April Blog

Good Morning all,

Rick and I are in Destin, FL. He is in a meeting and then fishing this afternoon. The girls will meet the guys at the docks when they come in and the restaurant right there cooks your catch. At 10 I am going to a cooking demonstration and lunch here at the hotel. It's a 4 star restaurant so the lunch should be good. Bonnie and Tony Kurosko and Trisha and George Weeks are our guests to the meeting. We'll see if the join. It's the Academy of Dental Practice Administration. Tomorrow night is the dinner dance and then head for home (5 hours) on Saturday afternoon after the guys meeting.

I took Baxter to Dover Bluff on Tuesday so that he could stay with Ryan. I hope that all works out okay as it is so expensive to board him. He also has a skin rash that requires an antibiotic for 3 weeks, every 12 hours. Good luck with Ryan remembering that or even being there when it's due.

Ashley has a streep infection on her leg. It was getting worse because she had seen a nurse practitioner twice that was treating it as cellulitious. She finally had to go to a surgeon and fully expected to be cut, but he has gotten it under control. She sees him again on Tuesday.

Bert, it sounds like things are looking good for you. I'm anxious to see some of the pictures of the lodge after you have painted and moved your own stuff in. I think you guys will really enjoy living there. It looks so quiet and peaceful. Have you heard anything about the job at Nationawide? Kathy, I am sure is ready for the end of the year.

I got my hair cut. It's still about the same length, but it's layered and I have bangs. Much more work, as I can't just fall out of bed and go, but I like it much better. I may send a picture if I ever get these off the camera. Have to do that at home.

Okay, I'm moving on.

hey Bloggers

What's up. No blogging lately.

News of East End

Thought I would bring the laptop out here on the deck, write you guys and watch the few sail boats that are out. It's been VERY calm the last few days. Bob says you could water ski to Venezuela. Everyone else got deluged yesterday and all is well as long as your cistern is full. We didn't get a drop until sometime during the night, so I got up early and was out weeding at 6 a.m. Going into the rainy season now.
Sad news we got 2 days ago. 5 or so homes on the East End were broken into and vandalized. rumor has it that the same day, several homes in Coral Bay - above Skinny's were also vandalized. They plugged the drains and turned on the water. Turns out it was several white kids. They were picked up by the police and are headed for the St. Croix detention center. I'm sure they will be paying for the damage for a long time to come. They didn't even take anything, just trashed the homes.
Bob got a job with our friend Jim on STT, very small. He called Jim because the concrete was in such poor shape, they will only put micro topping and stain on top of the old stuff - only 400 sq.ft. A woman who came to interview me at school the day before we left for FL from the Source, came to interview Bob about the concrete polishing business. It's an online newspaper. She has been a reporter for some 20 years. She writes for Fedor's also. Very interesting. You really get the "news" from someone like that.
Evan is doing well. He is working about 40 hours a week. They have trained him to run the projection equipment in the theater - he's at that little tiny theater downtown Farmington. Seems to like it. doing well in school and riding his bike most mornings. He is coming down May 4-11. Looking forward to seeing him. bob has a few projects here that he needs help with.
Herb and Kathy, I quit my job after 6 weeks because there was little communication between myself and the principal. They would change the rules all the time and her secretary was verbally abusive. Everyone has said since to me that they probably wanted a West Indian in that position, but couldn't find one on such short notice who was qualified. Too bad because I really liked the kids and the teachers, but my "office" was shared with a senior citizen and the janitor. I could have worked around that even. In the end, I'm better off, but the money was good.
the people in the lower unit are moving out first week of May. told us they are going toa cheaper unit and told others they are going to Hawaii. they were pretty good renters.
Going to ladies East End Annual Potluck tonight. A woman who has had a house here for 30 years always hosts the party. she was a judge in NJ. She's 82 and a great person. Always fun. Sure I'll learn more about the breakins.
Nathn is fine. He has his last payment for the 3 month period as to the reduced mortgage this month. He will send his letter and income statement today. We will see what happens. He seems to have a rather serious relationship with a girl. We met her (Laura) at Christmas. She's very nice and Nathan helped to get her a job at the bank.
O.k. that's all for now.
love,
b

Update from Ohio

Wow, it's been like crazy since we got back. I'm so tired of work, but you gotta make hay while the sun shines. I've got files piled on my desk and haven't had time to enter new listings, been on showings and more listing appts. (and I've got a few In Contracts as well!)

Betsy, what's this about quitting your job? I thought you were starting to work when you got back from FL, you had to quit already?

Kathy didn't get the job at DrugMart, but they kept her application and there will be other jobs. I've got a personal interview at Nationwide Insurance tomorrow at 11am, regardless of what happens, it'll be interesting and it'll be fun to interview. It'd be nice to get it so I can get health insurance.

The purchase of the new home is going along great. We should close by the end of April and we are already in there and pulling up carpet and painting it inside to lighten it up. I've ordered the insulation and got a guy to help me install it in the ceiling -- We're pretty excited about it, it's beautiful out there (and quiet!)

Chuck and Dolores are great folks and will be super neighbors. That's all for now...

Catching up

O.k. let's follow up. Herb and Kathy, how did you find the place you are going to buy after the family cleaned out? Were there any good books? forgot to remind Marilynn to give you the lighthouse book I found here in STJ. What happened with nationwide? How did all those appts work out this week?
Had some friends over for dinner last night. We know the two couples, but they didn't know each other. It was fun. One couple has been here for 30 years and completely understood what I went through in my job and why I had to quit. Augie said, "they change the rules all the time". My only problem was that they didn't tell me the "rules" in the first place.
Bob has had 2 more calls on the concrete polishing business. Two gay guys who are building a house on Water Island came over on Tues and we had lunch. That could turn into something. Moving along.
Hope you guys are all well
Let's keep in touch

We're Back In The Saddle

Well, it's Sunday night and we just got back from having dinner at a local pub in Marion with Denny and Marilyn (our old neighbors). Kathy used Thursday and Friday to get things at the house back to normal and I used both days (and the weekend) to get caught up at work.

The folks who called when we were down there saying they wanted to write an offer did write and we are "In Contract" and we'll close at the end of May, buyers and sellers are both happy and I'll be happy when I get paid. Worked with another buyer Friday and today and we should be writing an offer on Monday, took a new listing Thursday and another one tomorrow. I have appts booked every night this week, so things are busy right now with about $25k in commission on the books if everything closes.

I got the mower out yesterday and it started! So I cut the grass and the dandelions. We had Bubby for most of the day and I got the golf cart started too after a long cold winter and tried to take him for a ride, but he was afraid, so he just watched Papa ride around the yard.

Chuck (lodge seller) called this afternoon and Betty and family from Iowa are on their way back to Iowa. Family came and gathered what few things they wanted along with getting Betty from the nursing home and they're gone. Kathy and I are going to the lodge Tuesday afternoon to see if there's anything we might want before Chuck and Delores call the auctioneer to get the rest of the stuff out of there. After that, we can close on the deal and move.

I haven't heard any more from Nationwide. I've done the phone interview (from Jax) and also did the personal assesment online and now my file has been forwarded to the "hiring manager" that's the department head of the department I would be working in. So hopefully that person will like what he/she sees in my portfolio and calls me for a personal interview.

Kathy had applied at our local "Discount Drug Mart" a while back and they called her for an interview which she had Friday. They are looking for someone to work part time in the "Cosmetics / Video" department and she would work a couple nights a week and one or two days a month on weekends. She hopes to hear from them early this coming week.

Guess that's it for now, more later (Happy Birthday Marilynn!!!!)

reunion

Glad to hear all got home safe and sound and that Betsy and Bob have their luggage and loot. The pictures Bert sent are great and it looks like the Biltmore House was a good side-trip. When the gardens are in full bloom, they really are beautiful.
I spent the night at Dover on Wednesday, cleaned up a bit and left for home around 1 p.m. on Thursday. Rick had to go to Tampa on Friday about 2 p.m., so we had my birthday lunch here with the kids and Kyla on Friday. I got new utensils for Dover, although they are too nice. I'll keep them here and put my Jacksonville ones up there. Today Rick is getting his car washed and when he gets home we will work on the fence. Ryan went back up to Dover on Friday after he raked leaves and cut the lawn at the office.
I had Kyla yesterday. She wanted a sleep-over. We went to see "How to Train your Dragon", we played at Mandarin Park for 2 hours, washed the dog, painted her toenails and played a little on the Wii. Tomorrow it will seem like normal again. I'll be going out to dinner with girlfriends Darcy and Ellen this week for my birthday and for lunch someday with Delphia. Then I better cut back on the food intake, I think I gained a little this month!
Thanks for coming. It was great to see all of us together again. Maybe next time you come, we'll have a boat in the water!
love,
Marilynn

reunion

Well, we finally arrived here at East End at 11 p.m. on Wed eve. They lost our checked luggage along with many others on the flight, but they called yesterday at 4 p.m. and said our luggage would be on the 5 p.m. from Red Hook. Went to get it and shopped for some food and ate out. We were really tired yesterday. Today is better, but still kind of low key. Bob did some stone work on the risers. Tell Rick we planted the Sago palm. the rest of the fronds look like Boston Fern. so great of you guys to cart me around for "gluten free" stuff.
Great seeing you all and sharing stories. Herb, did they take the offer?
Kathy, I think maybe it would be fun to include "good books" on this blog and maybe little synopsis of them. What do you think? when did you guys get home?

Test

Here's my pictures.