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Barbara Fritchman Thompson
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Barbara Fritchman Thompson Diary

Week of 24 March 2003

Latest Update:Sunday, 27 April 2003 08:37


Monday, 24 March 2003

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True my word, I came home yesterday from my folks house, played with the dogs for a little bit outside, and hit the couch for a couple hours of snoozing while listening to the race. After dinner I did the Lenore visit. It will be an early night tonight for bed so I can get some reading in.

We had a wonderful night Saturday night at Bullington. I bagged the entire group of Messier objects in Leo in about fifteen minutes total, which is really good for me. I almost finished up the base number on my list of binocular messier objects and got a few other messier objects in other constellations before finally getting too tired to do any more around 11 pm. By that time the seeing conditions had deteriorated somewhat anyway.

Doing the astronomy outings is really kind of funny. I can be very tired, like I was Saturday night, when we get up to the site. But, once we get the scopes and stuff set up and I start finding objects I seem to get so wrapped up in what I am doing I forget how tired I am. The only problem when I am that tired is I tend to run out of gas a little earlier than I do if I go up feeling rested. Finding deep sky objects is really a lot of fun even though at times it can be challenging and down right aggravating when I can't find something. 

Well, tomorrow morning I will taking my shower downstairs. Bob is going to caulk the shower in our bathroom in the morning. The shower in our hall bath doesn't really work all that well so I will go downstairs instead. Hopefully he will do it early enough in the morning that it will be dry by Tuesday morning. If not, I shall repeat Monday's routine.

Also, perhaps if I post on my journal page the kitchen faucet still has not been fixed after several weeks it will spur Bob on to get that done as well.

I hope your Monday gets your week off to a great start. Thanks for stopping by to visit.

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Tuesday, 25 March 2003

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I had a wonderful afternoon working outside in the yard. I moved a bush, planted a couple of perennial plants, and mowed the lawn. Bob came out and blew the gutters and took the covers off the roof vents. He also caulked the upstairs bathroom. However, in order to make sure the caulk is well sealed we will shower downstairs one more morning. The dogs were very confused yesterday morning when I got up and took off downstairs without getting dressed, i.e. putting on a robe or clothing nor going straight into the bathroom to take my shower. Believe me, those guys know our routine and how we do things and this was not normal. When I came back upstairs they were both on the bed looking very puzzled indeed.

After I finished up outside I had some project work to do and e-mail to catch up on. By the time I finished all that up it was time for dinner and a visit to Lenore. We plan to spend the remainder of the evening reading and of course playing ball with the dogs.

I am reading an early Jill Churchill that I missed in the sequence. I think it is second one in the series, A Farewell to Yarns, and gosh is it funny. I find myself laughing out load about every other page or so.  

Guess that's about all the news for now. The weather has been so gorgeous lately I know it will not last. I guess we better enjoy while we have it. 

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Wednesday, 26 March 2003

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Well, yesterday was yet another productive day all around. I had a 1 pm call from one of my contractor. We spent roughly half an hour or so going over my first project submission. He was very pleased. I had to do a little clean up after we hung up but he has sent me the next project to get started on.

After I submitted the clean up stuff back to him I headed downstairs to the garage portion of the basement for a good clean up. I usually do this twice a year, spring and fall. With everything going on last fall and all the wet weather I never did get around to doing the second one for the year. After backing out both cars and pulling all the big lawn equipment and other small stuff out into the driveway I blew out the leaves and accumulated dirt with the blower. Next I straightened up the work bench and organized the storage shelves before putting all the big stuff back in. Things like the leaf vacuum and extra mower go in first now that I need to keep the lawn mower and wheel barrow handy. The small stuff came back in such as edger, blower, trimmer, etc. The basement now looks all neat and tidy again.

The city crews finally got around to picking up all the brush from the ice storm. Of course they leave behind a big mess of small twigs, leaves, and other stuff they cannot pick up with those big claws. I spent a good half hour sweeping that mess up from the curb and putting it in the lawn cart. While I was doing this the red potatoes were cooking on the stove to go along with left over pork tenderloin from the other night. We ate an early dinner to give me time to go over to visit Lenore and get back to get some work done before it got too late.

It is now time to go out to the den and give the dogs some attention. I think there is a new Buffy on tonight for us to watch 8 pm. This will be followed by last time out for the dogs and off to bed. I only lacked about 30 pages in my book last night but was so sleepy I could not stay up to finish it.

 

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Thursday, 27 March 2003

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Whew! I hit the ground running yesterday and didn't slow down much before 8:30 after I finished up writing this post. We had great news at work yesterday. The Womble project will run at least until July 1st. After I left work I made stops at the bank, library, and grocery store. By the time we got the groceries unloaded it was going on two o'clock. After I a quick playtime outside with the guys it was back to work for me. I worked most of the afternoon on my next project assignment up until dinner time. While I cannot reveal the project details I can say that I am working for a guy at Microsoft. He got my name through AIIP, Association of Independent Information Professionals, of which I am a member. I am doing secondary research on subject matter he is using in his job in the sales/business marketing aspects of Microsoft.

After dinner I had just enough time to visit Lenore and make it to 6:30 Body Pump class.

Back home, we walked the dogs for first time out before I headed back here once again to check e-mail for the last time tonight and get this post up. I will watch West Wing at 9, walk the dogs and off to bed. 

I did finish up the Jill Churchill. I have another one of hers waiting in the wings so I may as well read it next, A Knife to Remember.

On the weather front. It was very warm this afternoon but by dinner time the clouds and cooler temperatures had rolled in along with some light drizzle. 

 

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Friday, 28 March 2003

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Another day spent pretty much just like the previous one. Work in the morning, work at home in the afternoon. I spent some time outside with the dogs in the beautiful spring weather. 

I decided last night to watch a movie, Iris, sent to me by my friend Marcia a month or so ago. The story behind this being that we would watch it together when we went up to visit with them back in February. Since we had to cancel those plans Marcia surprised me by sending it to me in the mail shortly thereafter. The movie depicts the story of author Iris Murdoch's life and her sad demise into Alzheimer's. The movie was excellent and of course starred my all time favorite actress, Dame Judi Dench.  

The weekend is shaping up to be a busy one depending on the weather. 

Saturday I will be off to Charlotte for a CBCR table even at a flyball tournament. I need to leave around 7 and will get home around 4:30 to 5 pm. Sunday, we are supposed to go up to the Fancy Gap lodge for Bob and the guys in WSAL to do the Messier Marathon. I will just go up to lend support and do observing at my own pace. The weather forecast thus far is not looking very good. We have the lodge for Monday and Tuesday night as well. If the forecast is better for one of those night we will go up for the one night. I don't want to miss more than a day's work at Womble and I have these other projects going that I don't want to get behind in. Guess we will know more by tomorrow.

Hope you have a great weekend.

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Saturday, 29 March 2003

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As I mentioned yesterday I am off this morning bright and early for a flyball tournament in Charlotte to sell some CBCR merchandise. I always enjoy going to these events and meeting and talking with other dog people. After a very busy and hectic last couple of weeks it will be nice to get a change of scenery and get out and talk to some old friends. I see some of the same people at all of these events and enjoy catching up on all their news. 

Since I will be gone this morning I hit the gym yesterday afternoon to get in a good workout before going over to visit Lenore. We had sandwiches for dinner then I went to to load the car so I all I have to do in the morning it get up and dress and leave. 

As far as the Fancy Gap lodge plans. They are still very much up in the air since we don't know what the weather will be like. It will more than likely end up being a last minute affair.

 

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Sunday, 30 March 2003

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I did not have time to count the money yet but with the brisk sales most of the day I am sure we made well over $200. I got home around 5:15, took a quick shower, and gave the dogs some attention before we left to go out for dinner. We stopped to visit Lenore on the way home. Upon returning we fed the dogs and I played some ball with them until 8 pm. Then I came back to my office to check my mail and work for about an hour. I did the same thing Friday night, working from about 8 until 9:30. 

We have a cold rainfall this morning. The mountains are getting snow, including the Fancy Gap lodge area where we had planned to leave for this afternoon.  The weather forecast for Monday and Tuesday is still dicey as to how clear it will be for trying to observe. I know one thing I will have to do when I get off from work tomorrow is come home and mow the lawn. With all the rain and warm weather the grass has taken off in a wild growing spurt.

House cleaning this morning, Winston Cup race this afternoon from Texas. See you Monday. 

 

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