Go-Go Vacation! - A MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

Suit is bought.
It’s medium grey. We got one blue shirt with a dark blue tie, and a black shirt with a black and mint green tie. My mother is being buried in a mint dress.
We ended up at the outlets, Haggars. The salesman there was so helpful, getting everything in the right size and helping us match colors.
I know it’s not the best quality, but for a suit, 2 shirts, 2 ties, and 2 belts, it was under $235.
I wanted to get a pair of men’s dress slacks in black while we were there, but none in my son’s size.

The salesman suggested my son wear the blue shirt and blue tie without the jacket to the viewings, and then the full suit with the black shirt and black and mint tie for the funeral.

Tha salesman and I were talking, and his mother was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She’s a few years older than I am, and is not getting treated for it. He gave me a big hug as we were leaving.
I need to let his bosses know what a great job he did and he was so helpful.

We didn’t get the truck washed because the thunder started as soon as we walked out the door to go shopping, and the heavy rains came after. We’ll go to the car wash after the park tomorrow.
And do some grocery shopping too.

I’m tired, but I’ve been tired.
A nap sounds really good right now.

22

But, but…. I’m going to win that.
Oh, all right. I’ll cover your Maine trip after I collect my $700M.

It’s time to schedule an in-person visit to our future house. They call it the “pre-drywall inspection.” I really have no idea what I’m inspecting though. Unless something is really egregiously wrong, I doubt if I’ll be able to tell if everything is as it’s supposed to be or not.
It will be fun to finally set foot inside, at any rate, and we can both use a little getaway. We’ll probably go in mid to late August.

23

Hello, everyone! I’m back in Chicago after spending a few days at my brother’s place in Michigan. The good news first: Every meal has been a feast: prime rib, Italian beef sandwiches, stuffed pizza, jambalaya. Also, I will need a 12-step program, as there are cocktails (plural) daily. Have gone for long walks, swum in Lake Michigan and watched a good, old-fashioned thunderstorm. Also, my nephew’s adorable daughters, ages 3 and 1, were over every day. The three-year-old is shy except with her parents and me, and she was literally attached to me for hours, the little curly-topped cutie.

Now for the bad news: after we (Chicago Sister, BIL, and Southern Sister) got on the road to Chicago, we got a phone call: Curly Top tested positive for COVID today. Since she was smooching me, hugging me, and blowing kisses with hurricane force 4 inches from my face, my odds of avoiding contagion are slim. The auto-immune crap puts me at high risk. I’m full vaxxed and double-boosted, and we all tested before getting together, including Curly-Top, who was negative on Friday (and is vaxxed).

I have to fly home Wednesday, but tests won’t be accurate until then or later, so I guess I’ll just be as careful as I was on the trip here and mask up the whole day. I’m masked up now because my one sister is also in a high-risk group. Definitely not happy about this.

I waved in shoe’s direction when I was in the Mitten State. MetalMouse, one of my nephews brought some excellent braunschweiger, so I had a sandwich in your honor. Have caught up on today’s posts but not last week’s.

24

Could’ve been worse… :frowning:

25

If I may share a personal experience - waaaaaay back in 1987, we had a house built and it wasn’t until the slab was poured and the framing went up that we noticed the dimensions across the back of the house did not match the dimensions across the front, and they poured the slab to the smaller dimension. So we ended up with a bathroom that was a foot smaller than it should have been. I suppose we could have raised a stink and had them take the foot out of the bedroom, but since there was sufficient room for the shower, just not for storage, we let it go.

So just make sure the rooms are the size you’re expecting and the windows and doors are where you’re expecting them to be. That’s what you’re looking for.

It’s dark outside and there are rumblies. We’re under a t-storm watch till 10, and I think it’ll hit sooner. I went out to check my veggie patch and I harvested a big cucumber - tomorrow it and its two smaller cousins will become cucumber onion salad. The 'maters need another day or two.

I was texting with my daughter and we’ve worked out the babysitting plans. SIL will continue to drop off Tobias in the morning. I’ll pick up Roxy at her school, then take both kids to Daughter’s school or to the adjacent playground, depending on weather. She’ll have toys and space for them in her office if she needs to finish work, and I’ll be home no later than about 4:15. Huzzah!!!

I thought I had more 'nanners in the freezer, but I only have 3 so I can only make half a 'nanner bread recipe. Dammit. That’s on tomorrow’s agenda. So that and the cuke salad. With luck, Tobias will nap long enough that I can get both done.

26

Look for where the outlets and switches are. Sometimes you’ll find weird things like outlets wired to go below the counter instead of above it (happened to my folks).

Look for whether they’re framing for the cabinets in the right places. We found they’d missed one set of cabinets.

Double-check that anything optional that you’ve added is being done. For example, we asked for ceiling fans with lights in every bedroom. I verified that every bedroom was being wired for that. I verified that the extra hose bib that I asked for was where I asked for it. That sort of thing.

27

Happy vacation doggio! Are you doing the hockey booster’s convention this year?

bat boy, my 84 year old dad said that the thing that’s changed the most in his lifetime is communications. Some of the folks out in the country were still using crank phones when he was a kid, he’s had party lines, private lines, cordless landlines and has carried a mobile phone for a couple of decades now. Personally, I recall when things took 6-8 weeks by mail order with no tracking. I ordered some stuff from da Jungle Saturday afternoon and got most of it yesterday.

Irked, missed driving home in the thunderstorm, walked the dog, called in a ‘scrip and et. Fixin’ to do KP and work in the studio for a bit.

Stay safe and healthy y’all!

28

Howdy Y’all! Da cave got spiffed. We had some quality cee-mint pond time, achieved nappage and day drank. Sup also got cooked and et. Havin’ stuff like skettie sauce and meatballs in da freezer helped that along a lot. Defrost and heat up. Better than sto’ bought. It has clouded up outside (I’d be worried if it clouded up inside) so here’s hopin’ for some rain this evenin’.

VanGo hope you enjoyed the mental health day.

Nellie here’s hopin’ you don’t have the plague.

29

Evening all. Did try the new place (Eggs Up) and had their hamburger and fries, both of which were satisfactory. Then checked on a prescription that expired with no refills (answer was it shouldn’t be a problem so wait until next checkup (my thyroid readings in my May checkup were all in normal range, so this doesn’t surprise me). Also gassed up car for ‘only’ $90, so that won’t be an issue until next month and got in my swimming-n-sauna, so I’ve been fairly active. Scale says I’m at 281 lbs, gained a little so need to work out more (or maybe eat less…nah…).

Am a little concerned, tried to reach my brother’s cell phone for about the 4-5th time in the last 10 days, and like all the times before, got a ‘leave a message’ response. They might be on vacation now and somewhere without service, so I guess I’ll just keep trying.

Sari, the suit sounds fine and the price sounds ever finer; you got a good deal IMHO.

Sunny, VanGo, most every day here is a ‘donwanna’ day; like swampy, I retired so most of the time if I donwanna I just don’t. Ah, the joys of making it through your 7th decade…

talkie, husband-unit just can’t take his eyes off of you…

$700 million in the Mega-Millions lottery? Might have to run up to the Tennessee border and buy a ticket or two.

nellie, hope the nasty stuff doesn’t get you; being fully boosted even if you test positive I think it would be pretty mild. But your taking precautions which is a good thing.

Ok, nearing 8pm so a little internetting and some reading are on the agenda, laundry tomorrow and I’ll check the water meter before and after to see how much that uses (gee, a couple thousand dollars and suddenly I’m a conservationist…

Take care all.

30

There’s a guy around the corner who we often see walking his dog, Baby. Last time I was putting wood out, I found out that he and his SO like to sit in their front yard with a fire, to sit and read and just hang out. I took a wheelbarrow load of wood to his place a month or so ago. Having rented a log splitter Saturday, I gave him a wheelbarrow load of the scraps. I was on my way on an errand, so he picked it up and brought the wheelbarrow back while I was out. Today I went over and told him I had another load; and that I’d have brought it over, but (as you know) I crushed my hand. He came over to get it. Turns out, he’d been one of Wifey, RN’s patients years ago after he’d had surgery, and he used to be a Nurse himself. He took interest in my injury, and commiserated, as it had happened to him once.

31

I had a sloth-y day, did some reading and napped.

Gesundheit!

Sadly no. But everybody going is having transportation issues(plane and train), so maybe for the best.

: crosses fingers for nellie :

32

Spankin’ the pita.

33

Howdy all. Here’s hoping you don’t get the plague Nellie.

Glad you got a suit for Sonny boy Sari. Sounds nice.

A month in Maine also sounds nice FCM.

Still hotter than hell here in central Coastal Florida. I am so ready for fall. I am also retired so every day is a vacation.

Not much happening here every day. I am still gardening a bunch. I have lots of pots with seeds trying to grow some flowers. I also have started a new bed with caladium bulbs. One is already growing. I could not garden in the Keys due to no dirt to dig in as it’s solid rock and the Key Deer would eat everything. I am making up for lost time here though. We now have okra coming up and I have about 80 something tomato plants doing OK. I don’t need that many tomatoes though. The only other edibles I have right now is green onions and squash/zucchini. I had terrible luck with cukes and bell peppers. I think it was just too hot. I shall try again this fall.

Stay cool folks.

34

Buddy seems to be a bit of a guard cat. He, Allie, and I were hanging out, Allie at the other end of the couch, Buddy in my lap. We heard an odd rustling noise from the patio, and both cats got very alert. I’m sure I heard Buddy growl. Then, he slid off my lap and headed for the open patio door to check it out. He was doing that low-ground-clearance slink a nervous cat will do, but he was definitely going to find out what was up, and he did a pretty good job of blocking the doorway while he was investigating.

Far as I can tell, it was some smallish animal (squirrel, another cat, whatever) in the vegetation outside our patio fence, NBD.

35

Surprise! It’s raining pretty hard here. Rather unexpected, according to recent weather forecasts I’ve seen. Buddy’s outside somewhere :frowning: (he insisted on going out before the rain started, hasn’t made his way back in yet).

Shortly after I said that, in he came.

36

Holy guacamole, did the skies open last night!!! First, it got really dark around 5-ish. There were boom-booms in the near distance and some wind. When the rain started, it was a deluge! Over the next couple of hours, it would come down hard, then slack off a bit, then come down hard again. The really dark clouds did move on, so we could see the later rain, and there wasn’t as much thunder. But we were under a flash flood warning in the county, not that it affected us since we weren’t going anywhere and we’re not in a low-lying area. And surprisingly, there are no big branches in the yard as far as I can tell.

It’s definitely cooler this morning, and we’re not supposed to get much above 80 today, which is a nice change. I’m going to bake the 'nanner bread and maybe I’ll mix up the raisin bran muffins - it kinda depends on Tobias and his nap schedule. I’ve already rinsed and filled half a dozen empty coke bottles and I’ll be putting them in the basement freezer. We’ll use them in the cooler for our trip.

Yesterday, FCD and I were discussing what he’ll have to do after his folks die. I suggested a checklist of things to discuss with them - like their various regular bills, their life insurance info, how to notify FIL’s pension manager - stuff like that. I know he has their durable power of attorney and he says he has a copy of their will and the lawyer’s contact information. Am I missing anything? Better to put together a checklist now than forget stuff when it’s particularly stressful. I’m so glad my brother is my mom’s executor - he’s meticulous and organized, as one might expect of a CPA and big-shot executive. :wink:

And so begins the day. I’ve got the dishwasher sloshing away - the load is almost done. I just finished breakfast, but caffeination is underway. I’ll hear from SIL probably in 90 minutes, telling me he’s on his way with Tobias. Which reminds me - I need to put the baby seat back in my car. We used my car to go to the marina yesterday, and I took his seat down so we could fit stuff in the back seat. And I need to put the stroller back in the trunk in case we go to the playground. Sheesh - always something…

Happy Tuesday!

37

Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN 'Tis 70 Amurrkin out and clear with a predicted high of 92 and mostly N.O.S. for the day. Today is laundry day. The thrill of it all! I shall plop a poke tenderloin into the slow cooker. When it’s done I shall shred it and mix in some bbq sauce. We shall have bbq sammiches, oven fries, and coleslaw for sup. This means I get to make up the slaw as well. I am a domestic god! There will be some quality cee-mint pond time, nappage, and the usual sloth, of course.

Butters my folks had a guard cat named Groucho because he had a Groucho Marx ‘stache. He would run off dogs way bigger than him if’n they tried to come onto the property. Between him and Buddy the border collie nuttin’ or nobody got into the yahd without their allowin’ it to happen.

Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, onward into the day! Rah.

Happy Tuesday Y’all!

38

Morning all. First load of laundry is in the machine, an unprecedented burst of activity for me, hope to have all the washing done before lunch time. Went out and checked the water gauge so I can check it post-laundry and get an idea how much I use for that. Gym is on the agenda but not much else. Could use some of that rain you got, FCM, about a 20% chance today, but still pretty dry around here and heading for the mid-90’s.

Butters, If I Iived closer I’d help out with the tomatoes, sounds like you’ll have a big crop.

Seanette, nice to have protection of a feline type.

flyboy, sounds like a good neighbor to have; see if he kayaks…

OK, need to find sustenance here in a bit once the 45 minutes post-pill runs out. Everybody have a good day now.

39

I made a batch of coleslaw, cleaned the cat box, put the baby seat and the stroller back in the car, took out the kitchen trash, and called to have the trap picked up by animal control. Very productive morning. SIL is on his way with Tobias, FCD is still abed, it’s overcast and muggy. And so it begins.

40

I realised not long after I’d posted that it would probably be taken the wrong way…the Russians normally send their students to Moscow and St Petersburg for their year abroad. Obviously with the current situation, we’re not sending any students to that part of the world but they need to go to Russian-speaking countries. Thus they are now going to Estonia and Kazakhstan instead. But the root cause of the problem? Bloody Russians!