Weekend recap

Since I'm a Realtor, I normally work on Saturdays and sometimes on Sundays too.  Since I'm a member of a team and we rotate our office coverage, it is possible for me to have a full weekend off now and then.  Most of these off weekends are scheduled for specific events though, such as weekend visits with family and friends.  So, it was a pretty rare occasion for me to be scheduled off both days, have no client appointments, and have no family or friends visits this past weekend.

Spouse & I decided we would tackle a couple of home projects as well as have some fun this weekend.  Sat morning we met up with Steven & Thad for breakfast, then came home a pulled the power washer out.  Our front porch, sidewalk, and lamp post were in real need of cleaning, as they tend to get grey mildew on the undersides where the sun doesn't reach.

Power washing really gets that grey mildew off!

We also power washed the 4 white rocking chairs and 2 small tables that occupy the front porch.  The results were amazing!

Then we moved around to the side of the house where the other driveway and side entrance to the house is located.  We power washed the side entryway, back exterior wall of the garage, and the sidewalk to remove some green algae.  It took about 3 hours from start to finish.

After showering and relaxing for a little while, we met up with Steven & Thad, Joe P, and Betsy & Bob for dinner at Dos Locos, and then I walked over to the Blue Moon to get ready for my performance as Elton John in the Legends show.

The audience was really 'into' the show and many were singing along with me, which was really fun!  Immediately after the show the Legends mix and mingle with the audience for a little while, and I was asked to pose for photos with several customers.  It was great!

Sun morning Spouse & I picked up Steven & Thad in Big Ella and drove to a small car show in Ocean City, MD.  We had breakfast, looked at the cars, and then headed back home.  It was a nice weather for the drive.  Then Spouse & I moved the dining table and chairs out of the dining room so we could shampoo the dining room rug.  That went pretty quickly, and while the rug dried Spouse took a nap and I watched TV with Marvin & Walter at my side.

That evening we decided to have a picnic dinner at the beach.  We met Steven & Thad at 6:00 and shared cheesesteaks, potato chips, fries, and drinks.  (Yes, I went off my eating plan but it was worth it.)  It was a gorgeous evening and we stayed until 8:30.

I really enjoy it when we have a fun and productive weekend.

Weekend redux

This past weekend I had a rare weekend off work, and managed to resist having to meet clients on my days off.

Spouse & I decided to do some much needed power washing.  Against my wishes we bought a power washer a few weeks ago.  (I prefer to pay someone to do it rather than have to figure out how to use and maintain the machine to do it myself.) But Spouse really wanted to buy and use it, and well, since I bought Big Ella years ago I have no room to complain about his decision on how to spend our money.

He read skimmed the directions and put the 117 pieces together.  We removed the 4 love seats, 2 chairs, 2 end tables, 2 dining tables and 8 dining chairs from the rear screened porch and started experimenting with the 3 tips which give different widths of spray and power.  After a few minutes we got the hang of it and cleaned the mildew, cobwebs, and dirt from the screened porch.

Next we cleaned all the furniture we'd taken off the porch, and then we headed around to the side entrance of the house.  Because of the sun's direction, that part often does not dry thoroughly after rain and had some algae along with the dirty, cobwebs and mildew.  (Note to self:  consider repainting white trim a color that doesn't show so much.)  We were pretty impressed with the work we did, and to my genuine surprise, we really didn't argue like we usually do when trying to complete home projects.  (Spouse prefers 'fast' while I prefer 'thorough'.)

By the time we finished the side entry, the screened porch and furniture were dry, so I loaded all the furniture back into the porch while Spouse was inside making a cake.

That evening we went to cook-out at Mike & Nathan's place.  Spouse made a Luau cake (my name for it) which was delicious and simple.  Just make an orange flavor box cake mix according to the directions, but substitute crushed pineapple with its juice for the water.  Once its cool, ice with butter cream frosting and sprinkle with coconut flakes.  It was a big hit.

On Sun we had a leisurely morning at home, drinking coffee on the freshly cleaned screened porch, dead-headed the roses, and eventually got ourselves ready to go to the beach.  We picked up wraps from the deli on our way so we could eat lunch at the beach with our friends Joe P, Rick, and Tim.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day and really enjoyed our time at the beach.  Later that evening we met up with Steven & Thad and Joe P for dinner.

It was a fun and productive weekend!