Finally Made It To Swamphead

Cal had heard quite a bit about Swamphead Brewery in Gainesville but had never been there.  Since all of our other children had visited one of our favorite spots in Northern Florida, we made it a priority this weekend to get him there.  Before we checked out the brewery today, we decided to take Maggie to the other places in Gainesville that Cal had visited before so she could she why it had become #2 on our top ten list of college campuses.  

Our first stop of the day was the University of Florida where we did a walking tour of campus.  I tried my best to take everyone on the same path that Cameron and I went on during his official visit several years ago.  I was impressed with how much I remembered.  They both really enjoyed it, and we all were happy to have run across a bookstore near the stadium that was open.  It was a lot of fun looking through the Gator gear.

On our way to Relish for lunch we drove by Tom Petty's home, a must for all first time Heinsch visitors in Gainesville.  I don't know if Maggie felt it was worth the hype, but she definitely enjoyed our lunch stop.  The last visit of the day took us to the brewery.  Cal agreed that it was as awesome as we said it was.  They both enjoyed trying new beers albeit each one picked a different order of favorites.

Meg missed driveway pickleball but made it in time for game night this evening.  Uncle Phil joined us as well and we all enjoyed pizza for dinner and several games of Donner Party.  We ended the evening with High School Musical Sing It on the Wii which brought back a ton of memories from their childhood days.  Meg was the only one who remembered all of the lyrics to the songs, but those of us who played had a great time anyway.  It was the perfect way to end such a wonderful day.

Animal Kingdom and Food & Wine Festival

The four of us were up early and on our way to Animal Kingdom by 7:30 this morning.  I had bought lightening lane passes for all of us, so we weren't too worried about getting on our favorite rides but still wanted to be there at rope drop to maximize our day.  The nice part about arriving before the park opened was that Cal and Maggie had plenty of time to get coffee and we made it to Na'vi River Ride well before the crowds arrived.  Cal didn't remember the ride very well as he had only been on it once and liked it a lot more than he thought that he would.  Maggie was happy with the short wait time as the last time she rode Na'vi it was over an hour to get on to the popular ride.

The rest of our time at Animal Kingdom was a lot of fun.  We rode Dinosaur next and then headed to Exhibition Everest.  Doug didn't want to ride the Yeti themed roller coaster, and Maggie said that once was enough for her, so Cal used Doug's lightening pass so that he and I could ride together.  I hadn't been in years and enjoyed it very much.  Our last ride of the morning was Kilimanjaro Safari.  We were very impressed with how many animals were out and about this morning.  Before we headed to Epcot, we also walked through Gorilla Falls and the Maharajah Trek.  We loved all of the animals on the trails, but our favorite were the tigers.  None of us had ever seen them as animated as they were today.  We ended our time at Animal Kingdom by watching the Lion King show which was very entertaining as usual.

Our next adventure took us to Epcot's Food & Wine Festival.  All of us were excited to try the foods and walk through the countries.  Cal and Maggie had read all of the reviews of the booths before coming this weekend and were prepared with what they wanted to try and where.  Doug and I enjoyed following the two of them through the park trying several of their recommended foods and listening to their thoughts on their favorite dishes.  It was a lot of fun and surprisingly not as crowded as I thought that it would be for a holiday weekend.  It made me wonder if having the majority of annual passholders restricted this weekend made the difference.  

Although the festival was our main focus throughout our time at Epcot, we did have time for some of our favorite staples in Epcot as well.  We rode Soarin', Figment and The Gran Fiesta Tour.  We also stopped at the beverage station to try several flavored sodas including Doug's famed drink, Beverly.  We even had a little bit of time to do some shopping before heading back to Ocala.  Overall, it was a fantastic day, and I was very pleased with how well the day went.  

Cal and Maggie Arrive

After we got back from Key West, Cal called to tell me that he and Maggie wanted to come down for Labor Day weekend. I was super excited to hear that and started talking to him about what we could do when they were here. Gainesville and Swamphead were definitely on the list as were pickleball and miniature golf. Cal ahd one suggestion that I wasn’t quite sure we could pull off. He and Maggie really wanted to go to the Food and Wine festival in Epcot as it opened that weekend. Since our annual passes were blacked out for those dates and it was a holiday weekend, I wasn’t sure if we would be able to add it to the list but told him that I will look into it right away.

Thankfully, I was able to resolve the issue easily. Because our Disney annual passes were up for renewal in July, I could upgrade them to the Sorcerer’s pass. That would allow us to go on all holidays except for Christmas and Thanksgiving. The cost difference would only be the price of one ticket to Epcot, so it was an easy decision. Next, I had to figure out where we were going to stay in Orlando. Meg offered to have us there, which I greatly appreciated, but I thought it would be better to stay closer to the park so we could get to Animal Kingdom first thing in the morning on Saturday. I looked around and found an Embassy Suites within 15 minutes of the park and as an added bonus, we had enough points to stay there for free.

I was happy that Doug was able to take today off.  He and I had a relaxing morning at home and then headed to Hollywood Studios for the afternoon. We not only got our favorite pretzel for lunch, but we were also able to ride Toy story mania.  Afterward, we headed back to the hotel for their happy hour. It was kind of lame, but the best part was that Meg joined us while we were there and we were able to avoid a huge thunderstorm that came through.

Tonight, the three of us went to Epcot to check out the Food and Wine festival. We wanted to get some inside tips for our trip tomorrow with Cal and Maggie. They had some awesome food and for the first time ever I was able to find a dessert that I liked even better than the chocolate cake from Ireland from years ago. Of course it was another chocolate cake, but still very delicious.

We picked up Cal and Maggie at the airport at 10:30 happy that their flight had arrived on time and everybody was doing well. Maggie had been up since 4:30 in the morning, so none of us stayed up late. That was OK with me as we had plans to be at Animal Kingdom before the park opened at 8 AM tomorrow. Overall, it was a great day, and I look forward to a fantastic Labor Day weekend.

Time to Resign

 After going out with the women of CCW for a girls' night, I felt completely rejuvenated and ready for another year of being the treasurer of the group.  The two-and-a-half-hour board meeting that I went to shortly after that changed my mind.  During that entire meeting, I only spoke for five minutes making it an extremely long evening.  While I was there, I also realized that there were changes that had to be made to my position that were going to take a lot of time and energy. I walked out of the meeting feeling completely depleted. 

Those two facts weighed heavily on my mind when I got home that night and made it hard to sleep.  When I woke up the next day, I gave it a lot of thought and decided that it was time for me to resign from the position.  Although last night's meeting contributed to that decision, it wasn't the long board meetings or the changes in the duties for the treasurer that pushed me to resign.  It was the traveling to Indiana and the nights in Orlando with Doug that ultimately made me come to the conclusion.  I couldn't help my family and take on another year of outside projects.  I emailed the board, the church and the treasurers for the Norther Deanery and Diocese that morning and let them know that I would have to step down. 

 As soon as I sent the email, I was immediately relieved.  It was a lot to take on last year, and I was glad that I would not have to do so this year.  I was also thankful for the positive comments that I got back from everyone.  Maybe, I will get more involved at another time, but for now going to CCW, working in the gift shop and attending Bible study will be enough for me.  

New Countertops

Once the plumbing project was complete in the garage, I decided that I had to do something with the countertops.  When we first moved in, the cabinet area in the garage was an eyesore.  It was not only dated but had water damage as well.  I had seriously thought about replacing the whole unit until I realized that it would cost thousands of dollars.  I couldn't justify that for a garage.  Plus, the cabinets, countertop and sink were extremely functional.  

With replacement out of the question, I decided to work on making the area more cosmetically pleasing instead.  First, I painted the cabinets white. Then, I fixed one of the cabinet doors that would not hang correctly.  Next, I decorated the front of each cabinet doors to represent our four children.  Finally, I painted the dated yellow sink white and covered the water damage on the end cabinet with white adhesive wallpaper.  With the sink now having a new faucet, there was only one item left to update, the countertop.

Replacing the countertop was never an option because of the cost.  Instead, I decided that I would try and cover it with an adhesive wallpaper like the one that I had used on the cabinet.  I was a little bit skeptical that it would work and look nice, but after reading multiple reviews on Amazon, I decided to try it.  It took me several hours, but in the end, it was totally worth it.  It did not look like granite as the reviews stated, but it definitely looked a lot better. Doug wasn't sure about the project when I started, but he was impressed in the difference.  I would never use this project in the house as it could not compare with a real countertop remodel, but for the garage, it was perfect.  

One Last Thing to Do

Before Doug and I bought our home in Ocala, we had it checked out by a home inspector.  Overall, the house passed without any issues, but there were a few items that the inspector said needed to be addressed within a few years of purchase.  Doug and I accepted the home with those conditions and after we bought it, we came up with a list of items that we would like to do in order of importance.  

Since that time period, Doug and I checked off painting the outside of the house, purchasing a new roof, replacing the air conditioner and several more home projects from our list.  This summer I realized that there was only item left - replacing the turn off valves under the sink that had corroded.  It wasn't a big project, but an important one to avoid future broken pipes or leaks.  Finding a plumber was easy as I planned to use the same one that installed our sink and garbage disposal last spring when we replaced the kitchen counters. He came out last week to give me a quote.  During the inspection, he also noted that three of the faucets leaked and recommended replacing those as well.  I had no problem with that as I had noticed the small leaks earlier this year.  

The plumber planned to bring the piping and the turn off valves but recommended that I buy the faucets myself to save money.  It took multiple trips to Lowe's to find the ones that worked best with our sinks.  It also took the plumber two trips to our home to complete the work.  Today, the project was finally complete, and it looked better than I thought it would.  Although it was a relief to not have to worry about the plumbing anymore, the best part was crossing that last item off of our to-do list.  

Girls' Night Out

Several weeks ago, I was invited to go out to dinner and to a musical with several of the women in CCW.  It was on a Saturday night, so I almost said no as I hated leaving Doug home alone on a weekend.  Once Phil said that he was interested in coming over, making beer and watching 1990s football games, I decided that a girl's night out was just what I needed.  

In the end, I was so glad that I decided to go.  The musical wasn't quite my style, but I did have great time with the group.  Dinner was at an Italian place that I had never tried before just a few blocks away from our church.  The food was delicious, and the conversations were so much fun.  Hanging out with them reminded me that I have friends here and that it is ok to take a break some time and do something for myself.  

What a Difference A Few Months

Aunt Jan sent a picture of my mom to her siblings and I sitting up on the couch looking very well.  She was skinnier than she was a year ago but overall looked very much improved since I saw her almost a month.  I knew from talking to my mom that she was doing better but seeing it in a picture made it a lot more real.  

I found out later that Aunt Jan had taken my mom to Dollar General to do some shopping.  They had to use my mom's car as she couldn't get into Aunt Jan's truck because the seats were too high.  My mom used her walker in the store, but Aunt Jan wouldn't let her put anything in the basket reaching for whatever she needed on the shelf.  My mom told her that she was being too nice to her, but Aunt Jan said that she was paying her back for all of the baked good she had made for her over the years.  No matter who was nicer or what they did today, I was incredibly glad to see and hear how well my mom was doing.  

Two Years and Counting

Doug and I officially moved to Florida two years ago.  When I think about it, it is such a short period of time, but then I realize that a lot has happened in those two years.  Meg and Brett both got married and moved.  Cal moved in with Maggie and got a promotion at work.  Cameron was already in his junior year of college and had found success at IU with the athletic department.  Doug had switched jobs, and I had become an active member in our new church with many new friends.  

Thinking about it like that, I couldn't believe how quickly we had carved out a life in Ocala.  I loved Syracuse while we were raising our children there, but it was time to move on, and I was incredibly thankful that we found a place that fit the two of us perfectly. It wasn't just the house, but the community as well.  Tonight, we celebrated our two-year anniversary with Marco's Pizza and beer for Doug and an acai bowl for me with Aerosmith's Pump playing on the record player.  It was the perfect night, and I looked forward to many more celebrations to come.

The Pelican Brief

From the first time I saw the movie, Pelican Brief, I absolutely loved it.  It not only starred two of my favorite actors, Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington, but it was a political thriller as well.  Those together added up to success for me, and I have probably watched the film at least twenty times since I first saw it in the movie theater in 1993. 

Before we moved to Ocala, Brett gave Doug the book that the movie was based on for his birthday.  Doug read it and liked it, so I put it aside to read later.  This summer, I finally finished several books that I had on my list, so I thought that I would try Pelican Brief.  I was surprised at how much I liked it and finished it quickly.  It was definitely a lot like the book but had several more minor characters in it.  One other difference from the movie was that two of the main characters were extremely unlikeable making it hard to feel sad when one of them is murdered.  Julia Roberts' character, however, was just as resourceful in the book as she was in the movie, making it a great read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

Internship Begins

Cameron officially started his internship with the IU Athletic Marketing Department today.  He had worked with them a few times this summer at various sporting events, but now he was officially "on the clock."  Cameron was very excited about the opportunity and looked forward to working with his favorite IU athletic programs.  This fall the focus would primarily be on football, but he would also help with both soccer programs and the field hockey team as well.  He even planned to work today in the marketing tent at the first match of the season for women's soccer.  He would not only enjoy that, but by being there for the women's game, he would be able to secure a good spot for the men's match up against Clemson as well. I was very impressed with the news of his first day and loved the pictures he sent plus his new IU backpack and the red, white and black Nikes that the internship provided as well.  

Tony's Town Square

Since Doug has stayed at Meg's a lot more than I expected, I decided that once a month we would take her (and Nick if he is home) out to a nice restaurant.  She liked the idea, and we started planning where we wanted to go to in August.  The Halloween decorations had just gone up in Magic Kingdom, and I really wanted to see them.  I suggested that we look for a place near there to try and started researching different ideas.  Originally, I thought we would go to a restaurant at one of the resorts on the monorail system since I didn't think that there were any places that we would want to eat at while at Magic Kingdom.  We had been to Skipper Canteen quite a bit and I wanted something new.  As I begin reading restaurant reviews, I was surprised by how wrong I was.  There were multiple places in the park that had great menus and open reservations.  I suggested a few to Meg and Doug, and soon we had a table for the three of us for this evening at Tony's Town Square Restaurant.  

We arrived earlier than we had planned tonight which I really appreciated as we had time to look at all of the fall decorations on Main Street before we went to dinner.  They were just as festive as always with the Mickey wreaths being my favorite.  The restaurant was packed when we arrived, but we were seated within fifteen minutes of our selected time.  Tony's theming was based on the movie Lady and The Tramp.  The film wasn't any of our favorites, but we did really like all of the pictures on the wall.  We started with the garlic bread as an appetizer.  It was by far the best bread that we had ever eaten.  For dinner Meg had the vodka pasta while Doug and I each ordered the spaghetti and meatballs.  Everyone's meal was delicious.  Meg tried their tiramisu for dessert and said that it was wonderful.  Our waiter was fantastic, and we all enjoyed dinner very much.

It had just started getting dark when we walked out of Tony's which was perfect as I wanted to see the decorations in Fantasyland.  We headed there next and saw all of their character themed pumpkins which were very impressive.  My favorite Halloween decoration, however, was the windows in Liberty Square.  Every so often they would light up with Ichabod crane in the shadows drinking his evening tea.  He looked real and I could just imagine him sitting up there reading ghost stories.  What a great way to end the evening.  

Weddings and Golf Outings

Brett’s wasn’t the only wedding that Cal attended this summer.  One of his high school friends and college roommates, Nic Wilson, got married as well.  Cal and Jayce hadn’t seen Nic in a while, so I was very happy they were invited. They had known him for well over 10 years and had had a lot of fun with him during their sophomore year of college. Nic had been dating his new bride for quite some time and everybody was very happy to celebrate the new couple.  Most of his friends attending the wedding graduated a year ahead of Cal and Jayce in high school.  I was glad he was able to catch up with so many of them.

Cal and Jayce were also able to spend time with a group of their college friends this summer as well at their annual golf outing in Michigan. Cal had been playing a lot of golf this summer, so I expected him to do well. The format, however, was a little interesting.  The first day they played their own ball and were paired based on their score for day two. The lowest medalist was given the highest medalist as a partner and pairing continued from there.  Cal did say that it was close, but in the end he was able to pull out a victory. Jayce even had a traveling trophy made for the event. There were other groups playing golf that day and Cal thought it was funny that they thought this was a very serious tournament. I’m sure for Cal‘s group of friends it probably was. Win or lose, I am glad he was able to see so many of his friends this summer.

A Wonderful Visit to Northern Indiana

Cameron and Cora spent the weekend in Syracuse visiting Grandma and Grandpa. Cameron said that it was the best visit that he had had in a long time. He didn’t have school weighing over his head, grandma was doing a lot better, and he was able to show Cora all the places he loved growing up. They were even able to play several rounds of Oh Hell!  Samuel was home from Central America and Cora finally got to meet him. They were also able to see Keagan and play a round of golf as well. 

I was very glad that Cameron was able to travel north before the semester started. With his internship in the athletics department, job as a teaching assistant, challenging class schedule, and role as a director of student athletic board, I expect Cameron to be extremely busy this semester. On top of everything already scheduled, he will have to interview for internships this fall. I don’t know if he will make it back to Syracuse before football season is over, so I am extremely pleased that this weekend‘s visit went really well.

Cooking Skills

In our family Doug did most of the cooking.  It seemed strange to some of my friends, but it worked for us.  I did not like to touch raw meat and Doug enjoyed cooking after a long day at work as he found it relaxing.  Because of our family life, none of the Heinisch children ever thought that cooking was only a women's job.  They knew that I could make simple dishes and that their dad could grill and cook complicated meals.  

As our children grew up, I was impressed that several of them adopted Doug's love of cooking.  It has been fun watching their skills grow.  Even those who were not as interested at first or who didn't have time for cooking have now made it an important part of their lives.  I love getting pictures of new dishes that they have made, recipes that they like or ideas of new meals that they were going to try.  

Since Meg now lives closer to us, I see her in the kitchen quite a bit.  Both Doug and I have really liked the new meals that she has made for us.  With her in mind, I decided to try a recipe on my own this week for Doug.  On the nights he stays in Ocala, he gets back too late to be able to exercise and cook.  Thus, we either have a simple meal or go out.  This evening, I tried a stuffed peppers recipe that Meg gave me and one for bundt cake that I wanted to try.  I was impressed with how well they turned out and Doug said both were delicious.  The only error that I had in my first attempt was thinking that Meg had written two pounds of ground turkey when she wrote a one.  It made for a lot of leftovers, but Doug said that he would have no problem finishing those off later.  I was glad to hear that my first complicated dinner menu was a success.

Day 200

When we met Maggie's family last Thanksgiving, her mother, Nancy, introduced me to the online word game, Connections.  It was challenging at first to figure out the rules and find the connections, but after a few weeks, I got the hang out it.  I was pretty good at solving the puzzles but still had some days that I could not figure out the solution in four guesses.  

About a couple of months after I started the daily word game, I got on a hot streak and found myself solving the puzzle nineteen days in a row.  I couldn't believe it and was telling Brett and Doug about it.  Obviously, I spoke too fast as day twenty was a tough one for me and I couldn't figure it out on my own.  I knew that I could look up the answers but didn't want to do that.  Instead, I went to Brett for help.  I sent him a screenshot of the puzzle and soon he had some ideas for me to try.  With his help I figured out the connection and decided from there on out, I would ask Brett for help when I was struggling, and it would be our game to play together.

Several weeks went by and Brett wasn't available to help.  I didn't want the streak to end, so I enlisted Doug's thoughts on the puzzle.  We were able to talk through the connections of the words and soon the puzzle was solved, and I was on to the next day.  Since then, I have decided that I would keep the streak alive and make it a family record instead of an individual one.  Brett and Doug have helped the most, but Nick and Cameron have chipped in a few times as well.  Today I am proud to say that our family has gotten 200 Connections correct in a row.  It has not only been very entertaining to play but has made a positive "connection" in our family as well.  I know that one day I will miss the solution, or I will forget to play, but for now I will just enjoy the fun of it all.

An Interesting Review

Earlier this week I received another call asking for the owner of one of Doug's old companies.  I explained that no one in our family had ever been the owner of this company and that I could find their business's phone number if they liked.  The person on the other end apologized for calling me and said that they would take my number off of the list.  I thanked them but knew that next week they would call back.  I had been receiving phone calls like this one since February.  I do not know how anyone got my number or how they associated it to one of Doug's former companies, but they weren't the only ones who called and quite frankly, I found it extremely annoying.  

With this last call, I decided to investigate if the company was still in business or if they had been in the news lately.  I knew that in the past there had been reasons that someone would be looking for them but had no idea how they were doing recently.  I didn't find anything but did come across one review from a former employee that criticized the company harshly for the way that they were treated, even calling out individuals by name.  It stated that they had felt used.  I could totally empathize with the reviewer.  I had felt that Doug was treated poorly as well.  Thankfully, Doug's most recent position has been wonderful for him.  That has been a prayer answered.

Baldwin Park

It has been extremely helpful that Doug has been able to stay at Meg's several nights a week.  It cuts his drive time to work from one hour and thirty minutes to twenty minutes.  It also gives him a chance to hang out with Meg.  He really appreciates her cooking and has tried several new delicious meals at her place.  He has also been able to read, exercise and relax in the evenings as well as listen to Meg's vinyl collection with her and watch old episodes of Modern Family.  There has been benefit to Meg as well, especially since Nick travels so much.  It gives her a companion to talk to and someone to retrieve items from the storage unit for her.  

Another benefit of staying at Meg's has been the ability to explore a new area of Florida that we knew nothing about until they moved.  Baldwin Park is filled with young people Nick and Meg's age and there are a lot of restaurants and stores that we do not have near us in Ocala.  Tonight, Doug was able to walk to Tactical Brewing Company in downtown Baldwin Park and try a few of their craft beers.  He really enjoyed it and planned on returning in the near future.  I was happy that he was able to explore the area, but most of all thankful that Meg has been able to make such a big difference in Doug's life.  

Kings Island

Cameron and Cora spent the day at King's Island.  She had never been, and he really wanted to take her to one of our family's favorite amusement parks.  They were a little bit worried after looking at the forecast that they would have to cancel, but thankfully the rain held off for most of the day with only a small shower in the late afternoon.  The best part about the weather prediction was that it must have scared away park goers as the two of them were able to go on every ride twice.  They did skip some of the smaller rides that Cameron and Meg loved when they were little but still took a turn on Charlie Brown's Rushing River Log Ride.  Cameron forgot that at the end there is a cannon that shoots water directly at the log flume, but they had so much fun that they didn't mind getting soaked.  

The best part to me about Cameron and Cora going to King's Island was that it brought back a ton of memories of our own trips over the years.  We started going once we realized that it was cheaper for us to vacation in Cincinnati for a weekend than it was to take all four of our children to the Elkhart County Fair.  The rides were also safer and a lot more fun.  It was nice to know that our children loved it as much as we did as each one of them has now taken a friend to the amusement park as well.  There is no better feeling as a parent than when a child validates the way you raised them by following the same path.  Our family's love of King's Island does that for me. 

Back in the States

Cal arrived home yesterday after a long flight from Rome.  He called this evening to fill us in on the details of his trip.  Besides the Vatican City, the group also went to the Sistine Chapel, had an Italian chef cook homemade pizza in their villa's pizza oven, visited several wineries, ate at local restaurants, shopped in small marketplaces where they learned how to haggle over a price and visited the Coliseum in Rome.  He was on the phone for well over an hour describing the details of his trip. I was amazed at all that they were able to do on their ten-day trip and enjoyed listening to each and every day.

 

I was also incredibly thankful that the Doyles invited him to go with them.  Cal and Maggie will always remember their time in Italy.  In fact, they have already been talking about where they would they like to travel next.  Exploring the world is something that my children's generation has done well.  I am glad that all of mine enjoy exploring the world and can't wait to see where one of them goes next.