It has been, to say the least, a busy last few days. If I'm not meeting with someone from Assisted Living, I'm meeting with some Financial Advisor...or Banker.
Generally speaking, I'm up around 7:00 or 8:00AM...out to the kitchen to make coffee...out to the Escape for a cigar and some air conditioning. Most times, when I step outside at 7 or 8, it's already in the 90's...and very humid. I've managed to "sneak" down the thermostat in the house to 78, but there is no relief outside...except inside of the Escape.
While I'm running errands and having meetings during the day, I've had a chance to ask around for some restaurant recommendations...and I've gotten some good ones. My favorite little "taco joint", Los Mexicanos,is still here...and their carnitas tacos are as good as before. I found two great little places for seafood...Lola's and King Neptune...they are little "hole in the wall" spots, but the food is great. Friday night, we went to a great local steakhouse, Peter's, which, while over-priced, turned out some pretty good beef. Saturday, I went to a local seafood market, bought a pound of lump crab meat, and made my "famous" crab cakes...along with my favorite potato salad from Publix and a bottle of Elk Cove Pinot Gris, this was a great meal.
Not much "nightlife" down here, so I'm usually in bed by 10:00PM or so. I slip out earlier for a little cigar and some AC, but it's the bushes that I'm worried about...there's something in there. My Mom has bushes planted in from of the house on either side of the front door. And...whenever, I go outside at night, something starts moving in there...something "big" by the sound of it. I'm told that it's probably some lizard...but I know better. There's a giant spider in there...15 maybe 20 pounds. The Publix store must have gotten a load of bananas from Columbia or Venezuela and the spider was hiding there. Now, thanks to pesticides and runoff from the local "nuke plant", he's grown huge...and he's living outside my Mom's house. I'm not going to be checking in the bushes to be sure, but I'm giving them a wide (very) berth on my way in or out.
We've gotten Mom signed up at he best Assisted Living facilities in the area, Allegro, and she'll be moving in over the next two weeks. She's worried that she might not be able to take her dog, Schatzie, with her...and her fears are well-founded. Schatzie barks a lot and loves to bite strangers...so...we had to think of something. One morning, it just hit me...get a dog trainer...so that's what we did. Alison was able to make tremendous progress in just a few hours...and she'll be going with me and Schatzie to Allegro on Monday for Schatzie's "interview". Thanks to Alison, who will be posing as my Mom's "niece from Minnesota", I'm thinking that Schatzie will pass her interview.
So...now that I've finally got things "on track" here, you're probably thinking that it's smooth sailing from here on out...not so fast partner. There's Irene" lurking in the background. That would be the Tropical Storm, Irene, now upgraded to "Hurricane Status" and steadily making her way across the Gulf of Mexico. At this point, it looks like the Carolinas will get the main "hit", but Thursday and Friday we'll be getting high winds and heavy rain...just what I need.
Even though it's not expected to "land" here, Irene is already affecting my schedule. I had planned to start heading for home on Friday but, because of Irene, everybody postponed meetings, appointments, etc. scheduled for Thursday/Friday. That's pushing things into next week...so...now it looks like I won't be starting for home until Tuesday or Wednesday...which will get me home a day or two before the first UM game...so much for unpacking and relaxing.
Barring any complications down here, I'm planning on staying home in Michigan through the end of November. Then, I'll head back to Florida for December, January, February and March to "wrap things up".
Cleo, Jonesie and Mr. Lucky are going to LOVE it down here!
More news later...assuming that Irene "cooperates".
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