This month's calendar Archives
June 12, 2004
It's Friday, my favorite day!! (Shhh! - It's really Saturday.)
A lot has been happening since last Friday, so I will fill you in.
First of all, I have been partying all week! This retirement thing is great fun and I can't seem to wipe the smile off my face. The gals at work took me out to lunch to celebrate my retirement one day. Then there was a Department party, where my bosses said nice things about me and presented me with a beautiful Waterford crystal vase and the official department alumni certificate. On Saturday, my family gave me a lovely party and invited all my friends. It was great to see everyone.
On Monday afternoon, we headed down to the coast with a carload of stuff, mainly, what we won't be using at the apartment. After we arrived, I started cleaning out the bedroom closet so I could make room for our clothes. I guess if most of your clothes are in one place that makes it official! We have now moved in! I have never had a closet this big before so that I could get all my clothes (all seasons) in at the same time. It is so neat. Granted, I am using more than my half of the closet, but there is plenty of room.
The next day, I worked out in the yard. Where to begin, there is so much yard and many, many weeds! Around here, if you don't put your blinders on, you will start pulling weeds, etc. and it turns out to be more time that you wanted to spend doing that. I pulled a few weeds but you could barely tell. I transplanted my tomatoes and moved them back in the greenhouse. They didn't seem to be doing well outside, so I will keep them in the greenhouse for a while. I watered all of my flowerpots, filled the bird feeders and put out the hummingbird feeders. The Goldfinches and Hummingbirds have been coming by. All is well.
Stan Boyd, a friend of ours came down Tuesday night and helped Dave with the installation of the electric meter on the manufactured home on the upper lot. It poured down rain and they got soaked. I was up helping them by pulling wire for a short time. Once we get the meter installation inspected, then we can get the PUD to get power to the house and get it inspected again, then we can get the people we bought the house from to come in and finish the interior. We think the house should be ready to move into by July. Once that happens, we will be able to start jockeying some of the furniture from one house into the next. We have furniture stored in every possible place right now.
We emptied the motor home with all the stuff we had stored in there. Last fall, we used it as a moving van and just kept things in it when it got here. It was a great place to store fragile things like dishes, etc. Anyway, we were both beat after that job. After 39 years of marriage, you sure accumulate a lot of stuff!! We want to use the motor home next weekend (Father's Day) for the Nichols family reunion. We are planning on leaving for that on Wednesday and coming back next Monday, so I won't be writing anything in here next week while I am gone.
Since I have retired, I have started walking again. I still am getting up early in the mornings. I can't help if I am a morning person and besides, old habits are hard to break. While I am at the apartment I walk about half an hour in the mornings and most of it on hills. One day I saw a mother deer and two fawns, that was kind of neat. Down at the coast I walk about the same, but it is mostly flat along the river. Sometimes Dave walks with me and we walk to the Post Office each morning, say "hi" to the postmaster and pick up our mail. Yesterday, we saw a young eagle swooping down by the river looking for its breakfast. This village is so small, you always run into somebody you know and you have to stop and chat.
GIVE ME A BREAK!!
We had to make a run to Tillamook, which is about 25 miles away yesterday afternoon to pick up yet another permit for the house. I don't know how many permits one needs to put a freak'in manufactured home on a lot, but believe me...it is never-ending. First you need a permit to build, then there is a permit for water hookup, one for electrical, one for sewer. Oh, did I mention we needed a geological survey report too? When we were at the County Building Department yesterday, Dave made the comment: "I think we are just about done with the permits" and the clerk replied, "You think so, huh?" I won't be surprised if you have to have a permit to move in!! Oh, that's right...we DO need one of those too!
Since Dave had to make this trip to Tillamook and that is where Fred Meyer, the largest grocery store in the area is located, I went along so I could pick up a few things. With the price of gasoline at $2.25 a gallon here, we have to plan our trips more carefully. We get into the store and we are looking around for things and then I noticed that they had taken down all of the signs that tell us what is down each aisle. I am getting frustrated by the minute, because I can't find anything and I am running down each aisle (sometimes twice) looking for stuff. At the end of one aisle, they have it completely blocked off because of this huge ladder they have to work on for the signs so then we have to turn around and find another exit. It's like going into a strange town with nothing but unmarked dead-end streets. What a mess! Wouldn't you think they could do this after hours? By the time I got to the checkout I was waiting for the clerk to say the usual spiel about "did you find everything, thank you for shopping blah, blah, blah" and when she didn't, I commented about how hard of a time I was had finding everything I needed. Her comment: "Well, that's the way it goes". I could have hit her!! She could have said, "Sorry for the inconvenience, we are remodeling right now." I would have left the store in a much better mood! I was glad my daughter Lara wasn't along, she would have gotten the poor girl fired. You don't want to mess with Lara!!
So is the life of me the retiree. More later.
