Friday, August 16, 2024

Are we really in the second half of August already? Summer is almost gone.

We spent the night on Lake George with our friends. They sold their former home on the lake here earlier this year so are renting for a few weeks. The place they are at this week is the most remote so it feels like we are in the middle of nowhere but the views of the lake are wonderful. They still have a boat which we went out in yesterday afternoon, then docked at a local restaurant. On the way back it started pouring about 10 minutes from the house. We got soaked, but couldn't help laughing. We ate at the house last night. Really an enjoyable visit. These are people we met in Florida about 18 months ago - we bought their condo. So great to have made friends like this.

Later this morning we drive to Burlington VT. Our hotel is located right next to the area where there are lots of shops and restaurants. Luckily the weather is predicted to be dry though warm. Last year we stopped there for lunch on the way back from Montreal but didn't walk around because it was miserably rainy and cold.

Picture of an old Inn here on the lake (I'd love to stay here someday):

Have a fantastic Friday!

Gray, intermittently rainy, and cool here today. Claudia wants to go to Frankfort for lobster rolls today. Pretty popular food truck up there. It's funny, she was just complaining about all the eating we've done lately, but yesterday suggested we go get Reuben sandwiches at the inn (I asked if she would split one with me, so we did), then wanted to go get ice cream (I couldn't as I was too full), and now lobster rolls! It always felt like the food suggestions were coming from me, but maybe I was just quick to just leap on the food bandwagons presented to me. I suppose the meds are working enough that I could take or leave any of it these days. I still enjoy food, can eat a fairly normal meal, and occasionally get snacky in the evenings, but this drive to try/eat everything is not present at the moment. Then again, I was convinced it wasn't working at all just a month ago, so I am an unreliable witness on this issue!

The scale moved a little more today thank goodness after pretty much a month of staying the same, and a second month within 3 pounds of that. 188.6.

Off to drink a protein shake... Enjoy your Friday!

Started out rainy here, but the sun has returned, and the breeze is lovely.

During the rain, we went to see a movie, DiDi. It's a coming of age story about a Chinese American boy who is struggling with the transition to high school. I know this character, and his friends. What compels adolescents to do crazy things against their own self interest?

I finished The Women. Like a lot of Kristin Hannah's books, I think the central plot is very compelling. But her execution of her plots leaves me a little underwhelmed. Her actual writing feels tedious to me at times. So yes, the subject matter in The Nightingale and The Women, fascinating. The prose, kind of plodding sometimes. I'm probably in the minority here, because she seems to write lots of bestsellers. Liz, when your book club had the guest speaker, that must have been incredible to hear. I wonder if this book will become a movie at some point?

We got the sometimes dreaded Back to School Memo. It looks like most of our open positions in Special Education are filled. Very good news. Perhaps there is reason for optimism that this year does not have to be the same dumpster fire last year was. I'm going with optimism :)

I feel the same way about Kristin Hannah's books. Such good stories but sometimes the execution is not strong enough. It was incredible to listen to someone who experienced being a nurse in Vietnam and the condemnation of society afterwards. Her experiences were different but not dissimilar. The most moving aspect was that her sister and 2 nieces were present and none of them had ever heard her talk about it. She had locked it all away for years but opened up with us. Her family (and many of us) were crying.

Rainy day today. I didn't go outside much but it was sticky humid. DS 3 is home for a night and DC 1 came for dinner tonight. We will all go out for su****omorrow for dinner before DS 3 goes back to his college town (only 1 1/2 hours away). Tomorrow DS 3 and I are going to an exhibit of macro insect photographs at a neighboring towns Art Museum. He shares my love for photography and all things nature!

Bella dog must have stepped on a bee this morning and got stung. She came limping inside and the bee was still embedded in her toe pad. Poor thing was shaking for a good 30 minutes. I watched her closely for about an hour and she finally settled down and was able to fall asleep! After her nap you would have never have known she had been stung.

Hope you all have an enjoyable weekend!

Greetings all

Yet another beautiful day. A bit of rain is predicted which is good.The nearest fire has grown quite a bit. It's still a long way from here but sad to think about.

Studio time today. Made some new things. The big kilns get fired today which takes about 9 hours and needs monitoring. So grateful we have paid technicians to run them. It's complex since it's gas fired and the air/fuel mixture plus rate of temperature climb must be within certain limits. It's impacted by wind, humidity and other unknown forces of the universe.

Lobster roll CC! Sounds good. Good for you for having food indifference. That may be the secret to all of this.

Lunch today was tuna salad and cottage cheese (DD I can hear you gagging!). It's a good amount of protein for me. I am going to try Ann's microwave egg poach since getting the poach pan and cleaning is a bother.

And DD you are an expert book critic! Thanks for your thoughts. Good writing is such a treat to be savored. Some books indeed have a super plot but are not well written. Jurassic Park comes to mind - a terrific story that reads like a jr high kid wrote it. Glad the dreaded memo turned out to be no so bad. Occasionally, a problem actually gets solved.

Paula sorry your doggy got a sting. Hope she recovers quickly.

DH did lunch at an Italian place. Brough home most of two calzone. Those will likely last us for a week. He is now totally absorbed in a tv show about King Tut's tomb.

That resort looks cool Liz. Glad the rain ended up being amusing.

Diane S

I LOVE the Sagamore ! I've stayed in the hotel and the chalets !

That hotel is impressive.

Liz, you and your DH are the busiest (in a good way) people I know.

It is tiring though. DH has this tendency to pack a lot in. He will say that if we are here, we should also go there, and then because we are close to X, we should add something else in. He actually has recognized that he needs to start tempering that a bit in the future. We had fun the last 6 days but moving almost every day and driving a lot is getting tougher at our age.