"Townie" Day Thursday

Small town "stuff" drove most of my Thursday. Felt like the first day since I worked in Admissions that I was able to go through my desk and take a few hours to figure out what my predecessor left behind...it has been a busy 9 months. Our lunch bunch on the patio grew in size. I hope it will be back to me and one co-worker today. Too much drama when the group gets bigger with all the changes underfoot with the new boss coming onto the hallway soon. We will see.

At 4 p.m. I walked away from my desk to go to the school "faculty and student guitar recital" - some very talented kids and 3 incredible teachers. One of the teachers (married) I have a huge crush on AND he is a musician...I was on the verge of tears during the entire recital - due to the "crush" and the fact that one of the students did a great rendition of "Take Five" and "Season of the Witch" by the entire ensemble. The Take Five was performed by one of the students who plays the violin, saxophone and I think other instruments - she takes part in every recital we have - so talented!! I was very glad I had my walk to do after the recital - I had to move through my emotions. That is probably why I avoid listening to music on the radio - too emotional.

But the rest of the day was small town. I went for my walk at school, but still felt like more time outside when I got home and decided to walk to the town meeting about Open Land Use. On my walk up, my next door neighbor's daughter pulled over and jumped out of her car to show me her trophy for being designated an all conference golfer and our town's high school golf team won the conference - a HUGE feat because of our very country club mentality surrounding towns and the fact that our women's golf team is only 2 years old! I almost started crying - she was so happy and proud. Always a good thing for a high school junior girl!! I felt good that she thought to pull over and show me!

Then at the meeting, I sat next to a man who lived on the same road as our family before the Flood of '55. Odd guy, and not the person I would have picked to sit by, but there was no way I could not take the seat next to him when I walked in without me looking odd (or more odd). Then at the meeting a man started talking from the back row and when I turned around I realized it was a guy who I went to school with. He is younger, but his brother was in my class. He is the niece of Katharine Hepburn and son of our town's long standing town librarian who passed away right before I moved home. His mom was a fixture in the town and in our family's life. I had burn marks in some of my homework because we would go to the library (right across the street from where I grew up) to do our homework after school and she was a chain smoker and she would be helping us with our work and ashes would be falling off her cigarette...but - in her unique way - she was probably more beautiful than Katharine Hepburn and certainly as full of personality and "one of a kind-ish". But her son was so eloquent about the issues facing a small town that he never left. He and his siblings were brilliant from day one.

Unfortunately the man sitting next to me also walked to the meeting so we walked part way home together...he is about 10 years older than I am so the pace was a bit slow for me... On the way home a car pulled over and a guy got out - it was a guy who was at the meeting and I remembered meeting him at the Chris Murphy fundraiser awhile back. He is running for State Senate - and is a Democratic - but I will be voting for a Republican for that spot if my friend from high school who graduated with sister #1 if he gets the nod from his party. The guy who stopped is from our neighboring town so he is trying to meet as many people from our town.

Wine & Cheese tonight. Sounds like we should have quite a crowd. We will see if the HOS comes to see how many people USUALLY come to a W&C - but not hers.

Have a good Friday.