![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2e77a19c1dead67f9de99e29a2fadbef.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Fearless, Scout decided to prance around the bed at 5:00 am, announcing he was ready to “go.” Using the latest mountaineering devices, I attached my Black Diamond Venom Adze Ice Axe to the chair and pulled myself out of bed.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pix-676.jpg\")
I keep it handy for emergencies.<\/p><\/div>\n
Once sitting on the side of the bed, the cold floor only caused a mild convulsion and a slight scream!\u00a0 Scout got a great kick out of my painful exit from the bed.<\/p>\n
I could see Mary’s eyes flash open and shut as she realized that if she were awake, she might have to go to the cold house to let Scout escape!<\/p>\n
After Scout did his business, I returned to bed for an hour, waking at 6:00 am to start the day again!\u00a0 Scout followed me in and also crashed for an hour.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2024-02-21-009.webp\")
“I repeat, DO NOT wake me up!”<\/p><\/div>\n
At 11:00 am, the weather was pretty good, so we decided to drop by the dry cleaners on the way to the lodge.<\/p>\n
Arriving at the Elks, I dropped Mary under the carport entrance to the lodge.\u00a0 As I exited the car out in the parking lot, a cloud burst lasted two minutes, pelting me with water and a few pieces of hail.<\/p>\n
Bob joined us within a few minutes, and we caught up on the latest gossip!<\/p>\n
BTW, we took out our things to compare them, and sure enough, Bob’s AAA Membership was 60 years, Bill’s was 55 years, and ours was 52 years.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2024-02-21-001.jpg\")
Smile at us.<\/p><\/div>\n
When Bill arrived, the conversation got even funnier.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2024-02-21-002.jpg\")
Bill gives us the evil eye.<\/p><\/div>\n
We enjoyed soup and salads. We asked Bob to take a picture because quite often we “are not there” after we get home and look at the photos we took!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2024-02-21-003.jpg\")
Just us!<\/p><\/div>\n
We enjoy each other’s company and always find something to giggle about.\u00a0 I find life’s most beautiful moments aren’t just with her but because of her.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2024-02-21-005.jpg\")
We were here!<\/p><\/div>\n
On the way home, we stopped by Macy’s as Mary wanted to look for a Mother of The Bride dress for our Ireland trip.\u00a0 \u00a0We also found a gift for our Great Grand Nephew.\u00a0 Sadly, we discovered that the enormous Barnes and Noble store was closed and out of business.<\/p>\n
What We Found Out<\/b> A book-signing event at a Barnes & Noble in Orange was cut short on Saturday, April 29, after a fire broke out inside the business, leading to the store’s closure for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n
Author and photographer Maggie St. Thomas was performing a reading of her new book, “Still Life: The Photographs of Maggie St. Thomas,” to a crowd inside the bookstore on the 700 block of South Main Street when the fire broke out sometime around 5 pm, according to Orange Deputy Fire Marshal Robert Prendergast.\u00a0 Customers and staff were evacuated from the store, and no injuries were reported.<\/p>\n
The fire quickly grew to a second alarm, with about 45 personnel from Orange County Fire Authority, Anaheim Fire & Rescue, and Orange Police called in to assist with the fire.<\/p>\n
The blaze was contained around 9 pm, Prendergast said.<\/p>\n
The cause of the fire and an estimate of the damage were under investigation on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The bookseller announced on Instagram that the Barnes & Noble store was closed on Sunday and would remain so until further notice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
After visiting the shopping center, we stopped at Michaels to look for goodies for our upcoming trip!\u00a0 Mary thought having an Embroidery Kit might be fun on our two-week cruise through the Panama Canal, but they had nothing!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2024-02-21-006.jpg\")
A quick stop at Michaels<\/p><\/div>\n
I went online and got two kits to see if that would suffice.\u00a0 We will find out shortly.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pix-675.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
When we got home, we visited Jeff, our neighbor.\u00a0 We had a glass of wine, and we brought him cheesecake and a berry cobbler from the Elks Lodge lunch today.\u00a0 We chatted for an hour and then came home.<\/p>\n
We hit the sack around 10:30 pm.\u00a0 Mary tried to watch a movie but fell asleep at 9:00 pm.\u00a0 Scout was found in the family room chowing down on his dry food, so we must go outside within an hour.\u00a0 So, I stayed up and worked on the website until I heard him asking to go outside.<\/p>\n
You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2024-02-07-011.jpg\")
“Daddy, I gots to go!”<\/p><\/div>\n
When I returned to bed, Mary was sawing logs, so I removed her glasses, got her a bottle of water, and headed under the covers.\u00a0 Scout was happy, so everyone was happy.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2024\/02\/57c90220b98609f642c11400a2a40a8c.gif\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fearless, Scout decided to prance around the bed at 5:00 am, announcing he was ready to “go.” Using the latest mountaineering devices, I attached my Black Diamond Venom Adze Ice Axe to the chair and pulled myself out of bed. … Continue reading