Some down time at Lori's

Well, here I am sitting at Lori's new laptop which she received for Mother's Day.  She says it is going to like me better than it likes her because I have used it more.  Only a short while ago I came in from outside where I was resting in the sunshine in Lori's driveway as she napped in the house.  She had a very late night at the graduation party and was physically worn out from all the effort put into a party of this proportion.  Lori needed the rest!  David worked on a few things in the yard and garage and then got busy with some important music work.  He said that is how he relaxes and rests, doing music stuff rather than napping. 

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Earlier this a.m. I started a load of laundry in order to take mostly clean clothes to Mom's rather than a suitcase full of "used" clothing, especially since my Saturday outfit smelled so strongly of smoke.  We finished our day 'round the bonfire with the guitar players strummin' and singin' well after midnight. Kerry was tired so went in ahead of me and got settled for the night, with me following her a bit later. We were sharing Dustin's bedroom which was fine since we both watch/listen to TV during the night. Dusty's friends were over yet when we went to bed and were a bit noisy, which was fine because it was his party, after all!  Oh, what a fine day it was, especially with my people arriving and then Judy and JerBear coming.  My people liked them and I think it was reciprocal.  The food was amazing and weather perfect, (no rain!), the bands good, especially Rose River.  They were getting cold toward the end of their set so ended sooner than they expected, as the temps began to drop. Hence, the blessing of the bonfire and smoky clothes!

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This a.m., after all were up and about, the family came over from the hotel and we made plans to have brunch at nearby Drugan's.  Oh my, what a delicious feast we had.  It never ceases to amaze me how inexpensive dining out is here in WI.  The cost for five adults and two children to eat was less than $65 before tip, which is simply incredible, particularly since the food was so ample and delicious.  Having Kerry along was extra fun because she has not been over here to Lori's since she was pregnant with Alayna, nearly 18 years ago!!! Kerry is not what one would call a traveler, if you call visiting your sister three hours away being a traveler.....She is quite handy to have in the kitchen on clean- up detail, and always has been, and between us we cleaned up many many cans and bottles during and after the party.  Poor David is going to have quite the load to haul out on garbage night!!!!

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Lori said they invited about 200 people and estimate that a little more than half showed up for the big event.  They were running low on beer and nacho chips at one point so people had to do runs to the store to restock.  Lori fortunately had made a kettle of hot beef the night before and she had to heat that up to serve as guests were still showing up well after 'supper' time, and all the meat was gone.  Lori was rejoicing that there are little leftovers to deal with, save for some fresh fruit salad and potato salad. Makes putting things away afterward quite a bit quicker!  We are having steaks on the grille tonight, I think, which sounds just wonderful to me, since I had brats and hot dogs yesterday.  Can check those items off my list of foods to have when I get to Wisconsin........  

I should get busy but....

....a few lines first.  Kerry woke me this a.m., telling me I had to get up and "play with her".  She was bored, being the only human being awake in the house this Sunday morning.  Kerry and I do not like the mess left outside and were told numerous times not to worry about it, but I suspect as soon as I done here, we will be up there and out there, tidying things.  Even this room I am in is totally trashed, as Dusty entertains his friends in this room, the "boy cave", as Lori calls it.  A garbage can will make quick work of this project as well as the one upstairs and outdoors.  It was dark when we came in and we could not see the mess that needed cleaning up.  What great fun the party was, though, well worth the effort, in my opinion!!

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My family arrived mid to late morning and the ladies pitched right in with cutting up the fruit, etc. I busied myself with cutting bars, preparing the veggie trays without snitching, cleaning up in the kitchen including sweeping and mopping the floor.  I washed dishes and ran the machine, my usual stuff, as much as I like wiping counters.  Funny that only last week I talked about that very subject and I was totally in my element!  The boys were absolutely adorable and played on the swing set and entertained themselves with toys in the boy cave, while their daddy watched them.  

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When it was time for them to check into their hotel, Lisa realized that her keys were locked in the car.  Oh, nuts!  At first she was going to call a locksmith and then asked, "Does anyone have AAA?"  I told her I did so we called them and without much delay, a nice man named Joe came out to rescue us.  They did not ask if it was my car or anything so I did not have to lie.  He used a wedge device to slide what looked like a blood pressure cuff between the door and the car, inflated the cuff enough to slide a long flexible gizmo in and ta da!!  The door was open and we loved Joe!!!!  Lisa was quite relieved to not have to pay a locksmith and I was so glad I have AAA.

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I hear people up and about upstairs so will head up there to start bossing, I mean, lending a hand.  More will come later, I promise!  I miss all those not here with me in person, but know you are with me in my heart!

Life in the fast lane

Here I am, sitting in my sister's home, helping her look at her newest acquisitions from the bead store. Oh, such pretty things they have out there from which to make gee-gaws!  She is quite talented in designing necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.  Her home page on this computer opens to a bead purchasing website, set up for her by David.  He is a gem, too!  Get it?

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Travel yesterday was long without any serious complications.  Justin picked me up at my condo and we took his car to the airport rather than mine.  Oops!  After I was checked through security it occurred to me that my phone charger, which I would have grabbed from my car was not with me....Quickly I called Justin to ask him to stop at my house on his way back out to Fleming Island and grab my charger, over night it to me.  But, as we talked, I thought maybe it would be cheaper and wiser to just buy a new one instead, in fact, I did just that in the airport.  I found a rather universal-style with the help of the shop clerk and away I went with a new charger to add to my collection.  Other than that minor glitch, the trip was problem free.

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My rental car, reserved in advance, was an intermediate size which, it turns out, did not have a "power package", which meant, god forbid, crank windows and hand locking doors, and NO CRUISE CONTROL!!  The nice young man informed me that for $10 more per day I could upgrade to a mid-size with a power package, which I dismissed. Then he offered an upgrade of "only" $3 more per day, and since I was doing a great deal of highway driving this trip, I decided to take the offer.   I am driving a white Kia Spectra all over the state of WI and parts of MN!

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I arrived at Lori's a tiny bit later than expected because I stopped a couple times to take a break and rest my eyes.  After having gotten up shortly before 3:00 a.m., when I suddenly realized I had forgotten to e-mail the condo newsletter to myself (so I can work on it when I am away).  At 3:08 I sent it off to myself and then climbed back into bed, without success at falling back to sleep.  Eventually I surrendered, got up, and ready to go.  Resisting the temptation to sign back on to the computer, I went into the family room and watched the news until I called Justin to make sure he was on his way to get me.  Originally I had planned on him staying overnight but his plans changed so he just slept at home.  Joanne was also flying out that morning, but her flight was later than mine, plus she had to collect her sister from the hotel and swap vehicles with her spouse.  I told her I would make noise in the morning so she would wake up though, as she still had some packing to take care of.  I did get to say "good-bye" to her through the door as we headed out.  

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So, because of being up so early in the a.m. and hardly sleeping soundly on the plane, I was tired!  I made a wrong turn as I neared Lori's house, finding myself face to face with the Valley View Mall which normally would have been thrilling, but instead aggravated me.  The mapquest directions did not tell me left or right when I exited so obviously I went the wrong way, and had to back track in order to get going the right direction.  Mom is usually with me when I come here and knows the right way, and I am challenged directionally.  Ugh!!

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It was so good to get here and sit in my sister's house with her!  She is such a talented decorator, I just love to see what new and fun things she has done with her house.  We decided to have dinner at Famous Dave's BBQ which was cool because only Monday Justin and I had seen Famous Dave's on Fox and Friends.  The place we ate dinner at Monday night with our former church member in NYC was across the street from Famous Dave's!!!  I had Georgia chopped pork, an ear of corn, and spiced apples for my dinner. Dusty had a violin class so he met us there, since he is a driver now, too.  Oh my!  No braces, a licensed driver, and a high school graduate, heading for college in a few months.

Where does the time go??!!??

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Before long I was heading for bed, snug and cozy in Dusty's bed, where Lori got the TV rigged up for me.  It was so comfy that I did not get up nearly 9:30, due in part to the fact the room was dark and my hosts were not patting about upstairs.  Dusty had come into his room at one point to get something from the closet and left again, and still no stirring.  When I finally decided to get up, Lori was in the kitchen already busy while David strolled around in his robe.  Oh, good!  Was not the only sleepy head in the house!  Lori and I chatted as I did my nails and before long, it was time to leave for Winona to see Judy!!!!  I found her at the Blue Heron where we enjoyed soup and sandwiches, or salad in her case.  From there we went to the maritime museum where we saw some wonderful artwork, including a few pieces by Monet, Renoir, and others.  The rest of the afternoon was spent on the patio at her home, soaking up the sun and doing more chatting.  Before long JerBear came home and got showered, and then we headed for dinner in Trempelaeu.  My prime rib was absolutely delicious and Jerry nicely finished the end of it for me, as the bowl of beef barley soup rather took the edge off my appetite.  We parted company from there as they pointed me in the right direction for finding my way back to Lori's.  Soon it is bedtime and then tomorrow I will get to see my people when they arrive for Dusty's graduation party!!!  I cannot wait to see them, especially the little boys, and no one minds me saying that!!! 

After the haircut

Back again from getting my hairs cut and stopping briefly at Great Hang Ups to touch base with my peeps. Dee was busily working on a large project with a fellow in the workroom, so could only briefly greet and give a farewell hug. Julia was working on invitations for her parent's 50th wedding anniversary party which is also her mom's 70th birthday.....Dee had asked me to do something with just her because the party is being held at the home of my former spouses' attorney. After what transpired in March in Court, I would certainly not feel comfortable at her home. It is a moot point since I will be in WI anyway. Dee will be gone when I get back from WI so we are planning to have girl's night out at some point when all are back in town! Some others of her friends cannot be there at the official party either so it would not just be me getting special treatment.

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The sun is still peeking out but hardly full force like it was when I woke up. The temps are near 80 which is tolerable. Hopefully I will experience the same when I am in WI!!! Justin did, but I did not, overpack for the trip, as we were limited on the size of bags that would go through security at the gates of West Point. He had his heavy backpack as well, which carried his tennis shoes and spare clothes. We bought a shirt at American Eagle in New York but it was too small right now. In a couple weeks it might fit him perfectly.

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We also went shopping our first day in "the city" to get lightweight jackets, as nearly of us had one. It was expected to rain on Sunday, so off we walked to Kohl's. Justin's phone has GPS on it and we walked directly to where it said Kohl's was, but nope, only an empty store. Across the street was Macy's so in we went. That store is so huge!!!! Unless you have been there, you have no idea. It occupies nearly an entire city block, and then straight up. We rode the escalator up 8 floors, a couple of them being wooden steps, looking original or nearly so.

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We found his jacket without much trouble, except that the cheapest one was marked $98 for a Nautica jacket, in white. Yikes! Well, there was a sale going on, and because we are from out of town (really??) we got an additional 11% discount. While his jacket, cotton and with some substance might be worth that money, with the designer name attached, mine was certainly not! After some searching, we finally located the large-sized women's department and began the search for a windbreaker or light jacket. I was about to give up but then discovered exactly what I was looking for. A designer, Michael Kors, blue windbreaker, priced at $159.00. There was absolutely nothing about that jacket other than this person's name earning the price tag, but once again, there was a sale plus the extra %%% for being out-of-towners. Mine I can roll in a ball and shove in my purse, while Justin's is more dressy looking and will inevitably end up in a ball in the back of his car, not staying white very long, I fear. Prove me wrong, Justin, prove me wrong!

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We had planned to go to the museum on Sunday, the rainy day, but because we had bought the appropriate jackets, the day was bright and sunny! We opted to do our bus ride instead and off we went to see the sites from atop the double-decker bus. Toward the end of the day, it did begin to sprinkle so we put our new jackets on, mine which included a hood rolled into the collar. It was a brief sprinkling of rain and before long it was over. We ended up having to walk some yet that day to get back to the hotel, and we bought sidewalk hot dogs and some sodas to have for dinner. This did not prove to satisfy so later we went down the little snack area at the hotel, and got some chips and other treats to have as we watched TV.

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Monday was our day to see the museum so after our breakfast, still on the house, we headed out to hail a cab. When we pulled up, we noticed one of the hot dog cart vendors had a sign about supporting the disabled veterans and had American flags on the wagon. We agreed this would be the place to get our Memorial Day hot dogs later on. We climbed the 85 steps up to the doors and went through security there, paid the suggested admission, and off we went.

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Justin was interested in seeing the Renaissance art and certain artists he recently studied, but we found that several entire areas were not open, including the ones he wanted to see. I was fine to go look at other stuff but he is more like his father when it comes to stuff like that, gets into a slight huff and then nothing else is good enough, you know? We went to see the ancient Egypt site where a portion of a temple is reconstructed plus walked through the Greek display. His feet ached, his hip was sore, he had a slight headache....and I was the one expected to be ailing! At one point he went in search of the elevator or escalator to take us down stairs but found none, so we went down another 85 stairs, to the lower level to see that floor. At some point he admitted that he had seen all he wanted to, except, of course, that which was closed, so we left.

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Before getting a cab, though, we had our roasted hot dogs from the Marine veterans, delicious!!! Not dirty water ones, truly roasted on the grille. We decided to go see a movie so once more his trusty phone found us a theater near our hotel and a time schedule. He had already seen "Angels and Demons" but did not mind seeing it again. We were on Times Square, in the heart of activity, and found the theater without problem. All ticket sales were done at kiosks and we followed signs to the escalator for our long ride up-up-up-up. So many escalators and we kept going up!!! At least 9 times and finally to the floor where our theater was located. We could see out and over the buildings with a panoramic view from the deck area. He estimated we were 20 stories high, and the vista as good as any movie! I did like the movie, although Justin had problems with them not following the book. I do myself a favor by not reading the books, I am seldom disappointed!!! He is terrible when it comes to the Harry Potter movies, does not forgive the license taken by the screen writers. He liked this one well enough to see it twice, so it cannot have been too bad!

My only day in between trips.......

.........and already watching the clock! I woke in my own bed to sunshine and I hope it stays awhile! The long-range forecast does not promise such so I will try not to get used to it. When we left New York yesterday morning, it was overcast and 60 degrees, quite a change from what we had been experiencing. Predictions showed rain most of the days in Florida, too, until some time next week. Facebook friends kept us updated on the number of inches, now measured in feet, of rain that had fallen in our area. The high temperatures are in the 80's which is good, and often the storms come at the close of the day, which is better than having rain all day long. In checking the headlines on the local radio station's website, there was a report that Clark's Fish Camp, one of our favorite eateries, was closed because of the high water in the restaurant. At some point, however, the owner of the restaurant went into the men's restroom and discovered a 4' long alligator hanging out in there. He merely dragged it by the tail and threw it back into Julington Creek. Talk about fresh catch!

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Today I have a hair cut appointment and my primary "job" is to get the big suitcase out and packed for tomorrow's adventure. When I got home last night, immediately I started a load of laundry in order get things in process. Oh, no! The soap jug was nearly empty!!! I swished water around in it and poured it into the washer, hoping that was enough. Joanne was not home yet so I called and left a message for her to pick up some soap. When she came in, she handed me two tiny boxes of Tide, purchased at her sister's hotel on Wells Road. That will get me through my wash but won't help her out any. Hopefully she is ready to go and won't need to wash anymore. She leaves tomorrow with her sister, heading for Kalamazoo to check on things at her parent's home, which is for sale. They still have numerous items to sort through and want to get going on it in the outside chance that someone will buy the home.

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I just got back from the kitchen, where I ran a small amount of hot water into the sink and put soap into it. The kitchen cloth stunk, so I gingerly carried that into the laundry room, and took a fresh one from the drawer. Phewww! With the hot soapy water all the counters, the stove top, and microwave face were wiped, making them fresh and crumb-free. As I did this, my memory brought back days of old.....I specifically recall one afternoon when I got home from work at Shady Lane, I immediately got busy with the hot sudsy water and busily wiped all the counters, the table, and anything that would not move. It wasn't until I was satisfied all was clean that I realized I still had my winter coat on with purse hanging on my shoulder! From that moment on, I always made sure to take my coat off and put my purse down BEFORE manically washing things. Thankfully, I have gotten much better about those things, now no longer living in "always for sale"-mode.

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Only 10 minutes before it is time to leave for the booty shop so must get dressed. Susan washes my hair for me after the cut because I am full of whiskers when she gets done with her clippers. I hate to leave a rain of tiny hairs everywhere I go after the booty shop. After I get back today, I will add some more updates about my trip, but, for now, have a great day all!

Pictures from JR's graduation

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was the speaker at West Point's graduation Saturday, May 23. He personally handed out the diplomas to the high honors graduates and then yielded to the officers who actually read the names, one on each side of the dais, for over 900 West Pointers.

On the right is JR, waiting on the ramp to hear his name called for the diploma. The skies were threatening and I wonder what would happen to their diplomas if it did rain. Afterward we could see it was inside a tube to protect it from the weather. John and Mona bought JR the suitable frames for hanging his diploma and also his commission. He also bought a sword which will be hung in the display as well. The sword they are wearing is more decorative than official, so had to be turned back in after the ceremony.

After JR came down the ramp upon receiving his diploma, several of their teachers were waiting at the bottom of the stairs to congratulate them, and give hugs. It was a pleasant surprise to see the normally stiff and rigid military guys grabbing the graduates and hugging them freely, and the graduates hugging back! In this photo, JR is scanning the huge crowd to see us, but I do not think he could pick us out, although he knew approximately where we would be seated.

At the conclusion of the graduation ceremony, a time-long tradition of the hat toss took place. Children in only a certain age group were gathered on the far edge of the grounds, and as soon the graduates tossed the hats in the air, the kids were set free to go and grab the hats. The hats supposedly had coins or paper money tucked in the band for the kids. Soon after the hat toss came numerous announcements about lost kids.....really?

If you will notice the different uniform, this is their new style and color this year. The Commissioning Ceremony was separate from graduation, at which his parents attached the bars to his shoulders as Allie stuck his lieutenant bars to his beret. Again, we could not be more proud of JR's accomplishments and his career choice. Doesn't Justin look handsome, too? He is losing weight and now has to have his tuxedo resized for Jamie's wedding in June. What if he loses more before then????
John, Allie, and Mona pose with JR after his commissioning ceremony, with the lovely vista as the backdrop. What an incredibly wonderful event to be part of and I cannot believe that we even considered not going. Our time in New York was all great fun but it is pretty hard to beat graduation at West Point!!!

Happy Memorial Day, all!

My mindset regarding the military and their service certainly improved after I got older, and most especially since moving to Jacksonville. Surrounded by the military and veterans has been a huge blessing as far as garnering an appreciation for the work these people have done and continue to do for us. And then to have a nephew graduate from West Point, it is just, WOW! I wish I was in Manty for the parade today.

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So, Justin and I are setting off for Memorial Day in NYC, with today's plans to visit the Met and possibly meet Hope Meyer for dinner tonight. We have some coordination to do, but 'hope'fully we can make it happen. Breakfast is still "on the house" here due to the room problem at check-in so we can advantage of that, eating hardy. Our plans also include having a sidewalk, 'dirty water' hot dog, from a vendor again, because, after all, it is the American thing to do. As Justin said, "We have to have a hot dog on Memorial Day, even if we are buying it from an Arab!"