Memories, Distraction and Sue's House

Anniversary dates never seem to register despite Recurring Reminders on my Yahoo Calendar.   I can't remember my age most of the time though I do remember the year.  Frank and I forgot our anniversary one year!   This year, June 13th was the "gorilla in the room".  Couldn't think of anything except it was a year since Frank died.   Memories were heightened by an unexpected request by the Video Memorium TechPerson asking me for more music.   I spent several weeks preceeding the "anniversary" listening and evaluating music in hopes that the promised Video would finally be completed and I could get that over with.  Well, it's not ready yet but I sure have an excellent PlayList!  During the process, my lightly propped-up emotional stability was shaken. 

At least, I am staying busy nesting in my new home which is an effective, albeit expensive, distraction.

I am very happy with my choice of community;  it has shrunk from over 700 residents to about 100 and it is much easier getting to know who lives here.  I go to the Friday night Potluck Dinners and the Monday Morning Coffee Meetings and have recently joined the "Emergency Responders" Committee which is now busy with hurricane preparations.   Here is my friend Basil guarding my bowl of ice cream at the recent Ice Cream Social.  Feeling part of a new community will take time. 

I thought this was a clever photo; the fella who runs the Saddlebag Forum is also a PhotoShop junkie and published this to illustrate how security was being beefed up after a boat trolling motor was stolen... 

How many weapons of destruction can you find in the picture?  (Answer on the next Blog)

Being somewhat of a PhotoShop wannabe myself and an amateur shutterbug, I published this picture on the Forum Pet Zone after setting up my new Sleep Number bed.  Naturally, Cassie is not smart enough to operate the Control Wand...or is she?

The biggest distraction in the last couple months has been the renovation of the house I bought.  The home was owned by an elderly lady who didn't do anything to it and it needed a facelift.  At least renovation didn't cost as much as a facelift!

Here is my 4 Stone Fly Stump sign on my newly-painted stump.   BTW, you may or may not know that this is the Official Trash Receptacle at Saddlebag.  The sign was a very generous housewarming gift from my friends, Velma and Basil.  The color matches the Peacock Green color painted on my awnings and shutters.   The sign company let me design the Happy Dog to look more like Cassie with the puffy ears and plume-y tail!  The sign makes me feel like I am actually "home".

 This is a photo of my house newly-concreted, trim painted and siding pressure-washed. 

It is always fun to hire men to do manly things and I always take their picture.  Here is Andy the Painter who did my ceiling (I finally cried "Uncle" trying to do it myself--got sick of scraping paint off my parts).

Here is Dave the Door Guy; this is the door that has blinds "between the glass".  My new doors have keyless entry and replace crappy sliding glass doors that wouldn't close all the way and had no lock.  Dave had to reframe the entire opening because one side of my house had settled a few inches when 2 nearby trees were uprooted during the hurricanes of '05.

His worktruck had a most unique company logo.  He told me the sad story of his solitary journey to Florida and then meeting the love of his life after months of loneliness and sorrow.  So, he commemorated his good luck in the romance department by calling his business Romance Home Improvement "If Cupid Can't Fix It, WE Will!"  Isn't that sweet?

The house interior has been similarly attended to with newly-repainted cabinetry (I did do this; the paint was much more controllable), new lighting fixtures, window treatments and new, smaller-scale furniture.   A HUGE HUG to Basil, who supervised the replacement of all my aged, shabby lighting fixtures, helped me install dimmer switches and a 30amp outlet for my RV.

This is my living room "entertainment" wall.  I treated myself to an electric fireplace that I have been shopping for months on craigslist.  Electric fireplaces are ridiculously expensive and I figured that shopping when it's 96 degrees outdoors is a great time to get a low price.  And it was!

This pic also shows the new woodgrain vinyl flooring which is a new process that results in greater depth in the pattern.  This is super-cushioned vinyl and has a texture; it is comfy underfoot and quiet.  It is quite realistic looking; one workman got on the floor to feel it because he didn't believe it was vinyl.  I am very pleased with it.

I indulged in some colormania by ordering a double reclining Power Sofa in RED over the Memorial Day sale weekend.   It was finally ready after 6 weeks and I rented a truck and went to haul it back.  (It so happens that I live outside of all "free" delivery areas in Orlando and Tampa so any delivery is "custom"--so I figured I could do it more economically myself.)  It is so cool to push a button and it scoops your legs up and lays you back in Sublime Supine.  I can't get Cassie off the couch.

Here is my Zen Chair Wall; it has my Sedona Zen Fountain (real Sedona rock) with a ball that rotates on water in mid-air with a relaxing gurgle between my combo Recliner/Glider and my Zero Gravity Recliner.   I feel completely zoned out...

A few more pics of my new digs if you would indulge me?  My dining room...

...my kitchen

...and bedroom with my new Sleep Number bed and lotsa pillows to share with Cassie....

...and the Guest Room

My next project is ...ME!  Haha...my brother Phil and nephew Luke convinced me to enter a Team in Training (TiT?) Marathon being held in Cocoa Beach after Thanksgiving.  My Nephew is a crazed Marathoner and raises money for the Lymphoma Foundation with these Marathon Events which are held all over the country.  My brother will be an unpaid but enthusiastic Volunteer and says he will pass out cups of beer instead of boring water to the runners.  Runners dress up like astronauts and aliens in a futuristic "Space" theme and run many miles...Anybody want to join us and laugh as I limp across the Finish Line in my Princess Leia running togs?  Maybe someone can bring me my sofa?  PLEASE?

Space Coast Marathon

Good Hair Day in Cape Coma

The Best thing about having dull grey hair is that I want to color it and, to do that, I get to visit my friend and hairdresser, Jill, in Cape Coma!  Of course, the trip to the Cape also gives me the chance to play with the PerkGirls.   Ordinarily, I'd bring the moho down and park it "wherever", but the 90 degree temps made that impossible.  (The moho is always much warmer than the exterior temp).  Fortunately, my pal, Kate said I could bunk with them.  Thanks Kate & Jack!

I always look forward to Hair Day, not only because my hair gets colored and cut, but because I get pampered and Jill always has some wine for me.  Also, it's a good excuse for my friends in the Cape to gettogether.  Here is my friend Jim who is leaving for Alaska in a few days in his brand new RV.  Too bad his mental image of me is this:

Jill is becoming in demand in Cape Coral as news of her hairstyling skill is travelling.  She also gave our friend, Kate, a major haircut.  She is saving her cut hair to sop up the oil spill.

Kate's hair looked outstanding when Jill got done; she has "Marilyn Monroe" platinum and naturally curly hair, so her style was "wash 'n wear".

Kate's husband, Jack, was feeling left out of the hair festivities, so he arrived later wearing a silly wig he got at some flea market.

The next day, the PerkGirls got together  for our special All Stars gathering, since I was "in town" and Theresa was getting ready to leave on her Hobo Vacation.  They sold their motorhome and she and Dennis are travelling by car around the US staying for short periods with friends.   She is taking Buddy and plenty of Snapple Peach Tea.

I returned home to Lake Wales to pursue my many home improvement projects.  They are:  replace heaved up unlevel concrete in part of my driveway so my stairs don't wobble and I (or anybody else) don't trip and fall, finding help with my ceiling paint and installing new flooring.  I finally found someone to do concrete and they have started the job.   They are a family business and the guy has been quite helpful to me.

I have selected the flooring source I will use and the field guy came out to measure.  I told him that I needed the ceiling painted before I could schedule the flooring job.  He immediately whipped out his cell phone and called his older brother (Andy) who is a painting contractor.    He told him to get out here and paint so he could get the floor done!   Andy told me he was booked and had only one day and didn't think he could do it in one day, so I offered to do all the trim and to be his apprentice.  He agreed!  I spent 9 hours today doing the cut-in work in the entire house and have only one room left to do.

I went to the community PotLuck dinner and Happy Hour on Friday, since everyone told me how great it was.  I had to look up on the internet "Potluck" since I had no clue what I could bring, and everyone cooks or bakes for the dinner which makes it so special.  I finally chose Harriet's specialty, Broccoli Salad.  Found a recipe with water chestnuts, bacon, toasted sunflower nuts and cranberries and it was delicious.  And I--Sue--actually prepared food!  Except for one small bowl, it was all eaten at the dinner.  In the background is my repainted cabinetry which turned out pretty good.

And, I travelled to the Potluck dinner in my....new Golf Cart!  Not a new one, but a very nice '05 and garage kept.  Cassie and I go out ridin' at least once a day--she absolutely LOVES it!   The community has a large open field designated a Dog Park and I let her go off leash if there are no other dogs around.

Off to see the "Weiner of OZ"

The Weiner of OZ is the theme for the 13th annual Weiner Dog Race held in Buda, TX. 

This is the Official TeeShirt.

Weiners, (in case you are living in a cave) are small, low-riding, log-shaped dogs known as dachsunds.  The Festival is a Big Deal and dachsund-loving owners come from all over the US to enjoy the dachsund LoveFest and buy dachsund-designed accessories.

Here are some of my favorite tee shirts.  

Before the races began, I sniffed out the location of the Roast Corn.  As you can see, Cassie came along to this dog-friendly event, playing the part of the pampered princess that she is.

She got a lot of attention because she was NOT a weiner.  Apparently, even weiner-lovers suffer from weiner-fatigue.

Except for this pair; they were in the rescue booth and were trying to find homes for weiners.

Weiners everywhere!  Even the WeinerMobile was in attendance!

At 2pm, registered weiners excitedly gathered with their hopeful hoomans and the first race began.

Owners gathered at the finish line with toys, treats, shouting encouragement to the wee contestants.   Some weiners never left the gate, others decided to find a playmate and some just wandered.   About half the dogs in each of the preliminary races never got to the finish line.  Maybe next year...

Winners were documented with a Photo Finish.  This is serious!

This one's a clear weiner!









 


The races were a lot of fun, but my pals, Hal & Cheryl were'nt done wearing me & Cassie out yet!  (Last time I visited, we must have walked 27 miles along the Riverwalk!)  We went over to New Braunfels, had a ridiculously-delicious snack from a local bakeshop, toured the nearby college town where Hal oogled the young coeds lying on the riverbanks wearing minimal swim garments and then drove on to Landa Park, which was holding an annual Earth Day festival.

These Texans LOVE Festivals!

We took the miniature train to tour the park; Cassie was allowed to ride the train (that's her white head). 

All the little kids waiting for the train came over to pet Cassie and the parents took cell phone pics. 








The park is the prettiest park I have ever seen with many shallow streams, rivers and pools that are crystal clear.  The water comes from an aquifer that is icy cold and only baby-fat encased children can tolerate being in the water.  The entire park is shaded by old live oak trees.  

The scent of the many picnickers charcoal grilling was tantalizing.  So, we stopped on the way home to get a Texas Juicy Burger with amazing onion rings!

A Texas-sized Thank You to Hal and Cheryl for taking me into the Hill Country for the fun experiences and special sights.

I took this picture before I left because I was impressed by Cheryl and Hal's gardening in their back yard.  Cheryl gathered up 3 kinds of different lettuces to go in our salads and also some fresh herbs to dip our olive-oiled bread in for a wonderful spaghetti dinner (Cheryl, you outdid yourself!).  They also had two grape vines (one red and one green) growing that were heavy with grape clusters.



After a wonderful breakfast of sweet potato pancakes at LaPeep, I departed San Antonio.  I am sitting in the Sealy TX Walmart that has cheap diesel fuel.  It's about an hour west of Houston.  I'll leave at the "right" time to drive through Houston tomorrow morning--hopefully I'll hit a lull in traffic. 

Fun 'n fiestas are over but it was a wonderful visit with family and friends in Texas.  I should be back home late next week.

Don't mess with Texas Cowgirls!

Parade night was perfect for an outdoor, waterway parade!  Before claiming our waterside viewing table, we stopped at a bistro and had several drinks above the Riverwalk, providing a good observation point for watching all the preparations.  All entrances to the Riverwalk were barricaded and strictly controlled by the handsome Cavaliers. 

We finally were permitted to enter after our reservation was confirmed.  Spirits were high and decidedly silly. 
Parade-goers were eating inside pieces of tortillas to create faces and then hurling the face-tortillas at parade floats.   The river was littered with face-tortillas with every imaginable expression!  The parade was colorful and full of music and high energy.

We ordered a Texas-sized margarita (quart?) and enjoyed a leisurely dinner of Texas rolls, fajitas and choc/caramel pecan crusted cake.

What a pleasant surprise to open our door to the sunshine the next morning!  All the weather talking heads were forecasting very iffy weather.

So, we decided to go have some cowgirl fun!

Took a Day Trip to the "Cowboy Capital of the World"--Bandera, TX.   It was a beautiful drive through Hill Country; the road was lined with a carpet of flowers of every color--red, orange, yellow, lavender and, of course, the Texas Bluebonnet.

Cruised the "strip", alert for Cowboy sightings.  But it was quiet, so we stopped in the local Cowboy Saloon for lunch. 

We ordered Texas Chili Fries and the cook presented our lunches (one of which had a very ornate sauce design) and took our picture.

The wooden table was littered with graffiti and we added our own (actually Marilyn and Sharon did it).

While waiting for our lunch, we thought it might be fun to shoot some pool, but the pool table required coins.  The cue ball,  however, was FREE, so we improvised by setting up their condiments to shoot at.  This pic is Sharon aiming for the ketchup.

Strengthened by mass quantities of carbohydrate energy, we began walking and exploring the shops, which had the usual tourist souvenirs.   We especially like the CowGurlZ shop (Tee shirt says "What happens with the Girlfriends Stays with the Girlfriends").  There were also some very famous shops, one of which had been featured in the TV series "The Simple Life" with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.

We had a blast in the Cowboy/Girl Hat Shop and Marilyn found the Perfect Hat. 

"You look SOO cute, Girlfriend!"

Alas, Sue's head was discovered to be too small for anything in inventory and she was counseled to find a hat shop for kids.

We met friends Hal & Cheryl for dinner on the way back from Bandera.  The restaurant was on top of a hill with a commanding view of north-east San Antonio and the weather was so nice we sat outdoors.  We giggled a lot.

Next day, the weather wasn't so  hot, but the Cowgirls were!  We were prepared with DVD movies, cards and poker chips and a deluxe Scrabble board.  Neither Marilyn nor Sharon had played Texas Hold'em so they quickly learned the game, much to Marilyn's delight!

After a few margaritas, we began to invent variations of the game.  One can only imagine the penalty to the loser...













Today is Departure Day and fortunately, the weather is OK for now, though there is a huge severe weather system bearing down--creating tornados and other mayhem just north and west of our location.  It will not delay flights.

All the Cowgirls will return home after discussing the destination choices for next year's gettogether!

Looks like Las Vegas is a frontrunner.