Speaking of neighbors...remember the dog sitting/beach camping debacle
7 years ago
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7 years ago
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I repotted, heres the results with questions, of course
Comments (39)I was wondering about the TP rolls, too! Oh yes, there's thousands shells all over the house. For years we went to Holden Beach, NC for Christmas. When you're the only people on a barrier island, the shells are ABUNDANT! There are still shells from NC that are packed in boxes in my shed. Tons of big cockles, olive, clams, scallops, venus clams, baby ears, kittens' paw, jingle shells, turrets and augers, so pretty! Also have shells from vacations in Norfolk VA, and Hilton Head SC. At HH, I found a lot of sand dollars caught in the tide pools. Then there are the FL shells, oh my. Every piece of clear glass I can find is filled with them, and we've found a TON of great ones on Cape San Blas, just SE of Panama City. We like to camp at the state park there and took a golf cart once and made it 7 miles down a sand path to the end of the island. Wow there were shells in the bay! You're right about throwing the live ones back in, most of the really pretty shells in FL have marine hermit crabs in them (which are not the kind kept as pets, marine crabs need an established salt aquarium.) We found a ton of purple urchins, horseshoe crab shells, big scallops with pink and purple stripes, and others whose names escape me at the moment, pounds of them. My favorite are the tiny coquina shells though. After many years of picking them up, I still have only a small jar full but we add more often, it's only 90 minutes to the beach from here. An especially good haul from a camping trip last spring:...See MoreWeekend journal
Comments (2)Steve and I had a wonderful weekend in Paris! He wanted to stay near the airport, but I begged him to book our hotel in the 5th, which he did, and it was wonderful. We bought metro passes, but walked everywhere we wanted to go, which included up and down banks of the Seine, to the Cluny (which was less than a block away), the Musee D'Orsay, and to various restaurants. Dinner last night was at a restaurant that bills itself as the oldest cafe in Paris (founded in 1686, and previously frequented by the likes of Voltaire, Danton, Robespierre, Moliere, Diderot & Ben Franklin). We could see out our window that the building across the street was the one Marat was imprisoned and died in. Our dinner was pretty awesome. We both started out with a bottle of wine and escargots, and I thought of Sheila and how much better off I'd be stomping the buggers with my shoe than maneuvering that teeny fork and the grabber thingie. (They were yum!) Next, Steve had some chicken thing and I had braised ox-cheeks served in a cast iron pot with carrots, potatoes, and a sublime sauce. We finished off with creme brulee --- a favorite of both of ours. I did manage to sneak a couple photos (with the camera flash turned off) when no one was looking and I'll post them when we get back next week. This morning we flew to Nice (via Munich). I was disappointed not to be able to take the TGV, but flying was cheaper. We have a lovely view of the Mediterranean from our balcony. Steve was to have a conference call at midnight (our time) with coworkers in the US and a business partner in China (there's no good time to have that call) but it got postponed and instead, they scheduled a different call for 8:00 our time, which we only found out about at 7:00... so we got some Chinese take out to eat in our hotel room since dinners take hours here. The call got canceled at the very last moment, and he is on the hook for a proper dinner tomorrow night! (I have to be cool about his schedule since this is a business trip for him.) I am enjoying speaking French again. I'm a little rusty, but I've been able to communicate all our needs thus far without reverting to English, and have enjoyed the conversations I've had with all sorts of people. Everyone has been as polite, charming and engaging as I remember from my last time here nearly 20 years ago... (that thing about French waiters being rude is a lie --- they're efficient and unbelievably accommodating.) Steve started out the week with meetings in England, Wales, and Germany. We have lost track of the number of people who have congratulated us on our election and have broached the subject of American politics with us. We have strong opinions on the subject and have enjoyed these conversations (though we'd never be the ones to bring the topic up ourselves). Tonight's a wash, but I'm looking forward to exploring tomorrow. If Steve doesn't have any work responsibilities, I think we'll rent bicycles and ride them along the beach. If he has to work, I'll shop. I have a whole day of cooking class and various market tours scheduled for Wednesday. We've noticed lots of poppy pins on lapels. It will be interesting to spend 11/11 in Europe......See MoreFeeling guilty because I miss my dog
Comments (177)Dear Kate. Thanks for your encouraging words. When I first made this post I said no one understood my grief, I didn't mean the people on this thread of course everyone here dose understand that's why we came here. I cannot talk about TJ without tearing up and hardly can talk. It has helped me in so many ways to talk about him. I have never felt this way about any person or animal. I just can't explain why? This little dog has meant so much to my life and now he's gone, I feel so empty. The person on this site said if you do not have a connection with a animal there is something missing in your soul. Truer words were never spoken I might have been one of thoses people because it has taken me 71 years to feel this way. I have had other animals,Cats, Dogs: None of them has affected me this way. TJ consumed me in a way I have never known with love and devotion. When I would have to go out shopping, my wife would look after him. TJ would not stay in the house he would go to the garage and waite for me to come back, looking through the screen. When I came back he was jumping up and down at the screen he would run out to greet me and lick and kiss me for two minutes at least, that is just one of the memories I have of his love for me. Kate, I read your responce to Mike about losing his Maltese, everything you said to him was just how I feel. I know you loved Homer very much, it shows in evry word you speak. LIFE HAS A WAY OF TEACHING YOU A LESSON...And I learned one. I am 71 years old and retired. I have a wonerdful wife married 52 years and three grown kids who are all doing well. My middle son lives in Alaska (A State trooper.) with his wife and two Boys. My Daughter lives in Chicage. My other so lives in Atlanta, His wife will be having their first child in August. I have more to say but have to get off for now. Charlie....See MoreWhen It's All Just Too Much.
Comments (67)Things not looking great again. Yesterday we discovered that 2 of our 3 new Totos arrived broken. I guess it's not that big a deal as they will be replaced, but now we have to wait again for new ones. We had a meeting with the GC on Tuesday night to discuss how things are going. It didn't go well. He says that I am nice to the whole crew, but not to him and that's why he barely comes to the house. He said the whole crew had noticed 'how I treat him' and that in 10 years of business he has never had this problem before. So now I feel uncomfortable in my own home. Now I'm wondering if it's me that's the problem. He called the following day to apologize for how he spoke to me, but I really don't much want to talk to him at all any more. He is asking us to eat a lot of extra expense (including most of the $940 Home Depot bill) because of all the 'extras' he has done including 'thousands' in additional plumbing work for free (?). He says we can go over the contract again but it will end up costing us thousands because he will charge for all the extras he's done. We appear to now be paying for wiring and other items I had no idea would be on the list. I thought he was paying for behind the walls stuff and we were paying for the 'pretty' stuff (including paint, but wiring??). My husband has stepped in to talk to him and yet I don't feel satisfied with that arrangement either. GC was meant to go to Home Depot for $80 worth of unidentified stuff (paid for by us) and when the Home Depot person called for our cc number (which GC no longer has) it was for $175. For 'wiring and boxes'. Huh? The problem is I just don't trust him and I guess the GC feels that and is (understandably) offended by it. But when we ask for receipts he flashes them at us and then says he needs them back. It's like the Hone Depot receipt debacle all over again. But we DO have extra issues that SHOULD be resulting in extra charges - the problem is getting numbers out of him for the extra issues is tough. So our sunroom leak issues and retiling (over the existing) bathroom floor are costing an additional $2400 on top of the $940 which he owed us from the Home Depot thing, but we didn't know that until he's ripped out carpeting and the place is a disgusting mess and we have no choice really but to do the work. I just wish he would tell us what this stuff would cost before starting it! I don't know what to do at this point. I feel like every time we question something he has a million explanations and excuses which never really tell you anything. He talks a mile a minute and you can't get a word in edgewise. I know we should be paying for the unexpected stuff, but the way it happens is so backwards and confusing to me and I end up wondering what is going on. Why for example have we paid $500 for insulation product as part of the contract as well as $814 in insulation as part of that Home Depot bill (that's NOT part of his $940 building materials which was all dry wall) and yet he says the remainder of the insulation in rolls downstairs isn't ours. It's his? He says we have to eat the $500 for insulation that was in the contract because he underbid the installation part of insulating and because we owe him so muc for the extra plumbing (which he hadn't mentioned before and we thought was included). Another example. He ran wiring for the baby's room high hats and ceiling fan. Told me the switch was slightly off center and not to straighten it or it might short. A couple of days later it stopped working. He says it's a coincidence and the wiring must have been 'chewed by rats or squirrels' and that it's an unforeseen issue. this seems like a remarkable coincidence to me. I thought if we contracted that he was installing 4 recessed lights and a fan, that meant they should work? The house has a newer panel with a ton of electric amps, but I guess that doesn't mean no problems. Maybe we're being unreasonable in our expectations. Apparently most people around here tell him to go ahead and fix unforeseen issues and just send them a bill. It's very possible as there's a lot of money around here. But we would like to know what things will cost in advance. He seems to take this as a personal insult. :( DH thinks he's on cocaine. I would not be surprised. I am exhausted and this has turned into a book. Sorry. Just needed to vent again....See More- 7 years ago
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