Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and Irregulars!  How are you?  I'm OK, I guess, but I keep being plagued by memory lapses.  I awoke at 3-something this morning to take a pee.  Somehow I arrived at the conclusion that today is Tuesday and I slept in.  This follows an incident yesterday where I left my wallet at a gas station and didn't realize it until I arrived at the Piggly Wiggly.  There's no pure panic like the thought that someone has your everything and you don't know who.  I went back to the station and someone had found my wallet on the counter and turned it in.  Nothing was missing.  This is the same gas station where I pulled my car up to a pump, went in and paid for $10 worth of gas, and then drove off without pumping the gas.  I returned later and they were kind enough to let me pump the gas then.

I hate getting older.  So many connections within my body now pop and crack, and some ache like hell.  I'm always preoccupied.  I'll write out the grocery list but then fail to bring it with me.  Yesterday, at the gas station, I put my car in reverse without looking backward and hit the gas.  I went maybe 10 feet when I snapped to and hit the brakes.  I was within a few feet of the plow and another customer.  Sometimes I think I should be encased in a large foam ball with just my head, hands, and feet peeking out.

Another thing that is freaking me out is this Foxconn fever.  In today's online Journal Times: "Memo: Foxconn cost to public nearing $4.5 billion"(http://journaltimes.com/business/local/memo-foxconn-cost-to-public-nearing-billion/article_26ee82a2-f12b-5c3e-a600-036ee900d01a.html#tracking-source=home-top-story)  We were supposed to be at $3 billion at this point.  A definite sign of things to come.  This damned project will kill Racine County and no liquid crystal displays will ever be built here.  They will be obsolete by the time the factory would be near production.  I say we should let Milwaukee annex the land (after they've given us $4.5 billion).  They're much better suited to fouling up a project of this magnitude.

It's 4 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside   Lord, I'm no longer able to deal with the complexities of winter life up here.  Please place me down south or 6-feet underground.

From the current Journal Times:

"Fire and Ice Festival coming to Monument Square"

"Downtown’s Monument Square is the place to be on Saturday, Jan. 20, when a new event called the Fire and Ice Festival will take place from noon to 5 p.m.

"Presented by the Downtown Racine Corp., the free family festival will offer opportunities to celebrate the season — including ice skating and ice sculptures — as well as plenty of places to warm up and stay cozy.

"Ice carvers from around the state will be on the north end of the square, transforming large blocks of ice into works of art — while the south half of the square will feature Downtown’s new ice skating rink, where all are invited to lace up a pair of skates and take a whirl around the rink for free. Free skate rentals will also be available during the festival (an ID must be provided while skates are in use).

"In between, attendees can shake off the winter chill with a bonfire located on Monument Square. The festival will also offer a vendor area featuring food trucks and handmade crafts, and businesses around the square will be open and offering more food and drink options, according to Kelly Kruse, RC executive director.

“The Downtown Racine Corporation, with the help of Racine Parks and Rec Department, are excited to bring this brand new event to Downtown,' Kruse said. 'It’s a great way to celebrate our community and get some fresh air, especially during the cold winter months.'"

Read more:  http://journaltimes.com/lifestyles/leisure/fire-and-ice-festival-coming-to-monument-square/article_677587ae-a0ae-5fa9-8057-c68a11e303dd.html

I wish them luck.  It seems that Monument Square can get a little crowded, especially on weekends.  I hope especially that the ice skating rink works out.  Every kid deserves a chance to go out there and fall on his or her ass repeatedly.  What fun!  I finally learned how to stay vertical on skates.  That's enough for me.

And that's enough of me blabbering. I love you all.  C'mon down and watch the wonders this weekend.  Or stop by and skate anytime the rink is open.

madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

Stay warm, dears.  When it's in the single digits, I won't leave the house.  Senor Zanza has set up some sort of primitive heater in the garage, so the car is not so cold.  We'll probably be the next house with a garage fire.  Bring your brats and weenies! Love, love, love.
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