Still Not Connected at Home

…but the public library is not only my wireless access point, but cool to boot. There's a security guard here now who makes the rounds of the stack regularly, which I think is good. I've abandoned the furry creatures to their own devices, which mostly means prostration on the hideous kitchen linoleum.

Yesterday was a non-work day. I had good intentions to get all kinds of work-work done, but instead there was felting and home chores and reading and lazing around to do. I've been meaning to cook something too, something substantial that involves ingredients I don't have on hand and a recipe, but it's way too damn hot to bake, and the idea of eating hot food is not at all appealing. After I finish my work assignments, I'll reward myself with lunch at our favorite Japanese restaurant, then go home and sweat with the beasts.

One good thing with the heat-enforced laying around--I thought a lot about my future yesterday. Part of that was spurred by a conversation I had with Julia a t the end of our writers group meeting on Wednesday. She's just taken a new job with a company that helps people sort out and plan their financial future. Part of the reflection is also from reading a book that was left behind at Foo Camp that I picked up, The Four Hour Work Week, most of which seems to be filled with distasteful, self-aggrandizing anecdotes, but does have some thought-provoking nuggets. What do I want to do with my life? I could probably work at my current job til retirement, bursting tech bubbles notwithstanding. But I think I want to do more to help people directly. I'm not quite sure what that is yet. Julia mentioned that she wants to invest in people, and later that day I heard a story on NPR that referenced Propser.com and Kiva.org, web sites that match you with people that need loans, US folks for the former, third-world micro loans the latter. This must be one of the high signs of middle age, eh, thinking about your legacy? I'm glad to be thinking about it, though. And I also need to make a plan for getting into a new house…

Before I go back to work, the latest IM updates:

7/4 6:32:33pm
Davenport 4 lunch. Walked along Mississippi, muddy brown after 5in of rain last night. Worlds ugliest casino riverboat style. Wally world rounds out the day.

7/4 9:18:04pm
Paw cant wait to be with u. I feel a large overhanging weariness. Wake on the morrow from 3-7. Burial fri. @ 10, lunch @church @ 12. Fly away home @4.

7/5 10:44:58am
Lunch at historic mill turned b&b. Food is best since arrival, & that is saying a lot. Heading back to get ready 4 wake.

7/5 1:07:41pm
Meet the minister. Turns out she took grans job @ clinton engines when the family left in 1956.Gotta love small towns. Love u my paw.

7/5 1:32:09pm
Its weird, can see gran from across the room. She looks good considering, but hollow, a shell, christin is having a bit of a hard time, but recovering. Luv u.

7/5 1:41:13pm
It's good, actually, Mom has nerves of steel. Its just now starting.

7/5 2:12:10pm
Grans got quite a few friends. For the last 7o years.

7/5 3:00:43pm
Just met 3 cousins I haven't seen 4 2o yrs. 3 of grans last surviving classmates r here.

7/6 7:30:06am
Back @ funeral home. Chris says we going to put the fun back in funeral. Gran gets a final ride in a white caddy hearse. I know shed like that.

7/6 7:34:00am
Im in all black with a red tie. Gran is in her obligatory pink. Im hungry but don’t want to eat. Love u

He and his sister are flying back to SoCal this evening after the funeral service, via Dallas--I hope they don't have weather delays. He'll drive home tomorrow, and I'm so glad, I miss him so much. And then back to the grindstone next week--thank goodness, I'll be too busy to keep thinking about my plans for the future soon!