Monday Mystery about....

...how long Butch can procrastinate!***

Several months ago, I put a large printer in the hallway upstairs to be taken away.

It sat there with the instruction booklet and cartridges for months. I reminded Butch several times. The funny part is that he hauled down all the Christmas stuff that was around it, but left the printer. I finally gave up and decided not to say another word. I wanted to see how long it would take. All through the holidays, as the "kids" were here, it sat in the hallway.  I think someone even tripped over it. Margarita has had to clean around it. Still, it remained.

When one of the light strands on the outdoor garland went out, I had a spare box. I purposely put it on top of the printer as a "hint" to get rid of it. That didn't happen. He fixed the lights, but the printer still sat. And then there were two. As it turned out, I had another old printer that finally bit the dust. Soooo, I added that one to the hallway. Still, they sat.

All of a sudden, right after Christmas, I noticed the printers were gone. I was so excited---until I found that they had just been moved to the rec room---on the game table. They sat there for a couple weeks until my birthday.

We decided to play games in the rec room so the guys could have football on in the background. I heard Stephanie's exclamation when she saw the printers on the game table---and I was all the way downstairs! She couldn't believe that they had just been relocated instead of taken out to the garage. She decided to fix that for me!

She laughingly did this. She called me to see. She said, "Now he'll have to take them out!" I'd say this was the best birthday present I got!

You might be wondering why I just didn't carry them down myself. Well, that's what I would usually do when things are not done in my preferred timely manner. He can outlast me every time! But since I'm such a faller, I'm not taking any chances with heavy, cumbersome things!

God bless my procrastinating guy! He does provide us with lots of entertainment.

One more mystery solved!

***Update. I wrote this post yesterday. When I went to get something out of the freezer, there was this:

OMGosh!!! The printers have just been moved to the mud room! What's it going to take?? I guess it's still a mystery after all.

Another Birthday Comes and Goes

It was a great day. I spent the morning with friends, the afternoon stitching and watching a movie, and ended with dinner at Char with my girlfriends (it was poker night).

Saturday my birthday continued as I spent the day exactly the way I wanted. I worked in my scrapbook room all morning and went from this:

A huge mess. I used to be really disciplined and cleaned up after each scrapbooking session. As I've been busier and we've been traveling more, I found myself with little time to scrapbook. I was barely able to keep up with my AYM and round robin layouts.

 After 4 and a half hours, I got everything sorted, re-organized and cleaned up.

 The assorted things you see here are some class materials for an upcoming kit.

I got my photos re-organized and back in the appropriate albums. These albums need to be cleaned out as do my embellishment containers. That's a good job to do in front of the tv. Soon (I hope).

This is what I have left to do---put all of these layouts in albums. I'm having a little contest with my friends to guess how many there are. I'm looking forward to finishing this today.

I finished working in my scrapbook room around 1 p.m. I spent the rest of the afternoon stitching and watching a movie. I really want to finish my 3D Santa project. That should happen today. The movie I watched was Mona Lisa Smiles with Julia Roberts---really good.

Stephanie, Nicky, Mindy and Justin came to celebrate my birthday. I didn't want to eat out because we've been eating out so much lately. I planned the meal and the girls brought the sides. We had Cornish game hens, wild rice, salad, roasted carrots and black Forest cupcakes for dessert.

I also made Sandy's crockpot hot chocolate recipe to have with Bailey's and Godiva Chocolate liquer. So good and sinfully rich. But since it was my birthday, I decided to splurge. I sent some home with Steph and Nicky and kept just one cup for myself. I'll have that tonight.

As always, my favorite thing to do is to set the table.

 I did the table first thing in the morning.

 I made "candle" napkin folds.

I didn't really have a centerpiece so I just pulled some things together. What better platform to build it on than a cake plate!

I bought a pair of crystal candle holders at a craft fair years ago. I liked how they used old things to decorate them.

I added the candy jar from the living room filled with "golden" kisses. The white snowball looking things are actually floating pool lights that Elizabeth gave me a few years ago. They no longer work but since they look like snowballs, I kept them. Butch is going to see if there are batteries that can be replaced. I also had silver "ice" scatters that I used.

And then there were the presents. I had already received a few things from friends: earrings, Regal gift card, Kindle book and lounging pants. Shown here are the gifts from the girls. The assorted fun plates and napkins are from Stephanie. Mindy gave me the L'Occitane lotion and body scrub. Sandy gave me the Victoria Secret "paint pen" perfume and the Kate Spade book. I received a few cards too. Oh, and Butch "gave" me a floor frame for my stitching projects. Sometimes, you need both hands! I actually bought it for myself, but he said it was from him. Okay by me!

We spent the evening playing poker. After Mindy and Justin left, Steph, Nicky, Butch and I played Racko.

It was a fun two days of birthday fun. I'm happy to be stretching it out for today too! All in all, it was a fun birthday. My next one is just around the corner. They are coming fast these days (years)!!

Friday Funnies

What I Buy Wednesday

This post is a little misleading because I didn't buy any of this stuff last week. I bought it right before Christmas, but then had too much to blog about then.

About a week before Christmas, I got an email offer for 25% off Toms---plus a free fleece blanket.  I've always liked Toms--not necessarily for how they look, but for how comfortable they are.

I hadn't really planned to buy any new shoes, but when I saw these, I just couldn't resist. They have styled them differently. I actually love these! The same comfort and the same cause. For each pair you buy, they donate a pair. Toms are cheap. They don't last forever that's for sure, but they are worth the price. You can check them out here.

 I find that I am drawn to products associated with a cause. That lead me to "thrive causemetics." From their website: We deliver our products + services to women experiencing cancer, homelessness, or domestic violence by giving to hospitals, organizations + events around the world. I have been using some of their products for a little while now. They are reasonably priced. But I have to say, the lash extension mascara is fabulous!

I didn't buy anything this week. Starting the first of the year, I'm supporting myself with my monthly Social Security check. That means I'm paying for everything I do and buy out of that. I should be okay, I don't think I'm that extravagant! Unless you consider things like this:
*Starbucks--I do like my tea. I go about once a week.

Plus, I'm a sucker for a cause---"give a book, take a book." I haven't given or taken a book yet, but I do like the idea.

*Manicures and Pedicures--I go about once a month for a pedicure with Connie. I used to have my nails done weekly, but lately I've been doing them myself.

*Theater and Symphony tickets--I adore live performances. Connie and I went to the symphony for "An Elvis Christmas." It was fab!! We have many more tickets purchased for the upcoming year.

*Travel--if I'm on a trip without Butch, that comes out of my budget. I have several of those planned this year---even just simple St. Louis trips.

*Stitch Fix---I still enjoy getting the box. I'm being very particular about what I keep---especially since I have to pay for it!

*Needlepoint---Okay, this is a biggie! Once I pay for my latest project, I'll be set for at least two years!

*Books---I'm still using the library, so I should be okay here.

*Movies---I think I can afford once a week.

*Lunches---that's about once or twice a week. Got it covered.

*Bridge---playing bridge is about $5.00 a week. Once a month I play an extra time.

Now, I think that just about covers all of my extravagances---and that's all the fun stuff. I won't like buying tires or paying for car repairs. I hope I don't have any this year. Medical is covered by Medicare. So, I think I'm good! We'll see! I'm going to need a new computer soon. Eeeek! That's a big one!

Guess who has a birthday coming up? I just got this in the mail.

When I opened it up, it is loaded with all kinds of gift cards. You have to do something or register to be able to use them. I haven't read the fine print yet. I certainly don't want to find myself with some sort of subscription! So the birthday gifts are rolling in. I already got a gift certificate for free Bang Bang Shrimp from the Bonefish Grill. Using that for sure!

I guess that's about it from here.

Travel Tuesday

So, with keeping with my New Year resolve, we were at the beach last week. On the way, we stopped off in Montgomery, AL. We just love little side trips to see unusual and the big things along the way. I was really excited this time. 

We had a plan. An ambitious plan. It meant we might not get to the beach until much later than we usually do. But, considering it's nearly an 8 hour drive (which I hate), anything to break it up is good. 

We left early--5:30 a.m. In 4 hours, we were there just in time for things to open. First stop, a photo op with Hank!

 I was not happy about the orange work barrels. That's a way to ruin the shot.

So we got creative. I got a little closer and adjusted the angle. I was so happy with how the picture came out---until I noticed the reflection in the statue. Sheesh!

We spent about an hour browsing through the museum. It was sooooo good! We weren't allowed to take photos so I pulled these off the internet.

Here is his 1953 Cadillac. It is awesome! Hank Jr. inherited it and has loaned it to the museum. This is the car he died in at the age of 29 due to heart issues. He was on his way to do a concert in West Virginia.

I don't know why, but even young people looked older back in those days. Still, this museum had tons of memorabilia from records to clothing to furniture and personal effects. Very interesting. We listened to his music for part of the ride after that.

 Right down from the Hank museum was this building.

 This is the Steiner Loebman building.

 It has a casket on top. No one knows why, but they don't think there's a body inside.

I love when they leave old things alone. I think it just adds character to the downtown area. I don't know how old this water tank is. The Alley is full of assorted restaurants and bars.

When we pulled up to the White House of the Confederacy, I was not happy to see all of the yellow caution cones. Of course, they are meant for people like me who tend to slip, fall and break their ankle on wet, slick surfaces. Still, I don't like them in my photos. I managed to reduce them to this one.

Then Butch got this idea. Perfect! Anyway, the "White House of the Confederacy" is a little misleading. Jefferson Davis only lived here with his family for 2 months. You know how long 2 months is---nothing! But to hear the tour guide tell it, everything important for the Confederacy was decided here! Yeah, right! Still, it was very nice and had some original furniture. We're glad we stopped, but I think we're going to be selective about touring old houses. After awhile, they all look the same.

 While we were there, we had to visit Hank's grave.

After this stop, lunch was next on the itinerary. We were going to the highly ranked, #1 restaurant in Montgomery. We had to drive 7 miles which didn't sound like much, but when it's mostly stop lights, it took quite awhile to get there. We were disappointed to find it in a strip mall. As if that wasn't bad enough, when we got to the door, it was closed. I suggested we just fast food it and be on our way. Butch, not to be deterred, headed on down the road and found the Shrimp Basket.We decided to check it out and we're glad we did. We shared the seafood gumbo (not so great---only one teeny shrimp) and the crawfish po boy. OMGosh y'all! The po boy was incredible! We got the extra crawfish on it since we were sharing. It was heaping! The sandwich more than made up for the gumbo. We'd go there again. Turns out we'll be able to. There's one in Panama City!

After lunch, the rain had started. We decided to postpone the rest of our stops until the next time we're coming to the beach---which will be in February. 

We ended up getting to the beach around 3. We had a fun day that didn't seem so much like hours and hours in the car. 3-4 hour stints is about all I can take! 

This is how we do it! Otherwise, I'm flying!

Monday Memos and Me

We are on our way back from Santa Rosa Beach. We couldn't have asked for more gorgeous weather. I spent all of my time reading, stitching, putting together the itinerary for our London trip in June, blogging, catching up on blog reading and playing my computer games. I rarely have so much time to do absolutely nothing and everything I want to do! It's heaven and I never get bored! No matter how much time I have, it never seems like enough! This is a great time to come to the beach--not too busy and not too hot! It's just right.

Other than spending time on the porch (and enjoying this view), I only went out 3 times---to get my nails done and  for two dinners. We always enjoy The Perfect Pig which is right here at the resort. They have half price entrees--Monday through Thursday. Unfortunately, we didn't time that right! We had a gift card, so it was still "free!"

We ordered this appetizer. We were told it was shrimp ravioli. When it arrived, it was loaded with lobster! Actually, I sort of panicked that we had somehow ordered the wrong thing. This HAD to be expensive! Nope, this was the featured appetizer--our server just forgot to mention the lobster. It was divine! And ONLY $12.00!! We couldn't believe it. We shared the curried cauliflower soup (delicious), a shrimp and spinach salad (which we ended up not needing) and the crawfish pie. It was all so good.

On Saturday night, we used another gift card to Louis Louis---a place we had never been to before---we tend to stay right around here---even though this place is only 10 minutes away. We will definitely be back!! It was delicious and had such huge portions. The restaurant itself had a French flair with Chrystal chandeliers over each table. The matre di (who I suspect was the owner) was French. But the food was not really. I'd say it was eclectic with a little of everything. The menu was a chalkboard with about 5 entree choices. Still, it was enough.

The lighting wasn't so good for this photo. We started with the smoked tuna dip. We ended up bringing half of it home. I had some of it for lunch yesterday. I got the shrimp and crawfish pasta. Butch got the blackened grouper with spinach and a grit cake. Both dishes were so good. We brought plenty of leftovers home. That was dinner last night!

We ordered the bread pudding for dessert. You cannot tell from this picture how huge it was. We brought some of that home too. People complain about the prices at the beach, but we find them to be very reasonable--at least compared to Nashville prices. And we can't get enough of the fresh seafood!

When we come to the beach, Butch always has lots of work to do. Some of it is my fault because I am so fanatical about everything being so clean. That lead to our November trip to Emerald Beach in Panama City. We were there for a homeowners meeting. When we arrived---it had been spring since we were last there---I was appalled at the state of the carpet. I threw a little baby, hissy fit (meaning I acted like a baby). Butch agreed that we could replace the carpet which---even though professionally cleaned each year---would not stay clean.

We decided to go with hardwood/laminate flooring like we put in at Santa Rosa. I handled everything.  To make a long story short, despite 19 of 21---5 star ratings, we had a terrible experience. Turns out, the installer (or someone working with him) moved in made a mess of the place, leaving trash behind, breaking in to the owners cabinet and doing some other damage and stealing much stuff. The company we used said they were not responsible for the installers---that's a separate deal. I get it, but still, when you are at the mercy of relying on these businesses to get work done, you have to assume they have reputable people. You can bet I left them a scathing review. It wasn't worth the hassle to file a police report (although I threatened that). Luckily for us, we have a great handyman there who could take care of everything.

That leads to our place at Santa Rosa. Our "new" furniture is almost two years old now. There were several spots that I was---there's no other word to use---"wigging out" about. Butch went the very next day and bought some upholstery cleaner and spot remover. I was so happy at how well it seemed to work.

Several hours later, I was concerned that the cushions---and he had done them ALL---were not drying. Could it be that we just made matters worse? I suggested using a blow dryer to dry them faster. That worked. And then this happened!

Me and my bright ideas! Yes, the spots are gone, but now we have a burn mark on one of the cushions. I swear, I just can't have anything nice!!

Butch was able to play several rounds of golf, ride his bike and do some geo-caching. It was a nice relaxing trip. And we got to end with this.

Sunsets at the beach are picture postcards! For sure!

Now it's back to reality. I'm dreading that treadmill!

SomeThing for Sunday

On the day after Christmas, I flew to St. Louis. Unfortunately, even though it's my favorite way to go, it's probably my last trip this way. Everybody lives too far from the airport and I like to travel early. Plus since my sister moved to Timbuktu, it's nearly impossible to get around without a car of my own. I'll just have to drive myself. That will definitely limit the number of trips I'm willing to make. 3-4 hours is my ideal road trip. Any more than that and it's just too long for me.

My cousin, Chrissy picked me up from the airport. We met my sisters, Jeanne, Janet, Jennifer, Sharon and niece, Scarlet at the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I stayed with Janet, so went home with her.

I had several goals for this trip. Number one was spending time with my Aunt Marie. She's one of the  main reasons I try to get there frequently. She's getting older and frailer. I called in advance and left a message that I was going to be there around 9 on Thursday morning. When I arrived, she was still in her pajamas. I asked her if she was sick. She said, "Why, do I look sick?" No, but I've never known her to not be dressed, with makeup and jewelry when I arrived. She said they didn't know I was coming. Uncle Tony said he hadn't checked the phone messages. Luckily they were available! 

Then it was off to lunch with my sister-in-law Chris. We went to a Mexican restaurant at Plaza Frontenac--delicious table side guac--the homemade sangria--not so good. I spent the rest of the afternoon with Chrissy. I always love that. Just the two of us with lots of time to be together and gab. It's never enough!

I was very excited to be meeting up with some grade school friends I haven't seen in nearly 50 years! I'm the one that got it together. Since re-connecting with many via Facebook, I was excited to see them. My family thought I was crazy. But, as Jeanne says, I'm the friendly one! Actually, I just love people and new experiences. Apparently, they felt the same because as it turned out, there were 4 available to meet me. Another had to cancel at the last minute due to illness and still a couple more had other plans. 

We met at Mimi's Cafe in the Valley at 5:30. I asked for a table a little off to itself if possible. They have us this big booth which was perfect. We ended up staying 4 HOURS!!! Lest you think we were "hogging" a table, I was cognizant of that. I guess a Thursday evening after Christmas is not a busy time. The restaurant had empty tables all evening, so we didn't have to leave.

Not the greatest picture. From left--Marty, Linda (in front), Carla, Chris and me. We had sooooo much fun remembering old and good times. We talked about our own lives in a nutshell. We have planned to do it again. Of course, I'm the one that has vowed to get us together when I'm in town. Reenie, who couldn't be there suggested one of the kazillion wineries in the area. That will work perfect!

On Friday, we had a surprise 60th birthday party for our sister-in-law Sharon. 

 Sharon is not in this picture as we took it before she arrived. From the back, Jeanne, Janet, me, cousins Judy and Chrissy.

That's the birthday girl on the left, Sharon. Janet, Aunt Marie, me, Jeanne and Jennifer. 

Saturday was pretty low key. Janet and I went to Evie's soccer game. Then we took her and Josie to see Mary Poppins. After the movie, we stopped off and got Greg and Jackie for dinner at Bartolinos. I ALWAYS do Italian at least once when I'm in St. Louis. There's nothing like St. Louis Italian salads!

It was a jam packed 3 days. I always make the most of my trips. We missed Janice and Joyce. But not for long! Our sister's cruise will be here before we know it!