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No longer on the river and, again, an empty nester. Back to living on Fleming Island and making some more friends!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

What a cruddy day!

In the night I awoke to rain and lightning, but cannot remember hearing any thunder. What time this was, I am not sure, but had the feeling it was not going to let up. Nope, it did not, and in fact, we have had nearly steady rain since that time. At one point, there was such a crack of thunder that it sounded like a cannon going off! Thankfully there was a roll of thunder right behind it or I would have dived under the bed. Or tried to!

My bed is stripped and the sheets in the dryer, waiting to be grabbed for redressing my sleeping space. Earlier Connie, the maintenance lady, called to ask if she could use my bathroom since it was pouring rain. Of course she can! I have told her that more than once, since she has to walk over to the cabana to use the bathroom otherwise. No fun to do that on a good day much less in the pouring rain.

This a.m. I put together a small breakfast casserole, something I would have made for Monday morning if we had not gone to Grumpy’s. I want to warm the house by using the oven so I am going to bake that casserole and perhaps something else this afternoon. The recipe recommends keeping the casserole overnight in the fridge but I am hoping Betty Crocker does not show up at the door and give me grief if I do not comply.

Since the weather was so wretched and Justin not available for Bible study today, I opted to stay home under my covers instead of climbing out. There were some plans in place for me to meet the granddaughter of my friends Ed and Judy at Victory as she has a book to gift me, but I let her know I was staying in today. She also decided to forego venturing out as she has two little ones to deal with. Judy attends the Bible study, at least I hope she was able to go. Rachel and I will try for next week to get together. I am so touched that she wishes to give me her special book!

Yesterday I went to Wal*Mart for my prescription refills and found two movies to buy as well. They get me right at the door! I bought “Social Network” and “Secretariat”, which I have asked the ladies to come watch on Friday evening. They are going to let me know, since it was short notice. Twila, Judy J., Justin and I met for lunch at Mojo’s before we ladies went to see “The King’s Speech”. What an awesome story it is! The vulgar language is ‘tolerable’ (I cannot believe I am saying that!!) in the course of the movie, and it was over in no time. When the Duke would shout or get upset, he did not stammer. Also when he sang, like Mel Tillis, the country western singer, the stammer disappeared.

While the story is not entirely true historically, it is yet a wonderful tale of victory over life and what was dealt to this young man. At one point, the Duke confesses to the linguistics teacher that he had never had a conversation with a ‘common man’ nor had he ever had a real friend. It was so moving, and I reached out to take Twila’s hand and gave it a squeeze. We must cherish our friends and let them know it! It is THAT important!

Justin had to go back to work after our lunch, and could not join us. He has already seen the movie and loved it, and knew I would as well. Justin had told me that several parts of the movie were emotionally stirring and he was right. He called me later in the afternoon to ask me about it, wondering how many times I cried. I told him that I cried in several places, including in one of the previews. He chuckled at that and asked which one it was. There is a James Cameron movie coming out about some folks (spelunkers) climbing down into a cave, and it floods. Not a good movie for me to see, even though it is based on a true story.

Here comes the rain again. I guess this is north Florida’s share of what many parts of the country are experiencing in other forms, like the ice in Texas and such. Justin is helping his friend with some work up in GA today and I am a tiny bit concerned about them driving in the cruddy weather. He has already sent me a message today, telling me he loves me and yes, he will be careful. I have turned that concern over to the Lord and I will simply busy myself with bed making and baking something to warm my kitchen.

Tomorrow Justin is coming here to put my exercise bike in the back bedroom and reinstall the closet doors in his former bedroom. We are going to go shopping for a Packer jersey for him to wear to the Super Bowl gathering he is attending, as well as cash in a coupon he has for a free Jaguar polo shirt. He saw Travis’s when he was upstairs getting ice from Jessica and it is a quality shirt. Justin offered me the free Jaguar shirt but I declined, since I am not really a polo shirt wearer. Go Jags! Go Pack Go!!!

Dead whale washes up in St. Augustine

I know it’s not supposed to be funny, but I cannot help but laugh, thinking of George Castanza riding atop a whale while pretending to be a marine biologist, extricating one of Kramer’s golf balls from the blow hole. “Was it a Titlist?” Kramer asks, sheepishly. George nods in the affirmative, to which Kramer quietly replies, “…a hole in one…” Classic!!! Like Justin texted me one day, “Everything is “Seinfeld”!”