Best Of

Sandy, I'm shaking my head with disbelief at your latest home disaster. You've suffered enough!!!! And the forecast for this weekend in NOLA is not pleasant. I live across the lake (Pontchartrain) on the north shore, so our local tv stations are New Orleans stations. I hope you enjoy your birthday celebration, whatever the weather. At least it probably won't be as bad as Chicago weather.

Petite, good news on your friend. Also, you seem to be handling the challenges of a homeowner and landlord.

I'm beginning to feel the nudge to tackle closets. LOL. Today my task is to make sure the guest bedroom and hall bathroom are ready for overnight guests on Friday. A couple from MN who spend a month in FL every winter will stop for the night on their way back home. We're a motel stop. They'll get up early on Saturday and leave while we are still sleeping. We got to know them when they rented a site in Pinehollow Resort, where we spend the summer in MN. I'm pretty sure they didn't have ideal FL weather this winter. Usually we go out to eat when they stop, but dh and I will be having lunch at a restaurant with two friends on Friday. I will probably prepare dinner by doing some cooking on Thursday.

I may or may not go to Chair Yoga at 1 pm. Depends on how my day goes.

Happy Tuesday.

Good morning, all. It is cold and has been for days. Feels like temperature is 17 degrees. This is Florida. BRRRR

My friend is doing better. She gets the stitches, staples out on Wednesday. I had lunch with her on Saturday. It was a pleasant day.

The pest control people placed skirting around the mobile home and set traps. The skirting goes a foot into the ground. My tenant is hoping this will resolve the problem. I told him to make sure all food is put away, especially the dog food. As a landlord, I have found it is the pet food that attracts the critters and bugs. A lot of people let their animals feed at will and leave a bowl of dry food out. These folks have been tenants for 10 years. My other tenants have also lived in their home for 10 years. I only have 2 rental properties, now. I should do a provision for a deed transfer in my will, so they don't loose their homes at my death.

I was to see the GYN today, but it was cancelled at the last minute. He is 2 years younger than I am and still practicing. He has been delivering babies for 4 generations. LOL

Hope everyone has a pleasant day.

Sandy, you haven’t caught a break in sometime, re: the house. Definitely go to NOLA, enjoy the hotel and your birthday celebration. The bathroom renovation while you’re in Greece also sounds like a plan.

Betrayal, I did get the master closet more organized. More consolation than actual clean out. I was able to get a big bag of my workout/gym stuff, 2 foam rollers and an 8# medicine ball out of the bedroom and stored in the closet. Bedroom looks less chaotic to me.

I also went out today and knocked down the wasp/bee nest. It then fell behind the hurricane shutter, unreachable. I had to go back in the house and get a yardstick to reach the nest, flick it out and away from me. Back inside I went for Windex, paper towels, and the step ladder. Mission complete.

I debated starting on the garage door bottom weather strip. But the weather today, when I got up, started out at 45 and only hit 63. And it was getting late so I postponed (evaded?) that for another day.

A gf and I left this morning at 11 to go to Costco. Well, we didn’t get back until almost 2! First time she’d been in this store, new membership in IL. So we wandered around to see everything. The best buy I had was 2 nice Adidas polos for SO at $4.97 each. Otherwise I bought some stuff I really didn’t need. Apple fritter bites, to die for, but calorie high; a blueberry crunch item, made with white chocolate… oh so good but also not needed! Salmon Milan - dill & butter, all ready to go in the oven - I bought it so I could turn my oven on to warm up the house HA! It was delicious.

Saturday we spent the day in Immokalee at the casino listening to the concert. GF & husband had VIP tickets and we brought another couple with us. GF & DH left after the first band of four, giving us their pass. It was a beautiful day, weather stayed decent all day.

Marshall Tucker band as we left - Fire on the Mountain. All bands were good; we knew songs from them all. Molly Hatchet was super loud; I went in to gamble while they played. No winnings $$$ to report. Home before 11; left at 2, so a long day. We got the Buffalo vs Bronco results on the shuttle bus to our car. Disappointed.

Sunday was football all day. Rooted for Chicago, disappointing. Tonight was college football. Nice to see a different team win.

Another overnight of super cool weather for southwest FL. I’m putting out my walking clothes for tomorrow, but we’ll see if I get out. Stay warm ladies!

Why is when you seek to organize, you have to create clutter and chaos, first, LOL? The closet is pretty much done. The floor for the moment is clear and I have only one or 2 items that may need to be put back in there.

The shelves are organized, storage bins have been sorted through and labeled with contents. I found leather and suede gloves that can be donated since they no longer fit, and are in very good shape. Some others have seen better days and were tossed. Coats were organized into lengths and types (heavy versus light), raincoats grouped (lined versus unlined) and while most have been kept for the moment, they can be culled in the future if unworn.

I was actually able to recycle an IKEA metal box, they no longer carry sadly, to store my collection of baseball caps (though none represent any baseball teams, LOL, just ports of call). They were relocated from my bedroom closet. I have the smaller metal box to designate for another purpose unrelated to this closet. I repaired an ancient cardboard hat box (the lid had broken) to hold some fur hats I own and will put a note about contents in it. I will relocate a mink collar to this closet since it matches one of the hats. I am pleased with the finished look and now knowing not only what I have, but also where it is when I need it.

I had a large Rubbermaid bin made for wrapping paper storage that contained occasion paper such as birthdays, weddings, etc. I cleared out the paper I no longer have use, will donate any that is usable, and keep a few I will use. I found some Christmas paper that needs to go in the bins I have for it.

I finished the base of the hall tree clean out and decided the fate of the contents. Most will be gifted to others for use or have been tossed. What remained was organized into shoe boxes, labeled and returned to the base. It is so neat and the contents are easily accessible. This is an enclosed base so no one sees what is stored in there. I have a large bag of gift wrappings/bags to be donated.

I had to cancel this Wednesday's Vietnam Vet pickup because the driveway is still too icy for anyone to try to use. I rescheduled for early February hoping we will have a clear driveway then. DB has canceled for tomorrow due to a local emergency, and I may have to cancel for Wednesday as well depending upon the state of the driveway.

Taco, glad you are enjoying nice weather. Wallycat, I could send you some snow if you are interested. I won't miss it at all. I'm not sure where you are located, but it is no longer the midwest?

carole, I don't know why I find cold and clear weather to be associated with LA. I expected it to be a tad warmer.

Chris, from your lips to God's ear about my pain and thanks for the acknowledgment. I know you suffer with your hands, too. DD gave me a hand mitt filled with beans (?) and herbs that I can throw in the microwave to heat up to use on either hand. It is great. Stay warm and be safe with your polar weather.

harley0, I am sure those books with your trip photos are lovely and I wish I had the patience to do that. DH makes CD's with our photos and adds a music track. Stay warm, too.

Sandy, glad to read how well the show went and hope that next year you get a bigger role. I am impressed by your musicality: singing and being able to play instruments. My GM played the organ, violin and piano, taught all 3, and never offered to teach me. I have her violin and am considering having someone evaluate whether it could be donated to someone who could use it.

cindyny, how did your closet project turn out?

wren4, hope your new treatment continues to show it is working.

teka, I am not a fish person, but that meal did look good.

petite1, hope your BFF is back on her feet and your stressors have diminished.

Hope everyone had a great day and waving "hi" to everyone. It is currently 28 degrees with a feels like much lower, and expected to go to 17 with a feels like of 0 degrees overnight. I've had enough of winter.