Soaked to the skin

This morning I went out to the pool for aqua exercises before the boys got up. They were being picked up by Michael at noon so they could sleep as late as they needed to. All the food items were out on the counter and they knew where the milk and juice were kept, so they could fend for themselves when they did eventually come out of their rooms.

                              

We had a small class today (guess it was good I had no Bible study!), only four of us in it. Maggie O. had already planned to stay for lunch but the other two had to leave.  The Club is serving a marvelous pastrami on rye on the lunch menu, which I had on Tuesday, and again today. Maggie had it too and enjoyed it with me. I wrote to Chef the other day and raved about the delicious sandwich, and he wrote back telling me how they cure the meat themselves. They did a good job of it!

I did not see the fellows leave but they were gone by the time I got upstairs. Today was Imax day as they were going to see "Man of Steel" at the World Golf Village. Later I saw a post on Facebook where Jacob had tried his hand at hitting a hole in one, part of a challenge offered there. The last time he swung, he swung so hard the club flew out of his hands and into the lake. Oh my! Apparently it was a $200 club and away it went....He felt badly about it but my guess is they have someone who can go into the lake and dive for it. At least, I hope so!

Jacob teeing up the ball, and the club!

I had dinner plans with Terri T., our first  time seeing each other in about a month or so. On the way to meet her, I was going to church to take photos of the VBS activities. The sky was filling with grey to black clouds and I heard thunder rumbling. Nuts! As I sat at the light from Blanding to Argyle, the heavens opened and sheets of rain bathed us. Sideways rain. By the time I got to church it was so heavy I could barely see. 

Cars were in the handicapped spaces to allow kids to get out, with Pastor running out under the umbrella to escort them in. The rain coming sideways would not be helped by the umbrella. I pulled up alongside church on the grass and dashed for the door, with my camera tucked under my shirt. That didn't do much good as I was thoroughly soaked!

When I got into the church, gasping in amazement at the rain, little Daniel was standing just inside. He said, "Miss Kim! Your hair isn't spiked!" I told him it was before I got out of the car. Wow! As I went through the breezeway into the Fellowship Hall, that ceiling was leaking like a sieve as well. We need a new roof or serious repairs to that roof, too. 

A bit later, as Tina was about to introduce the music, I saw her flinch and touch her hair. Oh no! Water was dripping in just in front of the altar area. Janet got a bucket from the closet in the Fellowship Hall and I put it in place under the leak. Boy, that was a familiar sound---drip, drip, drip. 

Terri was trying to call me, but my phone was traumatized by the rain, too, so I could not answer it. The screen was wet and my fingers were wet, and not able to slide the answering arrow over. Nor could I send her text until things dried up. So frustrating! Eventually it did 'open' and I was able to send her text message to let her know I was ready to go to dinner. Looking like a wet dog, but ready. We had a 30 minute wait at Carrabba's but we passed the time at a table on the patio, now that the rain had ended. Whew! 

Dinner was great, always is at Carrabba's, and we got caught up on what's been going on. She had been on a trip to OH and IN, visiting the Football Hall of Fame in Canton. She said she took lots of pictures of Packer stuff to show me, but there was not much Jaguar stuff in the Hall of Fame yet. She bestowed a lovely Packer necklace on me, in the shape of a flip flop with a jewel or two on it. Very thoughtful! (It's nearly football season again!) How nice of her to think of me. 

When I got home, after 9:30, the boys were already there, attempting to patch a leak (another leak???) in the air bed. They said two of them were lying on it and heard air whistling. Sure enough---my less than a year old bed was leaking air. Jacob was on his back on the floor, trying to put tape over the leak. I found some packing tape to try and he thought he had it fixed. Later, when I came out to get a soda, I saw Jacob on the love seat, claiming he was just fine there. 

In the morning I will have to check to see if there is a warranty on the bed at all. It is not cheap, and was replaced after the kids were here last year. That time all four had laid on it and it ruptured, making a huge bulge like a balloon about to pop. I replaced the bed before Mom and Lynn arrived and now, it might be shot again. Nuts!

The guys leave me early on Saturday morning, as they have a 2 1/2 hour ride to the airport in Orlando and have to be there about 2 hours prior to their flight. Justin will come over and begin the settling back in process. My washer will be busy with sheets and towels, etc. It might not be pool weather at all due to a tropical disturbance named Chantal on its way north, but our hopes are that it will dissipate. Still, likely not a good day at the pool but a good day to get Justin situated. Reclaim my living room/foyer and eventually, the 2nd guest room, minus, probably, the air bed!

I am a hypocrite

My friend, Lee, declared me as such on Saturday when I was ordering the meals for the young folks who were joining me poolside for lunch. Besides their hamburgers and a bag of chips, they would have a choice of sides such as cole slaw, orzo pasta, or fruit. Since I didn't know their preference in regard to the other offerings, I was a responsible hostess and ordered fruit for them. Lee mocked me, calling me a hypocrite for making them have fruit when I do not. Got a good laugh out of me! Guilty as charged!

Here are Lee and I in the dining room of The Club, taken when Linda was here in the spring time. 

This a.m. I drove Erynn to the airport as she was flying back to CO for volleyball camp. What a full summer for her! The other young folks, the guys, are presently off to St. Augustine today. They are going to try staying out of the sun as much as possible due to getting roasted yesterday. They actually did have sun screen applied but the stripes were visible where the sun screen was too thin or missed entirely. Ouch!

     

Justin had a home cure he thought would work on my sunscreen rash which was to use Listerine applied with cotton balls to soothe the rash. I didn't have that brand but he tried the other type I had available. Can't say I noticed a difference in it but it was nice having the coolness while it lasted. It has something to do with the alcohol in the mouthwash evaporating, the coolness of it. I smelled minty fresh anyway!

My living room and part of the foyer are loaded up with plastic bins and wood shelving as this is currently Justin's holding area. After Saturday, he can move his stuff back in, but first, we must move my art supplies and the existing furniture out of the room to make space for his stuff. I sort of look forward to it, but have some doubts as to what my guest room will end up looking like. Linda is coming in August so that will be our end goal---Linda's pending visit!

Keeping busy

Despite the fact that my Internet is down, I am somehow keeping busy. Occupied might be the better word. Today, Tuesday, the young folks are at the beach house owned by a friend of the congregation. We didn't need to pack lunches at all as Mike was going to cookout for them. It is a great day to be at the beach and I do hope someone keeps reminding the fair skinned ones to apply sunscreen. Otherwise they will suffer later!

Yesterday I took them over to church in the a.m. and used the Internet there. In the afternoon we went out to enjoy the pool until it was time for them to be picked up for a return to church for VBS. One fellow, Jackson, was tired and had to go in to take a nap. He is the snorer in his room of three boys so technically the others should be tired. His brother, Jayson, stayed out the longest with me in the teens pool. We were overrun with little kids but it was still alot of fun. Love kids with imaginations and those little ones sure had it!

Tonight is Erynn's last one with us as she flies home tomorrow morning. She is attending a soccer camp so has to get back. Since her bed will be freed up, Jackson can move across the hall to allow the other two guys a more peaceful sleep. Jacob, the third of the fellows, is a very nice young man, as are they all. His mom is from WI and by default, Jacob is a Packer fan!

I don't think I mentioned that the other night Justin and I went to eat at Saigon-Tokyo, hereafter referred to as Koko's. We each had the teriyaki chicken and fried rice, with me having only chicken left to go home with Justin. I polished off my rice in nothing flat, and some of the teriyaki chicken. So good! Just the way I remember it!

When Justin collected me from the airport, we stopped at Carrabba's for dinner. Now we have had both his wishes for dinners out, which he had sent to me in text messages when I was in WI. Since he is moving back to the land of milk and honey, we can be eating in more often, except when the cabana is open, of course.

Hopefully there will be more kids tonight and as the week progresses for VBS. A couple expected kids were not there last night but they might trickle in as the week progresses. The guys were looking for sweet Mario but he was not there, nor were the triplets and their brother. I hope tonight they can make it. Love that Mario and the other boys!

Terri T. and I are getting together on Thursday to catch up on each other's news as we've been apart since early June. She has done a mess of traveling and with my time away, well, we have lots to talk about! We can chat or text each other mechanically, but there is nothing like face to face visits over sirloin marsala and Diet Cokes!

One of the missionary couples Linda and I heard at the LWMS convention spoke about their outreach method of offering soccer camp to the area kids. Over the past few years it has grown in popularity and in number, having around 200 kids in the camp in one week. The pastor at my church has a daughter who is at a Synod high school and is presently serving in Canada at this very same soccer camp through Project Timothy. How awesome is that??!! 

                        

Today I enjoyed lunch poolside with a bunch of the ladies after water exercise class. I ordered the pastrami on rye sandwich and found it wonderfully delicious. Nearly ate my hand---that's how good it was! I almost passed up the opportunity to eat with them but since Lee was staying, I did as well. I must order that again and skip that goofy chicken and broccoli salad I tried last week!

I have very bumpy arms from what seems to be a reaction to my sunscreen. I had been using an aerosol spray can of sunscreen but found a more oily (I had hoped less drying) bottle under my sink. Big mistake! Apparently it lost its goodness and caused me to break out on my arms and chest. Not my face, thankfully, as I use another lotion type there. That bottle went right into the trash once I figured out it was the offender and will return to using my spray from now forward. I promised my sister and my doctor I would use it no matter what!

Doing my best....

...under the circumstances with having to use borrowed Internet access!

Here I am in the Fellowship Hall using the very Internet I objected to having installed. Guess I could have gone to a coffee shop or other restaurant to do this but it worked out great for me to bring the young folks to church this a.m. and then use the Internet. My friend, Terri, sent me a phone number to use to call AT&T to troubleshoot my modem which I will take care of when I get home again. 

Also, I am upgrading the Internet service to my home to allow for another computer to be hooked up to my service. Yes, my boy is coming back home to live which requires I have extended available service, which will allow Justin to stream things he could not do otherwise. He is willing to pay the difference so will do that at the same time I am getting help with the modem. Lots of blinking lights going on but no connection to the outside world from home!

It is cool in this big room but I am sure the temperature was not set for someone like me. Rather, it was set for the young folks and other workers who are and will be running ragged to get things ready for VBS. Michael goes between the preschool classroom and managing the teenagers who are here to get things ready for tonight's grand opening of Vacation Bible School. He was glad he was spared a trip to my house this morning.

Yesterday it was so great to see my church family again. Gretchen got to her feet and came around the table to hug on me and get her hug from my mom. Later she hugged me again, saying she really missed me. Awwww! Who wouldn't love that?  Judy C. gave me my recently remodeled swimsuit, which she worked on while I was gone. She was able to shorten the straps about 3" for me, not a slip shod job, either. She took them all apart and did it right! 

A group of 12 of us went to eat at La Nopalera for lunch, including Robbie and Justin, plus the young folks. From there they went with Michael back over to church to work, while I went home to enjoy the pool and fun. Justin went to his place to finish his packing as his father was coming to help haul some of his stuff. Justin will be staying with his father for a couple weeks until my houseguests are gone.

                                       

This time his stay with me has no ending date so I am going to move all my stuff out of his room and into the one across the hall. Perhaps this will make it easier to keep his room under control with more storage space available to him, etc. Also, my painting and scrapbooking supplies will be accessible to me by moving it across the hall. This means I have to go through MY stuff and do some housecleaning of what is kept/used, and what is not. 

We will need to have this all done by the time Linda comes at the end of August, so we do actually have a goal to work toward. Otherwise, the potential exists to put this organizing off to another time but  I won't let that happen. Order! There must be order!!!

Modem troubles

Sorry I cannot post to my blog...my modem has quit working on me.

A night of dreaming

It was very likely closer to morning when this dream took place but I was still asleep so time doesn't matter. According to the dream, I was vacationing in WI, seemingly at my sister's home in Holmen. Linda and I decided to take a Mediterranean cruise and leave right away instead of going back to Manty. 

Linda somehow had her luggage ready to go but the bulk of mine was still in Manty. (I had taken a carry-on bag with me to the convention and left my large red suitcase at Mom's.) Thinking on my feet, I contacted Mom and family asking them to load up the suitcase and send it to me. Somehow it did happen even though I had not taken into account the four hours across the state it had to come to find me. 

We ladies wove through the zigzag lines to get our flight, after I had to buy an airline ticket for my suitcase ($237!!!). It was parked on the side of the room where we were checking in (seemed so real!) and I kept reminding the fellows to grab that bag. Once we were through the line, I found my bag and stacked my carry-on sized one with it. We sat down at this bar nearby and waited for a nurse to come around to check our blood. She was doing finger pricks which seemed like a normal routine for cruising.

Somehow the key characters changed and my former spouse was now also going with us. What I remembered about that was thinking, "Oh, nuts! Now I would have to keep track of how much soda I drink on the ship!" Talk about cramping my style! (One of the best deals on cruises was the nearly endless soda refill cups they offered. Justin and I would still pick up a 6-pack or bottles of Diet Coke on our shore excursions to tide us over.) I would have a serious problem with suddenly being accountable again!

...and then I woke up. I think I might have dreamed about cruising because Justin sent me a picture last night of the Parthenon and acropolis made from Legos.  This put Greece back in my brain again. And by the way, Linda would likely never take such a long flight as that to get to the Mediterranean but I can dream, can't I?

They are here!

My home is now housing kids! We have gone to our respective rooms for the night, as they are tired from their day of travel, and I am just plain tired. Our time together began right after 4 pm when Michael brought them over here, after picking them up in Orlando. It worked better for the kids to fly direct from Denver, no risk of missing connections, etc. this way, as they are traveling without an escort this year. 

Jacob, Jayson, Jackson, and Erryn were stunned by the heat and humidity, opting to go swimming instead of resting before dinner. We were going to The Club that night for dinner and Michael joined us. The dining was set up outside and indoors, but we chose alfresco seating. This buffet was really the way to go for three hungry boys and one hungry girl, plus the two adults. I was so happy to have some blue cotton candy and hand-scooped ice cream with strawberries and chocolate sauce for dessert. Just as we finished our main course, we had to dash inside The Club as it began to rain---of course! 

When it had let up a bit, we all walked back toward my place, parting company with Michael, as he was very tired from his long day of driving to and from Orlando. Doing it again the next day was not going to be a picnic, either, as they are going to Universal Studios for the day.

Rocket's red glare on the St. Johns River

When it was time for the fireworks, we all went down to the north end of the building to watch. All up and down the river were amateur and professional fireworks going off which the kids got a kick out of. Even more impressive was having the big barge pull up and blast off fireworks right before our eyes. We watched them in the rain and eventually it didn't matter. At last, the kids were cooled off---enough to sleep anyway!