Someday ...

Remember I told Ted I just need to get through April, then it was May and then June.  July looks promising!  Usually we are gone so I expected our social life to be non-existent.  And redoing a bath isn't something you do too often.  But I have been busier than a one-armed paper hanger and I am not sure how that happened.

We went to church Saturday night after I came home from the shower and Ted returned from working some charity event at the gun club.  

Katelyn and Matt

Afterwards we tried to eat at Cheesecake Factory with Terry and Carol but ended up at Brio because of the wait.  We finally used a courtesy offered by the dealership where I bought my Expedition - free valet parking at the mall!  All you need is the license plate holder with their name on it. I seldom go to the mall but with the crowd around the restaurants, this perk was much appreciated!

My friend Irene fell last week and has a fractured pelvis.  She isn't in a lot of pain but is pretty much confined to a wheelchair until it heals enough to put weight on it.  Carol and I told them we would bring dinner over Sunday and then play cards.  I made mac and cheese in my Instant Pot (so incredibly easy) along with cole slaw (Carol likes mine).  Ted bought an angel food cake and I cut up strawberries, huge blackberries, raspberries and blueberries (from my freezer) to top the cake followed by Cool Whip.  Carol made baked beans.  We stopped at Spring Creek BBQ and bought turkey, brisket and pulled pork plus some green beans.  They threw in 6 of their rolls for good measure.  Quite a feast!  

We enjoyed a nice meal, played cards (I came in third for lack of one ace in the third round!) and then enjoyed dessert.  Since I had some mac and cheese I didn't eat the cake, just the berries.  I hadn't put sugar on the fruit but instead sprinkled lemon Crystal Light sparingly over it.  Enhances flavors, adds a bit of sweetness but no calories.  

Monday was Ted's ophthalmology appointment and he is now scheduled for cataract surgery 7/25.  The bathroom should be done, he will have to see the doctor the next day and then in one week.  If all goes ok, we can take off the first week in August.  And I will have made it through July!

Tuesday I worked at the thrift shop and in the afternoon was expecting the drywall guy to come fix the light switch hole.  But they changed it to Wednesday when the tile guy will come back to fix the top row in the shower.  It starts with a small gap, continues on, then the next piece is about 1/8-1/4 inch bigger and at the end overlaps the crown molding.  Not going to fly with me!!

Ted went to finish his Sporting Clay league followed by a "banquet" and I waited for the carpet guys.  Our bedroom carpet needs stretching and all the carpets need cleaning.  I will be ready to call them as soon as the bathroom is done.  

Wednesday the tile got fixed but I don't think the tiler was happy with me.  He kept saying he was going to show me by measuring.  I told him I don't care how it measures, I care how it looks.  Having half the tile on top of the crown molding and the other just below it (as it should be) is not what I want.  I don't know how Chris made him understand but he fixed it.  They drywalled the last few spots, put in the new toilet and put up the towels bars, door handles, etc.  They won't be back now until Thursday when the granite is installed.  We can have the painting done now but I am getting the feeling Gregg is too busy since his answers to my inquiries have been non-committal.  I need to nail him down or move on.  

Once Ted was here to run the show, I left to play Mah Jongg.  I won two games out of six.  One was a closed hand (pays more) and I pulled my own tile so I got paid double!  Made up for last week!

Thursday, Gregg the painter came to give us an estimate just as I was getting ready to leave for WW.  He went over all that has to be done and gave us a price half of what the contractor's painter wanted.  Gregg has painted our house inside and out plus the deck and I know what kind of work he does.  We will call him with the day the granite and glass will be installed and he will come right after that occurs!  

I went to my WW meeting having missed the last two because of working those days.  I would get weighed and leave right away.  Today I was able to stay after weighing in down 30.6 lbs.  I am 9.6 lbs. away from goal.  (Happy Dance!).  Afterwards I went to Ross and Marshall's looking for rugs and towels for our bathroom.  I found two pictures that work well that I noticed while standing in line, I didn't find towels and feel the rugs I brought home are too busy and clash with the granite.  Back to the mall tomorrow.  I did buy two shirts for me too.  

Tomorrow is dinner at Joe's Italian restaurant followed by opening night at the community theater.  No big plans for the weekend though!  

Just Staying Home

I haven't done much of anything but stay home, watch the doors stand open while we air conditioned the outside and gathered up the dust!  Now that's a waste of time.  

Workmen have been in and out everyday.  The shower and floor are tiled.  The new door has been hung and the other door opening dry walled.  All the electric has been completed and the new lights hung.  Two different companies are bidding on the granite more for timing than cost and we have ordered our shower enclosure.  I have picked out the paint and sent all our timing info to the painter but he will be last to come in I think.  And now we wait!

I put an ad in our neighborhood classifieds offering my ivory drape to a good home and a gentleman right across the boulevard picked it up the next evening.  It was posted for a half hour and I had four inquiries.  Shows you free is good!  I was pleased when he emailed me shortly after picking it up saying how nice it was and thanked us saying that we are good neighbors.

So I thought why not post the two vanity light bars?  Same result!  A lady picked them up the next morning.

There are many still trying to recover from Harvey and I just couldn't see tossing usable things away.  I also didn't want to charge for them.  They served us well and were being replaced for aesthetics, not because they needed replacing, and I knew Free would move them quicker than anything and I was right.

I fibbed when I said I just stayed home after looking back on the week!  It was just that one of us was always home.  I took my bunco group (9 attended) to lunch on Monday as a farewell thank you gesture.  I chose a nice restaurant and picked up the tab.  One lady is interested in keeping the 18 year old group going so I sent her all the info and forms I had on my computer.  I will be the #1 sub and will play when I am in town and am needed.

I played Mah Jongg on Wednesday but received three phone calls and was so distracted that I played poorly.  I couldn't turn my phone off because I knew Ted would have questions and he did.  Also, one call was from the doctor for my September ultrasound on my legs.  I was flustered because I didn't have my calendar with me and was just hoping I picked good dates!  I did.  Mah Jongg is not a game where you can chit chat during play.  You need to concentrate and listen for tiles called.  I didn't win any games.  😬

I worked Thursday at the Thrift Shop and to add insult to injury, I gained .2 at WW.  That's less than 3 ounces but still a gain and no loss.  Getting meals together with all the activity was more "grab as you go" and that is never good.  Back on the bandwagon this week!  And now I have another box to ship to Ohio because I worked the kids' table and lots of nice things came in.  I buy mostly for my sister's 7 great grandkids.  My 14, 16, 24 and 28 year old grandkids aren't too interested though a Minecraft T-shirt I bought last year was a big hit with Morgan!  

Tomorrow I am attending a baby shower for a friend's granddaughter.  We have moved on to the next generation in both family and friends.  We have one granddaughter married but no great grands on the horizon.  I know Katelyn is a Disney nut so I chose Minnie Mouse red polka dot wrapping paper.  After 3 daughters and 3 granddaughters I have seen enough pink everything to last a lifetime.

Let's hope this all posts.  I still haven't figured out what has changed to cause the posting problem.

Tiling Done!

The shower and floor tiling was finished on Saturday.  Now they can measure for the frameless glass enclosure.  Also the granite template needs to be made for the countertops.  The drywalling where the door was needs to be done and the new door hung on the other wall.  We bought a new high seat toilet just to finish off the things you can do in a bathroom to make it easier to use. Last I assume are the faucets, towel racks, lights, etc.  It will be awhile before it is totally finished.  The shower glass can take up to three weeks.

I spent the rest of Saturday sweeping, then dust mopping, then using a Wetjet and finally using the wood floor cleaner on all our wood floors.  Dust was terrible in our bedroom and I took a metal sculpture off the wall to take outside to hose it down.  Pictures, flower arrangements, furniture, windowsills, everything was covered in dust!  

When I had everything done but the two guest bedrooms and bath that we are still using, I stopped and got dressed for church.  We picked up our neighbor to go with us.  He cannot drive because of retina surgery and his wife has been fighting an undetermined illness involving her leg and cannot drive so they asked us to give them a ride.  Only he was able to go, she was feeling too poorly.  I have told them we will drive them anywhere they need to go.  Maybe God is keeping us here to help them.

We met Terry and Carol at Red Lobster later. Their daughter Karen has lost about 30 lbs. on Weight Watchers and now Carol is getting interested.  She was curious about my WW app I use when eating out.  By the way, the magic number last Thursday was 29.2.  Really want to hit 30 this week!  I am closing in on goal but the last pounds are hard to lose.

Happy Father's Day to all the fine fellows in my life, especially Ted who has always been the port in a storm for our kids.  

Dust, Dust Everywhere

I don't do well in dust and chaos but I am hanging in there!  It is Saturday and I think the worse of the dust will be over.  I could write a dissertation on my dresser in the dust.  

To add to the mix, our new security system was installed and they came on Friday.  I don't know how to say "what the hell" in Spanish but I bet it was uttered a few times by the tilers as our Vietnamese installer had to get into our closet to change out a motherboard!  It was a day of diversity!!  Then there was the lawn maintenance crew but they stayed outside and away from all the goings on in the driveway!  

This is the shower almost completely tiled.  It will take almost three weeks for the frameless glass to be ready.  They cannot measure until the tile has all been set.  It is bigger than it appears, about 4 X 4 floor plus the bench.  We chose to keep the seat (bench did not translate to my Spanish tilers) having had experience with hip surgeries and back surgeries in the past.  Most of our neighbors are empty nesters and retirees.  A walk in shower, with seat and grab bar could be a blessing not only to us but to any buyer down the road.  I remember the doctor asking after my first hip surgery "What are you going home to?"  When I told him no steps, walk in shower, seat and grab bar he said I was good to go, no rehab place was needed.  

Our security system is up and running and all this technology is taxing my brain!  I can run my whole life from my IPad or telephone.  Our installer was very patient with me and told Ted I was good with the new technology.  "You can fool some of the people some of the time, etc.!"

Demolition Begins!

To avoid losing my pictures while writing, I am going to post them separately as they occur.

Counters and sinks removed.

Huge tub that we haven't used once in 15 years.

Original walk in shower.

After Day 1

The wall and door which crowds Ted's sink will be dry walled and the door moved around the corner.  

Tub gone and the right hand wall will become the entry to the commode room.

Shower things removed.

The shower footprint will be enlarged.  It will be tiled, have a decorative band and a niche for bottles decorated same as the band, pebble look floor and frameless glass.  Plumber due for Day 2. 

And the Renovation is Scheduled to Begin

We went to my cardiologist appointment and of course she blamed the hospital on the communication snafu on the day of my procedure.  She insisted they have a second number to call if the doctor does not respond to the first.  I find it hard to believe his own nurse in the cath lab or the manager of the cath lab didn't know this and try several ways to reach him.  He was at the other hospital completing a complicated procedure but someone dropped the communication ball.  I also told her how disappointed I was that after being told my hematoma could get bigger and cut off my air supply and to call 911 if that happened that no one from her office or the hospital called to check on me the next day.  She said she didn't know about the hematoma or she would have. Again ... Whose job is it to report to you on your patient?  

I told her it was said and done and let's move on.  This time she indicated a vein in each leg needs to be collapsed.  So I will have another Dopplar on both legs in September and then see her two days after.  If the thrombosis residue is diminished she will set the wheels in motion because insurance clearance will take a month.  So in the meantime we will go to Rome for 4 days, then cruise for 9 days and have the procedures done one at a time when we return.  I think she said they will do my right leg first which looks perfectly fine to me to see how well I tolerate it.  If all is good they will do the left that has two very visible veins.  I have to wear compression stockings while flying and if I will be walking all day, plus continue with my Eliquis.  So for now, once my mammogram is done next week and comes back Normal I am good to go until Fall.  Ted will see the eye doctor June 25 and hopefully his cataract will be ready to be removed.  Then he will need to stay close for two weeks.  

The third thing on the agenda and keeping us home is the bathroom renovation.  We have picked everything out but the paint which we won't need for awhile.  We have the 5 door handles already, two lights were delivered yesterday, all the tile was delivered today and Chris is trying to reach the plumbing supply place to check on our hardware and sinks.  We have chosen the granite but that comes later.  They are starting Monday.  So just maybe sometime in July we may be able to slip away for a little while.  

Tuesday I worked at the thrift shop and will go back to cover a double shift for a friend on Thursday.  There were so many bags to be emptied!  I didn't feel like we made much of a dent in what needed to be done!

I took a half day vacation Wednesday morning, i.e., I did nothing, but then we took off to run errands to the post office, bank, dollar store and grocery store.  I mailed a package, then deposited a check, stopped to find a plastic devil egg dish but they didn't have any so I bought just a plastic platter.  I have to make two dozen deviled eggs for a funeral on Monday along with two gallons of tea, a gallon of lemonade and a case of 8 oz. water bottles.  They are expecting 500 people, thus the large amount of things needed.  We bought all we needed at HEB and chose coconut shrimp for our dinner.  It was really good!  

Thursday was WW at 9:30 and thrift shop work at 10:00.  I am down 28.4 now!  Less than 11.5 lbs. to go!  Things were a mess at the shop.  We have no control over donations and sometimes it just gets overwhelming.  There was a need for children's play clothes in the store so packed summer bins were brought down and we checked and tagged both boy and girl clothes.  I went through the infant bins again and refilled the store bins.  There was a pile between the two tables that we all tackled and when we left it was all cleared off!  Sandy and I also did several bags that had been brought in.  I left at 2:00,  more than ready to sit down!

I bought lots while I was working though, a small phone case that can be hung around your neck, perfect for traveling as it can be slipped under your clothes and hold your phone, driver's license, credit card and a few dollars while leaving your hands free and a pair of Chico slacks in my new size!  There were lots of new with tag items for the kids - Justice tops and bathing suit for Lily 

and five baby outfits that I keep on hand for our prolific extended family.  There was a Mickey Mouse purse for Morgan or Kara who both love Disney items 

and a 3 piece swim set for Jameson.  

Mixing work and pleasure!

Wind Down Week

Tuesday and Wednesday we recovered from our day in the sun and geared up for one last group to be entertained at our house for awhile.

I spent part of the time pampering myself.  My eyebrows have needed touching up for some time so I took care of that on Tuesday.  And Wednesday was haircut day and it was way past being needed.  In between I did three loads of laundry.  When that was all done I went to the store again for food for Thursday's crowd.  Then I used my blueberries to make 24 mini muffins for a funeral on Friday and a dozen large ones for Thursday's Shanghai group.  

In between all of this we have been picking out things for the bathroom.  Chris stopped by with the piece of granite he thought would work best with our espresso cabinets and the "warm" tones of the rest of the house.  Gray and white are the big look now but that just isn't me.  Too stark for my taste and just wouldn't go with our bedroom or anything else in our house for that matter.  He was right on and we agreed with his choice when we put it on the counters above the espresso cabinets.  Next up is floor and shower tiles.  We hope to get to that by the end of this week.

I went to my WW meeting Thursday

 morning and am down 27 lbs.  Finding things to wear is getting difficult.  Even my recent purchases, some of which I haven't worn, are now too big!  

We had a group of 10 to play Shanghai and I couldn't do diddly squat.  Everytime I wanted to buy a card, the person in front of me took it!  I would need one of any five cards and could not draw or have one thrown.  I hadn't backed myself into a corner needing a specific card but I couldn't get what I needed for love or money.  So I lost! 

Ted had spent all afternoon at the gun club to get out of the house and brought Subway sandwiches home for dinner.  He knows after entertaining and cleaning up that I wouldn't feel like cooking.  He knows me well.

On Friday I dropped the mini muffins off at church for the funeral then continued on to the country club to meet Gail so we could pass the baton of Regent Care Nursing Home on to the three new Chairs (not to mention the 6 containers of supplies and decorations I have housed all year!).  Gail treated us all to lunch and we spent two hours discussing all kinds of things.  I saw a half dozen other friends enjoying their lunch too.  

I returned home around 2:00 and we took off for Floor and Decors to pick out our floor and shower tile.    This is worse than looking through wallpaper books!  A young man Kevin took us under his wing and was oh so patient.  We chose floor tiles, shower tiles, hexagonal shower floor tile and decorative tiles for a band around the shower walls and the inside of the niche that will be built.  It took us quite some time to choose.  There are such subtle shades of colors and needing to pick four different tiles that all went together well with the granite and cabinets was no easy task.  

We stopped at Sweet Tomatoes for dinner and came home for the evening.  It has been a busy week so I took a nap for an hour or so.  Sometimes you just have to stop and regroup.  

I have been busy cleaning the linen closet and all the cabinets in the master bath.  Getting down is still a problem for me but only half the problem of getting back up!  It is taking me much longer than it should have.  We went to church and then out to eat.  I am getting really good at finding things on the menu that work for me.  

While Ted was shooting Sunday I finished up with my projects and then went shopping. I bought a size 10 dress.  Woohoo!  

Tomorrow is an appointment with the cardiologist.  We will see what she has to say about her colleague's lack of professionalism last week!