Yesterday (Saturday) started with rain as was promised by the weatherman on Friday evening. We were able to get off to a fairly early start, although this time the sun was actually up before we hit the road. As we drove south, we drove out of the rain. Once we turned onto Highway 580, we felt like we had arrived "home" again.
Our first view of Gladys was with the sun shining and temperatures in the low 80's. She had three huge dead palm fronds lying in the front yard, and one was hanging from the front rain gutter, so "not lived in" was sadly evident. We were spoiled this whole last winter because Steve and Chris checked on the house often, taking care of the little issues that made it looked uninhabited.
We worked very hard and had all of the trailer unloaded by 12:30 p.m. Rick had sweat out his first shirt of the summer, and I have to admit that I was none too dry either. The house was piled with tubs and boxes, but all was safely inside in case the weather turned on us. We learned today that Dunedin has received six inches of rain in the last five days, but we have not seen any rain at all since we arrived.
We worked all day opening tubs and boxes and trying to find places for everything. What was not in one box we found in another. So far we had not noticed that we are missing anything that we intended to bring. In fact, I found more kitchen items than I though we had down here, so I have now started a tub of items that I want to take BACK to Green Bay in May. I also have an abundance of shoes and underwear down here, so when I go home in August, I need to take better inventory of what I am leaving behind.
Today we awoke to a disaster of empty boxes and scattered items, but we spent the day trying to put things into order. The additional glass dishes, bowls, and casserole dishes I brought down have left me short of storage space on my kitchen shelves, so my new shelf unit I bought for the laundry room now is located next to the refrigerator, holding our food.
And speaking of refrigerators, ours has us concerned. When Rick and Stephanie came down in October, they noticed that the refrigerator took a long time to cool down. Today we noted that the thermometer in the 'fridge still was not down to 40 degrees after being on for 24 hours. We did a quick look at new refrigerators, looking for a white model with a bottom freezer and no ice water in the door. OK, OK, I know that I am old fashioned. I don't want to give up half of the 'fridge inside the door for an ice water distribution system. I also don't want stainless steel or a side-by-said construction. Give me a one-door upper door that does not leak because two doors are involved. Give me a white box with a freezer in the bottom that is cabinet depth so it will fit in this old house's old kitchen space!
We came home at noon discouraged because what we were seeking was both scarce and priced at approximately $2600. Strangely enough, when we sat down to lunch, the temperature still read above 40 degrees in the refrigerator, but the milk and yogurt were cold. Hmmm, maybe the refrigerator was not the problem. Maybe we just need a new thermometer!
We know that the refrigerator will need replacing, but at least we feel the the food currently is safe to eat. Side note: an outbreak of e-coli is in the news, so while the refrigerator may not be to blame, we still have to be careful what we buy and how we prepare the food. So far... so good, but I do have second thoughts about buying much at the Farmer's Market this year.
This afternoon we did find a refrigerator at Lowes that I would be very happy with, and Rick likes the price-- with sales, we can buy it for less than $1000.
As I look around the house tonight, I see that Gladys is starting to seem like an orderly home again. Rick not only put together the small shelving unit for the kitchen food, but he also assembled our new cherry cocktail table for the living room. We also have set up the white cabinet he made for the master bath, but that needs doors and shelves installed yet.
We took a truckload of broken-down boxes to the recycling center. Both bedrooms now have queen-sized beds set up, although the guest room still needs walls scrubbed and painted, new curtains, and all new woodwork. We still have to move the bikes from the Florida room back to the garage, but we need to put tools away so we have room for them first! The weather was in the low 90's today, and the humidity is very high. That kept us from working out there today. Welcome to Florida!
As we walk from room to room, we take inventory of what needs to be done in each room. We know in this first week alone, we will make arrangements tomorrow to have every window and door in the place replaced with hurricane proof windows and doors. We have Boen Tree Service coming in on Tuesday to remove a termite-ridden, almost-dead tree in the back yard. While they are here, they also will remove about seven other small trees. We have paint picked out for five of the six remaining rooms that need paint, so perhaps this week we also will be able to paint the Florida room its new blue/green color.
Last year we spent the majority of our money trying to make Gladys' electricity and heating/cooling systems safe. This year we will concentrate on making Gladys snug and secure. In the process, we also will be giving her new cabinets and a fresh coat of paint. After all, what woman does not like extra storage areas and a new application of make-up to look gorgeous?
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