More about Our Counter Stools.
An overview:
A month ago after checking the internet for counter stools (prices, availability, shipping costs), we decided to check on a rattan and wicker store here in Venice and found a style that was comparable to the ones I'd seen. And they were less expensive. So we ordered four.
They were to come in ten days, which they did. We said we'd pick them up. When we got there, the wood was wrong. (maple rather than a fruitwood) So, they sent them back.
We waited another 10+ days, and they arrived this past Saturday, the day before yesterday, so we went and picked them up. They were perfect! Paul had put the back seats down and the stools fit well in the van.
As we left the store, we decided to do a little window-shopping for a loveseat. So, with the stools in the van, we visited several places.
We didn't have much luck looking for a loveseat, but the last store we visited had four of the counter stools we had just purchased These were considerably less expensive. ($50 each less) You can imagine how we felt - here we had our stools, which we loved, but could have gotten cheaper elsewhere. Argh!
I thought about that yesterday, and stewed. I was so upset.
So, this morning we went back to the store and sat down with the manager and I explained the situation nicely to her and she couldn't have been nicer. She said they'd check on the price at the other store, and call me. She called. I'm getting a check for the difference. So glad and relieved and happy. I could have said, oh well. It is what it is. But it was what it was, and I wanted to change it! And it worked, and I'm so happy I did.
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Showtime practice. The subject is TV Shows.
Ha. I am getting so tired of being in Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood:
One of the performers is singing this and accompanying himself on the guitar, but he can only play in the key of C. Pat, our director asked me if I'd " help him out." The sheet music is in the Key of F. And I couldn't find it in the key of C, So I've been busy transposing the music myself. Of course, this is all fun . . .if it wasn't, I wouldn't do it. So I am enjoying it. Doing a little bit at a time. It's been a good 20 years since I've done anything like that. If I continue to have trouble, there is someone in Circlewoods I can contact to help me. I may do that.
They have to fix the way we get tickets for Showtime. If anyone has a suggestion, let me know.
We were allowed to get one ticket for just our spouse ahead of time. Great. If you don't have a spouse, you can't get a ticket ahead of time. Last year we were allowed one ticket for each performer.
So, I wanted my brother and Epril and Bill to go also. If I wanted them all to sit together, I couldn't get Paul's ticket ahead of time.
I needed to go with everyone on the day tickets were sold (Saturday at 10AM) at the Clubhouse so they could sit together. Carol O had to go to get a ticket for a friend of hers who is coming that week for a visit. She obviously wasn't a spouse, so even though Carol was helping out with the show, she couldn't get a ticket early for her.
Picture this:
This is the only time tickets are a problem for an event. If I may repeat myself: If you have any suggestions, they'd be welcomed!
On the day tickets are sold, they line up folding chairs around the inside wall of the Clubhouse for people to sit while they wait. I would say there was a good one hundred chairs lined up. I got there at 7:30, along with Carol. Ticket sales were at 10:00. If you wanted good seats, on a specific night, you had to get there early as Carol and I did. There were 9 people ahead of us. Some were there at 6:30. There is a limit of 10 tickets per person. People brought books to read; one lady brought a rug she was hooking.
Wives or husbands got there and waited, and then in an hour or so, the other person would come and take over. Gradually the place filled up. As the later ones appeared, it was comical to watch the expressions on their faces as they opened the door and saw how many people were ahead of them.
Ticket sellers arrived at 9:45, set up a table, and a sign that said "Please be patient. Do not approach the table until the person before you has purchased his tickets."
There are three performances: Friday night, a Saturday matinee and an evening performance with a cast party afterwards, for which I can bring a guest. Guess who I'm bringing.
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It is my youngest grandson Walter's first birthday today. Happy Birthday, Walter! And many more. He's having a quiet birthday with the immediate family - Mom, Dad, Evie and Vincent. Nancy says he's pulling himself up on furniture now, so he'll probably be walking soon. They are so cute at this age. Babies are cute at any age. We're thinking of you, my boy, on this special day.
The weather has turned beautiful. The temperature is perfect, and the breeze is just the right temperature. I ran out of luncheon meats, so we went to Panera bread for lunch today and sat outside with Gracie. Then Paul sat outside while I went food shopping at Publix next door.
Bob stopped by to see if I'd like to go to the pool. (We did on Sunday) I had someone here for play practice, however. I've put all my Showtime practices on the calendar in red marker so I can remember, and the calendar is getting very red right about now.
Tonight we have a yen for liver and onions, so we're going to go to the Conch in Englewood for dinner.
I see from Facebook, that Nancy, my daughter, is extremely busy. She's trying to find time to exercise and it looks like she's considering 5 AM. Oh. My. And a lot of her friends sent comments that they go out really early too. They get up at 4,4:30. Go to bed at 9:00
I, along with a lot of my generation, was a stay-at-home mom. Although I didn't have to consider work, I can remember in the summertime I would play a couple of holes of golf at 7 AM while the kids were sleeping, and their dad hadn't gone to work yet. That's about as close as I can get to what she's talking about. There's no comparison.
Epril has been driving herself to work in the morning. That leads to a lot of different things -
Bill is home, without a car, doing work. But she's home mid-afternoon because she leaves so early for work - 6:30AM. I wonder if this is every day or just some days and how this is working out. Saw some pictures of them on Facebook - one was a darling picture of the two of them at a social event. BTW She's no longer blond. She's dyed it back to almost it's natural color, a couple of weeks ago, and she had it curled for the picture. Really pretty.
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Thank you, Carol O, for reading my blog and commenting on it. It was appreciated.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Friday, February 7, 2014
I don't know about you, but time goes by quickly.
Sometimes, coming up with a title for this potpourri is the hardest part of writing.
It seems like Friday nights out for dinner have become a habit with us. (No. . . . really? That's hard to believe, isn't it. )
Bill and Epril have invited us to come to Punta Gorda tonight for a fish fry. When Bill called, he said we could go to the local Moose Club. Well, then we called him back to say we'd come and asked how to get there. He checked. There isn't a Moose Club in Punta Gorda. Nor is there one nearby.
It's a good thing we checked, because then we chose Plan B: We're still going, but to some other restaurant he suggested. First, we'll have one glass of wine at their home. Just one. We try to be careful.
It's great to see how much Epril's English, conversational skills and confidence have improved.
It's probably because she talks to her elderly friends at the nursing home a lot. They really love her. She relayed one conversation was with one old lady who said she couldn't be a friend to Epril because Epril was too young. Epril said, what do you mean? I had a grandmother who died. You can be my grandmother.
And last week, she told us about the driving test she took. She said she told the man that tested her that she was nervous. He said, don't be - just do what I tell you to do. Well, she did what he told her, and, as we know, passed. When he showed her the paper that said PASSED, she gave him a big hug.
I'm busy getting things in order for the kitchen island. I'm filling up the drawers, and yesterday, Paul and I went to Lowe's and got some wire pull-out shelves. He installed that last night.
Our stools haven't arrived yet, so it looks like we're going to be using the dining room table for a while longer. It is a disappointment since we had hoped to have them here when Marcia and Hal arrive Sunday from North Carolina.
The stools would have been here, if the store hadn't made the mistake of ordering the wrong wood, and having to return them last week. Oh, well. Let's think positively. Perhaps they'll come while Marcia and Hal are here.
Speaking of Marcia: We had a bet on the Superbowl, and I won. She's bringing a Bota Box of Pinot Grigio. Ha. I didn't think I'd win, but then I didn't know much about the Seahawks. There was so much more publicity about the Broncos, so I thought they were the better team. Obviously not.
Ask and ye shall receive: Last week I asked Paul, that when he was done with the Island, perhaps he could make some wooden frames for the digital picture/paintings we have in the new room. Paul is so good about that. All I have to do is make a suggestion, a hint, and he's there trying out new things and getting them done.
And these frames are better than store-bought. They're exactly what I wanted. Barnwood, painted black. And cost-wise? I suggested Paul make more and sell them. Hobby Lobby wanted $75- $100 for frames like he made.
*****************************
Remember, a while back, I googled "how to write a good blog"? There were .helpful suggestions, and one was. . . . Feedback. How about it? Although, when talking with people, it's gratifying to know people read it. We know I don't write about controversial subjects, so probably comments wouldn't be along that vein, but if you have any thoughts, please let me know.
Having said that, I DO get responses from people, and you know who you are, but the majority - read, and I don't know them. But when I find that I had 454 page-views last month, well - I wonder who they are. It's nice to know that it's read. Or glanced at.
*****************************
The UPS guy just came with a package that Paul ordered: a compact size trimmer. It's description is a super pocket pro including a trimmer blade and a bonus T-trimmer blade. At the bottom of the packaging it says: professional products manufactured for the home groomer.
Yep. It's for Gracie. She needs her paws and pads trimmed. She seems very excited over the package, jumping around wildly, but we don't know how she'll really react when she finds out what it does. She's now lying by my feet with her face between her paws looking at Paul across the room in the lanai as he turned it on. It does buzz. And probably vibrates. It'll take her some getting used to. He's reading the manual now. Well, she didn't like a bath, and now she does. Maybe this'll be the same way. They're now both having a nap on Paul's recliner.
Bob and Paul enjoy teasing about the mirrors I have in the lanai. How the streaks and smudges show up when the sun starts to go down. Their suggestion of using a paper towel and NO cleaner seems to help. They do like telling me where the smudges are. And I like getting them clean.
My calendar is filling up with Showtime rehearsals, practices, but that's always expected as the time comes closer. I have a meeting with the director this week to go over some songs. Pat does such a good job of making all the performers feel they are special.
It's actually more fun for the performers during the practice time, I think, as they try to perfect their performances. Most of the performers are doing funny things, poking fun at themselves. That's good. We have to remember we're not professionals and shouldn't expect our performances to be. Just do the best we can.
We definitely have more fun getting ready for it than the audiences watching it. Have you ever seen us on Youtube? We were on at least one time when someone videotaped the men's synchronized swimming.
It seems like Friday nights out for dinner have become a habit with us. (No. . . . really? That's hard to believe, isn't it. )
Bill and Epril have invited us to come to Punta Gorda tonight for a fish fry. When Bill called, he said we could go to the local Moose Club. Well, then we called him back to say we'd come and asked how to get there. He checked. There isn't a Moose Club in Punta Gorda. Nor is there one nearby.
It's a good thing we checked, because then we chose Plan B: We're still going, but to some other restaurant he suggested. First, we'll have one glass of wine at their home. Just one. We try to be careful.
It's great to see how much Epril's English, conversational skills and confidence have improved.
It's probably because she talks to her elderly friends at the nursing home a lot. They really love her. She relayed one conversation was with one old lady who said she couldn't be a friend to Epril because Epril was too young. Epril said, what do you mean? I had a grandmother who died. You can be my grandmother.
And last week, she told us about the driving test she took. She said she told the man that tested her that she was nervous. He said, don't be - just do what I tell you to do. Well, she did what he told her, and, as we know, passed. When he showed her the paper that said PASSED, she gave him a big hug.
I'm busy getting things in order for the kitchen island. I'm filling up the drawers, and yesterday, Paul and I went to Lowe's and got some wire pull-out shelves. He installed that last night.
Our stools haven't arrived yet, so it looks like we're going to be using the dining room table for a while longer. It is a disappointment since we had hoped to have them here when Marcia and Hal arrive Sunday from North Carolina.
The stools would have been here, if the store hadn't made the mistake of ordering the wrong wood, and having to return them last week. Oh, well. Let's think positively. Perhaps they'll come while Marcia and Hal are here.
Speaking of Marcia: We had a bet on the Superbowl, and I won. She's bringing a Bota Box of Pinot Grigio. Ha. I didn't think I'd win, but then I didn't know much about the Seahawks. There was so much more publicity about the Broncos, so I thought they were the better team. Obviously not.
Ask and ye shall receive: Last week I asked Paul, that when he was done with the Island, perhaps he could make some wooden frames for the digital picture/paintings we have in the new room. Paul is so good about that. All I have to do is make a suggestion, a hint, and he's there trying out new things and getting them done.
And these frames are better than store-bought. They're exactly what I wanted. Barnwood, painted black. And cost-wise? I suggested Paul make more and sell them. Hobby Lobby wanted $75- $100 for frames like he made.
*****************************
Remember, a while back, I googled "how to write a good blog"? There were .helpful suggestions, and one was. . . . Feedback. How about it? Although, when talking with people, it's gratifying to know people read it. We know I don't write about controversial subjects, so probably comments wouldn't be along that vein, but if you have any thoughts, please let me know.
Having said that, I DO get responses from people, and you know who you are, but the majority - read, and I don't know them. But when I find that I had 454 page-views last month, well - I wonder who they are. It's nice to know that it's read. Or glanced at.
*****************************
The UPS guy just came with a package that Paul ordered: a compact size trimmer. It's description is a super pocket pro including a trimmer blade and a bonus T-trimmer blade. At the bottom of the packaging it says: professional products manufactured for the home groomer.
Yep. It's for Gracie. She needs her paws and pads trimmed. She seems very excited over the package, jumping around wildly, but we don't know how she'll really react when she finds out what it does. She's now lying by my feet with her face between her paws looking at Paul across the room in the lanai as he turned it on. It does buzz. And probably vibrates. It'll take her some getting used to. He's reading the manual now. Well, she didn't like a bath, and now she does. Maybe this'll be the same way. They're now both having a nap on Paul's recliner.
Bob and Paul enjoy teasing about the mirrors I have in the lanai. How the streaks and smudges show up when the sun starts to go down. Their suggestion of using a paper towel and NO cleaner seems to help. They do like telling me where the smudges are. And I like getting them clean.
My calendar is filling up with Showtime rehearsals, practices, but that's always expected as the time comes closer. I have a meeting with the director this week to go over some songs. Pat does such a good job of making all the performers feel they are special.
It's actually more fun for the performers during the practice time, I think, as they try to perfect their performances. Most of the performers are doing funny things, poking fun at themselves. That's good. We have to remember we're not professionals and shouldn't expect our performances to be. Just do the best we can.
We definitely have more fun getting ready for it than the audiences watching it. Have you ever seen us on Youtube? We were on at least one time when someone videotaped the men's synchronized swimming.
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