1/21/16

Wow! What a good sleep I had. At 6:30 I was ready for my DSO.

First on our list was Mike & Alice's garage sale. I bought 6 Williams Sonoma Ramekins for $3 ... which should sell on eBay for $18-22 ... That's a good profit for shopping at our local humane society store! Heehee. I also scored a bag of hangers for them.

Today's excitement was cleaning the Sunroom windows. All the sheer curtains came down for washing; Mark washed the outside while I worked inside. What perfect weather for that job!

At 5:30, Lew arrived home from his part-time job and joined us for happy hour on our front porch. Eventually, Lynn arrived home from work and came over for a glass of wine as well. Meanwhile, Robbie was sitting on a highchair joining in. LOL - we're officially nuts. Haha. 

I talked to Bonnie tonight, confirming our travel plans to T-town. Timichael (OKC) called to bring us up to date on his divorce proceedings. We feel bad for him in this predicament. 

That was our day. How was your Thursday? 

Luncheon 1/20/16

Good morning. It's ladies luncheon today at 1884 in Eustis. Sharon picked me up at 11 o'clock along with Carol and Anita. We noticed a strange white Chevy car driving up and down my street. We were suspicious and stopped to ask them if they needed help finding an address. They said they had just found it and we're parked in front of Helen's. Well we continue to talk about it and the subject came up of the person who came to Carol's door so weeks ago at 1 o'clock in the morning. Anyway, we arrived at 1884 and went in and met everyone for lunch. Our waitress Tracy?, was fantastic. The food was excellent and she took a cute picture of us all. The Horshoe shaped table set up was perfect for us. 

Of course, we were the noisiest group there. The lady on the front left of the photo reminds me of my sister Sue ... and her name is Julie. Can you believe we have a group with two redheads! 

On our way back from lunch, we spotted the same car in the neighborhood and grew more suspicious. Anita tried to jot down the plate as we slowly cruised by, eyeballing them. They were talking to a woman in a white pick up truck. We drove further down Pine Island and then decided to turn around and get the entire plate number of the white Chevy. Just as we did that, the white Chevy took off around the corner heading to the highway. Then, about the same time, the white truck started coming towards us. Sharon turned her car around and we began to follow the white truck. Hell yeah! We were for detectives on a mission. Well, we cornered the white truck driver on Cedar and asked what she was doing in our neighborhood. She said she ran a cleaning service. Then Sharon asked how she knew the people in the white Chevy. She explained that they worked for her. Mystery solved? We really weren't buying the whole story because the man, in the passenger seat of the white Chevy, reminded Carol of the one who came to her door that night! "See something - say something." We

do. LOL

Meanwhile, Randy and Scott arrived to look at a lawnmower for sale at our neighbor's. Mark walked over with them and Randy bought it along with the dock box that Mike and Alice had for sale. Mark and I will go over there tomorrow for their garage sale! So, Randy and Scott have gone to take their loot home and then come back here to use our Internet to set up his "fit" watch. So far, it's been a busy day. 

6:30 and we're sitting by the fire with Randy & Scott. They're working on loading the Fit App onto Randy's phone. Mark and I are just chilling tonight. No plans for us. Dawn is at work til 8 ... Sue & Wayne went to the Elks for their dinner tonight. 

So that's it for today. Ta ta. 

Microwave 1/19/16

Good day! We're feeling spry at 10 o'clock this morning. LOL yes, we are later than usual getting up. It was 130 before we went to bed last night.

Our first stop of the day will be to our post office to mail a shower curtain I sold on eBay. $24 Ka-Ching! Actually, the month of January has been pretty good for eBay sales. (December was dreadful.) After that stop, we are on our way to Orlando to install the over the range, microwave. That shouldn't take long at all.

At the post office, we saw our neighbors Linda & Alice. They were off on a shopping trip while Jack & Mike went golfing. Alice said Cheri removed the metal tabs from her brown mailing envelope as it saved 22 cents. It's a discount the post office gives ... so remove the metal tabs!

This evening, we're invited to Randy and Dawn's for pizza. We're bringing a key lime pie ... yummy!

When we arrived at the Orlando House, I checked for leaks; Under the cabinet sinks etc. and this time I found one! The faucet in the guest bathroom has been leaking when it is turned on. Of course with the main water off, we haven't seen a leak. But, when the granite and kitchen cabinets were installed, the crew was  washing up in the bathroom sink. Well, it was wet underneath. So, Mark was off to Lowe's for a new faucet. Meanwhile, I finished the painting around the cabinets where Mark had repaired a kitchen cabinet install ding with drywall mud, and along the side of the dishwasher where they had dinged the molding. After that, it was a thorough vacuuming of the entire house. 

It looks as if water has been leaking for years!

The microwave oven install went very well. In fact, we got it on the back bracket first time. Yay!

It was a very snug fit ... and looks fantastic!

We were completely finished with the Orlando house by 230. On the way home, we stopped for chocolate milkshakes, a rather celebratory event. Ha ha. 

When we arrived at Randy's and Dawn's, Randy was half in the bag from pouring his own bloody Caesar. Pizzas were slightly delayed, as cheese had been forgotten! Ha. Dawn saved the day by looking in the fridge before everything went into the oven. We may do with more wine and beer. While we were waiting, Dawn made baby beers for everyone! That was just what we needed. The pizzas were excellent ... Hawaiian with turkey ham and vegetable with extra cheese. We also had a Caesar salad and Keylime pie for dessert. It was perfect. Scott asked a few questions about eBay which brought us around to the topic of Randy's Harley Davidson overalls.  Randy had donated them to Shih Tsu rescue, and they sold. Well, of course, Scott had to hear the entire story. After that, we phoned Sue with a funny ditty about selling them. Actually, it ended up being a video to her. We had more fun doing it.

Red headed Scott & crew. LOL

Monday 1/18/16

Hello sunshine! Yes, it's in the 50's but still a good start for a mid-January morning. 

Lew phoned quite early ... barking dogs woke him at 3:30 but we didn't hear anything (Robbie isn't a barker!) Another side to Lew's phone call was that our neighbor, Bill, IS ALIVE!  Last week, another person with the same name and even the same middle initial passed away in the same city. What are the odds? Anyway, Lynn phoned Carol to give her regards and Carol said, "Bill is alive!" LOL  She had numerous calls, sympathy cards and emails. 

It was a very busy afternoon. Mark tidied the side yard from all our assorted projects and put away his hunting equipment. I had just finished putting three new listings on eBay when Randy called. We decided on dinner at IchiBan and Mexican Dominoes later. 

Mark gave Robbie a quick haircut and bath, as I vacuumed and made ready for company. 

Randy, Dawn and Scott arrived for a drink about 5, then it was off to supper about 6 o'clock. Dawn and I played a trick on Randy with his fortune cookie. When he was getting dessert for Dawn, I read my fortune and then passed it over to Dawn. When Randy came back, he opened his fortune cookie and Dawn offered to read his fortune for him. I said that I bet I knew what it said. Well when Dawn read out what I had said, Randy thought it was great that I knew. LOL. We had to tell him I wasn't psychic like his auntie Glady. 

Mark was the big winner tonight, with Scott in second place. We had plenty of laughs, and a couple of drinks. Of course Robbie sat on a high bar stool, table height for him, and watched. He's such a good boy! We hope he will enjoy having Belize in our home. 

Mark, Robbie & Randy ... Mexican Dominoes night. 

Everyone left at 11 and we tidied the place then made ready for work in Orlando tomorrow morning. The microwave arrived today, 3 days early! Sweet. 

Birthdays 1/17/16

Good morning from sunny Central Florida. LOL ... Our weather radio alarm sounded at 12:30 AM. It sits on the lower shelf of Mark's nightstand. He abruptly awoke, not knowing where the sound was coming from! So, he rolled over and tried to go back to sleep! I put my nightstand light on and tried to coach him to push the "bar". Well, that didn't make much sense. Finally, I turned the TV on to find there was a tornado warning for everywhere EXCEPT Lake County. We did get heavy rain, apparently, and wind. This morning, we were laughing about it and Mark said he thought it was the alarm clock and he had to get up for work! I suppose the weather radio needs to be on my side of the bed. 

Today is my cousin Elliott Tawns' 20th birthday. We wish him the very best for the coming years. Also, it is my late sister Linda's birthday. Sad that she's gone too soon. We miss her every day. 😢

It was the final day to remove hunting equipment from the Ocala Forest. Lew and Mark left at 9 to pick up their tree stands. On the way back from that task, Randy called to ask Mark to help with a project. Dawn had an opportunity to acquire a curio display cabinet from work. It was the perfect color scheme for Randy's garage, orange and black. Randy popped in for a visit (mainly to see Robbie!) about noon, and then the two of them took the Mounty to pick up the cabinet. Scott was supposed to arrive last night, and would have been pressed into service for the pickup. Randy was quite sure Scotty would come in before 3 o'clock as Gator Harley has a 30% off sale on that ends today. Apparently, Scott has a laundry list of things he wants for his bike! 

I saw this picture online and it made me think of our Candy Bear. Actually though, she was a very good girl. Another English Springer Spaniel that I had, Freddie Farkle, was "the" escape artist. 

Freddie could scale any fence! I nicknamed him Houdini Hound. LOL. 

It's evening now and the fireplace is lit ... just a small fire tonight. Ha! Mark doesn't do small fires. Stay cozy. Ta ta. 

 

Orlando Delivery -1/16/16

It's an early start to our Saturday. The clock radio woke us at 5 ... and Mr. Bear was wandering our street. Mark and Robbie saw big wet tracks all about our road. 

Minutes after we arrived at the house, the delivery truck pulled up ... even before Home Depot's warning call. Good service. Mark began the install while I sorted the paperwork for the future homeowner. 

The dishwasher install went as easy as one could expect through the new garbage disposal. The icemaker water line wasn't so simple. The new fittings didn't match with the old fittings in the house. Mark went to Home Depot, but they didn't have the right part (sold out) so he was off to Lowe's. Meanwhile, I had touch up painting to do around the cabinets after John's install.

The stainless appliances ... all hooked up and looking great! The over the range microwave is on back order until next Thursday. So we tidied up and headed home at 1:30. I had a coupon for Hardees so we stopped and ordered two - 1/2 pound steak burgers for lunch/supper. Wow, they were awesome! Yes, we ordered fries to share with Robbie. He also had some lettuce and a little bun from our burgers.

Randy called about 330 and came for a pop in visit on the bike. He had just put a new battery in and wanted to test it. We sat on the front porch to wait for him, Robbie and I. 

Robbie with his uncle Randy on the motorcycle. Cute cute cute! Both of them, LOL. 

The house in the background behind Robbie's ears should be up for sale very soon. Our neighbor Bill passed away after spending 4 months in a nursing home. It's a canal front property with a fenced lot and boat dock. (I know the neighborhood is a fun place to live!)

Mark had two football games that needed to be watched. LOL  Then we got into Dateline, a two hour special. Somehow, that ended up being our entire evening. Not too exciting was it? Ta ta til tomorrow. 

Mid-January 1/15/16

How're your new year resolutions? Mine are on track ... 

Today was forecast with 50 MPH winds, possible tornadoes and heavy rain. So, we planned a hunker-down kind of day. ⛈

That didn't last. Once the rain moved out, we felt restless and ready to do something fun. I phoned Randy, knowing Dawn was at work. The storm had been a non-event there too. We decided on practice bowling at 1 o'clock today. Practice bowling means, try anything, there's no gutter ball fund box to pay. LOL. Today, I shall work on form, and nothing else. What I have found in the past, if my form is good, my bowling improves. 

January 6, we had Robbie in for a dental. All was well, but here we are a few days later treating an ear infection. When he was in for the dental, they cleaned his ears and apparently didn't dry them properly! The poor guy was trying to tell us something was bothering him. Mark discovered crustiness in his ear while brushing him last night. Fortunately, we had Panalog on hand. I don't think it's available in the United States, but Canada uses it. He was quite comical, with his head tilted sideways and feeling very bad for himself ... and mad at both of us. Poor guy. We tried all the usual bribes, but Robbie hid behind the recliner chair. Today, he was fine, but we had to treat his ear again. We know ear infections aren't cured in one dose. 

I just read online that Rick and Ruth had terrible weather at the boat. Here, the sun is shining and it's 74F. Soon the front will be offshore and kaput.  

We had a blast bowling, as usual. Randy and I shared the big "L" but we all had very good games.

Just look at Randy's grimace. Hilarious! LOL

Not only do we have a gutter ball fee of $1 ... but we pass around the "L" ... "Loser!" LOL. Rough crowd. (Scott E arrives late Saturday ... so it just might be breakfast out Sunday, followed by bowling!)

We've all had better bowling games but felt we did okay. If you base it all on fun, it was a winner-day. (Dawn didn't need the practice ... she was ace last Wednesday night!)

After dinner of pork fried rice, Mark and I played 3 rounds of Rummikub ... to be continued another evening. 

Robbie came into the Sunroom and stood up ... wanting to join us. Mark sat him on a high barstool. Sweet guy. 

That's it for today. It's time to watch the evening news and chill out. It's going to be an early morning as we're meeting the appliance delivery at the Orlando house. Ta ta.