Return of the Cruising Bunny's....

[Negc]

Pat, our cruise on Serenade of the Seas out of Tampa, is from February 11th
until February 18th.
Lee, as a Canadian subject of the British Monarchy, perhaps you can answer my question as to Dave's correct title. Since Kathi wears the crown there is no question that she is Queen Kathi, but does that make Dave the King or simply the Prince Consort, sort of like Prince Albert to Queen Victoria? And whatever the correct title is, will he be using the Royal We, when he addresses us?
K2, There are 14 or 15 screens at the AMC theater in Vero each with a capacity of a couple of hundred people, but I would estimate that despite it being discount day, and not that many screens actually being used, there were approximately 10 people in our venue and perhaps a total of 50 or 60 total customers in the theater for the afternoon shows.
The owner has heavy drapes on the three large floor to ceiling windows in the living room which faces the rising sun and when I approach them in the morning to draw them open, I can already feel the heat radiating from the windows. Supposed to reach the low to mid 80s today. May be a good day to check out the clubhouse and the pool.
Not having a bathroom on our kitchen/dining/living room level was the primary reason we sold our four level condo and moved into a one level ranch a year and a half ago. Our mobility hasn't improved measurably in the meantime so there was no way that we could have stayed in our condo without installing those chair lifts that are advertised on TV and in publications aimed at seniors.

 

[K2-Mich]

Okay what’s with the EXTREME AMOUNT OF “Ad’s” we’re seeing this Cruise Addicts. Way too many!! And yes, I know this is a free site for us, but this area should be AD free or at least less of them.

My SIL went in for surgery. Haven’t heard from her daughter as to how she did. She is a high risk patient with various health issues. Sad.
My brother is now aware she had the accident. How much he actually realized the severity is questionable. She told me he was concerned about the car! Lordy what a mess of a situation.
Bill: Nobody our age or even younger should live in a house with multi levels. Best thing you snd Rita did was to move. And you found such a nice area to move to. Happy for you.

I FINALLY got the laundry room long cupboard where I keep extra pans and pots and all the kitchen linens. What a great feeling to get that all organized. Art cut a couple of shelves from our old kitchen wood and I installed them and I got all kinds of extra room.
Next I will attempt to
de-clutter the hallway linen closet. Needs a lot of STUFF to get PITCHED!
One area at a time!

It didn’t rain much today like the weather folks predicted, but it was gray and dreary.

Dave : Dud you get to the grocery store? What EXTRA item did you sneak into the cart? Ha ha.

Out of here for now. Gotta make us some dinner.

 

[fatherdav55]

Time to start off your day with a sing-along. Join in, I know you know the words.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAizj1BuAMw
Now don't you feel better?

Bill; Now that Kathi is the Queen with a crown, I believe that my official title is "The Royal Concubine".

You aren't kidding when you say that the board has an "EXTREME AMOUNT OF Ad's" on it now, K2. During our shopping at the smaller grocery store, no extra items were snuck into the cart this time. We just weren't applying ourselves.

$25,000 and up for a new roof, BB? YIKES!

You have my sympathies on getting roofing estimates, KC. And then, hoping they show up when you pick one.

It's amazing Lee how many people have a garage, but the last thing they'd ever put in it is a car.

Hot dog, I've got my new wedding ring. In came in from getting engraved yesterday.

while driving through downtown Massillon we noticed a new diner that opened a little bit ago. The building was actually a gas station with a VERY large garage behind it for mechanical work. We hauled gas into it for years, and I got an engine overhauled there once. I believe the original owner retired. We hope to eat there on Saturday. I think you'll get a kick out of the dining room.

https://www.chloesdiner.com/?utm_source=restaurantguru&utm_medium=referral

 

[A’Burg Guy]

Too early to have much to say this morning.
With the retro decor and cars one suspects that they may hear “My Ding-A-Ling“ while at Chloe’s Dave?
Kathie, we are keeping your family and SiL in our thoughts and prayers.
Little Ava and I have already been for a .6 mile walk. She wanted to go out early. At home I could let her in the yard. Not here. Lead, collar and she was off on her little mission. I think she’d still be going if I hadn’t turned back.
Might as well get a coffee.
You all have a fantastic day.

 

[nlb1050]

Good morning. Did not get much sleep last night so will just lay low today. Will do a load of laundry and that will be my day.

All have a great day.

 

[Bellalago Belle]

Good morning, everyone! I too had a lousy night's sleep. I was awake until almost 5 and then fell asleep for about 2 hours. After a day of hardly ever coughing, last night I kept coughing like crazy. I'm still taking the meds, but this crap hasn't cleared up completely yet.

Got the gang coming for dinner tonight, so I have to prep all the veggies soon, as I have an ultra cound on my leg scheduled for this afternoon to try to figure out why the toes on my right foot are numb. Doctor said it shouldn't be a big deal to fix. We shall see.

Went to the Grille last night for trivia. Let's just say that trivia was so terrible that we left in the middle of it! Usually the first round are easy questions to get things going. Well not last night. It's a new guy and his questions were terrible. Out of the first 12 questions we only got 3 right. Why even bother, so we just came home. It was nice to see a few friends there, so that part was good. The food is still terrible and something needs to be done with the menu. It's been the same limited number of items for over a year now.

Kathie - Keeping your SIL in our prayers. It's a shame how sometimes a spouse doesn't realize how badly their partner got injured. Hopefully, now your brother will be more worried about his wife instead of the car.

Dave - Loved your wake up song today. For the longest time radio stations in NJ wouldn't play that song. Bunch of dirty minded individuals. I always thought it was a very funny song. Thanks for waking us up with it today. Nice that you stuck to the list going food shopping yesterday. Even if you didn't buy anything, did you at least see anything new that you might want to try eventually?

Lee - That sure was an early walk for you and Eva this morning. I guess she hasn't realized yet that you are on vacation and so is she.

Karen - Any more estimates on your roof yet? I hope you're sitting down when you hear some of these prices.

Time to go cut the veggies for tonight. Have a good day, everyone. Behave yourselves and stay safe.

 

[flgirl51]

Good morning,

Kathie, will be keeping your Sil in my prayers! I can't imagine how she is going to get around a multi-level home with a broken leg.

Dave, cute song to start our day! Congrats on the arrival of the new ring, I expect to hear the old one turns up any day now.

Pat, bummer about trivia being so bad, I don't blame you for leaving early. Hope the ultra sound on the toes doesn't turn up any major issues!

Lee, my goodness Ava sure is making sure you get your morning exercise in early! Hope you are able to catch a nap at some point in the day.

Bill, I watched the trailer for that Tom Hanks movie & it looked really good. Can you give a spoiler alert for the parts you though were disturbing? If it's something I think would bother me to much I'll skip it

Well yesterday was a busy day! Dropped Scooter off at the vet & then headed home to meet up with the roofer, he was actually a little early so that was good. So far the 2 estimates I've gotten are $15,582 and $16,639. The higher quote is from a company I used on my old house so I trust them, just not sure it's worth paying over $1,000 more. I'm supposed to be getting a 3rd estimate today, so we'll see. I've started the loan process with the credit union for $15,000 fixed rate of 6.375 for 10 yrs. I can pay it off early with no penalty as long as I keep the loan for at least 3 yrs. The lady did tell me NOT to start the roof until the loan was approved & closed because that adds extra paperwork & time to the loan process. I told her I wouldn't, mainly because I don't have $15,000+ cash to pay for it if for some reason the loan did not go through
Scooters Bp numbers still are not as good as the vet would like, we are going to try this medicine combo for 2 more weeks & then test again. She also suggested giving her Gabapentin before she comes in to try & keep her calmer, she said her readings go up during the day instead of down like they normally see, so she is thinking some of that may be stress related. If the readings aren't better then she wants to switch to a different med all together, always something!
My sister's came over Wed. to help me put together a Christmas present they'd bought me, a rotating compost bin! I've always wanted one and this one was fairly reasonable, but it also came in about 100 pieces, took us a little over an hour but we got it all done! Today I set it up outside & added my current compost items to it, looks pretty cool! Now I need to get outside & work in the garage, Barb bought me a hanging tool rack for Christmas & I need to get that put up. Enjoy the day all!

 

[A’Burg Guy]

Sorry to hear that there were a couple of sleepless nights.
I did doze off for about 1/2 an hour after my early post.
Trivia is supposed to be fun Pat. Something everyone at least feels a part of.
Our friends from Edmonton, AB are popping over this afternoon. They used to stay in Emerald Island which is where we first met them. They’re staying in Davenport this year. Steve had a bypass done 2 years ago as well.
Tuesday we’re meeting friends from The Burg at Columbia in Celebration for lunch.
Who just popped in?
Good morning Karen! I can’t believe the cost of a roof here. Bear was on Gabapentin for his shaky hind end. It seems to be vet’s go to medication now. The odd time Ava does get up early. But being an early guy myself it’s not a terrible thing.
Well Bill, I reckon we’ll just have to keep calling Dave “Dave”. Too many royal permutations to call him anything else.
I think I best pick up my coffee cup, get my feet out of the pool and head in and sweep and vacuum.
The pool temp is, well, pretty much perfect Kathie. With the night temps sticking around 68F we don’t lose too much heat.
And thanks again Belles for a Pure Florida day!
All of you have a fantastic day!

 

[Negc]

HRH may have to do until we can come up with a better designation for Dave.
A few mercifully interrupted and unsuccessful suicide attempts might be off-putting for some, Karen but the overall feeling from the movie and the book is warming and ultimately positive.
Spent a bit of time at the clubhouse pool but didn't wear our bathing suits so we didn't make it into the pool. There were a number of folks in it and they seemed to be having a good time.
Our next door neighbor brought over some delicious cake that she had baked and that was our dessert for last night's dinner. She later had a minor medical issue that Rita helped her with. Will check on her later to make sure she is okay.
Dave, my arthritis swollen knuckles insure that I can't lose my wedding or my college rings. When I have surgery they usually have to tape them since they can't easily be removed.
Watched Celebrity Jeopardy again last night and this time the "celebrities", one of whom I vaguely recognized, at least had IQs of more than 15.
A bit disappointed in the latest David Balfour book. He used to be one of my favorite authors but in recent years I have become more and more disappointed in his writings. Maybe, in my old age, I am becoming more of a grump like Otto.

 

[K2-Mich]

Whew….took me forever to figure out how to get this keyboard to be a normal and NOT SPLIT.

Where did the morning go? Nice chatter on here.

Dave: Thanks for the video song! You never disappoint.

Congrats on getting the new Wedding RING! When does the dress arrive?

That restaurant looks great. I wonder how much it cost to clean out all the toxic gas and oil residue out of the place? Can’t wait until you go and give us a review on the place. Hope the food is good.

Karen: Yikes on those estimates. If you really trust the higher price quote that you used on your old house get bold and ask the guy if he would MATCH the lowest priced estimate to get the job! It can’t hurt to ask. Might just work. Show him the quotes. Hope the new meds work on Scooter.

Lee: Nice picture on Facebook. Need some of Lu-Ann enjoying time around the pool! So glad Ava is adjusting to her Florida vacation.

BB: Not sure if you have a “shower chair”, but you might want to get into a semi-steamy shower and slap some Vicks on the floor or walls where the water hits and let the steam loosen up all the YUK in your lungs/chest area. Hope you get some rest today.
Really a shame the complex can’t get some GOOD FOOD at the Grille. Seems like a lot of folks still go there.

Negc: What are you up to today? Did you ever get over to the pool area? I take it you drive there or is it close enough to walk?


I’m off to start the large hallway linen closet. This is going to be a major job. There are shelves with bedding-towels-blankets and then there is the STUFF!
Yarn, craft projects, (bead boxes from when I did beading) old checkbook stmts that need to get shredded. Why do I keep crap like this??? Dumb! Albums with pictures that nobody looks at. I need to put them out on the end table in the family room and hope that somebody picks them up and looks through them.
Okay… I need to stop talking and get BUSY. First I need a big cup of coffee.

Negc: I see you signed on. Good that you made it to the pool. What a NICE neighbor to bring over sweets. Sounds like something I’d do.

 

[A’Burg Guy]

There ya go Kathie.

 

[Negc]

Wish I could blame it on auto-correct, but somehow David Baldacci's name became Balfour in my last post. Especially strange since his cousin John was governor of Maine for a while when I was working for the NE Governors' Conference.
As a cat lover, you might have a special reason to enjoy A Man Called Otto, since one plays a significant role in the film, Karen.

 

[flgirl51]

Bill, I noticed the kitty in the trailer I watched, that was one of my worries that the cat died, glad it's nothing terrible happening I think I'll make a point to see it!

Lee, lovely pic of LuAnn dipping her toes in the pool!

What a crazy day, never heard back from the 3rd roofer who was supposed to give me an estimate today. It was kind of weird anyhow, the lady I talked to said they do a satellite pic of your roof & take the measurements from that. Doesn't seem like that would tell them much about the general condition of the roof, but who knows
Lady from the credit union called & said my loan was approved pending review of the paper work I need to send them, proof of income, proof of insurance & some other things. Of course today my scanner on my printer decided not to work, after uninstalling it & re-installing the dang thing still didn't work so I ordered a new one from Walmart for $39, the printer had been giving me fits for a while for some reason I couldn't find the install disk or any paper work on it. Hopefully the new one will be an easy set up.

Catch up with you all tomorrow, I'm going to Jane's in the morning for a quick mow of her front yard. The grass isn't that high but she has an oak tree that keeps dropping acorns & has a mini forest in the yard right now.

 

[A’Burg Guy]

Good morning everyone.
The weather guessers are suggesting spotty showers throughout the day. I reckon that I don’t need to shovel rain. If it is snow where you are and you’re out please be careful.
We have found out that the LaQuinta in Smyrna, GA is now charging a pet fee. AND they have raised their rack rate to more than The Drury. Unless they plan on refreshing every room the mgmt at LaQuinta has bumped their heads. So, yes, we are back at our beloved Drury in Atlanta. Drury‘s are cleaner and you get way more value for your dollar. Especially when the price is pretty much a push.
So, where am I headed with this? Many property owners won’t rent to people wth pets. Yet they think nothing of renting to two or more families with screaming kids. Families who show little or no consideration for the vacation property (hotels included) where they are staying. Pet fees now range from $0 (there are a few out there) to over $100 per stay per pet! In all the years and places we have travelled with our dogs, in chatting with hotel staff and property managers, they unanimously say pets and pet owners are way less trouble than kids and in many cases their parents. So why charge responsible people a fee for their pets yet screaming kids stay and in most cases eat free.
My solution? A $50.00 deposit for pets AND kids. When you check out the room is checked. If there is no damage and the front desk has received no noise complaints (screaming kids or barking dogs) your $50 “bond” is either not charged or refunded.
And with that, I surrender the soapbox.
Have a great day. I’m taking Ava for a walk now.

 

[fatherdav55]

Welcome to the weekend all you retirees. How do I know it's a weekend? It says so on the calendar.

With all your newfound warmth and sunshine Lee, Lu-Ann looks terribly stressed. Chill out guys!

It's funny how many people think "My ding-a-ling" is a dirty song. Which shows that they didn't pay attention to the beginning of the song. It's a toy his grandmother gave him, made up of some bells on a string.

KC, you too must have one of those clay tile roofs. Or do you? The prices you are getting is double what we'd pay for an asphalt roof around here.

"did you at least see anything new that you might want to try eventually?" You asked about our grocery shopping, BB. Absolutely. Almost in every isle. But I'm not going to buy a big package of cookies or anything else just to see what it tastes like. Not to mention a whole bottle of salad dressing just to check out the dozens of flavors.

So how did the clean-up of the hallway linen closet go, K2? Here's a hint; Sit the largest trash can you have within arm's reach as you clean it out.

I thought of you yesterday Bill. I bumbled in to a catchy seafaring song, and I imagined you singing it to yourself as you walked the decks on your next cruise.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP-7GNoDJ5c

 

[flgirl51]

Dave, Nope, not a tile roof just the asphalt architectural shingles. They are supposed to be a certain brand & color per the hoa and I think one reason the one quote is higher is because that is what the guy is quoting, the other guy is not. Also have 3 skylights replaced but hopefully no more that 2 sheets of plywood as it's $100 a sheet for anything over that. Have you price roofs in your area, you may be surprised too!

 

[nlb1050]

Good morning. Slept good last night. It is very overcast today. Got a request to come see the camper shell today so hope he does come and does buy it. Then just need the truck to be picked up.

Dave we have a normal roof and when we replaced it a few years ago, about 5, we paid just under $10,000 for a 1450 sq ft house, and even though we don't have an HOA we were only given a choice of two shingles to choose from. And we got very lucky as the way the contract was written no extra charge for no matter how many sheets of plywood and we needed 13 so saved a bunch there. As to tile roofs, most are in neighborhoods that have HOA's and are required by them and most insurance companies actually charge more if that is what you have. And if they are not put on correctly then the rain will easily get to the plywood and the you have a partial replacement to do and that can cost Thousands alone.

All have a great day.

 

[K2-Mich]

Good Morning Wrabbits. Hope EVERYONE had a good sleep last night. I didn't make it to the bedroom. I was watching TV and the next thing I knew it was morning and Art was getting ready to go on a Saturday Bike Ride. Oh well, at least I slept good.

Thanks for all the concerns and prayers for my SIL. I must tell you after seeing pictures of the car all smashed up and her LEG ripped apart and a wide open gouge the size of a 7" paper dinner plate she's in trouble big time. They are looking into a skin graft surgery and if that happens she'll be in the hospital at least 10 days. I think the "ankle" is the least of her worries. Her daughter did say she was in the ambulance with her Mom on the way to the hospital. The cut of leg was from the "dashboard" crashing down and into her leg. I'm really worried about her. Thanks again for all the support and prayers. Wish I lived closer.

Dave: I like the rhythm of that Chaps song you posted for Bill.

Karen: Not sure how many years ago we got a new roof put on this house, but it ran something like $6,000 bucks. Unreal how much it cost to replace a piece of plywood.
Not too sure about the Quote that is forthcoming using the Satellite pictures. Seems like once they actually got started they'd find something to bring up to fix that they couldn't see from pictures.

DAVE: I'm taking you up on the BIG TRASH CAN next to my clean up job on the linen closet. Should have had that yesterday. It's a SLOW going job. One shelf at a time. The lower shelves are going to be the time consuming ones. The towels and sheets shelves are easy.

LEE: Nice to see Lu-Ann enjoying her coffee at the pools edge. Hope it warms up in the next few days/weeks enough so you both can get on floaties!

 

[K2-Mich]

I got my new DASH Egg Bites machine delivered yesterday late after dinner and of course I had to make some EGG BITES. It's a little bit of work PREPPING things you want to put into the Egg Bites, Cheese, bacon, spinach, pepper cut up small, etc, etc, but it works. It takes 4 eggs and some 1/2 & 1/2, cream cheese to make the liquid part. I ate two on a toasted English Muffin this morning. They were actually good. Bigger than Starbucks Egg Bites, but very smooth and tasty. Just thought I'd share with you. I think I would have bought the 4 piece section if I wasn't going to share this gizmo with Jill and her gang. They will need to make more of them than we do. Hey, ALWAYS SOMETHING.
Today I get my SANDALS delivered from a shop in Key West, FL. The pair I bought when we were there at least 15 yrs ago (more or less) are FINALLY wearing out. The place is called KinoSandals. They have a fantastic website.

 

[Bellalago Belle]

Good morning! Definitely a bit chilly outside this morning. Yesterday it was 85 and today we'll be lucky if it makes it to the high 60s with showers. Of course, tomorrow is due to go back up to around 80. Talk about a roller coaster weather system!

Kathie - I am so finished with buying all the latest gizmos. The air fryer will come in handy, if and when I get used to using it. Other than a possible new toaster/toaster oven. I've got a whole pantry closet filled with special cooking stuff that I hardly ever use. The thing I use most is a good old fashioned pressure cooker. Those egg bites look good, but I'd never get enough use out of the thing to make them.
Keeping your SIL in our prayers. That sounds like one ugly tear on her leg.

Dave - Loved your little sea shanty. They're always fun to listen to. Finding new stuff in the supermarket has always been a fun activity to me. Unfortunately, that's why Bert doesn't like me to come into Publix with him. I always ramp up the bill with things I want to try.

Lee - Lu-Ann looked very relaxed sitting there drinking coffee with her feet in the pool. Our next door neighbors live in NJ most of the year, but are here for the winter. I have to laugh when I come out to the kitchen in the morning and see them in the pool. True Floridians wouldn't touch a pool this time of the year. Air isn't warm enough and the pool water, even with solar panels or a heated wouldn't make us happy.

Karen - Good luck getting more estimates on your roof. Roofers are very busy this winter after our 2 hurricanes a few months ago. They can more or less name their own price for a new roof.

Ultra sound yesterday went ok. Tech said that I have weak pulse in my right ankle thus causing the numb toes. Doctor had said that he thinks that would be a quick fix and would not require me to be in the hospital, thank goodness. I should hear from him sometime this coming week once he has a chance to review the ultra sound.

Our Cajun dinner last night was a big success. I wish I had taken pictures of the two overflowing pans of shrimp, sausage and veggies. It even impressed me!! Best part is that we still have enough for at least dinner tonight, so that means no cooking for me.

Not much going on around here today, so it's going to be a lazy type day of chilling and watching some football. GO GIANTS!!

Have a great Saturday, no matter what you are doing, everyone!