Another Week Rolls Around

Memorial Day has come and gone and now it's head-long into summer with temps today expected to be around 90 degrees.

It was  a fairly quiet weekend with Sandi and me working hard planting flowers, vegetables,  putting up the deer fence and spreading mulch. 

My effort to open the pool has been delayed by an unexpected problem with the pump.  I'm attempting to repair a crack that formed thus leaking a great deal of water.  If the repair doesn't work, I'll have to replace the part.  Fortunately, I have a spare so with the help of the boys, I should be able to get it up and running today.

Speaking of the boys--they will be spending the week with us since their parents are on a trip to Miami that Pete won.

We'll be bringing them to and from school Tues, Thursday and Friday.  They're home with me all day Wednesday.  We're expected to go to Mike & Becky's Friday or Saturday.  I forgot which one.  So it's going to be a very busy week. 

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Where's the outrage?????

Several recent polls have shown that a large number of  people (those asked at least) aren't terribly bothered by the fact that the then 18-year-old Mitt Romney committed what today would be considered a hate crime.

Is it normal for 18-year-olds (they can vote) to do such things as part of the growing-up process?  Don't we consider an 18-year-old as grown?

Or how about this:  People don't seem to be concerned with the fact that Romney made his fortune--now safely tucked away in a  Caiman Island bank--by raiding companies, bilking them for all they're worth and laying off the workers!!!

In fact a couple of fairly well-known democrats-at least one mayor and a Wall Street worker (go figure)--condemned the Obama campaign for using tactics that seem to attack Romney's kinds of business tactics.

Personally, I think Romney is not only a bully but a guy with the ethics of a rat as well.  

Why don't others seem to feel the same way?  Am I too indignant with moral outrage?  Should I tone it down just a little?

More to come on this.

Injury and Illness

While Cole & Nicholas continue to steam along at full speed, poor Courtney and Brooke are laid low with first Brooke breaking her pinky toe while playing soccer with me of all people.

Then yesterday afternoon while returning from picking up Brooke, Courtney got sick to her stomach in the truck.

Hope both girls make a quick recovery.

A beautiful weekend draws to a close

The weather these past three days has been beautiful and with the exception of a problem transporting my log splitter to someone's house, very productive.

The lawns are finally mowed, garden readied for planting and mulch spread.

Saturday afternoon and part of the evening was spent with family--always a good time.

The next step is to buy more mulch, spread it, get vegetable plants, plant them and do some painting.

Finally, I'll work on getting the pool opened.

Voter apathy

Recently there was a referendum in our Newtown to approve--or not--the budget for the coming year.  It did not pass by 77 votes.  Voter turnout was very low.

The failure of the budget for the 2nd time probably means the proposed all-day kindergarten will not happen next year.

Voter apathy has always been a problem at every lever--local, state, federal.  People just don't care.  Oh sure, they complain enough but they apparently feel that their little vote couldn't possibly do any good.

Voting is the bedrock of a democracy.  Veterans serve to protect ones right to vote. 

Yea or nay--vote!

A Little Discretion, Please

Have you seen the cover of Time magazine lately?  It shows a picture of a woman breast feeding her 3-yr-old son.

Look-I'm not one of these far right wingnuts who run around the country, frothing at the mouth telling others how to live their lives.  On the other hand, can we have just a little discretion here, please?

Breast feeding is of course as old as mankind.  I've seen lots of women who do it publicly but while wearing one of those blouses designed for it.

The title of the article is "Are you mom enough?"  suggestion that unless you're going around with your boobs hanging out and a 3-year-old hanging off them, you're not.

Here's the other thing that gets me.  Isn't a 3-year-old kid supposed to be using a fork...with his teeth?  I haven't read the article yet because I just picked up vacation mail but stay tuned for more...if you can stand it...and I promise...no pictures.

Back to the Routine

Yesterday, Mothers Day, capped off a great week.  Now it's back to the routine with baby sitting duties, volunteer stuff, talent shows and a yard that hasn't been mowed in a very long time.

With the exception of this past weekend the weather has hampered efforts to get outside work done.  I still have a large pile of wood to cut, split and stack, grass to cut, mulch to spread, a garden to plan and plant and a pool to open.

It will all get done eventually.  It always does.  The forecasts for the coming weekend are calling for beautiful weather so I expect to make a lot of headway on the 'to-do' list.

Last full day in sunny Naples

Tomorrow we'll be headed back home.  While we enjoyed--mostly--our stay here with friends, it's always good to me to be headed home.

This trip was marred by the water leak issue referred to in previous pieces.  The situation has been largely resolved with the plumbing company finally figuring out what the problem was.  It was a five minute fix!

Unfortunately we now have a damaged ceiling in our main bathroom.  The property management association will arrange for repairs but possibly not until Sandi comes down in September with her friend.

It could have been much worse.  This all could have happened while we were still in CT or the upstairs neighbor could be uncooperative or the leak could have been more intense or in a more inconvenient location so we're not complaining.

In the meantime it's back home to family and the routine and improved weather.

The Saga of the Leak: Part Two

Our warranty company sent out a plumber who cut a small hole in the ceiling and confirmed that it was coming from the unit upstairs. He said the water had to be turned off to the toilet as soon as possible.  The guy who lives there wasn't home so I called the management company.   The contacted the owners of record who are in another state somewhere and speak very poor english.  The lady couldn't understand what the management company lady was talking about.  A leak?  Impossible.  They just had new faucets put in.  The conversation must have been hilarious.  Anyway, management company sent out a plumber of their own to confirm and he did.  I wrote a note with the plumber's card and was just about to tape it to the door of the upstairs unit when the son pulled in.  I introduced myself and explained the problem.  He was very nice but didn't have a clue as to what to do so I went up, turned off the water and noted that it was actually the tank that was leaking, not the seal.  There was a large pool of water around the base of the toilet bowl and that's what was slowly leaking through the floor to our ceiling.  Anyway, today it's still dripping but much more slowly so it should be OK by the time our two-day guests get here.  Also, the property management company will arrange for the repair of all damage.  Cool.

So that's it for now.   Another day in paradise.

Weather: Great-Leak in upstairs unit: Not so great.

Well, you know what they say about Murphy's Law.  It's hard at work here in Naples.  Our guest Linda was in the main bathroom drying her hair yesterday when she felt a drop of water on her head. Sure enough water was coming our of the exhaust fan.  We called the home warranty company who sent out a plumber and an investigation revealed the upstairs owner's toilet is leaking.

The property management association will take care of it but it never fails that something like this should happen  when we're expecting more company for a stay of a couple of days.

Added to this is that the property management company spoke to the owners and she is convinced her bathroom couldn't be the problem because they just had work done.

Well, guess what?  Two plumbers confirm that  the problem is in fact hers.   So...we'll have to see how this all shapes up.

Stay tuned. Life's A Beach!

Day Two, Naples, Fl

Day two in Naples.  Today we met Linda's friends, Chuck and Sue, at the Naples Zoo.  We had been there before with the kids but there's always something new to see at a zoo.  I took lots of pictures which I'll be posting on my website when we get back.

Tomorrow it may be a return trip to Cork Screw Sanctuary which is a huge Cypress swamp maintained by the Audubon society.  I never tire of visiting that place.

While we miss the kids a great deal and never could live here for a prolonged period, we are very happy we bought this place.  It's a great place to enjoy nice weather, the beach and see a ton of stuff.  I no longer have much desire to see much of anything else in the world except for the United Kingdom so I don't have a problem hanging out here for vacations.

We'll be returning on Saturday the 12th.  In the meantime I think I'll watch the Kentucky Derby and make myself a rum and coke.

 Bye for now.