Day One of Thanksgiving Break

After arriving late last night, Brett, Cameron and I enjoyed a relaxing break at home this morning challenging each other to an Atari battle.  Brett topped us in Donkey Kong while Cameron won Missile Command and I reached the high score in Space Invaders.  Doug arrived home just as we finished and offered to take us to Tijuana Flats for lunch.  Cameron couldn't believe that we hadn't eaten at Doug's favorite restaurant in over a month.  It was nice to eat outside and make plans with the boys for the next few days.

Doug worked from home this afternoon while Cameron, Brett and I set up the pickle ball net in the driveway.  We played several games before Doug joined us for doubles after he finished his phone calls.  Cameron and I took on he and Brett in three extremely close matches.  Cameron and I ended up the winners, but that didn't matter as we all had fun playing.  

Before we left for the Shuckin' Shack, I opened up my birthday gifts from the boys.  Cameron surprised me with a Tiki Totem that lit up and Brett gave me a Tiki Terrace candle.  They were perfect for our Tiki bar.  Afterward, Brett got to try his first raw oyster out of the shell.  He wasn't as big of a fan of it as Doug and Cameron were.  After dinner, we met Phil back at the house where the guys played Cataan on the lanai and I watched Dancing with the Stars.  I called Meg multiple times during the night to get her opinion on Taylor Swift night.  In the end, we were both happy as the Swifties united to vote out Harry Jowsey.  It was a great way to end a wonderful first day of Thanksgiving break.

Out of My Control

Everything that I was in charge of today went very well.  On the flip side, everything that I was not in control of, did not.  During the day, I was still able to complete everything on my to-do list, but it did get pretty frustrating at times.  Waiting twenty-five minutes at the post office this afternoon and 15 minutes at the car wash wasn't the best part of my day, but I did mail my package, run errands and have a clean house and car by the time I had to leave to pick up Brett and Cameron at the Orlando airport.  

After a busy day, I had hoped for a relaxing ride tonight.  My Apple map said that I be at my destination at 10:06 which left me plenty of time to find parking before the boys arrived at 10:30.  Construction, semi trucks and a lot of traffic on the road slowed me down, however, and soon the time on my map read 10:12.  I was in a complete panic once I got to the airport as cars were parked on the side of the road with their blinkers on and there was a police officer responding to an accident. 

Since there was no way to enter the parking garages,  I wasn't sure what to do.  I decided to bypass the A and B terminal and look for long term parking.  The traffic ceased as soon as I passed the arrivals and departures, and I noticed that there was a sign for terminal C parking.  I wasn't sure if that would be helpful or not, but decided to try it anyway.  I was so thankful that I did.  There were plenty of open spaces and a line of arrows painted on the floor showing me how to get to terminal B.

While I was searching for the boys, Brett texted me.  They had landed 15 minutes early and had just gotten off of the plane.  I asked them if they could see any signs for the C parking garage.  They easily figured out which train led to the terminal link where I was waiting.  Soon I could see the boys through the train windows.  I was relieved that we had found each other relatively quickly, not very far from where I had parked.

The drive home was a happy one, filled with a lot of conversation, fun music choices and thankfully, no traffic.  The boys were happy to be in Florida and I was thrilled to have them here.  The trip was a fast one and soon I was giving them a quick tour of the changes in our home from the last time that they were here before heading to bed.  Although parts of the day had been incredibly stressful, I was extremely thankful that all had ended well.

Light Up Ocala

Last night, Doug and I went to the downtown square for the annual "Light Up Ocala!" Christmas event.  We had heard a lot of great things about it from our realtor and social media, so we really wanted to try it.  We weren't there five minutes before we both realized that it wasn't for us.  It was a lot like the North Webster Mermaid Festival complete with a junior parade, fair food booths, bouncy house and vendor tents.  We talked about leaving, but decided to stick it out since we were already there.

We first walked through the downtown blocks checking out all of the vendors.  We saw a lot of local businesses and crafts to buy.  I got a kick out of the costumed Grinch who had a long line of families waiting to take pictures.  We circled the area and made it back to our original spot by the time the parade started.  It was filled with girl scout troops, twirling groups, a middle school band and dance schools.  The groups were festive, especially the girls dressed as snowmen.

When the parade was over, we headed straight to the Lodge Bar and Grill across from the downtown square.  Doug had wanted to try it.  This was the perfect time as the parade got over at 5 p.m. and the lighting of the tree wasn't until 6:30.  The lodge was packed, but we got a table fairly easily.  We tried a few beers and a Bavarian pretzel.  We both enjoyed the snack and loved the atmosphere.  It reminded me of a Michigan bar with wood paneled walls and deer hanging on them as well.

We spent the next forty-five minutes walking to the park and people watching.  We couldn't believe the lines at the food booths.  There had to be at least 100 people in line for Kona Ice.  At 6:20, we got a spot on the corner and waited for the lighting ceremony.  Once again, I thought about leaving.  It was incredibly crowded and I was getting a little bit panicky.  We made it to 6:30, however, and saw the Christmas Tree and Palm Tress light up the square.  We left shortly afterward, thankful to be on the road home without getting stuck in traffic.  

We called Phil on the way home to see if he wanted to watch the Florida vs. Missouri game with us.  We arrived home with Marco's Pizza before he and Molly knocked on the front door.  I set up the projector in the backyard.  The white fence made a perfect screen.  Doug got the fire pit started and we enjoyed a quiet rest of the evening.  I was glad that we had tried "Light Up Ocala!," but decided that it was a one and done for me.  

Get Out the Vote

Last winter, Brett told us that he was thinking about running for Bloomington's County Council.  He knew that it would be a long shot for him to win, but he wanted to give voter's a choice.  We thought that it was a great idea and encouraged him to ask his friends in the Republican party what they thought.  Everyone was very encouraging, so Brett signed up before the February deadline.  

There wasn't much for him to do in the spring, except began the research process for what he needed to do to campaign and what his platform would be.  In June, the leaders of the Republican party encouraged Brett to either drop out of the race or commit to a strong campaign season.  Their rationale was that it would look bad on the local Republican party if he was the only one running in Monroe County and didn't put in much effort or take it seriously.  Brett decided to go all in and soon he was ready to get out the Republican vote.

Once Brett made the decision to put in a strong campaign, he first contacted a printing company to get help with fliers that he could use when he was out door knocking.  He then lined up several fellow Republicans to help him campaign at various times throughout the week during the months of September and October.  He also set up a bank account for any campaign funds that he received and even ordered magnetic signs for his car.  

Brett felt very good about his effort throughout the fall.  He got a lot of steps in and knocked on over 2500 doors.  Some were very interested in what Brett had to say, others, not so much.  Either way he remained positive.  As November neared he ordered yard signs and prepared a robo text for the weekend before the election.  Brett had gone above and beyond what was asked by him by the Monroe County Republican party and we were extremely proud of him.

Brett was up before 5 a.m. on the day of the election, so that he could set up near the polls.  He spent the entire day there, greeting voters and discussing politics with those of both party.  Local Republican leaders hosted a watch party for him at Big Woods, so that they could hear the results together.  We weren't surprised to get Brett's text letting us know that he had lost.  Monroe County is dominated by the Democratic Party.  We knew that it would be a tall order to win a seat for even the most seasoned politician.  

We were disappointed for Brett, but definitely not in his effort.  He knew that it was a long shot to win, but had hoped to at least get 30% of the vote.  Even though Brett was well below that number, he remained ever positive.  He gave me a long list of everything that he had learned during the campaign that would help him in the future.  He also felt very good about the support that he received from the Republican leaders in Monroe County.  I was very happy for him and enjoyed being a small part of it.  I loved even more that the loss had not killed his political spirit.  Before he hung up with me, Brett was already talking about what seat he thought he'd run for next.

Thanksgiving Break

Cameron arrived in Syracuse on Wednesday ready for a break from college.  Thanksgiving vacation didn't technically start until Saturday, but several of his classes were cancelled beforehand.  He also had one skip available for Econ.  That meant he could extend his break by three days by only missing one class.  Once he explained that to his professor, the instructor told Cameron to definitely enjoy the extended holiday.

Cameron made plans with his friends for the weekend and would fly to Florida on Monday night.  That gave him two and a half days to hang out with Alina, visit with Grandma and Grandpa, and get a haircut. Cameron called me yesterday to let me know how much fun he was having in Syracuse.  His haircut had gone well and he and Alina had enjoyed their time together.  His favorite moment of the break so far had occurred at lunch today when he took Grandma and Grandpa to Mootown Snack Shack.  

Grandma and Grandpa had never been to the remodeled root beer stand.  The owner seated them in the new back room.  They enjoyed his personality and the half off menu price that he offered.  Soon, their appetizers of mozzarella sticks and breaded mushrooms arrived. As Grandma reached over to try one of her favorites, she accidentally spilled her Diet Coke.  They tried to quickly clean it up before the owner came back, but as Grandma was reaching for the napkins, she knocked over Grandpa's Diet Coke as well.  Thankfully, they got it all cleaned up and still had a nice meal.

I was crying laughing by the time Cameron finished the story.  It reminded me of the time the four of us went to the new Mexican restaurant and Grandpa flung his teeth on the floor.  As they talked and got ready to play Buck Euchre, I got a little bit homesick.  I loved our spontaneous afternoon games when Cameron had a rare day off.  I wished I could have been there today to join them.  I told Cameron that and he immediately said, "No, Mom, then there would have been a third Diet Coke spilled."   

Finding a New Doctor

 One of the most stressful things to me is finding a new doctor.  After Dr. Mulry retired, we have tried several different family physicians and none have even been close to him.  I loved his laid back approach and his ability to diagnose our health issues even when the disease was obscure.  He had been a doctor for so long that he was able to treat us with old remedies and new ones as well.  

After Dr. Mulry left, we tried to stay at Syracuse Family Practice, but there was too much turn over.  The receptionists were also very rude and the wait times to see a doctor were well over an hour.  We did finally switch to Dr. Freeze in Goshen.  She was very intelligent, but didn't have much of a personality.  She also requested way too much testing.  

I started looking for a new family doctor in Ocala several months ago.  I found one that was highly recommended by our insurance plan and decided to make an appointment.  Doug's travel dates changed in October, however, and I had to reschedule.  I finally made it to see Dr. Aich today.  She was friendly and extremely knowledgable.  She gave me some tips for my foot and recommended a dermatologist for the cyst on my face.  She also asked me to schedule lab work as I hadn't had my cholesterol checked in over a year.  

I was pleased with the visit.  Everything went very well, except that my blood pressure was a lot higher than normal, 143 over 80.  I was surprised by that as I hadn't had a blood pressure issue in over seventeen years.  Dr. Aich was worried about it and wanted me to stay away from salt and check it at home every day for a month.  I probably should have been more concerned as my mom's family has a history of high blood pressure and I had problems with mine when I was pregnant with both Cameron and Meg.  I wasn't worried, however.  I was sure that seeing a new doctor had caused it to rise and that all would be fine when I returned home.  

I got out my blood pressure cuff and checked it later in the day.  My blood pressure was in the normal range - 126 over 83.  I guess visiting a new doctor had stressed me out more than I realized.  Unfortunately, I may have to find a new one again when our insurance changes in February.  For now, I will try not to worry about doctors or blood pressure readings.  It will all work out in the end.   

Celebrating the "Ol' Double Nickel"

At Cameron Adams' wedding in September, Jayce asked me how I felt about turning the double nickel this year.  It took me a second to process what he was saying, but once I did, I had to laugh. When we used to take our children to Bingo night at Tippy Country Club years ago, the caller would always say, "It's the ol' double nickel" whenever he picked number 55.  The thought of turning the ol' double nickel this fall sounded extremely funny to Doug and I.

Now that the day has officially arrived, I can say that turning 55 was very nice.  Last week I enjoyed celebrating with my parents.  Today was a continuation of the celebration for me.  I spent the day shopping where I bought some items for the home that I needed, found a new a pair of boots and purchased a few decorations that fit our Florida theme.  I ate lunch at McAllister's where I redeemed my free cookie birthday treat.  I also picked up my free birthday candle from Yankee Candle and walked around the mall.

Doug was worried that I would be sad to spend the day by myself on my birthday.  He had to be at work because the owner was there and couldn't take me to lunch.  It had also been a very long time since I celebrated my birthday without at least one of our children at home.  I definitely would have enjoyed some company on my shopping trip, but I did have a lot of fun even if I was alone.  Cameron called while I was at lunch, so it was almost like having someone there with me.

I picked Doug up from work at 4 p.m. this evening and headed straight to The Peacock Cottage.  When we were buying our lemon tree at the botanical garden last month, I visited their tent as well.  They had the cutest hippo garden and I was hoping to find something like it for my birthday.  Today I saw a lot of wonderful plants, planters and accessories, but not exactly what I wanted.  As I looked through the shelves in the back corner, I finally found it - a hippo garden.  There was a llama one as well, but the hippos just seemed to call my name.

Once we bought my gift, we headed to downtown Ocala to find a birthday treat at Grandpa Joe's candy shop.  I hadn't noticed before that they had truffles, so Doug and I each picked one.  We had a drink at District Bar and Kitchen, a new rooftop bar that opened recently.  It had a wonderful view of the city.  We finished our night out with dinner at Bonefish Grill where the food was delicious as always.  We were home in time to play a few games of Ticket to Ride before watching the Amazing Race.  Doug even surprised me by giving me the book "Practical Magic."  Meg and I had been talking about it recently and she must have suggested it to him.  

Although I didn't get to celebrate my birthday with our children today, I did get to talk to each one of them.  I loved catching up with them and hearing their birthday wishes.  The best part was knowing that they would all be here next week together.  I can't wait.