In Memoriam G.M.V.E. 1925 - 2004
Last summer I went to church with Rob and his mother. They went to an Episcopal church, and I had never been to one before. The events in the service were in a different order than what I was used to. The sermon was in the middle instead of at the end.
At one point, after the sermon, when everyone was standing up for something, I took the opportunity to slip out and go outside and smoke. When I came back in I had to lurk in the hallway behind the sanctuary for a while to wait on another time when everyone was standing to rejoin my party.
Coincidentally, while I was gone, the collection plate was passed.
Rob told me later that his mother had leaned over to him, and whispered, smiling, "He really picked a good time to leave."

The First Day of School
My class last night went pretty well. Ironically the instructor is a fellow who also works in another library on this campus. At one point he had everyone tell their name, and why they were interested in library school, and what experience they had, if any. There was only one other person in there who has as much experience as I do.
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In other news, some yahoo is auctioning on Ebay a phonograph of the same model I am getting later this month in DC. I am paying $360 and my machine will have a rebuilt motor. The one currently on Ebay doesn't even work, but the seller has an opening bid of $399.95, and a "Buy it Now" price of $899.95. He also has the age of the thing wrong.
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You know, maybe at some point I can do something in library school that builds on my interest in these things. Something on intellectual property, perhaps. Victor had to call itself The Talking Machine Company because when they started out Thomas Edison had exclusive rights to the word "phonograph."

This Is It
Tonight I have my first class in the library science program. It's something about Foundations of the Library Field or some such.
And because I have to go register my car with the campus police department so I can park over there I get to leave early today.
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Rob wrote to me and said he just cussed out a guy from the funeral home because there was a big fat typo in his mother's obituary. It says the funeral is on Monday. It's tomorrow.
I wrote and said "Doesn't it just feel good to cuss people out?"

Made-For-TV LIfe
I've gotten the impression Rob doesn't want me to go to his mother's funeral. I was a little annoyed at this.
But then I realised that was like a made-for-tv after-school special, where a guy flies into a snit because his partner doesn't "share enough of his life" with him or something.
So I told myself to get real. How much can we share, anyway? We live 80 miles apart. I have a full-time, basically punch-the-clock job, and I'm (supposedly) starting a graduate program.
And anyway, like Hank Hill said, "The couch is a happy place." (Drat. See "And They Call It Bobby Love" in Season 3.)
(I say "supposedly" starting the graduate program because I have heard nothing about financial aid so far.)

On a Lighter Note
I couldn't have made this up if I tried.
Saturday afternoon I saw LOTR III, or "The Return of the King."
Saturday night I saw commercials on television for Spike TV's up-coming James Bond marathon.
Sunday morning I dreamed that the hobbits were given "double-O" designations so they would have a license to kill.
Merry was given number 006.78 because he's a little short.

Two Funerals and a Wedding
My boss was married the Friday before Christmas at the court house. I think in these circumstances the press uses the term "simple."
My friend Rob's sister died in August. In October his mother got depressed and stopped eating. Counseling or therapy didn't help because she was starting to come down with Alzheimer's and she couldn't always remember why she was depressed.
She died this morning.