The day dawned gloomy and threatened rain, and for a while a misting sprinkle fell from the sky, but it never really developed into much.
While I stayed inside to strip the bed, do the laundry, and clean the bathrooms, Rick headed outside to clean the windows. He scrubbed the screens, took them down, and washed and squeezed all of the windows. We can see again! The job took most of the morning, and just as he finished, the sun started to peek out from behind the clouds. At least now, we can see the sun through the windows!
Yesterday the first of the two bathroom fixtures have been waiting for arrived in the mail. After a little manipulation, Rick was able to get the bathtub spout threaded and into place. Almost finished!
Now that the inside of the house is almost complete, our focus can move to the outside. The landscape will be a multi-year adventure. We are just trying to figure out how to best use the remaining remodeling money to get finished those projects that will benefit us the most.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Monday, January 16, 2017
Still Waiting
We are playing the waiting game once again... both for parts and for contractors.
The Kohler replacement parts are supposedly on their way, but nothing has arrived in the mail yet.
Yesterday we made contact with the concrete contractor to put in a concrete sidewalk in the front yard. Since we could not find the pavers that worked well with the house and the pitch tile colors, we have opted for a traditional concrete slab and walkway. By having the slab concrete, we will have a level surface on which to put a bench, and I will be able to put out a colorful pot, perhaps with some flowers, to add visual interest to the entryway.
Since we live in this town, the job will cost us about $300 more than it would in a neighboring town. Why? Because this city is the only one in the county that requires a permit for the work, and it also requires that since the concrete will touch the house, the contractor must spray for termites before he pours the concrete. Thus, the $300 extra...
At this point, I just want it finished. I am tired of the mud and dirt that we must deal with now, and I have murderous intentions for whatever cats or critters are using the front area as their personal litter boxes. Let them go crap in their own yard!
Yesterday Rick became obsessed with cleaning the floors. He got down on his hands and knees with a bucket of water and a towel, and he scrubbed all of the floors. They do look much brighter and cleaner than before; now we must try to keep them somewhat clean.
I started on the windows today, but Rick did not seem willing to help me take down the screens, so I stopped. I finished all of the doors, but all of the windows have yet to be washed. I suppose he is angry with me for not helping with the floors yesterday even though I warned him that I had other plans. So be it.
If I get ambitious enough, I might try a few more windows today. I will NOT try to kill myself and do the whole house in one day. That is just silly. I will do a few at a time, and eventually they will all be finished.
My bougainvillea around the tree in the back yard are gorgeous. They remind me that I need to go out and feed them once again so that they continue to be healthy and to keep blooming.
This blog shows that even though we are waiting for parts and for contractors, just the maintenance on this house gives us plenty of projects to occupy our time.
The Kohler replacement parts are supposedly on their way, but nothing has arrived in the mail yet.
Yesterday we made contact with the concrete contractor to put in a concrete sidewalk in the front yard. Since we could not find the pavers that worked well with the house and the pitch tile colors, we have opted for a traditional concrete slab and walkway. By having the slab concrete, we will have a level surface on which to put a bench, and I will be able to put out a colorful pot, perhaps with some flowers, to add visual interest to the entryway.
Since we live in this town, the job will cost us about $300 more than it would in a neighboring town. Why? Because this city is the only one in the county that requires a permit for the work, and it also requires that since the concrete will touch the house, the contractor must spray for termites before he pours the concrete. Thus, the $300 extra...
At this point, I just want it finished. I am tired of the mud and dirt that we must deal with now, and I have murderous intentions for whatever cats or critters are using the front area as their personal litter boxes. Let them go crap in their own yard!
Yesterday Rick became obsessed with cleaning the floors. He got down on his hands and knees with a bucket of water and a towel, and he scrubbed all of the floors. They do look much brighter and cleaner than before; now we must try to keep them somewhat clean.
I started on the windows today, but Rick did not seem willing to help me take down the screens, so I stopped. I finished all of the doors, but all of the windows have yet to be washed. I suppose he is angry with me for not helping with the floors yesterday even though I warned him that I had other plans. So be it.
If I get ambitious enough, I might try a few more windows today. I will NOT try to kill myself and do the whole house in one day. That is just silly. I will do a few at a time, and eventually they will all be finished.
My bougainvillea around the tree in the back yard are gorgeous. They remind me that I need to go out and feed them once again so that they continue to be healthy and to keep blooming.
This blog shows that even though we are waiting for parts and for contractors, just the maintenance on this house gives us plenty of projects to occupy our time.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
ALMOST Finished
Yesterday we both thought that we would complete our bathroom remodel. Good goal, but we are not quite there yet.
Rick tried to put in the plumbing fixtures, and two out of three fought us. The shower head went in just fine. The control valve connection was too short, even though Rick followed the directions on placement to the 1/64th of an inch. The fact that the extension part is "back ordered" for a couple of weeks tells me perhaps Kohler had better change their instructions on where to place the plumbing in the wall!
The third part, the bathtub spout, was just plain made incorrectly. No matter how hard he tried, Rick could not get it to screw on tightly. Once again, the plumbing was done correctly, but the part would not fit. He finally looked inside the spout and discovered that the threads were all off to one side. The part was defective, and there was no way on earth that anyone could screw something into it. The same call to Kohler resulted in them sending us out a whole new spout, too. Our faith in Kohler is starting to seriously decline.
In the meantime, Rick spent quite a bit of time crafting the molding around the main door to fit with the new countertop. He also cut and installed the baseboard that we had to add to the room. With the old tile, the tile just went to the floor, so no baseboard was necessary. The room at least looks finished from the woodworking angle.
We rehung the shower curtain so the room looks presentable. Once the plumbing arrives, we should be able to finish the room. For whatever reason, that room really fought us. We both will be glad when it is totally finished.
Today we went to Brooksville, Florida, to visit Flagstone Pavers. We talked to a very nice young lady named Jessica who helped us pick out a cream and tan colored paver for the yard. She also educated us on what type of polymeric sand to use, how thick the base needs to be in Florida, and how and why it is important to seal the pavers once they are in place. She gave us a quote on materials, tax, and delivery.
Once we were home, Rick contacted the Paver Warehouse to get a quote from them. They are almost 90 cents per square foot less expensive which translates into almost $300 savings. Their delivery charge is $15.00 higher for the same amount of material, but their materials cost is so much less. We need to visit them tomorrow to try to figure out why there is such a price difference.
So the work goes on. We finish one project, and then start to investigate what steps we must take to start the next task. Ah, well, that is much better than sitting around listening to confirmation hearings for the less-than-qualified men chosen for the next Cabinet to our new president. At least by literally digging up dirt, something constructive and useful will result in the end.
Rick tried to put in the plumbing fixtures, and two out of three fought us. The shower head went in just fine. The control valve connection was too short, even though Rick followed the directions on placement to the 1/64th of an inch. The fact that the extension part is "back ordered" for a couple of weeks tells me perhaps Kohler had better change their instructions on where to place the plumbing in the wall!
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| The plumbing remains incomplete due to poor instructions and defective parts. |
The third part, the bathtub spout, was just plain made incorrectly. No matter how hard he tried, Rick could not get it to screw on tightly. Once again, the plumbing was done correctly, but the part would not fit. He finally looked inside the spout and discovered that the threads were all off to one side. The part was defective, and there was no way on earth that anyone could screw something into it. The same call to Kohler resulted in them sending us out a whole new spout, too. Our faith in Kohler is starting to seriously decline.
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| The door trim needed to be cut out to wrap around the edge of the countertop. |
In the meantime, Rick spent quite a bit of time crafting the molding around the main door to fit with the new countertop. He also cut and installed the baseboard that we had to add to the room. With the old tile, the tile just went to the floor, so no baseboard was necessary. The room at least looks finished from the woodworking angle.
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| Both doors once again have trim. |
We rehung the shower curtain so the room looks presentable. Once the plumbing arrives, we should be able to finish the room. For whatever reason, that room really fought us. We both will be glad when it is totally finished.
Today we went to Brooksville, Florida, to visit Flagstone Pavers. We talked to a very nice young lady named Jessica who helped us pick out a cream and tan colored paver for the yard. She also educated us on what type of polymeric sand to use, how thick the base needs to be in Florida, and how and why it is important to seal the pavers once they are in place. She gave us a quote on materials, tax, and delivery.
Once we were home, Rick contacted the Paver Warehouse to get a quote from them. They are almost 90 cents per square foot less expensive which translates into almost $300 savings. Their delivery charge is $15.00 higher for the same amount of material, but their materials cost is so much less. We need to visit them tomorrow to try to figure out why there is such a price difference.
So the work goes on. We finish one project, and then start to investigate what steps we must take to start the next task. Ah, well, that is much better than sitting around listening to confirmation hearings for the less-than-qualified men chosen for the next Cabinet to our new president. At least by literally digging up dirt, something constructive and useful will result in the end.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
A Hole in the Wall
We are one step closer to finishing the main bathroom in our house. After church today, we spent a few minutes taking the bracing down from the tub wall trim and stowing the boards in the garage. We will use them later in some outdoor landscaping projects.
Once the tub was clear, Rick brought in the alcove template that he made yesterday to cut the hole in the wall. We had previously marked with tape on the tub where the studs were placed behind the Swanstone walls. We transferred those stud locations onto the walls so Rick could position the template between two of the studs.
We has earlier discussed and rejected the chore of moving the studs so that we could centrally locate the alcove. For the few inches to the right of center that the alcove is placed, moving the studs was not worth the time or effort. Yes, the alcove is now located more toward the far end of the tub, but that will keep the soap dry and the alcove more out of the main spray of the shower.
Rick traced the template onto the wall, and then he taped around the opening to protect the Swanstone from the bottom of the saw. He drilled four holes in the corners while I manned the vacuum to try to keep the dust at a minimum.
The task was more difficult than it appeared to be because we had a double wall of concrete board behind the Swanstone into which we wanted to cut. Rick had purchased special jigsaw blades just for this task, and we were glad that he did. The cutting was slow-going with Rick using all of his might to keep the saw moving forward. In the end, though, Rick cut the holes, and I took the waste panels out to the garbage cans.
Thankfully, the alcove fit beautifully into the opening. Lots of glue behind the lip of the alcove assures us that the alcove will stay in place. The directions called for taping the alcove into position overnight, but I doubt that anything short of dynamite would be able to dislodge it from the wall.
Tomorrow we will caulk all of the seams and then reattach the woodwork in the room. After three and one half months of work, the main bathroom will be complete.
Once the tub was clear, Rick brought in the alcove template that he made yesterday to cut the hole in the wall. We had previously marked with tape on the tub where the studs were placed behind the Swanstone walls. We transferred those stud locations onto the walls so Rick could position the template between two of the studs.
We has earlier discussed and rejected the chore of moving the studs so that we could centrally locate the alcove. For the few inches to the right of center that the alcove is placed, moving the studs was not worth the time or effort. Yes, the alcove is now located more toward the far end of the tub, but that will keep the soap dry and the alcove more out of the main spray of the shower.
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| Blue painter's tape protects the Swanstone around the area that we needed to remove. |
Rick traced the template onto the wall, and then he taped around the opening to protect the Swanstone from the bottom of the saw. He drilled four holes in the corners while I manned the vacuum to try to keep the dust at a minimum.
The task was more difficult than it appeared to be because we had a double wall of concrete board behind the Swanstone into which we wanted to cut. Rick had purchased special jigsaw blades just for this task, and we were glad that he did. The cutting was slow-going with Rick using all of his might to keep the saw moving forward. In the end, though, Rick cut the holes, and I took the waste panels out to the garbage cans.
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| The alcove is placed a little to the right of center on the tub wall. |
Thankfully, the alcove fit beautifully into the opening. Lots of glue behind the lip of the alcove assures us that the alcove will stay in place. The directions called for taping the alcove into position overnight, but I doubt that anything short of dynamite would be able to dislodge it from the wall.
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| We liked this alcove because it has plenty of room for tall shampoo bottles as well as a shelf for soap. |
Tomorrow we will caulk all of the seams and then reattach the woodwork in the room. After three and one half months of work, the main bathroom will be complete.
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Spiderman Returns!
"It was a dark and stormy night..." was a favorite way for Snoopy to start one of his supposed award-winning novels, and such an opening could have described our evening yesterday. We finally got some rain which we desperately needed. I have to admit having thunderstorms in January still seems strange to me, but we are grateful for the rain nonetheless. The day dawned wet and windy, so this was a perfect chance to work on the next step in the bathroom.
Since we took the time yesterday to cut and dry-fit all of the trim pieces, our task today simply was to line the parts up and glue them in place.
Everything went together fairly easily. We were finished with the gluing part of the job by 10:00 a.m. My only concern was that we were using lots of glue to keep everything in place, and we still need a tube of glue for the alcove tomorrow. However, when we were finished, we still have a full tube of glue left over, so we should be fine.
The directions said to tape everything in place while the glue dries, and then to add bracing to make sure that the trim really adheres to the wall. The bracing took a bit of doing, but in the end we were able to get everything secured. And yes, Owen, it looks like Spiderman helped Grandpa again!
Tomorrow we will take down the bracing web and cut the hole in the back wall for the shampoo/ soap alcove. Then we need to caulk everything and install the missing woodwork to finish the room. This bathroom still needs some artwork for interest, but because of the rain almost all day today, we skipped the downtown art fair for a later date.
Since we took the time yesterday to cut and dry-fit all of the trim pieces, our task today simply was to line the parts up and glue them in place.
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| The front and end top molding are braced until tomorrow. |
Everything went together fairly easily. We were finished with the gluing part of the job by 10:00 a.m. My only concern was that we were using lots of glue to keep everything in place, and we still need a tube of glue for the alcove tomorrow. However, when we were finished, we still have a full tube of glue left over, so we should be fine.
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| Bracing the back wall trim against the center side wall brace took a little finesse and a few shims to get into place. |
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| The mirror reflects all of the bracing. This time, thankfully, the main part of the bathroom was free of bracing so we can use the toilet and sink. |
The directions said to tape everything in place while the glue dries, and then to add bracing to make sure that the trim really adheres to the wall. The bracing took a bit of doing, but in the end we were able to get everything secured. And yes, Owen, it looks like Spiderman helped Grandpa again!
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| Rick is trapped inside Spiderman's web! |
Tomorrow we will take down the bracing web and cut the hole in the back wall for the shampoo/ soap alcove. Then we need to caulk everything and install the missing woodwork to finish the room. This bathroom still needs some artwork for interest, but because of the rain almost all day today, we skipped the downtown art fair for a later date.
Friday, January 6, 2017
Dry Fitting the Trim
We had the inspector come today to review our house and new roof for wind mitigation and waterproofing. He was not from the city; he was a private inspector who will verify the roof with our insurance company so we can get credit for the new roof. Long story, short, Citizen's Insurance is not the best in the business, but it is better than anything else available in Florida. We needed to get this done to keep our insurance. Such is life in hurricane alley.
This afternoon we took down the spiderweb of bracing in the bathroom. I am happy to report that the boards came down with nothing damaged (including Rick and yours truly), and we were ready to move on to the next phase: the trim.
Rick measured the tub walls; we spent a couple of hours this afternoon cutting all of the trim pieces. At this point, some of the trim is taped to the wall as we dry fit all of the pieces. Tomorrow, when the weatherman says we will have rain anyway, we will spend the time gluing in the trim pieces and putting all of the bracing back up.
Once that dries for 24 hours, we will be able on Sunday to add the caulk and to cut out the alcove for the shower to finish this project.
Oops! I should not say "finish" yet. We also have to complete the molding around the vanity and doors, and install the last of the baseboard. Details, details... Then the main bathroom will be complete.
This afternoon we took down the spiderweb of bracing in the bathroom. I am happy to report that the boards came down with nothing damaged (including Rick and yours truly), and we were ready to move on to the next phase: the trim.
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| The outer edge trim is held in place with painter's tape as we dry-fit the pieces. |
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| Good living comes from good measuring. We will have about 1/32 of an inch to spare where the trim fits under the shower head. |
Rick measured the tub walls; we spent a couple of hours this afternoon cutting all of the trim pieces. At this point, some of the trim is taped to the wall as we dry fit all of the pieces. Tomorrow, when the weatherman says we will have rain anyway, we will spend the time gluing in the trim pieces and putting all of the bracing back up.
Once that dries for 24 hours, we will be able on Sunday to add the caulk and to cut out the alcove for the shower to finish this project.
Oops! I should not say "finish" yet. We also have to complete the molding around the vanity and doors, and install the last of the baseboard. Details, details... Then the main bathroom will be complete.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
"Spiderman" Bath Walls
A "cold spell" is headed Florida's way, so we wanted to get the Swanstone tub surround out of the garage in the next couple of days before it arrives. Now note, please, that "cold" in Florida is temperatures in the mid-30s to the high 50's. That is far from the -5 degrees with a -24 degree wind chill that folks in Wisconsin awoke to today. I'll take the Florida version of "cold" any day of the week!
To get going on our tub surround project, Rick and I spent the morning setting up a workspace in the driveway, getting the tub walls out of the boxes, and preparing them for installation. The old adage, "Measure twice, cut once" came in handy as Rick measured, measured, measured before he drew the lines on the tub wall panels to cut. By the end of the morning, he had the back and one side wall cut and ready to install. The third wall was cut and had one of two holes cut out for the plumbing.
Rick called his brother Steve to ask him when he might be available to help us with the walls. Although I helped Rick lift the back panel onto the work table, I may not have been strong enough to help him position it in the tub. We also knew that bracing the walls would take a minimum of three people -- as the later pictures in this blog will show!
Steve said that he would be able to help this afternoon, so we finished the prep work on the walls, cut the 2 x 4 boards for bracing, and generally cleaned up the work area while we prepped the bathroom. Rick has just sat down for the first time all day when Steve drove up. Timing is everything!
With Steve's help, Rick and he soon had the back wall in place. It actually adhered to the wall much better than any of us had anticipated, so we were pleased with that fact.
The second wall also went up without a problem. When they brought in the third wall with all of the plumbing cut-outs, the installation took a little positioning, but all of the cuts were in the right place, so that wall, too, fit as it should. Then the hard part started...
The installation instructions directed that we use 13 2 x 4 boards to brace the walls. Getting the side walls braced while still putting pressure on the back wall was a real trick. As they were positioning the boards and putting pressure on certain points, I noticed that the south end wall (pictured above) had totally moved out of place!
OK, that's it, I thought. We are screwed! I thought that the wall was stuck out of place permanently, and that we would have to demo the whole wall to get it out. Thankfully, Rick was able to strong-arm the wall panel back in place. Whew!
With a little more figuring, a lot of persuading, and a few extra shims, we had the side walls where we wanted them. Then Rick resorted to the same trick we used in Green Bay when we put in the shower walls. He braced the back wall against the opposite wall across the room.
To accomplish this, Steve actually climbed into the tub among the already-in-place side braces. I am thankful that he did that because, even though he is the oldest, he is probably the most limber of us all. He crawled under and stepped over boards, knocking his head more than once, just to help us get the braces in place. Now that is true brotherly love!
Our three-year-old grandson Owen loves Spiderman. He would have been so proud of the results of our efforts today because the result looks like Rick, Steve, I, and Spiderman were all in on the act of bracing the new shower walls.
In the end, though, the walls are all braced. The glue should cure by tomorrow, so the web of 2x4s will come down then. After that, we will need to install the corner trim, the outer edge trim, and cut out the back wall to install the soap/ shampoo alcove. But that's tomorrow. For now, we are delighted in the work that we (with Steve's and Spiderman's help) accomplished today. Thanks, Guys!
To get going on our tub surround project, Rick and I spent the morning setting up a workspace in the driveway, getting the tub walls out of the boxes, and preparing them for installation. The old adage, "Measure twice, cut once" came in handy as Rick measured, measured, measured before he drew the lines on the tub wall panels to cut. By the end of the morning, he had the back and one side wall cut and ready to install. The third wall was cut and had one of two holes cut out for the plumbing.
Rick called his brother Steve to ask him when he might be available to help us with the walls. Although I helped Rick lift the back panel onto the work table, I may not have been strong enough to help him position it in the tub. We also knew that bracing the walls would take a minimum of three people -- as the later pictures in this blog will show!
Steve said that he would be able to help this afternoon, so we finished the prep work on the walls, cut the 2 x 4 boards for bracing, and generally cleaned up the work area while we prepped the bathroom. Rick has just sat down for the first time all day when Steve drove up. Timing is everything!
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| The back wall is stuck to the wall. Tape marks the bottom of the panel and outlines where the studs are behind the cement board and Swanstone panel. |
With Steve's help, Rick and he soon had the back wall in place. It actually adhered to the wall much better than any of us had anticipated, so we were pleased with that fact.
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| The second wall was in... although it moved later on in the process. |
The second wall also went up without a problem. When they brought in the third wall with all of the plumbing cut-outs, the installation took a little positioning, but all of the cuts were in the right place, so that wall, too, fit as it should. Then the hard part started...
The installation instructions directed that we use 13 2 x 4 boards to brace the walls. Getting the side walls braced while still putting pressure on the back wall was a real trick. As they were positioning the boards and putting pressure on certain points, I noticed that the south end wall (pictured above) had totally moved out of place!
OK, that's it, I thought. We are screwed! I thought that the wall was stuck out of place permanently, and that we would have to demo the whole wall to get it out. Thankfully, Rick was able to strong-arm the wall panel back in place. Whew!
With a little more figuring, a lot of persuading, and a few extra shims, we had the side walls where we wanted them. Then Rick resorted to the same trick we used in Green Bay when we put in the shower walls. He braced the back wall against the opposite wall across the room.
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| Steve is in the tub, smiling, but he is probably thinking, "What the heck am I doing in here?" |
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| Two more boards and Steve would have had to spend the night in the tub! |
To accomplish this, Steve actually climbed into the tub among the already-in-place side braces. I am thankful that he did that because, even though he is the oldest, he is probably the most limber of us all. He crawled under and stepped over boards, knocking his head more than once, just to help us get the braces in place. Now that is true brotherly love!
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| Although this looks like a pile of disjointed lumber, the boards actually are bracing the walls. |
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| The reflection in the mirror shows that perhaps Spiderman did, indeed, help us today! |
Our three-year-old grandson Owen loves Spiderman. He would have been so proud of the results of our efforts today because the result looks like Rick, Steve, I, and Spiderman were all in on the act of bracing the new shower walls.
In the end, though, the walls are all braced. The glue should cure by tomorrow, so the web of 2x4s will come down then. After that, we will need to install the corner trim, the outer edge trim, and cut out the back wall to install the soap/ shampoo alcove. But that's tomorrow. For now, we are delighted in the work that we (with Steve's and Spiderman's help) accomplished today. Thanks, Guys!
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Anniversary Dinner
Happy New Year! When I was a little girl, I used to think that the year 2000 was a million years away; now I wake up to seeing 2017 at the top of my calendar. Amazing.
Our vacation to Wisconsin for the holiday season was cold, somewhat fun, but too long and slightly boring. We were glad to see family and to celebrate the holidays, but Mom got grumpy and Owen became ill, so we did not spend the time that we wanted to with those that we love. We did see more than our share of doctors and dentists (all planned), but next year we vow to do things differently.
As is usual with Wisconsin, one must always be aware of the weather. We were blessed this year with unusually warm (temps in the 30's) weather for the most part. We saw enough snow to get us into the holiday spirit, and we even took a couple of shots at shoveling a little off our driveway. The really cold temperatures and the major storm happened before we got home, and they are set to happen again now that we are back in Florida. This morning The Weather Channel reported that Green Bay had 5 degrees with a wind chill of -24 degrees. I am SO glad I missed that! Sometimes, things just work out the way I want them to go.
We left Green Bay early on Monday to drive to Milwaukee. A "winter mix" (i.e. rain/ sleet/ snow) was predicted for later in the day, so we wanted to get south before we ended up driving on icy roads. While the northern part of the state did see some nasty precipitation, we were far enough south to avoid anything hazardous. Damp, yes, but not slippery.
Many people must have still been off for the holidays because we drove down 41 and encountered very little traffic. We made good time to Milwaukee, so we stopped at Mayfair Mall to do a little window shopping and to get in a good walk. I hate Wisconsin in the wintertime because the only place one can safely walk is in a shopping mall. Since we did not get to the Mall until a little later in the morning, the halls were already getting a bit crowded. We were able to walk, but we had to do a lot of weaving around people and could not keep up a very good pace.
After killing time and eating Mall food for lunch (after which the greasy Mall food tried to kill us!), we ventured to our hotel which was near the airport. I had not slept well at all on Sunday night, so I was ready to relax a little before dinner. Rick had driven all the way, so he, too, was tired. We decided to walk to dinner which was a not-long-enough trek to Micky D's next door. To say that dinner was stellar would be a lie, but it was carbohydrates and a little protein, so we survived.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017, was our 41st wedding anniversary. We awoke at 4:00 a.m. to get to the airport for our 6:25 boarding time. The airport was fairly packed when we got there, so thank God for our pre-TSA status. That status was worth every penny! We brought back two 2-lb. bricks of cheese, though, thus our luggage got searched. I don't blame them. The blocks of cheese are just dense shadows on the x-rays, so they had to search to see what we were carrying. The TSA agent had no problem with us carrying cheese. He just suggested that if we want to transport cheese in the future, to take it out of the luggage before we put the luggage through security. We'll take that advice since it will save us time in the future.
Getting home to Gladys was great. We had a stiff tailwind flying in, so we were almost a half hour early landing. We had our car at the airport, so we took a bus to Extended Parking, were the first to be dropped off just steps from the car, quickly drove out of the airport, and had green lights almost all of the way home. Those of you familiar with Florida traffic know that green lights almost never greet people at intersections.
After a little grocery shopping to stock up on the essentials, we decided to buy some sandwiches for an anniversary picnic on the beach. Not only was dinner one-fifth of the cost of a fancy meal in a restaurant, but the atmosphere was better and the only music was provided by nature.
We went to the Dunedin Causeway beach, parked our lawn chairs in the sand, and watched as the sea fog started to roll in in front of the setting sun. What a great way to spend an anniversary dinner.
Our vacation to Wisconsin for the holiday season was cold, somewhat fun, but too long and slightly boring. We were glad to see family and to celebrate the holidays, but Mom got grumpy and Owen became ill, so we did not spend the time that we wanted to with those that we love. We did see more than our share of doctors and dentists (all planned), but next year we vow to do things differently.
As is usual with Wisconsin, one must always be aware of the weather. We were blessed this year with unusually warm (temps in the 30's) weather for the most part. We saw enough snow to get us into the holiday spirit, and we even took a couple of shots at shoveling a little off our driveway. The really cold temperatures and the major storm happened before we got home, and they are set to happen again now that we are back in Florida. This morning The Weather Channel reported that Green Bay had 5 degrees with a wind chill of -24 degrees. I am SO glad I missed that! Sometimes, things just work out the way I want them to go.
We left Green Bay early on Monday to drive to Milwaukee. A "winter mix" (i.e. rain/ sleet/ snow) was predicted for later in the day, so we wanted to get south before we ended up driving on icy roads. While the northern part of the state did see some nasty precipitation, we were far enough south to avoid anything hazardous. Damp, yes, but not slippery.
Many people must have still been off for the holidays because we drove down 41 and encountered very little traffic. We made good time to Milwaukee, so we stopped at Mayfair Mall to do a little window shopping and to get in a good walk. I hate Wisconsin in the wintertime because the only place one can safely walk is in a shopping mall. Since we did not get to the Mall until a little later in the morning, the halls were already getting a bit crowded. We were able to walk, but we had to do a lot of weaving around people and could not keep up a very good pace.
After killing time and eating Mall food for lunch (after which the greasy Mall food tried to kill us!), we ventured to our hotel which was near the airport. I had not slept well at all on Sunday night, so I was ready to relax a little before dinner. Rick had driven all the way, so he, too, was tired. We decided to walk to dinner which was a not-long-enough trek to Micky D's next door. To say that dinner was stellar would be a lie, but it was carbohydrates and a little protein, so we survived.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017, was our 41st wedding anniversary. We awoke at 4:00 a.m. to get to the airport for our 6:25 boarding time. The airport was fairly packed when we got there, so thank God for our pre-TSA status. That status was worth every penny! We brought back two 2-lb. bricks of cheese, though, thus our luggage got searched. I don't blame them. The blocks of cheese are just dense shadows on the x-rays, so they had to search to see what we were carrying. The TSA agent had no problem with us carrying cheese. He just suggested that if we want to transport cheese in the future, to take it out of the luggage before we put the luggage through security. We'll take that advice since it will save us time in the future.
Getting home to Gladys was great. We had a stiff tailwind flying in, so we were almost a half hour early landing. We had our car at the airport, so we took a bus to Extended Parking, were the first to be dropped off just steps from the car, quickly drove out of the airport, and had green lights almost all of the way home. Those of you familiar with Florida traffic know that green lights almost never greet people at intersections.
After a little grocery shopping to stock up on the essentials, we decided to buy some sandwiches for an anniversary picnic on the beach. Not only was dinner one-fifth of the cost of a fancy meal in a restaurant, but the atmosphere was better and the only music was provided by nature.
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| Sea fog rolls in with soft clouds above the water. |
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| The lapping water on the shore was the best music we could hear. |
We went to the Dunedin Causeway beach, parked our lawn chairs in the sand, and watched as the sea fog started to roll in in front of the setting sun. What a great way to spend an anniversary dinner.
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| Sometimes, you cannot beat Mother Nature! |
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