A dramatic change in plans

Oh, I am so drowsy but should not complain knowing my friend, Linda, is even more tired than am I. She did not sleep well last night fearing she wouldn't hear her alarm clock or that her suitcase would be overweight....Yes, she slept in my home one more night!

Yesterday afternoon, Justin was home from work due to the heavy rains, and agreed to drive us to the airport. I was going to treat him to Longhorn since he's been hungry for it since we last ate there in January when he picked me up from the airport. Linda had stripped her bed and deposited the towels and bedding in the laundry room for me. She is a champ! Before we headed out, I decided to check her flight status to make sure all was on time. And it was a good thing I did! It turned out that her flight coming in was delayed by two hours. Oh no! If she caught that flight she would be late getting to ATL and miss her connection. There were no more flights going to MKE from ATL for her to catch.

It was pretty upsetting for her and she immediately jumped on the phone to try to reach her travel agent, Tom. He didn't answer either time she tried, not even at the office. She was getting panicky, wondering what to do so I got her the phone number for Southwest Airlines. They had a recording taking the calls which was frustrating. Meanwhile, Justin found a number where he could input Linda's phone number and the airline would call her back. 

While we waited, Tommy called her back and wasn't sure what he could do on his end. I heard him ask where I was. I was right here, trying to be a helper. The SW call beeped in on Tom's call (thanks, Justin!) so Linda hung up with him and got help from the agent on the line. The only solution was to have Linda leave this morning, so she took that. The flight was leaving around 7:00 which meant a very early morning but no sweat, I was going to get her delivered and that's it! I asked her to find out what the delay was and the agent said it was a mechanical problem on the flight coming from Chicago. Glad to know it wasn't our stupid stormy weather holding up the show. 

Once the arrangements were made, Linda calmed down. I remade her bed for her so she'd be cozy one more night as Justin served her a nice adult beverage to settle her nerves.  Linda asked if La Napolera would be open and I said I would think they would be, after our false alarm Monday night! Justin said he thought it would be a good night for Ming Moon delivery and Linda agreed with that, because the rain was still coming down quite heavily. She treated us to dinner and it was wonderful. 

We all went to bed early due to being worn out and knowing we have to get up before the sun for our airport run. We planned to leave around 4:30, probably closer to 4:40, and we were right on the dot. Linda told me she didn't sleep well because of her concerns so I suggested she sleep on the plane. I hope she can. 

I went back to bed when I got home again at 6:00 a.m. (imagine that---gone and back before 6:00!) and dozed a bit before going out for exercise class. We were free-lancing again today, 9 of us, since Marlena is gone. At least the lifeguard was there to put the music on for us. All the rain made the water temperature go down but the sun helped keep our bodies warm. What was extra fun was having a friend of Ollavan's join us for class and for lunch. It was just a delight to spend the time with her again after a year between visits! 

Me posing with Sistie

I am thinking that a nap or two might be in order for me, and I hope Linda gets a snooze in before she arrives in MKE. She has to drive back to Manty once back to her car and has a long day in front of her yet. She should get home, Lord willing, mid-afternoon today. I am sorry she had to cancel some appointments from today, and miss a breakfast with her classmates, but it sure beats sitting in the airport in ATL overnight!  Good night, all!

Labor Day recap

Today is the day that Linda goes home, actually departing late this afternoon. We are going out for water exercises one more time before she leaves. Marlena is gone on vacation but we ladies can have a fun workout with her gone. Since The Club was open yesterday (normally closed Mondays) for the holiday, they are closed today so we'll have to make do otherwise for lunch. 

Yesterday morning we had a fun adventure. Justin had to work again on the holiday, sad to report, but Linda and I were planning for fun at the pool. While we sat and watched the news, I got a text message from a young friend, Brandon, who moved to OP from south FL a few months ago. He touches base periodically asking for suggestions for school for their son, different contractors for services at their home, and so on. He is a son of First German and my niece, Lisa, used to be his babysitter. 

He wanted to know where on the Island to get breakfast and I answered him either IHOP or Panera Bread. I asked him then if he knew Linda was visiting me and he said he did know, seeing my postings on FB. He said if we'd thought about it, how fun it would have been to get together, especially since his parents were in town for a visit. Wait a minute! Mike and Jody are here??  Brandon asked if we had breakfast, just as Linda was taking a bite from a bagel. I told him we had not eaten and we agreed to meet them all for breakfast at IHOP. Linda and I threw ourselves together, dressing as fast as firemen!, and got there before they did. How fun it was to see our former church friends again, a mini-reunion, and meet Brandon's wife and son. LOVE it!  I had sung an anthem with Mike and Jody for my niece's wedding and had seen them last at the School of Worship in 2011. So good to get together again, and on the spur of the moment. We can do it!

After our wonderful breakfast and time with this FG family, Linda and I headed back home to get ourselves suited up for pool fun. We had reservations for the noon buffet at The Club but I figured we would go eat toward the end of the serving time since we'd just gotten up from the table. We sat with Bill and Nancy and enjoyed time in the water. Bill was hungry and not going to wait for us to be ready so they went up to the building to get their food. Linda and I went a bit later, when the kids' pool games were getting underway. We ate up on the patio instead of carrying our plates back and forth. The buffet offered us burgers, hot dogs, pork, chicken breasts, two types of pasta salad, baked beans, plus other salads and condiments. It was delicious and most enjoyable. Linda had an ice cream Drumstick for dessert but I was too stuffed. 

We walked down to the pool area again and settled in with Bill and Nancy, watching the games. And then?? Giant rain drops started to come down, and away we all went. The rain would last the rest of the afternoon, off and on, but Justin managed to get a good day in. They are playing catch up from the week of rain shortened days. 

On the weekend we had talked about how we had hit all Linda's favorite (and ours!) dining places. We left no stone unturned, or so we thought. In the afternoon, I got a text message from Justin saying, "We haven't been to La Nap!" so that became our plan for dinner. As we drove down Kingsley, he pulled into the turning lane, he asked, "Well, where should be go for dinner?" What? It seems on our American holiday, Labor Day, the Mexican restaurant was closed!!  Since we were right next to it, I suggested Metro Diner, so in we went. Not too long a wait either. The manager stopped by the table and shook my hand, as they are becoming familiar with my face there. I told him my patty melt sandwich was the best one I'd ever had---and I wasn't kidding either. Wow, it was great!  More leftovers to be enjoyed another time. I guess on Linda's next visit we will have to go first to La Napolera and hopefully catch them when open!

Reprint from two years ago

This time I am the one with head cold/junk instead of Justin having it!  Plus Linda is here visiting. We look forward to going down that slide....

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

Labor Day fun

Here is the giant-sized slide The Club put up for the Labor Day events. Folks with kids told me this was the best thing yet, and I shared that info with the folks who run things there. This slide scored a home run with the kids and their parents! I had a great time with my friends at the pool before the rains came.

My poor boy had a rough, rough start to his day today. For the first time since he's moved back home, I stuck my nose in his room at 6:35 to see if he'd left yet. Nope, he was wrapped in his sheet, fast asleep. Even on this holiday he had to work and was about 20 minutes late picking up his co-worker, who had no phone or other communication device. In 5 minutes he was out the door---amazing!

I went back to my room and was getting settled with my laptop when he called me. Justin asked me to go look in his room for his wallet, telling me it should be on the foot of his bed. Nope, no where to be found. He then asked me very nicely to go outside to see if it was lying on the ground near his car. I told him I would go and look after getting my caftan on.

Sure enough, I rode the elevator down with my neighbor (at this hour of the morning???) so explained my situation. He helped me look, as did my other neighbor who was leaving for work. No wallet. On the way back up, I called Justin to report my sorrow, being quite upset about this. He does not travel light in his wallet---besides cash, he has a debit card and ID. 

Justin's thought was he put it on top of his car and it toppled off when he was still on the property. I offered to go and look which gave him some relief. I took my purse, thinking I might drive it, but instead went up the battle-field driveway on foot. Wearing my Jamaican caftan, red shoes, and my purple purse, I hiked up the hill toward Astor Street. What a sight I must have been!!! Should have left the purse in the car, in hindsight.

As I neared the top of the hill, to the tennis courts, Justin called me to report he located the wallet in his work bag. He dropped it in a 'different' pocket on the bag when he put his cough drops into it. I was so very glad to hear that, and he was thankful to me for going on an early morning jog, carrying my full-pack, like a soldier would do!

He is suffering with a sore throat, itching ears, and other 'cold' ailments, like strangling on stuff in his throat. He stocked up on remedies at the store after getting home from work, to knock this thing down. 

I offered to make dinner for us, since I bought some chicken at Winn-Dixie the other day when we stopped to shop. He requested my 'Lazy Ass Chicken', which makes me roar with laughter whenever he calls it that. The actual name is Busy Day Chicken but he likes me to roar! I had all the ingredients I needed, only using brown rice instead of white.

It bakes for about an hour so I began the process of putting it together right away, before The Five came on. I measured out the rice and water in the steamer, plugged it in, and waited to hear the wailing it usually makes when at work. The red light did not turn on...hmmm....now what??? It was dead!! NOOOO! 

                           

This is only the 2nd steamer 'we' have had, this particular being one we replaced after the 1st one quit. Lynn, my sister, had given one to us many, many years ago, and when it quit, we immediately had to replace it. Now, this type of steamer is no longer available new, only used on e-bay. Shoot!

What is going on with my small appliances around here? First, Linda and I had to go to Wal*Mart for a new coffee maker. When I had gotten it out to clean it for her visit, the on/off button popped right out of the machine! I have never bought a coffee pot before, so that's how old this machine was...pre-dates my singleness. It only gets used when company is here so not like it's worn out or anything. Only $9 for a new maker and it worked just fine for Linda. And now the rice/veggie steamer quits. Are they trying to tell me something???

Rained out!

This morning we ladies went to Bible study where Linda was reunited with many of the ladies. She got many hugs and distributed some at the behest of my mom. Justin joined us for worship and lunch. We were all there today minus Betty who has tummy troubles which prevent her dining out at this time. It was fun for us to be gathered around the table at Chili's with our group, Linda is comfortably one of them!

Sadly, by the time we were leaving the restaurant, it was heavily clouded and beginning to drizzle. Nuts! No pool for us today! Guess that means nothing but movies for us and TV viewing while we schnudder. Or work on our iPads. 

Justin took this panoramic view of our counter with our buffet laid out on it. Hard to believe we were not able to polish it all off!

When it was time for dinner, Justin laid out a marvelous buffet for us using our leftovers from previous outings. I see mac 'n cheese, a Monte Cristo from Metro Diner, pancakes from Pengree's, shrimp from the Breeze, plus other delights. There was plenty for us to choose from and then some! Later Justin will make us a root beer float if we're hungry!  Linda and I will have time to watch two movies tonight before bed. All this rain is wearying and wearing! Ruining my weekend plans but we are managing. 

Ringing the Beall

This morning Linda and I both slept later than usual, not getting up to watch for the sunrise. After watching Fox & Friends for a bit we decided to go to have breakfast. I chose Pengree's for us, having already dined at Grumpy's and at Metro Diner. I'd never had breakfast at Pengree's so it was sort of new for me as well as for Linda. I brought home my leftovers to enjoy another time---the short stack being a bit much for one sitting. 

As soon as we got back home again, we changed into our swimsuits to get out to the pool before it stormed. There were a few people out there, mainly in the kid's pool and the teen's end. Linda and I paddled around and around the pool, doing 'my laps' as I call them. About 45 minutes into it I heard thunder so we sat out to drip off before heading upstairs. As we dripped, Mo and Ro showed up, just in time for the thundering to increase. I got a few minutes to discuss the Presidential race with Ro while Linda and Mo talked about surgeries and her daughter, Danielle. She had a similar abdominal problem as Linda's so the ladies compared notes on that.  

While we were chatting, Justin did a Face Time call to me from the river room, showing us what the sky looked like to the east, fearing we weren't aware of what was coming our way. Those with me were tickled that he saw fit to let us know, being concerned our well-being like that. Mo and Ro decided to leave, too, and come back tomorrow, weather permitting.

Linda and I got our clothes changed yet again and headed out to go shopping at Beall's. We beat the storm by only a few moments. As we browsed the racks, we heard great cracks of thunder and the roar of rain on the roof of the store. At one point the lights clicked off but came right back up again. Such things did not deter our searching, though, as we made our way to the fitting room. Both of us were successful in finding some new tops. Mission accomplished! My friends and others who see me will be glad to have me wearing something different for a change!! Our purchases earned Beall's Bucks which we are giving to Janet B. at church tomorrow in hopes that she will have time to spend it!

The rest of the afternoon was spent at home watching "Blue Bloods" and some other TV until it was time for dinner. Linda and I had picked up some Papa Murphy's Pizza for our dinner since I had some coupons to use. One had already expired but the rest were still good. Justin took care of baking the pizza while he made up a batch of his apple dumplings which we had for dessert later. Linda and I watched "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" this evening. She brought along several movies for us to watch and thanks to the weather, we are getting them watched!  

Our hopes are that after church and lunch tomorrow we can get out to the pool again, but the forecast is not promising. The thunder storms here are not calming, I refer to them as window rattlers, because my stuff hanging in or on the windows rattles when it booms. And then, the storm is over---just like that! Summer storms....

Gearing up for the weekend

This morning Linda and I joined my friend, Ollavan, for a late breakfast/early lunch at Metro Diner. She wanted to treat us because Linda had brought her some cheese curds at my request. O. just loves them so it's such a special treat for her that she chose to take us to eat. 

But first, Linda and I stopped in at Basketique Tea Room to do some shopping. I had a gift certificate (also from Ollavan) to spend and Linda needed a few things to take home with her. She is in love with the muffaletta which is served at the teas, as does Tommy. Pat had two jars on hand---one for Linda and one for Tommy!

Back to Metro---O. was already there but we were seated just as we arrived at the Diner. She had breakfast food but Linda and I chose from the lunch menu. We had excellent food and great conversation. One 'bad' thing about Metro is that people are always awaiting a table so one hates to sit around talking too long, which would be rude to those waiting. Still, we enjoyed our time together. I had another to-go box with me when we left.

Since it was such a lovely day (no rain yet!) we went out to the pool. Oh, it was great! My hopes are that this being the first day of our long weekend at the pool we will not be rained out. We paddled around as people came and yet, including Nancy M., Mark and Patty, and later, Burney came out. I was glad to see him again before he left for vacation. His family and he is going on an Alaska cruise, his first. I advised him to dress in layers, but he is tougher bird than am I. He is the last one out of the pool in the fall and the first one back in. Sometimes I think he can swim all winter long. Like I said, he is a tough bird from ND!!!

Linda sporting my white hat to provide extra shade. We are careful with her delicate skin.

While I can easily stay out there most of the afternoon, my friend cannot so we went upstairs and changed into our loungewear for the evening. Having no other plans for dinner, Linda and I ate leftovers.  After watching Jeopardy!, we watched some TV before heading off to bed. The rain and gloomy skies makes us groggy. Thanks to the more than regular rains, we've gotten plenty of movie and TV watching in. I discovered that "Last Man Standing" is being shown on the county music station so we've been enjoying episodes of that. Can't wait until the season resumes later this month---about the only show I watch 'fresh' as compared to rerun!!  

Enjoying the Breeze

This morning Linda and I drove over to Victory for Bible study, our last time meeting at the tables in their kitchen. Next week their VPK program resumes, so we'll meet in the back of the church instead. Anyway, they had been 'warned' that Linda was joining us this week so there were plenty of seats at the tables. Linda even got a chance to read a portion of the text for which we'd done our homework yesterday afternoon.

Stephanie, Erica, Jean, and me at my home in 2013

The study was good, even better today because it's Stephanie's first time joining the group since retiring in June. Almost immediately after retiring she headed to her mom's house in WI to be with Jean through her knee replacement surgery. What a good daughter she is! A few years ago we played trivia together once a week at Johnny Angel's Diner but that ended so our visits were fewer. Later, we attended Bible Information Class together at Victory. Now, they will be weekly again!

I had pre-arranged with Dawn and Stephanie to join Linda and me for lunch at Bahama Breeze. Oh, I just love dining here alfresco. It's like being on vacation which I know is silly because I already live in FL. What was somewhat odd was that Stephanie and Dawn, both members of the same congregation, had to basically be introduced to each other. This is a problem when church's have more than one service, ending up with two separate congregations. I was unknowingly playing match-maker for these two and now they've gotten to know each other a bit better. Dawn lives in St. Augustine so doesn't come to church more often than worship and this study on Thursdays. I can't imagine the class without her!

The breeze was nice, in keeping with the name of the restaurant. Linda and I enjoyed adult beverages (Stephanie abstained because she wanted to do some things around the house this afternoon, and not sleep!) which helped to get Linda even warmer. It was 87 above zero outside which is just right for us who live here but too hot for my friend. We left the restaurant and stopped at Target in the Town Center to get soda and hamburger ($3.99 a pound!). She greatly appreciated the A/C in the car on the ride home. 

Because we were going to dinner tonight at The Club, we opted to not go out to the pool, which would have helped us to cool off. Instead we watched some TV and worked on our iPads until The Five. There may or may not have been a nap in there, too........We must be fresh for lovely steak dinners later at The Club!

Nancy W. met us two ladies there. We all ordered the steak from the special grille menu. The waitress boxed up my salad for me and was going to keep it in the fridge in the back to send home with Nancy later, but we forgot about it when we left. Shoot! I had about 3/4 of my steak remaining plus half my potato which will be good another time. Linda had leftovers as well to add to our collection in the fridge. We just need a day or two to polish off our leftovers until we start again!