Transfiguration Sunday

More than one person remarked about just putting their Christmas stuff away and it's nearly Ash Wednesday. Today we remembered the transfiguration of the Lord, singing marvelous hymns for both this special Sunday and for communion. As Linda and I like to remind each other, "'tis good, Lord, to be here"!

We had a sizable group for lunch, swelling to 11 around the tables. Gretchen joined the group today, since Judy and Terri had to go back to church after lunch anyway. As long as Gretchen has only to drive forth and back from church, she is good. It was a treat for us to have her, especially since we don't have Bible study the next two weeks. 

The service was slow, not sure the reason why (perhaps we taxed the server?), and Justin was getting a bit nervous. He had a 3:00 pm appointment to help someone with some computer stuff. If he left directly from the restaurant he would have ample time, but he wanted to use my car, which meant we had to go home, switch cars, and then he'd backtrack some to get to his appointment. I suggested driving his car home, but he was afraid I would be repulsed by it. Yes, I would, and there is a way to fix that! A couple of trash bags and having it sit with the windows open for a while...

He was tired after a late night at the party for Jesse and thought he would make his ribeye steaks for our dinner, to be enjoyed on the dinner rolls from Grumpys. Thinking he was going to have an early night of it with this simple meal (I would have been content with leftovers!). Late afternoon while he was computer working, my upstairs neighbor, Debbie, called to invite us to dinner. He was all in! 

Dick and Debbie chose La Napolera which was perfectly fine with me. I hadn't been in ages since the Chappell's had gotten bad service the last couple of times, which removed it from our 'approved' list. We all four had bad service and very cold dining at Pasta Market the last time so I am hesitant to go there anymore. I should give them another chance and support the mom 'n pop enterprises---like Koko's!

We had a lovely dinner and evening with our neighbors/friends. And they treated us! I have missed them since getting back from the holiday trip, though we had Debbie over for dinner once since getting back. This is a busy time for her at work besides having been laid up with a sinus infection...so tonight was the night to reconnect!!  

What I like about going to eat with them is that they always drive, and their vehicles are so nice and clean. Not like my car which is stocked with soda, or like Justin's which is trashed and stinks! 

Too good to pass up!

This morning I got a phone call from Judy C. as she drove from her daughter's home in St. Augustine. She wondered if I felt "Grumpy" this a.m. and I did! After all, I had that generous gift certificate from Hal and Rosalie burning a hole in my purse. We even had to wait for a table for a bit---that place is a gold mine! I used part of my certificate to purchase dinner rolls which will be used for steak sandwiches at some point. Justin is going to cook rib eyes (gotten Valentine's week at WD!) to make the sandwiches. Yum!

When I was done with breakfast and my visit with Judy, I sent Justin a message telling him to get ready. I picked him up to go to Target. He had informed me on Friday night that he was getting me up at the butt-crack of dawn to hit that sale, but it was me who was up and at 'em!  

As we walked through Target to find the soda, I got a message from Terri T., informing me of this sale. When we got to the stack, Justin took this picture of me with the soda and sent it to Terri, saying, "We are here!". She had gotten 20 cases, having her husband go, too. Such a great deal!! Jokingly, she sent me the message AFTER she had gotten hers! Judy C. was also going to go for some, and stock up for the church refrigerator as well.

We had so much soda that we needed to put some in the backseat. I also replaced my deceased slow cooker with a new one, getting the one with the snap-tight lid which makes for safer transporting when going to potlucks, etc. 

While Justin was talking computers with my neighbor who was walking her dog, I snapped this shot of the back of my car. Besides the Diet Cokes, there are a couple cases of Diet Cola from Publix at the bottom of the stack. We will buy store brand when there are no better deals, as both Justin and I have found that we overdrink on the Pepsi and Dr. Pepper products. Seems we can pace ourselves a bit easier on the 'real' thing! I am going to gone for a couple weeks this month and Justin is back to working full-time now, so this stash might last us a good long time!

Good eatin'!

Oh, my tummy is so happy as is the back of my car. Well, not too sure about that last part but I am happy the back of my car has 10 more cases of Diet Coke in it! Justin and I drove Nancy W. and Bob, our neighbor, to Saigon Tokyo (Koko's) to help surprise Nancy M. for her birthday. Her hubby, Bill, asked me to put some people together to pull off the surprise and we did just that! Sadly, one couple cancelled this afternoon as Patty was under the weather, but we did fine with 6 of us around the table. 

Most delightfully, Koko's was busy, prayers are answered! Justin and I were at first concerned when they re-opened that it wouldn't get back to where it was before Mr. and Mrs. Koko retired, but it seems it has! The non-teppan cooking side does good business as well, as does the sushi bar. Love it! A full box of leftovers came home with us, for a future meal or two.

While we were still at the table, Bill happened to mention that Target has Cokes on sale for $2 a 12-pack. Wow! Justin excused himself, drove over to Target (one plaza down), got us 10 cases, which was the limit, and then came back to the table. In the blink of an eye, he was gone and came back again. We are going again in the morning for more, too good a deal to pass up!

On the way out of the restaurant, we met Jesse, Justin's friend, plus his brother, Raymond, who is now working with Justin. Their family was gathering there to celebrate Jesse's birthday. It was nice to see everyone again. When we got home, Justin found a delivery had come, the mask I am wearing in the photograph. He got it for Raymond's girlfriend to wear to Jesse's birthday party, a Mardi Gras theme. Just being a good guy to his friend and his girlfriend.

This morning we had breakfast at The Club with the ladies, including Nancy W., Pat, and Miss O. It was a gorgeous morning, blue and crisp, a red coat day, to start with. I so enjoy these weekly meetings no matter how many join the circle. Last week when I was at Grumpy's, no one else came except Nancy and she said she ate her breakfast in about 20 minutes. Goes much more quickly without all the conversations!!

No Happy Hour this week

Last night was supposed to be Happy Hour for us at The Club but I simply did not have it in me to go. I was so weary, just worn out, blaming it on the rain and the weather. I let my friend, Kathy, know I wasn't coming over and while she understood, was sad. She welcomes this weekly break in the week and it's good for her mom to get out to socialize as well. I just wanted to stay put!

I won't be going to HH for the next few weeks now with the beginning of Lent and then my trip to WI. The other night Justin said, "Oh, you get to attend Lenten services at First German!" He knows how nice that is to experience and knows I appreciate it. We will miss the next trivia outing too which my neighbors might not be excited about. They really like having Justin captain the team to victory!

After my long, sleep disturbed night due to the dryer situation, I was quite groggy this morning. Justin told me we had to leave Bible study immediately upon completion so he could go and help his coworker on a mulch job. He was stressing that they wouldn't get done before night fell, and as we drove up Hwy. 17, he speculated whether or not he should be going at all. Since I was not at the top of my game, I asked him, "Do you want to not go? Turn around if you don't..." and he turned us around. He called his coworker back and arranged for a pick-up time to get to the job earlier and get it tackled. 

I took off for Home Depot to buy a new dryer, though Justin feared I was too groggy to drive. I made it safely and took care of my purchase, for which Justin chipped in, feeling responsible for the added wear and tear. What a guy! I worked with a nice fellow at Home Depot and he helped me find the right sized dryer for our close space. The new one will have a fluff cycle, which I haven't had with this existing one.

When I got home, Justin had already left for work. I sat at my desk for a while and decided to take a nap around noon, when Rush started on the radio. At 12:30 Justin texted me asking if I was doing okay and I let him know I was fine and resting. Three hours later, I woke up! Now, is that a nap or is it closer to a night's sleep for some people??? I was rejuvenated!

Justin sent me a message later reporting they were still working on the yard, spreading the 100's of bags of mulch and would likely be working until nearly dark. It was the right decision to turn around and go back. Judy C. asked me to dinner which I accepted, just us two ladies. I picked Sonny's BBQ for want of more beef brisket. It paled next to Bono's from Tuesday. All Justin wanted from there were the corn nuggets, which I took to-go for him. 

At the register with our bill, I told the manager that I was paying for my meal, soda, and the cheese curds, but then quickly corrected myself. He was familiar with cheese curds, however, and we had a good chuckle over that. His father was from Milwaukee and he is himself a fan of the curd!

Justin is planning to have an informational gathering

here at our place on Tuesday night, using the happy hour time of day to showcase some 'tricks and tips' on iPhones and iPads. He can set up the TV to show what he is working on with his phone or iPad, so all can see. He is getting a number of satisfied customers via word of mouth so this is his plan to help grow his 'business'. I love it! We are putting together the list of invitees for his time out, keeping it simpler until he gets the hang of it. This is sort of exciting!

I was going to sleep...

....early, but I cannot. The dryer is running with Justin's work clothes in it which he needs for tomorrow. Normally not a problem but his jackets and such make a racket as they roll around in the tub. His usual joke is that he has put a roll of quarters in the dryer, but tonight, he actually did pull out coins, a whole handful of them, from the dryer. His stuff is so dense that it takes a long time to dry, been going about an hour now. 

The bad news is that the dryer is making a very strange sound, one I noticed on Saturday when Rosalie had tossed in a shirt with a dryer sheet to freshen it up. I went to check on it Saturday, reset the dryer, and it was fine. Not tonight, though. The rumbling sound is worsening and when I opened the door, I discovered what seems to be a strip of insulation dangling from around the drum. This is not a good thing and I fear the worst will happen, so I am ever vigilant, listening intently as the zippers and clasps, etc. roll around. I sure wish he didn't have to have his things for tomorrow.  I already looked up some new dryers on-line and I think a trip to Home Depot is in order in the afternoon. Free delivery and haul off. Shoot!

As I said to him on Saturday, talking to him about the noise I heard (I have this keen hearing, you know!), I told him how I didn't buy top of the line appliances, that I really didn't need to for just my stuff. His stuff is heavier than mine and he also does larger loads at once than I like which are hard on the machinery. I think my point will be made when he hears about the need for a new dryer. I don't really think it's worth it to see about a repair.

Justin is off in the morning, going to Bible study with me, but we have to come right back after class so I can drop him off to help his coworker spread some mulch. Two days this week they worked in the rain so he is just 'lucky' to be off in the morning. It's been a long week already for those two guys.

Today I attended a political luncheon at The Club, with speaker being the FL First Lady. She even got her picture taken with me! We had a good-sized group, around 100 people. My friend, Diane, sat with me which was extra nice. Another friend, Jennifer, who sat in front of me at Senior Presentation, was with us also. She benefitted from my 'connections' there and enjoyed a Diet Coke or two with her lunch!

Oh, good, the dryer stopped. I hope his stuff is dry enough for him to wear tomorrow. I will make sure to check the clothes in the morning and dry them on the car seat as we drive to and from Victory. Shoot, I really hate to have to buy a new dryer but I cannot be without one either. First world problems!

Good times in the 'burg!

Today I had the privilege of driving to Middleburg to meet my friend, Jacquie, for lunch at the newly opened bbq restaurant, Bono's. It's been a long time since I made this trip and was impressed to see the growth and fine-tuning going on in this once less-urban community. It's getting all grown up, even has a hospital now! Two big box 'hardware' stores and a new Wal*Mart, plus a very nice but older Publix, where I shopped after lunch.

I loved having time with Jacquie again and we could have talked for hours longer. The place, being new and quite delicious, was a bee-hive of people coming in to eat or taking food to-go. When we first sat down, a dozen firefighters and EMTs were right next to us, the seating being bench-style. I told Jacquie we were so lucky to be eating lunch with such handsome tablemates!

The beef brisket I ordered, my mistake for not ordering the large portion!, was out of this world. Never even touching my sidedishes, I ate every morsel of that beef, using the end of my garlic bread to sop up the juices left on the plate. Oh my! (Sadly, I don't believe my hometown has any type of bbq joints, this must be a regional thing.) The very best brisket I have ever had, and I told everyone who walked past our table how much I liked it!

Jacquie and I both needed things from the grocery store, in the same plaza as Bono's. She helped me find a couple things I needed from Publix. I bought shallots for the first time in my life, and red wine vinegar, both items needed for a chicken recipe I wish to try. She is quite a cook and knows her way around the store. 

For dinner tonight, I was invited to join Nancy W. at The Club to celebrate her birthday. I totally missed it last Wednesday at trivia, but she left early due to not feeling very well. Glad she included me tonight for the pre fixe menu. Four ladies enjoyed the sirloins, plus apertif, salad, appetizer, and dessert. I had the raspberry sorbet, which was perfect at the end of the meal. 

Justin said I was carousing until all hours but I got home right around 9:00 pm. For me, that IS all hours!

A brief recap

I can't believe what's all transpired in this past week already. To recap: Thursday was Bible study and then getting all things ready for my guests who arrived late afternoon. For dinner Hal, Rosalie, and I went to The Club while Justin went to the movies to see "The Lego Movie". He absolutely loved it! 

My guests were dead on their feet so had gone to bed early (about 8:30 pm their time) and slept until 7:00 am the next morning! Justin had made the beds using his 'old' twin-sized memory foam pad on one bed plus a comforter under the sheet on the other one. Cush and cozy!

Rosalie had come back down the hall after going to her room and heard Justin and me talking in my room. She mentioned it the next day, how nice it was that we talked like that. Oh, she doesn't know the half of it!!! I very much appreciated her comment to me. 

Friday was our Grumpy's breakfast, the thunderstorm, the gathering of friends, dinner at home with Justin and me making pulled pork sandwiches, and a quiet evening. Justin was home with us Friday night. 

Saturday morning I served my guests a continental breakfast before they packed their car and left. I sent some bananas and mini-oranges along with them. Then I left for the early luncheon at Park Avenue Bistro with the church ladies. From there I drove to Baymeadows for the going away party for Schroeders, and then home to collect myself on Saturday night. Saying 'good-bye' to dear people twice in one day was just about all I could take!

In the meantime, I found a very nice thank you gift left on my desk from Hal and Rosalie, a certificate for me to eat at Grumpy's for weeks to come! I bet Justin will be sharing that with me at least once or twice!