Today I stink!

And not from sunscreen like the other day. No, because I have made poor use of my time today, neglecting to post in the a.m. as originally planned. With so much to say, I should not delay another moment.

As I sit here typing, my toenails are visible which means I should have found time to get to Middleburg for a pedicure. Otherwise I will simply have to get them done in WI. Remind me to take them along! Last year I decided not to have them polished during the summer because the pool is hard on my toes, wrecking the polish in no time at all. Not even wearing the annoying water shoes prevents this so I might do the same thing this season. Since I normally do not sport sandals, it matters not if they look like bratwurst with ketchup, when I go out. At the pool, my bare feet look just fine with undecorated toes!

Perhaps I do not stink so badly after all, thinking back to what I did accomplish today. The mail has been taken care of, being held for me until my return; had a nice lunch with my Justin at Koko's; spent a bit of time with the ladies at Great Hang Ups; started working on The Palace Press newsletter which hopefully I can finish in Manty on my sister's computer; did a load of wash in preparation for packing; paid some bills on-line; thought about which books to take with me; talked on the phone with two Judys; drank two bottles of water since getting home from lunch; wrote two cards to shut-ins and got them ready to mail...that's enough! Opted to not take time for the pool and such since the lunch came up rather abruptly. The way I like it! Also, am making plans to meet two friends tomorrow so we can have lunch and say "good-bye" for a couple weeks. Whew!

It is a gorgeous day, weather-wise, but my sis-in-law, Mona, told me the temperature in Manty was in the 50's today. Yikes! Going to need the long pants and warmer shirts. Mom has a jacket I can borrow that used to belong to me, so won't need to take one with me. Mona told me that Sharon is doing better, responding well to the antibiotics, sitting up to eat, and laughing. Great news!

Last night the sleep was good, although I did wake up once or twice, able to fall back to sleep. There was a dream this a.m. but right now, I cannot recall it. My eyes are rested but somehow, I feel like a nap would be welcome at this moment...huh. That reminds me---I must grab my "driving down the road" glasses from the car, in case I do some night driving in Manty. And my car charger for the phone as well. Mental notes going on here...excuse me a moment...there!

Let me see now, what happened since the weekend? Did I mention being at the pool both Saturday and Sunday? Both visits allowed me to have a hot dog from the cabana, with a strawberry margarita one time, and a pina colada the next day. Many of the regulars were around, some enjoying the water, others enjoying the cabana being open. Sunday, the staff was experimenting with some treats and made me a tiny glass of a shake, which was ice cream sandwiches mixed with some milk and ice. Oh my, what a refreshing treat it was! Randy W. had come out to take the water's temperature, declaring it to be 86 above zero but my thinking is he measured too close to the shallow water where it's always warmer. In other words, the water was too cold for my tastes, but I hung in there, so bravely!

Saturday, my friends, Fran and Rick, met me poolside, and it was great to catch up in person instead of via Facebook. Rick is a pharmacist, enjoying a week of vacation, culminating at the pool. He told me I did not have to take the Mobic (my bad knee medicine), instead taking over-the-counter Aleve or store-brand equivalent. This would prevent my needing to go back to the doctor for a check-up at six months to check my kidneys. Nice! He suggested taking the Aleve in the a.m. so it lasts all day, instead of the evening as I am doing now. Despite me making a face about that, I can try to remember to do that. It has to be taken with food which is a problem in the a.m. since I am not much of a breakfast eater. Eating in bed is no problem, when I normally take it, but in the morning is nearly a deal breaker! Rick is a confirmed Kindle user and spoke highly of its value. Good to know!

Sunday after my time in the pool, I joined some of my other neighbors on the 5th floor at Michelle's house for a concert. Kort McCumber, a St. Johns grad and now professional musician, is traveling with his musical partner, James, who is from Superior, WI. They played only the bouzouki and acoustic guitar, with Kort's sister, Beth, joining on several numbers with her violin. The music is mainly folk-style, original pieces, incorporating local sites in many of the tunes. Not sure if everyone around the US enjoys hearing the charms of Clay County or Middleburg, or Jacksonville, but we sure did! It ended tearfully, as the entire group raised a cup of champagne in salute of Michelle and her daughter, Maya, as they are moving out. Michelle is being divorced after nearly 25 years of marriage, her spouse's company buying their condo at an extremely discounted amount, so the two ladies are moving to the Beaches area before relocating overseas in the fall. Maya will be attending college in London for a semester, a student of voice, while her mom returns to her family home in France. She is keeping the place at the beach as their 'headquarters' in the US. It was quite sad, as you might imagine, as her friends and neighbors wished them well. Kort performed her favorite song, Marjory, as his closing number, and there was hardly a dry eye on the veranda....

Sunday before pool time but immediately after church, MamMa and Jeff came upstairs so she could try out my potty. She is quite petite but has troubles getting up again in her bathroom, so I thought my raised height toilets would be ideal. Only, it is exactly what she has now! Either Tracy did not realize that, or she thought mine be higher than theirs. Jeff thinks they might go to the health aid store to see about getting an attachment for the seat, but I fear that may too high for MamMa. Oh well, she took mine for a test drive anyway!

Monday was Bible study and then lunch, when I said more tearful 'good-byes' to the ladies. Gretchen gave me a couple hugs to-go, for Lynn and Mom, and I took an extra long one for myself, getting a bit choked up. I love her so much! Jackie was jealous her hug was not as long so I gave her another one to hold her over. Wednesday night I will say 'farewell' to the choir members and then that should be it until Thursday when I say 'bye' to the Victory Bible study folks. Nothing matches saying 'good-bye' to my boy, though, which we will do at the airport on Friday. His father offered to take him along to WI in June, as he and his lady friend are coming up for one or both of the graduations, but Justin refused. He does NOT want to travel more than a day at a time, and that's it! Unless it's on a cruise or something....hmmmmm.