Monthly Archives: February 2014

Remembering Where The New Door Is…….

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The new door to the master bedroom is on the opposite end of the wall.

The new door to the master bedroom is on the opposite end of the wall.

As I have explained with the remodel, we are making as few structural changes as we can. One of them though is moving the door to the master from one side of the wall to the other end so that the current “dead space” becomes the new pantry. That is well on the way to being finished, and the challenge now is to remember that the door is in an entirely different spot. It is a bit disorienting as will be the other changes, I’m sure. That also means that the light switch for overhead in the master is no longer next to the door, but quite frankly, we rarely use that anyway because we mostly use the bedside lamps. We also have a lovely lamp that sits on my dresser that we haven’t been in a habit of using and probably will now.

It looks as if the flooring installation crew will be able to start Wednesday which means that if they don’t encounter any difficulties, we’ll have that part completed a week from today. Once the new flooring is in place, other things can proceed. We will also be able to move the makeshift kitchen into the living room, making sure that we lay something down to protect the new floors. Since we’re planning to have everything re-painted, this might be the time to get drop cloths. The painters will have their own, but one or two extra wouldn’t be bad to have around. On the other hand, I’ve been intending to replace a bunch of sheets, so they might work, too. I think the plan for the weekend is to get range hood, possibly new sink, and go pick out appliances. We already have the new microwave. We will be getting a French door style refrigerator. I’ve seen enough of them in people’s houses now to be convinced.

 

 

A Night in Margaritaville…..

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I am sitting in a lovely room on the 11th floor of the Bossier City Margaritaville Resort and Casino. I finished the quick trip to my dad’s and am spending the night closer to the airport because I have an early flight. I didn’t want to leave their place at 5:00 a.m. and disturb them, plus this way I can have dinner with one of my girlfriends. I’m not sure if we’ll dine at the Margaritaville Café or the Seafood and Steak restaurant. I’ll let her choose. It’s been a hurried and busy trip, but it was important from a family perspective and I accomplished everything that I needed to. If there are no delays tomorrow, I should be home by 4:00 and possibly even have a few minutes to catch my breath before jumping into a full day on Friday. The big Mardi Gras is Sat and we’ll be there until late, I’m sure. Maybe Sunday can be low key.

The temperature dropped again last night and it was still only 40 this morning. However, it’s supposed to be a brief cold snap and then begin the movement toward spring. Jonquils at my dad’s house had already popped up, so hopefully the couple of nippy days won’t be too hard on them. I have my wrap with me to get me from the hotel to the airport and I’ll then tuck it into my suitcase before I check the bag. Whether or not I need to take the wrap downstairs with me tonight is a bit of a question, but I think I’ll be okay without it.

On the home front, Hubby said they have all the old flooring gone and much of the new framing done. We aren’t having much structural work included and that part should take only a few days. The proposed solution for the new vent hood sounds interesting and I’ll explain more about that once I see it.

Okay, just got a text from my girlfriend, so I’ll close this out and get dressed for dinner.

Let the Destruction Begin…..

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Okay, today is it! If the timing works as planned, I will be on my way to the airport when the contractors arrive to start gutting the kitchen and tearing up flooring. The microwave has beeped it’s last and the dishwasher has run it’s final cycle – at least in this household. We will tell the guys that they are welcome to re-use anything that can be, although I don’t know how much that will be. And the fridge might find a permanent new home in the garage. Like most people, we can use an extra fridge on many occasions and if hubby puts in the dust collection system he wants, that could work out quite well.

I have to ponder paint scheme while I am gone because that will be a separate action from the basic remodeling. We’ll bring in pros to do most of it and handle the master ourselves as we did when we originally moved into the house. I think we’ll stick with the green palette in the master, but swap out the living room/dining room for a more sand-colored look going into muted gold for the kitchen. That’s not a firm decision and we haven’t picked out the granite yet, so that could change. We want to go a little lighter and not quite as “busy” on the new granite depending on the options. An ogee edge is my inclination instead of bullnose, but I don’t have strong feelings about it. We’re looking for simple lines, nothing too “fussy”.

Okay, since I am going to an area where internet connectivity is lacking – those places do still exist – I’m not sure if I will post again before Thursday.

Next Phase Complete…….

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Temporary storage of crystal in office

Temporary storage of crystal in office

What a week! I began this post yesterday when the movers were downstairs and lost the bubble on it, trying to get everything done before I had to leave for a meeting.  We went with a combination of sending things into storage and scattering things around the house. Trying to remember what is where will be an interesting effort, but since we were doing the packing ourselves, we tried to keep all the really fragile items here. A few items were picked up by the Salvation Army, then it’s finding spots for what we currently have sitting on the counters. After all, on Monday, those come out when gutting of the kitchen takes place. Hubby was home most of today and I wish I could have been, but I had an obligation for an event that I simply couldn’t back out of. Ah well, there is tomorrow before I fly to Louisiana on Monday.

We do almost have the fridge cleaned out and that is going in the garage. We can manage without stove, dishwasher, and sink, and drew the line at no fridge or microwave. That’s just too inconvenient. Only one television in the bedroom will require a little adjustment, although when you get down to it, that’s no different than when we travel and are in a hotel room. Our master bedroom is fairly large and so we’ve been able to cram quite a bit in and still have room to maneuver around. I’m not sure what we will do for dinner tomorrow night, but something nice since it will be the last “normal” meal we cook until this process is over with.

We have also found an entertainment center that we like, although we will have to order it because we very much want to have the library ladder and that narrows the available local pool. This, by the way, means hubby gets the long-awaited big screen TV – well, big for us, not nearly as large as is out there. We actually intended to do the new entertainment center and big TV a couple of years ago, and that too sort of slipped past us as we were involved with other activities. Okay, tomorrow will be quite busy and I will take the “Before” photos prior to the destruction getting underway.

 

 

Packing and Juggling…….

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Ah, we knew it was coming, but somehow in all the other things we have going on, I was startled to get word that tear-out of the tile and carpet and gutting the kitchen will commence Mon, 24 Feb. Of course I knew we would be doing this soon and in one sense, it’s probably just as well that I have to fly to Louisiana that day. If all goes according to plan, that part will be over with when I return on the 27th. While I think I am prepared to live through the remodeling part, I also think me not being around for the destructive piece is better. Hubby says he can handle it.

Okay, that means I have to go find boxes and packing material and we have already starting using the guest room for storage while leaving a path to the exercise bike, bed, and closet. I have left a voice mail for the guy we intend to use for moving and storage of stuff which hopefully will be only for about 3 weeks. Sorting out what we will need to hang onto from the kitchen in tricky because we don’t want too much, but we also don’t want to look around and go, “Geez, did we really pack that?”

I’m not kidding myself though – I know that living through a re-model is never easy, especially since I am not getting my dream house, but rather maximizing the space we have downstairs. Therefore, we have several steps to go through after the remodel is completed since we will be doing the upstairs painting ourselves and the master bath cosmetic changes. Then there is the matter of how much cabinet space we really will have and we simply won’t know that until it’s done. For example, we’re giving up one cabinet for trashcans, but we gain a corner cabinet that is currently dead space.

The pantry is another interesting plan. The present pantry will become the microwave area and I’ll post separately about that at a later date. There is “dead space” leading into the master which is just off the kitchen. The door to the master will be moved to the opposite end of the wall and that “empty” space will be turned into a pantry. It’s not much wider or higher than what we have, but it will be a little deeper and when you multiple that by the height and the width, it should be nicer than what we have. More to follow as we progress through this whole business.

 

Valentine’s Day Thoughts…..

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For reasons that are too painful for me to get into, Valentine’s Day had always been important to me, and it isn’t that I no longer care about it, but I have noticed an interesting lessening of it as a symbol. That, no doubt, is because as I have noted on this blog before, I am married to one of the most wonderful men in the world. Not that we don’t have spats, and those can sometimes escalate into heated discussions, but never anything that we can’t resolve quickly. Twenty-five years of marriage though doesn’t remotely mean that romance isn’t important; it’s that we have plenty of those moments that don’t need to be confined to special occasions. Restaurants tend to get a little crazy on Valentine’s Day and we do, after all, have poolside dining with Tiki torches to be lit in our own back yard. That, and a lovely bottle of wine or champagne does make for a very nice setting. Actually though, if I can get this one project completed this morning, as I hope to, there might be a waterfront lunch involved down in Key Largo as we go in search of a cabinet maker for a custom piece that we need.

And despite more than two decades now of marriage, I do still remember those Valentine’s Days when I wondered if I was ever going to find the proverbial Mr. Right, and the times when I decided that if I didn’t, it was okay. Valentine’s Day has that effect on women, and so for my friends and readers out there who maybe aren’t thrilled when this day comes around, I would say to try and let it wash over you. Love most assuredly can find you later in life and after making more than one mistake in the relationship department. And if it should be that it doesn’t, finding the fulfillment you need with other things in life can work, too.

We Do Love Turtles……

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Turtle in Key Largo. Photo by hubby, of course.

Turtle in Key Largo. Photo by hubby, of course.

Part of the fascination with scuba is the ability to temporarily exist within the marine world that is filled with creatures of all shapes and sizes. Everyone has their favorites and despite the allure of the “big stuff”, you also learn to appreciate the tiny fish and other marine life that you find on the reefs and in the sand. With that said though, turtles are among the ones that divers keep an eye out for and always enjoy. The green sea turtle is the most common in this area along with the hawksbill and you can see loggerheads and leatherbacks. There is a species called the Kemp’s Ridley, but it is really rare and I don’t personally know of anyone who has ever seen one in the wild.

The trick to diving with turtles is to try and curb your excitement when you see one. If it has plenty of air and doesn’t perceive you as a threat, it will often swim slowly, allowing you to keep pace. There is something special about being able to do that and yes, you do occasionally lose sight of where the boat is if you’re following a turtle. It’s worth having an extra distance to swim back. Turtles can be easily impacted by trash though and monofilament line, straws, plastic bags and plastic rings like that hold a six pack of beverages together are among some of the worst common items that people carelessly toss into the water. The fishing line and plastic rings can snare a turtle’s flippers, literally trapping it underwater or tightening into the skin enough to cut it. Turtles eat jellyfish among other things and plastic bags or straws can look like food. Once ingested, plastics can’t be digested and that causes all sorts of problems. So please, if you are on or around the water, be extra careful with your trash and make sure it’s placed in a secure bin. We love our turtles and want to do everything we can to keep them safe.

A different turtle pose.

A different turtle pose.

An Interesting Lunch…….

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Freshly painted Bobbie Joe's and Friends restaurant in Homestead, FL

Freshly painted Bobbie Joe’s and Friends restaurant in Homestead, FL

I am one of those people who enjoy a range of dining options and there are occasions when a down-home, basic place is exactly what I am in the mood for. We have a number of small, family owned restaurants in town and among them was Bobbie Jo’s, tucked into a strip shopping spot which also happens to be one of the older buildings in town that managed to survive Hurricane Andrew. I had been in Bobbie Jo’s twice and while it was okay, it had struck me as perhaps being past its prime. So, when a good friend began to talk about how much she liked the place, I wondered if I had misjudged it. I had not actually, and why I had not is an interesting story.

When I was there, the current owner was struggling and two of the older patrons who had known the family for many years were convinced that a recovery was possible. So, despite being very much in the senior citizen category, this couple has taken up the mantle, determined to make what is now Bobbie Jo’s and Friends the sort of restaurant that it had once been. This is not fancy, not remotely. It is breakfast and lunch, no booze served, but you can get breakfast any time they are open. It is classic breakfast fare, soups, sandwiches, and plate lunches; good food at reasonable prices. It is the type of place where the waitresses quickly learn your name and the new owners will stop at the table to chat. I had a hamburger steak smothered with grilled onions in brown gravy that brought back memories of before the days of franchise restaurants.

I don’t know if the effort to revitalize Bobbie Jo’s and Friends will pay off, but I do know that I will happily recommend it and be returning.

A Day at Sea World……..

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Manatees at Sea World, Orlando

Manatees at Sea World, Orlando

Despite multiple trips to Orlando, Sea World had not been one of our stops. I came up here yesterday to join my sister and her husband who had flown in from Houston. Since they happened to be staying only a couple of exits down from Sea World, that was our destination today. We arrived early with overcast clouds, although as the morning progressed, the sky cleared more than had been initially forecast. We had no intention of taking the rollercoaster rides and that did cut out a fair amount of what was offered, but there were plenty of attractions and exhibits to enjoy. The 300-foot Sea Tower gave a lovely panoramic view and the dolphins are always fun whether they are in a show or not. There was a beautiful aviary with roseate spoonbills and other water fowl and the tunnel with reef all around you moved from Caribbean to South Pacific with plenty of sharks. The Turtle Trek, a 3-D presentation of life from the perspective of a green sea turtle, was especially enjoyable. Prior to entering the theater, you went through the part of the building with an underwater view of 14 rescued sea turtles, several species of fish and manatees. After exiting the presentation, you had the top-down view of the manatees and the turtles when they would come up for air. There were actually three manatees, peacefully hanging about munching on heads of lettuce.

It was a pleasant day with the great landscaping throughout the park providing an extra touch for those of us who love tropical plants.

A Geeki Girl Gathering…………

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I spent my Saturday doing one of those things that make you look around with pride. Noreen Legault Mendonza is the founder of the organization and you can read the details about the team and the background at their web site of http://www.geekigirl.org

I met Noreen literally by accident one day when she was on the end of a meeting with a woman who I was meeting with next. Although I don’t qualify for the Geeki in the sense of being tech-savvy or inclined to science, math or engineering, I have most assuredly made my way in non-traditional roles. I was glad to sign up to be one of the presenters at the breakout sessions and have lunch in between. There were around 100 girls in attendance at the South Dade High School, ranging from middle school through seniors. The Miami-Dade County Public School System has incorporated the STEM/STEAM academy into many of their schools as a voluntary track. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math is the basic STEM and schools can elected to add the “A” in either Art or Aeronautics. Studies consistently show that middle school is where girls start backing away from math, etc.,. and so the focus for yesterday was to encourage girls to enter the STEAM academy that does have “Art” as the “A”. Indeed, one of the morning speakers was an engineer who had started in art, then moved into architect, and finally engineering having never thought that was something she would pursue. Geeki Girls emphasizes marrying art and technology and this impressive young woman was a perfect representative for that approach.

The presenters covered quite a range – Air Force Officer, Cisco Code Writer, Police Detective, Entrepreneur, Physician, Model, Animator, and so forth. Not surprisingly, the “CSI” and film making were among the most popular breakout sessions, but those of us with less exciting topics had a good time. During lunch when they asked us to be sure and sit with girls that we hadn’t interacted with yet, it was a special treat for me to have one of them say she was in JROTC and planned to go into the Army through college ROTC and one of the other girls was looking at the Air Force. That really was a coincidence of where I sat down.

I have mentioned the value of mentoring in other posts and while Saturday’s session wasn’t quite that, it was an opportunity for role modeling to girls that the world is truly open to them.