Friday, May 31, 2019

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Wed

Yesterday morning Spouse went to work at his usual time but I stayed home in the morning to visit with Chelsea & Gabe a bit more.  After some coffee and a light bite to eat they left for PA around 10am.  

I had a doctor's appointment at 11 so rather than going into the office, I responded to some work emails and such from home until the appointment, then went into the office after the appointment.

Although their visit was somewhat short, it was really nice to spend time with them!

Monday, May 27, 2019

Memorial Day

As I predicted, our Memorial Day long weekend was lots of fun, if not a bit tiring.

Ron & James and Clark arrived in town before noon but wanted to take advantage of the tax free outlet store shopping so we didn't see them right away.  Mike had an unexpected activity so he drove separately later that night.  When ready for a break from shopping, we met them for lunch, and then they finished up their shopping before finally arriving at our house.  The weather was lovely so we sat on the porch and visited.
James, Ron, Spouse, Marvin
We enjoyed a few cocktails and some snacks as we caught up on the goings on in each others' lives.  Then we went to Blackwall Hitch for dinner. I selected it because they would take a reservation. 
Clark, Ron, James
Fortunately Mike arrived in time to join us for dinner.  We all thought our food was good but pricey.  I left them to pay the bill so I could get my make-up started for the show.  The bar/performance venue was totally packed and the crowd was enthusiastic and engaged.  It was a fun show!  Afterward we walked over to the ice cream store for treat, then returned home to chat a bit before bed.

Sun morning we had coffee on the porch and then Spouse made breakfast for everyone: scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, fruit salad, and bagels.  Sun marked Spouse & my 23rd anniversary so we had mimosas with our breakfast.  It was significantly warmer on Sun so once we'd finished eating we continued talking inside.
Ron reconnected with Marvin and Walter
Then the 4 guys went for a walk around town, ducking into some of the antique shops and such.  Spouse & I stayed home since it was hot outside and we've been in the shops so many times before. We had cocktails and snacks at home again, and then that evening the 6 of us had dinner at Iron Hill Brewery where we happened to get our favorite server Spencer who is always fun.  Everyone agreed we liked our food better and it cost less than the night before.
Spouse and James

Ron and Mike

Me and Clark

The 6 of us
After dinner we went for a walk along the boardwalk and then returned home to chat a little before bed. 

Mon morning we had coffee and more visiting on the porch.
Mike and Ron (with Marvin)

Spouse with Walter

Ron and Marvin
The guys packed and loaded their cars, and then the 6 of us had breakfast at Arenas.  It was cooler again, more like Sat, so we were able to eat outdoors.  Regretfully we said our goodbyes and they headed back to VA.

Less than an hour later my cousin's daughter Chelsea and her husband Gabe arrived.  We sat on the porch and got reconnected for awhile, then went for a walk through town, looking at all the unique homes and talking about real estate.  We had a late lunch at Nectar. The skies threatened rain, so we returned home and got into the car to continue our tour of the area.  (This was their first visit here.)  After a brief shower we decided to stop for a bite at Station on Kings.  Chelsea and I were still full from our generous lunches so we both ordered desserts, while Spouse & Gabe had dinner.  The shower had taken away the humidity and a light breeze made for a delightful evening to dine al fresco.
Gabe, Chelsea, Spouse, me
Once back at home we talked until bedtime. 

We loved having our friends and family visit us over the long holiday weekend!  But I must admit I'm a little tired. I think I will sleep well tonight.

Friday, May 24, 2019

Weekend forecast

Today is the official start of the summer season here in our little coastal resort town.  The traffic was backed up at 9am!

Tomorrow our longtime friends Mike & Clark and Ron & James will arrive for a few days of eating, cocktail drinking, relaxing, laughing and catching up.  The weather forecast shows no rain so that's good.  I anticipate lots of time on the screened porch.

I'm also performing (as Boy George) Sat night at the Blue Moon so the 6 of us will have dinner nearby beforehand so we're not searching for parking or feeling rushed.  They guys have never seen me do Boy George, and of course being of "a certain age" they know and love his music, so it should be fun for them.

They're leaving after breakfast on Mon, and shortly thereafter my cousin's daughter Chelsea and her husband Gabe will arrive.  I visited with them last May while in Pittsburgh for our nephew's college graduation.  They'll be at a wedding in NJ on Sat night, then stopping at our place Mon for a visit and overnight stay.  

So it'll be a full but fun, social weekend.  Here's wishing everyone a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!

Monday, May 20, 2019

Productive Sunday

Yesterday Spouse & I took advantage of a mutual day off and incredibly beautiful weather to clean up our screened porch and do a little planting.

Every fall we store the cushions and pillows in large plastic bags in the garage.  The screened porch furniture stays on the porch over the winter because its all water proof and we don't have room in the garage for all the furniture.  So that means in the spring after the big pollen 'burst' we have to do a big cleaning of the screened porch to remove all the dust, dirty, pollen, and cobwebs.  

So we started by wiping down all the furniture, wiping down the painted wooden supports of the porch, cleaning both sets of french doors leading to the porch, and then sweeping the porch floor.  Once everything was clean we could bring the cushions and pillows back out and set up the lanterns and luminaries.  Our beloved screened porch is now ready for the upcoming holiday weekend and visits from some good friends and family.

Next we planted 5 day lilies Spouse had ordered from one of the TV shopping channels, and then we planted 4 varrigated hostas that a friend from work gave me.  Her's had gotten too large so she dug them up, split them, and gave me the excess.  I love varigated hostas because of their striking dark green and white leaves and the fact that they will grow in nearly any condition, from full sun to shade.

The weather was about 82 degrees, sunny, light humidity, and a steady breeze.  It was the perfect day to be busy outside.

After showering I decided to continue my productivity by moving all my long sleeved shirts from our primary closet to smaller one, and moved all my short sleeved shirts from the smaller one to the primary closet.  I'm fairly certain I won't be wearing long sleeves anymore for a while, and should I need one they're still fairly easy to access.

It felt good to get this work done and its almost always nicer to do these things together.

What did YOU do this passed weekend?

Friday, May 17, 2019

Goodie

Re-posting an oldie but goodie that still makes me laugh every time.  Have a great weekend!