January 17
Wandering in the cold




Listening to: Songs from Ally McBeal volume 2

Reading: Once Upon A Star Nora Roberts et al

Weather: 11, fair, wind-chill -30

Trivia:Who was the Boston Strangler?

Depending on whom you ask, it was either Albert DeSalvo or nobody really knows. What is known is that between June 14, 1962 and January 4, 1964, eleven single women in the Boston area were victims of a serial killer the public came to call the Boston Strangler. All were brutally murdered in their apartments, were sexually molested, and were strangled with either articles of clothing or other household items. Additionally, it was presumed that the victims were familiar with the strangler, as there were no signs of forced entry in any of the cases, indicating that the victims voluntarily let the killer into their homes. All of the victims were women of roughly the same social class and were described as "quiet and modest" by friends and family. The killings terrorized the Boston area until January of 1964. Albert Henry DeSalvo, a mental patient in a hospital for the criminally insane, began bragging that he was the strangler. Although there was some question that DeSalvo, who had been a petty offender for many years, was perhaps only confessing for the money book rights would bring his family, those who interviewed him ultimately determined that he was the strangler. But, there was no physical evidence that connected him to any of the murders, nor could any eyewitness place him at any of the crime scenes in spite of his having a relatively memorable face, and he was never tried for these killings. Instead, on January 18, 1967, he received a life sentence for an armed robbery committed in 1964. Albert DeSalvo was serving out his life sentence at Walpole State Prison when he was stabbed to death in November of 1973. Although the killings stopped after DeSalvo was arrested, there are those who believe that the real Boston Strangler was never brought to justice.

Cool word: nebula [n. NEB-yoo-luh], pl. nebulae [NEB-yoo-lee]

To an astronomer, a nebula is a diffuse cloud of dust or gas that floats between stars. Most stars are born within nebulae. To a doctor, a nebula is either a cloudy spot in the eye or in the urine, or it is a medication that is applied by spraying. All of these senses of nebula have to do with clouds. The word comes from the Latin nebula (cloud), and related words include these:

  • nebulize: convert to a fine spray; atomize
  • nebulous: cloudy; formless; like a nebula
  • nebulosity: something that is nebulous; the condition of being nebulous
  • nebulochaotic [adj. NEB-yoo-low-kay-AW-tik]: hazily confused
  • nebulaphobia [n. neb-yoo-luh-FOE-bee-uh]: fear of fog

The ancient root was nebh- (cloud), which also gave rise to Old English nifol (dark), Germnan Nebel (cloud), and Latvian debess (sky).



It has continued to be brutally cold today. The ice is still thick on the window frames inside the apartment, and I can feel drafts from the sliding glass doors. I tried to use that plastic sheeting that you put over the doors and then tighten by heating with a blow dryer, but that didn’t work. The tape won’t stick to the metal frame because of all the condensation.

I’m thinking I need to get myself some of those gloves that they wear in all of the Dickens novels. The kinds that have the fingertips exposed. I could wear them while I type on the computer. As it is I’m wearing a turtleneck, a sweatshirt, sweatpants and heavy socks, and I have a blanket thrown over my shoulders.

It’s not a pretty picture and rather pathetic looking as well.



I went out for a very short period of time today, just to make sure the car had a chance to run for a while. I think it was warmer in the car than it was in my apartment anyway.

I was rather startled by popping noises that started coming from the backseat of my car as I was driving along today, especially when they started to come frequently and loudly! I couldn’t imagine what was going on until I realized that I had moved all the empty soda bottles that need to be returned from the trunk to the back seat. I had to do that so we could get at the spare tire last week when I had the flat.

The plastic bottles were gaining solar energy and starting to expand, hence the popping noises. I had forgotten that the bottles do that, and I should have remembered in that one of the science teachers did a huge experiment with these bottles when I was teaching in Northampton. He managed to make a solar greenhouse using them as the energy source. Don’t ask me how, I just remember that he did it.

I need to return those bottles, but it has to get warmer out before I’ll stand outside in the cold to haul them out of my car.



I did I short run to the linen store to get a new pillow - not that I really need a new pillow. I already have five of them on my bed, but for some reason I wanted another one. I also found a cute sweater on the clearance rack at Marshall’s. It has kittens playing with yarn on it, and the buttons are little fishes. I didn’t need it but couldn’t resist.

I went to both of my craft stores to start getting gifts form my newly assigned secret stamper. I tried to find interesting supplies that she might not have but that might inspire her to experiment with some different things. Sometimes I think that all that stops me from creating new things is not having all the supplies I might want to have available.

Now I have to get them wrapped and packaged to send out to her.



I spent a large part of the day being frustrated with my computer, the phone lines, or AOL. I have no idea what the problem was, but I couldn’t get on line, then when I did get on line I couldn’t get my mail open or to my web shell. It was really irritating not to be able to figure out the problem.

The joys of cyber space!

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Horoscope

ARIES

You will need to keep your plans to yourself and to move with some stealth if you are to avoid provoking opposition to what you have in mind. Although you are mindful of the need to think about taking action that takes account of long term implications and obligations, it is not a good time for letting people in on what your own plans are. Keep a tight control on how you move to avoid giving off telltale signs.