There might be nothing more depressing than a hotel bar. 
The men, there, were all about my age --drinking red wine.
Like me.
One spoke in a booming, slurred voice.
The slur was shared by the gents sitting closeby.
Stroke victims, perhaps?
Tonight, one glass was enough.

The following is from an  Email to friend, J. who simply asked "How was your morning?"

We're short-staffed: two people at workshops, two called off....I'm bouncing between two departments. The phone in Special Collections rings off off the hook. Some call thinking this is the place to settle fines and and lost book... Ah wait! I hear the throng. ( Read more... )

My driveway is now shoveled and cleared. I was able to get to the store for a few necessities.

I engaged in a one hour shoveling session. As I struggled with the fluffier snowstuff,  El Sol made a triumphant return and began melting the remainder  gloppy slush (unflavored).

Shoveling is a delicate operation as my mad bishop* neighbor to the East ( Read more... )

 YES! It's my library card --In small print and italics.

TitleAuthorItem FormatRobert Bresson   Reader, Keith. BOOK   When we were young : new perspectives on the art of the child   Fineberg, Jonathan David. BOOK   30 rock. Season 1 [videorecording]   Fey, Tina, 1970- DVD-SET   Musical box dances [sound recording]    CD   Machines and movements [ ( Read more... )

A recent source of grumbling comes from the commuters who seem to have a need to be "plugged-in." Not content with ambient sounds of the train, the rustling of papers, the nasal droning of suburbanites, they must shut out all. The sight of someone straightening a kinked wire and inserting earplugs is now a common site.

What is more irritating is ( Read more... )

Weather: It's been about the weather.

Following the ice/rain/sleet/vapor Election Day, a rather quick thaw came. This was too much for the delicate infrastructure of Cleveland's ancient water system* At 6:30 A M, Thursday morning, the duress of the weather became too much and a water main break occurred. The street around Public Square looked ideal ( Read more... )

 It is time for a big change: After 5 years of haunting this site, I am going to reconsider my LJ interests.

How sad

I need to move away from the keyboard and return to the ways of my ancestors: This means sitting on the couch and watching TV.  
 

Large (and small) chunks are blowing from the top of the office building across the street. I am not sure whether
to go out warn the unwary pedestrians or take bets from my coworkers where the next slab will hit. I will let the little shoulder devil fight it out with the little shoulder devil and report later. Actually, I write this only because it ( Read more... )

Click to view

On March 4, 1908, 172 children, two teachers and one neighborhood resident were killed as they attempted to flee Lake View School after a fire started in a closet below the front stairs. Lake View School was located on Collamer Street (now east 152nd Street) in the village of Collinwood, Ohio, U.S.A. Collinwood was annexed to Cleveland in 1910 and ( Read more... )

This morning, I awoke with a kink in my neck.  Otherwise all is well.