to early for this warm weather. We were all suffering from a bad case of spring fever at work today.

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Friday 18 March 2011

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Saturday, 19 March 2011

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We had a record high yesterday topping out at 87 degree's. Today is not as warm, mid 70's and breezy. Malcolm and I had several yard projects to do this morning. Several areas of the lawn look horrible from the drought last year excluding the dormant Bermuda grass. I used the shovel to dig loosen the dead stuff. Instead of buying bagged top soil at Lowe's I dug up soil from under the tree where I dump my mulched leaves. It sort of large natural area compost pile. After I spread the dirt I used a new product called Scott's EZ Seed. One bag was enough to do most of the areas I wanted to restore. As a test, next weekend I am going to do the other areas, but instead of using the Scott's I will use 10-10-10 and grass seed to see which has the better results.

I dug up and/or sprayed weeds and did a few other little projects. Bob helped me put a new blade on the edger.

I am reading the third and latest Alan Bradley, Flavia de Luce mystery, A Red Herring Without Mustard. Bradley has made a big name for himself very quickly with the success of the first book in the series.

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Sunday, 20 March 2011

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Yesterday afternoon while I was watching basketball and golf I tried out the Scrabble app on Bob's Kindle. I loved it. I told Bob that for now we can share the Kindle. If he wants to read a book on it I can be reading a hard copy of something and vice versa. The same for playing Scrabble. One of the concerns I had about reading a book is taking the Kindle to work. A lot of my reading time during the week is at lunch and bedtime. Although I am very athletic I am also very clumsy. I did not want to risk hauling the Kindle "naked" in my totebag I use to carry my books and lunch. Bob does not want to get an expensive Kindle case though I understand Best Buy has media cases you can find to fit Kindles, Nooks, etc.

Instead, I came up with a pretty good solution. I have several small zippered travel bags for carrying just a wallet, credit cards, cell phones, etc. I have one I bought on our Canadian Rockies trip in Yellowstone to replace the one I was carrying at the time when the strap broke. It is just the right size with a lot of padding and a carry strap. I can slip it over my shoulder for easy carrying since I am usually doing a balancing act with my book under my arm, my drink in one hand, and my lunch in the other when I go back to the little file room where I eat my lunch.

I cleaned house this morning then went over for lunch and a visit with the folks. It's a cool and cloudy day. Of course, since I put out seed yesterday the rain they called for today has been cancelled.



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