SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014

Good day, eh? Not to be a griper, but where's the sunshine? We awoke to rain thundering on the roof. Now there's a story to that too. During extremely heavy rain, like we this morning's, oir sunroom is bone dry. Earlier in the week, we had a very light misty rain and had a steady drip, drip, drip from one corner of the ceiling. We had a roofer seal it several years ago, then Mark sealed it twice. With a heavy rain, everything is fine, no leak ... but a light misty rain makes a drip!!!  What the heck???

Sue and Wayne sent me a birthday package which I picked it up at the post office today.  What a wonderful surprise. It is a Zetronics Dash Cam ... perfect for the upcoming East Coast USA trip! Wow, what a nice gift. This gift was in addition to the eight stackable acrylic stemmed wine glasses!  Wow, "What a take!" as Wayne's friend, Sid, would say. 

So, yesterday, Sue and Wayne had the dogs in for grooming. This sounds like just an easy task of dropping them off at the groomers.  But, not so fast.  Sir Julius is a charm and delightful at the groomers ...  a southern gentleman. 

Julius, enjoying some TLC at the groomers ...  

Wayne, all geared up for holding Shorty for the groomer!!!  LOL. 

Meanwhile, we ran errands this morning, with the Scotties are along for a ride. 

Miss Maggie could use a little grooming after getting wet on her morning walk!  LOL

Chores and errands done, we drove a half-hour for "Linda-sitting" at Randy's. The Olympics are good entertainment. Linda was talkative today; a few starter phrases with gibberish equals total confusion. (I'm the confused one ... she had facial expressions that told a story.) Mark gave her medication in applesauce and it seemed to have a calming effect. Randy arrived home about three hours later and we headed home to cook dinner. Mark is doing oven roasted vegetables, pork tenderloin for us and chicken for Linda and Randy. What a guy! He enjoys eating = he enjoys cooking. I enjoy him enjoying himself. LOL. 

Linda and Randy arrived at 5:30 ... cocktails and dinner about 6:30. The bromance continued, Randy "loved" the vegetables Mark roasted ... they even traded recipes. Haha. Linda was good fun after a half glass of wine. It was a nice evening!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014

What's the good of a birthday if you can't do what you want??? (My dad always said it on a birthday!) LOL

This is my birthday lunch photo ... at The Garden Gate with Mark. 

A really nice lunch spot ... I had Rosemary Chicken Pie and Mark had Salmon Soufflé. Both meals were very good. 

No, Mark isn't making this face because he got the bill ... LOL ... I had a brilliant idea of potting a dead orange tree trunk in a nice plant pot with cement, adding extra branches to the trunk, painting it white and decorating with white lights for the back patio!!! (Mark just happens to be helping a neighbor by pulling out his dead orange tree tomorrow, using the Dodge.)

After lunch, Mark took me birthday shopping ... 

and bought me a Swarovski Azure Nirvana ring. Wow, was I surprised!!! 

Tonight, Mark planned to take me for lobster dinner ... but I ate too much at lunch ... and the Sochie Olympics opening ceremonies are on TV ... so I asked for a rain check. (I'm just a happy camper at home, it seems!)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

I think my ancestors kept me awake last night. LOL. I tossed and turned; got up at one ... back to bed at 1:30, up again at 4 - back to bed at five, finally up at 6:30 for the day. WHATEVER!!! You're supposed to be "R.I.P." and not harassing me. Heh-heh. 

So, I checked the Titanic list of passengers and crew. No relatives of mine on board, from what I could see, but I did find two possible relatives of Mark!!! This ancestry.com is contagious!  

Then, the Titanic disaster got me thinking. People on board were from all corners of the earth ... like the World Trade Center. The Titanic's sinking must have been like 9-11 in the scope of misfortune. In the 1900s, millions of people crossed the oceans on big liners. I wonder how many families decided not to emigrate from fear of another "Titanic" disaster. Nine-eleven certainly affected commerce and travel ... just thinking aloud. 

So, good morning!!!  I took the doggies out at 6:30 just ahead of a light rain. When they come in, having successfully done business, they get a Milk Bone. This is a routine that speeds up the entire process. Today, I was feeling rather magnanimous, and while Maggie and Robbie were enjoying their cookie in the kitchen, I tossed a few "Pup-corns" around the dining room and by the front door for them to find later. That was a great idea, until I stepped on one and ground it into the carpet. LOL. 

Happy "almost" birthday to me ... Mark will be busy today! Our new Visio bedroom TV arrives. Plus I "treated" myself to a little "retail-therapy" at Hobby Lobby; two days ago, I bought a mirror. Of course it needs to be hung after the TV is hooked up. 

The TV arrived at 1 o'clock, and Mark got busy installing it. Then he hung two mirrors for me! What a fantastic guy I married !!!

So, tonight we decided to take the dogs to Burger King for supper. It's been a rather gloomy, cool day so a treat was in order. 

Robbie gets overzealous ... Chicken, chicken, chicken!!!

It's dropped to 61° this evening so we have a very happy fire going ... My style, an instant log. LOL 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2014

What a fun night we had at Linda and Randy's ... I phoned Gregg and passed the phone around. Randy cooked perogies and sausage ... yummy. 

Today, Mark went shopping for my birthday plus household items we needed.  Meanwhile, I dusted the living room, vacuumed and washed the floor. 

Otherwise, I worked on ancestry.com entering data. It's really an all-consuming hobby!  And, it's fun. 

I learned how to add family photos to each member; here, my great-uncle during WW1. 

Rick phoned on Face Time and we had a good chat. It's much more fun than just yakking on the phone. 

Mark cooked ribeye steaks for our dinner tonight ... with roasted veggies. Tonight is decent TV, so that's it. LOL

 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Its a foggy start to this day in Florida. 

My cousin, Alastair, was on Facebook this morning. Apparently there was a photo shoot of his Dalek at the mint. 

Dr. Alastair Tawns ... er, Dr. Who fan !

The Tawns family's personal Dalek. Dr. Who?? 

"People born on this day like nothing better than to help others, one thing they will not accommodate, however, is authority. They have little patience for enforced conformity and if forced into a corner may resort to subversive or disruptive behavior. As well as a rebellious streak they also have a great determination, once they can find an outlet for their self-expression and fully commit to it, these modern-day prophets really can make the world a better and fairer place."

Today's birthday treat was a pedicure ... and Hobby Lobby shopping. I bought a gorgeous mirror for over my vanity table!  

Tonight, we went to Linda and Randy's for pierogies and sausage.  It was great!  Randy told us a story how he was digging out the foundation area for a garden, and he jumped back because there was a snake!!! Ha ha ha, it was his own shoelace!!!  Of course, we would have been much braver! Not. 

We made a phone call to Gregg and Darlene, and cheered Linda up. It had been a rough day for Randy ... 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2014

Good morning sunshine! Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks on their SuperBowl win. The best ad was Budweiser's puppy ... with the Clydesdales ... 

"Puppy love"!

This year, ads cost $4 million for a 30 second spot ... this, a minute long, was so enjoyable! 

Our second favorite was Doritos ... "Time Machine" ...

it was hilarious. 

Today, Linda & Randy came to visit and for a boat ride. 

We ate lunch on Crazy Gator's patio ... 84 degrees. Mrs R B is in the background. 

The lake was so calm ... 

Mark phoned Aunt Jane and heard that she and Cliff bought a new house in Pine Ridge on the golf course. Fantastic!!! They are sorting out for a garage sale Saturday. 

And, onto my continuing "horoscope" reading ...

"Quick to identify solutions to problems, these people often pursue their goals with zest and enthusiasm, sometimes with fanatical zeal. This approach makes others sit up and take notice, but occasionally they haven't thought through their entire plan. Although they have great communication skills and usually good supporters, when things don't run smoothly and others start to find fault, February 7 people can hide their disappointment behind a wall of cynicism. They must understand that life is too complex to be seen in terms of right or wrong or quickfix solutions. They must except that there will always be viewpoints differing from their own and that there are many paths – not one – to the greater good."

NOW, get this ... LOL

"Around the age of 43 there's a significant turning point which helps them fine tune their relationship skills and become more open-minded."

I'm glad to know I'm more "open-minded" now. Hahaha. No wonder I couldn't put up with the shenanigans of the "former administration"!!!  LOL

After a walk with the doggies, Randy took Linda home and we settled in for a relaxing evening. And, Randy's cooking tomorrow! Yay. 

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2014

Happy Groundhog Day ... 

It will be an early spring here; it's foggy, hence, no shadow!

Our boat insurance bill arrived yesterday ... Mark maintains we should switch insurers every 3 years to get the best rates. He may be correct!!! Our bill increased from $198 to $227 in one year. (I know, it's hardly a large dollar amount, but it's a huge percentage!) I read their enclosed letter ... blah, blah, blah ... we haven't had a car loan, lease or mortgage for more than 10 years; and opened a new credit card (Bank of America - changed from MasterCard to Visa); we are a "risk" and charged MORE for boat insurance!  WTF?  

Mark and I uncovered and cleaned the boat today. It's 81° and gorgeous. We're so glad to see the sun after four days of cloud and rain. Tomorrow, we'll go for lunch aboard "Mrs R B".

Tonight, is the big football game, Super Bowl ... Mark is rooting for the Denver Broncos and me, the Seattle Seahawks. 

"People born on February 7 are progressive individuals with a keen intellect and an inherent sense of justice. It is impossible for them to witness injustice or cruelty without speaking out. Above all, they are profits with a vision and the burning desire to change social attitudes and right wrongs.

They have a wonderful imagination and useful approach to life, but also a tendency to exaggerate or embellish things. This, together with their openness and spontaneity, can sometimes make them appear naïve or childlike. Others may dismiss them or take them for granted but this is a mistake. Also they like to share their dreams with others, the difference between them and other dreamers lies in their ability to turn dreams into reality."

We had Hawaiian chicken for dinner with roast vegetables and watched the one-sided Super Bowl game. Mark wanted Denver to win; me, Sea Hawks!