Saturday

Boy, did this week fly by!  Tomorrow is Sunday already!  It was a bit chilly this morning, but got pretty good outside around 1:00 or so.  Now it's chilly again!

Dave and I got a nice walk in today.  We went to Sawgrass Lake Park, then to Sam's, then to the Wagon Wheel flea market.  Fun day.  At 4:00 I went to the clubhouse for a wine/drink and paint session.  That was fun and in spite of my shakes, my little critter turned out pretty good!  I had a ball, but would rather use colored pens/markers than paint.  The background was fun to paint, but my shakes got in the way when I had to try to make circles!!

More later...

Friday

Today was a pretty boring day.  Tried to go for a walk, but it was just too cold.  That north wind bit right into me.  I worked on the directory for The Ranch and have most of it done.  Hope to get it finished this weekend.  Did some other work for the board, and got to watch The View.

Tonight I played cards - lost again. 

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Wednesday and Thursday

Winter is back.  It didn't even get into the 60's today...brrr!  Dave and I had massages this morning and I about froze walking there!  I finally put on socks and a hooded sweatshirt and then I warmed up.  We've had the Eden Pure heater going most of the day! 

Tonight we played dominoes with the neighbors.  That was fun!!

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Tuesday

Dave didn't go bowling with me today.  He painted the driveway - 2 coats.  Hopefully the rain didn't wash all the paint off!  I bowled well my first game - a 158.  Then the other 2 games really tanked! 

Tonight, Dave and I went to Clearwater Beach to Post Corner for pizza.  We were hoping to see a sunset, but the front came through and it started raining.  Maybe next time!

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Monday

This was another beautiful day!  I won both of my games of shuffleboard this morning.  Then I won tonight at bingo - not a lot, but $25 or so. 

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Sunday

Wonderful church service today!  Great sermon and great music. 

After church, I picked Coreen up and we went to a Networking for Progress meeting at a mobile home park about 10 miles north of here.  Good meeting.  I thought that we were the only ones with issues with management, but we're not.  Basically, everyone there has the same problems.  I will attend as many of the NFP meetings as possible. 

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Saturday

Dave and I went to Sunshine Hardware to get some paint for the driveway.  It'll get painted in the very near future...hopefully getting rid of the bubbles that formed after the last painting. 

This evening, Sudi & Howard came to The Ranch to join us for taco night at the clubhouse.  Good tacos and even better company.  It was good to get some time to visit with them because even though we saw them two days ago, we didn't really get to visit with them.

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Friday

We got the kitchen all put back together today.  Everything is off the stage and back in the cupboards!  I even took everything out of the kitchen supply cabinet and re-organized it!  Great accomplishment!!

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Thursday

After a leisurely morning, we went to Woody's in Ellenton to meet friends from Fairfield.  There were 4 of us classmates from 1966 - Sudi, Becky, Dick, and me.  Then we had classmate from 1965, one from 1964, and 2 from 1967.  Fun time!

The day was just about perfect, too.  This week is supposed to be cooler so it's a good thing we got together today!

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Friday night thru Weds!

What can I say?!  We had a wonderful 5 days with Cindy and Joel!  When we get together, it's like no time has passed since we last saw each other.  We let no grass grow under our feet (and wheels) during the 5 days!  They were able to experience Apollo Beach, Anna Maria Island, Pass-a-Grille, Myakka River State Park, Fort DeSoto, Sawgrass Lake Park, Largo Nature Preserve, and the #1 beach in America - Clearwater Beach.  We ate at some great restaurants, saw some alligators, manatees, birds, a beautiful sunset, and beach bums!  Hated that they had to leave today!

They got home safely and it doesn't appear that they forgot anything at our house!

This afternoon, I went to the dentist to get my new crowns put on...wrong!  One wasn't quite right, so my dentist numbed me (5 shots) and worked a little more on one of my teeth.  Then another impression and my temporary crown is back on.  Grrr!  Now I wait again.  It took until about 7:00 tonight for the numbness to leave my mouth so I didn't go to play cards.  Finally ate a sandwich about 8:00!

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Friday

Happy Valentine's Day!!  We worked in the kitchen at the clubhouse today.  Kathy, Denny, Gayle, John, Ann, and Dave and I worked on lining all the new cupboards with peel and stick vinyl.  All of the cupboards and drawers look great!  While the guys were doing the lining, us gals emptied the refrigerator and cleaned it completely.  We didn't get to the freezer, but it isn't too bad.  Then we started putting things back into the cupboards. 

This afternoon our Board met with our Regional Manager for about 1.5 hours.  Good meeting!!  Cards tonight and now we're waiting for Joel & Cindy's plane to get in so we can go pick them up.  I'll not be blogging until Weds after they leave.

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Thursday

I slept in today.  Dave didn't have lawn work today - grass just isn't growing.  We went to the clubhouse to measure new cabinets for lining the shelves.  It's going to be so nice.

I worked on paperwork for the HOA - took me hours!  Didn't  do much else!!

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Wednesday

Had another beautiful day here.  Love this weather!!  Our day started out with coffee followed by an HOA membership meeting.  I've been worried about how to fill the vacancy on the board.  Yesterday, Anita said she'd come back to the board for the rest of the year.  Yay!!  Problem solved!!  So the meeting went very smoothly.  She's installed and ready to go.  I'm sure I will still be confronted by Joe, but I can handle it.

I worked on organizing my HOA stuff yesterday afternoon.  I also went to the clubhouse kitchen when the contractor was there to ask him to fix a couple of things.  He did and now the kitchen is ready for occupancy.  So today Dave and I are going up to measure for how much shelf liner to buy.  Then Gayle and I are going to go shopping to see what we can find. 

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Tuesday

I had a good day bowling today.  My first game wasn't anything special, but I bowled a 169 and a 159 for my 2nd and third games.  I started the third game out with 3 strikes in a row.  I was on track to a 200+ game, but blew it by leaving the 5th and 6th frames open.  Darn.  My bowling felt good today!! 

After bowling we went  to lunch at the Largo Family Diner on Starkey within walking distance of the bowling alley.  They have good breakfasts!!

This afternoon Dave had an eye doctor appointment so I had to go with him.  His eyes are doing fine at this time.  No appointment for another 6 weeks!

Tonight was cards - my team won!!  Two in a row!!

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Monday

We had a beautiful day here.  Bryan and his family got through their flight without anyone throwing up and will sleep in their own beds tonight. 

I played shuffleboard this morning.  Lost one and won one.  The one I lost, we were tied going into the last frame.  Drat!!

This afternoon we  held our February board meeting.  Wednesday is our HOA membership meeting after coffee.  Then Friday we have our Regional meeting.  I guess we'll get it all over in one week!

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Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

What a fun weekend!!  Bryan, Erin, and the two little ones came in Friday afternoon.  Then around 7:30, Jami and her three kids got here.  We had a late dinner and then crashed for the night.  Aidan had vomited on the way here - they figured he was car sick. 

Saturday we got up to Aidan being so excited about his cousins being here, but Kaitlyn didn't think that was fun - having some strangers in the house with her!  She warmed up though.   We had an egg/hash browns and ham casserole and monkey bread for breakfast.  Then we all took off to see the manatees and enjoy a beautiful day. 

We were to stop at Fort DeSoto on the way home to let the little two run a bit.  We had taken a picnic lunch and did a tailgate in the parking lot in Apollo Beach.  Since we had two cars, we took off.  Unfortunately on the way home, Kaitlyn started vomiting...and so did Erin.  Not good!  Jami and her kids, plus me, made it to the Fort when we got the call that they were not coming.  They would just see us at The Ranch.  We had a great time walking around Fort DeSoto and seeing all the shells that had washed up.  We threw some back in, but there were just way too many of them.  

Poor little Kaitlyn just kept throwing up and so did Erin.  Not good.  Kaitlyn is too little to understand what was going on.  Erin just went to bed while Bryan took care of Kaitlyn. 

I fixed tenderloins for supper last night.  We'd had hamburgers Friday night.  The big kids ate 3 tenderloin sandwiches each - complete with buns!!  Aidan didn't think so much of  them, but he has no adventurous spirit at all when it comes to food.  He did finally try the monkey bread Saturday morning and Saturday night he asked if we had any more monkey bread!  Neither Kaitlyn nor Erin ate.  Kaitlyn just slept in Bryan's arms. 

This morning, Kaitlyn had some cranberry ginger ale and a pancake.  Then she promptly lost it.  I dreamed all of us got this bug, whatever it is.  I sure hope not!!  Before we left, we took pictures - such as they are.  Kaitlyn and Aidan didn't cooperate much.  But we got them anyway!

Both Erin & Kaitlyn stayed here while the rest of us went to the tiki hut area of Whiskey Joe's to "play" in the sand and enjoy the day!  Aidan had a blast!  We made sand castles and ate lunch there on the beach. 

When  we got home, this is where we found Kaitlyn.  Erin  was on the couch  and on the floor amid her cracker crumbs, was Miss Kaitlyn!  Sound asleep.  I had given her a Ritz cracker before I left and Erin gave her 3-4 more and she kept them down!!

Now the kids are all gone, the house, is cleaned and disinfected, and mostly put back together!!  Jami and her family are home safely and Bryan's family are in Orlando ready to fly back home tomorrow. 

More later...

Windy Thursday

It was really, really windy here today.  In fact, one of the units here in the park lost its roof in the wind.  It basically just peeled it back over itself.  Unfortunately, it's supposed to rain tonight so I'm afraid the guy who lives there is going to lose everything.  God bless him. 

I started my day by going up to the clubhouse and making a couple of decisions on the kitchen.  It's kind of fun being President!  I'm hoping the kitchen reveal will be next Wednesday in time for the HOA meeting.  I think all that's left is getting the plumber in to hook up the sink and the tankless water heater.  They were mounting the countertops, the sink, and putting handles on the doors and drawers.  It's going to look pretty!

We were to have linner (lunch-dinner) with some high school friends this afternoon, but since they were having to cross the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, they cancelled..  Good thing, too.  The high winds closed the bridge!!  It wouldn't have been fun driving anywhere to day.  We walked over to 3rd Street to see the damaged mobile home and the wind almost knocked me down!

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Wednesday

Coffee this morning was sparsely attended.  That's okay because that means it doesn't take two hours to get over.  I had things to do.  After coffee we went to Home Depot and then Lowe's to purchase a floor lamp.  The one we have is getting pretty bad.  So we bought a brushed nickel one with a white shade - more light for this weekend! 

I am pretty disgusted after hearing officially that Trump was acquitted by the Senate.  How in the heck does someone ignore all of the evidence that was presented.  I had one lady tonight at cards say, "You mean all the stuff the Democrats said?"  I said, "No.  The stuff that people who were on the calls to the Ukrainian officals said."  What a joke.  Everyone of those Senators who voted for acquittal should lose their jobs!  They certainly didn't take any evidence into consideration.  I'm surprised and happy that Romney had balls enough to vote his conscience regardless of his party's pleas!!

I finally won tonight at cards.  I hadn't won for 10 times going into tonight! 

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Tuesday

Today was bowling day.  My first two games weren't so good, but I improved every game at least.  I got a 148 in my last game and didn't mark in the 10th...should have been better!  I felt pretty good bowling today! 

After bowling, the group went to Mugs & Jugs, but Dave's glasses frame broke this morning so we made a trip to Eyeglass World to see if they could help.  They happened to have his frames in stock so were able to switch his lenses to the new frame.  Pretty cool!  I also was able to get my glasses adjusted so hopefully they won't hurt my nose so badly! 

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Monday

I went up to play shuffleboard this morning, but we didn't have quite enough players for 4 courts, so I volunteered to keep score.  The  chalk dust got to me.  Anyway, I sneezed and coughed all the rest of the day.  I feel better tonight, but this afternoon was rough. 

Tonight I went to bingo and I got along great. 

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Sunday

Went to church  this morning - best sermon that we've heard from Pastor Jeremy!  He did a really good job, today. 

This evening we went to the Super Bowl party at the clubhouse.  Looked a bit doubtful  for the Chiefs, but they pulled it out just like they've done the last two games!!  Proud  of them! 

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Saturday

Dave and I went to Walmart today to get some groceries and get some steps in.  It was cold and drizzly today.  I  really hope it warms up down here.  Bryan and his family fly out tomorrow for Orlando.  It'll be really disappointing if it's not warm.

More later...