Again

Our bags are packed (again)
We’re ready to go (again)
Standing there beside the door (again)
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It’s been a long day, but we’ve really accomplished a lot. Swimming and coffee, of course. I had a just-before-we-leave mani/pedi this morning, and went straight from there to bridge (no lunch for me today). I had terrible cards, with one or two opening hands. Most of them had 3-6 points, and if my partner bid, I’d have a singleton - really awful.

We came straight home to meet with various workmen. The H/VAC guy came by to talk to John about getting our new system, what to buy and when to install it. They came to an agreement, and that’ll be done between the time we get home and when I have surgery. The concrete guy came by, too, to pick up a check for the wrought iron railing. All the fabricator’s work is custom-made, so has to be paid for in advance. He’ll be ready to put the sidewalk in as soon as we get home.

We’re leaving on the 5 a.m. shuttle to Atlanta, heading for LAX. We fly to Kaui on Thursday. I’ll have my iPad, and there is wifi in the apartments, so will still be in touch - just not so much. Stay safe.

Today is really Sunday.

Today is really Sunday, but the only way to tell around here was the big paper with colored comics, and laundry was done.

Tina called and asked if we'd like to have bagels and lox for lunch.  Definitely something different.  And it was incredibly good!  Einstein Brothers Bagels is something relatively new in town.  We might have to do something like that again sometime.  Thanks, Tina!

Tomorrow will be in full get-ready-to-travel mode.

It felt like Sunday all day today.

We were at home all day today. This morning, we continued visiting with Jean. She scavenged some day lilies, columbine, ivy, etc., for her yard. And then she (and Leroy) headed back to Nashville about noon. It surely was nice having her here for a couple of days.

The concrete guy came by again to talk more, and to formally start processing our order. He’s coming back tomorrow to take working measurements, and then will talk to the handrail fabricator on Monday. We’ll get everything lined up, and then he’ll be ready to go as soon as we get home.

Happy Passover and Happy Easter to all.

We got a lot done today.

We got a lot done today.

John rowed, took boxes and glass to the Recycle Center, and took a box of books to McKay’s Used Books.

I went to the Y, and we all made it to coffee with the group. Jean and I picked up the quilt I had made from Allan’s rowing t-shirts, picked up the t-shirts I had made into jackets with ribbon trim, tried to early-vote (the office was closed because of Good Friday), went by the knit shop to look for needlepoint stuff for Jean, and went to Michael’s for some embroidery floss for her needlepoint.

And that was all by 1 p.m.

We capped off the day by meeting Tina, Carol and Stephen for dinner at Old Saigon, and some wine and talking back here afterwards.

We’ve all earned our sleep tonight.

Good day

Jean plus music at

Hunter Museum, eating

Mexican! Yum! Yum!

Concrete

We got the name of a contractor who does concrete stuff from a friend. We want to have the cracked sidewalk from the driveway to the front porch replaced, and to have it slope to the level of the porch, so there is no step.

The concrete guy came by this evening and we got an idea of what he can/will do, with some good input from him. We’re going to have him put in a handrail. We have to decide whether we want decorative/functional or just functional. The decorative railing will be about 3X cost of a pipe handicapped one, but would probably be worth it in the long run, since it’s on the front of the house.

We’ve looked at examples at the web site of the wrought iron fabricator and have picked out one we like. In either case, it’ll be set into the concrete, and about an additional foot into the ground below the concrete.

He has given us an estimate, and we’ll talk again about details and timing. We’ll aim for right after we get back from Hawaii.

Spring?

The redbud has bloomed.  The flowering crab is in bloom.  The pollen count is in the stratosphere.  The dogwoods are glorious!  Today John saw our spring visitors - the rose-breasted grosbeaks.


And yet the high today was in the mid-40s.  The low tonight is supposed to be 30 degrees or lower.


What???

Rainy Monday

Rain, cool. No eclipse

Here. Supper, leftovers made

New. Cards were so-so.

Happy Birthday, Pink!

We had a yard man come by to do the yard yesterday, and it looks great! It hasn’t looked this good in ages. He’s going to just come by and mow when it looks like it needs it, and then we’ll pay him. That’ll make things much easier.

Duplicate was okay last night. There were three tables. I don’t know how we did overall. My bidding was pretty bad, even though we’d talked about it before we went. The hands I played, I played very well (if I do say so myself). We were probably in the middle somewhere.
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13 April is always a special day. This is Pink’s birthday. 
Lydia Russell Wheeler (4-13-1908 - 8-20-1983)

Sunday Stealing

: Bonus Questions

What’s your favorite frozen treat on a stick?
        Currently, a chocolate-covered sprinkled with butter brickle ice cream from Weight-Watchers.
What’s your favorite lollipop?
       I haven’t had one in years, but I used to like the red ones.
When you passed notes during class in high school, who was mostly often the recipient?
       Probably Anne.
Who among your high school friends was the first to get his or her own car?
       Molly, who let me ride to school with her.
Who’s the black sheep in your family?
       I don’t think we had one - at least that I know of.
Who’s the family historian?
       I’m about the only one left, and unfortunately, I don’t know much of it.
What was the last thing you sprayed from a spray bottle?
      Probably water, at my painting class.
What was the last thing you sprayed from an aerosol can?
Canola oil on the skillet for our Friday breakfast.
When did you last make reservations for something?
       A few months ago for our trip to LA.
What’s your next upcoming appointment?
       An overdue massage, on Tuesday
What store’s departure from your preferred shopping mall most saddened you?
What’s good to eat at your preferred shopping mall?
What services (as opposed to goods) do you pay for at your preferred shopping mall?
What’s a store you’ve never been inside at your preferred shopping mall?
What kind of store would you most welcome in your preferred shopping mall?
           I haven’t been in a shopping mall in at least five years, so I have no way to answer the above questions.
What did you most recently purchase at an office supply store?
       I got something at Staples, but can’t remember what it was.
What did you most recently purchase at a book store?
      An e-book from Amazon
What did you most recently purchase at a drugstore?
      A prescription.
What did you most recently purchase at a convenience store?
       I don’t go to convenience stores.
What did you most recently purchase at a thrift shop?
      Mostly I take things to thrift shops, don’t buy stuff.

Fridays can be nice

It was the usual start to our Friday, but with a nice ending.

One of the best parts of the morning was getting our overdue haircuts. We were certainly getting shaggy, but I was trying to fit haircuts into the travel schedule. And we’ll probably be shaggy before our next haircuts, too. I guess this is a pretty small price for our easy-to-keep hairdos.

My current art teacher, Sandra Paynter Washburn, has a solo show at the Dalton Creative Arts Guild. Her opening reception was this evening. We met friends, Diane and Harry, at the opening, and then we went to a local Italian restaurant for dinner. What a pleasant evening. Diane and I are both scheduled for surgery soon, but we plan to get together to eat this summer.

The rain has just started and it should make for some nice sleeping.

Southwest comes through

Last year, on our return trip from Portland, Southwest Air had problems with airplanes and we (and others, of course) spent many hours in the Portland airport. For our troubles, SWA issued the passengers $100 vouchers on other SWA flights taken within the calendar year.

John made reservations for our upcoming flights to and from Los Angeles several months ago, but forgot to use the vouchers. Now it seems like we probably won’t be making other flights before the vouchers expire.

This afternoon, John called SWA to try to get the $100 vouchers applied to our already issued tickets as a refund.

Since this was happening on the phone, he expected that it would take quite a while. Somehow, he didn’t expect 1 ½ hours (with supper during that time), and three different phone calls.

The first folks he talked to kept telling him it couldn’t be done. He kept saying, “Surely it can. Let me talk to someone who can make it happen. We always travel Southwest, and they can always do it.” And the agent would say, “No, it can’t.” So, as his voice kept getting louder, he kept getting sent to the next person up the management chain.

And then, finally, he obviously got to the right person - the one who was able to accomplish this and to do all the steps required to do it. It wasn’t easy - things had to be done with tickets, vouchers, credit cards, reissuing this, changing that. John gave her huge amounts of praise and kept telling her to tell her supervisor that she had made at least one customer very, very happy. And that she had renewed his confidence in Southwest.

All’s well that ends well.

April Tuesday

A good night’s sleep works

Wonders. Shopping not too bad.

UConn Women won.

An early night

I’m going to bed early. I didn’t sleep well last night. I don’t know if it’s the rain and/or the cold front or what, but just about everything has been hurting today. I’m on my second dose of pain med, and I probably won’t even make half-time of the men’s final game.

Let’s all sleep well tonight.

Sunday Stealing

The For Old Times' Sake Meme

When was the last time you swam in a pool?
      Friday
Do you like to party?
      Depends on the occasion and the company. Not just to “party”.
Describe the shirt you're wearing?
      Old, pink, Lady Vols breast-cancer-awareness giveaway.
What is one feature film that you don't like?
      I see very few movies in the theater. I’ve always liked the ones I see.
Would people describe you as happy?
      I think so.
Sleep with or without clothes on?
      With
Does it bother you if people swear around you?
      Not particularly - it depends on the situation, the number of words, the people around.
Do you prefer Wednesdays or Thursdays?
      I’m retired - they’re all pretty much the same.
Like to travel?
      Love it!
Think you're attractive?
      Not particularly - just average.
Are or were you a good student?
      I was usually on the honor roll in high school.
Are you currently happy?
      Mostly - the physical problems are annoying.
Colored or black-and-white photo?
      Of what? It depends on the subject matter.
Do you consider yourself the life of the party?
      Definitely not.
Do you drink?
      I drink water and coffee, occasionally unsweet iced tea, rarely soft drinks.
Do you make fun of people?
       Maybe just teasing, and only in front of them and gently, so they know I love them.
Do you think dreams eventually come true?
      No.
Favorite fictional character?
      Atticus Finch.
Go to the movies or rent?
      Not much of either, but more likely to rent.
Have you ever moved?
      Yes, but not often - to Middle Tennessee in 1962, and to Chattanooga in 1986.
Have you ever stolen anything?
     Probably a piece of candy as a kid, but nothing more substantial.
How's the weather right now?
      Spring-like - raining.
Last time you cut your hair?
      Three weeks ago.
Last person you talked to on the phone?
      Tina.
Last time you showered?
      Yesterday.
Loud or soft music?
     Soft
McDonalds or Burger King?
      Of those two, Burger King. Five Guys and Fries would be my first choice.
Night or day?
      Depends on what I’m doing.
Number of pillows?
     Two
Piano or guitar?
     I have taken lessons on both, but can’t really play either. I enjoy listening to both.
Current longing?
      To have all my parts working and not hurting.
Current disappointment?
      That I have to have this surgery done.
Current annoyance?
      See above.
Last thing you ate?
      Summer rolls from the local Vietnamese restaurant.
Last thing you bought?
      A cover/stand for my iPad from Woot.
Pick a lyric, any lyric or a song...
      “Follow the yellow brick road”
Pick a movie quote...
      “There’s no place like home!”

Getting things done

It’s amazing that we both accomplished things today.

John went to the boat house and spent several hours getting the club boats rigged for the season.

This was the weekend to get lasagna made. I had gotten the ingredients on Tuesday, and we’d gotten the Bambi-burger into the refrigerator to thaw. The process wound up taking all day. It’s gotten to where I can only stand up to work for about 20-30 minutes, and then I have to sit down for about 10-15 minutes. So I’ve learned to do what I can until the pain says “sit down, you fool!”, and then I sit down.

But, without making too big a mess, I managed to come up with six pretty nice-looking pans of lasagna. John got them in the freezer, and once they’re solidly frozen, we’ll get them stored properly.

And we finished off the evening watching the men’s semi-final games. Congratulations to Connecticut and Kentucky. John and Margaret will be heading to Nashville tomorrow for the women’s semis.

Rainy Friday

Swim cut short, lightning.

Still had coffee. Quilt ordered.

Lunch, Vicki. Good day!

Miscellany

I did get two things done today. I went through some of Allan's rowing t-shirts. We're going to have a quilt made from them for Tina. I'll try to get them to the quilt shop tomorrow. And I found a recipe and cooked some lamb ribs for supper. Wayne got us half-a-lamb last fall, and this is the first I've fixed of it. It was delicious! Click here for the recipe I used.

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Has anybody out there taken black cohosh for hot flashes? Somebody mentioned that John might try that. I thought I'd get him some at the herb shop tomorrow - just as a trial.

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I found it interesting (if patronizing) that, at the news conference this afternoon about the awful Fort Hood shooting, the general found it necessary to mention several times that the hero of the event was the "female MP". He also mentioned a medic, but didn't feel the need to mention the gender of the medic. Is that too nit-picky of me?

That's what friends are for

We spent the morning at Tina’s, giving her moral and emotional support while the co-executor and accountant went through some of Allan’s papers. The will has finally been filed for probate and things are moving along, but it’s certainly traumatic for her. We weren’t here for his final illness and death, so we’re trying to give her as much support as we can now. I only hope we can continue to do so as time goes on.