Florida 2018

 Thursday,  January  4, 2018

Peter was at my house at 7:15,  I was ready to go.  We had problems loading the car, because he had a large cooler packed with his items.  Before, we had only my cooler and his very small tote cooler.  We managed, but I left some items behind, like beer, potatoes and the cyclamen plant Peter gave me on New Year.  

We drove to Jefferson and had breakfast before visiting Lilla.  We stopped at 4 Sisters; ordered oatmeal, Peter ordered the 4 Sisters Special. His order came while he was using the restroom.  His eyes popped when he saw his order: eggs, ham, hash browns, biscuits and gravy and pancakes.  He insisted that's not what he ordered; he just wanted eggs, hash browns and ham.  Had he read the menu, he would have seen what was included in that order.  The waitress even cautioned him about his original order.  

We got to Jefferson Memory Care and Lilla was not there.  The manager could not tell us where she was, because Peter was not on her list of contacts.  Peter was quite disappointed that Rosemary didn't inform him of Lilla's move.  We'll most likely find out from Tom.

I took over driving on  a clear, bright day.  I don't know how long I was driving when I noticed we were heading towards Madison!  We were going north instead of south!  I turned around and got back on track.  On the way Peter asked if I remembered my pills.  Of course I did; he didn't.  He also forgot to stop his paper, but he gets only Wednesday and Sunday  papers. 

We were making pretty good time until we went the wrong g direction on I 74, west instead of east.  Fortunately,  Peter wanted to take off some of his warm clothes,  so we stopped at a rest stop.  Two workers got us straightened out, and we were again on our way.  Peter looked at his gas gauge, and we were on empty. Lucky a gas station was at the next exit  but an arrow pointed in both directions;  naturally, we took the wrong one.  Peter was so worried that we'd run out of gas that he drove into to a yard, hoping the owner would have some spare gas, like for a tractor or lawn mower. A dog jumped on Peter before the owner let Peter into the house.  The home owner was quite disabled and directed Peter to the nearest gas station.  As a precaution, he followed us in his car in case we ran out, and he would get us a can of gas.  Talk about a Christian soul. 

We had not used the phone GPS because we wanted to follow the AAA route we took before.  Forget that!  Now I programmed the motel and we should get there about 7.

A stop at a Rest Stop at about 4:30 took the edge off our hunger, since we had nothing to eat since breakfast.  I had deviled eggs, bananas and some of Laura ' s Christmas cookies.

We arrived in Paducah,  KY at America's Best Value Inn at about 7:30, checked it over,  clean, pleasant and looked up places to eat.  El Trino had high ratings, it was 2 minutes away and fajitas would hit the spot.  The place was very neat, good service and a margarita with my  meal was just right. 

I didn't have any trouble falling asleep on a nice soft mattress.  I didn't attempt reading, even though I took it to bed with me.

Friday, January 5, 2018

We got up before the alarm at 6:30, showered, packed, and had a mini break fast in the motel dining area.  I had just a bowl of raisin bran with a tangerine and coffee.  The day is clear, sunny and 20 degrees. I drove almost to Chattanooga with a stop along the way.  Before Chattanooga we had lunch at Wendy's and were on our way to GA.  I love getting into Georgia and seeing green.

We had a little difficulty finding the Magnuson Hotel, because it was on an approach road but when we arrived it was very nice.  It had been a Holiday Inn Express,  which got run down, but the new management put a lot of money into renovation.  We had a very nice room with brand new bathroom fixtures, but the hot and cold water  in the sink were reversed.

 We looked up places to eat and decided on a nearby Mandarin restaurant with great reviews. The reviews were accurate.  Brandon served us  beef with peppers that we shared.  One bowl of rice was plenty. It came  with a small salad and was finished off with a delicious torte plus fortune cookie and a pot of tea . 

Saturday January 6, 2018

There was a very nice selection of breakfast items; I had Cheerios,  yogurt, 1/2 a banana and coffee.  

I started driving at about 8:30, very clear day, started off in the wrong direction,  but quickly righted ourselves.  We stopped at the Florida welcome station and had a glass of juice. Peter continued driving while we watched the temperature rise, hoping it would get warm enough to eat outdoors. My phone and charger ran out of power.  I was having trouble in the hotel getting things to charge.  As luck would have it, Peter took the turnpike instead of I 75.  Luckily the Garmin was charged and we got rerouted back on I 75.  I directed Peter to another wrong turn, thinking we had to pay a toll.  That was quickly fixed.  Now we have to keep our eyes on the road.  Gas stations are not too frequent and we sometimes run dangerously to empty.  Now we are filled up, which should take us to our condo.

We got to Bonita Springs about 5:30 and wanted to get the car washed before going to church tomorrow morning.  The first place was a do-it-yourself, we found another connected to a 7/11.  We needed a code.  While I went in for the code Peter drove in too far and just got some suds splashed on the car because he didn't know that  he had to put the car in park.  I went in for another code, and this time it worked and the car looks great. Next we picked up a few groceries for tomorrow's breakfast, then went to the Fish House for something to eat.  We had tall gin and tonics while we waited about 20 minutes for our table. I had a seafood salad, delicious,  Peter had a salmon sandwich that he also liked.  We drove to our condo and the code that I saved from last year didn't work.  I went up to Bob's door and he gave me the right code.  The key was where it was last year, in the dryer vent.  We got unloaded, unpacked and called it a day

Sunday, January 7, 201

I took a shower and the water didn't drain. It was almost up to my knees and stayed there.  We found a plunger and Peter worked a long time trying to open the clog with no success.  He ended up bailing out the water with a bucket.  All this made us too late for the 9:30 mass.  Instead of rushing through breakfast, we took out time and went to the 11:30 mass, which was pretty crowded.  After mass we shopped at Pubix for more groceries for the week and the paper.  We had the broasted chicken with potatoes and carrots for a mid-afternoon meal. A cool day, but is warming up.  I knit a dish scrubber, then concentrated on reading the Lilac Girls, pretty grim.  The temperature reached 70 degrees.  Peter went down to join the sunset group, I continued to read.

Monday, January 8, 2018

Cool, overcast.  We went to Dollar General for Draino, dish towels (only one in the condo) some facial tissues.  Also to Walgreen's for Peter's prescription. It needs to be transferred from Aurora, which might take a while.  Peter continued working on the drain, and it finally unclogged. We had a hardy chicken salad for dinner.

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

We got reacquainted at the pool in the morning, then in the pool after lunch.  We picked up Peter's prescription after he called them, (he'd still be waiting if he hadn't). It was another wait before they got his insurance coverage straightened out.  We picked up some grapes, apples and Laughing Cow.  We missed the sunset gathering.  I made pork chops with potatoes and carrots for dinner.  I finished Lilac Girls, a very gripping novel about a women's concentration camp in Ravensbruck. 

Wednesday,  January 10, 2018

So foggy we can just see the waves hit the beach, hardly any farther. Repairman came to fix the washer, needs a part, should be fixed by Friday. It cleared up very nicely, spent the afternoon in and out of the pool.  A large gathering at sunset, renewed acquaintances. 

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Foggier than yesterday, but clearing up.  Played pickleball at 9:30 with Alice, Deanna and Dixie.  There was a big shuffleboard tournament that drew a crowd, including Peter.  I don't know anything about the game, so I took a long walk along the beach, then I practically had the pool to myself because everyone was watching the shuffleboard game.  I prepared salmon patties, potatoes and carrots before going down to sunset, another nice group, then finished off the dinner when we got back. We finished off the evening playing dominoes,  pretty even with the wins and losses.

Friday,  January 12, 2018

Overcast and quite windy.  We should also expect a drop in temperature.  Peter took me for a 10:00 a.m. hair appointment at Tiger's Den.  Hairdresser originally from Kenosha, did a fine job foe $36.50 plus tip. She also recommended Doug ' s Seafood just across the street.   We bought more groceries at Pubix.  Will probably stay in until time to go to Flippers for dinner.  It was pretty windy.  I didn't go in the pool, but sat in the shade and knit until sunset gathering time.   Gathered for sunset: Mel wanted to file a complaint, the sun was behind the clouds and we never saw it set.  We met Michelle and Bill and talked about Flippers.  The more I thought about it we would not be enjoying any view with such overcast skies. Bill invited us to join them at Mel's Diner, which we accepted.  Michelle had called ahead, so we didn't have to wait for a table.  The place was crowded, naturally everyone wants a bargain and nothing too fancy.  I had a nice salad with a lemon drop Martini (when had I ever had anything but a traditional martini?) but it was very good.  

Saturday, January 13, 2018

A lovely fresh day, we headed for the Local Roots Farmers Market, with many stands selling a wide variety of local produce, seafood, deli items, bakery and much more.  We had to use restraint not to buy too much.  One of the ladies recommended eggplant Parmesan, so I bought that for our dinner. 

 

 Next we needed to find a laundromat because our washer needs to be replaced.  Two that I found  were located on  Old Hwy 41 which was also on  the road to the art fair. The first had no parking, but we found another close by with ample parking and plenty of machines, also pretty busy.  Hoping that we'd get a washer soon, we didn't wash everything,  but the essentials.  Got home, put away produce and laundry and settled in to watch the football play-offs.  Atlanta defeated  Philadelphia; and New England beat Tennessee in a lackluster game.   

Sunday, January 14, 2018

We went to 9:30 mass on a cool sunny day, then to the art fair.  It was a perfect day for walking and viewing all the art work.

  We bought a light lunch, a Greek salad for me with a chicken kabob that I shared with Peter who had a rice bowl.  We stayed until about 1:30, then picked up a few groceries at Pubix.  We watched football the rest of the day.  The Steelers got eliminated by the Jacksonville Jaguars but the most thrilling win by the Vikings over the Saints in  the last 14 minutes of play was really exciting. 

Monday, January 15, 2018

It was too cool to be at the pool; besides that, the pool heater isn't working,  so the water is pretty cold.  We went to see The Darkest Hour, and we're just a little late.  That's the second time that I misread a show time. We enjoyed the movie.  Fixed a light lunch, then sat at the pool; Peter was brave enough to go in, but regretted it.  I read and knit until sunset time. Light snacks are offered on Mondays.  I fixed a ham slice with leftover fried potatoes, beans and a salad.  We finished the night playing dominoes. 

Tuesday,  January 16, 2018

We played pickleball with Alice and Deanna; it was pretty evenly matched. After a light lunch we drove through Fort Myers Beach, stopping at a market with some produce, but mostly merchandise.  Road construction along the way; parking very limited.  We didn't have a particular destination, so we drove to Manatee Park in Fort Myers.  We were just about to pay the parking fee when a couple offered us their parking receipt that they got from someone else that was good until 7:00 p.m.  We watched the manatees come up for air, and bob up and down.  We could see shapes in the water.  There were quite a few of them.  We walked a few trails, reading the posted information.  When I put The Three Fishermen in my GPS it wouldn't find it.  I think I had too many confusing directions entered.  We parked in front of a fire station and a few firemen pointed us in the right direction. Restarting my phone gave us the directions with no problems.  Because it was early, a little after 4, we had a choice of tables and were seated by an open window overlooking the water. I had a Pino Grigio,  Peter had a beer.  My grilled scallops were perfect, served with mixed rice and green beans and 2 hush puppies.  Peter had blackened catfish with Cole slaw and mixed rice.  

We walked on the pier, hoping to catch the sunset, but it was getting cool and the sunset didn't look too promising. 

Wednesday,  January 17, 2018

The day started cool and continued cooler.  I sat by the pool before lunch, but not in my swim suit.  Made a light ham salad for lunch. Bill and Michelle asked us to join them at Figs for a $40 per couple special before 5:30.  I put on my swim suit and walked the beach until the end of the last tall condo.  I sat at the pool and knit, then read.  Mary Kay was the only brave swimmer in the unheated pool.  I can sit only in the straight chairs, not in the beach lounge chairs; my back gets very sore.  I moved to a sunnier spot, but it got very breezy and cool.  We  met Mike and Michelle at 4:45 and they drove to the restaurant which was very classy with linen tablecloths and napkins.  We had crusty bread with a dipping tomato sauce.  I had linguini scampi, Peter had grilled chicken; both were delicious.  We also had a house salad and a bottle of wine was included with our dinner; we had Cabernet.  I also had a creme brullee.  We picked up some groceries before heading home.

Thursday,  January 18, 2018

We woke up to 35 degrees and it won't get up to 60.  Randy and Sharon came to look at the condo for next year.  Tom said they would pay $5000. for the month. That really priced us out.   A man came to deliver a new washer and dryer, but when he took the old unit out the flooring was corroded and uneven.  Tom would pay the installer to fix the floor, but that wasn't his job.  Tom did not see the condition of the floor, and it would not be an easy fix. The installer thought he'd have to connect the old unit because the water shutoff wasn't tight enough.  The man from downstairs came up and said water was coming into his condo.  The installer managed to tighten the shutoff with considerable force, and everything seemed OK, but we still haven't got a washer, and Tom will have to arrange for delivery once the floor was fixed.

We stayed in the rest of the day.  I finished a stole, started a cap, read and watched TV.  I fixed the rest of the spaghetti for supper and we played dominoes with the heat turned up.

Friday, January 19, 2018

Cool morning We cleaned the condo. Tom came about 10:30 to look at the floor; Gaspar looked to over also to determine what should be done.  Tom said that Randy and Sharon would not take our condo, and it is available if we wanted it for $4000.  He also compensated us for the inconvenience  of not having a washer, plus the plugged up bathtub by reducing our rent $200.  We thought that was considerate.  We also made a $500. deposit for 2019 (God willing).  We went to a nice laundromat in Estero and did our laundry, put everything away, and sat at the pool, no swim suits.  We watched a couple of women play shuffleboard,  and I tried hitting the disc; it's harder than it looks.  We gathered for a beautiful sunset and I had a nice chat with Letha from California.  We met while taking pictures of the sunset.  

We had dinner at the Swiss German restaurant.   We both had fork tender saurbraten with spaetzle and red cabbage.  The cabbage was coarsely chopped instead of shredded. The portions were just right; we both cleaned our plates . 

Saturday, January 20, 2018

We played pickleball with Alice and Karen, then we tried our skill at shuffleboard.   It's harder than it looks.  We had such a laugh because Peter wasn't having any luck at all and I was ahead of him.  Then I got  -10 and he beat me.  Good shoes would help to have good support and traction.  We sat at the pool, still not fixed.  The sunset didn't look too promising with a lot of overcast.  I made pork chops with potatoes and green beans for supper.  Did a lot of reading of Grant.

Sunday,  January 20, 2018

We went to 9:30 mass without jackets 

and picked up groceries afterward.  I soaked beans for bean soup, and we were at the pool most of the day on a very warm sunny day.  I started the bean soup while watching the Patriots beat the Jaguars.  It was exciting at the end, seeing the Patriots come from behind.  We saw a beautiful sunset, then watched the Eagles trounce the Vikings while we ate a very thick bean soup.  It should last us a few days.

Monday, January 21, 2018

We left for Naples and were just in  time to board the trolley that would take us on a sightseeing tour of the area.  

Wayne was a personable guide and related well to the three couples on the bus.  At first we sat in the back by an open window, but the wind was too strong and I couldn't hear very well.  Moving up front improved the situation.  We got a lot of information on the pricey properties, who owns some and a history of the area.  We could have gotten off at any rime, but chose to stay on the trolley.  At the terminus, there was Tin City with a lot of shops and restaurants.  We went to a Dockside place and enjoyed the pelicans gobbling up fish scraps from a fisherman.  I had a lobster quesadilla as an appetizer, that was just enough;  Peter had a huge cheeseburger.  It was 88 degrees when we left Naples.  By the time we got back the temperature dropped by about 10 degrees.  We sat by the pool for a while, then joined the sunset group, with jackets.  The sky was pretty overcast, so the sunset wasn't that great, but we enjoyed the company, fewer than usual.  We had bean soup for supper.

Tuesday,  January 22, 2018

Light rain, so we didn't play pickleball.  Patti called and said the washer/drier would be delivered sometime today.  Peter checked the valve, and it was really leaking. I called Tom and he called Gaspar, who looked it over.  He said he replaced the left valve, but not the right. Peter is amused by what both Tom and Gaspar don't know.  The valve got replaced, but Peter had to run after after them when they were getting on the elevator, because Gaspar neglected to put the screw in that holds the faucet.

The day is clearing up.  We ate on the patio and watched a dolphin very close to the shore. 1:45 p.m. washer and drier were delivered, a front loading washer looked very nice.  It was no easy task maneuvering it the confined space.  New problem .  The drier could be connected to the 220 outlet, but there was not enough space for the washer to be plugged in.  The service man explained the situation to Tom and it would take two men to install the proper socket.  Peter straightened out the carpeting and put things in order until the next phase, whatever and whenever that might be.

It is damp and cold.  We sat by the pool for a while; it is so foggy I can't see the beach.

Wednesday,  January 23, 2018

I had a hair appointment at 9:30 and also bought Aveda tea, which has a hint of licorice.  We picked up a few groceries (we have to be conservative in our buying with time running out). Tom was over with an extension that was to connect the washer to the outlet, then discovered that the delivery man broke off the ground wire.  So much for getting a washer installed. When I read the washer instructions it said you needed HE detergent.  I examined the containers and saw nothing about HE, so I thought I had to buy the proper detergent.  Peter said the Purex was HE. He pointed out the symbol that would take a magnifying glass to see.  I was brave enough to go into the pool, which was cool, but still enjoyable.   The sun was hot until about 4:00 p.m. when a cloud covered the sun, the wind picked up and it got noticeably cooler.  We joined the Building F sunset group, but overshot the library and went to the building.  Because it was so cold we gathered in the library.  I got reacquainted with Willa, Sally and her mother Jo.

Thursday,  January 24, 2018

We drove to Naples for an oil change at 9:30 a.m.  After an hour and about 20 minutes the car was all checked over, tires rotated and the car was washed.  We were home again about noon, when Tom came with an extension cord to connect the washer.  He thought he could pull out the ground wire from one cord and replace it into the broken plug; it wouldn't work because the ground prong is molded into the plug.  Peter tried to tell that to Tom who asked Peter politely to leave him alone.  Gaspar came and spiced the wires into a usable plug so that I can use the washer.  Tom called Home Depot and a technician will be here on Saturday to do the job right.  Peter will not let go of the subject of the washer, outlet, plug, company, until I had enough and told him so very sternly.  I cooked the Polish sausage for tonight and put the washer on with no clothes, just followed the factory directions.  Washer is running is running with the first load.   It seems to take a long time to dry.

We went to the pot luck at 5:30 held in the shelter next to the library, with the food in the library.  We sat with Sally and her mother Jo, Gaspar and Jean, and were soon joined by Patti and Tom.  It was very breezy and my windbreaker helped, even the hood.  There was plenty food of many kinds.  People thinned out not too long after eating because it was too cold to socialize, even though there was plenty of socializing throughout the evening.  I gave Patty a scrubby dish cloth.

Friday, January 25, 2018

Peter played bocci ball  at 9:30.  I went down to watch, then Jean asked me to join her, Gaspar and Malcolm  for a game.  I got the hang of it, but didn't do very well.  We didn't play very long because Gaspar didn't like the smaller balls that we were using.  I had to wear my windbreaker with my hood up at times because of the brisk wind.  I sat at the pool and finished a cap.  I went in the pool for a while, but the water was cool, and coming out, the air was very cool.  Peter had a talk with Bruce who bought his unit in 1975 and practiced what little German he knew with Peter.   We went to the Fresh Catch Bistro and were seated in the enclosed outdoor area.  I should have made reservations.  I had a Bombay Sapphire martini that I sipped while munching on crusty bread served with pesto and olive oil.  I ordered Mediterranean shrimp, Peter had seafood jumbalaya, it looked delicious.  We both enjoyed our dinners-

Saturday, January 26, 2018

A cool breezy day, 61 degrees.  We met Alice and her house guest John and Deanna for pickleball. We really had to contend with strong winds that controlled the game. We rested and had lunch (lentil soup plus a sandwich for Peter). We spent most of the afternoon at the pool.  I swam for about an hour, then it got chilly and we went inside.  The sky is overcast; it doesn't look like we'll see a good sunset.  Someone is supposed to come to fix the wiring on the washer. We had a delicious thin crust pizza at Doc's with bottled beer.  We ordered a 16-inch and took almost half home.  Somone had wired the washer just the way Peter suggested.  The louvered door doesn't fit, but it really isn't necessary. 

Sunday,  January 27, 2018

We went to 9:30 mass early enough to get a seat fairly close up to the altar.  Shopped for some groceries and had leftover pizza for lunch; just as good as yesterday.  I put it in the oven in the cast iron pan at 350 degrees.  We sat at the pool on a breezy day until it started to drizzle.  Donna called and we arranged for them to come our way about 11 30.  Peter suggested gong to a movie, but it seemed too late, even though I didn't check schedules.   I made chicken breasts, potatoes and carrots for dinner, planning to use the rest of the chicken for a salad for tomorrow.   The night was rather stormy and TV reception had a lot of interference.   I wasn't interested in watching the Grammy's anyway.   I won 8 games to Peter's 5 in dominoes.  It rained  heavy throughout the night, Peter put down the storm blinds.  He said that there was a lot of water in our hall.  He made it sound like we had a flood in the house.

Monday, January 28, 2018

Peter played bocci ball while I made a meaty chicken salad with black beans, tomato, a little celery, zucchini and avocado.  Donna and Lou were here at 11:30 with a bottle of wine and white bread from BAM German bakery in Cape Coral.   We had snacks and wine on the porch, then lunch.  We had a nice long visit.  We sat at the pool, people in the pool said it was warm.  A cool breeze picked up, then a strong wind.  We gathered at sunset; we brought pretzel knots.  We didn't stay too long because it was too cold.  We had leftover chicken salad with one slice of toast with summer sausage and cheese.  It was just enough.  I read.

Tuesday,  January 30, 2018

We played pickleball with Alice and her friend John on a pretty breezy day; it was discouraging not to get the ball where you wanted it, especially when serving.   We drove to the dog racetrack and Peter coached me about how to bet.  I won three small bets, while he wasn't winning anything.  We had hot dogs and beers and sitting in the sun, we were getting very hot.  Then Peter placed a $2.00 quinella bet and won $98! It was a different way to do some exploring.  We were so hot we thought the pool would be great when we got back.  No such luck.  We were sheltered from the sun at the racetrack,  but at the pool it was cool and breezy.  We sat there for a while until sunset.  A large group gathered, with a few bidding farewells.  The sun was spectacular.