And Still Another Trip to Goodwill

Today, we filled up Dickie’s car and my truck and made another trip to Goodwill in Plant City. On the way, we stopped for breakfast at Denny’s – yum.

This afternoon, I installed my knife rack and the hasp on my cabinet over the second bed. The knife rack went in with little difficulty and although the clasp looks okay and will do the job, if you were to open it up, you would see what a bad job I did with it. The wood used in these cabinets is like iron and the drill just wouldn’t go in very easily. But, I got the job done.

I heard from my brother Jeff. He and my sister-in-law Kathy arrived at the Tampa International Airport in time to pick up my nephew Chris so they can all attend the Outback Bowl tomorrow, where Penn State and the Florida Gators will vie for the championship. My brother and his family are big Penn State fans so you can probably guess who they want to win.

I finally stopped at Publix and got some ant traps. I placed 12 of them in my camper and I am already not seeing as many ants. I was glad not to have to get ant spray – remember the last time.

I still have four traps in reserve and will wait to see how the rest work. I may not have to use them right away.

Tomorrow, I should be able to start putting stuff away. It will be great to be able to walk down the hallway without having to go sideways because of boxes piled up.

Well, it’s after 8 and my Kindle is calling my name. I’m now reading American Assassin by Vince Flynn. It is as good as I had heard from Glenn Beck.

Until next time…

Another Trip to Goodwill

Today, Dickie and I made another trip to Goodwill. There’ll be another trip there tomorrow using his convertible with the top down and my truck. Even then, I doubt we’ll get it all.

I can’t believe how much stuff we all accumulate. I’m still having problems with too much junk, even after having gotten rid of or stored almost everything I own, though most of what I’m trying to take care of now involves canned goods, pasta, rice, paper goods, etc.

Today, Dickie handed me a box with the words “Knife Collection” on it. Why would someone collect a bunch of knives of little value. Yet, do they really have no value? One of the knives is one Mark had before we were married. He carried it often when he hunted or fished. All of the precious knives were wrapped in newspaper, so I’m sure there are other treasures in this box.

I did finally hook up the water to the camper today (my water tank is still not empty, but it’s time). Tomorrow, if I have the time I’ll hook up the sewer hose – my most favorite job of all!! I also plan to install the thing that holds my kitchen knives and the new hasp I got for my two-door cabinet over the second bed. I will then be able to get rid of some of the clutter spread all over every horizontal surface.

Tonight, I’ll probably go to bed early again (I went at 8 last night).

Until next time…

A Day Late

I woke up this morning and realized I had not written my blogpost yesterday. It’s still dark, but I don’t think that matters for my promise to write daily. Sorry, all.

Dickie and I loaded up my truck – as much as I could with the junk I have in the back seat – and went to Plant City to Goodwill. I know we’ll have to make a few more trips. Someone’s got to eat at Olde Time Pizzeria – and it was just as good as ever. This time we shared a small strawberry walnut salad and pizza. The pizza there is delicious.

I got quite a bit taken care of in the camper though you’d never know it by looking. There are still boxes everywhere, the table is cluttered as is every available horizontal surface. Maybe I’ll make some progress today.

I finished listening to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban last night.

Today, I have to go to DMV to renew my mobile home tag and to the park office to pay for another month of my campsite. I am also going to hook up my water and sewer today and mount my knife holder on a cabinet door.

Well it’ll be light soon.

Until this evening…

Home Again, Home Again – not so jiggety-jig

While I made pretty good time today, I have to say that my plan to come back to Florida on Tuesday so I would avoid a lot of traffic was not the best idea I ever had. The traffic through Georgia was mostly bumper to bumper, though we were speeding down the highway at 70 mph.

I got home around 6 pm and only unloaded my computer, camera and bag with my Kindle. Tomorrow is soon enough to unload the rest.

I’m heading to bed right after I post this blog. Eight plus hours is a long drive, especially with a lot of traffic. I can’t believ the gas prices. Where I paid $2.909 going up to Georgia, it was $3.059 and higher coming back. That’s about 15 cents more in just a week. I’ve heard gas is expected to rise to $5 or more per gallon in a short while. Let’s hope not. Sixty dollars to fill your gas tank is already too much.

I listened to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on the way up so the trip didn’t seem quite so long as it sometimes does. On the way home, I listed to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and even started Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Amazing the difference there is in how time seems to pass when your mind is engaged in an interesting book. Of course, the trip up and back is filled with memories of times with Mark and my mother. I miss them both all of the time, but especially at this time of year.

I enjoyed being at my brother’s so much, it was hard to leave this morning. They were so gracious and made me feel part of their immediate family the whole time I was there. But, you know, my brother is such a great cook, I’m sure I would gain back the 50 or so pounds I’ve lost since leaving work.

Well, it’s getting to be past my bedtime.

Until next time…

Heading for Home Tomorrow

Tomorrow, I’ll be heading back to Florida and, hopefully, a little warmer weather. It’s been so cold here, but most of the time, Iwas able to stay inside. I did have to move some things around in the truck and the wind was blowing like crazy, but I got it done.

This afternoon, Chris’s girl Sabrina, my brother Jeff, his wife Kathy and I played Farkle. I had the low score (LOSER SCORE) both games. Every time I had 2 dice to throw, I would shake a 6 and a 2, not a 1 or a 5 that would allow me to keep my score. But, it was fun anyway.

This evening, we went to Longhorn Steakhouse for a very delicious dinner. The food was wonderful and the service was great, but spending time with my family beat it all.

Well, off to bed early.

Until next time…

A Real Snowfall

Last night, I mentioned it had started snowing here. Well, we got at least two inches. The pictures really say it better than I can:

The lights across the street suffered from the low light and my moving hands, but I thought it turned out quite pretty.

 

These are from up the street and across the way.

My pretty red truck is all covered in snow.

 Here, my brother Jeff stands in the snow watching his wife roll a big snowball for a snowman.

My nephew Greg used the snow from on top of his car to make a small snowman.

My sister Kathy rolled the snow balls for the snowman.

 

Today, I took some more pictures, including one of the snowman. His arms consist of Penn State pennants.

 

What a cold, snowy, windy day!

The back yard and deck are still covered with snow.

   

The turkey is still brining here, but Jeff cooked it this afternoon. I wish I could tell you how good it was, but I’m allergic to turkey and avoid it.

Keep warm and cozy wherever you are.

Until next time…   

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Today, for the first time in years, I actually got to see snow. In fact, it’s snowing right now. Those big white things in the picture are snowflakes.

Needless to say, it turned pretty cold this afternoon. We went this morning to Golden Corral thinking we would have a nice breakfast brunch. Instead, they were serving Christmas dinner. It sure was good. We’ll still have a big dinner tonight. Jeff is perfecting his turkey-brining technique. Doesn’t it look good?

That’s a 5-gallon bucket with the brine and turkey in it. He puts vegetable broth, water, ice, spices, brown sugar and a lot of salt in the bucket, then adds the turkey. It sits in the bucket for about 8 hours before he bakes it. A 14-pound turkey with this technique should probably take about 2 hours – amazing, isn’t it.

I found on my camera a few pictures I took when I was at Epcot Center last Sunday, a colorful portrayal of some very well-known Disney characters.

Mickey and Minnie welcome the guests.

Pluto won’t let you take his bone.

Donald was there but I didn’t see Daisy anywhere.

This morning, I took some pictures of the family and presents:

My Sister-in-law’s mother Grace, my nephew Chris (he’s a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army), and my nephew Greg, who lives and works in Atlanta.

Then, there’s my sister-in-law Kathy and my brother Jeff. Since most everyone was up until 3 this morning, he’s the only smart one – taking a nap while he can. I only stayed up until 1 this morning. We were playing cards and then spent some time learning how to play Frackle – a game played with 6 dice.

I got a lot of nice presents, including a plush throw and a compact camp kitchen which I know will come in handy.

My cousin Ethelyn sent me a picture of her husband Elwyn with the longhorns Ethelyn’s daughter Susan sent him. Since they’re in New York, the snow is not surprising. Aren’t those horns neat?

Again, Merry Christmas.

Christmas Eve = Mom’s Birthday

Christmas Eve has always been an extra special day in my family because it was my mother’s birthday. This is our first Christmas Eve and Christmas without Mom and we all miss her a lot. I’m so glad I could be with my brother for this wonderful/difficult time.

Last night, Greta Van Susteren’s program where she followed Franklin Graham of Samaritans First and Sarah Palin to Haiti, a nation still devastated by that horrific earthquake and now cholera. A helicopter flight over some parts of Haiti showed there is little progress being made. A lot of this is because of government corruption. Dr. Graham said they are expected to pay bribes to be allowed to unload humanitarian aid.

There doesn’t seem to be any consolidated plan for rebuilding the nation. Surely, there are enough bright minds that someone could come up with a coherent plan to fix this problem.

Well, I guess I’d better pack up my computer and get it out of the way again.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Until next time…

An Early Blogpost

Today, I’m posting my blog early so I can pack up my computer and get it off the dining room table and into my bedroom. Jeff and Kathy learned last night that they had some friends coming to stay for awhile and my moving my computer will get some of the clutter out of the way.

Not much to say. It’s terribly cold here (29 degrees early this morning) and the wind is blowing like crazy.

Kind of scary about the two bombs that went off near the Swiss and Chilean embassies over in Italy. There is a lot of unrest in Europe as governments come to realize they have to cut back. I’m afraid we’re heading for that too. At some point, others will realize lending money to our government is not a safe investment then we’ll be forced to cut back regardless of which party is in power. Let’s hope the new Congress is serious about cutting back on spending andan over-reaching federal government.

Well, enough preaching about small government.

Until next time…

A Beautiful Day in Georgia… About to Change

Today was gorgeous! It must have been in the high 50’s or low 60’s. I went to the bank and to Discover Mills. I had a little last minute shopping to do and mostly got it done.

It’s supposed to go down to the 20’s tonight and they are talking about snow flurries tomorrow or the next day – maybe even a white Christmas. Brrrr…

Watching the news today did not give me warm fuzzy feelings. Our Director of National Intelligence looked like a dolt. We have a Homeland Security chief who thinks there are only 364 days in a year. Can our great nation survive these incompetent, power-grabbing people in leadership?

I’m looking forward to Greta Van Sustern’s show tomorrow night. She went to Haiti with Franklin Graham and Sarah Palin. I’m hoping to see my friends Joel and Yvonne Trimble, who have been missionaries in Haiti for 30 years or so. Such a needy people and needy place. Pray and give as you can.

Until next time…

A Sad, Sad Day

Today, I got the news from his daughter that my dear friend Dave Parks passed away over the weekend. Mark and I met Dave and his wife Carolyn in 1968 when we first moved to Canandaigua and started attending the Canandaigua Wesleyan Church. We’ve been best friends ever since.

Dave was such a great guy, there whenever you needed him. He was a terrific father, a wonderful husband to Carolyn, and just an all-around good friend. We spent a lot of time with them while we lived in Canandaigua (until 1988) and then here in Florida where they      spent the winters for several years. We watched their children Bruce and Saundra grow up, both wonderful people in their own right.

We went on one 2-week vacation with them to the World’s Fair in Knoxville, TN. The following picture of Dave and Carolyn was taken somewhere in the Smoky Mountains.

We took a lot of trips on weekends and used to joke that most of the time, if Mark drove, we could count on it snowing on the way home. The following two were taken at the Hanna-Barbera Park outside of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (see my friend Yogi Bear.

 

We played cards and other games quite a bit. Dave and Carolyn were the only people I ever knew who could fall asleep during a Euchre game. We each owned boats and spent several mornings fishing near the same place in Canandaigua Lake. We almost never came home empty-handed. We hiked and canoed and shot bow and arrow together.

 

Dave was a real sportsman. He hunted deer every year after he came back from serving our nation in Korea. Hardly a year went by when he didn’t get a deer. Dave won several medals for shooting – handguns, skeet and trap. Few people ever outshot him.

Carolyn is still in Canandaigua, though is having some problems with confusion. Please remember her and Dave’s family and friends in your prayers.

Until next time…

Does Disney = Lost Voice?

Yesterday, I went with my sister-in-law Esther and her friend to Orlando. Their group Sing Live was singing at the American Pavilion at Epcot Center at 5 pm. I almost didn’t go because I already had a scratchy throat, but the weathermen assured us it would clear up and get warmer later in the afternoon. Huh!

By four o’clock, it felt like 40 below zero at Epcot. The wind was blowing hard, there was a mist in the air and I was very cold.

The concert, narrated by country superstar Trace Adkins, was absolutely amazing. The music was beautiful.

After the concert, we ate dinner at Le Chefs de France, then walked in the not quite so cold back to the tram and then back to the car. By dinnertime, I was hoarse, just like the last time I went there with Esther. I told her I would have to stop going to Disney with her – :).

I left home at 6 am and got to my brother’s in Georgia by 1:30 pm. Hardly any traffic and very few stops make for a fairly quick trip. My brother fed me some delicious soup he made – amazing how much better you feel after a good bowl of soup.

Now, I can concentrate on my Christmas shopping, packaging, and shipping  – something I have done very little of.

Until next time…

Some “Moving” Pictures

For my blogpost today, I thought you might like to see some pictures of the house after my cousin moved his stuff in and before he got to take care of most of it.

This is the screen room.

The front living room has a few items to be taken care of.

 

This is the right side of the same area.

This is the same room, but looking out toward the front.

 

The kitchen seems to have the most stuff taken care of, but it’s hard to see that.

The dining room as seen from the kitchen.

The hall way.

The smaller of the two bedrooms. The piano is in this room as you can see from this picture and the next.

Here’s a better shot of the piano. That yellow box with the red cover is full of piano rolls. The player piano can be run electrically or can be manually pumped. Guess which is most popular!

This is a picture as you enter the bigger bedroom.

 

There’s a nice big bathroom off this room.

The bedroom doesn’t look so big with all of the stuff in it.

There’s a nice big closet off this bedroom, but is it big enough for all of Richard’s shirts?

The other side of the closet.

    Another of the big bedroom.

For some reason, Dickie doesn’t want to go to my brother’s with me tomorrow. I told him it would all be there when he got back and it would have been, but he’s not going with me. I have to travel all alone. Oh well, I’ll just listen to a book on tape and the time will pass fairly quickly.

Oh, and I promise to show you more pictures once his work is all done.

Until next time…

Smarter Than the Average Bear

Today, Karen & I went to see the movie Yogi Bear. It was a great movie, in spite of the bad reviews it has received. At least, Karen and I were entertained. But, of course, we watched Yogi Bear as kids. Did you know he originally appeared on the TV cartoon Huckleberry Hound and that Yogi’s character and mannerism were based on Art Carney’s character Norton on The Honeymooners. Anyway, it was thoroughly enjoyable.

After the movie, in spite of the rain, I dropped off another hamper full of extra clothing at the storage unit then we went to Applebee’s for lunch. The French onion soup was good, but not as good as usual. It was extra salty and wasn’t nearly hot enough. But the bacon cheeseburger and chili cheese fries more than made up for it.

This afternoon, I collected about a dozen bags and boxes of stuff from my old house and took it to the camper, where I sorted most of it out, either throwing it away, putting it away, or putting it in a box for Goodwill. I can’t believe how many partially empty bottles of shampoo and conditioner Mom and I had together. I now have one of each in the camper. I also left one of each in the bathroom at the old house. However, I didn’t throw away any tubes of BenGay or other muscle soothers even though there were several partially used tubes and bottles.

Well, it’s only 7:20, but I’m off to bed. I have a scratchy throat. I can’t tell if I’m coming down with a cold or if my throat is just rebelling against the cat hair and smoke in my old house.

Until next time…

Does Before Dawn Count?

It occurred to me as I woke at 4:00 this morning that I had neglected my blog post last night. Of course, that is what happens when you go to bed at 8 o’clock so tired you can barely see. But Saturday has not dawned yet so maybe posting every “day” will still count.

Now, that is not to say that I worked hard all day, but I did get up at 4:30 Friday, took a load of stuff to the storage unit and was back at the house by 6. I did enjoy seeing The Tourist with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. There were a couple of cameo appearances by Timothy Dalton, who once played James Bond.

The movie was exciting though Angelina spent a lot of time walking from one place to another all dolled up and mysterious. There were several boat chases (they were in Venice most of the time, so there couldn’t be car chases) and the movie was very funny. The villain of the piece came complete with a big wart in the center of his forehead just between his eyes.

After the movies I went back to the house, took everything out of my truck and reloaded it…AGAIN. I also sorted through my clothes and there are now two clothes hampers and one big plastic bin of clothes in the storage unit. Yep, I took another load of stuff to the storage unit.

Back to sleep, I hope.

Until next time…

Too Tired to Talk

Warmer; up at 5; worked all day; movers brought Dickie’s stuff; time to sleep.

Until next time…

??? Tons Moved

Yes, it seems like I have moved multiple tons of stuff the last few weeks and I’m almost done with it.

Today, Lighthouse Gospel Mission came and picked up 6 bookcases, a shredder, my Dymo address labeler, and countless other items too numerous to mention. While taking out the next to the last item, they put a hole in the porch door screen. Oh, well, one more thing to do.

Dickie came over and helped a lot. Tomorrow, the movers are picking up his stuff and moving it into the house. So, in the morning I’ll be cleaning out the refrigerator and the rest of the kitchen. I also have a few items to move over to the camper. Fortunately, not as many as I had before today.

I started the day moving 15 or so huge bags of garbage to the dumpster. I moved a lot of stuff into the living room for Lighthouse to pick up. I moved 6 boxes and some bags of stuff into the camper. I moved 8 or 10 boxes of stuff to the storage facility. Karen had to help me with one of the bins; I couldn’t pick it up alone. I still have one more box to put in storage and a lot of stuff to go through in the shed, but after that I should be done.

Right now, I have 6 boxes of food items in 2 piles next to my spare bed in the camper. I don’t think I’ll be trying to put them away until I get back from my brother Jeff’s where I’m spending some time during Christmas.

I also have some clothing items to take care of, but the same procrastination will apply to that. There’s only so much energy and right now mine is sorely depleted.

It was 26 degrees at about 5:30 this morning. That’s mighty cold, but the strawberry plants look okay. The farmers have a pretty good system for keeping them from freezing.

Well, I’ll sign off for now.

Until next time…

My little tv and super duper tv antenna do a great job bringing in a lot of stations around here. The only major network I can’t get is CBS. Right now I’m watching Human Target – what a great show!

A Long Winter’s Nap

Last night, I spent my first night living in my new home (my 25-foot travel trailer). My bed is so comfortable, I hated to get up this morning, but I had a lot to do, so I did anyway.

Yesterday, the installers from Empire Today came to install the carpet in my mobile home. They did a fantastic job, but since they installed carpet in every room except the kitchen, one bathroom and the hallway by the washer and dryer, everything had to be moved around. I took pictures of the carpet, but forgot to bring my camera over to the trailer so I’ll have to post the pictures another time.

This morning, I started moving things back where they go and sorting and packing stuff for the Lighthouse Gospel Mission. They are coming tomorrow to pick up SEVEN bookcases and a number of miscellaneous items, including my shredder, a record player, and any number various items.

Tonight I hooked up my TV. With just my antenna, I get a lot of stations including the local ABC and NBC networks as well as the CW, CTN, ION and PBS/ I’m not surprised I can’t get CBS because their stations is over in St. Pete. I don’t expect I’ll miss any shows since I can watch them on-line. For example, tonight I watched the Hawaii 5-O that was on last night.

I can find out what is on via the online TV Guide website, but I find I don’t watch as much TV when I’m in my camper.

It was very cold here last night (29 degrees) and is supposed to be a little colder tonight, but my camper is toasty warm. The strawberry and some of the vegetable farmers spray water on the plants. It’s really weird seeing the sprinklers going and the ice that forms on the plants and fences and whatever the water hits.

Well, it’s 8 o’clock, time to get another long winter’s nap.

Until next time…

A Wee Bit Early

It’s about 5 this morning and I’m getting ready to pack up my computer so I can get it out of the living room and over to my camper. In case I’m too tired to do my blog tonight, I thought I’d post it this morning. It’s going to be short since not much has changed since last night.

It’s about 45 this morning, but is expected to be much colder (in the 20’s or 30’s tonight.

Well, back to work.

Until next time…

A Huge Mess

Yep, and I’m in the middle of it. Tomorrow morning, the carpet installers will be here to, yes, install the carpet. In the meantime, I have to make sure everything except furniture is off the floor and that there is nothing on the furniture when they have to move it.

I got up at 6 this morning and worked until 10 when I got ready and went to the movies. The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader was a wonderful film. It was exciting; C.S. Lewis’ imagination was amazing. It’s one of those movies where you smile a lot – thoroughly enjoyable. And good conquers evil!.

After eating lunch, Karen and I went to Stor-N-More Self Storage where I rented a unit. I had 3 pretty good sized boxes with me and we stored them in the unit.

Since I got home, I’ve been working steadily and making a fair amount of progress. If I get too tired, I’ll take a short nap and start up again. I’m hoping I’ll have a little time in the morning, even after they get here. I expect they’ll start at the back of the house, so that’s me prime target right now. I don’t have much more to do there.

Well, back to work.

Until next time…

One More Day

This morning at 2:30, I woke up and started packing and just finished for the night (it’s now 10:20 pm). Oh, I did have a 45-minute nap about noon and made one trip to Goodwill in Plant City. I also went to a birthday party for my sister-in-law Esther’s mother Edna. She’s 90 this month and it was great seeing members of the family and friends that I don’t get to see very often.

I have about one more box of stuff to pack from the pantry and one bookshelf and the closet in one of the the bedrooms. I also have to move all of the stuff that belongs in the camper over to the camper. I guess I’ll have to get some more boxes, ‘cause I’m almost out. Tomorrow, Karen and I are going to see The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but I should still have enough to time to “get ‘er done.”

Until next time…

A Short Post

Tonight, it’s going to be a short post. I am exhausted. Up at 6 am, I had about 10 boxes of stuff packed and over to Goodwill by 11 am. I also packed up a lot of stuff I’m keeping – much more than will fit in my camper. I guess I’ll have to get a storage facility, at least for now.

When I got back from Goodwill, I had to take some time out for a very important nap then I had to take a scanner and printer/scanner/fax/copier over to my sister-in-law Esther’s. She needed it as soon as possible.

I then worked steadily until just a short time ago – it’s now 9:25 pm and time to hit the hay. I’m sure I’ll be getting up early again tomorrow to start over again.

Until next time…

Colonial Carpet from Empire

This morning, I got a lot more packing done, but there is still much to do.

Richard came over to be here when the Empire Carpet guy got here to measure for the carpet and to have Richard pick out the carpet he wanted. He settled on carpet made by Shaw that is called “Colonial.” It’s a bluish (anyone who knows Richard would have guessed this, I bet) carpet and looks very plush. The installers will be here on Monday to complete the installation. They expect it will take the entire day.

In the meantime, I have to make sure everything I’m giving away to Goodwill is packed and taken there or at least put in my truck. I also have to pack up anything I am moving to my camper or truck and make sure it gets moved there. I also have to make sure any furniture staying here doesn’t have anything on it. For example, Dickie is keeping a couple of dressers, some stands, and several bookshelves and there a few items on them I have to pack up or find a place for.

Whew! About the only thing I don’t have to do is make sure the shed is cleaned out. I guess I can start that on Tuesday.

New Jersey Outrage

Anyone who gets the AARP bulletin has probably seen their report on the audit that exposed the NJ Turnpike’s Gravy Train.  It seems that “turnpike employees were paid about $30 MILLION in bonuses between 2007 and 2010 for shoveling snow or working on holidays or their birthday…None of the bonuses were based on employee performance.”

“Overall, auditors found $43 million in waste.” And all of this was going on in a state that has the fourth largest deficit. What do you bet this same thing is going on throughout our corrupt local, state and federal governments.

Governments, like families, must stop spending more than they take in.

Well, back to sorting and packing.

Until next time…

Adjustments

As I indicated yesterday, Lighthouse Gospel Mission was coming today to pick up the big items that I need to get out of my home so Richard will have room for his stuff. They were her a couple of hours and did a great job moving the stuff out of here. They did have to take apart the bottom part of the bunk bed in order to get it out of the bedroom.

Wow, is there ever a lot more room here in the house. In the course of things, they had to unhook my DirecTV from the television they took. Unbelievably, I was able to hook up a small TV they didn’t take to my main DirecTV receiver/DVR. This was particularly unbelievable because I wasn’t the one to unhook it and you can’t imagine the big pile of cables that were on the floor where the TV and cable box had been.

I set the TV and cable box up on the folding table I’ll be using when I’m on the road. But you won’t believe how small the picture on the TV is. I had to move the TV a little closer than the other was. I also think I may have to move my chair closer to the TV.

After the guys left, Richard and I went to – you guessed it – Old Towne Pizza and had – yep, you guessed right again – Corn Fritters and Strawberry Walnut salads. Are we in a rut or what?

Tomorrow, Empire Carpet is coming to measure and give us an estimate for installing new carpets and linoleum. They guarantee next day service but we’re going to try to get them to take care of it on Monday.

Oh, Richard took the barracuda I caught and had stuffed back in 1995. A friend of his wants it. Glad I didn’t have to throw it out.

Tonight, I go to AMC to see an encore presentation of Glenn Beck’s live show called Broke. I hope I can stay awake.

Until next time…

A New Life

A little while ago, my sister-in-law Margie’s brother Danny passed away, but check out this picture. This is Danny’s grandson born 11/21/2010 weighing in at 8 lbs 1 in long and 22 inches tall. His name is Jesse Daniel Gurley. Isn’t he precious?

I hope this little baby will help comfort those who are missing Danny.

This morning, I took 4 bags of trash to the dumpster – stuff I’m just throwing out. I have another 4+ bags I’ll have to take over tomorrow morning.

I loaded up 6 more boxes for Goodwill and took them there after going to AMC to see The Warrior’s Way. I didn’t really know anyone who was in the movie, though I had heard of Kate Bosworth. It was a very interesting moving, even though there was a lot of blood and gory. It certainly was entertaining.

After I got home from Goodwill and Publix, I got a call back from League of Mercy. Yesterday, I left a message with them about getting a truck to come pick up some of my larger items. The lady said they don’t take TVs (I have 3 or 4 to give away) nor do they take entertainment centers (I have 2). She suggested I call Lighthouse Gospel Mission. A truck will arrive TOMORROW – yep, in less than 24 hous I have to be ready for them. I think I’ll probably make it. They’ll also be picking up 1 double bed, 1 set of bunk beds, a gun cabinet, a computer center, a printer stand, 3 rocking chairs, and my mother’s hutch.

So, this means if I want to sleep in a bed tomorrow night, I’ll be sleeping in my camper. Or, I could sleep on the sofa. We’ll see. My bed in the camper is very comfortable, but it’s really cold.

Also, tomorrow, my cousin is coming over so we can check out carpet and linoleum. And then, tomorrow night I have a ticket to see the encore presentation of Glenn Beck’s Broke.

Until next time…

Hutch = 4 Boxes

This morning, I decided to tackle my mom’s hutch. Who would believe that there were 4 boxes of stuff in there? By tomorrow, I should have another load of stuff for Goodwill.

Have you heard that it’s supposed to go into the TWENTIES tonight and for a few days after today? After talking with the health insurance agent, I plan to go to Ace Hardware to get some kind of heater for my camper. There is a furnace, but it’s apparently not too efficient. I think I’ll pick up a small temperature-controlled electric heater with a fan so I can leave it on if I’m not there for awhile. I would really rather not have all of my pipes freeze so I guess I have to do something. Plus, beginning in a few days, I’ll be staying in the camper and don’t want to freeze myself.

This morning, I watched another Hallmark movie I DVR’d -- Three Gifts, with Dean Cain, Jean Louisa Kelly, Mimi Kennedy and Reginald VelJohnson of Family Affairs. What a great movie! I was trying to place where I had seen Jean Louisa Kelly before and was reminded by the Internet that she had appeared on the sitcom Yes, Dear. What surprised me even more was that she played Tia, John Candy’s niece, in Uncle Buck.

I still have some other things I’ve taped, but will probably not get to watch them until tomorrow. I did watch Sarah Palin’s Alaska last night. It was an episode where she goes hunting with her father and a friend named Becker. She is no Annie Oakley – at least with a gun that was apparently not sighted in correctly. However, when she used Becker’s gun, she hit that caribou the first time.

Next Sunday, she takes Kate Gosselin and her 8 kids camping with her. It should be interesting to see how that works out.

I just set up the heater in my camper (it’s 5:24 pm). It puts out quite a bit of heat for a little heater and I only have it on low temp. I checked it at 7:15 and everything seems to be okay. The heater was cycling on and off. The floor was not even extra warm, but the chill was off the inside of the camper.

The insurance agent was here today and I’ll now get my Medicare supplemental without paying for it. In fact, I guess I’ll be getting back $96.40 per month. I had to pick a doctor and since I never go to anyone but my chiropractor, I picked Dr. Fred Bearison. He was Mark’s doctor and is a great guy. Though I probably wouldn’t get to see him if I made an appointment, it would at least be someone in his office. Don’t worry – I have no plans to go to the doctor so don’t worry.

I taped another Hallmark movie I’ve started watching. It’s  called A Season for Miracles and stars Carla Gugino, Kathy Baker, Patty Duke, David Conrad, Laura Dern, and a very young Mae Whitman. Mae is currently on one of my favorite shows, Parenthood. It’s a movie I saw last year, but thanks to my poor memory, it’s almost new to me. :)

Tonight is the beginning of The Closer again. I’m looking forward to Kyra Sedgwick and the gang as they solve crimes and get confessions.I read in T.V. Guide that Brenda’s parents are going to be in some of the episodes this year. Barry Corbin and Framces Sternhagen are just a riot. Of course, Mary McDonnell will also show up once in a while.

It’s not even 7:30 yet and it’s already 44 degrees. I guess there’s no doubt it’s going to be cold. Strawberry farms will be up all night. I hope they can keep those sweet little berries alive and well.

Until next time…

A Lot of Good Will at Goodwill

Today, I packed and loaded 10 boxes of stuff for Goodwill. To be truthful, some of it had already been packed. There were two boxes of photo albums and picture frames, many of which had to be emptied first before packing them.

When Karen and I got to Goodwill, it was to find that everyone else in the world must have had the same idea. All of their bins were filled to overflowing. Isn’t it wonderful that people are so giving, especially at this time of year when many people will rely on what they can get at Goodwill to make the holidays special for their children and families.

I also packed a bin with t-shirts I haven’t been wearing but which I need to take out to the camper. I never realized, even seeing them in the closet, that I had so many – there must be 50 besides the ones I regularly wear and besides the 10 or so already in the camper. I shouldn’t ever have to buy another t-shirt. I haven’t even started on the shorts, but there aren’t so many of them. Of course, with my track record at estimating numbers, I could be wrong.

I’m currently watching Eloise at Christmas Time I taped on the Hallmark Channel last night. The only reason I taped it was because Sofia Vassilieval from Medium plays Eloise. Well, and Julie Andrews is also in it. 

In the movie, Sofiea plays a girl who is about 6 years old. On Medium, she played a teenager who, over the course of the years the show has been on, has grown into a college student. Of course, once I started watching, I couldn’t stop. It’s a great story and Sofia plays the very precocious Eloise perfectly. Hallmark has such great movies at this time of year. I’ve been taping a few since I can then watch them while fast-forwarding through the commercials.

I’m rather tired and will probably go to bed early tonight.

Until next time…

Rules of the Games

Today, in the mail, I received the rules to several card games my family plays. My cousin Ethelyn sent them to me as she promised. She’s a lady who does what she promises and does it as soon as possible.

I also wrote out the rules we used at my brother Jeff’s for playing his version of Buck Euchre. I e-mailed a copy of these to my cousin Ethelyn. I scanned the rules into .pdf files onto my computer and will give the paper copies to my cousin Richard. Now all I have to do is find some people to play these games with.

It was a little warmer today than the last few days. I guess it will even be warmer this weekend then get colder next week again.

Tomorrow I should have enough of a load to take to Goodwill. Maybe while I’m down that way in Plant City, I’ll visit one of my favorite places for wings – Kazbor’s. Yum!

On Monday, I’ll be speaking with an insurance agent to choose a new Medicare supplemental plan. Blue Cross/Blue Shied of FL discontinued offering the one I now have. What a pain this whole thing is and the new health care legislation has just muddied the waters.

Time is certainly winding down for moving out of here. I sure will be glad to have all of this behind me.

Until next time…

Tangled and A Little Nostalgia

Today, after visiting Dr. Tom, I went to AMC to see the new Disney animated feature Tangled. It is a delightful story based on the fairy tale about Rapunzel. The story brought back memories from my childhood. I remember sitting on my mother’s lap as she read the fairy tale to me.

Actually, the only thing I remember about the story was how Mom would say “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.” This story was so much more than that. This is one of the best Disney animated films I have ever seen. I laughed, I cried, I sat on the edge of my seat. The animated animals were unusually good: Maximus, the horse and the chameleon, whose name I don’t remember – if I ever heard it. The villains are particularly villainous. Zachary Levi voices the male lead, Mandy Moore voices Rapunzel and the villainous “mother” is voiced by Donna Murphy.

If you get a chance, please go to see it. I can’t imagine anyone would not enjoy it.

After I got home, about the only thing I did was go through 6 or 7 photo albums and remove the pictures I had already scanned some time ago. I’ve thrown out the pictures, minus some my cousin wanted,  and will give the albums to Goodwill. This took a couple of hours, but it’s one more thing done.

Until next time…

Camper on Site without Backing-Up Incident

I was so proud of myself today because I went to Camping World, paid the enormous bill (a little over $1400), hooked it up, and brought it home where I backed into a campsite and did NOT back over the utility pole. Too bad about that old lady – just kidding!

I wore both knee braces and was able to get around fairly well though I am suffering a little bit for it now. There’s quite a bit to setting up a camper:

• Back it into the correct space at the correct angle (this took me a little while)
• Make sure it’s level
• Put the tire chocks under the tires
• Get out the support pads for under the four stabilizing jacks and the hitch jack
• Wind down the stabilizing jacks
• Unhook the chains
• Unhook the spring bars and take care of it (after taking out the lynch pin –Elwyn’s not around the unhook it with the pin still in)
• Unhook the sway bar and take care of it
• Unhook the electric cable from the truck
• Adjust the hitch jack
• Hook up the electric cable to the pole (using a 50-amp to 30-amp converter and surge protector)

Tomorrow, I’ll have to finish the following steps:

• Hook up the water and water filter
• Hook up the sewer hose
• Move stuff from the the house to the camper and take care of it (I figure this will take about 2-3 weeks) if I can even find a place for everything

As the time shortens for when I’ll be leaving, I feel both excitement and a little trepidation for embarking on this new adventure, mostly excitement. So many places to go, so many things to do.

Well, it’s going to be another cold night. About 3 this morning, it was 38 outside and 60 inside. By 6 am it was still 38 outside, but inside it was 58. I caved in and turned the heat on. It got up to 70 within about 2 hours.

Right now, I’m in the middle of watching a Roy Rogers movie. As a kid, I never realized how unrealistic all of the gun-fighting was. Six-guns that shoot 25 or 30 rounds and marksmen that can hit the eye of a gnat from 200 yards WHILE RIDING A HORSE! I still love those old movies, though, and enjoy listening to Roy sing. Do you remember that Roy and Dale had a little girl named Robin who died at an early age of Downs Syndrome. Dale wrote a book about it called Angel Unaware. If you haven’t read it and can find a copy, I know you’ll enjoy it.

Well, back to my movie.

Until next time…

Dr. Tom and Faster

This morning, I went to see Dr. Tom and he worked on my back. It feels better, but is no 100% yet. I’ll go back Friday and hope that does the trick. He said the ankle weights should help strengthen my legs and knees, but not to walk with the ankle weights on. After seeing him, I went to Dick’s Sporting Goods and got the ankle weights then to AMC to see the movie Faster with Duane “The Rock” Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton and Carla Gugino.

From the previews, it looked like the movie was going to be a bloody rampage where Johnson just goes from place to place murdering people. Believe me, there is a lot more to the story than that, although there is a lot of murdering.

It’s amazing how movies and books can make you root for the “bad” guy. Even Roy Rogers made a movie where he made Jesse James look not quite as bad as one might expect. Faster was one of those movies. I would recommend it. It’s exciting and there’s some interesting revelations during the film. If nothing else, you can look at “The Rock” for a couple of hours – not a bad thing.

Tomorrow, I pick up my camper and bring it back to the park where I’ll begin moving the rest of my stuff in. Just a couple of more weeks and I’ll be in the camper full time.

It’s 70 inside right now, 49 degrees outside, and is not supposed to warm up before the weekend though I expect it will be a little warmer than in the forties during the day.

A friend, whom I met through my good friend Joan and who has been battling cancer for a couple of years, is in the hospital. She’s had a stroke, doesn’t recognize anyone, and can’t make anyone understand her. Would you please pray for her and her family and friends. She’s faced this disease with much courage and hope, but she must be feeling scared and frustrated that no one can understand her.

Time to crawl into a nice warm bed and go to sleep.

Until next time…