Getting up early

I was soooo tired when I got home last night, although still somewhat early, that I immediately got ready for bed. Two nights in a row! Wheeee, I know I have an exciting life!

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Because I went to bed and went to sleep so much earlier than usual, I was awake a bit earlier than usual. I switched the station over to Fox News to see what was going on in the world just in time to catch Brian interviewing the Commandant of West Point, as this year's freshman class was showing up for duty. It was a fascinating interview, showing much of the campus and sights, talked about the links of chain remaining from when this gigantic chain was manufactured to stretch across the Hudson to keep the British from advancing during the Revolutionary War. Now I kick myself, as does Justin kick himself, that we did not go sooner to visit JR when he was a student there and get the full tour. Mona did say that even if we had gone we likely would have little time to spend with JR so I guess that is part of the reason we did not go. Even with their son being there, John and Mona would get little face time with JR when they would visit, due to their training. They would occasionally go to see him compete in powerlifting events which was great. The best powerlifter West Point ever had--it's true! I read it in their publications! The entire interview and glances in the 'guest book' signed by dignitaries all the way back to the early 1800's can be found at http://video.foxnews.com/v/4309704/web-exclusive-from-west-point

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Thursday began the start of a very full next few days. In the morning I drove to Victory where I met Justin for Bible study and then went to lunch. He requested Applebee's because his friend, Jay, was working that day, so I finally got to meet him. Jay is moving back home to Cincinnati soon and is giving himself a going-away party tonight. He is quite the cook so they guys will eat good. After dropping Justin off at church again to fetch his car, I headed back home to work on the computer before Martie got here. I needed mapquest directions to the church in St. Augustine (although not really because I know where it is) and then made a reservation at a hotel in Palm Coast. From the hotel I got directions to Perkin's Restaurant in PC, and then from there to Tina's house. Saturday morning I am planning to meet Marian and Biff, my in-laws from South Florida, for breakfast. They are coming up for little Maya's birthday party which is on Sunday and having them meet me for breakfast Saturday will give Tina a little break, too. I decided rather than run up and down I-95 all weekend long, I would simply stay (found a three-star hotel for less than $60 a night!) and save the wear/tear on myself and my car.

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Okay, that taken care of, when Martie arrived here after work, we headed downtown for a political hobnob where candidates from dog catcher to Senator were represented. Local and state level, and many from Duval County which interested Martie. Her hubby wanted to do the early voting which began on Monday, I think, but she wanted to wait until after this hobnob to get a better feel for things. Well, I certainly know the way downtown but somehow I ended up going a different way. It had been on the news and on-line about the lane shifts at the interchange of I-10 and I-95 but I goofed anyway. Yikes! We went across the Fuller Warren bridge, then, exited on San Marco and then headed back across the river on the Main Street Bridge, coming out right where we needed to be. On the way home, the roads were still in 'construction' mode so I knew exactly where to go! I didn't think the notices and reminders about lane shifts applied to me!

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My mom likes to remember the time we left the concert hall after hearing the symphony and I accidentally took I-95 south instead of going to I-10 west. I had parked in the handicap spaces that night instead of in the garage where I normally parked and got into the wrong lane....We added many miles to our trip home with me calling Martie's son, the policeman, for directions, but before he could answer me, I saw a sign for Sunbeam Road and knew exactly where I was! Whew! So, ever since then, Mom thinks I am always lost. When I bought my new car in 2006 (it's a 2007), a JEEP Compass, I was so surprised that it did not come with a compass. I even went back to the dealership and had the salesman look it all over to find out where the compass was! No dice, no compass!

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Oh, there is Tiger Woods playing golf in Sheboygan! Actually it is in Kohler, WI, but near enough to Sheboygan. This is big times for the counties around Whistling Straits, even bringing business to Jill's ice cream parlor, Cedar Crest, with the giant cow standing out front. Folks do not soon forget that! Dee's husband, Blair, informed us that Whistling Straits looks like Scotland but plays like America, something he heard a golf expert declare. Since the weather has been unusually warm up there, I wonder how they will fare this season, although Mom reported that the start of play was delayed yesterday due to dense fog!

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Okay, back to my early night....Because we had done lots of walking and standing as part of the political event last night, I was kaput when I got home, even my arms were tired for some reason. Plans had been made Wednesday night during the Happy Hour to watch the meteor shower Thursday from the roof of Ellen's unit, accessed by climbing over a short wall from Nancy's terrace. We were going to bring blankets and lie on our backs to watch the planets align and then the meteor shower. Well, Nancy called me about 9:30 with news that the meteor shower would be visible to us in the wee hours of the morning, around 2:30 a.m. or so. Donna, one of our other neighbors, was planning to make a night of it and stay up for the show, and offered to call us all when it was going on. I declined, nicely, the offer and breathed a sigh of relief that at 10:00 I would find myself in my bed instead of lying on the roof at Ellen's waiting for the star show! I would like to have been star-struck, but not at that hour of the morning...yawn!

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Yesterday much of the news was about the housing disaster in Atlanta, East Point to be precise, where mobs of people showed up at the Housing Authority to get put on a wait-list for Section 8 housing. The authorities 'expected' about 10,000 people but got three times that many which resulted in an angry mob, fighting, folks passing out from the heat, kids going to the bathroom where they stood so no one would lose their place in line, putrid mess left behind. TV footage taken from the air gave a better look, or worse look, with hoards of folks trying to get an application for gov't. assisted housing, just to be put on the waiting list! One of our members at church was looking for this type of housing and claimed the closest place she could find was in Middleburg. We Bible study ladies were astounded when she told us this because it seems there are several 'areas' in Orange Park and the Westside but then we found out it was because of her dog that she was having troubles. Yikes!

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Well, today is the movie premier event and Chamber of Commerce fund raiser at Carmike to which I am taking Brenda. "Eat, Pray, Love" is the movie, and I cannot wait to see Italy again. Dee thinks the 'pray' part might have to do with Eastern religions because the heroine, Julia Roberts, visits Bali and India as well, but I am going to see Italy and eat some Carrabba's, and probably do a little crying! After that, I will come home to pack for my overnight trip to St. Augustine and Palm Coast. This is the link for the concert where Suzanne is debuting---http://www.firstcoastnews.com/life/community/news-article.aspx?storyid=162871&catid=54

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Today is Suzanne's 40th birthday, celebrating on Friday the 13th with this concert appearance 'on the road' and culminating tomorrow with a parasail ride to celebrate. But wait---there's more----Sunday she is having a low country boil and Boston butt roast party at her home at Lake Asbury. Sooo looking forward to that, too, but this full, full weekend leaves me little time at my pool. I can enjoy the pool at Tina's tomorrow so I won't be totally without, but I am substituting other social time for my pool time. My knees might thank me, or not. It could go either way! Time for me to go "Eat, Pray, Love", or at least, the Eat and Love parts!