Animal Kingdom Lodge

When Doug and I stayed at the Contemporary during Thanksgiving, they had offered us a bounce back offer which allowed us to book two nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge during Cameron's spring break vacation. The three of us were excited as we had really enjoyed our stay there almost two years ago.  We were also glad to be able to have access to their club level this time which included all food and drinks.

Cameron and I arrived around noon today and were happy to see that our room was ready.  We dropped off our luggage and then spent some time enjoying our view from the balcony of our 4th floor room.  We were staying in zebra trail, but giraffes and wildebeest were the main focus at first.  After enjoying the savannah, Cameron and I headed to the lounge for lunch.  There were so many different appetizers and snacks to try including humus, peanut butter and jelly, cookies, chocolate covered raisins, spicy mixed nuts and so much more.  Although it wasn't officially a meal, it was all very good and definitely filled me up.  

After lunch, we headed to the Magnolia-Palm golf course on Disney property with the hope of Cameron getting to hit golf balls.  Unfortunately, as soon as we pulled into the parking lot, the skies opened up and all activities on the golf course were halted for the foreseeable future.  Cameron suggested Disney Springs, but on our way there he found a disc golf course that he wanted to try at a local park instead. He really enjoyed the afternoon, and I got in a nice walk while watching him play.  

Cameron and I got back to our room just as the animals were being feed.  It was really neat to see all of the animals out and about on the Savannah enjoying their dinner.  The zebras even made an experience and there were two African cranes that we had a lot of fun watching as well.  Meg and Doug both arrived shortly after we did and enjoyed the view as well.  We spent the rest of the night in and out of the lounge for dinner and dessert while taking breaks to check out the rest of the lodge.  The food was absolutely delicious and the resort was beautiful.  Although I was completely wiped out by 10 p.m. from all of the activity, I had an awesome evening with everyone.  

Selection Sunday & The Oscars

There are two events in the spring that Doug and I look forward to every year.  One is the Selection Sunday show that kicks off March Madness and the other is the Oscars.  For the first time ever both of them occurred on the same evening.  Thankfully, the first one was at six with the second starting at seven which meant that we could watch both.

Selection Sunday went pretty much as anticipated with no big surprises.  We were disappointed that IU was once again one of the first four out, but all of us expected that after we lost to Northwestern in the Big Ten Tourney.  The Oscars were a lot more exciting this year.  Conan O'Brien hosted them once again and was just as funny as last year.  Doug's favorite movie of the year, One Battle After Another, took home the most golden statues with Sinners close behind.  The lead actor prediction had changed in the last few weeks.  A month ago, everyone thought it would go to Timothy Chalamet, but he made a remark about how he had decided to become an actor because no one really went to the opera and ballet anymore.  I thought it was funny as his mother and sister were both ballerinas, but the voting community didn't like his comments, and the Oscar went to Michael B. Jordan instead.  In the end, Cal and I thought it was the best pick as he was very good in his roles as Stack and Smoke in Sinners and his humility was well known.  Doug, Cal and I also loved the tribute to Rob Reiner by his friends, Billy Crystal.  Even Barbara Streisand made a cameo honoring Robert Redford.  Overall, this was my favorite Oscars of the past few years and I was very glad that Cameron and Doug had fun watching it with me.

Uppercrust

Since we have moved here, one of our favorite places to visit as a family is Gainesville.  There is never a time that anyone stays with us that we don't plan a day there. Any combination of Kanapaha, Relish, the University of Florida or Swamp Head Brewery make for a wonderful afternoon there.  Today's trip took us a new place in Gainesville, Uppercrust Bakery.  We had never heard of it until last summer when Cameron, Doug and I saw it featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  We had all wanted to try it since then and finally had a day to do so.  

The bakery was crowded when we arrived, but not quite the long lines that the morning would have brought.  Each one of us picked a croissant - chocolate raspberry for me, ham and cheese for Cameron and spinach and feta for Doug.  There weren't a lot of tables at Uppercrust, so we decided to take our food to Swamp Head where Cameron could order his first beer there on his own.  It was a beautiful afternoon to sit on their patio, enjoy our meal and watch basketball.  The croissants were just as delicious as Guy Fierro said that they would be and in the end, we were all glad to add another wonderful place to visit on our frequent trips to Gainesville.

Play Ball!

For the first time in a long time, I went to a major league baseball game.  When Cameron decided to spend spring break with us, Doug suggested a spring training game.  I was surprised by how excited all of us were about it.  I hadn't been to a game since Cameron was in preschool.  Even Meg and Nick kept the night open to meet us.

The trip to Joker Marchant Field was a tough one with a missed turn and a lot of traffic, but other than that we all had a great time watching the Pirates vs. the Tigers.  We ate some of the traditional snacks - hot dogs and peanuts.  Several in our group ordered a beer or two while watching and all of us had fun.  The Tiger mascot was a little dated and the Pirates pitcher took a ball to the face, but even those couldn't dampen the mood.  The evening reminded me of how much I used to love following baseball when I was in middle school and of all of the fun that we had taking our own children to major league games. I don't know if we will make it back to another game this spring, but after tonight, I decided that I wouldn't wait another 15+ years to go to another one.  

A Wonderful Lunch

Since I wasn't going to be able to go to this month's Lunch Bunch or even the CCW meeting, Robbi invited me to join her for lunch at Chicken Salad Chick today.  She also asked her friend Robin to go, and I had such a wonderful time with these two ladies.  The weather was rainy, but none of us minded as we spent several hours catching up on our family's lives and several items at CCW.  

When I moved here, I didn't plan on making friends with women from a different generation than mine, but I have absolutely loved hanging out with Robbi and Robin.  Both are grandmothers and retired. They have been able to give me some great life advice and have enhanced my relationship with God.  They challenge me to put myself first while still being an important part of my family.  Today's lunch was exactly what I needed, and I am so glad that I was able to make time to go before Cameron arrived for his spring break vacation.  

Armadillo

Doug was in Orlando last night, so I was a little bit nervous when my Ring doorbell went off alerting me that there was motion out front.  I don't mind staying by myself since I have a security system, but when I am awoken out of a deep sleep it does make me jump.  I picked up my phone right away trying to guess first what it was.  So far, we have had a coyote, several cats and even a lizard set the camera off.  

Instead of any of our previous late-night guests, I actually saw an armadillo walking across the video that the Ring doorbell captured.  My grandparents had had a ton of them outside of their home in Arcadia, but I hadn't seen any in our neighborhood.  Thankfully, I knew that they were harmless.  The video also answered another question that had been bothering me - "What was digging in my front planters?"  I don't know how I am going to solve that problem, but at least I slept soundly the rest of the night knowing that I wouldn't have to worry about lizards sneaking in the house with an armadillo on guard.  

Generosity Eludes Some

Recently, Doug's dad told him that one of the Nigerian statues that he gave him was worth a lot of money because it was from a specific tribe and was made of ebony.  When Doug relayed the story to me, I knew exactly what bust he was referencing.  It was my least favorite as the woman in the statue was naked and I found it extremely inappropriate.  Because of that, I had stored it with several other memory items that Jeanette had given us before she died instead of displaying it in Doug's room.  

I knew from the research that Nick and I had done when we were sorting the African collection that the statue wasn't worth very much.  I showed Doug the research that I found, and he said that he figured that it wasn't valuable.  The memories of the entire collection, however, did mean a lot to Doug.  It was the only memorabilia that Doug had asked his dad for when he moved into Oak Crest.  He didn't want to financially gain from the collection but wanted the pieces because they reminded him of his childhood and life on Rich Road.

Because of this, I was floored when Doug mentioned that his dad said that he wished he hadn't given it to him because of its value.  Doug wasn't offended which said a lot about his character.  I know that I would have been upset if my parents had done the same thing.  I am glad that Doug and I do not revolve our life around money, but instead our family.  God calls all of us in Deuteronomy 15:10 to "Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless your work and in everything you put your hand to."

A Lightening Scare

I got an early morning text from my Aunt Vicky with a photo of a firetruck outside of my parents' home.  Lightening had stuck their house.  I couldn't believe it.  With everything else going on in their lives right now, it didn't even seem real.

After an afternoon of no electricity and a few days without internet, everything was restored at my parents today.  Hoosier Tree had assured me that the tree that it hit was not permanently damaged.  It would only need some soil replaced around the roots.  Nipsco checked the line into the house and all was fine with that.  Mediacom replaced the modem that was taken out from the storm, and the electrician checked the entire house for faulty wiring and thankfully found none.  Even the 75-inch television that was first thought to be blown came back on with the restored internet. 

In the end, my parents were very fortunate that nothing more serious had happened.  I told my mom that I believe that this was a sign from God that they need to move into an assisted living home.  She laughed at first, but I truly believe that as do several of my children.  Life should be easier as you age. Staying in a fifty-year-old home is hard to manage for any of us, but for those with serious health issues it is almost impossible without a lot of help.  I am very glad that the house survived the strike, but hopefully, they will see that now.

Moving Furniture

Last month, I was finally able to talk my parents into moving their bedroom downstairs into the "business room."  My mom cannot go upstairs, and I knew that soon my dad would not be able to either.  Thankfully, Aunt Vicky's family was willing to help and even offered to clean as well.  My parents didn't want to move the dresser down which helped in the process.  They also didn't want to use their king size bed.  They thought that it would be too hard to get down their winding stairs and that it wouldn't fit in the room.  Since we still had a queen size bed stored at their home, my mom offered to buy it off of me and then I could order one for Cameron's room.  I appreciated that as I was going to get the bed this summer on one of my trips to Syracuse.  This solution worked out well for both of us and I was impressed in how great their new bedroom looked when my cousins were done.

One thing that I rarely ask Doug to do is move furniture in our home.  He is great at helping, but he had done that a lot at his parents' home and I knew that it wasn't much fun.  This time I had no choice.  I couldn't get the new queen bed set up in Cameron's room without his help.  The worst part wasn't the bed, however.  I had decided that I would save the two twin beds in Cameron's room for guest use when we had a house full.  At first, I thought we'd store them under the queen bed, but they didn't remotely fit.  Next, I tried them in my walk-in closet, but they took up too much room there as well.

In the end, I was able to use them as a daybed in the music room.  I had always wanted one in there and this worked out perfectly.  It also allowed me to completely clean out my closet downsizing a lot of the tubs that were stored there.  Everything looked wonderful when we finished.  The only new piece of furniture that I had to buy was the nightstand by the daybed.  It was not only a perfect fit, but it held all of Cameron's vinyls as well.  The one downside to all of this was that Doug had to move the piano to make all of it fit.  Thankfully, I don't plan to ask him to move furniture anytime soon.  

A Shopping Spree

It had been a long week, and I was definitely feeling overwhelmed today.  Doug had the perfect answer - an afternoon of shopping in Ocala.  Our first stop was DSW.  I needed new Birkenstocks as mine were starting to wear out on the bottoms.  This has been a yearly issue for me as I wear them almost daily.  I wasn't sure what I wanted, but after looking I found the perfect pair.  The last few years, I had bought the same style and these were a lot different from any that I previously owned.  Doug agreed that they looked great and I was very happy with the purchase.

We walked to Home Goods next.  Neither one of us needed anything but wanted to do some window shopping.   Doug found a glass food storage container that would be great for him to use to take lunches to work.  He didn't do it often, but we didn't have anything in the house that worked since I had gotten rid of all of our plastic ones.  I also found a pair of adorable citrus drinking glasses that I decided I couldn't live without and added them to my cart. Our last stop of the afternoon was Kohls.  I had a 40% off coupon and Doug wanted to look at dress shoes.  He hadn't bought a brown pair since we had moved to Ocala and needed new ones.  While we were there, I picked up lightweight socks for walking and a cute set of St. Patrick's Day kitchen towels.  

I was so glad that Doug suggested getting out of the house today.  The shopping and the sunshine were exactly what I needed.  I love living in Ocala and today reminded me exactly why.

The Epcot Flower & Garden Festival

One of the best parts of March is Epcot's Flower & Garden festival.  It opened two days ago and last night Nick, Meg, Doug and I met at the theme park to enjoy all that the festival had to offer.  There were some wonderful foods to try.  Doug and I especially liked the chicken gumbo in United States, and I loved the chocolate cake in Canada.  The topiaries are always my favorite part of the festival and there were some new ones this year.  They also moved some of the longtime ones such as Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan to new spots in the park making it feel like a treasure hunt as we walked the countries.  While we were there, we were also able to listen to the musical entertainment offered, enjoying several different bands.  It was the lightest crowd that we had seen in Epcot for quite some time and overall, we all had a great time.  I really appreciated everyone taking time out of their busy schedule to meet.  It was a lot of fun, and I can't wait to go several more times before the festival ends in June. 

Lego Time

When Doug and I were downsizing our home in Syracuse, we weren't quite sure what to do with a lot of our children's possessions.  There were some really nice toys, bedding and other items that they no longer used, but meant a lot to us.  I didn't quite finish the project as it took me awhile to sort through everything and decide what to keep and what to donate or sell, but I made a lot of headway during those two years.

Out of all of the items that we sold, the ones that made the most money were the Lego sets bringing in well over a thousand dollars for our children on eBay before we moved.  We still had a lot left when we arrived in Ocala almost three years ago, but neither one of us wanted to donate them.  We had enjoyed building them together and our children appreciated the extra spending money.  I found a great place to store the tubs of pieces above the cabinets in our laundry room and didn't even think about them again until this winter when Doug was working on puzzles and I suggested instead working on the Legos after he finished it.

As soon as Doug agreed, I pulled out every half-built set in our home and picked out one of the largest ones to complete.  Doug spent quite a bit of time rebuilding it and I spent an equal amount of time finding all of the missing pieces, but as of yesterday, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull set was on eBay ready for a buyer.  There were a lot of memories in that set as Jeanette bought it for Cal when he was recovering from hip surgery.  Even so, Cal was the first to say that it was time to find a new home for it and I was glad that I would be emptying a large tub from my closest.  I don't know how quickly it will sell as it is a more expensive piece, but either way it was a lot of fun to build and led us to other sets that also need to find a new home.

Well, That's Strange

Since my dad was going to be in the hospital longer than we originally thought, he asked me if I could do his taxes.  I had no problem with that as I had been doing Doug and my taxes for years and until recently all of the Heinisch children's as well.  While Cal was in Syracuse last weekend, I asked him to take a picture of all of the tax documents that my dad had in his 2024 and 2025 tax folder plus all of the passwords that were relevant in his black notebook.  It took some digging and some detective work by my mom but 36 pictures later I had everything I needed . . . almost.

The one item that was missing was the same one that my dad had trouble finding last year, my mom's SSA-1099.  At first, I thought, "No problem, I will just set up a social security online account like I had for Doug and I and get it from there."  I guess I was naive when I assumed that it would be a ten-minute process.  Social Security had changed their online registration steps.  A photo of the driver's license wasn't enough, now they needed a selfie from the person's phone as well.  I was frustrated but not discouraged when I read that.  I knew it would be hard for my mom to do, but with Aunt Vicky's help I thought it would work.  

After talking them through the process and several attempts, social security finally accepted the photo of my mom's id and a selfie.  I was happy to finally have solved the issue and continued the steps helping her set up the online account.  We got to the last question which asked for a phone number to text or call.  No problem, we gave them hers and soon got the response, "Sorry, this number is not linked to the registrant."  I was floored.  The only phone number that they would recognize was the landline that my parents had cancelled at least a decade ago.  That was no help.

That was when I decided to call the social security office and explain the issue.  The first time was absolutely no help.  The second person I talked to was a lot more helpful.  She let me merge my mom on to the call and after she verified that I could talk to the social security office on her behalf, they at least let us know the issue.  My mom's address was wrong.  We gave them every address that we could think of, even mine on Sunset Dr. but know of them worked.  That was when we found out that Medicare might be able to give us the information that we needed as the two accounts were linked.  After several failed attempts, we finally got into the website on our last try by remembering that my mom's favorite ice cream was butter pecan.  We saw the problem right away; her address was listed in Cocoa Florida.  I wrote it down and we called the social security office back hoping we could now find a resolution to the issue.

In the end, we were let down once again.  My mom was able to give them the fake address, but they started asking her a lot more questions that we weren't prepared for and only confused her with "What's the account number on your savings account? What is your father's name?"  My mom didn't have her account number memorized and she didn't know if they meant CrapPa or her biological dad.  We gave up.  They did give us the numbers for her SSA-1099, but that was it.  I realized at that time that the only way to solve the issue was to make an appointment with the Social Security office an hour from her home and take her there myself at the end of March.  What a pain.  At least I gained knowledge for what to do so this never happens to Doug or I and I can now work on my parents' taxes.

How Can It Already March?

Nick told Meg that he was glad that summer had arrived.  She reminded him that it was only March and that spring hadn't technically even arrived yet.  I had to laugh when Meg told me that story.  The weather had changed here, and it did feel a lot like summer.   

Even so, I still can't believe that it is already March.  February absolutely flew by.  It seemed like we had just been in Indiana celebrating Cameron's 21st birthday not too long ago and now he was talking about his spring break trip to visit us.  I am definitely not complaining.  I love March and am ready for all that it brings - beautiful weather, green grass, St. Patrick's Day, March Madness, spring break and so much more.  Hopefully, this March is just as much fun.

Maggie's Golden Birthday

This weekend Maggie celebrated her golden birthday on the 27th of February.  Our family showered her with gifts and messages of good will.  I love how quickly Maggie became a part of our family.  She fits in on every level and has been a joy to have around.  She completements Meg's interests very well which I enjoy tremendously as she comes up with great recommendations for Doug and I, just like Meg.  Her laid-back attitude and organizational skills have benefitted Cal very much, I appreciate how much she includes us in their lives as well. I would never push anyone to get engaged, but if Maggie and Cal decided to get married, I definitely would not object.  

Another Weekend, Another Visitor

Cal finally had a break from work, so he used it to go out and visit and Grandma and Grandpa.  He hadn't been to Syracuse since December and was very thankful to see both of them.  While he was there, he was also able to help get a few things done for Grandma as well.  The biggest item on the list was cleaning out Grandpa's 2006 Dodge Caravan and finding the title to it. Since I was coming out in March to help get ready for a garage sale in May, I was very happy to hear that there would be room to store the items.  I was also glad to know that they had decided to give the car to Jess.  She and Adam only had one vehicle and it wasn't running the last I heard.  Once Jess had her own car, Aunt Vicky wouldn't have to run as many errands for her as well.  It may not look the best, but it should work well for her needs.

While Cal was there, he also took Grandma over to see Grandpa.  Since the hospital is talking about sending him to rehab in Fort Wayne or Muncie, I was very glad that she got to visit with him before then.  Cal said that Grandpa looked a lot better than he thought that he would.  They put him on a steroid which had seemed to help.  Cal was very positive about his visit to the hospital and was glad that Grandpa liked his chocolate shake.  I was very happy to hear about his day.  My mom looked great in the pictures that they took and he was even able to find the tax documents that I had been looking for so that I can help my parents file their taxes this spring.  It has been very overwhelming trying to manage all of this while living a thousand miles away.  Thus, I really appreciate Brett and Cal taking time out of their weekends to help.  It takes a village, no matter the age of your family.