Congratulations Jim, Jr.!!!

As I understand from Jim Sr., Jim Jr. has a new job with Tempco. I don't know all the details, but the way it was explained to me, it sounds like a nice customer service position. It's always exciting (and a little scary) to begin a new venture so let's all join together and wish Jim Jr. outstanding success.

It's been quite a while since we posted here. What with Thanksgiving, getting the tree up and getting ready for Christmas, we've been super busy. I can't believe how many Christmas decorations we've put up, and we still have decorating to do. It's just a great big house. It's been such a long time since we have had the whole family together and we're really looking forward to Christmas Eve. The Olive Garden is doing the catering again this year (yes, we're having chicken marsala again - :>) .

Our Christmas present to each other arrived yesterday and is getting installed today. It's a new TV with it's own zip code - it has a 67 inch screen. Can you believe electronics today! I still remember black and white TV on an 18 inch screen! This piece of equipment can be connected directly to a pc, camcorder, and miscellaneous other audio visual equipment. I'll be all of 2007 just figuring out how to work all the features.

A little update on the office furniture crazy making venture - After Office Depot had the extra boxes of furniture picked up by Federal Express - would you believe we received a bill from Federal Express in the amount of $411! It took two visits to Office Depot to get that cleared up. Back in late October I wrote a long letter to senior management at Office Depot headquarters. A few days ago we received a telephone call from them and we've been given $250 credit on our bill. That helps, but I still won't buy anything there that I can't take away with me and use immediately.

A little update on Kathy - It's taking some time to get the denture frames built and fitted perfectly, so the work will not be completed until January. We had hoped to have it all done by the end of the year. I'm sure Kathy would like to be finished with it. Things have a way of going how they should. Kathy will be moving in with Mandy and Jesse at the end of December. At least she will be all settled before the remaining extractions are done and will be closer to Stockton for followup visits.

Jim Sr. has a birthday coming up on January 21 and for that we'll be doing a potluck. I'll furnish an entree and cake and we'll ask the family to provide side dishes. Since the 21st is on Sunday, we'll have the party late afternoon/early evening so people with school and jobs the next day won't be up too late.

I may or may not post here again before Christmas - it's only 12 days away! Yikes!

Love to all,

Corrie and Jim

mzcorrie@frontiernet.net

jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Veteran's Day

Today is the day to say 'Thank You' to a veteran. On this day there's often a lot of rhetoric. . . things that we all want to say by way of thank you, so I won't repeat it here. Mostly, I personally want to say 'Thank You' to all our military, regardless of their service affiliation. We need them all.

With the holidays approaching, military people away from home could use an expression of appreciation from all of us, especially during a time when they'll be away from their families. Every year Dear Abbey supports Operation Dear Abbey wherein individuals can send a personalized greeting or gifts to military. If this is something you might want to do, the web site address is OperationDearAbbey.net. This will take you to a page that has links for all the various options and groups that send gifts and greetings to military.

Another way to show appreciation to our military is through the Department of Foreign Wars. Each year their Volunteer Service collects items that military serving abroad need and makes gift boxes for them. If you would like to participate in that project, call Volunteer Service at 585-393-7761 for details.

Today, during your private time, take a moment and say a prayer for our military. If we all do this, maybe we can get them home soon.

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net

Election Post Mortem

Today has been a sad day for Jim. He's been a die-hard Republican since I've known him and one of the two or three remaining Bush supporters. All day today he's been in mourning, fretting that we're all going to hell and the Democrats are carrying the hand basket. Last night he was simply in shock after a very bad day overall. Monday was not a good day for him either...election aside.

Back in mid-October he ordered some extra special super duper Adams senior golf clubs from Golf USA. A couple of weeks later he called and was told that the manufacturer was in the middle of computer reconsituting/switching servers, etc and the order had been delayed but was expected this past Monday. Since these clubs are supposed to take strokes off his game and make him the envy of other golfers, Jim was eager to get his clubs. First thing Monday morning, he was off to Golf USA. .... :>( no clubs. He was told to check back the next day. Tuesday morning he went back to Golf USA... mind you ... Golf USA is on the mainland and about a 15 mile drive each way. :>( ... no clubs. The clerk said he would call when they came in. About 2:30 pm we got a call from a clerk there that the clubs were in...Jim figured if he hurried right over, he could get in 9 holes before it got too dark. He's at Golf USA by about 3:15 - :>( ... no clubs... the clerk made a mistake. An order had come in, but it wasn't Jim's.

Being the stoic that he is, Jim settled down to watch election returns.... bad mistake. By 10pm he was numb and went to bed. Poor guy. Today we picked up Kathy at BART and on the way home called the store and voila! clubs were in. We went directly to the store and picked them up. It's the first smile I've seen in 72 hours...tomorrow we take Kathy for an early morning dentist appointment. Pray for sun in the afternoon. It will break Jim's heart if it's raining.

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Rain, Rain, Wonderful Rain

Finally, some rain to clean the air and wash the plants. Everything around here is covered in construction dust and even if we hose everything down, the dust comes back as soon as the dirt movers start in again. Rain has been especially welcome because it settles the dirt the dirt movers have been stirring up, and as such, we don't get it all over everything.

We had a window left open and you wouldn't believe the dust and dirt that come in through just one little window. Yikes. I'd hate to be one of the people who drives the dirt mover.

The saga of the office furniture continues. Since the furniture was all built and installed in the office, we thought the incident was closed - not so. The furniture gremlin was not about to let go so easily. We received in the mail a bill in the amount of $411 from Federal Express. This bill was for the furniture that was wrongly delivered and had to be replaced -no way - not our bill. Today we took the bill into Office Depot (even thought I had heart palpitations just going into the store) and talked to the manager. According to him, once about every six months or so, Federal Express incorrectly bills the customer for returns...given the gremlin that's attached itself to this furniture, somehow that seems wickedly normal. Supposedly, we'll get a call with an address to send the bill for Office Depot to pay it. Yeah, right. I'll believe all that when it happens.

We had other errands on the mainland today... a trip to Target, a stop at PetCo (kitties need catnip), and whattaya know...a trip to Golf USA. Speaking of golf - that's where Jim is now. At least the rain has stopped and he can get in a couple of holes before dinner time and I get to enjoy some quiet time.

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Halloween 2006

Halloween has to have Trick or Treaters to be any fun at all. Since Trilogy doesn't allow trick or treating, we had to find our own. Off to Marc and Anita's house we went, armed with a little treat for their kids. As soon as we arrived, it felt like Halloween - kids were already in their costumes, bugging their parents to leave. Nick, who is 13, had already left, but the younger ones had to stay and wait for a parent to go with them.

Nicole was a gypsy dancing girl, Justin was a Ninja, and Samantha was Vampira. They all looked like they were having a great time. Anita took them out to trick or treat, and Marc, Jim and I, hung around the house. Marc answered the door while Jim and I rifled through the candy supply for Reeses and Milky Ways.

Just before we were ready to leave, Nick showed up with some buddies, but even in his hurry, he had a moment for a picture and a hug for grandma and grandpa. Nick's a good, loving kid, always with a smile and a friendly word. Samantha said Nick was a dead guy without a coffin...but Nick looks pretty alive to me. But, from the looks of that bag he's carrying, he might end up pretty sick.

On the way home we saw lots of kids sitting on the curb raiding their candy bags before they headed home. They seemed to know that as soon they got home, Mom would confiscate the candy and begin the 'sensible' doling out. By the time the kids are home with the candy bags, they've already eaten enough candy to be dog sick, so the ''two" pieces that Mom allocates is more than enough.

Jim's off playing golf (like he does most days). When he gets home we're off to Fairfield to deal with the property tax people. We received 3 tax bills totaling $4138 - just for the first installment. Not good -- we're keeping our fingers crossed that the tax collector's office will admit there's been a mistake and will reduce the bill by about half. Not a fun afternoon.

I understand Jim Jr. is doing some job hunting for a part time accounting position. Good for him. Let's all hold positive thoughts that he'll get the job that's a perfect fit for him.

Love to all

Corrie and Jim

mzcorrie@frontiernet.net

jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Everyone! Here in Trilogy it will be very quiet - no little ghosts or goblins or trick or treaters. We haven't even bought one bag of Halloween candy. Today, during the day, there's a Halloween party for the little kids of Trilogy residents, but past that, nothing. There are very few Halloween decorations on porches or front yards. It's all part of the adult community culture... no kids running about....besides, do you really want children running around in the streets when the only drivers are old folks????Quite a few people, including Jim and me, have fall decorations - pumpkins, scarecrows, etc., but no jack-o-lanterns.

Chilly weather has arrived in Rio Vista. It got all the way up to 70 degrees yesterday, and I don't think it made it that high today. The cats have suddenly become a lot friendlier, very cuddly. Although there's not a cloud in the sky, the weather report promises rain. A good vigourous rain would be welcome - it would clean off all the construction dirt and settle the dust.

Yesterday I had a full on asthma attack and spent most of the day connected to my oxygen tank and clutching my inhaler. It was severe enough to put me back on the steriod inhaler (which I hate using). Today I feel a lot better, and if we would just get a good downpouring rain, the air would be a lot cleaner and less troublesome.



We had a cat door installed in the laundry room door that leads to the garage. Now all we have to do is convince the cats to use it. Easier said than done.

We put some tuna on a plate in the garage early in the morning when we knew they'd both be starving. Annabelle, who is hungry all the time, figured out how to work the door right away and went zipping out. Bustopher (aka "skitty-kitty), didn't like the idea of the flap dragging across his head, so he was a lot more cautious. He knows how to use it - he just isn't sure he's going to like it....well all the food and potty box are now in the garage, so it's sort it out or starve. :>)

Tonight we're going to Marc and Anita's house to see their 4 kids all dressed in their costumes. I'll take pictures and post them here.

Have a good Halloween all.... and boo to you too!

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Little tube of horrors

Today was the day of my first ever (and maybe last) colonoscopy. I now know why I waited all these years to have the first one. It was just as I suspected, only more so. Yesterday was the clean out period - dear God. No solid food all day, then beginning at 4pm, I started the "official" clean out. I was given a gallon of not quite disgusting 'liquid' to drink and instructed to take 8 ounces every 15 minutes until it was all gone - all 16 cups of it. After about 5 cups, it became something like sucking on a fire hose - almost instant response to intake.

On the farm I once watched my mother wash out pig intestines to use as casings for sausage. I felt a little like that. That was yesterday. Today's indignities should not be described. After all is said and done, I'm fine. I had two small polyps that are now gone. Time will fade the memory.

While I was at home being "cleansed", Kathy was off having another session with the dentist. I think the last of the fillings were done. Next visit, on November 9, castings of her mouth will be taken in preparation for her dentures. We're very excited that we're getting so close to finishing the work.

It's time for Terri to begin working with Kathy on a resume and interview skills and for Kathy to make a list of her first round of applications. Kathy is almost ready to take that next step.

Our extra patio section got poured yesterday morning. The patio now extends the entire length of the house. Just before Thanksgiving the cover and wind break will be installed. This is an important step since the wind comes across the patio at gale force sometimes.

Tomorrow we continue the process of getting everything back in order after the office furniture debacle.

Jim's playing golf this afternoon. He hasn't played since Monday and was having withdrawal.

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Continuing the process

Tomorrow Kathy arrives for another round of fillings on Thursday. I believe this will be the last fillings on the lower teeth before the work begins on the uppers. At the last visit I understand there would be at least five more visits - Thursday being one of the five. This has been a long project and I know Kathy is getting eager to have it completed.

Had a busy day yesterday. I did tons of laundry in the new machines - love them!!! Jim played golf in the morning (what's wrong with this picture - me working - Jim playing golf???). In the afternoon we went to Costco which is always an exhausting adventure. I really enjoy going to Costco, especially this time of the year. All the holiday stuff is coming out and the merchandise is changing often.

Today we had flu shots. Nurses came to the clubhouse here at Trilogy, so all we had to do was hop in the golf cart and run down there. We didn't even have to pay - they'll bill Medicare directly. After that we went downtown to the pharmacy. I had a prescription for a hideous gut bomb I have to drink in preparation for my colonoscopy on Friday. I've never had one and I'm freaking out - thankfully, I'll be knocked out for the whole process. We stopped off and got two propane tanks filled - we'll use one for the patio heater this winter and keep the other for a spare.

Trilogy is isolated from just about everything, so if there is an emergency where we lose public services, we need to have resources within our own community and homes to sustain us. We keep the pantry pretty well stocked with food and water, a good supply of medications on hand, and with oil lamps, our propane tanks, etc. we can stand on our own for a good long time.

Tomorrow I'm heading into Walnut Creek to meet a friend for lunch. Laney and I have been friends for years and years and it will be good to see her and get caught up. I have to return some pants I bought at Avenue last time I went into town, so it's a good time to also meet for lunch. Jim will either be off to Modesto to take a chair that needs to go there, or off to play golf. One of us will pick up Kathy at the BART station. It will be a good day.

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Busy couple of days

Finally, finally, the office furniture got built and we're now in the process of getting our stuff put back into the office and getting files and such organized. The last desk was built on Thursday late afternoon. We couldn't connect the internet modem because the ethernet cable was too short. So were our monitor cables. Jim was able to connect his by putting the CPU on the printer tray, but I couldn't do that since the printer is in my desk. When we get his printer repaired, he'll have the same problem.

We had errands to do on the mainland on Friday, so we picked up cables and other desk and file supplies then. Saturday was the installation challenge. Pushing/pulling computer cables and electrical hookups behind a 500 lb desk that's 2 inches from the wall can be quite a challenge. I've learned the value of a pokie stick and a coat hanger devised hook.

The office is actually beginning to look pretty good. We need to hang Jim's military service awards and commendations, some Kiwanian awards, and a few pictures and we're pretty much there. We'll work on that today while we do laundry in our new washer/dryer.

The guest room has been housing all the office stuff, so we'll finally be able to clean that out. Can you believe it took over a month just to get the furniture in and assembled! I hate having our house and life this disorganized and disrupted.

Washer and dryer were installed yesterday and they're huge - and gorgeous. They sit on pedestals that puts them up a little over 4 feet high. They load at about waist height, which will be easy on a couple of old backs. The pedestals have drawer storage for laundry stuff, which is nice. I think this is the first time either Jim or I have ever had a really good set of laundry appliances and we're looking forward to using them. Did I just say I want to do laundry??? Yikes!

Next week will be a full week. Jim will be back playing golf with LeRoy, I have daffodil bulbs to plant, Kathy will arrive for the next round of dental work Thursday, I have a colonoscopy scheduled for Friday, and so the week goes.

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

It might happen today

The completion of our office furniture building, that is. Yesterday Federal Express came and attempted to deliver four boxes of furniture - we were only to receive one, so we picked out the box they were to deliver and sent the rest away. The way this whole episode with Office Depot has gone, we probably have a 10% chance of having picked the right box. The store manager has taken charge of getting our furniture assembled, so at least there is some action going there. If you purchase anything that needs assembly, and they tell you Impact is the assembly company, tell the store 'no thank you' and hire your own handy person.

We have curbside pick up on the 31st for all our throw away stuff, so I'm going through closets, emptying out anything that we want to shove to the curb. Once we get rid of all our junk, I'm going to get the windows washed and a cleaning service in to do a scrub down on the inside of the house. This house is fairly easy to maintain, however, it's nice to have someone come in quarterly and do all the heavy cleaning since neither Jim nor I can get to some of the areas that accumulate dust and crud (nor do we really want to). We've been here six months and haven't used a cleaning service yet, but it's time.

Last year we put up our tree the day after Thanksgiving, and I think I'd like to do that again this year. If any family member wants to come out and hang out with us and participate in that project, we'd love the company and help.

Jim's finishing up the bank account transfers today. We're switching both our joint and personal accounts from Wells Fargo to Washington Mutual. Wells Fargo seems to think we should pay for them to use our money - they charge a fee for everything. We have four accounts for various reasons, and Wells Fargo was charging $12/month per account, plus a $1.00 monthly charge for point of sale purchases (this wasn't an alien atm charge - actually a Wells Fargo charge for using their atm card to buy something). Washington Mutual doesn't charge for anything, not even checks, and they're a little closer to us. So long Wells Fargo.

We've been on something of a rampage lately to get the best possible deals from the companies we do business with. It pays to pay attention to the details.

Lately it seems there's a lot of work just to get things done. Between getting the house in Modesto ready for the tenants, arm wrestling with Office Depot, and rankling with Wells Fargo bank over their charges, I'm exhausted. Who said retirement is the simple life??
Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Beautiful Autumn

Looking out over the complex, the trees are getting some lovely red and golden leaves. Monday we drove to Modesto and along the way, it was clear that autumn has arrived. I have some sun glasses that really block UV rays and make the colors of the leaves much brighter than they actually are. Wearing the glasses makes the foliage look like New England! The mornings and evenings taste crisp, like scraped ice. The cool nights and warm days have started the daffodils I planted last year sprouting. It reminded me that it's time to get all my bulbs in the ground here in Rio Vista so they have ample time to winter.

We finally declared our washing machine terminal. We might be able to fix it, but it's old and has had a hard life. It's time for it to go to parts heaven. We bit the bullet and bought a pair of the front loaders with enough bells and whistles to keep us busy all winter just studying the user manual. They have pedestals to match, which will put the tub access at waist height. The feature both Jim and I are looking forward to using is the SteamFresh feature. A garment that doesn't need to go to the cleaners, but is maybe a little funky, can be freshened in about 20 minutes. It's great for pillows and blankets as well - makes short work of the dust mites. The units are supposed to be delivered and installed on Saturday... at least for the next two or three times we'll be eager to do laundry. :>)

We're making real headway on the garage organization. The cabinetry has been installed and it looks like we'll be able to get everything we need to store in the cabinets and shelves. It will be a real treat to be able to walk around in the garage finally.

The office furniture saga continues... Yesterday FedEx came and picked the extra boxes that had been delivered in error. Today an Office Depot truck is supposed to deliver the correct box so the last computer credenza can be built. Hopefully the Office Depot assembly person can come out tomorrow or Friday. Maybe, by the end of the month, our office will be reassembled and somewhat organized.

Jim's off playing golf today. LeRoy, Jim's golf buddy, has been tied up with visiting family since last Saturday, but today he was able to gnaw through his tether and get away to play. I'm happy - Even though Jim went out and played 9 on his own, he seemed a little lost with LeRoy occupied. Yesterday he ordered some new clubs, so I'm sure he's telling LeRoy all about it today. These two old coots are perfect golf buddies and it warms my heart to see Jim playing again.

Mandy told me about selling clothes on EBay. I was surprised that clothing would have buyers on EBay, but it looks like a LOT of people use it. I've never sold anything on Ebay, although I have bought some things there and did ok. I have boxes of clothes that are good, that I can't wear, and a bunch of vintage jewelry. I think I'll sort that out today and give it a shot. Maybe I'll get enough $$ to buy something new.

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Good Family Stuff

Mandy came to visit yesterday. It was a nice treat to be able to spend the whole day with her. In that kind of time you finally get around to talking about things that matter and not just having a nicety dialogue. It's nice to have time to talk about goals, dreams, aspirations, plans. We always enjoy showing off our home, and since she hadn't been here before, she got the full tour, including the clubhouses and grounds. Unfortunately, the house is still torn up from the furniture building debacle. Hopefully, we will get that completely dealt with this week and can get on to doing something else.

We went to Sunday Brunch at the Ryde Hotel. Jim and I had been there once before and thought Mandy would enjoy it as well. We couldn't get down town because it was the last day of the Bass Festival and chunks of the town were blocked off for carnivals and vendors and such. Since yesterday was the last day, today things downtown should be back to normal.

Congratulations are in order for Marc. He got another nice raise. Way to go, son - you've made us very proud again! Now go buy your mother something nice :>)!

Speaking of buying something nice - we have to go buy a new washer and dryer. The washer has completely quit spinning and the dryer is making a disturbing helicopter sound. We've been checking out the new front loaders and I think that's the way to go. We like the dryer that has the freshen up cycle for that piece of clothing that just needs a little boost and that has the stationary drying rack for sweaters that should lay flat or for drying tennis shoes. Hopefully, we'll be able to find a sale. In the meantime, the laundry hamper is getting close to capacity.

It's feeling more and more like winter is approaching. Yesterday was actually chilly enough to get the furnace going. The down blanket on the bed felt pretty good too, and the cats have gotten a lot friendlier. It's getting to be snuggle up time.

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Fireworks and UFO Watch

The Bass Festival is going strong in Rio Vista. Down town (yes, we do have a downtown!) streets are all blocked off and today at 12:30 there will be a parade. There's a carnival, lots of booths, lots of beer, and lots of music. The town is crawling with beer bellied fisherman with their bass boats and fishing gear. The Festival queen has been coronated - Miss Bass Festival 2006 - a proud moment for some young lady. It's all good fun in a small town, middle America kind of way. Last night the town had their annual fireworks display. Most towns do that on Fourth of July, but here in Rio Vista the Bass Festival is more important.

We decided we would go in to town to see the fireworks, which were promised to be spectacular. Since we couldn't get to the down town area without walking about 10 blocks, we decided to go up on the hill overlooking the Sacramento River. The fireworks were going to be fired at 8:30p from a barge on the River just south of Rio Vista Bridge. When we left home we had intended to walk around downtown some, so we left early - a little after 6:00. Since parking downtown was so terrible, we decided to go on to our fireworks watching spot. When we found the spot that seemed perfect, it was still daylight. Our spot was on an isolated road, in a turn out that backed up against a hill. We were sheltered from the wind and had a perfect view of the river.

Then the sun went down. Darkness the color of ink set in. It was the kind of setting UFO abductees describe. We were in pitch black on an isolated road and we began remembering every serial killer movie we had ever seen. The only visible lights were from boats on the river down below - too far away to be of benefit to us. A park, beach and camp ground were down the road from us, so an occasional car would pass, each containing potential serial killers. Windows up and doors locked, we waited, imaginations working overtime. Suddenly a car pulled up along side us. In the darkness we could barely see the park ranger sign on the vehicle - he was just checking to make sure we were ok.

Finally the fireworks began and they were all they were promised to be - genuinely spectacular and well worth the long scary wait. Our viewing spot was perfect, like we were right in the display. We decided then and there that next year we will take another couple or two with us and make it a tailgate party. We didn't see a UFO, or even a shooting star, but who knows - maybe next year.

The Saga of the Office Furniture

On September 14th we received an advertisement from Office Depot. They were offering 20% off plus free assembly, plus no interest for 18 months. It sounded like a pretty good deal to us, especially the free assembly part. It's not expensive furniture, mind you, but decent looking and servicable for our needs. We ordered two computer credenzas with hutches, two bookcases and one lateral file. On September 16th the furniture was delivered by Office Depot's delivery service and the boxes were placed in our garage. The assembly person was scheduled to assemble the 7 boxes of furniture on October 4. On October 3rd, we cleared out the old furniture in the office, gave away some things, and broke down the computers. The books and pictures were stacked in the guest room. On October 3rd I called the assembly company to confirm their schedule and was told we were scheduled for the1-5pm slot on the 4th. I was told by Impact (the assembly company) that it was about a 10 man hour job and they may take two days to complete the job. On the morning of the 4th, we cleaned the room thoroughly so the furniture would go into a nice clean room. We waited. No one showed up or called. After 5 pm I called Office Depot and was told I would need to call Impact (the company doing the assembly) and reschedule.

On the morning of October 5th I called Impact and was told the earliest they could reschedule was for Saturday afternoon, October 7th. We brought in card tables and set up our computers. On the 7th we waited. About 4:30pm we received a call from the person assigned to assembly our furniture. He said the earliest he could make it to our house was 6pm. Also, I was told that since the boxes of furniture were delivered to our garage, we would have to move the boxes into the office ourselves - that they weren't allowed to move boxes of furniture. Keep in mind that we have 7 boxes of furniture - approximately 10 hours of assembly to be done. We also had plans for the evening. I was told since we wouldn't be available that evening, we would have to call on Monday to reschedule. On Monday I called the store manager at Office Depot and told them to come get their furniture. I explained the situation and was told they would get an Office Depot employee to come out and assemble our furniture, but we would have to wait until Thursday. Thursday morning two guys from Office Depot showed up. First they moved all the furniture into the office, and then told me that 2 of the boxes that had been delivered were not the right pieces. They proceeded to build the two bookcases and the lateral file. When they built the credenza base, two screws came through to the top of the desk, so that was unusable.

By this time I'm a wild woman. I was told that Friday they would return with an unblemished credenza base and the boxes to build the other credenza and hutch. This morning they arrived with a credenza base and hutch, but no boxes for the other unit. I got a call from Office Depot delivery service saying they will deliver the other boxes on Wednesday. There will still be assembly required. Hopefully, by Thanksgiving, our office will be furnished and organized again, but at this time, I'm not taking bets.

I still have my computer on a card table. It's been nearly a month. I don't think I'll ever allow myself to go into an Office Depot store. I'm sure my heart would stop beating out of fear.

First Things First! Happy Birthday Maryann!

HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY MARYANN!!!

We wish you a happy fun day and hope you get lots and lots of presents :>)



Today should be an interesting day. Hopefully we will sell the treadmill which is just occupying space in our garage. We have a full service gym (use of which is included in our HOA dues) in the clubhouse so extra exercise equipment is not necessary. I put a listing on craigslist.com yesterday morning and so far have received two calls and have a showing at 10 am this morning. I had no idea how effective that kind of resource could be. Now if I could just get the chairs and desk out of the garage, we might have a little room for Jim's new ride.

Glory Be! We have finally rented the Modesto house. The new tenants move in at the end of the month. It will be such a relief to have the house occupied and a little money coming in to pay some of the expenses. The rent money will just about pay the mortgage and taxes on the Modesto house, but that's ok. Since the resale market tanked, having the house in a holding pattern for now is perfect so long as it's not a cash drain. There's so much new housing in Modesto that it will be a year or two until that inventory is exhausted and the resale market starts to come back. Hopefully our tenants will stay that long. We went down there yesterday just to make sure everything was in order and no one had pitched a tent in the back yard. The flowers we planted in the courtyard have really grown and so have the cypress trees in the back. With any luck the cypress trees will be huge and block the street noise by the time we're ready to put the house on the market again.

Kathy arrives today for her next round of dental work. I have to respect her commitment to getting this done. She's remembered every appointment and makes sure she's set up with transportation and that we know when/where to pick her up at BART. I hope this determination will continue on through the job hunting, getting self sufficient/independent process as well. She's shown the same commitment to completing the class she's taking - this is good. We know she's up to the challenge and we need to keep expressing the family's expectation that she will be successful. While it's courageous of Mandy and Jesse to have Kathy come live with them, it seems a little unfair to expect that to be a permanent situation, especially when Kathy can become self sufficient with a lot of effort on her part and help from all of us.

The Bass Festival is this weekend in Rio Vista. Apparently serious fishermen come from all over for the bass derby - there's money and beer involved here. $2000 first prize to be exact and I believe Budweiser is a prominent participant. There will be the usual crafts and food booths, plus music. This is such a big deal to Rio Vista that the town doesn't do a July 4th fireworks display - they save the budget and do a fireworks display for the Bass Festival. There's parade and a festival queen is crowned (Queen of a Fish Festival seems like a dubious title) This will be our first time to attend - it should be outrageous - you'll get a full report :>)

Check Out Jim's New Ride

Jim's been wanting a golf cart since we moved here and finally, he bit the bullet and got one. Doesn't it just fit him perfectly! He picked up the cart Saturday and that night we went for a sunset drive around the golf course. We took a bottle of wine and some sandwichs, parked by one of the many ponds and waterfalls here in the development and watched the sunset . We saw ducks, a heron and many jack rabbits. Jack rabbits are wild on the golf course - we saw may 9-10 in a couple of hours. We figure by spring we'll be waist deep in jack rabbits - given the nature of rabbits. On the way home we saw the most perfect full harvest moon - it was so huge and orange we felt like we could almost reach out and touch it. We're going to love having this golf cart.

The cart is really cute - check out the side detail - pretty snazzy! - it has a ball and club washer, basket for stuff, and storage under the seat, along with the batteries. It came with a charger that plugs into the garage. The house came wired to accomodate a cart. We'll be getting a cover and heater for winter. There's no end to expensive accessories that are available for golf carts!

A lot of the residents here in Trilogy have carts and use them for transportation to the club house and anywhere around in the complex they need to go. We're hoping when the little shopping mall gets built near here that we'll be able to take the cart into the back side of the mall and not have to get the car out at all. We're giving some thought to going to just one car since we rarely have both cars out at the same time. We're thinking along the lines of a hybrid mini-van, but want to wait a little while longer until the hybrids are a little more developed.

Sunday night was the Oktoberfest party here at Trilogy - we had Knockwurst and Bratwurst, red cabbage and German potato salad. Monday night was night golf and Jim played. The club provided glow balls and rings - even so, I think that might be quite a challenge.

Tomorrow Kathy arrives for her next round of dental work. This time she's having fillings done in the teeth the dentist is trying to save. Not certain, but I believe this is the last work to be done on her lower jaw. Next work begins on the top, and then she'll get her new grid :>).

Teri and Jim have volunteered to work with her on building a resume and developing interview skills. Teri is a hiring manager and can teach Kathy what she needs to say and do in an interview. This is an enormous help. Soon Kathy will be moving in with Mandy and Jesse. This is a good thing - Mandy will help Kathy with dietary issues and in developing a sense of style that will work in the workplace. With each family unit helping out with their area of expertise, Kathy has a good shot at self sufficiency. Let's keep up the pace!

Introducing Miss Annabelle McRhoads

A new little lady has joined the McRhoads pet clan - Annabelle McRhoads became part of our household on Saturday, August 12. She's a gorgeous little creature, 4 months old, grey with white underbelly and markings, little shell pink ears, and the sweetest little black triangle nose...see for yourself! And my, my, my - does she have spunk! She may weigh only about a pound, but she doesn't hesitate to speak her mind to Bustopher.

Annabelle had been surrendered to the animal shelter as a newborn and was about to be destroyed, but a foster family took her home and bottle fed her until she was ready for adoption. They had her spayed and got her inoculations started. My hat goes off to HALO and ARF and to the various pet stores who allow animal protective groups to offer adoptions in their stores. There were a number of kitties to choose from, but Annabelle seemed the best fit for Jim and me. Originally, Jim wanted a yellow kitty, but we didn't find any that were just right.

Bustopher isn't quite sure what to do about this, being the senior cat, and a male to boot. He thinks he should be the alpha cat, but Annabelle is just not accepting this as a final decision. He's trying to work things out and at least establish a friendship, but at this point, she isn't letting him near her.

Saturday night none of us got any sleep. Annabelle was excited about her new home and Bustopher was trying to figure out why she wouldn't play with him. Eventually they'll work it all out. In the meantime, Jim and Annabelle have definitely bonded. Yesterday she spent most of the afternoon curled up in the recliner beside Jim while he watched Fox News. I think the cat is a Republican. Bustopher went into the bedroom and sulked - clearly a Democrat :>) The relationship between Jim and Annabelle is cute - although I don't know how much climbing up his leg and face licking Jim's going to tolerate, especially at 3 a.m.

If they can just learn to share! The crumbled paper was given to Annabelle and she's just refusing to share - after much growling, Bustopher decided to just walk away - who wants an old crumbled up paper anyway!

We're enjoying our new kitty and hope you all get to meet her soon.

Love to all,

Corrie and Jim McRhoads

mzcorrie@frontiernet.net

jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Look Who's New

I just love it when we get a new pet - it's like getting a new family member. Mandy and Jesse just adopted Misty. Look how cute she is - and poor Mara - looking so forlorn. While they're probably not liking each other right now they will probably become the best of friends.

I had a dalmation (Dow Jones) once that generally didn't like cats. He had been in a fight and had gotten a big gash in his neck, which was painful and made him a little cranky and wanting to be be left alone. As it turns out, we had just gotten a little calico kitten (Henrietta)and were trying to keep the two of them separated, especially while the dog's neck healed. Henrietta, being the curious creature that kittens are, walked right up to Dow Jones and curled up right under his nose and went to sleep. Dow was so stunned he didn't do anything except go back to sleep. From that point on, they were the best of friends. When Henrietta had a litter of kittens, Dow Jones would babysit while she went to eat - no kidding - he would stand guard and nudge the kitties back into the nest until she came back. The slept together and would share each other's food. Cat and dog friendships do happen.

We've been looking kittens, but haven't made a decision about one yet. Jim wants a yellow one. I don't care as long as it's healthy and has a good personality. Bustopher has been very lonely since Dottie died, and quite frankly, he's driving me crazy. He's needy and keeps wanting me to either hold him or play with him all the time. I'm hoping he'll get over his neediness when we get another cat. When we lived in Oakley, he had lots of neighborhood cats to play with during the day and at night he had Dottie and us. Now he just has us, and we're not always home. He needs a little brother of sister.

Today we're off to the mainland to look at kitties and do a little shopping. If we find just the right kitty, we'll publish a picture.

Love to all
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Cranky

Have you ever had a day where you just felt cranky for no reason you could identify? That's how I feel today. If I were 2 years old I'd have a temper tantrum just for the fun of it and then go curl up with my teddy bear and blanket.

There's no reason for my funk - the weather is good, I have interesting things to do, not a care in the world. I didn't get much sleep last night, so maybe that's the reason - I do feel exactly like a cranky child who needs a nap...so maybe that's what I should do - go take a nap :>)

Tomorrow there's a tea and fashion show at the clubhouse. Anita and I are going. Should be fun. Could be expensive, especially if I decide I have nothing to wear! Fashion shows will do that :>)

We have exercise class tonight. Jim is playing golf later today and I need to do some gardening. Some of the flowers need to be trimmed up.

The cucumber plant is producing like crazy. We've also been eating tomatoes. It probably costs more to grow stuff at home - especially when it has to be grown in pots. Just the cost of the pot and the potting soil is enough to buy a lot of produce, but there's nothing like the taste of home grown right off the vine. The fun of watching the plant grow is worth the cost.

Not much else is going on. I'm off to do a few chores and then head into the garden.

Love to all
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

It's been a while

since I last posted here, so I'll attempt to get caught up.

First of all, we've made good inroads into the things that needed to get done for Kathy. She's through most of her medical doctor appointments - just one left. Good news is - Kathy lost 5 lbs. Way to go Kathy! Next doctor's appointment is August 22, so there's time to lose another 5 :>) . She's had an eye examination and new glasses have been ordered and paid for and should be ready in a couple of weeks. The dental evaluation went well. Today, Monday, she's getting her car repaired (it's going to cost About $185) . Also, today, she's supposed to take a form to her San Jose dentist to get her x-rays transferred to the dental clinic in Stockton.

For those who don't know about this, the University of Pacific does low cost dental work in their teaching hospital in Stockton. There are some other locations, but this is most convenient to us. She'll get good care with the latest technology. On August 23 we will have a final evaluation, treatment plan, and budget. Delta Dental will cover $1500 of the cost and the rest must be paid by us - us meaning the collective family. On a first pass it would appear that she will need full upper dentures and partial lower ones. Our plan is to have her stay with us while the dental work is getting done, especially the dental surgeries.

We had an enjoyable visit with Debbie and Little Kathy on Saturday. We haven't had much time to just sit and visit with Debbi so we really enjoyed having that opportunity. I haven't heard any feedback on their Jelly Belly tour, but I'm sure they had a good time.

As for us, and what we've been up to - it's pretty much more of the same - Jim plays golf a couple of times a week with LeRoy next door. We visit with the neighbors on a regular basis. A week ago Sunday past we went to brunch at Ryde Hotel on the Ryde Island. It's an interesting place - it was built in 1927 at the height of art deco and has a lot of that flavor. Prohibition was a high point in the life of the hotel which explains the tunnel that runs from the hotel to the river's edge. At various times it had different lives - first as a hotel, then a boarding house, and reputedly, a bordello. About 8 years ago a couple purchased the hotel and restored it - they now rent rooms and have a very elegant Sunday brunch.

It's been fun discovering these little gems tucked away, not really known to the greater Bay Area.

We met Phyllis and Jack for dinner at Riverview Lodge in Antioch. That restaurant is truly an Antioch icon. To my knowledge it's been there since the 60s and as I understand it, long before then.

All in all, life for us has been busy, but mellow. I promise to be more diligent about keeping the blog updated.

Love to all
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

It's a Beginning for Kathy

Today was the beginning of getting Kathy started on a full medical evaluation and all the health related issues that have needed attention for some time. She and I met with Dr. Ferrick this morning at 10:30. Kathy had done 12 hour fasting so she could get blood work done while she is still here. The very first thing the doctor did was a finger prick check for diabetes - blood glucose levels did not indicate diabetes (thank heavens!), but the final over-all health analysis is yet to come from all the other tests that were done. For those who want more information about Kathy's state of health, they should speak directly with her. (I believe that medical information is very private and should be shared only if one chooses. Kathy has trusted me with her information, but it is up to her to share if if she chooses).

We have a follow up appointment on August 3 and from there will know if any medications or treatments are necessary. Our next two appointments are to be made with a dentist and an optometrist.

I'm pleased that we have begun a process that has needed doing for a long time, and even more pleased that Kathy seems cooperative and enthusiastic. Hopefully, the family will be encouraging and helpful, particularly with the weight loss. Anyone who has dieted knows how hard it is, and it's made harder by well meaning folks who offer up wonderful non-diet meals and special treats. I'm hoping the family will help keep Kathy on the straight and narrow...if she strays it will not be because we set her up.

Since getting the medical care she has been needing in San Jose hasn't worked out, it appeared necessary to set the process in motion here in Rio Vista - at least we can make the appointments and monitor the progress. However, it means that either we have to pick her up or someone has to bring her here. Or, better yet, her car gets repaired and she can drive herself - any volunteers to take charge of getting that car fixed????

In order for Kathy to begin working (which is one of the objectives of this process), she needs to be healthy and needs to have the dental work done. The dental insurance will pay for part of it. We're hoping to find a low cost dental clinic in Solano County because if Kathy needs dental surgery, she will need someone to keep an eye on her until the extractions have healed and the dentist has released her. We may need some financial assistance from the family to pay for what the insurance will not. If we can get her qualified for MedicAid, then that may not be necessary - hopefully we will be able to accomplish that. We had hoped that she would get qualified in San Jose, but that hasn't happened and there doesn't seem to be anyone available to drive making it happen. That said, we'll work from here.

Let's all rally around Kathy and encourage her to keep going - even if there are a few bumps in the road.

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

A Good Visit

Jim picked up Kathy on Monday and they were back to Rio Vista by mid afternoon. It was good to learn that all Kathy's medical cards, coverages, etc were current and we were able to get a doctor's appointment for her for Friday morning. In addition to getting a complete physical workup for Kathy, we're hoping to get a referral to a good dental clinic.

Not everything has been business - Yesterday we went to the Jelly Belly Factory. The tour itself takes about 40 minutes, but we were there for about 2 1/2 hours! It seems that all the day camps, youth groups, summer camps etc. take a Jelly Belly factory tour as part of their summer program. The line to get in was out the door and down the block when we arrived. We had to stand in line for over an hour to get in. I'm pretty much saturated with yelling kids for the rest of the summer. Once we were actually on the tour, it was pretty interesting and I think Kathy enjoyed it. We were given Jelly Belly samples and made a trip to the gift shop after the tour (doesn't everyone!) In the belly flops section they had a jelly bean that somehow had a strawberry center and watermellon coating. We didn't try that, but they were selling them cheap!

After the tour, we discovered Wal-Mart was just around the corner from the Jelly Belly Factory so we had to stop there before heading home. It made a long day and we were both exhausted. Thankfully, Jim had made his wonderful Pasta Toscana for dinner while we were gone. Had dinner been left up to me, it could have ended up being peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Kathy had mentioned that she wanted to see Locke and Isleton since she had heard us talking about them. We headed out there today and had lunch at the Locke Chinese Garden. Most of these little towns pretty much shut down during the week, so there wasn't much to see except old buildings. Tomorrow we're doing the tour of Rio Vista and Trilogy and will probably have lunch at the point.

All in all, Jim and I are enjoying our visit with Kathy. Even Bustopher has warmed up to her and he doesn't generally speak to any of our visitors. We hope she's having a good time, too.

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Where is that Delta Breeze!!!!???

We're roasting out here. It was 96 at 1:00pm and it's getting warmer by the minute. Ordinarily there would be at least a whisper of a breeze (if not gale force winds!), but today, when we really need it - nada.

Jim's picking Kathy up tomorrow in San Jose and she will be with us for the week. In addition to having some fun and a good visit, we want to get moving on some health stuff - dental stuff for sure and possibly a physical if she hasn't had one in awhile. We want to make sure all here documents are current - health card, military id, etc so there won't be delays if she needs care.

We also want to show her around and do some fun things like maybe a tour of the Jelly Belly factory, a trip to Isleton and Locke, a tour of Rio Vista, etc. All in all, we're looking forward to her visit.

Living at Trilogy is like living at party central. Last night we went outside to have our evening cocktail and suddenly we had four of the neighbors join us - the cocktail hour kept going til about 10. Since no one has privacy fencing, it's open season if you're outside. This sounds invasive, but it really isn't. It does lend itself to getting to know the neighbors.

Today we went with Rose and Leroy to Sunday Brunch at The Pointe restaurant. The brunch there is ok - certainly not up to Mallards in Modesto - but it's inexpensive and adequate. We had a good time. Rose is recovering from a stroke, so she's a little fragile, but since we've been living here, she's had significant improvement. Rose and Leroy are good people and will become good friends. Since we've been living here I feel like we've made some good friends, the kind of friendships that are comfortable and that last. Only time and interaction will allow the new friendships to grow roots.

Later this evening we're going to a dessert party at another's neighbor's house. There've been some new people moving in and hopefully, we'll get to meet them.

Like I said - it's party central around here! :>) Wahoo!

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Trip to Modesto and Lunch with Mandy

We got a fairly early start so we had more than enough time in Modesto to accomplish all we set out to do, even if it was hot as blazes down there. It's real easy to forget just how hot Modesto gets. We even had time to go to Starbucks.

The house was in decent shape. The dining room chandelier had been hung, but we need to shorten the chain. The cabbages that we had been nurturing for months had been taken over by moths that were laying tons of eggs all over the plants so we decided to donate the cabbages to ecology.

We had time to go to Save-Mart and get some Barefoot zinfandel for me and some $2 Foxbrook for Jim. - The markets here in Rio Vista don't carry Foxbrook or Barefoot zinfandel, although I suppose they would if we asked them to. After that we went to meet Mandy for lunch. We arrived about 20 minutes early so we thought it would be fun to check out O'Brien's market. Jim is now on my "I'll get you for this" list. O'brien's is upscale, a VERY nice market complete with gorgeous bakery, delicatessen, really fresh fish counter, meat counter, gorgeous produce department - almost a miniature Andronico's right there in Modesto. Apparently Jim knew about this, and neglected to tell me about it because it was a 'little pricey.' I had asked him about O'brien's and was told, "oh, it's a nice little market," like it was nothing special. All the time we lived there, and I trusted him to inform me about things in Modesto, he kept this to himself and I used that crusty old Save-Mart, and when I wanted something special, I went looking for a Raley's. Like I said, I'll get him for that. ;>)

Lunch with Mandy was enjoyable. It's been a long time since we've seen her and she looked great. We had a nice visit and then had a tour of her office. Best of all, I think some of the issues that have been concerning both Mandy and us have been identified, and hopefully, a solution is now put into action. The Mexican restaurant we went to was nice - the Bay shrimp tostado was delicious.

After lunch we went to Costco - not a good plan for a Friday afternoon. In addition to being hot, it was crowded. Fortunately, we didn't need a lot of stuff - most of our time was spent standing in line. After that we headed for home. Seems everyone was going north. We decided the state is just too heavily populated and some people should go somewhere else.

At the end of the day we were both weary , but we were satisfied that we had accomplished what we had set out to do, and are now ready for the weekend. It was good to get back to the cool Delta Breeze.

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Just Truckin' Along

Life here at Trilogy is just one adventure after another. Yesterday we went for a walk to check out the patio covers and yard treatments. We're not quite in the market, but we want to get our plans firmed up so when we know we can afford it, we can move ahead. Since we have to have 5 foot setbacks from the property line, and our house covers most of our lot, we have to go with a small cover. Our back yard is only 12 feet from the house to the property line. We saw one exactly like what we want. Since the salesperson for the company that makes these lives here in Trilogy, we were able to talk to him yesterday. It's amazing - so many of the tradespeople live right here in Trilogy. Over 40% of the residents are still working. When we get the Modesto house dealt with, we'll be in a financial position to make some improvements here - until then, we enjoy what we have.

Exercise class was good. The instructor added a few new moves and today I'm aware of new muscles. They must have grown in over night since I wasn't aware of them yesterday. After class we attended a talk about Trilogy's new residence website. Apparently we'll be able soon to register for classes and sign up for events on line. Now we have to go to the clubhouse and sometimes we forget and it's too late to sign up. With the new website we can check the calendar every day for activities and sign up right then.

I made pico de gallo yesterday from our garden. It's always satisfying to pick something fresh and eat it right away. Jim made his famous catfish for dinner. Pico de gallo actually goes well with catfish. We had pico de gallo on ahi tuna when we were on our Alaskan cruise. It was delicious, so we decided to try it on other kinds of fish. It works... I like to plop a cup or so on the fish at the tail end of the cooking cycle just to warm up the pico de gallo. (If you're deep frying, I don't recommend it!).

Today we're off to Vacaville to the Outlets. There are so many stores there that we have to decide which ones we want to browse. Jim needs some new tennies, so we'll probably go to Reebok, and there's always the chocolate outlet that has to be visited. :>) He also wants a hat for golf. We found one the other day that he liked, but it was so large we had to tuck his ears in and he looked a little odd.

Well - time to hit the showers ... there's shopping to do!

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

A Really Fun Day

I can't believe it's been five days since I last posted here. Time does fly, especially around here! The kids all went home on the fourth. We really enjoyed them, but on Wednesday, we needed a little rest, so I didn't do much and Jim played golf. Thursday is 'senior discount day' at the local supermarket, so I got the grocery shopping done. Hey - they give 5% and while that's not a lot, it's at least something. Friday we cleaned house in preparation for Terry and Maryann's arrival. Our house never gets really dirty, but we still need to vacuum and dust and do bathrooms.

Yesterday Terry and Maryann arrived around 1:00. We had planned to go to Nines for lunch, but it was closed for a private function. We ended up at Lucy's Italian Cafe in downtown Rio Vista. Yes, Lucy is an Italian name :>)

After lunch we gave them a tour of Rio Vista and then Trilogy. We went through most of the models and spent a little time in the one where they were serving wine. It was hot and no Delta breeze, so we decided it was time to come home and start the martini hour. That went well :>)

It was very enjoyable to have time to visit person to person. Phone calls and emails are nice, but there's nothing like time to talk one on one.

This morning we're going for Sunday brunch at the Point. We've not been there before, but I understand it's quite nice. Am looking forward to another pleasant day.

The week is shaping up to be busy - Jim is playing golf on Tuesday and we have our exercise class in the evening. We had planned to have Kathy visit, but I believe she's pet sitting. We still need to work out those details.

If Kathy doesn't visit, we probably should make a visit to Modesto house just to check it out and do any clean up/gardening chores that need doing. The one offer we had was quasi - and they got buyer's remorse, so the house is still there. Dang!

Love to all
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net

Happy Fourth of July

It's been a fun and full 4th of July weekend. Saturday night we went to Karoake Night, which was loads of fun. We almost didn't get in because we had not signed up for this and the room was full. Neither Jim nor I sang ( for which everyone was greatful) but some of the others did and surprisingly, some were pretty good. It was BYOB, but everyone brought some snack stuff so there was tons of food.

Sunday was a good day - we had shopping to do and a little cleaning to get ready for grandkids on Monday.

Nick, Nicole, Samantha and Justin arrived about 1:15. Almost immediately we took off for the pool and swam until 3:00. Family swim is 11-3, so at 3 we had to come home. After snack we watched The Chronicles of Narnia, which was about 2 hours long. Jim made burgers for all and after that, we had frozen yogurt sundaes....yum. Bingo kept us going until bedtime. Sleep was not a problem - after such a busy day, everyone just fell into bed.

This morning we were up early and had strawberry waffles, then off to see the golf cart parade, which was a kick. We'll definitely participate in that next year! Among the highlights of the parade were an old, old police car, a cart made up to look like aTrilogy fire engine ( complete with hand pump and bucket on the back), lots of flags, one that looked like The Little Engine That Could, and another with a life size Uncle Sam. Most of the participants threw candy and treats to the kids, so the kids went home on a sugar high.

We came back to the house and got everyone's stuff ready to go home and then went to the clubhouse for hotdogs right off the grill. From there it was take the kids back to Oakley, come home and rest a little.

Tonight there's an party at the clubhouse, and I believe there is supposed to be a dj, and some fireworks. It's too bad we couldn't keep the kids for this, but it's an all adult function. Since this is an adult community, kids are excluded from a lot of the activities.

So far this has been one of my better 4ths. I hope everyone else is having a great time as well.

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoas@frontiernet.net

TGIF

Don't know yet about the offer on the house. We made our counter offer, but the buyers are still undecided....waffling....maybe buyer's remorse. Purchasing a home is a big step, so it's understandable that they would need some time. I can't help but think all that decision making should have been done before they got to the offer stage in the process.

Home Depot took back the rug without a hassle even though they have a 'no returns on special orders' policy, but they did charge a 15% restocking charge. I'm not sure how I feel about paying a restocking charge...We bought the rug in good faith, but it was wrong for us for many reasons. If we had been able to bring home a sample, then I wouldn't have a problem with a restocking charge. We did ask about samples and were told they weren't available, and yet the store "policy" is no returns on special orders. How is one supposed to know the item will work if samples aren't available and the store says it can't be returned if it's wrong. Rugs are pricey items so it makes me want to shop somewhere that doesn't have such a policy...although, Home Depot has this policy, they did take the rug back. I'm appreciative but confused.

It's a windy day today and Jim has a golf game scheduled...ooooh. The neighbor next door, and Jim's golf buddy, bought a golf cart. Now Jim wants one too. It makes a lot of sense because a lot of the activities we go to are here in the complex - and a golf cart is perfect transportation and good for the environment.

We stopped off yesterday on te way home from the mainland and picked up some catfish, which Jim made for dinner. Yum....I don't generally like fried food, but he does such a good job on catfish.

Tonight we're going to Karoake night here at the complex with a couple of the neighbors. I don't sing, nor should I be allowed to if I attempted it...animals run and hide. It could be an enjoyable night if some of the participants have talent - or punishing if they don't. Either way, it will be a night out with friends and that's fun no matter the activity.

Am not sure what I will do today - I need to get ready for the kids on Monday, do some laundry, and give the house a quick clean. The stores are all having 4th of July sales, so that sounds exciting as well.

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
mzcorrie@frontiernet.net
jmcrhoads@frontiernet.net