It's been a long time

Boy, I was so glad to wake up this morning!!! Before having dripping water sounds, real or imagined, ruining my restful sleeping, it was mice. Now, I have only encountered two or three in my life but for well over 30 years, one of my greatest fears was encountering a mouse. Well, in my dream this early a.m., I kicked it up a notch!

In the dream, my now former spouse was house hunting for us. He found a place to buy and put things into action for us to purchase it. I showed up at the door one day and asked the sellers if I could see the place, since I had not yet seen where I was moving. This was NOT the house I would have chosen but I did not hate it either. It had potential!

The sellers let me look around, as they continued packing to move. My spouse was there and got busy painting a wall in one of the rooms. (I hope the sellers don't mind!) As I was looking around, I noticed the double front doors didn't exactly meet in the middle, but I loved the thick worm wood-looking doors. I asked if him if there was a way to mount the thick doors onto new doors, to preserve the look. He said he would have to get with Doug about it.  (Doug was actually our very first lumber salesman when we moved here in 1988. Where did THAT come from???)

The lady of the house was showing me the built-in shelves in a hallway, with curtains rather than doors over the shelves, and the walls made of concrete blocks, which means addition. A cut and paste house. Somehow my family was there,  too, looking things over. Some of my sisters were going to look in the basement. All of a sudden, Jill got a very strange look on her face and I said, "What???"

She was white like the sheet covering the open shelves, and carefully said, "You know what used to scare you so bad in other houses??" I said, "Oh, no, you saw a mouse??" and she said, "Well, it wasn't a mouse..." Rat!! Deal over---I was out of there, freshly painted wall or not.

The seller reluctantly admitted that yes, they had rats once in a while...I said I was out---surely we could get out of the deal since I had not seen the house before the contract was written, etc. I would never sleep again knowing that even if we eradicated the place of rats, my ears would be awake all night, listening for the scurrying or rooting around varmints do when others are sleeping. Oh, yes I would! 

I never did get to the second floor to see the bedrooms or bathrooms which likely would have been deal breakers as well. I wonder what my spouse was thinking when buying this place, one in such need of renovation and tweaking. Decorating touches are one thing, rat eradication is quite another!! So very glad I woke up and didn't have to see this adventure as it played out!

"....and so forth...."

The other night when I attended the Ladies' Night Out event at The Club, I not only got to judge various and assorted desserts, but also observed from the safety of my seat, dancers. Yes, a pair of gentlemen from a local dance studio came to spin the ladies around the dance floor. 


There were only a small number of us there but about a half dozen or so took their turn learning dance steps and even did a line dance. That was so not for Lee or me, but we were content to just chat and watch. Fortunately, we did not have to judge the dancing, too.

I told Lee about the first time I took the ballroom dancing lessons. The guy who was my instructor would end every attempt at dancing with the words "...it's all good". No matter how poorly I did, he would say this. Scott was fortunate he got out of those lessons alive because my patience for such things is quite limited.  He could have gotten upset with my lack of cooperative dancing skills, so we were even. Whenever I think back to those lessons, all I remember is "it's all good". Ugh!

Lee can't stand the expression "have a good one!". This puts her teeth on edge. She reported how one time she heard a very proper foreign man use the expression in English and she about smacked him. "Don't say that!!!" I had to laugh because it is so not polite to smack a foreign person for speaking poor American English!

Connie, the maintenance lady, punctuates every declarative sentence she makes with the phrase, "...and all". Sometime I would like to inquire "and all what?", just to see what she would answer. Likely she is not even aware she says this and also likely she would not stop doing it simply because it annoys me! 

Another common sentence "punctuation" some folks use is "...'nthat..." (means 'and that). Like Connie's phrase, it does not go on to explain '...'n that what???' At the pool activities, one participant regularly uses the expression, "...and so forth" at the end of sentences. I am dying to say, "Yada, yada, yada..." (Seinfeld) sometime but the humor, I fear, would be missed.

                                                   

On the radio show I watch/listen to, one of the hosts is constantly on alert, pointing out the misspeaks and grammatical faux pas of others. Well, yesterday it was his turn to mess up and oh, what great fun the others had with him. I felt somewhat badly for Pat, knowing how I would feel, and do feel, when I mess up or get caught doing something for which I am critical of others. He was going on and on about moving something and needing to use a 'wheel barrel'. Oh, he was so busted! 

The control room played the tape over and over again, rubbing his nose in his using the wrong word.  I had to chuckle because I DID notice it the first time and it clicked in my brain, "Oh, did Pat just say 'barrel' instead of barrow?". Then the show took a nasty turn!! 


All the guys on this same program like to end their declarative sentences with the words "...and everything else..." which is, of course, a grand overstatement. An example would be "Publix sells groceries and everything else..." which is so not true! This might be true for Wal*Mart, but not for Publix. "..and everything else.." annoys me, too!


We must get the plank from our own eye before pointing out the speck in someone else's eye. Or conversation...and so forth!


(p.s. In listening today (Thursday) I heard Pat make a mistake again which the guys did not jump on---he said, "That's the flaw in the oinment..." It's actually 'fly in the ointment', not flaw!) Pick, pick, pick!

Kim to the rescue!

Monday night Justin and I ate at home, collaborating on a batch of spaghetti. He got everything out and ready for me to create a masterpiece of a meal. Among the ingredients were two extra cans of things I would not have normally added to the recipe---a good-sized can of mushroom stems and pieces, plus a can of diced garlic tomatoes. The jar of sauce was a giant one, did not really need to add the additional tomatoes. He reported that the lady of the house where he lived previously, at the Beach, would always add a can of tomatoes, so, okay, throw it in. For our vegetable, I opened a can of peas, a name-brand from the BO/GO bin at Publix. 

                          

For the pasta, he had chosen linguine when I would have picked the thin spaghetti but it didn't really matter. Once it was ready, we ate at the table in the living room while watching Jeopardy! At first, I thought it was the peas that didn't taste right so I left them on my plate. Justin had mixed the peas into his sauce and did not notice any sort of strong flavor. He even had second helpings so it had to just be me. 

There was a good deal leftover, as you might imagine, so we packed it away for leftovers. On Tuesday night I went over to The Club for a Ladies' Night dessert function, since we did not have Bible Information Class this week. Justin ate the leftovers and reported to me that his food tasted like metal or something. The bowl he used had a rust stain in it to begin with, caused by leaving a spoon in it for a long time in a corner in his room. He blamed the stain for making the food taste goofy but I hardly think that would happen.

Not to let the food go to waste, I took the pasta and lined the bottom of a baking dish, and then poured the sauce and meat mixture over the pasta. Then, I sprinkled a half bag of shredded cheese on top of the whole works, and baked it. Justin told me he had bathed his leftovers with garlic salt to eat it, but I did not do that to the entire batch. 

As we ate the 'casserole', the taste was still evident but not terribly strong. We figure it must have been the tomatoes with garlic which affected the flavor. Or, it could have been the larger portion of mushrooms which I would not have used if it was only me eating it. Anyway, I saved the day and the leftovers by making it my way!

A contribution from my friend, Linda M.

Food for thought from the 
Redneck Book of Manners:

1.Never take a beer to a job interview.

2.Always identify people in your yard before 
shooting at them.

3. It's considered poor taste to take a cooler
to church.

4. If you have to vacuum the bed, it is time to 
change the sheets.

5. Even if you're certain that you are included in 
the will, it is still considered tacky to drive a 
U-Haul to the funeral home.

Dining Out

1. If drinking directly from the bottle, always
 hold it with your fingers covering the label.

2. Avoid throwing bones and food scraps on 
the floor as the restaurant may not have dogs.

Entertaining In Your Home

1. A centerpiece for the table should never be 
anything prepared by a taxidermist.

2. Do not allow the dog to eat at the table no
matter how good his manners are.

Personal Hygiene

1. While ears need to be cleaned regularly, 
this is a job that should be done in private using
one's OWN truck keys

2. Proper use of toiletries can forestall bathing 
for several days. However, if you live alone, 
deodorant is a waste of good money.

3. Dirt and grease under the fingernails is a social 
no-no, as they tend to detract from a woman's 
jewelry and alter the taste of finger foods.

Dating (outside the family)

1. Always offer to bait your date's hook, especially
on the first date.

2. Be assertive. Let her know you're interested: 
'I've been wanting to go out with you since I read
that stuff on the bathroom wall two years ago.'

3. Establish with her parents what time she is 
expected back. Some will say 10:00 PM; others might
say 'Monday.' If the latter is the answer, it is the 
man's responsibility to get her to school on time.

Weddings

1. Livestock, usually, is a poor choice for a wedding
gift.

2. Kissing the bride for more than 5 seconds may get
you shot.

3. For the groom, at least, rent a tux. A leisure suit
with a cummerbund and a clean bowling shirt can 
create too sporty an appearance.

4. Though uncomfortable, say 'yes' to socks and 
shoes for this special occasion.

Driving Etiquette

1. Dim your headlights for approaching vehicles, 
even if the gun is loaded, and the deer is in sight.

2. When approaching a four-way stop, the vehicle
with the largest tires always has the right of way.

3. Never tow another car using panty hose and duct
tape.

4. When sending your wife/girlfriend down the road
with a gas can, it is impolite to ask her to bring back
beer.

5. Never relieve yourself from a moving vehicle, 
especially when driving.

6. Do not lay rubber while traveling in a funeral 
procession.

Two Reasons why it is hard to solve a Redneck 
Murder:

1. All the DNA is the same.

2. There are no dental records

Some of these are questionable but others I found
quite amusing!! I must be a redneck because of the 
crumbs in my bed!

So glad to see the sun!

What a glorious thing to wake up to! Justin came in my room after I was awake and said, "What is that on your wall?" in an alarmed voice. It was the sun! Hopefully my sun catching jar will be fully loaded for me to enjoy tonight!

Justin feared he woke me up when engaging in a wrestling match with the laundry baskets this a.m. I was already awake, though I had a really good, sound nights' sleep last night. Felt wonderful too! The sound of the water in the pipes will be addressed today and as long as it is not running out across anyone's floors or ceilings....He left about 6:30 a.m. and came back about 12 hours later. 

We were going to go shopping but since he was late getting in and sort of exhausted, we postponed the trip until tomorrow. He asked for spaghetti for dinner and got everything ready for me to use to make it. Strangely, I made us a very nice dinner without incident, but had to turn on the kitchen ceiling fan this afternoon after making toast!

Together we watched Jeopardy! while eating our dinner, of which there will be a couple meals leftover. We got things all cleared away and retired to our rooms for the night. Justin was enthralled with listening to and watching some sort of 'cast' from Microsoft describing the latest development for computers. Who could even stand more resolution? He could, that's for sure!

                                             

Here is Lee, when she collected her 'door prize' from Great Hang Ups. The day of the drawing, I had stopped in and mentioned Lee's name in passing. Both ladies got amazed looks on their faces and said, "That's the lady who won the dragonfly painting!" I got the privilege of making the call letting her know she won!!

***************

Because the sun was out this morning, the air temp responded nicely. Eventually it soared to 92 above zero, which might be why Justin was so tired. I went out to the pool for a couple hours where I was delighted to find my newer friend, Lee. She had done her water exercises already so could hang around the edge of the pool to chat. From all the rain on Sunday, the water was cooler than I like, but gradually I adapted to it and rode my imaginary bike under water.

The last time I had seen Lee was at Dee's show at the Thrasher Horne last fall and I hate that. It's not for my lack of trying to get together. She is back up and running now, so to speak, and we made plans to attend the Ladies' Night Out event at The Club on Tuesday night. My Tuesday night is open since Victory is having VBS this week. This month's presentation for the ladies is a dessert event. We shall see!

I had to go in just after noon because I was desperately hungry and needed some lunch. For the future, I should take a sandwich or such with me, since the cabana is not open during the week. Connie, the maintenance lady, told me she would come up and listen to the water dripping situation as soon as the upstairs neighbor got home. Instead of going back out, I waited for the knock at the door.

When Connie did come in, she was amazed at how well she could hear the water, which I described was like a shower running. Off she went in pursuit of an answer and determined, contrary to what Misty's daughter's reported, the toilet in the bathroom above Justin's was running running running. Connie, being Connie, showed the teen-aged girl the water going into the toilet bowl and said, "That is not supposed to be happening!" Kids! What a relief to not hear that...been going on since last Friday! Besides making me half nuts, it's expensive for the building to pay for wasted water.

Storms remain in our forecast so I am hesitant to take up the towels for soaking up the drips. Perhaps I will leave the one in the river room and have Justin put things back in place in the living room. I hate to entertain when the place is pulled apart, you know? Some reporting stations showed up to 20" of accumulated rain this past week. The retention pond, known as "Lake Victory", is full and gleaming, according to my friend, Ed, who does yard work at church. 

"Lake Good Shepherd" also doubles as our parking lot and is likely NOT gleaming from all this rain. We heard at the church meeting Sunday that it is cost prohibitive to repair the parking lot so we just have to put up with it. Most times on rainy days, people park on the grass or dirt areas rather than on that portion of the paved lot due to the high water accumulation. It's a drainage problem which I declare was NOT always there, but has no simple (i.e. cheap) resolution.

There is a remodeling project planned for incorporating the breezeway area into a narthex and then sprucing up the sanctuary. That's as far as our borrowed money will go. Our congregation is slated to host the LWMS Fall Rally next year and it seems now that we will have to ask to switch with another congregation, as we won't be ready. It's a tough job when no construction is going on, and would be tougher yet to be good hosts during renovations. Our hopes will be the fellowship hall is completed by the beginning of July when VBS takes place!!! That is still tentative....

Feeling all snuggly on a rainy day

The other day as I delivered The Palace Press to those without computers, I met my neighbors, Hugh and Maureen. She was cradling a plaster creature in her arms, and then asked me, "Do you have a use for a lamb?" Immediately I answered, "Yes, I do!" and explained the memorial garden in the front flower bed at church. Happily she said it was now mine, and had Hugh put it in the back of my car for me. (She could carry it but thought it was too heavy for me!). The reason they were so glad it had a new home rather than going to the Salvation Army store was they had it in memory of their daughter, Molly. For some reason she was getting rid of it, perhaps moving on a bit or something, and was just so pleased her Molly Lamb has a new home at Good Shepherd in Timmy's garden!                                                                    

                                

When checking my text messages this afternoon, I found this one from Linda at the FG church picnic. She said she thought of me when she saw the little ones running around with the cotton candy---blue, my favorite!!!! She made my heart go pitter-pat by sending this to me---she enjoying lovely summer weather and me in the dark, endless rain! Ugh! Some cotton candy would have fixed me right up!

                             

Later this afternoon, I got a notice on Facebook from my young friend, Christie, who is an au pair in France. She saw this country cottage in Giverny and said it made her think of me. I asked Christie if she'd ever seen the movie "The Holiday" and she said it's one of her favorites. That movie features a country cottage set in the countryside on the outskirts of London, and resembles the setting as the one above.


At church today, we had a guest from the Synod (yes, another guest from the Synod!) who spoke briefly on planned giving. After he spoke, those staying went back to the classroom building for a Congregational/Voter's meeting. Before it got underway, I saw him standing in the doorway, as though he was looking for someone. Then, he came my direction, like he was on a mission. Sure enough, he came right up to me, extended his hand and asked, "Are you Kim Day?" Instead of correcting him with my entire name, I admitted being me. He said, "I just wanted to meet you" even though I had greeted him at the door before church. I never met him before but he seemed like he knew me. He made a concerted effort to come and re-introduce himself to me. Very nice! I hope his feelings won't be hurt if I don't make it to his presentation in two weeks, as I will be in Palm Coast!

I am having quite the day today!!! 

Rain again!!

Not rain first thing in the morning but not long afterward it rained some more. Enough already! One lady on the Southside reported on Facebook that in the past week, they had 17" of rain. If Judy J. was in town, she would keep me up to date on how much rain she's had, betting her rain gauge would be overflowing. Concerned friends have been asking how the leaks are going but since the tropical storm, the leaks have been reduced substantially.

Thursday a roofer was here to see my damage and the areas which drip. Nancy, from the Board, accompanied him, determined to get to the bottom of this problem. They also visited the unit above mine which gets wet first, and then down this way. His theory is it is not the roof causing the situation but perhaps the balcony/porch on what used to be Randy's unit two floors up. It had been worked on in the past, prior to the new roof going on but something might need attention again.

Now, that is quite the bottle of beer! It's a Sam Addam's brew, only 11 casks made annually. Brass and ceramic bottle---nice!

Justin had plans to go to the Beach for a mini-golf event put on by the same people from whom he won the valuable bottle of beer. I was hoping the rain would end long enough for him to go, and it did, but it was not a nice day out there at all. Cooler by over 10 degrees than my hometown was today!! Overcast and gloomy which really gets old. 


When I heard kids playing outside in the pool, I decided to go and check it out. I wrestled myself into my suit and trotted over. No one was at the adult end of the pools but there were two families with kids on this end. Just as I climbed the stairs, I felt sprinkles. Shoot! A man was watching his kids play and said it had been doing that off and on all afternoon but the kids didn't mind. I found it too chilly for swimming as the air temp was about 81 and the water cooled from all the rain we'd had. 


At least the cabana was open, had been for only an hour due to the weather. Two of the pool staff had been sent home but the cabana boy, Julius, who now calls me "Trouble", got to stay as he also helped for the wedding reception. He made me a lovely burger with a side-dish of red potato salad. I asked for and got a dab of it. How funny it was to have this today, as only this morning I had told Linda J. that this was the only type of cold potato salad I really liked! And there it was, on my plate!
                                            
A hotel guest came out and asked me if the water was warm. I had to tell her I had not been in. She stuck her toe in the water before ordering her meal. Instead of getting dressed and going somewhere off-property to get something to eat after checking in, she came out there! As I went upstairs again, I asked how she liked her burger and she said it was great. I agree, they are so tasty, and remind me of being on a cruise ship whenever I smell them cooking. Mine had red onions on it, plus onions in the potato salad, so again with the dog breath!!


Speaking of Linda, she had the heart-breaking task of saying 'farewell' to one of their cats today. There was little else to be done for Trudy so Tom and she were going to the vet's office to say good-bye one more time before she was put down. They had decided not to use extraordinary measures to save Trudy, since she was 10 years old already, and let her suffering end. Later on, Linda let me know they were enjoying a lovely lunch, which made me feel better for her. Those people love their cats and if she's sad, I am sad, too...