Looks like this'll be a busy week. Paul and I leave to go North on Thursday - he'll drop me off at Tampa Airport where I'll take a plane to visit with Nancy. We've been here a week today. I had to really stop a minute and think when we got here. Paul's northern trip will take him to Gainesville, approximately a two hundred mile trip. Mine requires a winter coat. Chicago, which is why I brought it from home.
Gracie will go with Paul to meet up with Gus, who is Greg, Noi, Brenan and NeeNee's new little dog - one year old Gus - part Shitzu (sp) and other small breeds. They say he's so well behaved and good. I'm very happy for them. From his pictures on Facebook, he looks sweet. It's great having a dog around.
It's been quiet around here. We went to early church yesterday with Bob. He's gone with us several times. It's very nice - informal, in the fellowship hall. People mostly sit at round tables and you have to get there early to "get a seat." We did. Bob and Paul got up to get us all some coffee. I saw one of our favorite friendly Circlewoods ladies there, Betty, (age 87) who gave me a hug. As Paul says, Betty always has a smile on her face. Well, she hadn't seen Bob, but thought it would be nice if he came to church with us some time. It was nice we could oblige so quickly!
Epril and Bill went out Saturday night and didn't get in till really late. Good. I'm glad that they're getting out and about.
They were eager to join us for breakfast at the Moose in Englewood, and so they met us there. The Moose club has a reputation for very slow service. One hour or more. Ridiculous. Perhaps because of it - there weren't as many people. And our service was nice and quick. We'd gotten our food just before they arrived, and they got served shortly thereafter. Good service. Good food. $6.00 for all you can eat on the extensive menu. Bill and Bob got eggs benedict. Paul - an omelet, Epril and I, the usual fare of eggs, bacon, sausage and toast. I was contemplating adding french toast, but glad I didn't. The eggs were enough. Sometimes my eyes are bigger than my stomach.
Bill is going through classes to join the Catholic Church. (Epril is Catholic.) It's keeping him busy. He has classes one or two evenings a week, and Sundays. I suppose his thinking was he wants to help her adjust and that's one way to do it. She seems to be doing better and better. He's quite attentive.
Cousin Alice is singing "Adelaide's Lament," from Guys and Dolls for our annual 2012 Showtime. I'm accompanying her. So far, I don't seem to have any others that I'll be working with, so it'll be an easy year. We're getting together this afternoon to practice at her house. She's to call me when she gets in. Nancy was Adelaide in Guys and Dolls in high school so that song certainly brings back memories!
I called my friend, Carolyn, yesterday for her birthday. She and her husband John, stay at the Plantation Country Club, each year for three months. This year they extended their stay by coming in mid-December. We made plans for us to get together for dinner in February. After all, January is coming to a close.
My friend Carol O.'s son, Brad, and his new wife are coming to visit for a couple of days from North Carolina. Carol hasn't met his wife yet, so that's nice they could come. She said they were driving straight through and arriving this morning.
Paul's putting in a new kitchen faucet. We got it at Lowe's on Saturday. The one coming out is the original. It's been there since 1981 when the house was built. It splashes you when you turn it on. At least it does to me. So I'm very happy.
Guess that's all the news from the Woods. How're things goin' in your neck o' the woods?
Monday, January 23, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Warm Sunny Days, Cool nights . . . .
Well - hello everyone from sunny Florida. Yes. We made it here all in one piece. We've been here since Monday night (early Tuesday morning) - three days! Paul and I both commented that the car trip from Sanford to Venice was longer than the flight from Elmira! We arrived around 9:45. We got in to Venice around 12:30 AM and got to sleep around 2. Bill and Epril were waiting up for us.
But, let's back up a bit to the beginning of our trip. Lue very kindly drove us the fifteen minute trip to the airport. Thanks again, Lue!
We gave Gracie her alloted 1/4 pill before we left home. We figured she could use the peace and quiet to adjust to it. It worked quite well. She whined a little, when we put her in her travel case, as we got on the plane, but she settled down as soon as she was under the seat and slept the whole two hour and fifteen minute flight. When we got to the baggage claim, we found out that there were two other little dogs in the cabin. I guess all three of them did well.
We had a VW Jetta to drive to Venice. We took the toll road around, instead of I-4 through Orlando. Paul commented that the tolls were almost as much as the car. LOL But - It did save us a lot of stress from driving in heavy traffic.
It doesn't seem possible that Epril has been here only three weeks. So much has gone on for her. The newness of it all. I helped her cooked her first dinner last night: chicken cacciatore - a new recipe I had gotten from Cook.com.
Remember - this was her first time cooking. Except for her chocolate chip cookies with Aunt Alice last week. Her comment after dinner was - she wished she'd snapped a picture of it to send to her mother! We'll think of it next time. Today we're going to make home-made brownies - I found my Grandma Lotte's recipe in my mother's cookbook. I haven't made them in such a long time. Twenty or thirty years! But I wrote about that in a recent post.
Yesterday, we four went to the pool. It was Epril's first time. She decided she preferred the pool to the hottub. It was too hot.
Cousin Alice has a Bible Study group here at Circlewoods. I go. It meets on Wednesdays. Some ladies, who attend, were at the pool. A while back, I had asked them to pray for Epril because she hadn't arrived yet, and then more recently, she's been going through an adjustment period. It was heartwarming to see all the ladies who greeted her and knew of her situation. They'll certainly mother her. Good! She needs that.
My former husband, Neal, and his wife, Judy, have been sending e-mails out about their current trip to the Northpole. No thank you. I like the sun, the flowers, the warmth. I understand they wanted to see the aurora borealis and are traveling over the northpole. Good for them. I'm glad they're enjoying themselves. BUT - To each his own.
My computer was not working right when we got back. The Norton security was kaput, so I had to wait, with much appreciation, for Paul to get it up to snuff. It's fine now. I had 258 e-mails that I had to delete. All the e-mails we get up north get added to this machine. They were deleted up north, but obviously not here.
Well, Bob and Paul are sitting outside on our patio. Gracie and Martini are enjoying each other:
chasing birds, squirrels.
That's all the news from the Woods. How're things goin' in your neck o' the woods?
But, let's back up a bit to the beginning of our trip. Lue very kindly drove us the fifteen minute trip to the airport. Thanks again, Lue!
We gave Gracie her alloted 1/4 pill before we left home. We figured she could use the peace and quiet to adjust to it. It worked quite well. She whined a little, when we put her in her travel case, as we got on the plane, but she settled down as soon as she was under the seat and slept the whole two hour and fifteen minute flight. When we got to the baggage claim, we found out that there were two other little dogs in the cabin. I guess all three of them did well.
We had a VW Jetta to drive to Venice. We took the toll road around, instead of I-4 through Orlando. Paul commented that the tolls were almost as much as the car. LOL But - It did save us a lot of stress from driving in heavy traffic.
It doesn't seem possible that Epril has been here only three weeks. So much has gone on for her. The newness of it all. I helped her cooked her first dinner last night: chicken cacciatore - a new recipe I had gotten from Cook.com.
Remember - this was her first time cooking. Except for her chocolate chip cookies with Aunt Alice last week. Her comment after dinner was - she wished she'd snapped a picture of it to send to her mother! We'll think of it next time. Today we're going to make home-made brownies - I found my Grandma Lotte's recipe in my mother's cookbook. I haven't made them in such a long time. Twenty or thirty years! But I wrote about that in a recent post.
Yesterday, we four went to the pool. It was Epril's first time. She decided she preferred the pool to the hottub. It was too hot.
Cousin Alice has a Bible Study group here at Circlewoods. I go. It meets on Wednesdays. Some ladies, who attend, were at the pool. A while back, I had asked them to pray for Epril because she hadn't arrived yet, and then more recently, she's been going through an adjustment period. It was heartwarming to see all the ladies who greeted her and knew of her situation. They'll certainly mother her. Good! She needs that.
My former husband, Neal, and his wife, Judy, have been sending e-mails out about their current trip to the Northpole. No thank you. I like the sun, the flowers, the warmth. I understand they wanted to see the aurora borealis and are traveling over the northpole. Good for them. I'm glad they're enjoying themselves. BUT - To each his own.
My computer was not working right when we got back. The Norton security was kaput, so I had to wait, with much appreciation, for Paul to get it up to snuff. It's fine now. I had 258 e-mails that I had to delete. All the e-mails we get up north get added to this machine. They were deleted up north, but obviously not here.
Well, Bob and Paul are sitting outside on our patio. Gracie and Martini are enjoying each other:
chasing birds, squirrels.
That's all the news from the Woods. How're things goin' in your neck o' the woods?
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Off we go - knock on wood!
Tomorrow evening we leave for Florida. Twenty-four hours ago I would have said it was iffy we'd leave. Gracie was ill - with diarrea.
She had to go out every two hours - throughout the night - which meant piles of towels and washclothes to later be washed and dried. It wasn't pretty. That's one of the downsides of having a Papillon. She didn't even want to lift her head, eat or drink.
To compound problems, it's Sunday and our vet didn't have office hours, but his answering machine gave the phone number of a veterinary hospital in Ithaca. (45 minutes away). We got an early afternoon appointment. Remember - we're up North, and it's cold and the wind blows snow. The roads are icy. Gracie sat on my lap shivering in our warm car, wrapped in a towel to keep warm. On the ride there we discussed the fact that the way she was acting just didn't fare well for us flying tomorrow.
The Vet, a pretty young gal, one of several vets at this clinic (probably graduated from Cornell Veterinary School) seemed to be very knowledgeable. Gracie had a shot of an antibiotic and was re-hydrated, and got a ten-day suply of antibiotics. Well, she's "turned around." She's eaten some chicken and rice twice, and she's had no problem. As Paul said - she's catching up.
We feel comfortable leaving her here tonite while we go to Lue's for a chicken and biscuit dinner that Lue's cooking for us. Lue's an exceptional person. We hadn't seen much of her during our month's stay. She was gone for Christmas and came home with an awful cold. She's feeling better, and has been up and about - so - she wanted to have us to her house for dinner before we left.
Get this: Her son and his wife were here this weekend and yet we were invited to dinner tonight! After they left. Other 80-year olds would have wanted to sit down, put their feet up, and relax. Not Lue - bless her soul. We appreciate her so much.
So - what's happenin in your neck o the woods? Remember we'll be in the Circle woods after this posting. Please pray for good travelin' times!
She had to go out every two hours - throughout the night - which meant piles of towels and washclothes to later be washed and dried. It wasn't pretty. That's one of the downsides of having a Papillon. She didn't even want to lift her head, eat or drink.
To compound problems, it's Sunday and our vet didn't have office hours, but his answering machine gave the phone number of a veterinary hospital in Ithaca. (45 minutes away). We got an early afternoon appointment. Remember - we're up North, and it's cold and the wind blows snow. The roads are icy. Gracie sat on my lap shivering in our warm car, wrapped in a towel to keep warm. On the ride there we discussed the fact that the way she was acting just didn't fare well for us flying tomorrow.
The Vet, a pretty young gal, one of several vets at this clinic (probably graduated from Cornell Veterinary School) seemed to be very knowledgeable. Gracie had a shot of an antibiotic and was re-hydrated, and got a ten-day suply of antibiotics. Well, she's "turned around." She's eaten some chicken and rice twice, and she's had no problem. As Paul said - she's catching up.
We feel comfortable leaving her here tonite while we go to Lue's for a chicken and biscuit dinner that Lue's cooking for us. Lue's an exceptional person. We hadn't seen much of her during our month's stay. She was gone for Christmas and came home with an awful cold. She's feeling better, and has been up and about - so - she wanted to have us to her house for dinner before we left.
Get this: Her son and his wife were here this weekend and yet we were invited to dinner tonight! After they left. Other 80-year olds would have wanted to sit down, put their feet up, and relax. Not Lue - bless her soul. We appreciate her so much.
So - what's happenin in your neck o the woods? Remember we'll be in the Circle woods after this posting. Please pray for good travelin' times!
Friday, January 13, 2012
In the back of my mind
In the back of my mind, I kinda wanted to have some snow before we left, and so I'm glad to see some on the ground this morning. Our grass is actually covered. In the front and back yard.
Before I opened the blinds, I put on the TV. They were noting school delays, schools closed. Really? I could see the reason for two-hour delays, but school closings? How much worse could it be in the surrounding areas, than here? I'm forgetting. Of course, I'm not thinking about the hill areas on the school buses' routes. It can be like night and day.
Paul has been diligently trying to get Gracie used to her travel bag so he's been leaving the top and end open. (She took out her bedding.) In order to get a treat through the top, she needs to get in from the end, sit, and remain there. Well - She rushes in, sits, gulps the treat, and rushes out. Not sure it's working. We're hoping for a less stressful flight Monday night. Since we're 10 minutes from the airport, we can leave an hour before the flight. That, in itself, will prove useful.
I went to my Bible Study group up at church yesterday morning. They were completing Paul's book of Romans. They'd started it when I was here in the Fall. It was nice to be there for the last part. Our Pastor, Rhonda, is a wonderful teacher. She shares all sorts of special information with us. We relate it to our current lives and often get off the subject. She doesn't mind. It was good to touch base with them and look forward to seeing them in the Spring.
We've been hearing such good reports from Bill regarding Epril's homesickness. How how much I appreciate my family and friends, and all they're doing to help them.
Uncle Bob suggested she set some goals for herself - so she's decided to learn how to cook. She cooked a shrimp dinner last night, and afterwards, while Bill went to the church membership class, she went to Aunt Alice's house and baked cookies. Both were delicious, according to Bill, and his diet will start . . . . soon.
Bill got a phonecall from our old (not really old, he's younger than me. . . .I think.) minister, Dave, and they talked for quite some time. He's a good man, and felt Bill needed to talk. They'd "friended" on Facebook some time ago. As I said, he's a good man.
I got such a great phone call yesterday from an old (not really old either) friend, Barbara. She and her husband, Dick, moved to New Hampshire several years ago. But we keep in touch via Christmas cards/letters, and she'd been reading my blog. Wonderful! She hadn't sent out any cards this year, so we talked for the longest time and I got caught up with all the news of our families. One thing it's hard to get used to is our children's ages. The next generation shouldn't be getting so darn old! Somehow they should be frozen in time. If I can't stop getting old, (not really old!) they could at least try.
Paul has been diligently trying to get Gracie used to her travel bag so he's been leaving the top and end open. (She took out her bedding.) In order to get a treat through the top, she needs to get in from the end, sit, and remain there. Well - She rushes in, sits, gulps the treat, and rushes out. Not sure it's working. We're hoping for a less stressful flight Monday night. Since we're 10 minutes from the airport, we can leave an hour before the flight. That, in itself, will prove useful.
**********
We've been hearing such good reports from Bill regarding Epril's homesickness. How how much I appreciate my family and friends, and all they're doing to help them.
Uncle Bob suggested she set some goals for herself - so she's decided to learn how to cook. She cooked a shrimp dinner last night, and afterwards, while Bill went to the church membership class, she went to Aunt Alice's house and baked cookies. Both were delicious, according to Bill, and his diet will start . . . . soon.
Bill got a phonecall from our old (not really old, he's younger than me. . . .I think.) minister, Dave, and they talked for quite some time. He's a good man, and felt Bill needed to talk. They'd "friended" on Facebook some time ago. As I said, he's a good man.
**********
I got such a great phone call yesterday from an old (not really old either) friend, Barbara. She and her husband, Dick, moved to New Hampshire several years ago. But we keep in touch via Christmas cards/letters, and she'd been reading my blog. Wonderful! She hadn't sent out any cards this year, so we talked for the longest time and I got caught up with all the news of our families. One thing it's hard to get used to is our children's ages. The next generation shouldn't be getting so darn old! Somehow they should be frozen in time. If I can't stop getting old, (not really old!) they could at least try.
Looking out my window, I see a gentle snow descending again, and it's getting close to lunchtime. So I'll close and start lunch.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
You betcha? You betcha!
Mid week already. Sun is out. Again! I understand snow is on the way. It'll either get here or it won't. We leave next Monday evening. Still enough time to hope for good weather.
My daughter-in-law, Epril, is going through a difficult phase of homesickness. She comes from a very poor, but very close-knit family. (five girls) And she has a passel of friends she left behind. I cannot presume to understand how hard this is for her. I can only imagine leaving behind all I know, and moving to a foreign country. It's comforting for me to think of all the Filipina brides that have come to the USA and felt the same way.
I was such a homebody as a child. I would even fake a stomach ache going to a birthday party so I wouldn't have to stay. Now that's an acknowledge truth never told before! When I think about it, my parents probably knew. They were so good to me.
Of course we know Epril is a grown woman. I'm just trying to say that just everything passes. (Because, hey - now I love parties!) In time, she'll realize that even though she's thinking of the family and friends she's left behind, and she'll do that always, she will come to realize that we all love her here and wish her to be happy. And with all the love and support from her husband and all his family, and friends, it'll happen. You betcha? You betcha!
We went to Odessa last night. My step-daughter Sharon, and son-in-law had a grand opening of a branch office of their insurance business They renovated a store downtown and it was truly beautifully done. Several rooms with finished wood, new flooring, new furniture, new pictures. Sharon will be working part-time there, instead of the main office.
As usual, Sharon's baking "took the cake." LOL. Talking to Brenda via cell phone in the morning, she said Sharon had been baking all kinds of cookies and brownies for the open house. And she had. Sharon baked the brownies from scratch. Yum. Another reminder of childhood. I have my mother's recipe, actually Grandma Lotte's recipe, and I haven't used it in years. I think I'll take it to Florida. Those brownies were oh, so much better than a mix. I had forgotten.
It actually was a busy evening. After that, we went to the Watkins Library for a very good lesson on how to borrow e-books on our kindle. There were a lot of people there and he covered a lot in an hour. At the end, he gave us several easy-to-follow, step by step worksheets. Good thing because I tend to forget easily.
When we came home, Gracie met us at the door panting and shivering like crazy, obviously very upset and panicked. We couldn't figure out what was wrong at first. Paul thought it was because we went out at night, something we haven't done lately - but it wasn't that. There was a smoke alarm in the basement that was going off every 30 seconds or so - very softly. I could hear it, but he couldn't. He went downstairs and fixed it. The battery was low and that was its signal. Gracie was fine after it was fixed. Poor thing. She gobbled up her dinner and couldn't wait to have us toss her "Flat Rat" for her to fetch.
My daughter-in-law, Epril, is going through a difficult phase of homesickness. She comes from a very poor, but very close-knit family. (five girls) And she has a passel of friends she left behind. I cannot presume to understand how hard this is for her. I can only imagine leaving behind all I know, and moving to a foreign country. It's comforting for me to think of all the Filipina brides that have come to the USA and felt the same way.
I was such a homebody as a child. I would even fake a stomach ache going to a birthday party so I wouldn't have to stay. Now that's an acknowledge truth never told before! When I think about it, my parents probably knew. They were so good to me.
Of course we know Epril is a grown woman. I'm just trying to say that just everything passes. (Because, hey - now I love parties!) In time, she'll realize that even though she's thinking of the family and friends she's left behind, and she'll do that always, she will come to realize that we all love her here and wish her to be happy. And with all the love and support from her husband and all his family, and friends, it'll happen. You betcha? You betcha!
We went to Odessa last night. My step-daughter Sharon, and son-in-law had a grand opening of a branch office of their insurance business They renovated a store downtown and it was truly beautifully done. Several rooms with finished wood, new flooring, new furniture, new pictures. Sharon will be working part-time there, instead of the main office.
As usual, Sharon's baking "took the cake." LOL. Talking to Brenda via cell phone in the morning, she said Sharon had been baking all kinds of cookies and brownies for the open house. And she had. Sharon baked the brownies from scratch. Yum. Another reminder of childhood. I have my mother's recipe, actually Grandma Lotte's recipe, and I haven't used it in years. I think I'll take it to Florida. Those brownies were oh, so much better than a mix. I had forgotten.
It actually was a busy evening. After that, we went to the Watkins Library for a very good lesson on how to borrow e-books on our kindle. There were a lot of people there and he covered a lot in an hour. At the end, he gave us several easy-to-follow, step by step worksheets. Good thing because I tend to forget easily.
When we came home, Gracie met us at the door panting and shivering like crazy, obviously very upset and panicked. We couldn't figure out what was wrong at first. Paul thought it was because we went out at night, something we haven't done lately - but it wasn't that. There was a smoke alarm in the basement that was going off every 30 seconds or so - very softly. I could hear it, but he couldn't. He went downstairs and fixed it. The battery was low and that was its signal. Gracie was fine after it was fixed. Poor thing. She gobbled up her dinner and couldn't wait to have us toss her "Flat Rat" for her to fetch.
Here and there
Hi ho! We have a sunny day! My mood is so effected by good weather. Even though I'm contemplating putting on a sweater over my short-sleeve shirt. Baby, it's cold outside. Even for Florida. Paul said it's in the 50's. In Florida.
Paul has our car, and is doing errands. I finished up doing bills this morning, and they're out in the mailbox.
We went to church yesterday - the late service. 10:30. The early service is at 8:00, a possibility for us, but not probable. That would mean getting up extremely early for us. We did go to breakfast beforehand and stopped to fill up the car - Stations have a "sale" using their 5 cents off policy on Sundays near us.
That is such a lot of balogny. Goodness gracious - we save 50 cents on 10 gallons. My little Toyota Corolla is great on gas,but I wish they'd come up with a better deal. The oil companies, Powers that Be, have us over a barrel. (get it? barrel? oil? Sheesh.)
Cousin Alice invited Bill and Epril to her house after church yesterday so she and Epril could get to know one another. She invited her to come bake cookies. Epril was also invited to her Bible Studies.
Our back-door neighbor, Brent, is a deacon of the Catholic Church and he invited Bill and Epril to church. They went yesterday, and according to Bill, Epril met a Filipina lady there too.
Paul has our car, and is doing errands. I finished up doing bills this morning, and they're out in the mailbox.
We went to church yesterday - the late service. 10:30. The early service is at 8:00, a possibility for us, but not probable. That would mean getting up extremely early for us. We did go to breakfast beforehand and stopped to fill up the car - Stations have a "sale" using their 5 cents off policy on Sundays near us.
That is such a lot of balogny. Goodness gracious - we save 50 cents on 10 gallons. My little Toyota Corolla is great on gas,but I wish they'd come up with a better deal. The oil companies, Powers that Be, have us over a barrel. (get it? barrel? oil? Sheesh.)
Cousin Alice invited Bill and Epril to her house after church yesterday so she and Epril could get to know one another. She invited her to come bake cookies. Epril was also invited to her Bible Studies.
Our back-door neighbor, Brent, is a deacon of the Catholic Church and he invited Bill and Epril to church. They went yesterday, and according to Bill, Epril met a Filipina lady there too.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Miscellaneous photos
Christmastime 2011
at the Woods Edge.
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| Tired little girl. |
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| Evie is learning to smile for the camera. |
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| Gracie got a new winter "coat" from Aunt Brenda. |
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| Lina, playing the piano, is an exchange student from Germany. She came with Brenda and Eric from California. This is Brenan and she on guitar and piano. Emma is knitting. |
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| Above and below - playing board and card games after dinner |
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| Christmas dinner at the Woods Edge. |
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| Enjoying a quiet time on the lanai. |
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| Celebrating Cousin Carol's birthday in November. |
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| Outside in the back yard. |
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| Front of their new home. |
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| Back deck of their new home. |
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Bureaucracy is alive and well
You can tell things are slowing down up here since I'm posting two days after my last post. No more holiday stresses. We're all undecorated.
But hear this about my Florida house insurance policy.
I know that my Florida house insurance has been due on 1/24 of each year since as long as I can remember. I had changed insurance carriers three years back. I always paid the bill in full. But this year it will be hard to do because it's tripled in the same amount of years. I called the company. How come?
Paul had looked at my policy and listed a couple of items for me to mention. Bless him. He was right. He said my present policy states it's a wood frame built house. Oops. It's obviously masonry built. ( Paul even broke a couple of drills when he was putting in hurricane windows.) The man, I talked to, said if we could get the policy changed from wood to concrete, the premium would be cut in half. Wonderful! What a lot of rigamarole. I started calling.
My dear Paul is now in the process of calling many numbers, and talking with many people. He just got off the phone with one. Now he's talking with another. Bureaucracy at it's best (?). It's very frustrating. He says he's been going around in a circle.
These computers are great, though. Through e-mail, they can send any paperwork to us, and we can send it on to others. This doesn't help with the frustration of trying to get one little item changed - that wasn't our fault. It was done by one of their people. I never signed or we never saw the item about a wood frame built house - except just now when we reviewed it. Granted, it took three years for us to find it. We'd never ever have questioned it, except the premium had gone sky high.
We thought we'd take a break (yeah, right) from the frustrations and go to our credit union to see about my debit card which is due to expire in March, when we'd still be in Florida. The gal at the counter called Binghamton, where their their main office is located. She was put on hold, but when she got through she asked:
Could they forward the new debit card? No. (I seem to remember that problem with boxes of checks). Would they send them if we change our address temporarily to Florida? No. (I can see their point.) But we could change our address permanently to Florida. Then they'd send them there. And as soon as I got back up north, I should come to the branch office and change my permanent address back.
Has bureaucracy taken over everything we do?
Let's change the subject.
It's cold up here. It's even cold in Florida, (but at least it's sunny) - it went below freezing last night down there. Bill covered our flowers out back. After it got dark, and the temperature had really dipped, he played a trick on Epril and asked her to go get the mail. He said she went two steps out the front door, and came rushing back in saying "No, no, no, no!" The temperature in the Philippines never, well almost never, goes much below 70 degrees.
So - how're things in your neck o' the woods? Freezin'?
But hear this about my Florida house insurance policy.
I know that my Florida house insurance has been due on 1/24 of each year since as long as I can remember. I had changed insurance carriers three years back. I always paid the bill in full. But this year it will be hard to do because it's tripled in the same amount of years. I called the company. How come?
Paul had looked at my policy and listed a couple of items for me to mention. Bless him. He was right. He said my present policy states it's a wood frame built house. Oops. It's obviously masonry built. ( Paul even broke a couple of drills when he was putting in hurricane windows.) The man, I talked to, said if we could get the policy changed from wood to concrete, the premium would be cut in half. Wonderful! What a lot of rigamarole. I started calling.
My dear Paul is now in the process of calling many numbers, and talking with many people. He just got off the phone with one. Now he's talking with another. Bureaucracy at it's best (?). It's very frustrating. He says he's been going around in a circle.
These computers are great, though. Through e-mail, they can send any paperwork to us, and we can send it on to others. This doesn't help with the frustration of trying to get one little item changed - that wasn't our fault. It was done by one of their people. I never signed or we never saw the item about a wood frame built house - except just now when we reviewed it. Granted, it took three years for us to find it. We'd never ever have questioned it, except the premium had gone sky high.
We thought we'd take a break (yeah, right) from the frustrations and go to our credit union to see about my debit card which is due to expire in March, when we'd still be in Florida. The gal at the counter called Binghamton, where their their main office is located. She was put on hold, but when she got through she asked:
Could they forward the new debit card? No. (I seem to remember that problem with boxes of checks). Would they send them if we change our address temporarily to Florida? No. (I can see their point.) But we could change our address permanently to Florida. Then they'd send them there. And as soon as I got back up north, I should come to the branch office and change my permanent address back.
Has bureaucracy taken over everything we do?
Let's change the subject.
It's cold up here. It's even cold in Florida, (but at least it's sunny) - it went below freezing last night down there. Bill covered our flowers out back. After it got dark, and the temperature had really dipped, he played a trick on Epril and asked her to go get the mail. He said she went two steps out the front door, and came rushing back in saying "No, no, no, no!" The temperature in the Philippines never, well almost never, goes much below 70 degrees.
So - how're things in your neck o' the woods? Freezin'?
Monday, January 2, 2012
It's gotten colder up here. We have a dusting of snow, but that may change for the worse or the better - depending upon how you look at it - as it might be possible for 2-5". Big Snowflakes are floating down outside our window.
I knew (after the fact) that we shouldn't have thrown out the turkey carcass because now I have a yen to make turkey soup. My mistake. Beforehand, I couldn't see the value of keeping it. Oh, well - we could adjust by running down to Sam's Club and picking up one of their yummy cooked chickens. That would mean chicken tonight. . . . and the carcass available later on in the week. And I would need to buy all the other ingredients for the soup.
I dislike snowboots. And I don't know where my mittens are. That may be the deciding factor between spaghetti or chicken tonight.
I do know where my bathing suit is. My brown bathing suit will stay up here, for when we come back in the Spring. Paul drained the hottub New Year's Eve. That was fine with me.
I can't stop thinking happy thoughts about my two new suits in Florida. Not how I'll look in them, obviously, but the idea that they're there. Carol O. is excited, I bet, to be taking the autotrain down for her third year. She'll arrive a couple of days ahead of us with her sister Patti.
Jil bought Epril a new one-piece bathing suit to wear to the pool because, according to his blog, her bikinis might possibly not go with the Circlewood Crew. He also bought her a new winter coat because the temperature in Florida "dipped" to 70 degrees. Imagine if she'd come up here for Christmas. By next Christmas perhaps she'll be able to handle snow. We hope.
We had a terrifically awful New Year's Day dinner out at the Harbor Hotel's restaurant. We had candlelight, linens on the table, Christmas decorations. . . . The ambiance was beautiful, and I certainly enjoyed being there with my dear one. . . . a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't go there again. We did have a good glass of wine, and the breads served were tasty, and a lot - served with softened cheeses, olive spreads, butters. .
But, it didn't make up for the dinner, itself. I was almost tempted to tell our server how bad it was. After the fact, I wish I had. Paul doesn't like to make waves, but I do. The chef deserves to know, when people pay good money, they expect good food.
We both ordered one of their specials, beef ribs - cooked so the meat fell off the bone.. Same as potroast. But - this didn't have any gravy or sauce, except dry, if it's possible, tomato paste. It was cooked so that the beef and sauce (?) were very dry. We didn't order salad because that was $9.00 extra. The vegetables, tiny slices of carrots and green leafy vegetables, were literally burned and were dry and tasteless. The advertised mashed potatoes were actually smashed potatoes, which means they weren't peeled, but sliced, boiled and smashed with a potato masher. They were seasoned to the nth degree. We don't like our potatoes that way. We didn't like any of it.
At the end the bill came served with two dark chocolate covered cherries, in a whipped cream base that was drizzled with dark chocolate sauce. That was good. Not the bill - the cherries. But - just being out with my husband was priceless. Just like the Visa, or was it Mastercard, commercial?
Lue visited Jennifer's family in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, for Christmas, and felt fine while there, but has been suffering from a bad cold ever since she's been back. We've been keeping in touch with her by phone. We talked with her last night. She's taking it easy and not doing anything more strenuous than letting Greta out in her fenced in yard area.
Good news -
Talked with Nancy last night and heard that she has a new sitter for Evie. A new child-care center - only a half-mile from their home - is opening mid-January, and Nancy's classes start on January 9th which means an overlap (?). Evie will need a sitter for the first week. Her other sitter has a full-time nanny job. Nancy gets her sitters from a reputable sitter-service with lots of references that she checks on. Being in a big city makes it easier for some things.
Heard that Edna's Mike was in the hospital, but he's feeling better. He had pneumonia. Paul's kept in touch.
More good news - Paul just asked if I'd like to go to Panera Bread for lunch, and have a cup of soup. That means we'll go to Sam's and get the chicken, stop in Top's and get the ingredients for soup. How about that news?!!!
That's all the news from the Woods Edge. How're things goin' in your neck o' the woods?
.
I knew (after the fact) that we shouldn't have thrown out the turkey carcass because now I have a yen to make turkey soup. My mistake. Beforehand, I couldn't see the value of keeping it. Oh, well - we could adjust by running down to Sam's Club and picking up one of their yummy cooked chickens. That would mean chicken tonight. . . . and the carcass available later on in the week. And I would need to buy all the other ingredients for the soup.
I dislike snowboots. And I don't know where my mittens are. That may be the deciding factor between spaghetti or chicken tonight.
I do know where my bathing suit is. My brown bathing suit will stay up here, for when we come back in the Spring. Paul drained the hottub New Year's Eve. That was fine with me.
I can't stop thinking happy thoughts about my two new suits in Florida. Not how I'll look in them, obviously, but the idea that they're there. Carol O. is excited, I bet, to be taking the autotrain down for her third year. She'll arrive a couple of days ahead of us with her sister Patti.
Jil bought Epril a new one-piece bathing suit to wear to the pool because, according to his blog, her bikinis might possibly not go with the Circlewood Crew. He also bought her a new winter coat because the temperature in Florida "dipped" to 70 degrees. Imagine if she'd come up here for Christmas. By next Christmas perhaps she'll be able to handle snow. We hope.
We had a terrifically awful New Year's Day dinner out at the Harbor Hotel's restaurant. We had candlelight, linens on the table, Christmas decorations. . . . The ambiance was beautiful, and I certainly enjoyed being there with my dear one. . . . a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't go there again. We did have a good glass of wine, and the breads served were tasty, and a lot - served with softened cheeses, olive spreads, butters. .
But, it didn't make up for the dinner, itself. I was almost tempted to tell our server how bad it was. After the fact, I wish I had. Paul doesn't like to make waves, but I do. The chef deserves to know, when people pay good money, they expect good food.
We both ordered one of their specials, beef ribs - cooked so the meat fell off the bone.. Same as potroast. But - this didn't have any gravy or sauce, except dry, if it's possible, tomato paste. It was cooked so that the beef and sauce (?) were very dry. We didn't order salad because that was $9.00 extra. The vegetables, tiny slices of carrots and green leafy vegetables, were literally burned and were dry and tasteless. The advertised mashed potatoes were actually smashed potatoes, which means they weren't peeled, but sliced, boiled and smashed with a potato masher. They were seasoned to the nth degree. We don't like our potatoes that way. We didn't like any of it.
At the end the bill came served with two dark chocolate covered cherries, in a whipped cream base that was drizzled with dark chocolate sauce. That was good. Not the bill - the cherries. But - just being out with my husband was priceless. Just like the Visa, or was it Mastercard, commercial?
Lue visited Jennifer's family in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, for Christmas, and felt fine while there, but has been suffering from a bad cold ever since she's been back. We've been keeping in touch with her by phone. We talked with her last night. She's taking it easy and not doing anything more strenuous than letting Greta out in her fenced in yard area.
Good news -
Talked with Nancy last night and heard that she has a new sitter for Evie. A new child-care center - only a half-mile from their home - is opening mid-January, and Nancy's classes start on January 9th which means an overlap (?). Evie will need a sitter for the first week. Her other sitter has a full-time nanny job. Nancy gets her sitters from a reputable sitter-service with lots of references that she checks on. Being in a big city makes it easier for some things.
Heard that Edna's Mike was in the hospital, but he's feeling better. He had pneumonia. Paul's kept in touch.
More good news - Paul just asked if I'd like to go to Panera Bread for lunch, and have a cup of soup. That means we'll go to Sam's and get the chicken, stop in Top's and get the ingredients for soup. How about that news?!!!
That's all the news from the Woods Edge. How're things goin' in your neck o' the woods?
.
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