Not Sunny, but Nice

We had been concerned that "Erika" was going to come up the coast.  We've been here during some tropical storms before.  I like a good storm now and then and love watching nature, but it sure puts a crimp in the golf game!

This morning it is dark, windy, and raining with some thunder and lightening.  Golfer left with his rain gear, but just sent a message saying play has been cancelled and he is on the way back.  Not a good start to the tournament.

Whether it's full sun or not, I love sitting by the dunes, watching and hearing the waves.  No sitting out there today, not even on the balcony, but I took this picture yesterday.

Don't know what today will turn into, but stay safe!

Relaxation!

Well, relaxation after we got all the things attended to and got settled in.  :)   And there have been a lot of those "things" on this trip.  The unloading of the car was easy and the unpacking uneventful.   Getting some groceries for the week went well, too.  We've done this enough that we sort of have a system.

We are in Myrtle Beach for Golfer to play in the World Am Championship.  Over 3,000 players the last I heard.

The drive down was pretty good.  He got registered and picked up his info and goody bag.  Our suite was ready for us when we checked in.  That word "ready" is a moving target.

We've been staying here since about 1997, and have been in pretty much all the various accommodations at Ocean Dunes/Sand Dunes.  Our Tower Suite this time is one we have stayed in before and honestly, it just needs some TLC.  Right off, we discovered burned out light bulbs in both of the bathrooms, a lamp was broken, the coffee maker was broken, the microwave touch panel wasn't working properly and we couldn't turn the light off, and the coffee table was about to fall down with a loose leg.  Well, you know me, I called right away.  Within fifteen minutes a nice young man came with a bag of light bulbs.  Then he fiddled with the lamp and got it working.  The microwave was a puzzle.  He said he'd be back soon.  He was back very quickly with his tools and a helper - who was also puzzled my the microwave light.  It stayed on all  night.   They fixed the table and said someone would be bringing another coffee maker.

So we went to dinner with our friends and when we came back there was another coffee maker here.  Not top of the line and not new, but clean and workable. 

This morning as I was getting ready to go enjoy looking at the ocean waves, I discovered the safe did not work.  This was after a lampshade almost fell off because the finial was missing.  I was still in a good mood and decided to have a chat with someone on my way through the lobby.  I spoke to a very nice young man, Antonio, the manager-on-duty.  I explained we had been staying here since around 1997 and really liked it here.  I wanted him to know I wasn't just someone on a one-time visit who was too picky.  I also explained that we had had to find another location for our May trips because of the stress involving all the upset with the Bikefest during Memorial Day.  He was sorry to hear that, but assured me that that was going to change and we should try it again.  As of January 1st, no bikes will be allowed on the Ocean Dunes/Sand Dunes properties except at the Ocean Club location.  I hope for everyone's sake that is true.  We'll see.  He thanked me for being so responsible and telling him about the issues and said they would be addressed. 

When I returned to the room after exercising in the pool, the microwave light was off and the lampshades were all held on with finials!  And the safe now works!  Life is good!

We're going to Burro Loco for dinner this evening.  For now I am heading out to sit on the balcony.

Stay safe!

Boxer

Finally got a picture and then finally got a chance to post this!  :)

Bikini says he is doing okay.  I'm sure he'll feel a lot better when he can get back to doing all the things he loves to do.

The pink cast was his choice.  :)

Stay safe, people!

Further News

Boxer is getting the cast on his arm today.  It had to be reset and he opted for no Novocaine.  He's a tough young man.  I'm waiting on a picture of the cast.  :)

In the meantime, here are pictures of this morning's eye appointment....

BEFORE

AFTER

Stay safe, people!

If Only We Were Closer

I'm not sure what we could do to help, but we would certainly try.

On Saturday, Boxer broke his arm sliding into  home during his baseball game.  He is doing okay and learning to do things with one hand.  Still has a splint and will be getting a cast this week.  Much stress for Bikini and Brief.  And in the process of answering all the  nurse's questions, Bikini discovered that Boxer is being bullied by an eighth grader at his new school.  So.  More stress.  Like I said, I don't know what I could do even we did live closer to each other.  Other than all that, they are all doing well.

My sister-in-law had surgery yesterday on her shoulder and will be recovering and doing the rehab for a few months.  She is home and doing okay the last we heard.

One thing we were closer for was Cutie Girl's first eye appointment.  I went along to "help".  She has the same wandering eye issues that BeyB had.  The doctor said everything is functionally good and she wanted to see her again in four months.  In the meantime when the eye wanders, she should be reminded to "bring it back" and focus on something.  So we will all work on that.  She was very good for the whole ordeal but didn't care for the dilation drops.  :)

And now I have to do a few things around the house.  Stay safe!

Getting Things Done

Hey, All!

We've been busy around here setting up our new phones.  Our contract with Sprint was due to expire and we felt we had been paying too much for what we used.  So we gathered our Sprint receipts and went to Verizon to see what they could offer.  They have a couple very good promotions going on now.  And we already have the cable, Internet and phone with them.  We got a better deal, got new phones and have been busy getting them set up the way we want.

I admit I balked at first when we started this discussion because I liked my old phone and wanted to keep it.  But I like the new one just as much.  I got the Samsung Galaxy 6 and Golfer got the Galaxy 6 Edge.  We had decided to get different phones this time because Kirk and Spock got confused trying to pair our identical old phones.

I spent this morning at the dentist.  My "antique" fillings" are gradually going bad and needing to be replaced.  Big crack in the filling in a molar was repaired this time as well as a smaller one in another tooth.  I am still all numbed up.  Hate it.

We've been keeping up with things around the house.  Golfer got the yard done.  I went out and did my weekly walk-around and tidied up.  Things are all caught up after our Ohio trip and we are now getting ready for Myrtle Beach and the World-Am Tournament soon.

It's still Virginia Summer here - hot and humid.  We had a thunderstorm last night and got a little rain.  Other areas got more.

Stay safe!

A Product Review and Public Service Announcement

Anyone who knows me knows that I like to keep a clean and neat house.  In doing so, I vacuum more than the normal amount, or so I’m told.  I also use a hand-vac at least daily to keep the kitty hair under control on the furniture, window treatments, and bedding, and also to clean the cars.  And this is where my issues started.

I had a wonderful Hoover hand-vac with a rotating brush attachment.  I wore it out; needed another one.  Unfortunately, I could not find another anywhere at that time.  So I decided to try the Shark “Pet Perfect II” that I had heard about.  It also had a rotating brush.

This thing was the worst piece of junk I have ever purchased. Period.  I will NEVER buy another Shark product.  (they are now on my “list” with Lenovo products)

I charged it up when I got it and then tried to use it.  The brush attachment kept falling off.  Then after I had recharged the battery only a couple times, it stopped holding a charge.   I called their customer service.  Keep in mind I had only had the thing about a month at that time.  They sent me a new brush attachment and a new battery.

So I charged up the battery and installed the brush.  First time I used it the brush fell off.  Then the first time I recharged the battery, it wouldn’t hold a charge.

So I called them again.  The best they could offer me for this useless piece of junk that wouldn’t work and was only a couple months old was to have me pay about $26 in shipping charges back and forth so they could look at it to see if it could be repaired.  And if not, they would send a reconditioned replacement.  I asked to speak to a manager and was told there was no one available.  I said okay, no thank you.  I was not spending any more money on it.  And I told them I would tell everyone I talked to about their product.  So here we are.  The useless batteries are in the recycle pile and the vacuum is at the bottom of the dumpster.

I did finally find a Hoover hand-vac just like my old one.  It is wonderful!  So, say “Yes” to Hoover and “NO!” to Shark.

Stay safe!

Back Home ! And Happy About It !

Our trip to Ohio was great……except for the getting there and getting back home.  More on that later.

We went places we’d never been, saw things we had never seen - remember we were both born and raised there.  J   Most important was we spent some good time with family and friends.

If you’re ever in the Hartville, Ohio, area, check out the huge Hartville Marketplace.  You could shop for days in there!  Everything from farm fresh produce to antiques!

And go to Wilmot to the Amish Door for some pie!  Everything else was great, too.

Golfer's 50th Reunion was very nice.  It was held at Santangelo's in Massillon.  The Committee did a great job displaying pictures, memorabilia, and other info.  The food was really good.  Thank goodness for name tags though!

 

 

So, the traffic…. After the fiasco with the PA turnpike on the way to Ohio, Golfer decided to try a different way.  It was beautiful country and really great until we got back into Virginia and got on I-95.  It was creep and beep for miles and miles and miles.  That area has always been a bad spot but this trip was particularly awful. And then Rt. 64 was not any better.  Golfer will be readjusting our route for the next time we go.

It was a good trip but we're glad to get back.  The cleaning has been done, the laundry is on the last load, the yard work is finished, and the mail has been sorted.  I made it to the pool this morning, too!  Felt great!

Got to go woogie some furry kids now.  Stay safe!

OHIO!

We are in Ohio to visit family and friends and attend Golfer's 50th high school reunion.  Also on schedule are an Indians' game, some golf, some shopping and some sightseeing.  And some great food.  :)

But I get ahead of myself.  Before all this good stuff could happen, we actually had to get here.  We left home on Tuesday about noon.  We like to go up and around D.C. and then take the Pennsylvania Turnpike.  We ran into worse congestion and traffic around the D.C. area than usual, but we had no major problems.  Got to our hotel.  Walked to Olive Garden for some soup and salad.  Then Wednesday morning the fun began.

We had breakfast and headed out.  We always stop in Breezewood to fill up the gas tank and then enter the turnpike.  Very fortunately !!!!! we saw the sign that said the entrance was closed.  It was really closed.  Eighty-five miles of the turnpike were closed due to an accident.  An eighteen wheeler - do not get me started on trucks - overturned and closed the Eastbound lanes and most of the Westbound lanes.

So.  Golfer got us on Rt. 30 and away we went.  Behind all the trucks and other traffic heading West.  Going up hills and down hills and around curves.  Going about 20 to 25 miles per hour.  On two lane roads.  Yay.  #%!!@#**&!! 

To make it more interesting, at one point we were two cars behind a guy with a trailer hauling some kayaks.  Going up one of those hills he lost his load.  Kayaks started falling off and sliding all around the road.  No place to stop, or pull over.  Golfer got us around just fine.  The guy drove another two miles before he realized he lost his load and turned to go back.

Finally we made it to Ohio, over three and a half hours later than we planned.  Let's just say stress levels were high and we were exhausted.  But all is well now.  And Golfer has found another route that we will be trying!

One good thing about all this is that the detour took us past the Flight 93 Memorial site.  We weren't going anywhere any time soon so we stopped.  It is very impressive.  The site is not finished, but we got to walk down to the crash site and we saw the wall of names.  If you are ever in the area of  Stoystown, PA, take time to stop.

As we were creeping along, I was looking at the scenery and reading the signs.  I love the names given some towns and would like to know how they came up with them.  One in particular is Hoffsopple, PA.  I'm sure there's a story there.  :)

I mentioned food.  Golfer's brother works part-time for Amish Door Restaurant, in Wilmot Ohio, as their driver.  This is in addition to his regular full time job.  Since Amish folks don't drive, they sometimes need a driver to get to their jobs.  Lar picks them up and takes them to the restaurant for their jobs.  He drove us all around the area and we had lunch there.  I had the BEST fresh peach pie I've ever had!  Also on this trip we checked out a fresh produce stand, and small bakery shop at someone's house, and bought the Trail Bologna and cheese we always get to take home.  It was a fun day!

Sadly, even though it was a fun evening, the Indians did not win last night.  :(  But there was a lot of traffic!  Can't get away from it! The Browns were playing last night, too.  And there is a lot of construction going on in Cleveland.

Golfer just left to play golf.  I am heading out soon to visit my niece and have lunch later.  This evening Golfer and I are going to have dinner with a friend we haven't seen in forty years.  He was stationed in Germany and worked with Golfer when we were there.

I hope everyone is well and happy.  Stay safe!

Just Hello!

I hope all is well with everyone!

We never did get a good soaker rain like they predicted for the last couple days.  Other areas around us had wind damage and flooding, but we just had some "spritzes".  Even though we have the sprinkler system, the lack of rain and the extreme heat and humidity we've had lately have taken a toll on the yard.

I got out and cut back all of our day lilies.  They had gotten to a point where they were more yellow and brown and dry than they were green.  Just plain looked sad.  So they are all trimmed back and things cleaned up.  Also pulled some weeds and did a little other clean-up out there.  There's nothing to be done about the few brown spots in the grass right now.  When the landscaper gets the new mulch down next month along with the other work things will look better.

Repairs are all caught up, and things are "under control" here.  We are getting ready to go to Ohio to visit family and attend Golfer's 50th High School reunion.  I'll get to see a couple of my classmates, too, since a few girls in my class married guys in Golfer's class.  The trip will also include going to a Cleveland Indian's game with Golfer's brother and his wife.

The family is doing well.  Boxer is adjusting to middle school and using lockers and changing classes and Bloomer is doing well, too.  Boxer is going to be playing Fall baseball and practice starts this week.  Bloomer's art classes have started again.

BeyB is getting ready for her school.  Has to get her uniforms for nursing school yet, once they find out what color she is supposed to have.  I think they've taken care of the medical tests and such that were required.  As for the rest of her classes, I think she won't find out more until right before school starts the day after Labor Day.   And Cutie Girl is just that - cute!  And busy!

I've told our girls to get their wish lists for everyone up to date so I can start Christmas shopping soon.  Have to use that gift card Golfer won!  He is enjoying his two new clubs that he got.  :)

So all is well here.   Just wanted to say Hi!   Stay safe!

Happy Birthday, Golfer!

Love  you!  XOXO

Sigh

And on it goes.

So.  The very nice man came and cleaned out all  the duct work and venting system for our dryer.  He went up on the roof, up in the attic, and then took the dryer apart.  Brushes, blowers and vacuums were used.  Sadly, although it is all very clean, it did not fix the problem.

I am once again waiting for the dryer service man to make an appearance.  I had to have a little "go around" with the lady who does their scheduling when I called them again .  She said it would be at least Friday or next week before he could be here.  I said, "Oh, no it won't.  He told us on Monday that if the cleaning did not fix it, he would be back on Wednesday to work on it."  She hemmed and hawed and said that wasn't the way it worked.  I repeated that we were told he would be back on Wednesday.  She said she would call us back.  She later left a very pleasant message saying he would be here between 9:00 and 1:00 on Wednesday and thanked us for our business.  :)

Here are Angus, Cinder and I sitting, waiting for his arrival.

Later . . . . . . . .

He arrived early and after taking the dryer completely apart, found the problem and fixed it.  A screw had come loose causing a belt to fall off.   Go figure.  So now I am off to clean.  There are fuzz and dust everywhere after the last couple days.

Stay safe!

Happy Birthday, Brief!

Have a great day!

Busy Calendar

Hey, all!

First, I have to say good luck to Boxer and Bloomer.  Today is the first day of school for them in Georgia.  New teachers, new classes for them both, and a totally new school for Boxer.  Plenty of stress for Bikini, too.  I hope the day goes well!

Golfer and I were up early and took Kirk in for the 10,000 mile service and state inspection.  We gave them the "to-do" list and they will call when he is done.  Then we went to breakfast at Lunch Bell.  It was especially good today.  And then we hurried home because the Shawel's service man was due between 9:00 and 11:00 to look at our dryer.  And just as we were coming in the door about 8:40 the phone was ringing and he was on his way!

He took a look at the dryer and said the first thing we needed to do was call Atlantic Vent and have them come out to clean the venting system.  He didn't sound too happy with the company we have been using every year.  So I called and Atlantic is coming tomorrow.  I am supposed to let Shawel's know if this fixes the problem.  Keep your fingers crossed!

Tomorrow we have the vent man coming, followed by the pest control quarterly service.  Then in the afternoon we are going up to Fort Eustis.  Golfer has won a $500 gift card in a drawing at the PX!  There is a presentation at 2:00.  And we have no idea what he is going to buy!

It's still hot and humid here, but none of the storms they talk about on the weather forecasts have hit us.  They are talking about hurricane preparedness, too.  I keep a reminder list posted on our bulletin board if that comes up.  Hopefully, we will not need it.

Other than all this activity, we are just keeping up with things and enjoying life.  Stay safe!