Friday, May 19, 2023

Back on the road again! We are leaving to drive to Washington DC in about 90 minutes. We are having dinner with Mike's DS tonight and staying at a hotel. Tomorrow our car will get loaded onto an Amtrak Autotrain near DC in the afternoon and we will sleep/ride in a bedroom on the train. I get the top bunk LOL. We will arrive near Orlando mid-morning on Sunday and will drive the last 90 minutes from there to the Florida home. Should be an interesting adventure!

Crazy day yesterday making last arrangements for the condo purchase/move. Our wire transfers for remaining funds were sent and we set up the utilities, insurance and arranged for a small truck to move boxes and the few pieces of furniture we are taking.

I went to dinner with my 2 SILs and then hung out at SIL's home talking with them until later than we should have as they had to drive to Boston this morning at 5:30 am and Mike and I are leaving at 8 am. Great talk including a FaceTime with my great nephew aged 2 1/2. His Mom is the one battling breast cancer. We don't know exactly what is happening as a result of her second surgery because she has been too emotional to talk about it. She just said to my SIL that "it didn't work" and was crying too hard to continue. We think that means a mastectomy is the next step. As I type this that doesn't sound like the worse thing right now. It brings back so many memories of when my DD was diagnosed. At first it seemed like the loss of being able to have a child was the worst thing, then the disfigurement she experienced as a result of surgery, but in the end none of that mattered. I pray that this isn't where it is going.

Not pleasant thoughts, and I am going to think positive ones and know that she will be okay.

DS is getting his Associates degree in Cyber Security today (he is continuing for a bachelor's degree - his second). He told me a few weeks ago that he wasn't going to the graduation and hoped I wasn't disappointed. I said that was okay and it was only an Associates degree along the way. So this week he decided to go after all and is saying that I don't want to come because I said "it was only an Associates degree along the way", which I said only to make him feel better. Had I known earlier that he was going to do graduation I would have rearranged my travel. Argh...

Time to shower, then get this show on the road. Have a fine Friday!

Poor girl. Life is difficult enough without the struggle of cancer. And it just robs her of fully enjoying the present with her 2 1/2 year old and husband.

The painters were here before 6 and priming the sprayers. I had already woken up at 4:40 because I drank a full glass of water before I went to bed and decided since I was already on feet, I'd move my car then. The sky was already starting to lighten. Time zones are weird.

I think this might be the last day for the painting. I'm over the hooves on the "roove." They were working on top of my bedroom this morning and also dragging the paint hoses and tools around. It's so much louder than people walking on a second story of a house. Must be really thin.

I'm also getting my nails done. So not a stressful day, which I appreciate.

Food still good. Scale was up 0.6. I'm not a fan of upward fluc, but they happen. I think a walk would help.

Also draining my fountain again. The water is murky from paint and the filter it has is not that kind of filter. It just filters for leaves and bugs (and toads! There is one in there now). For the birds who take baths in it and the toad, it needs fresh water. Unfortunately it's like 10 bathtubs full.

I think that's me for the day. Hope you all have a great one!

Gotta make sure the birds and toads keep clean!

I saw a frog and thought it had 4 legs. Nope. Mating! Two sets of mating frogs (or are they toads?) and eggs all over the rocks. It's a frog nursery now... I'm gonna have tadpoles.

Oh Liz, so sorry for your nephew and his wife. It's a lot for him too, with both his Mom and wife battling cancer. I do know that breast cancer treatments are often very effective, and there are lots of interventions. I'm assuming they already tested lymph nodes? They usually do that with a lumpectomy. If the nodes were clean, that would be very good news...

CC your fountain is hopping!! Sorry couldn't resist. Is your Bond party tomorrow evening?

Quiet evening here. Its 58, overcast and windy, so I don't want to work in the yard. Time to read a book. Or maybe some Netflix.

13 more student contact days. Total liberation begins the afternoon of June 9th. C'mon Summer!!

It is! I shall report back!

Greetings all

It's overcast today and thus the perfect day for me to do my minimal deck gardening. I fixed up a few planters and got some pansies and more sweet peas in. Poppy was very interested in the planting process. Also in the snails I found in the potting soil. Anybody else have snails? They are a total plant menace here and eat everything.

Liz I am so sorry for your nieces's illness. What a tough thing at a young age. No one needs that at a young age with a young child. Wishing the best to her and family. My scrabble buddy went in for mastectomy yesterday after earlier biopsy results. I wish I was closer to her to help. I hope she can make use of whatever support services are available.

And train ride to Florida sounds fun. Sometime I would like a fancy train trip. Maybe Canada. Enjoy.

CC glad the painting is nearing the end. And toads in the fountain!! Who knew. Those toads are cute.

Chinese food tonight after DH did lunch at the Chinese buffet.

The dogs are in a wild zoomy phase. Guess it's because it's nearly dinner time. I actually got some stuff tossed today so patting myself on back.

Diane S

We only have snails in the water. I love dog zoomies! Justice chases his tail when he is in that mood.