New Year's Eve 2019

Where did this year go???  Was it just twenty years ago we were all worried about everything computer wise shutting down?

So many changes this year, I retired from Niles Township Government, effective tonight.

Terry retired from selling ad specialties.  When I wrote my annual holiday letter I  did not know that was her decision!

Jeremy and Ashley got engaged this year, as did our cousin Brian and Rori.  Lots to look forward to in 2020.

We had a lazy morning.

After lunch, we went to Goodwill to get some things missing from the house (or never there).  We found a butter knife (house never had one), and a platter (house never had one) and two drinking glasses (some seem to have disappeared).  All of this set us back $5.

Also missing is a blanket for the den hide-a-bed.  But, the blanket I keep in my trunk will be perfect and we just threw it in the washing machine and the dryer and we are ready for our friend Reva's visit.  The bed is moderately comfortable for one short(ish) person.

Terry made us a wonderful dinner:  shrimp, salad, small potatoes, steak (missing from the photo) and champagne!!!!  Just as we were ready to take our first bite, the electricity went off.  Investigated and nothing had tripped in the electric box.  We had our flashlights and were ready to eat by flashlight, when the lights came back on.  Tis a mystery!!!!!

We are having a quiet evening and texting the kids. Jessica is working.  Not sure what Jeremy and Ashley are doing.  Everyone else is having a quiet evening.

Color Us Tired

We left the house around 10 a.m. and returned after 3 p.m.!

What you ask were we doing? 

Terry went to Weight Watchers
She then dropped her watch at the jewelers
I went into Belk's to get my makeup
We met up for lunch at Chicken Salad Chick
Went to Sam's Club for Gas
Went to Stein Mart to get a new holder for my credit cards
Went to the Hospital Thrift Store (closed on Mondays)
Went to Goodwill to get some silverware for the kitchen (not enough for company)
Went to Dollar Tree and picked up some stuff that the other Dollar Tree was out of
I ran into CVS to get us vitamins, etc.
Terry ran into Publix to finish our grocery shopping

We came home and rested, in between doing a load of laundry.

Just finished dinner and will have a quiet evening.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve - Where has the year gone???

Happy New Year to all - 2020!

In The Villages

I got up and did laundry - not that I have hangers to put the clean clothes on.

We had to call Comcast to get the Internet working!!!  But, as you can see we are up and running.

We had oatmeal without milk - long story.  Terry had brought shelf-stable milk with her in the "food bag."  She misunderstood the directions for opening it and thought it was already opened, so threw it out!

We got dressed and left to go get our Villages ID cards at Sumter Landing.  From there we went to Dollar Tree.  Bought some things we needed and loaded up the car.

Stayed in the same shopping center for lunch at KeKe's Restaurant.  Great lunch.  Terry's lunch looked so pretty she took a photo of her tuna fish and fruit salad.

While lunching, paramedics carried out a server who had a panic attack.  Who said being a waitress is not hard work.  Fortunately, it was not our server.

From there we went to Walmart and loaded up the rest of the car.  Came home to unpack the car and put things away.

Yes, we bought hangers.  Now we have more hangers than needed!

Rested for a little bit and then had our Chinese leftovers for dinner - yum!

December 28 - On the Road Day Three

We had breakfast at the Hyatt Place, Atlanta South (by the airport) and after stopping for gas, we were on our way.

Some rain, but nothing heavy along the route.

We stopped at rest areas and had lunch at I-Hop while still in Georgia.

We passed the Florida Welcome Center and did not stop!  First time we did not stop, but Terry said everything was online and she did not need to stop!

Terry drove and our GPS said to save 30 minutes, we should get off of I-75 and take I-10.  We then proceeded to The Villages, in an interesting manner and never got onto I-75 again.  I drove after we stopped in a little town to use the gas station washroom and get lottery tickets.  It was a ride though a lot of small towns and at times we were the only people on the road.

Clem met us at the house and the Internet was not working, so this is a day late in posting.

We went to our favorite Chinese restaurant and had a nice meal.  Came back to the house to start unpacking.  We have run out of hangers!!!  I guess we both brought a lot of stuff!

December 27 - Day Two on the Road

We did not sleep well in Elizabethtown as the bathroom fan sounded like a 727 plane taking off.  If either of us got up during the night, we had to turn on the light (and fan) as the switch was outside of the bathroom and we woke the other.

We left the hotel early and  headed for Atlanta.  As usual, we did multiple stops, lunch at Cracker Barrel. Lots of traffic and at one point, our GPS took us on a faster route.  Terry was driving and it was an interesting ride!!!!  Finally got to the Hyatt Place Hotel before dark.  Put our suitcases in the room and went down to have dinner.  We both ordered a class of wine.  I cannot remember when I last had a glass of wine (I'm usually the designated driver).

Christmas - December 25, 2019 and December 26, 2019 Day One on the Road

Had a great time with the family at Stacy's.  Thanks Stacy, Mark, and Jessica!  Jessica made a homemade key-lime pie!

Everyone brought something to eat and we all over ate!

Libby - Ashley and Jeremy's dog, was in attendance and was so well behaved.  Max, Stacy's dog, was relegated to "his room."

This morning we leave for Florida.  The weather looks to be good for the trip - fingers crossed!

We are in Elizabethtown, KY after a smooth ride, in 56 degree temps.  A few stops - Subway for lunch, pit stops, and a stop for gas.  Dinner at Texas Outlaw - steak too tough.  Sides were good.
We are at La Quinta in a two-room suite.  Sounds impressive - it is not.

Interlochen - Day Five

We both did not sleep well and I gave up trying to sleep about 6 a.m.

I got up, got dressed and packed.

Terry got up shortly after, got dressed and packed.

We had some mini bagels and finished the kolache and were out the door and on the road by 8 a.m. Chicago Time.

It rained just a second after we got the suitcases into the car.

We made a stop at a rest stop and then at a gas station for gas, potty, and a lottery ticket.

It started raining cats and dogs after we got gas, I got wet getting into the car after purchasing the lottery ticket (even though I had an umbrella).

Terry and her friend, Laura, were in touch and Laura and Joe suggested a place to meet in New Buffalo, not far off of the highway.

It stopped raining just as we got to New Buffalo.  In some areas, along our route, the rain was such that it was hard to see the car in front of us.

We all arrived about the same time - they were five minutes before us and were just called to say a table was ready.  The food at the restaurant - Brewsters - was delicious.  We all had personal pizzas. They all had a slice left over - not me I ate the whole thing.

Terry, Laura and Joe Schuerman

After lunch, we started the last leg of our trip.  The sun was even out as we came through the city.  However, as we got closer to Skokie, the sky opened up.

Once we actually got to my house, the rain had stopped and we were able to park my car under the canopy and unpack and then Terry moved her car under the canopy and we got her suitcases into her car without them getting wet.  

We were so grateful that we did not have rain during the day up at Interlochen!  While it was hot and humid, the rain only came at night so we were able to enjoy concerts, the lake, etc.

Interlochen - Day Four

After not getting much sleep because of the electrical outage, we both lazed around before finally getting dressed.

Martha came for breakfast.  We moved the desk over to give her a table.  Our fancy table cloths are bath towels.

Martha left to go to a concert that we did not wish to attend.

After her concert, she had to go back to her hotel as she left her book there.  We went down to the waterfront and sat for a little while.  Below is a photo of the campus clock (not a great photo)

We again met up at campus and then drove over to our lodgings to eat our leftover sandwiches.  Terry added tomatoes, cherries, chez mix to the repast.

We then left to go to the Film Building for dessert,  Martha, as a Heritage Member, was invited and got us invited too.  We sat at the same table with Mr. Corson's daughter, son-in-law, Clare and Jim Skinner, and her niece from France.  The niece's two children were campers this summer.  We also had our photo taken with the conductor of the concert we were about to hear, and a staff member.  We also met the President of Interlochen.

The conductor, Erik Nielsen, had been a camper in the 1990's

The WYSO was wonderful, and 14 of the members of the Detroit Symphony were playing with them!

We said good-bye to Martha as she was driving home after the concert.

Interlochen - Day Three-July 27, 2019

We awoke fairly early and had a lazy morning, had our leftovers omlettes for breakfast.

Martha Smith called that she had arrived at camp and we met her at the Information Booth on campus.

Since she had never been to the Jewish deli, L'Chaim, we decided to go there for lunch.  We each have half of our sandwiches left over and they are sitting in the refrigerator.  Of course, after lunch, we HAD to have ice cream and went to Moomers and got right in and got a table inside without any problem!  It got very crowded right after we finished.

We then came back to campus, dropped the left overs in the refrigerator and Martha got to see our lodgings.

We then went to a concert at Corson, which was a wind concert and it was great.

We then went to our respective lodgings for a nap and met again at little later for dinner at the grills in the center of campus.

At 7:30, we went to hear the Detroit Symphony at Kresge.  It was a great concert,

When we were sitting after the concert, we heard that there was going to be a power outage at 10:30 p.m.  When we got back into our car, parked in the Stone Center parking lot, Terry called Stone to see if it would affect the Penn Colony residences and were told that yes it would.  Right at 10:30 the lights went out and we had our flashlights at the ready.  About 10 minutes later the electricity came back on.  Then it went off again for 2 1/2 hours.  What a night.  We were without Internet also.  Hence this blog has the wrong date.

Interlochen Day Two

Terry slept late, while I was awake early.

We had some yogurt and fruit for breakfast and then went to Omelette for an early lunch.  We went to their second location, which is much larger and newer.

When you come in and have to wait, they give you a card with the name of a famous person and call that person's name rather than your name.  The back side of the card has some of the person's bio.

We brought half of our lunch home and will have it for breakfast tomorrow.

Next door was another Cherry store and we did a little sampling and purchased a little gift.  Their downtown location has a Cherry Republic Store around the corner.

We came back to the room to refrigerate the leftovers and then I drove and Terry walked to campus.

We looked in the shop on campus and nothing caught our fancy.

We sat down by the lake for awhile in rocking chairs.  That whole area has been redone with new steps and fancier furniture on the landings above the water.  We stayed until it looked like it was going to rain.  We both rode back to the cabin and napped for a bit.

We then had our leftovers from Boone's for dinner.

After dinner, we drove over to parking lot M, and walked to the Harvey Theater to see the play Alice.

At Intermission, we looked at each other and decided that we had seen enough.  It's an hour of our lives we will never see again.

I suggested that we go to Moomers for ice cream.  We drove over to find the line two deep.  Okay, Plan B.  We did the Wendy's drive-thru and each got a small vanilla frosty.

We are now reading.

Interlochen - Day One

Terry had to be out of her garage by 7 a.m., as they are redoing the roadways in her complex, so she loaded her suitcase and came to my house, where we had a light breakfast and then left at 8 a.m.!

We drove to Saugatuck and lunch at Coral Gables.  After all of these years, we discovered that they have parking to the side of the restaurant.  We ate inside as it was a little windy for us.  We had perch sandwiches in memory of our friend Mary Jane.

Terry drove for a little while, with a brief detour and one lane of traffic.  But, our GPS kept saying it was still the fastest route.

We arrived at Interlochen to discover a lot of new security around Kresge (performance venue).  Got our keys for our Penn Colony Suite.

About a block from the lake and out where the scholarship lodges had been.  New/air conditioned/WIFI.  This is my idea of camping.

We unloaded the car and then went to Boone's for dinner.  We have enough food left over for dinner before the theatre tomorrow night.

Terry took some photos of the Penn Colony Suite (it's one of two units attached).

Washington to Home

We left the hotel early (of course) and asked the "doorman" for a cab.  He got us a "limo" which proved to be $10 more than a cab.  We will be writing the hotel!!!!!

I got a pastry at the airport and Terry got a banana (guess she's back on Weight Watchers this morning).

We arrived at O'Hare and an American Blue Car picked us up.  Again, he did not know it was two stops (Des Plaines and Skokie).  Then when I wanted to pay with a credit card, he gave me a manual credit slip to fill out (which I would not do and have my full credit card number sitting in his car).  He told me it was "illegal" for American Blue to have a swipe machine.  Even though a few days before, the American Blue driver had a swipe machine.  Another call or letter!!!

We both got our mail.  Terry went to the Library and Mariano's to discover that they did not have shrimp there (color her disappointed).  I went to the Township to sign checks.

We both unpacked and are attacking our desks.

Great Day and Wonderful Weather

We got up and went downstairs for a good breakfast.

After breakfast, we took a cab over to the National Portrait Gallery and loved it!!!

After coming back to the hotel to rest, we went to a party on a rooftop, hosted by MRED, the MLS System.  Fun catching up with old friends and new ones too.

Below are the portraits that we loved and some photos from the day:

The Ladies of the Supreme Court

(Terry) Jack Kennedy 

Bill Clinton (Marilyn)

Barack Obama

Eleanor Roosevelt

Marian Anderson

Albert Einstein

Michelle Obama

Gates - Melinda and Bill

Ann Landers

Katherine Hepburn

Katherine Hepburn Oscars

Bobbie Kennedy

Marilyn Manroe 

We had lunch in the courtyard and it was just delightful!

After the Gallery, we went back to the hotel to rest and then took a cab over to the 1717 K Street Roof Top for a cocktail party sponsored by the MRED - MLS.  Below is a photo of some of the North Shore Barrington Association of REALTORS Group.

We grabbed a cab to go back to the hotel and as we entered the lobby, we decided that we needed dessert, so we went into the restaurant and had apple tarts with ice cream.  (That was my third apple tart in three nights)!!!!

Washington, D. C. Day One and Two

American Blue picked me up and then Terry and we got to the airport in plenty of time to go through security and walk the mile to Terminal 2 to our gate!

We checked into our room at the Churchill Hotel.  Poorly designed room with a "couch" that had no light over it and is ugly and uncomfortable as sin.

Took a cab over to the Marriott to register and get a quick bite to eat before taking a cab over to the Hart Senate Building to meet with Senators Duckworth and Durbin.  Quick meeting with Illinois Delegation.

Cab with NSBAR folks to Hilton and crossed the street to our hotel.  Where we rested and then met Marty for dinner.

Fell into bed and got ready for an early morning meeting for Marilyn.

Day Two - May 15, 2019

Marilyn headed out to cab over to the Marriott for a 7:30 a.m. meeting.  Grabbed a cup of coffee over there.  Terry had a nice breakfast at the hotel!

After the meeting, I sat in the lobby talking and then went to the Omni to meet the NSBAR group for a cab ride over to Bullfeathers for lunch.  Terry met us there.

We then walked over to Jan Schakowsky's office and met with Jan, Robert Marcus and Katie Durkin.

We took a cab back to our hotel and rested before meeting with Brian and Rori.

Brian and Rori met us at our hotel and we walked over to a great Italian Restaurant - Sette Osteria, about 4 blocks from the hotel.  We had drinks, dinner and dessert.  Glad we walked because we ingested a lot of calories.

They came back and visited with us at the hotel before leaving to pick up a friend's car for the weekend.  They will be dog sitting for a friend who just lost her father.