7/29/2013 Packing Up, Shipping Him Out

(Wilmington, DE)

Today was a day for laundry and packing Bob’s stuff for his annual weeklong fishing trip in Oswego, New York with his buddies.  We have both been looking forward to this.

To give credit where credit is due Bob did pack his suitcase.  When I had a few things from the clothesline ready to go in I attempted to put them in said suitcase and had to chuckle to myself.  It just simply amazes me that he can build a house, fix darn near anything but the man doesn’t have a clue how to pack a suitcase.  There was no order.  For heavens sake, socks were just stuffed everywhere!  His jean shorts were folded top to bottom and then side to side.  Polo shirts were folded in half twice and thrown in.  We’re talking wrinkle city here people!  Oh no, no, no, not on my watch.  I emptied the suitcase completely, folded everything neatly, put like items together in piles and then in a highly organized fashion Bob’s clothing and toiletries were placed with precision into the suitcase.  Packing perfection!

We are still enjoying delightful, low humidity days in Delaware.  That new air conditioner still hasn’t run. 

Mom made us her delicious pot roast with all the trimmings for dinner.  I think she has visions of Bob being with a bunch of guys all week and eating beans out of a can.  If she only knew!

I made contact with a gal I grew up with and we have decided to meet for dinner this coming Friday.  Us and our moms.  We haven’t all be together in close to forty years!  Yes, we’ve seen them individually since then but not all together.  We’re all looking forward to it!  In fact, today is her birthday.  Happy Birthday Cathy!

Bob called it an early night because he has to meet the fellas at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning.  He’ll take the Mustang to the VFW lodge and I’ll pick it up sometime tomorrow.  I’m just glad I don’t have to get up to take him.

Mom and I passed the evening playing cards and just enjoying being together.

 

7/28/2013 A Family Together Again

(Smyrna, DE)

We spent the day in Smyrna, Delaware today at Tim and Shannon’s home.  Tim is Bob’s son.  Jonathan, Bob’s younger son was also there with his family.  They are in Delaware on vacation.   Jonathan and Brandi live in Kentucky.

Bob and his sons.  (Tim – l   Jon – r)


I looked at the boys today when they were standing out in the yard and my thoughts drifted back to the time when they lived with us for those 7 years when they were young kids. 

Thoughts of shopping for school clothes (and the year Timmy went through three sizes in one year), getting them to try new to them foods,      (wonder if they’ll eat a green bell pepper today?)trips to Great Adventure and the beach, Christmas mornings and the year Jonathan ate ALL the Christmas cookies I made.  Ahhh,, those were the days. 

As I took pictures I went back to the days of picture taking at Sesame Place, Disney World, the first day of school, Jonathan sleeping with his new skateboard, Timmy and his new bike, Jonathan’s first black eye.  Memories came flooding back.  Good memories, happy memories though there were bad times to be sure.

The days of “Mom, he hit me!” and “Make him stop looking at me!” are long gone.  Today I see the men we raised these kids to be.  Men who answer to Daddy now.

Tim and Shannon's lovely daughter, Briana.

 

Jonathan and Brandi's  little munchkin, Jasmine.

We enjoyed this family time.  It didn’t last nearly long enough and vacations are over much too soon.

We’ll treasure today until we’re all together again.

7/27/2013 Sharing Email Finds

(Wilmington, DE)

Several days ago Mom and I had gone to Boscov’s and while there I found a top that I liked that was on sale and I was about to buy it for myself.  Mom took it from me and said she would buy it for me for my birthday.  That certainly worked for me.  So she did and while we were there she picked out some shirts for Bob’s birthday.  Since we had to go to Customer Service to get our military discount paperwork and it happened to be at the same desk where they do the gift wrapping I suggested mom take advantage of the free gift wrapping for Bob’s birthday gift.  She agreed and suggested that she might as well have mine wrapped too.  I picked out the wrapping and the color bow I liked and everything was wrapped after she paid for it.

We put them in the back seat of the car and promptly forget them.  Until today.  The day after my birthday.  Not that it mattered because after all I picked the gift out, I picked the wrapping and the bow color.  Well, we didn’t go out in the car at all today so its still in there.

I came across this video I want to share with you.  It’s about a baby sea lion that boards a boat and gets very, very comfortable.  It get your “awwww” quotient filled today by watching THIS!

Does size matter?  You decide.  Click HERE.

While I’m sharing things I get in email, here’s one more.

This is a story which is perfectly logical to all males:

A wife asks her husband, "Could you please go shopping for me and buy one carton of milk, and if they have eggs, get 6."

A short time later the husband comes back with 6 cartons of milk. The wife asks him, "Why did you buy 6 cartons of milk?" He replied, "They had eggs." (I'm sure you're going back to read this again!)

Th…th…that’s all folks!

7/26/1953 720, 15, 21,915

(Wilmington, DE)

What do the numbers 720, 15 and 21,915 all have in common?  Why, there all about ME!

Today I am 21,915 days old!  Today I am 720 months old!  I have seen 15 Leap Years!

Today is my birthday and I’m now 60!  How the hell did this sneak up on me so fast?  If you want to see how old you are in days, months or leap years go to http://www.korn19.ch/coding/days.php

I woke up about seven and mom did shortly after.  She was on the front porch and said, “Oh, there must be someone in the Lilly house having a birthday too Snookie, flowers are getting delivered.  (The Lilly’s haven’t lived in that house in several years but until she know the people in it now a little bit better it shall remain the Lilly house)  Next I heard, “Nope, he’s taking them back.”  Now my curiosity was piqued and I joined her on the enclosed porch.  Sure enough the delivery man from Boyd's Flowers got back into his truck, but didn’t shut the door all the way, and continued on Poplar Avenue three doors up.  He pulled up out front and got a beautiful basket of flowers with a Happy Birthday balloon out of the truck. 

Bob did good!

 

It was a very good birthday!!  My phone rang all day long, I had tons of FaceBook birthday wishes and the mailman brought a good amount of cards.

Mom, Bob and I went out for dinner to my favorite place for my favorite meal.  Crab Imperial at Michael’s.

If the rest of my 61st year (yes, this is the beginning of my 61st year) goes as well as the first day I’m going to be one lucky gal!

Happy birthday to me!

7/25/2013 Three Year Old Wears Me Out!

(Wilmington, DE)

Today Talia came to play.  Talia is my great niece.  She’s three.  A three year old bundle of energy.  A three year old that must be entertained and played with.

My mom has her every other Thursday morning.  On the weeks Talia is with her other great grandmother my mom has the little sister Cassidy.  Cassidy is only a year and a half is completely satisfied to be read to or to watch Mickey Mouse.

 

So as I said, Talia must be entertained and her attention span is short, very short.  We bounce from playing with Beanie Babies to coloring to watching TV and on to her favorite game…..Hide and Seek.   She loves to play this!

Talia’s idea of hiding is sitting under the dining room table, every time.  Oh no, not while Aunt Snookie is in town!  Nana went into the bedroom to count to ten and I hid Talia.  I pulled out the dining room chairs and laid her across them and then pushed them back under the table.  Nana came to find Talia and was quite shocked to not see her under  the table.  I didn’t let on where she was.  Nana walked from room to room looking everywhere and couldn’t find her.  At one point she was standing next to the dining room table and said, “I can’t find her, where can she be?”  My mom then started laughing out loud.  She pointed to the chairs and I walked around the table to see this little hand sticking out from under the tablecloth and waving for all it was worth. 

Nana hid then and the hunt was on.  Now Nana always hides in the same place, behind her open bedroom door.   Talia  wants me to help her find Nana.  I was instructed to walk on my tip-toes.   I didn’t know this was a requirement when playing Hide and Seek but evidently it is because she kept looking to make sure I was on my tip toes.  Nana found, it was time for Talia to hide again.

This time I put her in the box that the new air conditioner came in which was still sitting in the corner.  Once again Nana couldn’t find her and I wasn’t giving any clues.  Due to the short attention span and Nana not finding her quickly enough we heard in this tiny little voice,,,, Naaanaaa, Naaanaaa.  She was found.

Once again Nana stood behind the bedroom door, I walked on tiptoes to help find her and she was found after finally calling out  “Taaalllliiiaaaa”

The final round of Hide and Seek brought this as a hiding place.

Mom nearly fell on the floor laughing when she saw this.

She certainly kept us on our toes,,,,literally.

She’s a sweet little girl but if I had heard the word WHY one more time I would have screamed!

She tired us out with the non stop chatter and the game playing and I for one was glad when Daddy came to get her.   Next week we get little Cassidy.  She isn’t talking much yet and she doesn’t know how to play Hide and Seek!

7/24/2013 Did You Boscov Today? YES!

(Wilmington, DE)

I told mom today, “Mom, we have to Boscov today!”  Boscov’s is my favorite department store here in Delaware now.  Their commercials always ask, “Did you Boscov today?”
 
I went with every intention of buying everything I could find for me.  That didn’t work out.  Bob, on the other hand, made out like a bandit!  Three really nice golf shirts, a pair of shorts and socks.
 
The small air conditioner mom had in the dining room that really didn’t do a whole lot anyway, died.  Or so she thought.  So she went and bought one twice as big (Yay!) and Bob installed it today.  But not before he figured out that the old one she had was running on fan only.  She still wanted the bigger one which certainly made us happy.
 
Our time at home is going so fast!  The days are flying by!

Happy Birthday shout out to Gail!  The big 6-0!  It came fast didn’t it?

7/17–7/23/2013 Our Week at the Beach

(Rehoboth Beach, DE)

We had so many plans!  Bob was going fishing and golfing, I was going to the beach several times, I was going to hit the boards (boardwalk) in town.  None, none of that happened.  I only saw the beach because we went over a bridge and we were up high enough to see over the dunes.

Why did we spend a week at the beach and not do any of these things?  Because it was STINKIN’ HOT!  And HUMID!  You couldn’t do anything outside.  You could walk out the front door and be soaking wet within minutes and the life was just sucked out of you.  Bob and I have learned that we don’t like humidity anymore!

During the week Bob helped Kenny with a few things here at the mobile home park and at his girlfriend’s house.

We went out to dinner one evening to a Chinese buffet which we all really enjoyed.  We ate so much that we practically had to crawl to the car to go back to the park.

Bob and Kenny did go down to the inlet to see what the fisherman are bringing in but not much was going on in that area.  The water had cooled down and the flounder are just starting to come back.  There is talk of a deep sea fishing trip.

I went down to the Delaware Seashore State Park where we workamped last year to see the friends we made there.  Dawn was working the admission booth and didn’t know I was in the beach area even though I talked to her just a few hours prior.  I pulled into the entrance road and pulled over.  I called her again and asked her if she was busy and had a few minutes to talk.  It was cloudy but I asked her if she had a nice sunset.  She replied, “No, it’s cloudy, not a good one tonight.”  We talked a few more minutes and asked her if they were going to start dredging the Inlet.  She replied, “Yes, they are, in fact they brought in the equipment just today,”  We  talked a few more minutes and I said, “They sure are some big boats for the dredging aren’t they?”  I could see her in the booth and I saw her swing her head around and then I heard, “Is that you stopped there on the entrance road?”  But then I was moving towards her.  That was one hug that felt really good!

Bob has been checking out campgrounds and resorts in this area.  Looking for a permanent summer home.  This is his idea, not mine.  I really don’t want to come back to Delaware every summer.  For several weeks yes, all summer, every summer, not so much.

We had dinner with friends Jim and Arlene.  We met them here last year and then again in Cocoa Beach, Fl and then yet again when we were in the Keys.  This is the couple we were supposed to go to Montana with this summer and then she got so sick and of course I was called home and then we spent 97 days in Lazy Days Tucson.  So we were able to catch up with them once again over dinner at Smitty McGee's in Fenwick Island.  As always, we thoroughly enjoyed our time with them.

My friend Sue treated me to lunch for my birthday, which is coming up, and we had a great gabfest over our salad bar and baked potatoes at Ruby Tuesday.  Again, another great couple of hours spent and we’ll see more of her and her husband Dave when we return to the beach next month.

So we didn’t a do a lot while at the beach, mostly stayed inside the air conditioning where we could breathe.

As I said, we’ll be back down here next month and hopefully it won’t be so humid.

7/16/2013 Claustrophobia 101

(Wilmington & Rehoboth Beach, DE)

CLAUSTROPHOBIA  n.  Latin 

“an abnormal fear of being closed in or of being in a confined space”

Yes, it’s true, I’m a claustrophobe.  I’m finding that the older I get the worse it gets.

It started many years ago just being afraid of the possibility of being in a closed coffin.

Then I graduated to being uncomfortable in crowded elevators.  I was a basket case when amusement park rides went to the over shoulder padded harnesses.  No more rides for me and I loved an amusement park!

I remember I had to have a cast put on my leg and I hyperventilated because I thought it was too tight and I couldn’t breathe.  Yeah, I know, the doctor’s assistant thought the same thing,,,,,,

I can no longer go under water in a river, the ocean or even a swimming pool.

When I cracked a bone in my forearm several years ago I had a two piece cast that was held in place by wrapping that brown bandage stuff around it and pinning it in place.  I woke up one morning at 3 a.m. and I thought I was suffocating and could not get that cast thing off fast enough.  Once I did, I was fine.

Let's not even talk about seat belts!  I hold mine away from me all the time, I can't stand it up against me.

It doesn’t even have to happen to me anymore for me to feel the effects of it.  I can hyperventilate if an Philadelphia Eagle is on the bottom of a pile of football players and I don’t think the guys are moving fast enough to get off the player on the bottom.

Breathe Snookie.

So why am I telling you this?  This morning I had an all out panic attack due to a Ford Mustang.

Bob and I took off today to spend a week in Rehoboth Beach.  We packed the car, the Ford Mustang my brother and sis-in-law are lending us.    As grateful as I am to have the use of this vehicle,,,,,I hate this car!  The seats sit low in the old 2000 Ford.  It also doesn’t help that the interior is black.  All black.  Its also a convertible which means there is apparatus taking up head room.  Add to all of that, darn near everything we own that we have with us because we don’t know what the week will bring.  A suitcase, 2 laptops w/cases, a cooler, a carry bag, hanging clothes and who knows what else!  We got in to take off and we got around the corner and it hit.  I could not breathe!  I yelled, “pull over, pull over” and as soon as Bob stopped I was outta there!  I stood outside for a few minutes and calmed down.  I slowly got back in and it started again.  I told Bob that I couldn’t ride in this car that we had to go back.  He told me I needed air so he put the back windows down.   Hmmmm.  I started crying and said I couldn’t do this.  He turned on the air conditioner.  I told him to go back home.  He refused, asked what were we supposed to then.  I told him we’d rent a car and he said that wouldn’t fly.  I put my arm outside the window and that helped immensely.

We only had to travel a few miles to the ultrasound place.  Since I had an appointment and was the only one there I was taken right away.  A half hour later I left, assured that I didn’t have any blood clots in my
lower extremities.

We then traveled the ninety miles or so to Rehoboth Beach.  We’ll be staying with my uncle, Kenny.  We have vacationed with Kenny and his late wife, Winnie, many times.  We used to take two week vacations and spend the first one at the beach and the second on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  Bob and I both miss Winnie so much.

Kenny has been busy remodeling his mobile home, putting in a new kitchen, all new dry wall and carpeting, and flooring. throughout.  He’s nearly done but Bob will help him with a few things this coming week.  We also hope to get in some beach time and fishing and a golf game or two.

We’ll also catch up with friends we made last year at the Delaware Seashore State Park..  Jim and Arlene are also in the area so we’ll see them too.  We’ve got a busy week ahead of us!

7/12–7/14/2013 My Yearly Medical Drama

(Wilmington, DE)

I hate being sick.  I hate being in pain.  I hate having things happen to my body for which I have no reason.  Case in point.  I am swollen from three inches above my knee down to my toes.

I first noticed it Friday night that my feet were swollen.  Puffy, if you will.  I didn’t recall stepping on anything nor did I feel getting bitten by an insect.  But swollen I was.

Saturday morning the swelling was more pronounced and the skin on my legs was taut.  I had slight difficulty walking in that I could feel the fluid in my feet.  I called my sister-in-law Michelle, who happens to be a nurse practitioner,  and talked to her about it.  She suggested I go get my blood pressure taken and that this is nothing to fool around with.  I decided to give it another 24 hours  to see if it would go away.

I am so not a doctor person.  I hate going to the doctors.  I don’t like the expense and I don’t like the fact that they have needles.  I repeat, I am so not a doctor person.

Since it didn't seem to be getting any better Mom drove me up to the local Walgreen’s and the pharmacist took my blood pressure.  First time it was through the roof.  White coat syndrome?  Faulty cuff?  Blood pressure really that high?  The first numbers were reading 182 over 98.  I have never, ever had numbers that high and this scared me.  When I showed my alarm at these numbers the pharmacist said, “Let me get a new cuff and we’ll do it again.”  I sat there and relaxed for the next 10 minutes.  When he returned it went much better.  I now knew that because I am retaining so much fluid that the cuff would be unusually tight which I didn’t know the first time around and that added to a soaring blood pressure reading too, I’m sure.  This next set of numbers was still a little high for me but more realistic I think.  I was looking at 138 over 82.  I’m always, always, 120 over 70.  The pharmacists said that a water pill would probably do the trick for me but he didn’t have anything that wasn’t prescription.  He took me to the Midol aisle and said that something called Premysyn or something like that should help me without going the route of a prescription.  I’m hoping so.

Sunday morning, still swollen. my skin on my feet and legs feels like it could burst open any minute.  I can actually move the fluid on the top of my feet. I’m taking the pills the pharmacist suggested but I’m not seeing any change.

I had reason to talk to Michelle again on Monday and she asked me how the swelling was going.  I told her that it had actually gotten worse and in her best nurse practitioner nurse admonished me about seeing a doctor.  She explained that this could be something that could kill me!  Oh, well, in that case I’ll go.

After dinner mom and I talked about and looked at how swollen I was and I decided that maybe it would be a good thing to see a doctor.  I called my friend Cindy and asked if she was busy.  Upon hearing her negative reply I asked her if she wanted to hang out that evening since we hadn’t seen each other as yet.  She assured me she would love to spend time together and what did I have in mind.  I suggested she accompany me to the Urgent Care center and we could catch up while I waited in the waiting room.  She replied, “Snookie, you just always think of the most fun things for us to do together!”  She picked me up 15 minutes later.

It didn’t take long before I was called because there was only two people ahead of me.  I got called back to the examining room and when the doctor entered she said, “Hi, I’m Doctor B….., how are you doing?  I replied, “Hi, I’m fine and I don’t do needles.”  She looked at me and said, “Okaaayyy.”

She poked and prodded and asked me a lot of questions.  She wanted me to have a chest x-ray and an ultrasound of my legs.  I agreed to the ultrasound.  She was most concerned about blood clots.  it didn’t make sense to me to think that blood clots could be the cause because what would be the probability of having clots in both legs?  But hey, I’m not a doctor and what do I know?  She wrote me a prescription for a diuretic and the plan is to have the ultrasound to rule out clots, take the pills to get rid of the fluid and if they don’t work then we’ll do more tests.  I'm hoping these pills work because the doc is mentioning things like congestive heart failure.  I don't even want to go there.

By the time I was leaving there we were leaning towards this happening because of me coming from such a dry area (Arizona desert) to this ungodly humidity and this is just my reaction to it.  That's now my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Cindy and I then went for a ride and to Kohl’s to check out what they had on sale.  We made plans to get together when we returned from the beach.

When Bob and I arrived at mom’s she gave me an envelope that had arrived just days prior.  We were all amazed that it made it all.

My mom’s address is 8 Poplar Avenue, Wilmington, De  19805.  Look at how this was addressed.



This made it from Australia all the way to Mom’s in Delaware even though it was addressed for Washington D. C..  Zip codes are a wonderful thing!

So what was sent to me from Australia?  One of my FaceBook friends, Jennifer, sent me this bag she made for me.  She makes such lovely things from yarn.  I’ve seen several pictures of things she’s made and now I have one for my very own.  Jenn, you are just the best!

7/8–7/11/2013 Good Food, Our Phillies and a Heat Wave

(Wilmington, DE)

This has been a great couple of days here in Delaware.

Granted, its been unbearably humid which we are totally not used to.  All the same now that we can sleep at night we’re dealing with the daytime outside temps.

Bob has cut the grass which is something he hasn’t done in quite awhile.  He has also replaced all the screens in the house with new ones.  He told mom to make a list of things she wants/needs done because he’s there and has the time.

We were talking one morning about TV and shows that we liked and the show Antiques Roadshow came up.  In case you aren’t familiar with this show antique experts/appraisers go to a city and the residents there bring in their treasures to find out if what they have has any worth.  Mom said she had some old books she should get appraised.  Bob and I asked her about them and she said she didn’t even know what they were just that they were old and she’s had them for the last 45 years or so.  They were left in a house that my grandparents bought back in the mid-40’s and the books were old then.  Mom went up in the attic to get the books and we were surprised to say the least to find out they were Bibles from the 1800’s.  Both Bibles contain both the Old and New Testaments.  Each book is about about six inches or so thick and one has a cover that isn’t in the best of shape.  That said the pages themselves are in very good condition, not yellowed or brittle.  I called three different rare book stores and each one I talked to showed a great deal of interest and said that we had something that was indeed worth something.  When we get back from the beach the week after next we are going to take them to the three bookstores and have each one of them give an appraisal.  She’ll take it from there.

Bob has spent time catching up with friends at his VFW lodge and has joined up with his buddies for the annual weeklong fishing trip to Oswego, NY at the end of the month.

I’ve been touching base with lifelong girlfriends for lunches so we’ve got some busy times ahead of us. 

I think mom is enjoying having us home if for no other reason that she’s having things for dinner that she just wouldn’t make for herself.

Speaking of cooking, take it from me, do not try to make a dish that you’ve only made once from memory.  Trust me.  It doesn’t work.  I made this squash dish that I made from the recipe while we were in Arizona and thought I could do it again from memory.  Not. A. Chance.  For you Face Booker’s who have been sharing all the great recipes going around, take heed that even if you share them they don’t stay on your wall.  They disappear after a while.  I learned this when I went to look for the recipe again and it was nowhere to be found.  I couldn’t find anyone online that had it and some who did share it found that it was gone from their walls too.  Save your stuff to a document for safekeeping.

We’ve spending our time watching our beloved Phillies play on TV.  We haven't gotten to see many games so we’re soaking up every one that we can now.
 
It doesn’t seem this heat wave is going to break anytime soon so we are looking forward to a week at the beach!

7/7/2013 Sleep Never Felt So GOOD!

(Wilmington, DE)

We were up nearly 42 hours with 10 minute cat naps here and there.  I think we were asleep before our heads hit the pillows last night.

When I uploaded the pictures of the clouds I took when we flew into Philadelphia, a few more downloaded and I can’t believe that I let something go buy without even mentioning it.

We had a small, old, countertop microwave in the park model that bit the dust.  We knew we wanted a microwave oven but didn’t think we would be able to find such a small one to fit the counter space it was in or if we even wanted to go that route.  We talked about it and decided to get one that gets mounted over the stove, under the cabinet.

Bob had to move an electrical outlet and do some wood work to support the new appliance.


It’s in, and it works great!  I am so thankful that Bob knows how to do all these things.

Bob and I are certainly enjoying all the green we’re seeing here in Delaware.  There has been a lot of rain in this area so everything is in full bloom and the grass is as green as it can be.  Until you spend months in the desert you don’t realize how much you miss grass and maple trees.

Mom took us to the New Castle County Airport today to pick up the car my brother and sister-in-law are lending us while we’re here.  Our friend Susan, from Sarasota, FL, was up visiting for the long weekend and since her plane home was leaving at 6a.m. she used the car to get to the airport so that they didn’t have to get up so early to take her.  We’re very thankful that Billy & MIchelle had this extra vehicle for us to use, otherwise it could be a long six weeks with no wheels.  Or… a very expensive one because we would have had to rent a car.  Mom uses hers too much to be without her own wheels if we borrowed hers. 

Right across the street from airport is a Home Depot, our next stop.  We had to buy a small room air conditioner for the bedroom so that we can sleep at night.  The house doesn’t have central air conditioning and the window unit already in use doesn’t cool the bedroom down enough for us to be comfortable.  We had every intention of paying for this air conditioner because this is something we wanted.  My mom argued that she would buy it because when we left it would still be there so therefore its hers so she should pay for it.  We argued and insisted that we should buy it and she came back with, “Fine!  You buy it and when you leave you better take it with you!”  That ended that argument.

This afternoon Bob and I sat on the enclosed front porch and enjoyed something we haven’t seen in quite some time.

Rain.


My local Facebook friends were complaining about rain again, but we were thoroughly enjoying it.  I have to say we were disappointed that there wasn’t any thunder & lightning.  I’m looking forward to a good thunderstorm.


We had a wonderful roast beef dinner and spent the evening catching up with mom and watching TV.

The house seems so different now with my dad not here.  His chair is empty on the front porch and Bob has taken over his recliner in the living room.  Oh, and the remote too.  I’m also finding out that my mom isn’t handling this new normal as well as she led me to believe either.  She’s lost 20 pounds she couldn’t afford to lose even though she is very good about what she eats due to having diabetes.  I can see in her face that losing my dad has taken its toll.  Of course its to be expected, they were together 61 years but she told me she’s been keeping busy and doing fine.  It’s not what I’m seeing.

It’s just not the same, as it shouldn’t be, but I miss him so much.

7/6/2013 Home At Last

(Phoenix, AZ to Atlanta, GA to Philadelphia, PA to Wilmington, DE)

I left this at people standing in the aisle way with heads bowed as if in prayer.  Trust me, ours were too!  We had gotten on before the lady in question and even though our seatmates were in their seats there were still empty ones around us waiting for their occupants to arrive.  Further back in the plane there still lots of seats to be filled in.  Settled into my seat I kept an eye on those walking down the aisle.  I never did see her so I’m assuming she had a seat up closer to the door.  Thank heaven for small favors!

We never heard a peep out of the baby!

I really thought that I would be able to sleep from Phoenix to Atlanta. Not a chance.  Bob was in the aisle across from me and back two rows.  I turned to look at him once and he seemed to be asleep but I’m sure it wasn’t a satisfying deep sleep.

We had smooth flight and arrived in Atlanta on time.  It was three thirty in the morning to us but five thirty local time.  We were afraid that our connecting flight would be located at the other end of this huge airport but that wasn’t the case at all.  In fact, it took us less than five minutes to get to the gate where needed to be.  When we settled into the waiting area I saw several familiar faces from the Phoenix flight.  Everyone seemed to be looking around expectantly, like they were looking for someone in particular.  I knew who they were looking for because I had my eyes roving the area too.  I did see the lady in question as she walked past the waiting area for the plane bound for Philadelphia.  Whew!

I texted my cousin Ronnie who was to pick us up at the airport to leave 20 minutes later than planned since we had checked baggage to retrieve.  He got the message before we boarded and called. We agreed he would wait in the cell phone lot and when we were ready to be picked up we would call.

Our flight took off right on time at 7a.m..  It was smooth sailing all the way to Philadelphia.  We flew high above the clouds and they were so pretty I had to get my camera out of the overhead compartment.


 

 
We arrived a few minutes earlier in Philadelphia than scheduled and it only took a few minutes to find the luggage carousel we needed.  I never realized how many people had the same luggage as me!  Bob’s is navy blue and we picked his out as soon as it came around.  Mine is black and looks like 80% of the other bags on the carousel.  Why didn’t I think to put something on  the handle to make it easy to pick it out?  Lesson learned.  We finally figured out which one was mine and we headed to the door.

We kind of knew what to expect when we walked outdoors for the first time.  We expected the humidity to hit us a like a brick wall and it didn’t disappoint.  We walked out to the pickup area to wait for Ronnie.  I had called him and gotten his voice mail.  I texted him next.  Nothing.  My phone then rang and it was Patty, Ronnie’s wife telling us that Ronnie and  their daughter Melissa were broke down on I-95 and that she was walking out the door to come pick us up.

While we were sorting out the luggage mess both Ronnie and Melissa had called but I didn’t hear the phone in my pocketbook with all the noise around the luggage carousel.  Ok, back inside we went because it will surely take Patty about 40 minutes to get to the airport.

She must have the pedal to the metal because 30 minutes later she called to say she was outside the door waiting for us.

We stopped to pick up Melissa and Ronnie was waiting for the tow truck.

It was so good turn onto Poplar Avenue and see my childhood home just up the street.

This is the first time my mom had seen Bob since my dad passed on in March.  She got upset as expected but pulled it together quickly

We pretty much just hung around the house for the rest of the day talking with mom.

We’ll probably be in bed early tonight since we’ve been up since 5:30 yesterday morning.

It’s good to be home again.

7/5/2013 Homeward Bound

(Arizona City – Phoenix, AZ)

5:30a.m.  I was so excited about going home today that I was up at 5:30!  In the morning!  Barely light outside, yet I was anxious to get the day started.

Though I was sorry that Bob’s acid reflux was giving him problems and that he was sleeping in the recliner for relief, it turned out to be a good thing for me.

I threw our suitcases up on the bed I had just made up with fresh sheets and covered with a dustcover.  Within an hour I had us both packed.  I could not fit one single thing more in those carry-on suitcases!  Thank heavens for wheels because there is no way I could lug it through the airports.  I did leave room for the bag that will carry our toiletries when they are ready to be put in.

Bob must have had a miserable night because he didn’t wake up until 8 a.m. which is unusual for him considering what day it is.  When he did get up he said to me, “You better get started packing, we’ve got lots to do today.”  Imagine his surprise when I told him it was already done.

Busy all day long the time was flying by.  So much to do.

We were finally ready to go out the door for the last time.  The park model was readied for the remaining summer months, the truck was taken care of and we were anxious to get on the road.

We met up with our friends Earl and Marilyn at six forty five for the hours drive to Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix.  Our plane didn’t take off until 11:30p.m. but we didn’t want our friends to have to travel the roads so late on account of us.  We figured it was either sit in the Cantina back at Quail Run or sit in the airport.  At least in the airport we could people watch.

We thanked our friends for the ride, bid them farewell, see you in September and all that.  We have three hours to kill.  Dinner was first up since neither one of us had eaten anything today.  We found a little café type place that served your typical airport food.  Outrageously expensive and moderately flavorful.

We got through security with no problems and made ourselves comfortable in the waiting area.  Then IT started.  The cry.  Oh. No.  This baby, not a newborn or even a few months old baby, oh no, this one had a set of lungs like nobody’s business.  Our waiting area and four down in either direction heard this kid screaming.  Oh, its gonna be a long night.  Please God, don’t let my seat be near them.  Pretty please.

I excused myself from my seat in search of a Pepsi and possibly some Dramamine.  On the way to the area with the shops I spotted a ladies room and made a detour.  When I walked into the ladies restroom I wrinkled my nose at the odor I just walked through.  It didn’t last long but it was definitely unpleasant.  While washing my hands a lady exited one of the stalls and walked past me.  My head jerked up because I was hit with that repugnant odor again.  Oh my, that woman had to have been wearing those clothes for a week straight without the benefit of a shower or deodorant. “How can she not know?”  I asked myself.

I found my Pepsi and decided against the Dramamine.  The price on that little box of six motion sickness pills almost made me throw up!  I’ll take my chances.

Back at the waiting area the baby had stopped crying for a short while so everyone was enjoying the quiet.  I was reading my book and my attention was drawn to the fact that people were moving around.  I looked up to find that across the waiting area people were getting up from their seats and then I saw why.  The lady I encountered in the ladies room was on our flight and in the waiting area now.  Oh no.  OH NO!  Dear Lord, remember that earlier request about not putting the crying baby near us on the plane?  I changed my mind!  Give me the baby Lord!  Please, I’ll gladly take the baby!  Oh please Lord, not the woman!  I feel awfully sorry for some people on this plane.  Please don’t let us be some of them!

An announcement was made that the plane was 100% full and they were asking for volunteers to check their baggage.  Bob and I jumped on this.  We don’t like fighting for overhead space or trying to get them back down while people are standing in the aisles.  We didn't have to pay for checked bags so it was fine with us to hand them over.

Boarding time came and it seemed to me that a lot of people seemed to be standing in place, heads bowed as if they were praying.  I knew I was!

We got to our seats only to find out they were changed.  I had picked two aisle seats when I made our reservations.  We both had center seats now.  Talking to my seat mate who was now in MY aisle seat I found that she had to change her flight plans in the last week and that she was also a Delta frequent flyer and belonged to the Delta High Flyer Club or whatever its called.  She was given preference and got the aisle seat.  Oh well, its only four hours until we get off this plane, we can deal with it.

Next stop,,,,Atlanta, GA.

 

7/4/2013 Happy Birthday America 2013!

(Arizona City, Arizona)

Happy Birthday United States of America!  Home of the brave and land of the free.  May God bless her every day.

 

We were supposed to go to the 4th of July potluck here in the park.  That didn’t happen.  As the day progressed we realized just how much we had to do and stopping at 3 p.m. to clean up, prepare what we were taking to eat and share, well that just wasn’t an option.

By the time we finished for the day we had a good handle on the chores to be done.  Some things just have to wait till tomorrow, we still need water, air conditioning and the hot water heater.

Tomorrow we start the journey home,,,,finally.

7/2-73/2013 Mexican Train…finally!

These two days consisted of getting our clothes ready to be packed.  Washing, ironing, sorting, setting things out to be packed and changing my mind a dozen times.

Bob is getting our parking situation figured out.  We are leaving the truck here as I mentioned earlier and Bob has been working on getting the boards the tires will rest on in place, taping a large piece of cardboard to the patio so that nothing drips on it.  We don’t have anything dripping from the engine now but you never know.  Better err on the side of caution.

He’s gotten the shed all straightened out and space made for any last minute things.

Wednesday evening I played a game of Mexican Train with friends here in the park.  It was my first game in what seems forever!  I didn’t even come close to winning the game but it was ok because I enjoyed the company so much.

After the game was over I walked outside to head home and right there in front of me was fireworks display that Arizona City was putting on at the golf course.  I had the perfect view and it was a quite a nice display.

4th of July potluck dinner tomorrow.  We’re looking forward to that!

 

7/1/2013 July ALREADY!

(Arizona City, AZ)

I just can’t believe its July already.  Where is 2013 going?  On second thought, it can go, it certainly hasn’t been one of our better years, that’s for sure!

Temperatures are hitting the 115° mark every day now.  Every single day we ask each other “What are we doing here?”  I can’t even imagine what August would be like.

We still haven’t had rain.  I don’t know where the monsoons are but they can stay away until we’re on board that big metal bird.

There’s no going to the pool now, its too hot.  For me at least.

We’re having a BBQ on the fourth of July with friends here in the park.  The town we’re in has their 4th of July celebration on the 3rd, including fireworks.  Yeah, I don’t get it either.  The 4th of July is the 4th of July, not the 3rd, not the 5th, THE 4TH!    Things like this drive me crazy. I’m tellin’ ya, when they make me boss of the world, stuff like this won’t happen anymore!

We went in to town today and filled the fuel tank.  We were able to get diesel for $3.15 a gallon thanks to our points we accumulated through the grocery store.

Speaking of the store, have you bought bread lately?  I wanted a loaf of rye bread, brand name, are you ready for this?  Four dollars and sixty nine cents for that loaf of rye bread!  For what?  Sixteen slices of bread?  I didn’t get it.  I just couldn’t.  So I did pick up my Sara Lee bagels and got them on sale.  I also needed to get a new block of cream cheese.  Philadelphia brand.  You could have knocked me over when I saw $3.69.  WHY???  I opted for the store brand at $2.39 which I still thought was outrageous.  But hey, a girl’s gotta have her cream cheese for the bagels.

Here’s a good indication of what the heat in Arizona in July is like…..


Oh my gosh, I almost forgot!  Our day started a little earlier than planned this morning because our phone rang at about quarter to seven this morning.  I didn’t like the sound of that at all and even more so when I heard Bob say, “Hang on a sec, I’ll get her.”  My first thought was, “Oh no,”  “Please don’t let this be a call from Delaware.”  He just handed me a call with no explanation of who was on the other end.  This was my conversation:

“Hello?”

“Mrs. Quinn?  This is Sandy from Lazy Days in Tampa, Florida.  I’m sorry to wake you, I didn’t realize that you were in Arizona and I never gave a time difference a thought.  The reason I’m calling is that I found a set of 5th wheel keys that belong to you and I need an address to send them to you.”

I gave her the address and then asked…..

“How did you come across the keys now?”

“Well, we got your survey and our CEO called me this morning to find out if it was the Quinn’s who are here now who wrote it?”

“So your CEO read it?”

“Mrs. Quinn, everyone who has a computer in this company read your survey.”

“Tucson too?”

“Tucson too.”

“Oh well.”

“No, it’s a good thing that you did fill it out, it helps us to grow and learn.  I’m just sorry that you had to spend 97 days in Tucson.  I have to agree it was ridiculous.”

“Mrs. Quinn, I want to thank you for the good things you said about your visit here in Tampa.  I really appreciate it”

So my survey was read from the CEO down.  Good.  I’m glad I took the time to fill it out.  I still have one more to fill out online.  I think I’ll get that one out of the way this evening.