Got a house for my birthday

I awoke to a sliver of sunny daylight peaking through the curtains. It was worth getting up for. I ate breakfast and worked through the new e-mail. There was a replay of an interview with Dr. John Gray. I always enjoy his work. In fact, I took notes on the computer as I listened to it. But I did not quite finish when I had to get ready for the walk-through. By that time, the sun was shining on the porch and I stood out there for a few minutes soaking it up. When Chris drove up, we got the library materials that were due today and dropped them off. Then we used the GPS to drive over to the house on Garth Road. Turns out it is a straight shot out gate 8, about 4 miles. I hope Chris will have an easy drive to work from there. We arrived before the real estate agent, so we walked around the yard, looking at plantings, and outdoor outlets, and the deck. When she arrived, she took us in the front door. We noticed a thin film of white dust over the floors. And someone had walked through it barefoot. We went through the house, noting any damage or non-functional items. Not everything needs to be fixed, but we just don't want to be charged with it later. She told us that 2 burners of the stove top needed fixing. Hello, if they already knew that, why hasn't it been fixed? There were electrical 'things' imbedded in the ceilings of the bathrooms that would not turn on. Looked like heaters, could be fans, who knows? We also checked out the basement. I have never seen so many outlets in my life. Gonna be great when all my machines are here. I hope they are not all on the same circuit however. She gave us a key, and Chris wrote her a check for December rent. She promised that we would be called whenever anyone came to work on the house. Then Chris took me back to the apartment and he went to work. I finished the John Gray audio, and then sat outside reading in the sun. Then I took a break to work on the quilt squares. I got a call from the company that is in charge of delivering our goods stored in Fayetteville. They wanted the address and said it would be shipped anytime between Dec 1st through Dec. 8th. Then I arranged and rearranged squares to make another TATW. I had to cut more squares, and then set out four rows, pinning the squares in sets for sewing. That is when Chris came home. He had a couple of suggestions from coworkers about places to eat out. We reviewed their menus and prices online. Then I picked two places from the phone book. They were fairly close together. We drove out to Jordan Road, must have missed the first one, so we stopped at the second: Sitar, Indian cuisine. It was a very nice place and not crowded. We ordered the combination meal for two suggested by the waiter. It might have been a mistake to order the spicy version, but at least it kept me from over-eating. I broke down and ate some of the garlic nan to cool my mouth. We brought back three boxes of food. After that, we watched a Netflix movie titled "A Blast from the Past". Chris had chosen it and it was very enjoyable and funny. We rounded out the hour with Myth-busters, and then turned to TBS for 2 episodes of Big Bang Theory. It was a great way to spend a birthday. Last year I went to the SIWA bazaar with MaryAnn and this was even better. We got to cuddle on the couch (sorry, MaryAnn). But now he has gone to bed, and so must I.

Chris returns

When I awoke, it was raining, again. Later in the day it turned to snow. When it stopped, it was still cloudy, so the sun never came out. At first I was upset because it rained on my birthday, but then I caught sight of the date on my computer and realized that my birthday isn't until tomorrow. So there is still a chance of sun.
I spent the morning reading old e-mail and tapping through the scripts. I sat on the couch bundled up in my favorite flannel quilt because I was so cold. Later the internet went down, so I pulled a quilt top from the box. It measures about 42 inches across so I thought I might add a column or two. But in the manilla envelop (also in the bottom of the box) there was extra fabric and a note explaining that the design is to have a 4 inch yellow border. The envelop was full of squares, some the same colors, and some in different colors. I counted each color to see if it would make another quilt top like this one. But I had to cut more squares. I never got to the sewing part because daylight ran out. Then I watched some quilt-related videos and started a scarf from the two Dollar Store yarn balls. Finally I took a hot shower to warm up. I wasn't hungry at supper time, so I kept crocheting. Chris came back from his trip a little after 6. At 7 he turned on Big Bang Theory. We watched 6 episodes as the scarf grew. Although I like this chenille-type yarn, it sure is hard to work with. But it is long enough for me to wear tomorrow in case it is cold. The real estate agent wants to do a walk-through at 11:30am. Who-hoo, we are getting closer to living in a house with overhead lighting and more than one bathroom.

Chris is gone

I got up when Chris left for work. There was not a great deal of daylight because it was another rainy day. I fixed and ate breakfast. I read my e-mail. I exchanged e-mails with Deb, who seems to be in charge of the quilt group here. She was planning to run errands around town and I asked if I could join her. So we met at Jo-anns. She had just finished returning an item, so I left my car and rode with her. We went to Kohls, Big Lots, and Dollar Tree. She drove by Hancocks so I could see where it was. We had lunch Jason's Deli which serves a selection of organic foods. We had quite a time chatting about our interests. She makes crocheted doll patterns and sells them. She dropped me off at Jo-anns by my car. I went inside to buy a crochet hook. While there, I browsed the bolts, fingered the fat quarters, and rifled through the remnants. But I resisted buying any fabric. From Jo-anns, I walked to Earth Fare for some raw organic cheese. Then I drove home in the rain. When I got back to the apartment, Chris was already there. He had gotten off early and packed his suitcase and was on his laptop. There was a large box of fabric nearby. Someone in the new guild had brought it to post so I would have something to work on: donation quilts. God must want me to have fabric. There was also an issue of the Seoul magazine that had the article about me. It was from Geri at the thrift shop. And along with it was a small gift from Ella (who PCS'd before I did, so I am a little confused). Chris picked up all his stuff and left for some place south of here. Wish I could remember. All I know is he has to be there first thing in the morning so he went today. And he plans to return tomorrow for my birthday. I used the remaining daylight to examine the box of fabric. I realized that I should have gotten higher wattage light bulbs while I was out shopping. With all the small pieces, it would have been perfect when I was looking for charm squares. There was also several bags of batting, and two quilt tops. One is a grandmother's flower garden that looks like it was pieced by hand. The other is a trip around the world quilt. Because there is a bag of matching squares in the box, I assume it is not finished. I could add to it, but the seam allowances are so big that I don't know if I can match them well enough. When it got dark, I fixed a salad for supper. I listened to a delta BWE twice. Then I watched TV. I also put in an order for supplements with Swansons. I know there are supplements in UB, but since I don't have access, I had to order more. It got late, so I finished up the order, and posted to my blog. I meant to be in bed quite some time ago.

Lazy Sunday

After I last posted, all we did was read e-mail. It was a rainy day and I was waiting for the rain to stop, but what happened was darkness fell. It came as a great surprise. I hadn't realized it was so late. We took a shower (to conserve water) and dressed to go to the store. Chris looked up the address for Kroger because that is where we got raw organic cheese. He typed it into the GPS. When we got to the store, they had everything on our list except the cheese. I had to get another kind. It wasn't the same Kroger that we went to last time. Oh well. We picked up a rotisserie chicken for supper. I made a salad with spinach and sprouts. After supper, I watched TV while listening to some audio files. We stumbled on a CSI marathon and got hooked. It is way past our bedtime, but the Gibbs goes on.

Saturday and part of Sunday

Saturday we were awakened by daylight coming in the basement window. I could hear the shower upstairs running. When that sound stopped, we went up to shower together. No details. Then I fixed my breakfast. Alfred went out to buy me a jar of kimchi, not knowing that Chris got one yesterday. I don't mind, it doesn't go bad. Although, how would I know if it did? Anyway, we left about 9am eastern time. I could smell the kimchi all the way. We stopped at a rest area. I could have put a sign in the window, "This car protected by kimchi". If the idea didn't stop them, the smell would. Around lunchtime I was wishing for a fork, then discovered the pair of chopsticks I always carry with me. But we stopped at Wendy's for lunch and Chris picked up two forks there. I wished we had gone to the Cracker Barrel nearby. Their salads are better. We got back on the road. We were making good time, but there was an accident or two near Knoxville. The back up was horrendous. Chris accessed the DOT website with his Blackberry. It said all westbound lanes were closed since 11am and would probably last until 5pm. So we took the alternate route suggested by the GPS. Well, it was backed up too, but we did eventually get through, only losing about 2.5 hours. When we got 'home', the entire building was dark and our door cards didn't work. Chris went to lodging to re-magnetize the cards. I stayed back with the stuff we had unloaded. When he got back, we carried everything in. It was a lovely evening at 75 degrees. I was going to post to my blog, but the internet was messed up. So we unpacked and watched a bit of TV before going to bed. We awoke to the sound of heavy rain. After cuddling, we went back to sleep. Then got up for breakfast, even though it is almost lunchtime. Chris called someone in charge of internet service and they told him to connect to a different router, so now we are 'on-line' again and all is right with the world.
* Since I posted a pic of William, I had to post one of his sister Olivia. Isn't she cute? *

Black Friday

Because Cecily had gone Christmas shopping earlier in the week, she did not go today, and so consequently neither did we. It was a laid back day of reading and e-mail. I spent the morning talking to Becca and Cecily. James tried to get my laptop online, and discovered that it was rejecting the passwork without even reading it. Probably because it thought the router password was too short. When it was time for lunch, I fixed breakfast. I spent the afternoon reading e-mail, first on Chris' computer and then on mine after he got it online. I took pics of William playing his violin. He has great bowing technique. When I could no longer sit reading e-mail, I went into the kitchen to talk to Cecily and Becca who were making supper. On the menu: prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower, salad, stir-fried veggies and twice-baked potatoes. Cecily took out the prime rib, and put in the Yorkshire puddings and potatoes. She called in Alfred to carve the meat. He discovered that it was all rare inside by carving the sides off of both roasts. So those pieces were left on the plate and Cecily put the roast back in the oven, removed the pudding and potatoes. Becca and I were salivating over the juicy rare slices of meat. When Cecily promised to look the other way, I ate two of them. When the roast was done, she put the potatoes and pudding back in the oven to finish cooking. Chris did the stir-fry. Then we sat down to eat. It was all delicious. I had seconds on all the vegetables except the potatoes. Again, the conversation was fun, mostly family anecdotes and computers. Yesterday we had discussed history, military life, TV, movies, Michele ( a favorite topic), kids in general, school, shopping, travel, books, etc. The kids left the table early to play. When their bedtime neared, they wrote in their journals, and climbed into bed with Magic Treehouse books. Everyone but Chris and I turned in for the night. James and Becca and the kids are leaving in the morning, as are we. Their trip back to New York will be shorter than our trip back to Huntsville. I am in a hurry to get back because we need to buy a fridge, washer, and dryer, all of which are on sale right now.

Thanksgiving

This morning I got up earlier and was in the kitchen before my mom started her breakfast. So as I fixed my meal, I gave her some of the nuts and berries that I normally eat. After breakfast I took a bath and then sat with my mother. Since my dad was using the laptop, I was quilting. I gave the quilt to my mom to work on for a bit. She did manage to do some stitching. But when she gave it back, she had smears of blood on her index finger. She had pricked it, but not badly. There was a little blood on the quilt, but I was able to get it out. I also did a little reading. I missed Dad cutting up the apples. He had progressed to the sandwiches when I noticed and juiced the veggies. Still, I gave Mom her glass, finished my own, and had almost completed the cleaning up when he was ready for lunch. After lunch, I took Mom to the bathroom and she wanted to change her clothes in order to go to Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws. So I helped her do that. I packed my suitcase and yardsale items for Chris to store in the car. I vaccuumed the livingroom, den and hallway. I was waiting for my dad to be ready to go, but then it became obvious that we needed to leave with out them. Kurt arrived about 3pm. Chris and I drove over to his parents house. Faye was already there, and William had just arrived. He told us that he'd gotten a call from Kurt, and they were on the way. We went inside to greet James, Becca and their two kids William and Olivia. Their son was practicing his violin. Then my parents arrived, and Kevin came after that. Cecily had supper well in hand with Faye's help. Olivia had put placecards on the table, seating herself between Chris and me. Her mother said that she had been looking forward to sitting beside me all week. I don't know what the attraction is. The meal was marvelous, and I ate a little bit of everything except the rolls. I ate a lot of turkey. After supper, Cecily served two kinds of pie with whipped cream: pecan and pumpkin. I did not partake. However, the conversation was good and I enjoyed myself every bit as much as those who ate dessert. When everyone had finished, Kevin went home and so did Kurt, Mom and Dad. That was too bad 'cause Michele skyped us from Korea. It was Friday morning for her. We talked with her for over an hour. Her roommate was there and spoke a little. Michele was wearing her coat and hat and scarf because it was 45 degrees in her apartment. She had just turned the heat on and was waiting for it to warm up. She told us that one of my friends in Korea had invited her over for supper later that day. I was so glad to hear that. After an hour, Cecily went to bed, turning off her computer system. Well, that shut down the router and we lost connection with Michele. But Chris turned it back on and we talked some more. I told Michele that I was looking forward to seeing her PS2 again and playing DDR, but it won't be the same without her. Then she had to go eat and get ready for school. We talked around the table for awhile, then Faye and William went outside to their vehicles. But somehow we got to talking out there, too. But it was cold! Apparently I was the only one who thought so. Eventually we went back in for a bit, and then Faye and William went home. It is now after midnight and I am looking forward to going to bed. However, there is still conversation going on in the kitchen, and I love to hear them talk - when they aren't talking about gaming, their conversations are very informative and entertaining.

House-cleaning

We slept under the nice quilt again. I don't know who made it, but I have one very much like it only in red somewhere in storage. Probably made by the same person.

Mom had just finished breakfast when I got out of bed. So I ate alone. She sat in her chair and read her book. Dad went for a walk. I took Mom into the livingroom to decide what to do with stuff. The one corner got reorganized and Chris moved the big chair back so we'd have more room. Chris also took some things out to our car. Then I got a washcloth and some water to clean the baseboards and window ledges. I vaccuumed around the furniture under the window. Dad was back in time for a nap before lunch. I woke him at 11:30 like he asked. It was tempting just to let him sleep. Then he started lunch. I gave him a good head start before I juiced the veggies. I put in a quarter of an onion and the resulting juice was too strong for me, but Mom and Dad did not seem to mind it. After lunch, Dad took Mom for a walk. I sat outside to read barefoot. When they got back, I let Mom listen to some Youtube music on the laptop. I did some more cleaning. I wiped William's speakers and the large TV cabinet. I tried to clean behind it. Dad and Chris discussed computer stuff, and I think Dad decided to get a laptop with Chris' help. I saw that the rug in the foyer was unraveling. I thought I could patch it with a piece of denim. Mom's sewing machine did well for awhile and then the needle broke. I found a size 16 to replace it. I was able to finish the job. Can't say it looks great, but it stopped the raveling. For now. Then I swept the foyer. Chris went to put gas in his car and bought a rotisserie chicken. He was cooking broccoli to go with it. Dad said he was going to take a nap until supper was ready. But he was back up soon, and did not say why. After supper, he took Mom to choir practice with him. Chris and I cleaned up supper. We were alone, and....then the doorbell rang. Patrick stopped by to pick up boxtops and to ask a million questions about Korea. I gave him a bowl of kimchi. He left about 8:45. My phone was dead, so I plugged it in. It did not seem useable at first, but then Ifigured out how to do it. I called Mary and we had a nice chat. She asked about Kelly and I was pleased to say she was doing well. Soon after I hung up with her, Mom and Dad came home. Mom had a big spot on her pants where she had fallen in the leaves. Thank goodness it was a gentle fall. I filled Dad in on Parick's visit. Then he took Mom to bed. I'll be heading in that direction soon myself.

Thanksgiving service

Chris and I slept on the sleeper sofa in the livingroom. It was plenty warm with the quilt we found in the cabinet. We enjoyed each other's company when we woke up. Mom and Dad were finished with breakfast when I ate. After breakfast Chris sat with Mom while I took a bath. Dad and I discussed how to print some pics from my camera before he went to a Dr. appointment at 10. He called at 11 to ask me to take fish fillets out of the freezer for lunch. Mom read her book and I read mine. I also did a little quilting. And I sewed up another holey sock for my dad. Dad came home, bringing me a bag of raw cacao, and started cutting up apples for lunch. You would not believe how long it takes him to cut up two apples. Has to be done perfectly. I had plenty of time to wash carrots, celery, peppers, etc and juice them. I fed Mom her cup of juice and then Dad and I drank ours. I cleaned the juicer. Dad toasted some bread and made sandwiches for himself and Mom. Then we sat down to eat. After lunch, I took Mom to the bathroom and then dressed her for church. Dad dressed up, too. Kevin came about 3pm. He started the casseroles. Dad got out his accordion so we could practice singing the choir music. It was almost 5 when we left. Dad drove to the Burger King on the way to church. Chris ordered the food while we got Mom inside and situated. We shared 2 chicken sandwiches and three salads. I brought an organic hard-boiled egg. At 5:50 we went to Skipwith Baptist church for a 4-church Thanksgiving service. We added two cans to the food collection, and Chris and Mom sat on the first pew while Dad and I practiced with the united choirs. The lady in the alto section went out of her way to make all the other altos feel welcome. There were 4 of us. It was nice to sing 4-part harmony with a choir. We sang from the hallway as the service began, and then processed into the 1st three rows. Later we went up front to sing the anthem. Sadly I could not hear my notes and did not sing well. The paster gave a top notch sermon, mentioning all the different denominations present and what each one does right, giving historical info on each, and telling humorous stories. After the service, I turned in the music, and found Chris and Mom. Chris had taken a pic of the choir with his blackberry. Then he rolled Mom outside down the ramp, around the church to the lower back entrance where refreshments were being served. I helped her fill a plate with desserts, and treats. I was not a bit tempted to eat any myself. I sat with her as she ate. Barbara K. talked with us. There was a big crowd, but it slowly thinned out. When almost everyone was gone, we left, too. When we got home, I put away the casseroles left on the stove. Mom read her book while I checked e-mail. Then she was ready for bed. So I took her back, changed her clothes, brushed her teeth, etc. When she was in bed, I came out to do my blog, but got side-tracked looking at ginkgo biloba supplements. The reviews were very good.

Sorting cards

I got cold during the night and had to put on more clothes. But then I slept well. I got up just as my parents were starting breakfast. We ate together. After breakfast Chris did two loads of laundry and my father asked me to sort piles of greeting cards lying around their bedroom. I went in there, assembled a pile and then found a book that my mom had written down childhood experiences. So I got a late start on the sorting process. There were a lot of cards not matched to envelops and I had to sort the cards by length to match them up. Mom had a file box for the cards, but some card defied catagorization, kinda like the books in the thrift shop book room. I worked on that until lunchtime. Then I made veggie juice and fed some to my mom. Dad wasn't quite ready with lunch so I went outside to sit in the sun and read. After lunch I read some more. Then Dad needed me to watch my mom so he and Chris could do computer stuff, so I took her outside. While she sat in the fresh air, I looked for something to do. I cut up the fallen branches, first with a pruning tool and then with a hand saw. Then I walked her down to the mailbox to get the mail. It was like winning the junkmail jackpot. So we went inside to sort it all and throw most of it into recycling. Then my father asked me to finish sorting the greeting cards. There went the afternoon. Chris made supper. I was feeling cramps in my back from sitting on the bed, sorting. After supper, I brought the file box out to double check everything that had already been filed. There went another couple hours. When Dad wanted to dress the bed with clean sheets, I had to move the boxes of cards. Then Dad took Mom to bed. I checked my e-mail, wrote to my blog, and now I am ready for bed.

Chris arrives at church

I got up early this morning to have breakfast and take a bath before helping my parents get ready for church. Everything went well and we arrived early for church. She and I sat in a pew while my father went to warm up with the choir. I stepped out to take a pic of the quilt top in the case in hall. When I got back, Faye had arrived from teaching Sunday School. Chris arrived soon after, having spent the night at his parents house. I was happy to see him, having had a dream about him last night. We all sat with my mother during the service. Several of the church members had just returned from Haiti and spoke of their experiences there. After the service, there was a carry-in meal. We brought the pie that Mom and I made. While we were still eating, the pastor started the meeting. Chris and I finished our meal and left to take my quilt out of the frame. Sandy was there to help. It seemed sad to leave the frame empty, but I think my Mom's quilting days are over. We left for home, stopping at Kroger for a few groceries for supper. When we got in the house, we were alone and took advantage of that fact. It was nice not to have to be quiet because of people in an apt above or below. Then we fell asleep. Chris got up later to do laundry. When I got up, I went outside to read until my parents got home. They had gone to the mall to walk after the meeting.I helped Dad make a list of everything he wanted to get done. He collected the garbage and put it outside. Chris made supper for us all. Mom and Dad had their pizza and icecream, and Chris and I ate beef stew and broccoli. I made veggie juice. It was so much easier than at home because Faye's juicer is new. I discovered that the sprouts I bought earlier were rotten, so Chris and I went back to Kroger to return them. We were offered an exchange, so we picked out the one in the back. The ones in front did not look good. After we got back, Chris carried the large bag of leaves out to the curb. Then he read his e-mail, and I helped my mom sort through magazines for recycling. Dad helped me get my battery charger working, and he practiced his choir music for Tuesday. Then I put my mom to bed, and sat to write this post.

Yard sales

Last night I checked the clock before I went to bed: 12:30. I set an intention to wake up in 6 hours. Did not really think it would work, but gave it a shot. When I woke up, the clock read 6:20. I dressed and went to the kitchen to fix breakfast. I was worried that William would show up and I wouldn't be ready. But then I noticed that the clock in the kitchen was an hour behind. So I had plenty of time. I even checked my e-mail. William arrived about 6:30 and we set off for the West End. We yard-saled all morning. I thought I didn't need much but I bought books, a soap dish, swags, pencil sharpener, laptop case, pitcher, and clothes. It wasn't much compared to what I didn't buy. Then William took me to Goodwill. He checked out the bikes while I looked at a sewing machine and books. When he was done, he took me home. Mom and Dad were finishing lunch. So I got out something to eat. Then Dad took Mom to the car and asked me to bring the wheelchair bag and seat. As the front door closed behind me, I did not realize that it was locked. After they drove away, I discovered that I was locked out. I checked under a few rocks for a key. Then I cleaned the front porch, and part of the back yard. The shed was open, so I got a rake and made a pile of leaves in the front yard. The man across the street came over to tell me about someone who will rake the leaves for extra money. As I was stuffing leaves in a bag, my parents came home from the memorial service. When Dad found out I had been locked out, he decided I should have a key. It wouldn't have helped because I did not have my purse with me (or cell phone). So he walked to Home Depot and made a copy of his key. When he got back, we started supper. Dad cooked fish and I made veggie juice. Then I finished the fish while Dad arranged sweet potato slices on the plates. We read the Bible and ate supper. After supper, I made the topping for the pie from yesterday. Mom put on the blueberries. Chris called to say he had arrived at his parent's house. As I checked my e-mail, he Skyped me. Dad went for a walk because Home Depot wasn't far enough away. I did some quilting, read more e-mail, and watched a few sewing videos. Dad came back and started cleaning up. I tried to help him, but he stayed to watch me do it to see if I did it right. Finally he took Mom back for her bath while I washed up the sink area. When I finish this post I am going to bed.

Grocery shopping

Nothing special to report about breakfast. After breakfast, I did some hand-quilting. I thought we were going grocery shopping, but Dad started installing a toilet roll holder in the back bathroom. We had lunch a little late. I did not juice any veggies because we were all out. And it was almost 3 when we got in the car to go shopping. Right then Dad decided he had to check the mail. He took it out of the box, and carried it in the house. And then...nothing. Finally I had to call him with my cell phone to say we were still waiting in the car. When we got to the store, I took Mom in her wheelchair, leaving Dad with the cart and his computer-generated list. She and I picked up veggies for juicing, and found him still picking out apples. We made the rounds picking up a few things here and there. In one aisle, an old woman stopped in the cleaning section and picked up a can of Lysol. She started spraying her cart, and didn't stop. I had to leave when the fumes got too bad. I guess she couldn't smell them. It took us 2.5 hours to shop. I can't explain why it took him so long to get stuff. Anyway, when we got home, I carried the stuff in while he helped Mom. Then he put each thing away in its place, rearranging pre-existing stock. I made fresh veggie juice for all of us. Then he started preparing supper. There was no point in helping him, he had a process and any help I gave him would interrupt it, and he would have to stop and re-think it all. We sat down to eat at 8. After supper I did some more quilting. Dad went for a walk about 9:45. Mom decided she wanted to make a cheesecake. So we got out the recipe. She told me what to do and I did it. I found ants in the sugar. I let her cut up the cream cheese. I put it in the blender with the other ingredients. It was supposed to blend for 2 minutes, but after 1 the mixture started leaking out all over the motor. So it got poured early. I put it in the oven and cleaned up the mess and utensils. Dad came back about 10:30. We stayed up waiting for it to cool, and watching a musical show from the whitehouse. But now it is time for bed because yardsaling starts early in the morning.

Thanksgiving and my Birthday party

This morning got off to a slow start. After breakfast, I started reading e-mail, and then my father asked me to reconcile his bank statement with his Giving Statement from the church. They did not match. It was kind of nice to do something mathematical. He was supposed to be compiling a grocery list, but kept trying to help me with the statement. There must have been something else we did, because we ate lunch late. William stopped by to get the TV in the livingroom working. After lunch, Dad had a doctor's appointment. I stayed home with Mom. Mostly I read e-mail. Mom wanted to watch a movie, so I tried a VHS tape in the VCR, but could not get it to play on the screen. I looked in back of the TV and saw it had no wires. But there were wires to a unit above that. I did not realize that that unit was a VCR also. So I tried the tape there. No luck. I traced the wires from the TV to the unit, and they led to something low. My gosh, it was a 3rd VCR. Then I had to figure out how to change the TV input to the VCR. It sounds simple but it wasn't. The remote wouldn't do it and I had to use the buttons on the TV. Anyway, the tape got damaged in one of the VCR's and Mom told me to get one out of the storage section of the TV cabinet. I grabbed the first one: it was labeled "Thanksgiving". The first part of it was recorded by my mother back in the 90's. It was at the Damour house. Mimi, James, Becca, Kelly, Mike, and Mabel were there. In one sequence, Michele dances with her new Samantha doll. I wish I could post it on Youtube, but she would probably never speak to me again. Maybe Facebook? Anyway, here is a pic, but the shadow ruins it. The shadow did not show on the tape, but can only be seen through the camera. Really weird. After Thanksgiving, there was a recording of my birthday party that year. I cannot tell how old I was. I think Kurt recorded it. It was all there, in great detail. It was like having the party all over again. It might be better to relive old birthdays than to celebrate new ones. I re-ran the tape to get a pic of Michele. Dad came home then. A piece of my camera came off and he helped me look for it, but we did not find it. It was time for supper and we never made it to the grocery store. As we ate supper, BBT came on, and I watched it in the living room. Then Dad turned it on in the den so I could sit in there where it is warm. There was nothing good on after that, so we turned it off. I got out the lone star quilt and worked on it as Dad worked on the grocery list. He brought me a container of sour cream for approval. It was dated last year and smelled riper than kimchi. He couldn't tell it was bad? Then he brought out another one dated for March. But it was unopened, and looked and smelled normal. Mom wanted to add to the list ingredients for a cheesecake. So he investigated the age of their cream cheese and Jiffy mix. Finally he finished the list and they went to bed, and soon I will, too.

Reading

After posting last night, I pulled the laundry out of the dryer and folded it. I wanted to listen to my ipod, but it was dead, so I plugged it into my laptop and got out the mp3 player. I listened to that for awhile in bed, but that music is much livelier than what is on the Ipod. Eventually I fell asleep. Mom was just starting breakfast when I got up. Dad was arranging her pills. So we ate together. After breakfast I fixed another pair of Dad's jeans. Mom read me several pages of her book, and then I read her several more. I had to change some of the words and wondered just what kind of book it was. She said she got it from the library, but it was not catalogued in any way. So I got out one of "The Cat Who.." books. I read her a chapter and she said it wasn't interesting. I asked her what kind of book she would like. She wanted a book about Amish life. We did not have any, but I did have a book about Sarai, Abrams' wife. Now that she found interesting. I read as much as I could, and then passed the book to her. Dad drove the Olds to the mechanic and walked back, in the rain. Then he started cutting up apples for lunch, so I got out celery, and lettuce for juicing. It wasn't enough so I went frig-diving and found spinach and peppers. I fed Mom her juice, and drank mine. Then I cleaned the juicer and put away the unused spinach. We ate lunch. After lunch we read a little more. Dad got a call that the Olds was ready, so he took Mom in the K car to drop it off with the mechanic, pick up the Olds and go to the fitness center. I stayed behind to finish my e-mail and sit outside for a bit. The ground was wet, but I was able to sit barefoot listening to an interview on the internet. Soon after I went in, William came by to tell me there were two crockpots at the Goodwill. So I went over there and bought one. Mom and Dad were eating supper when I returned. I ate, too, and then boiled a dozen organic eggs for future meals. Then we prepared to go to choir practice. It was raining hard. We got damp getting there. Dad walked Mom from the car to the church to avoid getting the wheelchair wet. She and I sat in the front row while the choir practiced. We each had something to read. When it was over, several members came over to talk to Mom and me. When I ducked out to go to the restroom, I noticed a familiar-looking quilt top in the display case. I asked Mom about it, but Shirley waved me over. She explained that Mom had brought it in, but I could take it if I wanted. It was the one I put together for Mom last summer. Well, it looked fine there, in fact, I wanted to take a picture but got distracted. Shirley mentioned my purple quilt which is on the frame in the other room. She thought I should take it if my mother won't ever get back to quilting. But she is worried about disappointing my mom. So we decided that the frame needs to go back to the person who lent it to the church. Maybe I can free it on Sunday after church. Mom said she wants to quilt it for me, but I told her to pick something smaller. I am afraid her quilting days are over. Then we left in the rain. It was almost 10 when we arrived. Dad turned on the TV to see the weather and they announced a show on the subject of string theory, so he sat and watched it. It was very interesting. When it was over, we took Mom to the back and prepared her for bed. Then I came out to write this post.

Mending and other chores

When I got up, Mom and Dad had almost finished breakfast. Mom was waiting for a pill to go down. I fixed my breakfast and ate. After breakfast, Dad brought me a pile of mending: jeans and socks. I also checked e-mail and opened a box of supplements that arrived yesterday. It wasn't too long before Dad started making lunch because it takes him so long. While he was doing that, I juiced up a head of broccoli, a bag of carrots and some celery. We each had a small glass of juice. When he had finished cutting up the apples and made Mom and himself sandwiches, we sat down to eat. I added kimchi to our meals. After lunch I took Mom outside to sit in the fresh air. She had a hard time walking there. Dad had to teach me the trick of shifting her weight for her by pushing down on the shoulder opposite the leg she should step with. I remember as a child, having a doll that would walk under the same conditions. As she sat outside, I swept the leaves off the deck. Then, just for something to do, I cleaned out as much rain gutter as I could reach from the picnic table. Dad walked to Fresh Market for a squash. When he got back, he decided to take Mom for a walk. As we left, Kevin arrived. So I stayed behind for a bit to talk to Kevin. But I had no trouble catching up to Mom and Dad. Their pace was quite slow. They walked up and down the street in front of the house. Then we brought her in. I sat and sewed and Kevin cooked and cleaned. When I finished, I went outside to help my Dad rake leaves. We came in when it got dark. Kevin was done cooking enough casseroles to last a week. Then Dad took a walk. When he got back, he started fixing supper. Should have taken 5 minutes, but it was agonizingly slow and he wouldn't let me help because he was so used to doing it himself. I started a load of laundry. My friend Mary called, and we had a nice chat. Finally we sat down to eat. Dad had the news on. Then some documentary came on, and I helped Mom finish her meal as he sat in front of the TV. When 8 pm came, I wanted to watch BBT, but he was still watching the documentary. So I tried the TV in the living room, but it would not pick up any digital channels. No converter box. I sat at the laptop to check e-mail, and it occurred to me that I could watch BBT on the CBS website. Yes! Then I put the laundry in the dryer. After a couple of episodes, I checked on the dryer and gave it more time. Dad got out his Alabama and Tennessee maps, and we discussed routes and elevations. The dryer had finished, but needed more time. So I will check it again when I finish this post. Dad took Mom to bed.
* Sorry, didn't take any pics today and don't have access to my bevy of quilt pics on this laptop. *

Going to Richmond

After I posted last night, I went to the VMIS system to certify volunteer hours. But there were none. Then I realized that it wasn't the 15th yet. So I entered my own hours and logged out. I had a hard time sleeping. The hideabed in the hotel room was not comfortable. But I must have slept some, because I only heard Cecily get up once, and she said she got up three times. And I heard the train go through at 4am. The three of us were ready and in the car by 9. We drove for about 2.5 hours and stopped at a Cracker Barrel for lunch. Then we got back on the road, stopping at almost every rest area on the way to Chester, Va. At Al and Cecily's house, we unpacked the car, and I called my Dad. He was out taking my mom for a walk. Al, Cecily and I stopped by the convenience store for a jar of kimchi, seen here. Hope it lasts 2 weeks. Al would not let me carry it with me in the Caddy. He put it in the trunk, double-bagged. He said eating kimchi in his Caddillac was out of the question! We took 288 to the Woolridge exit which pretty much goes straight to my parents' neighborhood. They were home. We brought all my stuff in. William stopped by after work to say 'hello'. My dad fixed supper for Mom and himself. I went to the Fresh Market for some organic foods and ended up at Goodwill before being driven home. My parents weren't finished eating, so I ate with them. Dad had the TV on so loud that it gave me a headache. Mom wanted him to get out the watermelon for dessert, but it was out-dated and slimy. I told her about the article in Seoul magazine. She wanted to see it, so I tried to open my blog with my laptop, but could not connect to the internet. I even called Chris and he had nothing to add to what I had already tried. Finally I used the laptop on Dad's desk. But the article was too small to read. Then I remembered that I had downloaded the pic onto my computer, and that I could enlarge it. So Dad was able to read it, but Mom could not. So I read it to her. Then it was time for them to go to bed. As Dad settled Mom in for the night, I took a pic of the kimchi and wrote this post.
I forgot to mention yesterday that I thought of Michele a lot. We ate at the Cracker Barrel built on the old Evans Middle school site where she attended 6th grade, and everyone at church remembered her and asked where she was.

Last day in Augusta

We got up about the same time as yesterday. Seemed so early until Chris reminded me that my watch was still on Alabama time. Oops. So I quickly took a shower and got dressed for church. We said goodbye to Neal and April, and thanked them for their hospitality. Then we went to church. It was great to get there early and have time to surprise and greet our friends as they came in. Several of them invited me to sing with the choir for old times sake. I had never seen the music before, but it wasn't hard. Then the choir left, having stayed for the earlier service. I had forgotten that part. I went down to sit with Chris and his parents for the rest of the service. It was so nice to be back. I got to talk to a few people after church, too, and then Chris left for Huntsville. I went with Al and Cecily to Cracker Barrel. We met Mike and Kelly there for lunch. Afterwards, we went to their hotel room to watch football and chat. The red helmets were playing the gold helmets. The game went into overtime. I think the red helmets won. Anyway, the conversation was much better and that is where my attention was. Al brought his Consumer Reports for 2011. I skimmed the sections for refrigerators, washers and dryers. At supper time, we went to Outback for dinner. Cecily got lamb, as usual. I helped her eat it, and Kelly helped her with the bottle of wine. There was wine left, and the waitstaff said we could only take it with us if they sealed it in a bag and we put it in the trunk. So they did, and we did. Back at the hotel, we watched more football, and had more amusing conversation. After Mike and Kelly left, we prepared for tomorrow, putting out clothing and packing suitcases. I readied a bowl of breakfast ingredients for the morning. Then Cecily helped me fix up the hide-a-bed. She and Al retired to their room to watch more football, and I am posting to my blog. No football for me.

Catching up with friends

I woke early to the daylight coming in the window. The room was cold and the comforter was warm, so I did not get up right away. When we heard cartoons in the livingroom, I could no longer convince myself that staying in bed would keep us from waking up our hosts. I went upstairs to take a shower, and then Chris took his. I fixed breakfast, and took my supplements. Chris was ready to go to the game store, so I hurried to get ready to go, forgetting to put away my supplements. We went to the game store and were warmly greeted by Paul, Keith, and one other guy whose name escapes me right now. It was nice to renew their acquaintance. I found a book to buy, and borrowed their phone book to look up my friend's phone numbers. But only Linda was home. She said they were going to the Kroc center for lunch and a musical afternoon, and I could go along. Since barbeque isn't my idea of health food, I walked to the nearby Asian market to buy seaweed and something else. The store was arranged backwards so that I had to walk to the back of the strip mall to find the back door. Inside the backdoor was the checkout counter. Weird. But I found seaweed and some natto, although it was frozen. I put that in my purse and walked back to find Chris. He drove me to Linda's house. We all chatted for a bit, and then he went back to the game store, and Linda, Dennis, and I went to the Kroc center in Augusta. It turned out to be a very nice place. There were musical acts from noon to 8. We sat in for some, and took breaks to eat at the barbeque stand, and to look at vendors there. Linda and I both bought handmade soap. We met their friends Lordys and Rusty. It was an interesting afternoon. Then we came back to Linda's house. I called Chris to tell him we were back. Linda and I caught up on each other's news. Chris came for me, and we went to see Keith and Janet for a bit. Then we went to Augusta Mall to a chinese restaurant called P.F.Chang. (I was amazed at the changes in Augusta Mall, it is huge!) My in-laws and Mike and Kelly were there. We had a great time and the food was excellent. We discussed plans for tomorrow morning. Then we went back to Neal and April's place. Their daughter was already in bed. Neal gave Chris the network password. Chris was able to get his computer to connect, but mine was recalcitrant. Still, he persevered until he succeeded. By the time I got into my e-mail, everyone decided to go to bed. So I alone am left to tell the tale.

Going to Augusta

The alarm went off at 5:30. It was too dark to pack last night, so we got up early. Chris took a shower and I spent a few more minutes in bed. Then I took a shower and started packing. Chris checked his e-mail and I fixed breakfast so I could check my e-mail too. I got one from Mary with her phone number. That's good 'cause my address book got packed in HHG so I don't have any phone numbers. It was about 8 when we headed out. We passed a sign for Cathedral Caverns, so I told Chris we should go see it sometime. There were lots of cow pastures. We exited Alabama and wound our way through Tennessee and Georgia to Atlanta. When we got through Atlanta, I called Mary, but only got her answering service. When we got to BelAir road, I called again, but with no luck. Chris knew the way to Neal's house, so we got there with no trouble. We met their daughter Emmy who is almost 2 and very cute. When Al and Cecily arrived at the hotel, we got word and drove over there. Later Mike and Kelly showed up, and then Neal and April. The 6 of us went to Carrabba's for Mike's birthday (even though it was last week). It seemed impolite to mention that I had a vow never to go there again, so I went along. We were told it would be a 30 minute wait but we waited for an hour, even though we called ahead. They moved a sports party of 20+ ahead of us, which did not improve my opinion of them. We were finally seated in the back. We ordered. While we were waiting, we had a good time chatting amongst the lot of us. Emmy was being cute fishing for ice cubes in her water. When the food came, it was better than bulldog slobber, or a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, as Chris would say. Emmy finally had enough, and they left to take her home to bed. Al insisted on paying for everyone. When we got back to the hotel, Mike and Kelly were waiting for us, having left with Neal and April. So we all sat in the hotel room, chatting like old times. Cecily, who insisted that she doesn't read my blog, was well lubricated from the restaurant and had another drink in her hand. She was very entertaining, and Kelly played along with her. It was good to see Kelly having so much fun. Sometimes I worry about her health, but she seemed really good. It was lots of fun, but Chris was worn out from the drive, and since we were staying with Neal and April, we thought we should get back before it got too late. I wanted to post to my blog, but Neal couldn't find his network password. He thinks a certain young lady might have been involved in its disappearance. So I tried to use April's computer, but remembered the password incorrectly. Then Chris found a nearby network that was not password protected. But my computer wouldn't connect, at least not until I rebooted my computer (I am so looking forward to getting back to XP). So here it is, such as it is. And as a certain someone will note, I did manage to work the phrase 'bulldog slobber' into this post.

Cold, but sunny

It did not rain today, but it was windy and sunny. I tried sitting outside barefoot and had to wear a coat in the blowing wind. Chris took the day off. He put my new tag on my car. Most of our time was spent on our computers. I answered e-mail and watched a few video clips. I placed another order of supplements. I took a long walk in the late afternoon but before the sun set. I started reading a book called "Sarah", as in the wife of Abraham. It is pretty good. We skyped Michele after supper. She is doing fine. She made a crockpot of cabbage soup and is eating it every night for supper. She says next week is chicken soup. I am glad it isn't night after night of Ramen. When we hung up, it was time for Big Bang Theory. We enjoyed that. Then I flipped through the channels, settling on a show about tsunamis. But then we found more episodes on BBT on another network, and that lasted for two hours. Chris set his alarm for 5:30 (daylight comes early here) so we can pack (not enough light after dark) for our trip to Augusta.
* I didn't take any pics today, so here is one of the backyard of the house we will be renting. *

Just general errands

Because I wasn't able to get my car tag yesterday, I tried again today. I arrived at 8:15. They don't open until 8:30, but there was already a line. Fortunately at 8:30 a lady came out to divide the line into the regular group, and the Wednesday activites-only group. That made the line shorter. Only two people were ahead of me then. But she told me that the tag was only good until January, then I would have to renew it. Hopefully I can do that on-line and not have to stand in that line again. When I got back, the maid was in my apartment, cleaning in the kitchen. She has never come so early. She'd already made the bed and cleaned the bathroom. I told her I was sensitive to all those cleaners. Actually it seems a waste to use them every day. She told me I could hang out the do-not-disturb sign whenever I didn't want cleaning.
It was overcast today. And it rained on and off. I sat outside early. The sun was hidden behind the clouds. But I got to sit for almost an hour before it sprinkled. I might have stayed out longer, but I was using my laptop, and I don't think it is waterproof. Chris came home early for lunch, and stayed home to work on the computer. I finished watching the episodes of Monk. Then he drove me in my car to the library to return the books and DVD's. I wanted him to drive because a light was showing on my dash. Chris said it looked like an engine. I thought it looked like a submarine. Anyway, according to my owners manual, a malfunction message should appear. I watched it carefully the whole way, and no message appeared. Well, the sales man did say that something about the check-engine light coming on even though there was no problem.
When we got back, it was not raining any longer. So I went for a walk in the fading daylight. I can't believe that it gets dark by 5 now. I saw a patch of sunlight shining through the trees and I walked toward it. But I just found myself in wet grass. I wandered around a bit, and leaned up against a tree. The squirrel at the top chittered at me, apparently upset at having to share his tree. When I got back, the daylight was almost gone. I did a little sewing, making two potholders with a leftover strip of batting that had been used as packing. I used big stitches so I can 'reclaim' the fabric later when our potholders arrive. We ate leftovers in the frig. I started watching a movie on rollercoasters in 3D on VHS. Near the end my brother called to chat. Then I finished the movie. It was ok, but will be even better when we get our 42 inch screen TV! I watched a bit of regular programming, and then called my Dad to tell him I am arriving next week. Now I am finishing up my blog (in between Skypes from my brother), and am ready to turn in for the night.
* This is the actual front of the library. Apparently the door facing the street is the back entrance. The front entrance is behind the building, facing the parking lot. *

Surprise!

I got up this morning with only one goal in mind - to get tags for my car. So, after breakfast and e-mail, I took a shower, and drove to the PX where there was a DMV satellite office. But the line was long. I stood there for 40 minutes. When it was my turn, the lady said that she needed to see Chris' license too, AND since our licenses have North Carolina addresses, she needed to see our passports or birth certificates to verify that we are U.S. citizens. But she did not need to see proof of insurance. She could take my word for that. So I called Chris and went back to the apt. When he came home for lunch, he took my license. I measured my wagon's cargo capacity and noted the figures in the car book in case I ever have to haul anything kinda big. Then I sat in the sun for an hour. Chris went back to work. I read more e-mail, looked up refrigerators at Lowes, saw some videos on Youtube, and finally decided to walk to the thrift shop. But I never got there. On the way, Chris called to say he was going to meet a realestate agent to sign the lease. So I went back to the apt, wrote down the address from an e-mail, then walked away again in the direction I expected him to arrive. But he came from the other direction, so I walked back again. We followed the GPS as best we could to the office, then drove around looking for a place to park. So we were a little later than intended. The agent sat us down and gave each of us a copy of the lease. She had the wrong price on it, and we had to initial her changes. She talked to us as we read through it. So it was hard to focus. But she seemed really nice, and we chatted after signing the lease too. Then we returned to base. I cooked bison with onions, garlic and tomatoes. Chris made wild rice. We ate in front of our computers. Then I was reading an article in my in-box and came across the pic which you see in this blog. I was quite surprised to see it, but glad to have a pic for my blog because I did not take any pics today. I showed it to Chris. And proclaimed that they got the quote wrong. What I said was "Quilting is my passion, but buying fabric is an addiction". Then I watched an episode of TQS on my laptop. When it was over, Chris put "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" on. He got it from Netflix. We watched that and then retired for the night.

The pieces are coming together

After Chris went to work, I fixed breakfast and intended to do laundry. But while I was reading e-mail, MaryAnn skyped me. We had a oft interrupted chat. For some reason the connection wasn't good. Finally the call dropped altogether. By that time Chris had called to tell me not to drive the car until he brought home a copy of the proof of insurance. So I spent the rest of the morning sewing little pieces together. He came home for lunch. The sun was out, so I sat outside and read for an hour. Chris went back to work. I had a bite to eat, and then took all the dirty laundry to the laundromat. I washed it in two loads, and then dried it in one. But it wasn't dry, so I had to run it a second time. I stopped it periodically to pull out whatever was dry. When I got home, Chris was already there, working from his computer. I put the laundry away, and then took a walk for 45 minutes. We had leftover chicken for supper. The realestate agent e-mailed to set up a time to sign the rental agreement. She wants to get it done because someone else got their bid in first, but they have a pet, and we don't. I am excited to have a house, but not looking forward to the yard work. Neither is Chris. We discussed our plans for this weekend and Thanksgiving. Then we retired to our respective laptops to watch our respective TV series. My computer kept getting kicked off the net. Chris tried everything, but it had to be rebooted. Why did that work? Dunno. He says that is why computers are referred to in the feminine - no one understands them except their maker.

Trying a Lutheran Church

Got to sleep late because of the time change. We had time to eat and shower and read e-mail, etc and still got to church on time. This time we went to a Lutheran church on the east side. It was a small church. There was no choir loft, but they quietly came up out of the congregation when it was time to sing the anthem. People noticed right off that we were new, and made a point of introducing themselves. I saw quilted banners up front and knew there must be quilters present. But I was told after the service that the lady who had made them had moved. When it was time for communion, I saw they had the round holder for tiny plastic cups of wine. I had to struggle not to laugh because it reminded me of the time when Michele and I were taking communion and her cup burst in her hand, soaking both of us. We were shaking so hard trying not to laugh that the pastor thought we were crying. Such fond memories. After the service, they were serving pizza and preparing for a congregational meeting. We went home. I sat in the sun for an hour, while Chris baked the rest of the chicken. Then we took my new car to get a fill-up. I started a new notebook for recording gas and repairs. When we got back, we ate some chicken and sprouts. I read that there is a special enzyme in immature plants (such as sprouts ) that convey anti-aging properties. It is called auxinon. I cleared some more e-mail, and then turned my attention to sewing. Sadly there wasn't as much daylight left as I was used to. Finally I had to give it up. Well, the spool is almost empty. I wrote a check for Kevin and Chris filled out the rental application. Then we retired to our respective laptops to watch episodes of our chosen series. I finished the 4 episodes on one DVD, pausing now and then for a bite to eat. Chris paused his to make cranberry sauce. Now am ready for bed, mostly 'cause Chris went to bed already.

Bought a car

We slept in a little this morning, then got up to have breakfast and read e-mail. The beautification commission was still out, finding more sheds to take away. I sat outside for an hour in the sun. First I finished my book, and then I did 45 minutes of Sudoku puzzles. After lunch we went to the used car place. We bought the Jetta wagon and it felt like the right decision. We drove back in our separate cars. Then Chris took me to Publix. He wanted to get his special coffee, but they did not have the package he wanted. But we got a small notebook for my new car and a few other things. When we got back, Chris put chicken thighs in the oven. I used the remaining daylight to sew and iron small pieces into larger ones. When supper was ready, I quit, and we ate. Then I called my Dad and talked to him for a bit. I researched nearby sources of organic beef on the internet. Chris was watching Dvd's on his computer, so I plunked in season 6 of Monk, borrowed from the library. It was funny, and I like the theme song. I did not realize how long the DVD was, and now it is midnight.

Car shopping and sewing

Today I sewed. All I have are scraps, but it is a start. From small things come larger things. I had the ironing board right up against the window to get the light, and from there I watched the 'beautification committee' come in with a large forklift and remove a corrugated metal shed. Then they broke up the slab under it, and carried the pieces away. It took a lot longer to accomplish it than to tell it. They must also have planted a tree when I wasn't looking. Just all of a sudden it was there. Kinda tall for a planting, and it must have had a small root ball judging by the circumference of the raw dirt around it. I am thinking that these buildings were only recently vacated by the military who lived here.
Chris came home for lunch and changed out of his suit. He had work to do on his computer, but expects that by Monday he will be able to use the one at work. After lunch we went to a used car lot to test drive a 1999 Saturn wagon that was advertised on line. The engine sounded terrible, and it smelled like cigarette smoke. However, in the same lot was a 2002 Jetta wagon. So we tried it. The man suggested we drive out to the freeway and down to the Bob Wallace exit. But we never found the Bob Wallace exit and got off at another one. We ended up downtown without a map or GPS. Chris was trying to direct me back onto the freeway when I decided that it was his turn to drive. We made it back to the car lot. We both liked the Jetta in spite of the pet hair, but want to check out the price before we decide to buy. The real estate agent called while we were out to tell us that the rental application was available in her office, so we stopped by to pick it up on our way home. But before we went to our little apt, we dropped by the library to see if they had BBT Dvd's. They did not, but we found other stuff to watch, and Chris got some books. It was too cold to sit out in the sun, but I sat by the window to read the book I got the other day. Then, because it is too dark at night to sew, I used the remainder of the daylight to put a few more pieces together. Chris started watching Battlestar Galactica on his computer. When I heard it, I came and sat with him. We ate supper while watching it. At 6:15 he stopped it so he could play with 'the voices'. Michele was participating from her apt in Korea. Hearing her voice choked me up so much that I could not talk to her. When the game was fully underway, I went into the bedroom to read. The lamplight was so poor, it was hard to focus, and the eye strain made me fall asleep. I don't know when I fell asleep, but I awoke in the middle of the night, and can't go back to sleep, so why not post? I can't be any more awake than I already am.
* Here is a pic from the hail and farewell yesterday. You can just barely see the speaker's head. *

Rain and more houses

Since I walked to the library yesterday, I thought I would walk to the thrift shop today. I also thought I would sit in the sun, but it never arrived. I did, however, talk to MaryAnn over Skype. I fixed breakfast, and read e-mail. Chris came home a little early for lunch, and then he dropped me off at gate 8, where I met our real estate agent and her husband. He had to go back to work, and I went to look at several more houses. The first one was ok, but the master bedroom was too small. The second one was very spacious, especially with the whole-house basement and all it's storage. But it is old, and the alliances are old, and some walls are paneled and the bathrooms are old pink tile. Nice back yard though, and flower beds, trees, grass. Then we went to see another house. Also spacious. The master bedroom could fit two or more king-size beds. It is much newer and has two floors. Very elegant. It has a fenced-in place for a garden, and a privacy fence for keeping out the road noise because it backs up to a busy road. The front is squished together with the neighbors because it is in a cul-de-sac. They were going to show me a 4th place that was only 1800 sf, but I knew it would be unacceptable after seeing 2500 sf. So we went back to gate 8 and Chris met us there. He had a little time off before the AMC Hail and Farewell, so we went back out so he could see the two biggest houses. Then we rushed over to the activities center. We just made it in time. But it turned out to be a big social. Chris introduced me to a few people, and we sat and ate popcorn while listening to the band. When the festivities started, each department head stood up and introduced the new people in their division and said goodbye to whoever was leaving. Mostly, there were new people. The room and program had a football theme. I had to ask Chris to explain some of the jokes afterwards. We had supper at home, and I called the real estate agent to say we wanted the older house. (It was $50 cheaper). She said someone had already put in an application, but that we should do one too. She is going to e-mail us the application and we have to get a credit check to go with it. Then we sat back to watch Big Bang Theory and "Top Hat", our latest Netflix submission.

'Checking out' the library

I woke up when Chris' alarm went off, but waited until more daylight came in the window to get up. I kissed him before he left for work. Then I read e-mail for awhile. One article was about the dangers of flu shots.
Here is a quote from Mike Wagnitz. He's a senior chemist at the University of Wisconsin. He's spent the last 20 years evaluating products for mercury. "A common myth is that thimerosal is added to vaccines in 'trace' amounts," he says. But he says this just isn't true. "The concentration of mercury in a flu vaccine is 50,000 parts per billion. Drinking-water can't exceed two parts per billion of mercury. Waste is considered hazardous if it has only 200 parts per billion." But flu shots are OK with 50,000 parts per billion. That means your average flu shot contains literally 250 times more mercury than hazardous waste.
Chris came home about 10:30 to work on his computer since he still can't use the one on his desk at work. He warned me about a test of the 'big voice' system at noon. Good thing too, 'cause when the sirens started up, and the voice warned us of severe weather, and to take cover, it sounded serious. After lunch he went back to work. I sat outside reading e-mail and enjoying the grass between my toes. The maid came by, and I told her we didn't need anything. Then I walked to the library. I looked over their collection and chose a book using the computerized card catalog. It was one Yongsan didn't have. I was afraid that they wouldn't let me check it out because I do not have a good address to give them. But I guess they checked my account at Yongsan and decided I was a good risk. Anyway, I walked toward home with the book. When I got to the abandoned basketball court, I walked over. It was secluded and a fallen tree was nearby. So I sat on it and started my book. I expected Chris to call when he got home. About 4:30 I shut the book and walked back to find Chris already there. He looked up the big Kroger in town and typed it into the GPS. We went there to buy groceries. They had the raw organic cheese that I was looking for. When we got home, we ate supper and I washed the dishes. I called William to see if he knew of any cars for sale. Chris set up his computer to play an episode of BBT from the CBS website. But the download speed was so bad, that we saw it in 6 second increments with long wait times in between. However, we used the time wisely;) Then he went to bed, and I have to check my e-mail one last time.

Hunting houses in Huntsville

Yesterday I looked for houses on the internet. This morning I passed those mls numbers on to the real estate agent so she could tell me the square footage (you'd think it would be in the public listing, but it wasn't). When the maid came, I told her there was nothing to do here. When the agent sent me the sq for my list, I paired it down to my favorite 5 and sent that list back to her. We arranged to meet at one of the houses at 1pm. A little after 11 I sat outside in the sun and grass reading e-mail and listening to some Beethoven. It amazes me that the weather is warm enough in the middle of the day to be barefoot in November. Chris came home from work for lunch. After lunch we punched in the address of the first house and the GPS guided us there. That house wasn't much to look at. It needed repairs, and it looked like someone was in the middle of doing them. Still, the real estate agents kept saying we would be happier elsewhere. So they took us to see another house on my list. This one was better, but still old, and the back yard was so covered in vines that you couldn't see the ground. Lots of dead wood, and branches. It had major foundation issues, which was probably why it was for rent and not for sale. The agent moved us on to the next house. It was much nicer. And the yard was neatly mown and partially fenced. Still, it was 20 years old, and had the dark wood trim in each room and the kitchen. The view of the mountain from the front of the house was a big plus. It had one tree, in the front yard. It was the nicest thing we'd seen so far and we were tempted to take it. On the other hand, we don't have any furniture yet and Chris wondered if we were looking too soon. Finally we went to a 4th house. This one really caught my eye. It was an older home on 5 acres, with a horse barn and pasture. Men were inside replacing some of the flooring. It had 2 bedrooms on the main floor and three in the finished basement. Lots of room space and storage space. It even had a small cinderblock tornado room. Did I mention the deck that runs the length of the house? But it is at the top of our price range and may not be good on utilities. Then again, it isn't ready yet, and neither are we. Our agent had to leave then, so we wandered a bit more, and then went home. Chris immediately left with the dirty laundry. He said he didn't need me, so I stayed behind to google the last house and see what the property lines were. I could not find them anywhere. Sadly, I forgot that I was supposed to meet K. T. to get a ride to the quilter's meeting. I felt really bad when I realized it. When Chris got back from doing laundry, he drove me to the meeting. I had missed most of it, but enjoyed what was left. The ladies were friendly and seemed to be interested in doing the same kinds of things that I like. Afterward, I stayed to talk to the lady who seemed to be in charge. She showed me the Ricky Timms kaleidoscope quilt that they will be working on next Saturday. It looked very interesting. When we got home, Chris and I had supper. Then we folded the laundry. He went to bed and I stayed up to post.

Looking for a car and a house

Before I went to bed, I entered one more pic in the photography contest that ends Oct. 30th. Then this morning before breakfast, I changed my info on Blogger and Facebook to reflect my new location. I was reading e-mail when the maid came in to change the sheets, etc. I asked her where was a good place to live, and she seemed surprised that we weren't staying here. I spent an hour outside in the sun, but other than that, the whole day was taken up perusing mls listings for rental houses. Chris came home at 4:30. First we checked the car lot near the commissary. They were newer cars and more than I wanted to pay. Then we drove out to several neighborhoods in an area that was recommended by Alex. But I was concerned about how close it is to the airport. One part was all new construction. No rentals there. The older neighborhood was behind a massive new elementary school. We stopped a pedestrian to ask about plane noise. He said he normally did not hear it, but did hear testing at the Arsenal. We saw lots of traffic because of the time we went out. When we got back, Chris heated up the leftover chicken soup and put a roast in the oven for tomorrow. We cuddled on the couch and watched "Top Hat" with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.