....with hopes of an equally great evening. I spent the entire afternoon bobbing in the water while sipping sodas, except for when I got out to have my hot dog and marvelous pasta salad! Oh my goodness, Danny's salad is just amazing, with the curly pasta in multiple colors, red pickled peppers, and this time, green olives. Wow! And yum!! Not sure what his dressing is but I would not be surprised if it is Italian dressing. He also made me a pina colada which I enjoyed from in the pool. There were lots of folks coming and going all afternoon which made for good company. A young lady and her father were staying at The Club and he had Alzheimer's which proved to be challenge for her. At one point he got up from snoozing on the chair and headed toward the gate while she was soaking in the kid's pool and did not see him on the move. Someone else got her attention as I hurriedly, yes, hurriedly, climbed out of the pool to fetch 'Bill' back again. He was so happy to see me, complimented me on my tan, and thanked me for escorting him back toward the pool area. Like that was where he was going anyway.....
*
After about four hours at the pool, I came upstairs to dry off and even warm up since the sun was not strong late afternoon. We had expected rain most of the day and the clouds kept making us think it was any moment. The A/C was on when I came in so I shut that down and also turned off the fan in my room. Once the wet suit and cover-up were off and the nightie on, I began to warm. On Facebook I posted my hopes the weather would hold so we could dine at the cabana for our Cajun Night and my friend just south of here in St. Johns County wrote that they were having serious storms at the moment. Not even 10 minutes later, it hit---pow!!! Lightning, thunder, torrential rains, winds, power outage briefly which makes my printers go nutso...The Jaguar game was delayed for an hour and then began in the rain. Guess they had to wait for the lightning to stop before they could kick-off. Those poor folks sitting down there tonight...true fans!
*
The Cajun event was held indoors, as planned in case of poor weather, but I was pinned down in my house. There was no way I was walking across that pool area in the lightning and pouring rain so when it seemed to let up a bit, I headed to my car and drove over. I found a nice, close space and avoided getting soaked. Several folks were already inside but no one had begun eating yet. The fare included shrimp, gumbo, red beans and rice, potatoes, corn, carrots and onions, and I had great plenty to eat without the sirloin slider. There were just fewer than 20 people there, most of us around two tables pulled together, including Mary Lew, who did not have a drop of rain until she got to I-295. It is so weird the way the weather patterns move. She comes from Riverside area and was dry and sunny...huh.
*
We had good laughs and a great meal while waiting for the football game to begin but most folks were ready to go home before the game really got going. Some, as usual, should have gone home well before the delayed kick-off. It does get old, you know? Switch to soda or coffee when you have had enough Chardonnay! It was still drizzling as I drove the very short distance home and am once more in my nightie. Oh, by the way, Mary Lew told me about stopping at a re-sale shop on the way to Middleburg the other day and was wearing the lovely new top she bought for $1.50, a silk leopard patterned blouse. Kerry will love this place! And, they have shoes, too, which is what I wondered. Hopefully she leaves plenty of room in her luggage for our shopping trips! Jim, who lives on the first floor, said he will go fishing with Kerry when she is here so she will have lots of company on the bulkhead in the wee hours of the morning! I heard there are bass in the river but most question the safety of eating anything from the river. We shall see!
*
This morning I got a phone call very early from one of the members, Donna, reporting her mom had died during the night, in the Hospice Unit. Mary had taken the Bible Information Class a few years ago and I would occasionally pick her up for class. Linda H. and I alternated being Mary's driver, and now she has gone to heaven, too. We never have two funerals in one week and I am not sure how this is going to work. I called Pastor and let him know that Mary had died so he has a head's up on planning the services for when he gets back from WI. Everyone will have to step lively next week! Since I am on for cleaning it will fall to me to make sure the carpets look nice and such. Plus see to it that there is toilet paper in the bathrooms. Details, details. Others are in charge of the food but I might pitch in as well. Since I am going to Victory tomorrow, I won't be around to bounce things off of, so hopefully the other ladies will make some tentative plans before Jane's service on Wednesday. I should get Danny to make me a batch of his pasta salad to take to with me for the luncheons....hmmmm......
