Iwakuni

Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Peter was at my house at 6:50 a.m. and we had some juice and cereal before our ride arrived shortly before the scheduled time of 7:15.  Traffic was light and we got to the Delta check-in in plenty of time.   We could have eliminated self check-in because we had to go to the counter to check our bags.  Gate D44 was pretty full, but we didn't  have long to wait before boarding.  Flight to Minneapolis was smooth and pleasant.  I was surprised that our connecting gate was so close to our arrival gate.  Usually you have to go quite a distance, but it was really very close.  Lots of Japanese waiting to board!  We had less than an hour before boarding and our seats are the worst in the plane.  There is a wall to the toilet right behind us, so we couldn't recline our seats fully; also the constant opening and closing of the door, plus flushing wasn't conducive to sleeping. I must have dozed off a little, but I wasn't very comfortable.  I lost the slippers and I hope that I can find my shoes.  This is very cramped seating. 

I think the airline is simulating our body clocks for Japanese time, because we had a full meal, then the lights went out for sleeping.  By my local time, it was 5:45 p.m.

I'm ripping my chemo cap because I made a mistake,  but when  the lights go out I have to stop.  I lost my marker, that's how it happened.

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

At last, the 11-hour flight came to an end.  Peter asked the stewardess if the plane was that full that we couldn't have had better seats.  She said we could have asked for different seats if we weren't satisfied.  But when we were all settled we didn't think about that until it was time to shift around in our seats, or get up.   As we were taking off for Iwakuni Peter waved to the flight director who was bowing to us.  The 1 1/2 hour flight to Iwakuni was good, and what a wonderful sight for our eyes to see Don waiting for us after we claimed our luggage. We had warm greeting with Masako and were introduced to our rooms in their very large house. 

Masako had a delicious pasta dish with peas, salad and watermelon.   We didn't linger too long before getting into our beds to make up for our deprived sleep.

Thursday, June 14, 2018

My coughing kept me up, and I was restless.  I got out of bed, took a shower and prepared breakfast for Peter and me.  Don has school today and tomorrow;  Masako has choir practice.  Peter and I took a walk along a canal, so we wouldn't get lost.  There were a lot of vegetables planted in small spaces, very well tended.  

The road was narrow, so Peter was on the lookout for oncoming cars whose drivers bowed to us as they passed.  Masako prepared lunch of baked ribs and her home grown potatoes.   We took a short rest before Masako drove us to Don's school. What a facility!   He has an enormous art room in a newly built school, its first year.  He really deserved that after dedicating so many years to teaching.  But it's rare to be the first one in a brand new school.

Don drove us around the base, which is much larger than it was when I  was here previously.  We drove along the shore and stopped at Don's favorite fishing spot.  We stopped at a couple of temples; one where a Shinto priest was blessing a family.  

Our last stop was at a lovely garden with Siberian iris in various stages of bloom and many colorful hydrangeas.

We had a wonderful supper of grilled  chicken thighs that Don brought from his school cookout, plus potatoes, home grown fried onions, salad and watermelon.   I turned in about 9:00 p.m. after dozing off trying to watch a baseball game. Peter came down with a cold and by the end of the day lost his voice.

Friday, June 15, 2018

I think my cold is turning around.  I slept much better, with not too much coughing.  

After breakfast Masako took us to the Kintai Bridge.  We passed it last night driving by with Don, but it was already getting dark and pictures wouldn't be any good.  Today the day was clear and sunny.  I didn't want to walk the bridge, just take some pictures. 

We drove to a shrine with an adjoining cemetery.  I always marvel how many fresh flowers are put there.  This is a shrine that Don comes to meditate and both he and Masako volunteer to clean up.

We had lunch at a very nice traditional restaurant with a tray of assorted dishes, plus an extra piece of breaded pork.  I managed eating with chop sticks and didn't do too badly.  

We stopped at a 100 yen store looking for handkerchiefs,  but found none.  I picked up some chair socks for my dining room chairs. 

We didn't have our passports so Masako drove home to get them so that we could get on the base.  I wanted to take a picture of Don in his classroom. 

Don took us on a long drive up Mt. Zenetsube to get  spectacular views of the ocean and all the little islands.  We stayed to enjoy the view on an unusually beautiful day. 

Don pointed out some other points of interest on our descent.  We stopped at a pharmacy for some cough medicine and cough drops before heading home.  I thought my cough was turning the corner, but sometimes it gets so intense that I almost choke.

Masako fixed chili  for supper and refreshing watermelon.   I managed to watch some soccer before calling it a day.

Saturday,  June 16, 2018

After a hardy Donald breakfast of scrambled eggs with noodles,  peas, cheese, etc., we drove to Hiroshima on a very warm sunny day.  Don dropped us off and we walked to the museum while Don and Masako waited for us.  It took over an hour to view all the exhibits and read the texts.  Naturally,  we couldn't read everything,  but got sufficient understanding of the horrendous results of this terrible bomb.  

We walked around the grounds, then through a mall to a third - floor restaurant that served okonomi-yaki a traditional Hiroshima dish.  We sat in a booth with a warming surface between us.  Each serving was placed on the warming surface and we helped ourselves.  It was more than filling.  Afterwards, we drove home.  On the way, Don stopped at a bakery featuring German bakery, the baker having studied in Germany for eight years.  Don bought an assortment of bakery, and asked to see the baker, who came out and greeted Peter.  As we were leaving in the car, he presented us with a bag with some pretzels.

Sunday,  June 17, 2018

Don said we would not go to church.  It is a long way to the base (the only church) and the mass times are very inconvenient.

After a light breakfast that included bakery bread, we drove to Oshima and a famous temple.  There are eighty temples on the island and some people, including Don and Masako make a pilgrimage to visit them all, which they have done.  Some are very remote, but with determination, they find them.  There were many sculptures including the Chinese zodiac  (I am the year of the monkey).  One man is responsible for all the landscaping on these very large grounds that included many huge boulders.  He refused help to complete the work; however, monetary donations were accepted.  We passed another very small temple, so Peter and I have 86 more to go to complete the quota of 88.

We had lunch at Chidori Restaurant, on the second floor of a spa.  We removed our shoes before going upstairs and sat at a very bright table.  Don and Masako were here previously with Rachel's family.  We each had a tray with an assortment of food; mine included raw fish, miso, tempura, plus others. Peter's tray had mostly fried dishes.  

Peter and Masako watched soccer; I read, Don was on his laptop. 

Monday, June 18, 2018

Don went to his school to do some finishing off; Masako is at choir practice. It is a rainy morning.   

It cleared up enough by the time Don came back to go up to the Iwakuni Castle.  A rope system took our car up the mountain; Don hiked up and would meet us. When we got to the top there was a walk and stairs up to the castle.  We did not go in, just walked the grounds and took pictures.  There was a nice view of Iwakuni and the bridge.  Don met us soaking wet from his climb.  We walked around a little more before we all took the tram down.  Masako had a nice lunch that included some leftovers from the restaurant. 

I spent the rest of the afternoon finishing Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie, and rested until supper.  Fish, rice, miso, salad and tofu with cabbage. 

Soccer games in the evening.

Tuesday,  June 19, 2018

We woke up to a rainy morning, and it looks like it will continue.  Don left to work at school and grocery shop; Masako made granola.  I really like it and have the recipe to make it when I get home.  After lunch we drove to Namaguchi Plant Land.  Light rain followed us, but stopped enough when we got there.  The first thing that appears is a Ferris wheel with each seat filled with impatiens slowly moving round.  The grounds are vast with large beds of plants, all clearly marked.  I wish that I could have captured the fragrance -of the gardenias.  We had to open our umbrellas as a light mist was falling, but nothing to spoil our outing.  We walked through the greenhouse, more of a gift shop with many plants that I wouldn't mind having, mostly succulents.  We went through another gift shop where I bought a postcard.  

I'm glad that I brought my knitting, because I just about completed a cap on the long drive back and forth.  Everywhere you want to go is a long drive.  Traffic seems to move steady on the one-line roads, but it would take me awhile to get used to driving on the left side of the road from the right side of the car.

Masako prepared cheese - filled meatballs, pasta and a salad for supper.

Everyone watched soccer; I went to bed at 10:15  before the first game ended; Peter stayed up to watch a second game.  I have no idea when he went to bed.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

The rain didn't deter us, besides, it was a light, warm summer sprinkle.  We set out at 10:30 a.m. for Miyajima  (Miya  = shrine, Jima  = Island).  We boarded a ferry that took us to the island, then walked towards Otorii for photos.  Peter and I walked through the historical shrine where some ceremony was being conducted.  Don and Masako met us at the end.  We kept walking to another temple that Don wanted to climb  up to, involving many steps.  The rest of us declined but Masako encouraged Peter that he could do it, which he did, and reported that there were 98 steps going up.  Umbrellas came in handy with a light steady rain.  Peter and I shared an umbrella, which was rather inconvenient.  Peter liked the clear plastic umbrellas that many people were using.  We bought one for 500 yen, which I thought was worth the price, and a good keepsake. 

We boarded the return ferry at 1:55 p.m. and in about 10 minutes we were on the opposite side.  We had box lunches at a nearby restaurant with eel over rice and a few condiments; the eel was delicious.  I was pretty hungry, not having eaten since 9:00 a.m.  

I thought we were headed home, but Don had a tea ceremony lesson to which we were invited.  We entered the tea room and were greeted by Don's teacher, an elderly lady, and her assistant.  We sat on chairs, everyone else sat on the floor.  The assistant served a thin tea in bowls with some sweets.  Don served a thick tea that tasted like spinach.  The setting was charming, and a lovely experience.  By the time we were leaving it was bright sunshine.

Thursday,  June  21, 2018

A beautiful,  bright, sunshiny day.  Masako played tennis until noon, Don had errands.  Peter and I walked to the plant shop about a block away.  Very many plants to choose from, plus pots and ornaments, inside and out.  Peter wanted to buy a plant for Masako and Don's garden and chose a bougainvillea,  which I thought unsuitable.  We set aside a sunflower while I went to get some yen.  We changed our mind to  nice rudbeckia which would fill in a space I thought would work.  Masako fixed lunch, a lot of leftovers that were more than we could eat.  Don suggested a drive to the mountains, that sounded great.  We drove along a river with a number of fisherman fishing for ayu in their waders and long poles.  The current was rather swift after all the rain. We drove to a roadside restaurant, lovely landscaped, with a lot of outdoor seating.  We each had a coffee and relaxed in this beautiful setting.

Almost near Iwakuni, I spotted a lot of flags where Don drove to as the site of a shrine.  He said there was quite a celebration on New Year's Eve with huge fires and free sake. 

I remarked how new all the cars were, which was evident everywhere we went, small, efficient, but all in excellent condition.  Don said that when a new car is purchased the buyer pays a recycling fee.

We got home, and after checking computers and reading, we had dinner of baby back ribs that Don prepared, plus salad and rice.

Peter took a nap before watching soccer at midnight.

Friday, June 22, 2018

A beautiful, sunny, warm day.  Masako went to play tennis; Don ran errands, but was home early enough for us to take a 2-hour drive to Yamaguchi, with a cultural village.  A bus took us to the uppermost area and by following a map we stopped at various houses that featured different craft: woodworking, weaving, dying, paper making.  Unfortunately, no one was working at any of the crafts except weaving.  There were very few people on the grounds, so we took our time exploring.  We stopped for complimentary tea; Don and Peter had coffee.  The last house was a museum with many tools and artifacts. A man explained to Don how the logs from a forest were cut and transported many miles by manpower to another site to build a temple.  The process of transporting the logs took one year.

We drove the freeway and made very good time.  We relaxed a while before going to the restaurant that Masako took Peter and me to.  Peter and I had sake, Peter's first.  I had a breaded chicken breast, Peter had pork, with all the side dishes that come with it.

No soccer for Peter tonight, because we have to pack and get off to an early start.

Saturday,  June 23, 2018

Peter was up before me.  I showered first, then we had cereal for breakfast, plus toast for Peter.  Peter gave Masako a Cross pen which she seemed to appreciate.   He gave Don $6 towards all the gas he used.  We were off to the airport by 7:45 a.m. with plenty time in this small airport.  With warm good-byes, we parted, hoping to see each other again when they come to Wisconsin We got ticketed only to Tokyo and would get the rest of our boarding passes in Tokyo. The flight was pleasant. The bus ride to the international terminal took about 15 minutes in this massive airport.  We found the Delta check-in, but were not able to change our seats, because the flight is full.  Peter is fuming, and insisted that I could have selected seats, or Jay could have done better.  I hate the rest of this flight, because I feel responsible for our poor seats. We had Masako's egg sandwiches and energy bars, which were substantial enough to tide us over until we had a meal on the plane, plus coffee.  The stewardess confirmed that the flight was full, and there was no way we could exchange our seats.  How come the young people in front of us had better seats, and we older ones had poorer sears.  No more mention was made of our seating, thank goodness.  After our meal, I took a couple Melatonin  (I shouldn't have had the wine), and managed to get a nice snooze past San Francisco. 

When we got to MPLS, I had no trouble going through immigration, but Peter had to go through a different line because of his foreign passport, and it was going incredibly slow.  I managed to get our luggage, and an attendant helped me put it on a cart.  When Peter finally got finished, we had to recheck our luggage and go through security.  Leaving security, we checked our gate and as we were walking there, Peter realized he didn't have his neck pocket that had his green card.  We went back to security, looked through the boxes, nothing.  Then I went back where we checked our gate, and there it was, the lady attendant who helped us locate our gate and put us in the right direction had picked it up and it was on a ledge.  Thank goodness!  More fuming for all the stripping at security.  We had to really speed to our gate, which naturally was the farthest from where we were.  My mouth was parched, my legs ached, and I felt exhausted.  Luckily, we had time to spare and settled in our seats.  

We landed in Milwaukee to sunny skies and got our Go-Fast ride to my home.  We went to Mariachi's for Margaritas and fajitas that were very filling.  I watched Bandwagon before getting to bed, with Dolly sticking to me like glue.

Sunday, June 24, 2018.

I got ready for 10:30 mass, turned the key, dead battery.  AAA came promptly and gave me a boost.  He said Lincoln seem to have a lot of battery problems because of their electronics.  I asked if there was something that I could do, like shutting something down, to not let it run down.  The service man recommended a battery keeper that can be plugged into the wall if the car isn't going to be used for a while.  He installed it, and I know I'm going to need it when I go to Galapagos.

Austrian American Picnic

 Sunday, June 10, 2017

I went to 8:30 a.m. mass in mist, and it started to rain harder as I was reading the paper.  I left the house about 10:45 a.m. wearing my fleece jacket and sandals with no socks.  As I approached Edgerton, I made a U turn and headed back home to get some socks and my tennies.  That was a very good idea.  With this dampness and my cold, I'd surely be under the weather.  There were a good number of people at the picnic; Frank invites people from other groups.  The chicken was very good, with a lot of side dishes and plenty of desserts.  Anne Marie and her husband Charles shared our table and we had interesting things to talk about, especially his trip planning for Lammer's bus company.  We stayed until about 3:00 p.m. and I went straight home and took a nice nap.

Memorial Day

 May 28, 2018

Our weekend began with breakfast at Genesis that included more people.  Afterwards, I bought two shepherd hooks and two hanging plants at Menard's, then grocery shopped for the taco salad I'll be making for tomorrow's Vagabond picnic.  I went to the 4:00 p.m. mass, which was also a Confirmation, but not as long as when Archbishop Listecki had it a couple of years ago.

On Sunday, I made the taco salad and did other odds and ends until Peter came at about 10:45 a.m.  It is an absolutely gorgeous day for the picnic, but too warm to go hiking or walking.  Peter moved a table to a nice shady area, I put a patriotic tablecloth on and get ourselves settled.  I did some knitting; Peter read the paper.  Eunice came without Les who was waiting to get his air conditioner repaired.  Naturally, the a/c goes out in June/July, and the furnace goes out in January/February.  Eunice, Peter and I played dominoes until it was time to get our food ready and eat.  Meanwhile, Les came and we resumed playing.  My taco salad bowl was cleaned out.  We stayed until about 4:30.  The day stayed perfect.  We drove home and watched some TV; I fixed hamburgers and we watched "Deadline USA".

Peter watered the garden while I prepared breakfast.  I made a ham and cheese omelet with chives for breakfast with good coffee.  We didn't have any real specific plans for the day, but Peter suggested Wisconsin Memorial Park.  I looked it up and ceremonies would start at 10:00 a.m.  I was expecting a lot of people and heavy traffic.  Peter dropped me off in front of the area where everyone was gathering and he parked very close.  We sat in the first row next to the Postal Workers Band.  A lady wanted us to talk in a whisper, like we were in a concert hall.  And we weren't about to converse during the performance. 

There were very moving speeches paying tribute to those in the service that made the supreme sacrifice.

We went inside the building and admired the many paintings, sculptures and other art work.  We walked through the crypts and Peter recognized a few names, some that he knew very well.  I found Dr. Leone.  We met Betty and Erwin Hohl, who were going to be performing at noon.  We strolled around a little more, then found a front row seat in the chapel.  The Brookfield Civic Chorus did an excellent job offering pop tunes and some traditional music from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

The Knight Wind Ensemble began setting up and the chairs were so close to where we were sitting that no one could walk past.  There were about sixty musicians filling the chapel area.  I was so close to the first clarinet player that I could have been his page turner. 

They began with a rousing Star Spangled Banner and continued with beautiful music including "Amazing Grace", which was amazing.  I posted on Facebook and Doug Scott saw it and met us after the concert.  We were glad we had the seats that we had, because the chapel was filled to capacity.  I thanked Peter for suggesting Wisconsin Memorial Park to spend our Memorial Day.

By this time a beer would have hit the spot.  We drove to Cafe Bavaria and we each had a Krombacher that was a perfect quencher.  We also had plain hamburgers.  It was an ideal day to sit outdoors with a slight breeze.  We drove around neighborhoods in Elm Grove noticing new construction and landscaping.  The weather cooperated to make this a perfect Memorial Day weekend.

Pilsne

Stoughton, Wisconsin

 

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Badger Bus picked up a group at State Fair P & R at 7:30 a.m. for a 1 1/2 hour ride to Stoughton.  It was an unusually mild day after days of unpleasant, cold temperatures.  I wore my fleece jacket and was very comfortable. 

We were greeted by a woman in traditional Norwegian dress and went up to the Opera House located on the third floor of City Hall. 

It is restored to its original decor with original wooden seats.  It had a small intimate feel, and it is used for community productions.

  A bus tour through the city highlighted many of the mansions that were inhabited by notable citizens.  We got a little handbook describing these buildings that would make a good walking tour.  A representative from Stoughton Trailers continued the tour to the factory.  The bus was able to get into the assembly area where trailers were being worked on at various stages.  It is a huge operation, begun by a man who took the company out of bankruptcy and converted into a thriving corporation: the largest employer in Dane County, the fifth largest trailer company in the US.

We had lunch at the meeting hall of the Sons of Norway. 

This is a carving of a dragon on the backdrop behind the stage.We sat at long tables and lunch was family style served by the ladies of the club  the menu consisted of cucumber salad in vinegar, rolls, carrots, oven fried potatoes and breaded cod.  We had krumkake, lefse and a cheese cake for dessert. After lunch one woman explained hardanger and another rosemaling, with samples of their work.  

Next door was Livsreise, the Norwegian Heritage Center.                        It is a relatively new building with many artifacts and pictures giving the history of Norwegians in the area.  Docents in traditional costume were helpful in explaining some of the items.

We had the rest of the day to explore the downtown area, and the weather was perfect for being outdoors.  I bought a paring knife at a kitchen store and a Danish at the bakery.

Viking next to The Yawahara River.

Valentine's Day 2018

 

Valentine's Day

I had a lot on my calendar, more than I should have, and scheduled for the wrong date.  So I started the day overwhelmed.  Master Gardener meeting at 9:30 a.m. at Boerner, followed by Garden Support Committee at 10:30.  I excused myself to leave early, because I was going to meet Peter at the State Fair P&R so we could drive together to the Hefter Center for a lecture I think he would have liked: Why We Celebrate Veterans Day Instead of Armistice Day.  It gives the history of the treaty and how it impacted history.  We got to the center and I had trouble opening the door.  I didn't see anyone around or milling about in the classroom.  Lucky that I had my program book in my bag to check...it is for March 14!  What a dip!  I chose to go back via Wisconsin Ave. and as we're nearing the museum we could pick up Peter's cap that I left there (that's another story).  I parked and he went in and retrieved his cap. We also called Rudy to have lunch with Peter. 

After dropping Peter off, I bought some chocolate brandy at Discount Liquor for the dessert for tonight, then to a dollar store for some soft foil for the burritos for breakfast.  I prepared the burritos when I got home, freezing what we wouldn't have for breakfast.  I did some prep on tonight's dinner and rested while watching the devastating school shooting in Florida. 

Peter arrived at 6:00 p.m. with a lovely bouquet from his favorite florist.  I put the finishing touches on Shrimp Polonaise, green beans with toasted almonds, yellow rice and a salad.  We both enjoyed a delicious meal.  Even though it's work, I much prefer eating at home than in some rushed restaurant.  We just lingered and had a relaxing meal.  We watched the Olympics for a while before I served a chocolate/strawberry milkshake with chocolate brandy.  Just perfect, not too filling and nothing left over.  We watched the Olympics until almost midnight.

The burritos at breakfast were very good.  I'm going to keep them in mind for Florida.  One apiece was plenty with yogurt and strawberries.  My coffeemaker was clogged; the grounds collected below the filter and the water didn't pass through.  We talked about the coffeemaker: how long I had it, etc.  Peter saw coffeemakers on sale at Kohl's.  I also said that I'd like a reading lamp with a goose neck next to my recliner.  We both had a relatively free day, so after reading the paper and watching more news about the Florida shooting we went to the lighting store on St. Paul.  The lamps that I was interested in had pull chains; I went through two of those, no, thank you.  We talked to a manager who gave us some options, finally deciding on changing the switch to a key.  While that was being done, Peter met one of his bosses from Briggs.  This is not an uncommon occurrence.  We have met so many people that Peter knows.  On the way home I bought a Mr. Coffeemaker at Kohl's with a 30% discount coupon, plus it was on sale from the ad in today's paper.  The salesman scanned it and I got if for the reduced price.

When we got home, Peter assembled the lamp, replaced the front door bulb, filled the bird feeder and put the heater back into the bird bath.  I prepared the coffeemaker by running it without any coffee, then brewing our first cups of nice strong coffee.

So our Valentine's Day lasted two days with a lot of love for good measure.

Superbowl 2018

 February 4, 2018
A lot of snow fell through the night and continued in the morning.  I'm glad that I went to church yesterday.  Peter had a lot of snow to clear.  He called and said that we should forget about the Austrian American meeting at 1:00 p.m., also let Laura know we wouldn't be coming to her Super Bowl party.  I took a nap, with Hello Dolly on my lap (she is getting very heavy). About 1:00 p.m. the sun came out very bright, no snow and the roads were pretty well cleared.  Peter called and said we should call Laura and still go to their home for the party.  Of course, the invitation was still open, and I could bring my Reese's peanut butter bars.  Laura had a lot of finger foods laid out that really provided all the food we'd care to have.   Claude and Mae and Russ Klisch were also there.  Aleksei was the only Patriots rooter; Anton had Eagles' logos all over the house.  It was a very well played game and we were thrilled that the Eagles won 41 - 33

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, 2018

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 bocce 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 bocce 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.