Keeping Busy

We have been keeping busy since we ventured north for the summer.  I'll quickly try to recap the "high points" of the last couple of weeks.

Gladys Glitches: A couple of days before we were set to depart for the summer, we awoke to water in the garage.  Our HVAC system was on the fritz, and the day before we flew home, we had to cough up over $6,000 to replace the HVAC system.  Not our idea of a good time. Now we just pray that everything is working while we are gone.

The Flight North:  We arrived at the Tampa Airport for our flight north with plenty of time to spare.  We easily walked to the head of the line since we have Pre-TSA; however, once again I was "randomly selected" for additional screening.  Of course, the full body scan revealed my insulin pump, so I had to be hand-checked before I could go further.  Sadly, that required a female TSA agent who happened to be busily checking a cast on the woman before me.  I probably waited at least 10 minutes while the woman removed the walking cast which the agents then sent through X-ray.  When I finally had my turn, the TSA agent searched my upper arm... and found nothing.  Then I told her the other item seen on the x-ray was my insulin pump, so she just had me touch it and then tested my fingers for explosive residue.  Same old routine with the same results.  I have learned that they are just trying to do their jobs to keep everyone safe, so the fastest thing to do is just to follow their directions.  I finally was able to join Rick.

Our flight was supposed to leave at 4:40 p.m.  Rick thought we might be able to squeeze in between two approaching storms, but no luck.  We watched the grey skies continue to get more and more dark as the cloud ceiling descended.  As the darkness filled the sky, the clouds opened into a torrential downpour.  It rained so hard that we seemed to be in a dense fog.  Then the lightening started.  Of course, that meant that the entire airport shut down since the law requires that all personnel must get off the tarmac in the event of rain.  Our plane, due to land from a Denver departure, eventually was re-routed to Orlando as it got low on fuel from circling so long. Long story short, our plane was not sent back to Tampa until almost 7:00 p.m, so we did not take off for Wisconsin until 7:30.  Once we landed in Milwaukee, we still had to drive north.  We did not arrive home until just before midnight.  I do not know how Rick was able to complete that drive.  We both were exhausted.

The Weather: Strangely enough, we seem to have brought the Florida weather home with us.  Just a month ago, Wisconsin received 30 inches of snow.  For the first few days that we were home, the temperatures were in the low 90's with the humidity to match.  Rick did not have to wait long to wear his shorts again!

My Health:  Just before we came north, I made a quick appointment with my rheumatologist to get medication.  I have been in remission from Dermatomyositis for the past 18 months, but my legs have started to ache again, and I am noticing weakness and trouble swallowing.  She prescribed the same medications I was on for two years, so now I am dealing with a suppressed immune system and an upset stomach from the Prednisone.  Forgive me, my friends, if I do not want to go out to lunch!

Wisconsin Work:  As usual, we came home to a number of jobs that needed our attention.  The warm fall lead to a late leaf drop, so the yard was covered with leaves this spring.  Lindsay came to rake the worst from the front yard, but our lawn service still fertilized around the groups of leaves. They also miscalculate the square footage of our yard, so we were paying for more than we owned.  We have cancelled their contract. Other projects include trees in the back yard that need to be removed to the tune of $8,000, and a possible fence to screen out the neighbors.  We no longer like our neighborhood, so we have some serious decisions to make.

To try to keep the house looking nice, we tackled the yard today.  While Rick was at the dentist this morning, I raked the leaves from the front flower gardens.  Once home, Rick mowed the lawn, and then we edged the whole front area.  After that, we picked up two yards of new mulch and spread it around the front gardens.  We worked until 4:00 this afternoon, and we both are exhausted.

The truck holds approximately a yard of mulch,
so we had to make two trips.

The new mulch nicely outlines the hostas and
the daylilies growing outside the front door.

The rest of the shaded garden now has a new layer of mulch.

The above are all reasons I have not been logged into this blog.  Each day brings new adventures.  My goal this summer is to clean out every nook and cranny of this house, and to simplify our lives by getting rid of the last 28 years of clutter.  Our lifestyles have changed, so it is time this house reflects that new way of living.