Finishing a Few Household Projects

I had told my parents before they came down that I would be in and out of the house most of today.  First, I had Bible study in the morning where we began a study of Psalms that I really enjoyed.  Second, I was in charge of a CCW luncheon get together with Robbi that was scheduled for this afternoon at McAlister's.  The food was nice, but I especially liked the fellowship with the group.

In between all of the church meetings that I had today, Grandpa and I were able to finish a few projects around the house.  First, we replaced all of the outside covers for the electrical boxes.  Three of them were broken and according to the research that I had done none of them were up to code.  I was glad for the informational video from Lowe's which told us exactly how to replace them.  The first one was a little bit difficult, especially since the project was new to us.  Thankfully, two of the others were a breeze with only one giving us a headache.  Even with the issues, we finished one in between Bible Study and McAlister's and the other three were completed in thirty-one minutes all before 3:30 this afternoon.  

The second project was a little bit harder.  I needed the sink drain in my bathroom replaced as the ring around it was completely corroded.  It was hard to take out and Grandpa had to spend almost an hour under the cabinet, but eventually we had a nice new looking drain.  I was extremely happy not only because it looked a lot better, but also because it was done just in time as the drain had completed fallen apart. 

Even with all of the projects and meetings, Grandpa and I were completely finished by the time that Doug got home from work and started dinner.  That was a nice feeling and gave us plenty of time to play Oh Hell.  The only negative on the day was the four trips that I had to make to Lowe's because I bought the wrong items twice.   

The Big Freeze

The night that Cameron left for Indiana, Doug and I moved all of the vulnerable outdoor plants to a safe spot to protect them from freezing weather.  We had done this in the past, but only for a day or two.  This year, however, we have had enough freeze warnings that we have had to keep them protected for almost three weeks. Our lanai was filled with the most vulnerable, including the lemon and lime tree, and the rest were all placed in a safe spot next to the house, in an alcove under the patio, under a rocking chair on the front porch or behind the tiki bar. Everything had gone well.  I checked on them every day and kept them watered as I read that was the best way to prevent them from freezing. I was excited to read that this Sunday would be warm enough to move them all back into their sunny spots in our yard.

Since everything has been going so well, I wasn't even worried about the freeze warning that I received Friday afternoon. It was just like all the rest, and I knew my plants were safe. Thus, I was completely shocked when I woke up to see an almost dead sun patient on my back patio. It had looked incredibly healthy yesterday, full of beautiful pink flowers.  This morning it was completely wilted. I was super sad as I had already nursed it back to health last fall when it got too much sun. It wasn’t the only outside plant that had taken a beating the last night. Our yellow hibiscus tree was brown as well.

I decided to remain optimistic and went to Lowe’s today with Grandma to buy some new pots, a red petunia for the front yard and a bag of fertilizer spikes. We spent the afternoon while Grandpa was golfing repotting the poinsettia that had almost doubled since Christmas. I also moved the pineapple into the sun and trimmed up some of its dead leaves hoping that it would grow fruit this summer. We put the hibiscus out in the sun as well, realizing that it probably wouldn’t recover. Thus, I already had plans to replace it. The biggest excitement of the day was the Better Boy tomato that I found at Lowe’s. I knew that Doug would be happy about that because he had been looking for one since November. We put it in a bigger pot and decided to replant what was left of the sun patient into a smaller pot with new soil. I was skeptical but remained hopeful that it would survive as I gave it a little bit of water and put it back in its favorite spot from last October. Hopefully all of our hard work pays off, but if not, I know that I will enjoy looking for replacements.

Checking In With Everyone

Besides going to church and taking a walk, we hung out at home for most of the day. I didn’t mind at all as it had been such a busy week and I was absolutely exhausted. I also had a few things that I wanted to get done around the house while Doug was home. We were able to get the plants finally moved back outside after such a long stretch of cold weather. We watered the yard and checked for other spring projects that we would need to get done. Doug then helped me put away the items that I brought back from Grandma‘s house that were important to me during my childhood. I thought that I would get rid of some of them, but Meg really liked the 1970s look so I kept more than I originally planned. Thankfully, I have room for them for now and she will enjoy using them.

The best part of today, however, wasn’t getting things done around the house. It was catching up with all of my children. The first one to call was Cal. He was still having problems with his ear ringing. The Prednisone that they put him on along with the nose spray made him pretty hyper, but at least he did feel somewhat better. He was busy this weekend with friends and visiting Maggie. He also enjoyed watching IU basketball and the football games.

Meg checked in with us next. She and Nick went to Milwaukee for the weekend where they visited the public market.  They also tried a few of the local breweries and took a tour of a bobblehead museum. It sounded like a lot of fun and reminded me of the times that Doug and I visited Wisconsin when we were first married.

I heard from both Karen and Brett today as well. Wedding planning is always stressful, but they had gotten a lot done this week.  We went over the plans that they had for next weekend as well. I told them that my greatest skill was organizing, and I would help wherever needed.  We made plans to check in next Friday and see what was next on the agenda so that they could keep the wedding plans rolling.

I normally don’t hear from Cameron on the weekends, but while I was paying bills, I realized that his Farm Bureau Insurance hadn’t been paid for the van. We both thought that it was due next week when the insurance renewed.  Thankfully, we got it sorted out quickly. While we were talking, we also made plans for his trip to Ocala in March during spring break. We found affordable flights that coordinated perfectly with Cal’s plans, and I even got us a room at the Riviera on Disney property.  I will have more following up to do with him as he has an essay to write for a student internship opportunity and needs to start on his IU scholarship applications.  We made a plan for both and enjoyed our conversation even if we were both upset about the IU basketball loss this afternoon.

My mom asked me when she got down here if I talk to all of my children every day. I don’t, but I do hear from them almost every day through phone calls and text. I just love that. Father Titus told us today at mass that we needed to read the Bible and find our mission in life. I found mine when I became a mother and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Gainesville . . . Revisited

We were looking for something that everyone would enjoy today, so I suggested Gainesville.  I knew there was a golf course for Grandpa Cutes, a museum for me, breweries for Doug and shopping for Grandma Jane.  Everyone seemed interested so we decided to try it.  We first dropped Grandpa off at the Gainesville public golf course for his noon tee time and then headed to the Florida Museum of Natural History on the University of Florida campus.  The butterfly rainforest was closed due to the cold temperatures, but Doug, Grandma and I didn't mind as we found the museum extremely interesting. I especially loved the "ride" on the glass bottom boat. Once we finished there, I dropped Doug off at a nearby brewery and headed to Walmart with Grandma to pick out a few items that we needed for home.  It was the biggest Walmart that either of us had visited.

Doug was done before we made it back to Grand Scheme, so he walked the short distance to his next stop, First Magnitude.  It was crowded, but he got a table, and we took our time picking him up.  I decided to once again show Grandma where Tom Petty lived.  On our way, we got stopped by the Renaissance Fair nearby and enjoyed looking at all of the costumes.  Doug was ready to go when we arrived.  Because of the fair, we decided to find somewhere to go across town and Swamp Head seemed the most logical.  It was packed there as well as they were hosting their annual Bats and Brews fundraiser.  Doug made it through the crowds, ordered a beer and enjoyed the Allman Brothers tribute band.  While he was there, Grandma and I checked out the nearby Goodwill Store.  They were having a grand reopening sale and we enjoyed nosing around.

Grandpa texted that he was on the 18th hole just as we picked Doug back up at Swamp Head.  We made it to the golf course as he walked off the last hole.  The course wasn't in the best shape, but he liked the layout and really enjoyed the three U of F students that he played with this afternoon.  They provided him with some great stories which we all enjoyed on the way to Relish for dinner.  The burgers were absolutely delicious, and it was warm enough that we could eat outside.  We made it back to Ocala with enough time to invite Phil over to play Oh Hell before everyone turned in for the night.  Grandpa was the big winner, but we all enjoyed the game.  It was a great way to end a fun day in Gainesville.  

Florida Visitors

I brought some visitors back with me from Indiana yesterday as my parents flew with me from Indianapolis to Tampa.  It had been a few years since they had flown anywhere, so I was glad that I was able to travel with them and show them the nuances of flying Southwest.  We had to be at the airport early and had several suitcases to navigate on the shuttle, but we got everything checked in and through security with plenty of time to spare before we boarded.  The flight was a quiet one and our bags were some of the first ones out of the luggage chute in Tampa.  I was thankful that I had parked in the long-term garage on Monday as we could walk to our car instead of catching another shuttle in the rain.  

It was cold yesterday with temperatures staying in the 40s all afternoon.  We warmed up with pizza and Oh Hell once Doug got home from work.  The weather was still cool today mostly staying in the 50s, but at least the sun was out.  We decided to go to a movie and picked "Flight Risk" with Mark Wahlberg.  The theater was chilly as usual, but I didn't really notice as the movie was intense.  We all enjoyed it, although I did have to close my eyes a few times. 

After the movie, we went to the Bealls Outlet and Big Lots.  Grandma and I found some clothes at the first one and I bought two new ceramic indoor planters at the second.  We stopped at Walmart on the way home to pick up hot dogs for Doug to grill for dinner.  Doug arrived shortly after we did, and made a fantastic meal of hot dogs, chicken sausage, oven-baked potatoes and chocolate cookies.  We enjoyed his cookies while we finished our game of Oh Hell which gave Grandma the first win of the trip.  Even with the loss at cards, it was a fun day here in Ocala.  

Let it Snow . . . in Florida

There was one drawback to going to Indiana this week.  It was absolutely freezing with low temperatures with two of the days below zero.  Thankfully, I prepared for it with warm clothes, a heavy jacket, and thick gloves.  I was amazed late on Wednesday afternoon when I actually took my hat off outside because it felt warm at 23 degrees.  

While everyone was dealing with a major freeze in the Midwest, Florida was the one that made the news regarding cold temperatures.  There was a major snowstorm in the panhandle that closed I-10 for the majority of the state and left almost ten inches of snow in some areas.  The snow did not reach Ocala, but there were ice warnings in Gainesville.  Doug said that it was the worst weather week here since we had moved with temperatures in the 40s and rain most days.  

After hearing this, I felt bad for the tourists that had picked this week to travel south, but not so much for the Floridians that were complaining about the weather.  I knew that it wasn't pleasant in the Sunshine State, but also realized that soon the sun would return and temperatures would rebound into the 70s. Two weeks of winter weather wasn't much compared to what the Midwest had been dealing with lately.  I may dress warmer when I return to Florida, but I definitely won't complain about the "frigid" temperatures after what I just dealt with in Bloomington, especially since I don't have a return trip planned until April.  

A Day to Remember

Our family always pushes itself to the limit but today was one of the topmost busy days in the history of the Heinisch family. For some reason both Brett and I woke up before 6 AM this morning. By 6:30, I had cut his hair and was already working on a project at his apartment while he was getting ready for a dentist's appointment at 8 AM. As soon as Brett was finished, I met him at Midas so that he could his get both his tire and turn light fixed.  We went straight from there to Columbus for our first apartment tour of the day.

I had not been to Columbus in years and was interested to see what it looked like. The first complex was a remodeled Residence Inn with two-bedroom, one bath apartments available to rent. Brett liked the idea of living in a hotel, but it wasn’t quite as nice as I was hoping for, and Karen thought the living space was too small. Thankfully, the second apartment complex was a lot nicer. They had a multitude of floor plans to choose from, everything was updated, and they had a great common area with an outdoor pool, coffee bar and exercise room for the residents. I really liked it; Karen thought the pictures looked fantastic and Brett was impressed with all of it. While we were enjoying lunch at McAllister‘s waiting for our third appointment of the day, Brett and I went over his finances as the Midas repairs were more than he thought they would be. I wasn’t really surprised as I noticed on the drive home Monday night that his brakes needed some work. Once we got through that, we made it to our third apartment without any issue. It was a sister property of the second one we saw with apartments with the same layout. Brett liked the two-bedroom, two bath with the garage, but both Karen and I really liked the two-bedroom, two bath with a desk and more living space. In the end everyone was very excited to have some options for when they get ready to move at the end of May.

Next, Brett took me on a tour of the Extra Space Storage facilities that he works at and showed me around downtown Columbus. We made it back to Bloomington in time to let Grandma and Grandpa in, unpack what they brought for me to take back to Florida and give them directions to Cameron‘s apartment. While they were hanging out with him, Brett and I went to Men’s Wearhouse to pick out a suit for his wedding party. It wasn't exactly like he and Karen envisioned, but they both absolutely loved the consultant's suggestions. Meg was happy when she saw the pictures of the suit as well as she had suggested the same color scheme before we went.

When we got back to Brett’s, Cameron, Grandma and Grandpa we’re just finishing a game of Racko. It ended just as Cameron needed to leave for a meeting at assembly. Hall. While I was running him there, Grandma and Grandpa then played games with Brett.

Tonight, we were able to fulfill our plans from this summer by attending a performance of Clue. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was so much better than I ever thought it would be. It followed the movie pretty much exactly with a slightly different ending. It was funny and very entertaining, and thankfully shorter than a normal play. Both Brett and I were starting to wear out from such a busy day, so we were happy to be back at the apartment before 9:30 as we all had early morning wake up calls. Today was exhausting but definitely rewarding. Overall, I was thrilled with all that we had accomplished and happy to have spent time in Bloomington with Brett and Cameron.