“We get no choice. If we love, we grieve.” – Thomas Lynch
With Sue, every Hour was a happy hour. Her view of the world and people was always so positive. She brought sunlight into the darkness. Never anything terrible to say about people, even when they hurt her deeply. She would respond, not with hate, but by saying, “She is the best person she can be!”
We just enjoyed being around each other, and in fact, yesterday morning when I was walking, I reached into my pocket, got the iPhone, and dialed home to let her know I was two blocks away. When the message came up, I realized it was for naught. She was not there to greet me with a big smile and a hug and questions about the walk! Who did you see? How were the doggies? Did you take many pictures? Were the flowers pretty? Being interested in others made her happy. She certainly made my life happy!
I do miss you so very much!
Happy Hour was all the time!
First things first, I got on the scale, and I have achieved nirvana. One hundred ninety-three healthy fat-free pounds as of this morning. Yeah! As Dad would have said, “Happier than a pig in poop!”
Then it was to the concrete where I gave it a slight shower to help the curing process. By Saturday morning I will clean up the entire area and scrub it down so it is back to normal.
Did You Know? Concrete typically takes 24 to 48 hours to dry enough for you to walk or drive on it. However, concrete drying is a continuous and fluid event and usually reaches its full adequate strength after about 28 days. Concrete hardens as a result of a chemical reaction, called hydration, between cement and water, not because it dries. … Moist-curing concrete for 20 days more than doubles its strength compared to four days of moist-curing, which is considered a minimum.
For breakfast, I picked berries, had my cereal, and a glass of champagne.
The hardware store shopping list was indicating a need to be filled. The Grey Ghost and I headed fearlessly north on the 605 Freeway to Lowe’s keeping our speed well under 100 miles an hour! I located a trusty basket, put on my Donald Duck mask, and proceeded to fill the basket with the necessities of life. I got two waterproof power boxes, another curly-cord for my second air compressor, some knee-pads that strap on, and a drill bit for installing the grab-bars in the shower. The treasures were ready to go home with me and standby for use in the near future.
Before: Now the outside security camera connector will be waterproof and protected from the environment (and water hose)
Miss Robin called and said her internet was ka-put! The area was getting a major “upgrade” starting with a 24-hour outage. She has work to do, so she is coming over at 1:00 PM and will work out of my office. Note to self: Straighten up the office before she arrives. Take out the litter box! Oops, I do not have a cat, I meant the waste paper basket.
Arriving home, I jumped toward the Bat Phone, asked Alexa to call Collen, and we chatted for a while. She was madder than a wet hen because her dentist messed up the insurance so she departed the office with a few choice words.
I love sayings, especially those I heard from my family growing up!
Yup! I use these all the time!
Did you Know? Saying from the south are colorful! MAdder than a wet hen is a thoughtfully elaborate metaphor describing someone who is raging mad. When hens are wet, they are insane. They are livid. Use this phrase to express the intensity of another’s anger.
Southerners Know Happiness When They See It:
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- He’s as happy as if he had good sense.
- Happier than ol’ Blue layin’ on the porch chewin’ on a big ol’ catfish head.
- Happy as a dead pig in the sunshine. (Translation: Pretty delighted.)
- Grinnin’ like a possum eatin’ a sweet tater
- Well, that just dills my pickle.
The gardener came, followed by the house cleaners. I had to remove the protective coating from the floor, rolling up the paper so I could put it back down again when they were done. Domilita and Maria did a great job and even put the floor protection paper back down after they mopped the room.
The shop needed attention, so I put all the tools away after cleaning them from the work we have been doing in the bathroom.
I called Lee last night and made arrangements to have breakfast with her on Sunday morning as I wanted to stay home Friday to finish off the concrete work. Lee called back today and invited me to their family birthday party for her daughter, who is turning 48 on Monday. Great idea, plus it is in Santa Ana, so I might just drop by Bob and Donna’s on the way home!
Bob is going to Texas Saturday morning and coming back Tuesday night so we can button the bathroom up next week, yea!! Then we start electrical work. We are going to replace the old 100 amp panel with a 225-amp panel pre-setup for solar (which I plan to do this summer). They need a day around the house for the demolition of the walls, and the following day power goes off while the new panel goes in, and the conduits are buried into the walls! Another job I have wanted to get done for years. While they are inside the walls, I plan to add two switches so I can control the lights in the pool and the backyard floods from one location inside the house!
Forty-two separate circuits and ready for solar! Life is good!
Robin came and did her work on the computer. She used Sue’s new PC setup since she knew Windows 10 already. I struggled with the passwords but finally got access to there system.
Olivia called mid-afternoon; she and I grew up together on Comey avenue and we still talk once a month. Olivia said she talked to the senior’s facility where my Aunt Kaye is staying and they said Kaye loves the cards and letters we send even though she is almost 98 years old. It is time to write again!
We grew up together on Comey Avenue in Los Angeles
Sue was always supportive of me going back in the time and visiting people from my past including my old Ham Radio buddy, Ed Heyman. Sue got to know these people pretty well.
Below is us having lunch with Joel Prell, a “kid” I knew before kindergarten (so we met in 1948) and have stayed in contact with most of my life, well at least after Sue and I were married!
Me, Sue, and Joel Prell!
It was 4:45 and time to fire up Zoom for our call to old friends. We just had two others join us today, but it was partly because I sent out the invitation late and partially because the world is coming back to normal, and Friday’s are busy days!
We talked for an hour and had a ball!
After the call, Robin popped up to CPK and got us dinner. We had our regular small salads and a soft drink. We dined on the patio and plotted the rest of the weekend and next weeks events.
A delightful meal it was!
Bob put in the drain and needed a tool to cut off the main pipe. He said he forgot his Dremel tool and I told him to wait, I could solve that problem. I bought a Dremel 4000 system last year and never used it until now. He was able to cut the pipe twice in a matter of seconds!
Dremel to the rescue!
Tomorrow I will put in the R-13 insulation and finish the electrical, and then Wednesday evening, the construction will begin again. By the 22nd, we should be done! Other than that, the construction will be stopped and things will return to “normal”.
The truth, nothing but the truth!
Next week I expect to get calls from the solar crowd as I want to put in a 7KW system so I can run the air all I want as well as the pool and perhaps even the spa.
I watched “Anne With An E” on Netflix and then crashed at about 11:00 PM. Tomorrow my social calendar begins to fill up as I have champagne with Charlotte at 2:15 PM, nine holes with her at 3:00 PM, and the race home to load the car with ice and head for Joe’s house for the famous Liles’ Ice Cream Bar!
