Wednesday, Oct. 11

Up at 6:30 this morning to go to water aerobics. Nature's show this morning was an apricot colored sky, as the sun shown through haze. The trees are showing autumn colors, too, and because there was a brisk breeze this morning, and it has been so dry, leaves were falling like rain.

I was a little late getting around this morning, so by the time I arrived at the college, parking was at a premium. There were only a couple of spaces left way up on the hill. It was 8:15 before I finally hiked down the hill to the gym, and got in the pool. Aerobics start at 8:30, but I usually like to have thirty minutes of swim time in the deep end beforehand. The pool was a wee tad chilly today, because water had been added to it that didn't have time to heat since Monday. But it was fine once I got used to it.

Monday, I noticed that the door leading out to back side of the gym was broken. I asked today how it had happened, and the lifeguard (who is also a coach at the college) said a three-year-old boy had chucked a rock at it, breaking it. "We're going to press charges," he joked.

Back home, once I was ready for the day, I didn't do much before lunch beyond playing on my office computer.

This afternoon at 2 p.m., we went to the college that is about a mile away from our house, to hear former President Clinton stump for a congressional candidate. We found a parking space conveniently located adjacent to the auditorium, but on the way in, a couple of ladies alerted me that I couldn't take my purse, so Hubbie whisked it back to the van, while I held our place in line.

We stood in line until 2:30, when the doors were finally opened. While we were in line, a young woman came by to inform me that I couldn't carry my jacket into the auditorium over my arm...I would have to wear it.

In the auditorium, we were able to find seats about midway to the stage...just perfect for getting snapshots (it was okay to take cameras into the auditorium).

I'd had the presence of mind to take electronic games, so that Hubbie and I could entertain ourselves while we waited. The program wasn't scheduled to begin until 3:15 p.m., and anyone who knows Clinton knows that he is notoriously late. Today was no exception. Clinton arrived around 4 p.m. to a standing ovation and roaring applause.

Before he arrived, though, our local mayor spoke, a student from the college sang the National Anthem, and a minister offered a prayer.

Then Clinton and the candidate arrived. The candidate spoke first, with Clinton listening respectfully. Then Clinton took the podium and, as usual, charmed and mesmerized the crowd. The man is a consummate politician and brillant orator.

It was 5 p.m. before we got back home. Mother had heated leftover soup and oatmeal muffins for our supper. She went home afterward, and Hubbie and I watched TV, as usual.

Note: as we left the house this afternoon to go to the college, we noticed that a couple of our cats had a garden snake held captive on the porch. We gave the cats and the snake a wide berth as we went to the van. The snake was gone when we got back home. I know that garden snakes are harmless, but I also know that cats don't take kindly to anyone trying to rescue prey from them.