Grab The Maps

Tioga George is down in Guatamala and I'm still here in my little town.  He's seeing some of the world while I see my backyard.  Old Fat Man and Billie Bob are cruising around in TX. The Miranda team is in Canada.  I could get depressed but I'm trying to stay optimistic. See my smile??!! Things could be a lot worse.  But I have the hitch-itch - BAD.  The Sweetz and I finally came to an understanding yesterday that we'd go somewhere - maybe only for a short stretch, but at least we could get away.  Sweeeet!  Seems although the winter was milder, we still hunkered here with an eye out for spring.  Our little camper isn't designed for cold weather,

so guess it was best to stay in the house till spring springs.  OK, I'll try to have a better attitude, but it's HARD to be sweet and kind all the time!!

We are going to see the tax man this morning.  Joy of all joy$!!  Time to pay the piper. Then we'll swing by for mom and head to the big city to meet Brian for lunch.  Hope we have a few pennies left in our pockets to pay for our meals after we dig deep to keep the piper happy. Brian wants to treat his grandma to a birthday lunch and it's been nearly impossible to get everyone's schedules meshed.  He'll be on his lunch hour so we won't be able to see the rest of the family because of school and work, but we'll catch up with them another time.

The skies are overcast and some sprinkles are messing up my desire for a warm and sunny spring day.  Today is Feb 29 and it's a leap year which only comes one out of four years.  That's right, isn't it?  After all, it's been YEARS since I've thought about leap year.  Anyhow, why is it called Leap Year anyway?  Maybe I should trying leaping around today!  Naaah, I'd probably break a leg...  

Our betta doesn't seem to be acting right.  Haven't seen Al eat for a few days. Is there a vet who'll see a betta????    

And What About Those Projects?

Today was a day for repairs.  I repaired a multi-picture frame, a chair, and a loose drawer.  Those simple things give me pleasure knowing that they are repaired and can continue to be useful.

At some point a few weeks ago I purchased a Polish sausage which has been patiently waiting in the freezer.  Today was the day that it saw the beauty of the day, but only for a little while.  I pan-seared slices in my cast iron skillet and then threw in some onions, peppers, and celery.  I served them over squiggily egg noodles with a side of buttered steamed cabbage.  Sweetz and I both thought the lupper was good enough to be entered under the Memorable Meals division.  I'm not sure where the inspiration came from but it was a great meal.  No pictures, we ate it too quickly.  There are some leftovers, but probably not enough for a double serving so I'll have to complement it with something else in the Fast and Fabulous division tomorrow.

During the morning I started a load of laundry and at some point Sweetz was nice enough to transfer the clothes to the dryer.  Wow, wasn't that nice?  During the years I worked outside the home and he had a home business, he assumed some of the household chores to help me.  Since I quit my job a couple of years ago, he has enjoyed being the supreme pampered male, but he's reverted to helping with some of the indoor chores.  How nice!  A bit later I
walked into the laundry room and there he was smirking at me as he bent over pulling clothes out of the dryer.  And he already had a pile of clothes he had folded.  I just might have to keep this guy!

Sounds like I am procrastinating with the 3 major home projects already on my list.  Like I would forget!  Paint the downstairs hall, repair/replace the ceramic tub tile in the blue bathroom, and hang new kitchen wallpaper. And I haven't completed any of those! What is my problem?!?!?!  Maybe I can start tomorrow.  YEAH... something about...always delay til tomorrow what you don't want to do today - or is it - do tomorrow what doesn't interest you today... YEAH, tomorrow sounds like a good time to start. 

4x6

Mom and I ate lunch at a local diner today - they have the bestest in the world food you know!  Well, everything I've ever eaten there is awesome.  I chose the unhealthy fried chicken special.  It was delicious.  Ate it all - and it was a 3 napkin meal. Didn't need any dessert, I was full as a tick when I finished the lunch.

Mom has been wanting more of the pictures from her 90th birthday reception so off we went to the local Wal-Mart.  It does seem that she certainly enjoyed herself and is so thrilled to see the pictures over and over again. I'm glad we did it and know she's that proud of it.  She called tonight to say she had looked and looked at the pictures she bought today.  Our son had taken a few pictures so we printed some of those plus a few more of the ones that Linda and I took.  She's planning to give each of the ladies some of the pictures that they're in.  Thought that was a neat idea.  But she still wants a few more, ok, that's fine - we'll head back another day to print those too.   

I'm hoping the front has moved on past us finally.  The wind has been strong now for two days and nearly whipped us both on our rears as we walked out of Wal-Mart today.  Funny how the wind can surprise you when you aren't thinking about it.  Sweetz thinks he can make it to church tomorrow, hope he feels better soon.  And I certainly hope he doesn't have a relapse being out in the cold air.  Well, he might change his mind by tomorrow morning.  So, we'll just have to play it by ear. 

Today we got the plumber's bill.  Let's just say I'm still in shock.  You'd think someone here had brain surgery with that total at the bottom!!  Cough, choke.  Think they'd be interested in my help organizing their shop in exchange for reducing this bill?!! Or maybe we won't eat for 6 months... Sweetz said our trip west might just be to the western side of our state...

Front Came Through the Back

It was another beautiful day today - actually went up to 80* today!  Amazing weather!!  I sat outside on the front porch and enjoyed the sun awhile, but the wind picked up and then a front came cruising in to ruin my grand day.  I had some of my plants outside to enjoy the spring-like temps so had to rush them inside.  I was able to stay outside on the porch until the wind pushed the rain in my face so went inside. Another minute and I would have been drenched to the bone. Limbs from our poplar trees were popping off and dropping in the front yard and I wasn't sure if I'd live to see morning if I didn't get inside.  The wind has been howling ever since and the temps are dropping to a more seasonal range for the next week so Mr. Weatherperson announced today. 

Went to visit one of our neighbors today and while we chatted we decided we'd visit another neighbor who has cancer.  Although she's still moving around quite well, things don't seem to be going well with her treatments, seems the cancer has spread.  We thought it would be nice to visit her since she seems to spend so much time alone these days.

Sounds like the wind has finally died down.  Ooooh, that silence is such a sweet sound.  Spoke too soon, it's still there, just must have been taking a breather to catch me off guard.  Whosh, wonder if we'll have a roof by morning?       

Beauty and the Beast

8am
Yesterday morning was a beauty - all sunny and warm so out I went to do a bit of snipping. It seemed impossible to stay indoors. Even the hydrangeas got their old blooms decapitated.  A couple of weeks ago I pruned the butterfly bushes and lo and behold I notice they are popping out with green shoots up and down the remaining stems.  The forsythia branches I'm forcing inside are popping with color now too.  All promises of spring.

But something happened in the afternoon:  my sunny day disappeared and in it's place the sky became overcast.  Within minutes of crawling into bed last night, the house rumbled after a huge noise erupted and the sky burst into a light show.  Time for a winter thunderstorm!  It only lasted maybe 15 minutes but the wind blew, the house creaked, things rattled on the walls and in cabinets, the windows burst with violent lightning, and then the rain poured.  Now where did THAT come from??  I turned on the TV and the local weatherman was asking the same question and seemed baffled as well.  

Sweetz is still suffering from his head cold so he's been resting most of the time.  I'm playing nursemaid, and since I draw the line with him coming into the kitchen, I have to keep his glass and snack dish refilled.  Of course, there's no help with meals or cleanup now either. Bummer. That's ok, he'd do the same for me. Ummmm, he would, wouldn't he???

Today is supposed to be in the 70s!!!  Gracious, that's a huge difference from our usual February temps.  But I'll take these sweet days anytime.  Sweetz received his broccoli and cabbage plants he ordered from a seed company and now is chomping at the bit to get them planted.  Our pea seeds have not come up so he'll have to replant them.  But he doesn't mind...he loves all that garden time. 

I have an errand list that keeps growing so need to head out this morning to cross some of those off.  The most important item on the list is to pay the car insurance which is due tomorrow.  Since it wasn't mailed, I'll have to head to the local office to pay it.  I'm sure the stamp would have been cheaper than the gas to town. Duh!  Ya'll behave until I get back now...

  

Impressed

5pm
Sometimes the wanderlust hits hard, but doesn't seem to hit as hard on me MainGuy.  We want to see the west but Sweetz says it will be on a bus tour.  I want to be wrapped snug in the RV, our own schedule, our own bed.  Gracious, who will win this one?  What can I say?  I married a conservative guy and he thinks the old wheeler isn't to be trusted.  She's not a young gal, but doesn't have many miles on her tread.  

I enjoy reading the blogs of the wandering ones, spending lots of pleasant hours living through their lives and experiences.  Some are so handy with things like making adjustments and mods to their campers - even to the point of electrical repairs.  I'm certainly impressed. 



  

It Was Pretty

It's white, white, white here.  Very pretty to look at, but the sun is shining brightly and the white, white, white is now falling from the trees and also melting off the roads.  Oh, but it is still beautiful...for now...but it's still early in the morning. 

8pm:
Looks like we received about 3 inches or so of snow yesterday and it was a beautiful winter wonderland here until about noon.  No ice fell on the trees or power lines so that's a good thing.  It's a dry snow so it fell quickly from any spot above ground level when the sun hit it this morning.  There is some snow left on the ground, but it's off the roads and trees now.  With tomorrow's temps, it looks like the remainder of the snow will melt fairly quickly.  Glad I got out early this morning to take a few pictures before it started melting. 

My dear Sweetzy Poo made a "little boo boo" in the bathtub plumbing redo today.  He was trying to help, he really was!!!  BUT, he screwed right into a water pipe and then he had to turn off the water to the whole house and call the plumbers back for visit #3. He must have been embarrassed, but he bravely faced the music.  After they left he patched the hole with the piece of sheetrock I had cut and it fit perfectly.  This time he carefully noted the path of the water pipes prior to his screwing the sheetrock to avoid making the same mistake again.  I wonder if the plumbers were laughing all the way back to their shop.  Whatever.  We are doomed to make mistakes in this life but we now have three plumbing bills to pay in just one month.  Yipe$$.  When does the fun start?  

I started cleaning the rescued blue tiles and I found I have only 9 full tiles to work with.  Yeah, the plumbers said they broke 4. HAHA  What year of elementary math did they complete??!! Only NINE whole tiles and lots of room for something else to substitute to completely re-tile the area. I like things done well but this is really going to be a challenge. I will have to be a magician to fix this.  Wonder if I could use smoke and mirrors to reflect blue tiles from another area?  But fix it I must whether it looks natural or not.  If they had left me the broken tiles, I might have been able to salvage enough to come up with something creative.  But my solution will now be bordering on miraculous.  Any ideas out there from my followers in cyberland??

Brian called on the phone this morning and we talked for hours.  About what you ask?  Well, this, that, and the other, of course. Mother/son discussions can range from informational to the funny and back. We are trying to come up with another date to get together for lunch.  Those are always nice times.  He still loves his job while my DIL continues to look for another temp or FT job. The boys are doing fine in school and their extracurricular activities.

I got a text from the GA son this morning letting me know he heard we got snow -- while they were enjoying 61* weather. Talk about rubbing it in.     

The White Varieties

Today began with the white stuff falling from the skies which was anywhere from snow to rain and everything inbetween.  It tickled the desire to see some of the white stuff and finally late in the afternoon we finally got the promised snow.  I was actually thinking the weathermen were fantasizing about snow falling, but they were actually right.  It was pretty and I got outside a bit to try to capture some decent pictures before the light was gone.  

In the meantime I've entertained myself with reading and snippets of TV, but mostly cruising the internet.  I checked out some of the history and life in New Zealand.  Very interesting to read of their lifestyle, animals, homes, food, etc.  Since NZ is adjacent to Australia, I browsed some of that country too and then finished my world tour with Canada.  Wonder where I will cybercruise next?  It's interesting to read about other countries and how they differ from life here.  Of course, our life is rapidly changing here in the US, but so much of the change I'm not convinced is the best for us.   Ah, but that's another blog for another day.

I finished the book I had started but haven't started another one.  It was book #2 in a series so since I don't have #3, it is anyone's bet what will happen to the characters.  The book didn't end with any finality so I'm sure I will have to read the third book in that series to settle all the issues.  Let's hope the library has the needed book on the shelf when I return these books.  And of course, I need to remember which book I wanted. So many books - so little time. 

Sweetz is still suffering from a bad head cold.  I try to keep his germy hands out of the kitchen.  Guess what he wanted for supper?  Ice cream!  Easy peasy, I'd say.



    

Snug as a Bug in a Rug

Saturday:  A day comparable to five other days of the week with Sunday being the one exception.  Whew, gotta love not working.  Been there, done that, paid those dues. 

Sweet One has come down with the crud, that nasty stuff up in the head.  He didn't sleep well last night and finally moved to another bed.  Maybe tonight I will sleep in another bedroom.  This gunk is certainly not something I'd like him to share with me. 

I worked on the pattern for the bathtub tile repair job.  The work can progress once I figure out a decent pattern - but honestly...no pattern really works when you can't find matching tiles.  I seem to prefer the border piece at the top of my area with alternating blue and brown tiles below it.  

Some of my day was spent soaking and cleaning old sheetrock off the back of the rescued blue tiles.  Such fun.  And now my hands are dry and sensitive.  There must be some gloves for tiling people, but surely I can put up 21 pieces without them.  Sweetz has the sheetrock in and it's snug as a bug in a rug.  After I have finalized the tile pattern, it's a matter of snipping a few pieces and adhering them to the sheetrock with tile adhesive.  They dry.  I grout.  I smile forever.  Now, doesn't that sound easy peasy!!! Stay tuned for future grumbling entries.  You know nothing ever goes smoothly so this will be no exception, but I'm willing to give it my best efforts. The  roughest part will be snipping the tiles to fit around the plumbing fixtures. I'm holding my breath that I don't crack any blue tiles during the snipping stage.     

No other projects saw my pretty face today.  I just wasn't in the mood to work on anything.  After all, it's Saturday and it's my day off!  Tomorrow is Sunday and I'm not sure I will tackle getting out to church alone with the rain, wintry mix, and snow the weatherman predicts.  Might stay home snug as a bug in a rug and let the white stuff decide what it wants to do.  I'm getting too old to be out and about on slippery roads. After all, age has its privileges.   

Shades Of Blue

Mom completed this needlepoint footstool cover and gave it to me last night.  Today I stapled it onto the padded top of a footstool kit...

...and NOW I am the proud owner of a beautiful footstool in my living room.  Just think, my 90yo mom did this intricate floral design in needlepoint!  

Sweetz and I went to Lowes this morning and bought a piece of sheet rock plus some the other needed supplies in order to begin work on several of our DIY home projects.  With the template the plumber left for us, I cut a new piece of 3/8" sheet rock and was able to transfer the placement for the four holes.  Seems we have misplaced our 1.25" hole maker so we'll buy a new one tomorrow and get this baby screwed in the bathroom "hole" left by the plumbers. Then I'll be ready to retile. 

And these are the rescued tiles left by the plumber after he broke four of them.  We looked for this baby blue tile today while we were in our local Lowes Home Improvement store with no success.  After all, this shade IS 40 years old.  I plan to head to a specialty tile store tomorrow to buy a few coordinating colored tiles since I doubt I can find a perfect match.  I'm hoping I can use some of these light blue ones mixed with a new color/s in order to make an interesting design that won't be yelling "I'm replacement tiles because the plumbers broke some of my brothers".  

We bought a bamboo commode seat/cover today and Sweetz already has that installed.  Isn't he a sweetz!  Maybe we will so admire the new wooden seat that we won't notice the huge gaping hole in the middle of the blue tile tub surround.  Yeah right!

I also bought some grass cloth wallpaper for the kitchen redo.  But that's for another day...and another blog. 

Don't rush me...I can only do one thing at a time!

My library books are due tomorrow so I need to remember to take them back while out on my wanderings. Perhaps I should send myself a message/reminder to my phone!!  After all that's what technology is for...   

Ol' Sol

3pm
Tis a beautiful sunny day, and I've spent it inside more than I should. After all, days like these are precious.  What's wrong with me??? I need to head outside!!!  OK, I'll be back later...

Later
Yep, I found some things to do outside and it was a GORGEOUS day.  I'm really really really going to be spoiled rotten with this mild winter we've had this year.

I made a pot of spaghetti sauce...and yep - it was delicious. 

Luuuuuvvvv Day

It's LUV Day!  Or whatever you want to call it.  Wives and girlfriends just love the attention from their sweeties.  And my Mr. Sweetz was happy with his attention.  I bought him some rare coins since he has recently stumbled into coin collecting.  Oh, he's still small time collecting, but he's happy and that's one of the major goals in life.  He gave me a novel, some nuts, and two heart boxes of candy.  Guess he doesn't remember that I don't care that much for chocolate.  Right!!!! I know... I know...he KNOWS it and remembers it well: just his way of getting chocolate to eat.  In fact, in a few days the candy will be just a memory!  That's ok, I don't need the extra calories anyway. And he will be happier eating the candy than me. 

We went out to eat at a local seafood restaurant tonight with my mom.  Seafood isn't my favorite, so I opted tonight for a chopped sirloin with baked potato and salad instead.  Quite good.  Our waiter was right on top of everything too which always pleases me to have one who cares to make the meal memorable for the diners.  We have two favorite waiters and we try to alternate between the two of them. We saw lots of people we knew and it was nice to chat a bit with most of them. 

Now, do I go hide one or both of the boxes of candy???  Naaah, I'll let Sweetz eat all he wants.  And wonder how long I should keep the Valentine decor out?  Won't be long before St. Pat's Day and we'll have the green things out to help cheer up the end of winter.   

Calgon, Take Me Away

11:00 am
The plumber team returned this morning about 8:30 with the appropriate bathtub fixture kit.  All started fine, then went downhill fast.  They are now coming in with tools of all shapes and sizes.  Crazy noises are coming from the bathroom sounding like drills, vacuums, screechy wrenches, tools dropping, ripping sounds.  The worst sign...they are now keeping the bathroom door closed, even when they both go outside.  And they aren't talking to me at this point.  I'm not talking either, trying to maintain some patience and understanding.  I'm thinking the worst and now might have to look up the phone number of Beautiful Bathrooms After Plumbers Leave to see if we can have our bathroom repaired.  I'm sure it will never be ready for a magazine spread but just decent would be nice.  Well, it's an old house and they are usually not the cheapest to repair.  Nope, I haven't peeked in the bathroom.  No reason at this point since I don't want to have to call 911.  Trying to be patient. 

Simple Winter Pleasures

It's BRRRRrrry cold here.  Well, for me, at least.  I'm a Southern gal at heart with the love of warmth flowing through my veins.  Oh well, I must take some cold occasionally to appreciate the warm days. 

We are going to church this morning and then eating lunch with some friends.  This evening we plan to meet our son and family for supper and then attend their church where our two grandsons will be baptized.  We're so pleased we have been invited to attend this  special moment in their lives.  It would be wonderful to get a few good pictures but I'll be happy just to be there.

I fixed two bags of goodies for the boys with some treats and interesting things.  Should keep them busy and interested in something besides their handheld games - at least for a few minutes.  It's hard to complete with those electronic toys even for a bit of conversation as they have gotten older. Well, I must admit a good book and the internet are tough for me to give up too. 

Speaking of such, I read for 3 hours last night and it barely seemed like 15 minutes!!  Unbelievable how a good book can grab you.  Well, it has to be a GOOD book.  Some I've read lately haven't been worthy of much brain time.  Some I struggled to finish and some I threw back in the library book bag without a second thought. There are many more books at the library, checking them out to read is free, and gives me a day to head to the library to browse the stacks in order to pick out just the perfect books to read. One never knows what will be found between the covers, but most that end up coming home with me are good choices. 

We have a woodstove and it's been churning out some wonderfully warm air.  We have gas heat which we use too but the woodstove warms the air like no other heat will do.  Helps reduce the gas bill too. Wonder if we could make S'mores inside????  

Straight As A Stick

Another day in the life of a quitee, just a few more weeks before I am a full-fledged retiree. Documentation did not arrive today for the additional two pages that must be completed from my previous workplace.  What we won't do for a small stack of quarters!

Speaking of quarters, hubby has a new hobby of collecting old coins.  He informed me today that wants to purchase some sort of special on old quarters - or did he say nickels?  Whatever, not my thing.  But he's inspired and it's ok as long as it does not deplete my own stack of quarters. 

I had a hair appointment this morning deciding it was time for a new Scissor Lady.  Went back to a former scissorsnipper.  She's sweet and holds a degree in scissor efficiency.  She was showing me the uneven previous snipping.  It nearly hurt to watch. But the hair is cut (evenly this time).  It's straight, except for some angling toward the face.  It's ok, but I will have to learn to do this straight thing she did with it. Mr. Sweetz likes it and since it pleases me to please him, I will remain straight...well, and that too. 

Mom came for a visit this afternoon as I was saving her birthday pictures to a memory card.  She sat and watched me finish and then we chatted awhile then headed out for dinner.  Sweetzie Poo decided to remain home this time.  Mom/daughter time is a good thing.  She wants to print another set of the pictures, stating she would never turn 90 again so we'll hit the local drugstore photo kiosk one day soon.  A friend of hers died yesterday and the funeral will probably be Sunday afternoon.  We had previously made some plans for Sunday evening but it still might work out that she can attend both. 

Plumber's Tape

2:24pm
Tape, wrenches, pipes, silicon, attachments, and all those specialty plumbing tools are all scattered over the kitchen floor.  The sink is out on the floor.  All this for a leak!!!!  And a bill, always a bill. 

The guys are helpful and seem very thorough, willing to do all we need.  We decided we would ask them to exchange the shower handles in one of the bathrooms while they are here.  Oh boy, we might need to mortgage the house to pay for all this.  OK, what is that strange hissing noise?  A heat gun or plumbers torch.  Yipes, FIRE.  Surely they know what they are doing!  Smoke alarm is wide open!  Doors are open, windows are cracked.  Now, he's fanning in front of the alarm to get it to quit. It's LOUD!!  Whew, finally........ ahhhh...silence prevails.  That thing is so sensitive - but I'm actually thankful for its sensitivity.  OK, everything is under control...he's holding tools again - the repair job continues.......

3:30pm
They left to get a needed part:  old house = old plumbing. They're back now.  New parts for old house and old pipes.  Miracles are in the works. Oh dear, I just remembered I had some unmentionables drip drying in the shower...dear, dear.  Wonder where they are right now!!! One of the men is in the bathroom now...can't look now!

And Also Dessert

I'm meeting a couple of friends tonight at Olive Garden.  OG has a special of a 3-course Italian dinner for $12.95 and I THINK that's what I'll choose.  Oh yeah, the friends are much more important than the meal...and I'll try to capture a photo.  My girlfriends are both blond so I'll be the one that is different, but that's me anyway - different.  They are both younger than me...different.  They both have full-time jobs...different.  Both are nurses...different. But we're still friends!!  And I'll be different if I'm LATE, so I need to hustle.  TTFN.

11pm:
Well, I'm home, late night but it was a nice evening.  This particular OG didn't have the $12.95 special, so I ordered lasagna which was super, all you can eat salad, bread sticks, tea, etc. Miss Heather was our flaky waitress, couldn't get two things done right in a row.  Bless her heart, she was nice, but just isn't cut out to be a good waitress.  

I also left my camera home, so got no pictures from the evening.   We promised each other we'd meet again in a few weeks.  It's always nice to spend time with them.  It's sleepy time here, this one needs to flake out in the bed.  So, I'll close and promise to add more another day.   

A Little Above Freezing

You'd get wet if you stayed outside very long today.  It's a raw, chilly, misty day ever so different than ones we've experienced here in many a day. But after all --- it IS winter.  And at least this stuff dropping from the sky is wet versus frozen and white.  But snow would have been pretty coming down.  There's nothing quite as pretty as a gentle snowfall.  A light snowfall, nothing much, just enough to cover the ground and grant me pretty photos.  But it is wet here today and I'm happy about that too.  But no pictures today.

A favorite restaurant reopened this week and today was the first day Sweetz and I risked a walk through their busy doors.  Our friends arrived first and had a booth to share with us so we didn't have to wait in line for a table.  The walls are freshly painted in soft pastels, there is recessed lighting gentle to the eyes, and new tables and booths.  The food was just as I remembered it - my entree today was baked chicken with baked potato and a salad.  Cooked to perfection.  Our waiter was nearly perfect and we enjoyed sharing these moments with a couple of friends.   

Today is Super Bowl Sunday.  Not my favorite past time but is for many.  May your favorite team win. I finished reading another book this afternoon.  It was pretty good, not the best author, but I got through it and now I'm ready for another author.  Not tonight, but another day.  I'm meeting some girlfriends for supper tomorrow night - we always have a great time together.  There will be much teasing and laughter and fun. Looking forward to it.  And I don't have to drive in the snow! 

Darryl's and Beyond

Mom and I did the big city today.  I usually like to leave the shopping events to a weekday but for some reason off we went today - a Saturday no less.  We rubbed elbows with the worker bees and even had to park ROWS away from the stores.  Imagine how spoiled we are on a weekday to find parking spots right up near the shop doors. 

We ate lunch at Darryl's and it was awesome.  Good food, interesting atmosphere, great waiter.  We sat on the upper level near a suspended metal elevator with a family in it.  The little boy was about 8 or so and was so tickled he was seated in it.  It was all I could do not to keep smiling and waving at him.  And he would GRIN right back. I captured him in this photo inside the elevator looking at me as I took the picture.  

We had lasagna, baked potato, and steamed broccoli.  Yummmy in the tummy.

After lunch we checked out a few shops, one of which was the notorious Williams-Sonoma.  Neat place with all kinds of kitchen gadgets, utensils, linens, bakeware, appliances, etc.  I chose a great cookbook which I'm hoping will rev up my interest in cooking healthy meals.

And I bought a package of green, black and white kitchen towels. They are sure to make me love drying the dishes!  Then I fell in love with a green, white, and yellow striped apron which I also bought.  Yep, I'm just POSITIVE they will help me cook better!



The apron and towels are now in the hamper so they can be washed before I use them.  Just imagine how many shoppers handled my purchases with dirty hands before I brought them home with me!!!  Yuck 

After checking out a few more shops, I had the most delicious treat at Red Mango - a blackberry and pomegranate frozen yogurt concoction topped with fresh blueberries, strawberries, dried cranberries, and cherries.  Oh, oh, oh, was it ever goooood.  I definitely want to go back for another frozen treat.  There are cups and containers for the yogurt where you fill it with your choice or combination of frozen yogurts...and then you're off to a selection of enticing toppings from which to choose to go in or on it.  Some customers squirted on whipped topping and ended with a maraschino cherry.  You could even make a parfait layered to your heart's desire - or all could be creamed to a frosty smoothee to drink with a straw.  Everything looked luscious - it was hard to resist.  YEP, I would LOVE to give that place another try.  No pictures there, I was too busy eating my creation.

Anxiously Waiting

Another day...and it was a good one.  I spent some time chatting with the Sweetz Guy who shares this abode.  We're wanting to take a trip and he's thinking the destination should be Florida.  I'm rolling the word "west" over my tongue, around the roof of my mouth, and swishing it over the teeth, but somehow Sweetz Guy over-rules me with that "Florida" word.  I'm also wanting to take the RV and he's thinking it would be better to do the car/motel combo.  Gracious, do I EVER WIN anything???

I got ready and picked up a friend at my old working place and we went to a neat diner that has the very best fried chicken this side of heaven.  And today it was just as good as I remembered.  Can anyone say "perfect".  We sat and talked awhile after we finished eating and tried to catch up with all the news.  She still works at the ole place so there were lots of changes in personnel and departments that were interesting to hear.  Sure am glad I'm not there living the worker bee life though. My old boss was "let go" about a year ago so if there I would have a new boss, but Tanya said she's real nice and is trying hard.  Even though I know I would like her...ahem...that's ok, I'll take my life now over going back there. 

I'm getting ready to hit the retirement age button and will soon be able to receive my teeny retirement check from that place. So, Sweetz and I spent some time tonight doing our best to complete the forms.  Decisions were made after much discussion and pencil pushing.  Documentation was completed and hopefully signed properly.  The only thing left is a signature in front of the plan administrator and then I'll be able to sit back and watch the buck$ pour in.  ...oh, you mean they won't "pour" in???  Probably "dribble" is closer to the appropriate description.  
After deciding my new phone is working properly, I attached my label to the rebate forms and have it ready to get in the mail tomorrow.  Verizon is to send me a $50 Visa gift card in a few weeks so it would be nice to have it prior to going on our western Florida trip.  Do you think if I was really really REALLY nice, he would think the west trip would be the top choice?  Not sure I can be that good for that long...

I fixed a delicious supper tonight using the pickin's from our winter garden.  There's just not much in the world as tasty as fresh veggies.  Sweetz planted some early spring seeds today - he's definitely anxious to see some garden action.  I'm thinking he's going to have trouble doing much traveling, but I'm sure wanting to get away for a trip or two before full gardening chores begin.

After lunch with Tanya, I stopped at a friend's house and we chatted outside in her front yard where the sun warmed our backs.  What a wonderful winter weather treat we are having this year. 

The volunteer typing job still awaits. Maybe I can get it licked tonight. Riiiiiight.

A Seafood Kind of Day

Sweetz and I headed to the big city today since he had an appointment and asked me to go along.  The promise of lunch seemed to make that an easy choice.  We got his business out of the way after running into some detours since some work was being done downtown.  Then we were free to roam.  We filled the tank and then stopped at Home Depot and Lowes.  I sat in the car and read emails since he said he only would be a few minutes and true to his word, he was quick. 

We had lunch at Red Lobster - that guy loves his seafood and Cherry Cokes - while I tolerate a few items and he knows I generally share what I don't want with him.  He chose a seafood combo while I got shrimp and chicken.  Mine was delicious and came with a salad and baked potato.  A dish of cheese biscuits was brought to the table but I really didn't want any today, so we wrapped them up and brought them home.  Our friend, Pat, told us they were delicious sliced in half and toasted for breakfast.  Okay, we'll try that.  Interesting speaking of Pat because while we were eating, she and Wil came by the table on their way out.  Wow, they were there eating too and we didn't see each other until they had finished eating.  Bummer.

We went to Hobby Lobby and Surprise/Surprise they were there too!  That was toooo funny.  I bought a blue apron and was thinking I would paint something on it.  Now, I need a cute design and then to get busy painting it.  I'll take a picture of it when it's done.  Don't hold your breath though, not sure how long it will take me to come up with the perfect design.  Any ideas? Pat's kitchen is black and red so she bought a black apron when she saw my blue one.  Not sure how she will finish hers.  I'll have to ask her in a few weeks. 

We're meeting them Sunday after church at a local seafood restaurant.  It burned last year and has now been rebuilt so Sunday we'll meet there for the first time in about a year.  And I know what you're thinking...more seafood. Yuck! Yeah, what I won't do for hubby and friends.  They have several chicken, pork, and beef entrees, so I'm sure to find something I'll like.  They've decided to attend the early service at their church so they should get there in time to capture a table.  I understand there has been a line of people waiting at each meal, so they think it would work out better if they can get there early.  Nice to have friends who are willing to do that. 

We ended our day watching the movie, The Grey, which was quite different.  A plane crash...7 men survive...and must constantly fight the grey wolves who pick off one man at a time as they trudge through snowy Alaskan terrain. The language is awful -- sad that people seem to think they must talk that way to communicate.  Toward the end of the movie, the video portion of the movie went out so we were listening to the movie but couldn't see anything but a dark screen.  The manager came and fixed the problem and then gave us all free tickets to watch another movie sometime - at their expense - after he apologized several times.     

It's Already FEBRUARY!!!

Yes, where did the time go since my last blog?  Well, here and there and everywhere.  Didn't really seem like there was much to blog about, and I was playing with learning my new phone. 

We've eaten out with friends, I've spent some days with my mom, I've shopped, we've enjoyed being outdoors with this uniquely mild winter weather, reading, cooking, etc.  Just stuff, probably not all that interesting to anyone but us home folks. 

Mom and I went to Greensboro on Tuesday and spent the day shopping and talking and just being together.  We ate at the Green Valley Grill, which serves the most delicious food, and one of my favorite restaurants.  I chose a paella dish with shrimp, sausage, and chicken - I had the chef hold the mussels which weren't my favorite and he sent me a message that he'd add more shrimp to compensate.  I took a picture with my new phone but noticed the Verizon salesman had left the protective plastic cover on it so the picture wasn't clear.  When I looked at the pictures, I immediately removed the protective sheeting from the lens on the back of the phone.  Duh! Oh well, live and learn.

Mom bought a beautiful liquid silver necklace from Coldwater Creek - it is just exquisite.   Me?  Well, do I get points for looking at everything in the store?  I bought us treats at Ben and Jerry's and we actually sat outside at a picnic table in the sun.  Yep, and it was JANUARY!   We also went to DSW and I bought two pair of shoes...more in line with my new retired lifestyle.

Today, I went to mom's church as her guest at the February senior lunch.  The meal was catered and was delicious: pork tenderloin/gravy, mashed potatoes, corn with limas, tea/coffee, and blueberry or apple cobbler.  Wow, real good.  The program was a barbershop quartet from Greensboro who thrilled us with love songs of both the true love type as well as the "love stinks" variety.  Two of the songs included Hard, Hearted Hannah and Let Me Call You Sweetheart.  

Sweetz was in the garden while I was gone and reported he had worked up the soil in several of his raised beds and had added 10 wheelbarrow loads to the garden.  Wow, we'll be having some great produce this year at this rate!  He does love working in the garden! Look what he brought in from the garden today which is still producing through this warmer winter! Amazing. 

Tomorrow we are planning to head to Danville to have lunch and then watch the movie, "Gray".  I wouldn't be surprised if the car ends up in the Hobby Lobby parking lot!