It’s midweek, formerly known in my working world as “Hump Day.” In retirement, however, it’s just another day and just as good as a Saturday. Our entertainment commitments are now down to just Thanksgiving before we head to Hawaii. Last night, it was friends from the neighborhood for appetizers and wine, wrapping up a very busy week of socializing. We’ll soon be resting up with two weeks in Kauai under the wing of Mother Marriott.
I was admiring our new outdoor kitchen this morning. The polished stainless steel glistening in the sunlight. The DCS grill was purchased in Portland and moved several times. It has a built-in motorized rotisserie that somehow survived being stored all these years. The seller had also included a side-burner unit that’s remained in the original box. I take great satisfaction in deciding to save it, despite my wife’s reluctance to keep it since it took up so much space. For once, my pack-rat instincts paid off because it’s now built-in to the stonework and provides the gas burners that she loves to cook on. She was disappointed that we had bought an all-electric home, when a gas range was preferred but not an option. We added refrigerated drawers, a custom stainless steel exhaust hood, under counter storage, granite countertops, and a sink to the limestone base, a definite upgrade from the one we built in Austin. A decorative tile backsplash that coordinates with our kitchen completes the look.
I remember last using a similar rotisserie in Austin to roast our Thanksgiving turkey when my son and his family came to visit. The one we have now has yet to be used and won’t for awhile. My grandson has decided that he wants ham for Thanksgiving this year, so Honey Baked it is! We’ll pick it up on Monday when we’re at the nearby movie theatre. We saw Black Panther: Wakanda Forever for last week’s “Matinee Monday.” Hopefully, some new Thanksgiving releases will provide next week’s big screen entertainment. Pass the popcorn please!
With my hurried run behind me this morning, I’m waiting for the refrigerator repairman. We’ve been without our main refrigerator since returning from Alaska/Hawaii, using the smaller garage frig and the recently installed outdoor kitchen unit. It’s probably saved on groceries since my wife has a tendency to overbuy, but without the cold storage space it’s prevented her from stocking up. I’m hoping that our warranty will cover these repairs today, but I’m prepared to spend anything just to get it running again. It’s an inconvenience to all of us to have to go to the garage or lanai for something cold.
We’re having company again tonight, so maybe we can once again use the main Kitchenaid. They’re supposed to be here between nine and one, but you know how that goes. Hurry up and wait! I’m also keeping an eye on the street repair guys. They have the end of our driveway marked to replace with new concrete, but seem to have skipped over our house. Driveways on both sides have me have been taken care of already, but I’ll need to track them down for another reminder. I’m also due at the dentist for a 2pm appointment.
Tomorrow, the Borrego Boyz ride again after our summer hiatus. It’s the Florida version of the “Leadership Meetings” that we arranged in Portland. This will be our 8th get together when you count the trip to St. Pete for the Indycar race. Last Saturday night was the 10th “Meet the Neighbors” event, involving now 75 homes on Borrego and Fassio streets. It’s getting to be exhausting hosting these bigger get togethers – too many introductions, too much noise, and too much organization. I got there early to set up chairs and the food table but then it was Hurry Up and Wait.
I discovered an Islandwalk neighbor that lived in Indianapolis, went to I.U. like I did, worked at the same radio station, and went into the T.V. business. Somehow, we never crossed paths, but I’m thinking that I replaced him at WIBC-AM when he went to WRTV. He also worked with my wife when she was a media buyer in Indy and remembered her face and married name at the time after 40-years. His wife went to grade school through high school with the guy that I hired to be my General Sales Manager at WLFI-TV in Lafayette. We had the two of them over for brunch yesterday.
My wife loves to entertain, but likes to do the inviting. Whenever I bring people to the house, she always seems to resist. I spent the morning before they arrived hanging pictures, cleaning windows, and vacuuming as penalty for intruding on her Sunday. I had already tried to help make the breakfast casserole the night before but managed to screw that up. She thinks that I do this intentionally so that she never asks me to help, but I’m really not that clever. I just don’t do things the same way she does, which is the right way.
They stayed a little longer than we expected yesterday, especially after two other weekend get-togethers with neighbors and one more to go tomorrow night. We were both tired, but there were so many common connections that needed to be explored, so it naturally took a long time to catch up. There was also the circumstances that put them together with me. A few weeks ago, I had arranged to reunite with this guy I hired in Lafayette, who has a winter home on Anna Maria Island, not too far from us. He was entertaining a group of high school friends in town for golf. As we were all having lunch, they suggested stopping by the house of another Lafayette classmate. Coincidentally, it turned out to be in my neighborhood, not to mention that her husband had followed this similar Indianapolis media path as myself. That impromptu visit, in turn, led to yesterday’s lengthy brunch. It’s a small world after all!
It’s a challenge to come up with something to write about every day, and all too often I come up with nonsense. This morning I got back into the lap swimming because my arms were feeling flabby. Obviously, the push-ups aren’t enough to fight off gravity. My wife is at an aqua-fit class while I will soon take Tally to be groomed. It’s another party night with a “Meet the Neighbors” event at the clubhouse. I saw most of my neighbors at a dinner party last night now that the snowbirds are back to roost. Many of these folks I haven’t seen since May when they retreat to their northern lake homes for the summer. Those that don’t own second homes use this time for travel. We took trips to Mackinac Island, Portland, and were gone another month on the excursion to Alaska and Hawaii.
There was a lot of talk about hurricane damage last night as everyone compared wounds. It was everything from roof tiles to lanai cages. We seem to be the only one that lost our refrigerator to a power surge. I’m suspicious of the manufacturer’s claim that it was storm related, enabling them to conveniently ignore my warranty. The repairman will be here again next week to further explore the problem. I’m already out of pocket on some tile work and the $1,250 HOA assessment for tree replacement. Fortunately, our lanai was spared, but this was not the case for many neighbors. The second hurricane, Nicole, swept through mid-week but caused little destruction.
I saw some frightening footage last night of the storm taken just across the street where most of the neighborhood damage occurred. It showed a torn screen flapping, debris flying, dark skies, torrential rain, and waves crashing in the pool from the 150-mph winds. I’m glad we missed it while waiting for updates safely aboard our Alaska cruise ship. We took evacuation to great extremes. Those who stayed in their homes here said they would never do it again. I’m glad to see the end of hurricane season.
Our friend that came to visit last week usually treats me this time of year with her delicious pumpkin bars, at least when we’ve lived in or come to visit Indianapolis. They have a cream cheese frosting that puts them on the level of my chocolate chip favorite. There’s also a woman in our neighborhood that knows the cravings of a “Cookie Monster” like myself. She bakes me goodies all the time including oatmeal, cinnamon, and snickerdoodles. I’ve never met a cookie I didn’t like.
Since pumpkin bars were difficult to deliver cross-country, our Indy friend took the time to shop for ingredients and bake me pumpkin Whoopie Pies while she was staying here. By definition, a Whoopie Pie is “a baked good comprised of two mound-shaped cookie-cakes with a creamy marshmallow-based filling sandwiched between them.” They’re like an ice cream sandwich or Moon Pie, combining the unbeatable elements of cookie and cake frosting. The filling reminds me of licking the bowl and mixing beaters as a kid.
I’ve been living on these sweets this past week with just a few yet to finish. I’m sure they’ve helped heal my bruised eyelids. They are really the only reminder of fall here in Florida where the temperatures are rarely cool, the trees don’t change color, and there’s no frost on the pumpkins. The smell of pumpkin spice is the only sign of the season in the tropics other than the start of basketball. I’m glad to enjoy a Fall diet of Whoopie Pies.
My wife is still asleep while I peck away at the keyboard. The dark rain clouds are conducive for snoozing, while Tally is in no hurry to go to the dog park, knowing that it would entail putting on her rain suit again. I already had her outside for a quick one earlier, so she’s content with a lazy Thursday morning. I fought the wind and rain to get my mile in this morning. It was great with the breeze at my back but a struggle running into it. One car braved the conditions that could have been a lot worse. Hurricane Nicole stuck the east coast last night and is making her way northwest. Fortunately, we are not in the path, so I’m sure our insurance agent, also named Nicole, is relieved. I already have a call into Nicole from Ian’s recent damage, but she is already apparently so busy that she’s yet to get back with me.
We have a busy social week coming up, including a party tomorrow night, “Meet the Neighbors” pitch-in on Saturday, Sunday brunch with recent acquaintances, “Matinee Monday,” and a Tuesday cocktail party. I’ll also have a chiropractor appointment, tooth cleaning, blood donation to make, and a much anticipated service call from the refrigerator repairman. I also planned to pick up my grandson from school this afternoon, but classes were cancelled in lieu of Nicole. I’m feeling lucky that the storm is nothing more than lots of rain and wind. I don’t thing it’s enough to bring down more trees, power lines, and roof tiles in our neighborhood.
I started watching Power of the Rings yesterday and joined my wife last evening for the season finale of Handmaid’s Tale. We then got through another episode of The Bear before I sat through the final half of the I.U. soccer victory over highly-touted Maryland. The Terps had stolen the regular season conference title from the Hoosiers on a last minute tying goal. “Revenge was a dish served just ten days later,” as I.U. now moves on to the BIG Championship game against Rutgers on Sunday. It’s a record-tying sixth straight year that they’ve advanced to the tourney title match. Hoosier basketball action against Bethune-Cookman is on my calendar for tonight, but tomorrow’s expected football massacre against Ohio State should probably best be ignored. Nonetheless, Go Big Red!
Another storm is headed our way over the next few days. Tropical Storm Nicole will make landfall on the Atlantic coast, cross the state, and then move up the Gulf Coast, hopefully skirting north of our area. Regardless, we will get some strong winds and rain that could cause further damage to the many unstable trees in our neighborhood. HOA workers have installed wood braces on the trunks hat survived Ian and there are still a few roofs that have yet to be fixed other than covered with blue tarps. Unlike most area neighborhoods, there are no longer massive piles of debris, a credit to our association’s diligent efforts.
This has been our first full year in Florida, and we’ve had more than our share of destructive weather. Yes, it’s warm and beautiful where we live, but danger continues to lurk – not just alligators. Insurance companies are backed-up on claims and financial relief is slow to materialize. It will take years to recover already, so another set-back would be catastrophic. We still have a refrigerator in need of repair and a homeowner’s assessment to pay. My son is waiting on his insurance claims regarding roof, vehicle, and water damage. He’s fortunate not to have an unsightly pile of limbs, siding, shingles, mangled grills, and twisted outdoor furniture like most of his neighbors.
I joined one of my fellow joggers on the route this morning. He’s training for a half-marathon and I struggle to keep up with his faster pace. All three of my miles ended up in the 14-minute range, still nothing more than a comparative crawl, but “fast” for me these days. He went on for an additional 7-miles this morning. For me, today marked 5,064 consecutive despite the long cruise and eyelid surgery. This incoming Tropical Depression could impose another challenge to “The Streak,” but I will certainly find a way to get my miles in one way or another. Streak On!
I felt like this morning that I was back on track after a good night’s sleep in my own bed. Time change has me back in the familiar routine of 9:45p and 7:15a dog outings, followed by a 5k run. The next steps will be adding back in the swimming and blogging aspects of a traditional Mike morning. This, of course, will all quickly change again with our trip to Kauai at the end of the month. I will continue this report after a quick trip to the Center for Sight and the removal of my eyelid stitches. I should then have time to cast my vote on this election day.
My stitches are the dissolvable kind, so they only got a trimming and I have to continue applying ointment for another 10-days. My regular glasses pretty much hide the bruising and stitch line that will eventually be disguised under the folds of my eyes. I did then have time to vote but it took about an hour due to the heavy turnout. Election officials were encouraged. Florida does not use digital ballots, so I felt like I was taking a college admission test in trying to fill within the lines. The finished ballot is then run through a scanner that I assume counts the vote. In Oregon, it was all done through the mail. Texas, Indiana, and Illinois where I did my voting through the years were all hand-marked paper. I undoubtedly set-back the state of Florida many decades with my lack of knowledge about the area politics. One guy exited by the waiting line with beard growth and claimed to be clean shaven when he arrived.
The extra time in line prevented me from saying farewell to my wife’s two remaining friends. They were off to Punta Gorda for lunch and then to the airport. It was apparently 34-years all four of them had gotten together as a group. I stayed clear as much as possible even though I had worked with all of them from time-to-time many years ago when they were on the agency side. We joked last night about a Coca-Cola negotiation that they put me through when I was with the Ft. Wayne radio station group. Management had forced me to raise the rates through the roof since we “owned” the teen market, their primary demo target, and they succeeded in making me quite uncomfortable, bringing in the client to literally plead with me. We had them over a barrel (of Coke). It was the first time that I met my future wife. We were both married to other people at the time. Oh, the Good Old Days. “Things go Better with Coke.”
Another Wordle streak bit the dust this morning as there were just too many letters that worked instead of the “L” in STALE. STATE, STAVE, STAKE, and STAGE were all unsuccessful, so a new streak will have to wait until tomorrow. Bu the way, I’m not worried about revealing the answer or spoiling someone else’s fun with this daily word game because it will be several days before this gets posted. I’m still at my son’s house and writing this on my phone to be copied and pasted later.
I’m still recovering from my eye surgery, and spent a lazy day yesterday watching TV. It was also a bit lonely with no one home, no dog to take care of, and a cat on my lap. When my son got off work, I ordered Taco Bell for both of us on my new app, and he picked it up on his way home. The app was solely the result of a Kyle Schwarber stolen base in game 1 of the World Series. (See Post #2186). However, it came in handy to efficiently feed both of us last night.
After a sedate 12-hours of watching my favorites like I.U. and Purdue be soundly crushed, Alabama lose in O.T, Illinois fall to the Spartans, and unwanted victories by Notre Dame and Ohio State, I turned to the World Series for more disappointment. Dusty Baker finally won a ring as a manager after falling short leading the Giants, Cubs, Reds, and Nats. Schwarber, in a losing Phillies effort, belted another homer, walked, and gunned down a runner at second “after further review.” It was getting late, but I was not the slightest bit tired.
I tossed and turned in my grandson’s bed for hours before I finally figured out what was wrong. I had inadvertently ordered a large Mountain Dew Blast instead of a caffeine-free Sierra Mist on the Taco Bell app and was seriously buzzed! I stared at the ceiling, read my book, and worried about silly things that will probably never happen. Finally, I dozed off restlessly and felt out of sorts when daylight rudely forced me out of bed. As a result, I shortened my run and exercise routine to play a losing game of Wordle. I’ll now spend another day with frustrating football and go to bed early in anticipation of another disruptive time change.
It may be a few days before this gets posted from my home office. Currently, I’m all alone at my son’s house while my wife entertains girlfriends at ours. I drove over here after dinner last night, went to bed shortly after, and ran a 5k this morning. My son is at work and the grandkids are at their mother’s. I’m watching the You Tube replay of the final I.U. basketball exhibition game against St. Francis before Saturday football starts. My stitched eyelids are itchy but the bruising and swelling is less noticeable.
The Hoosier soccer team won their first BIG tourney match against Penn State last night and will play #1 seed Maryland next week. The Terrapins won the National Championship over I.U. a few years ago in Santa Barbara with me in the stands. They are always a tough matchup especially come tournament time. The #16 Nittany Lions were equally formidable, falling 1-0 at Bill Armstrong Stadium. I.U. will now go on the road to Maryland, after failing to hold off a late tying score in the last match of the regular season. As a result, the #8 Terps got the top tourney seed and the unranked Hoosiers fell to 4th.
Without the responsibility of taking the dog out, I doubt if I see any more daylight today. My eyes are still a bit sensitive to the sun, so I’m content with a day in front of the TV, concluding with World Series game #6, perhaps the last of the season. I’ll also do some reading of Grisham’s The Boys from Biloxi, another reminder of hurricane devastation and the battle to collect insurance reimbursement. Massive piles of debris surround my son’s home. Ouch!
