The rain has returned, and we are once more ourselves! I know,

I’m crazy, but I like the rain. My gills dry out in hot weather. Be thankful it

isn’t eight inches an hour, or whatever Floyd was dumping on the East Coast.

My grandmother used to tell me that no matter how bad things

were for me, someone else had it worse. This did not impress me much when

I was the ONLY sophomore girl who didn’t have a date for the

football dance, but I can see the wisdom of it now.

Remember when you were a teenager and things only happened to

you? No one else ever had it as bad. No one else ever got a giant pimple on

picture day. No one else ever had a Bad Hair Year (I am not addressing this to

those girls who were cheerleader-perfect, and grew up to be slim, rich, and

married to Harrison Ford look-a-likes!)

There is a simple way to check your computer for Y2K

compliance. Go to your date and time settings, and see if 2000 is listed as an option.

According to this, I am good till 2009. At that point, my computer turns

into a frog.

You can also set your date to show as a 4-digit year (mm/dd/yyyy).

This will keep it from turning over as `00′ on Jan. 1. I read somewhere that

most computers built in the last 7 years are Y2K compliant anyway. I just

realized that Y2K is a `word’ in my spellchecker. Very weird. My old

word processor didn’t recognize the word “Internet.” Technology marches

on, and mostly over my head.

Author J. A. Jance will be at the North Bend library on Oct. 5.

This best-selling local woman will read from her work, discuss writing

and answer questions. I personally am really looking forward to this evening.

I enjoy both her J.P. Beaumont books and the newer Joanna Brady series

set in Arizona. It is a real treat to have her coming to North Bend.

Later in October, young adult author Chris Crutcher will be

speaking in North Bend as part of Teen Read Week. Young adults 12-18 are the

focus. There will be programs and activities at all King County

libraries. Come on in and check it out. I will have more information about

these programs later.

Those of you who know Leigh Feisthammel and her family will

be happy to hear that they did not receive any damage from Floyd. They had

a lot of rain from Hurricane Dennis, but Floyd pretty much missed them.

I was glad to hear that they were OK. I am a born worrier who has

been known to worry that there is nothing to worry about! So my friends in

far places keep me supplied with worry material. Takes the pressure off

the Mountain Man. I won’t have to start worrying about him until he

starts hunting next month.

If there is anything you would like to have me put in this column,

please let me know. Any activities you would like spotlighted are appreciated.

PPP

Thought for the Week: The maple wears a gayer scarf, the field

a scarlet gown. – Emily Dickinson.

Enjoy the beauty of each season as it comes.

Please submit items for

North Bend Nuggets to

Pat Simpson at P.O. Box 857,

North Bend, WA 98045,

or by e-mail to patsimps@hotmail.com,

or drop them by the library.