Linda And Laura Go To Daytona Beach and Jim Goes Shopping

DeBary, FL.

74 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. High of 95F with a heat index of 100F. Winds from the East at 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20%.

Friday morning, Laura swung by and picked up Linda so that they could go over to the Doctor's office in Daytona Beach to sign the papers so that they would transfer all the test results and doctor's notes to the original doctor that Linda had contacted. There were no problems at all and by Monday, the files should be transferred.

After that little chore was out of the way, Laura took Linda to a little restaurant that she had heard about. Linda said that the food was good, but the best part of the meal was getting to spend time talking to Laura. ;-)

So, what was Jim doing while Linda and Laura were out and about?  Well, he took CLT and headed to ACE Hardware where he bought some supplies to use in the house, a new door latch for the shed and had a couple extra keys made for the lock on the shed. Then, when he got back here to Highland Estates, he went over to the storage yard to check on Bobbie T. and to get a few more items out of her that he and Linda need in the house.

Laura dropped Linda off around 2:00 or so and headed back home.

Thanks again, Laura!!! :-)

Oh, I don't think I told you, but the other day, Jim went over to the new Harbor Freight store and bought a small tool box to have in the house.

It's a neat looking box, but Jim says that it's not real sturdy and probably wouldn't stand up to a lot of beating and banging around. But for the purpose of just holding some tools to use around the house, it should be fine.

It has a nice lift-out tray and  at about 19" wide by 9" high and 8" deep, the box is large enough that it can accommodate the needed tools and still fit nicely at the bottom of one of the closets.

And, it was on sale when Jim bought it! ;-)

Linda did some laundry yesterday. Don't know what's happening today. They still have a few household items that they need, so maybe they'll go shopping.

Did you know that on this date in 1949 - "The Lone Ranger" premiered on ABC? Clayton Moore was the Lone Ranger and Jay Silverheels was Tonto.  

No News Is Good News, Right?

DeBary, FL.

70 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm. High of 95F with a heat index of 100F. Winds less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

No news is good news, right????

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know too much about the human medical system, but it seems to me that there's definitely a problem with it when you have to wait forever to get test results back for something that's as important as tumor that is possibly cancer!!!!

Linda was told that they would call with the results of the biopsy either Tuesday or Wednesday, but of course they didn't. So, yesterday morning she called the doctor's office to find out what was going on.

Well,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , it seems that the results were "inconclusive", so they're sending them to a different place to run more tests on them and the doctor is telling Linda that it will take between 7 and 10 days to get the results back.

I guess that means that Linda will be having good news for the next 7 to 10 days, right?????

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-(

Linda called Laura and after hearing what is going on, she called around to see if she could find anything  out. Now, the original doctor, (the one that Laura found for Linda originally), wants the notes and any other information from this doctor sent over to his office, but this doctor's office is saying that they can't transfer the files without written permission from Linda.

So, this morning, Linda is going to make a few more calls, and if she can get things accomplished by phone. If not, Laura is going to take her over to Daytona Beach to try to get things moving in the right direction.

Linda really likes this doctor, and she doesn't believe that the delay is his fault in any way. It's just that waiting for the results is very hard, and it's hard to imagine why this has to take so long.

Nothing else to report today. Both Linda and Jim have been trying to keep busy to keep their minds off of this health issue. The weather has been in the 90's every day with no real relief in the next 7 days or so. (Typical Florida summer).

Oh, there's been a bear sighted in the community. :-O  It's estimated that it weighs around 350 lbs., it's gotten into a few garbage cans and it has left some "deposits" in a back yards.

Did you know that today is "Blame someone else day"?

Woof!!!

We Have TV and Waiting For The Results

DeBary, FL.

71 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with thunderstorms and rain showers in the afternoon. High of 93F. Breezy. Winds from the ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20%.

Thursday morning, before Linda went to the doctor, "The Antenna Guys" came and talked to Jim about the installation. Ray, one of the "Antenna Guys" had an antenna with him and a small TV to  check the signal quality. He determined that a different antenna was needed, but being that he didn't have the needed antenna in his truck, he came back Friday and completed the installation.

We now have TV and are able to receive all the major channels. In fact we receive a total of 48 channels!!

So, for the price of about 2 or 3 months of basic cable or satellite, we have an antenna which receives free over-the-air TV without further costs. For someone who can be satisfied with just the major networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS and some others like CW and ION, this is the way to go.

Of course you have to be near enough to a metropolitan area to be able to receive the signals.

About all that happened Saturday was that CLT took Jim and Linda over to Bed Bath & Beyond to purchase a few items for the house. They didn't get everything that they wanted, (the prices were too high on some items), but they did get some of the things they wanted.

For dinner Saturday, Linda ordered a pizza from a local pizza place, "Gentili's Pizza" and then Jim took CLT and went and picked it up.

Sunday was a day to just kick back and take it easy. You know, football on TV, naps, that kind of thing.

Yesterday, (Monday), was grocery shopping day. Jim and Linda took CLT and went to Winn Dixie and just about bought the store out. There were a lot of sales this week on items that they use regularly, so they stocked up. Then, in the evening, Laura and Lindsey stopped by for a little while just to visit and bring some mail that had come to their house.

Don't know what's going to happen today. The test results from Linda's doctor visit are supposed to be back either today or tomorrow, so both Linda and Jim are waiting for them.

Not much else happening worth posting about. I'll be sure to let you know when those results come in.

Did you know that on this date in 1913 - The Lincoln Highway opened? It was the first paved coast-to-coast highway in the U.S.

Woof!!!

Trying To Stay Busy and The First Doctor's Appointment

DeBary, FL.

75 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm and a chance of rain in the afternoon. High of 95F. Winds less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Wednesday was a day to catch up on laundry, organize more "stuff" and try to stay busy to keep their minds off of the upcoming doctor appointment on Thursday. Jim and Linda both took naps in the afternoon and then for dinner, they headed to Gram's Kitchen.

On their way back from Gram's, they stopped and bought CLT a drink of 87 octane so that they'd have enough gas to make it over to Daytona Beach for the Dr. appointment. Then, after returning, they read and "computed" until bedtime.

Yesterday, Thursday, was the day for the first doctor's appointment since we've been down here in Florida, so about 9:00 CLT took Linda and Jim over to Daytona beach for the appointment. Linda said that she had "ton's" of paperwork to fill out, but by about 11:00 they called her in to see the doctor.

A biopsy was taken and some other test done, and by about 11:30 or so, Linda and Jim were back in CLT and heading back here.

There is a growth and the doctor is pretty sure it is cancerous, but of course can't be sure until the tests come back. They should be back by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, and when they are, the doctor's office will call with the results. The results will also be sent to the original doctor/surgeon, (that Laura found for Linda), and a procedure to take care of the problem will be decided on.

Believe it or not, Linda is relieved.  At least now she knows what she's dealing with and hopefully, it can be dealt with soon.

Linda is doing well and she feels fine, so for the next 5 or 6 days, Linda and Jim will continue getting everything in the house taken care of. That will include some more shopping for things that they still need, and of course finding and trying to put all of their possessions in places where they can find them when needed.

Also, Bobbie T needs to have her gas tank topped off and the Stable Gas Treatment put in the tank. She also needs to be cleaned up inside and out, the generator needs to be exercised and everything checked out so that she's ready for long term storage. All of this will take quite awhile, but it's not urgent to get it all done right away.

I doubt if I'll be posting here every day, but you can be sure that if anything besides normal everyday living happens, I'll tell you about it. Also, you can be assured that as soon as there's any news or changes concerning Linda, you will be the first to know.

So, check back often. You never know when something exciting may happen!!! ;-)

Did you know that Key West, FL, has the highest average temperature in the United States?

Woof!!!

Dishes, Clouds and Butterflies

DeBary, FL.

74 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with thunderstorms and rain showers. High of 97F. Winds less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

Long time readers will remember when Jim and Linda went up to Naperville, IL. to see Linda's sister, Nancy, and to pick up some dishes that Linda had left with her for safe keeping. Nancy e-mailed the other day and wondered if they had survived the trip down here in one piece?  Well, in the photo below, you can see that they all made it without even a chip, and that's something, taking in consideration that they had to have bounced around some in the back of CLT on some of those really rough roads that we traveled on the way down here.

Linda's dishes on display, on the shelves and in the cabinets. (metal tray in the middle is not part of the set).

Yesterday morning, as Jim was having his coffee out in the Florida Room, the sun was coming up and he noticed how it was illuminating some storm clouds up to the North of here, so he got out his camera and took this photo.

Morning sun illuminating storm clouds

The last few days, there has been a lot of activity around one of the bushes out in front of our house. It seems like every time I look out of the window, I see these butterflies flitting around the bush. Jim saw them too, so again, he grabbed the camera and took a few photos.

There's one in the photo below, (you can click on the photos to enlarge them) can you spot it?

Here's a close-up of the butterfly on one of the flowers.

Linda did some laundry yesterday, and both she and Jim have been working on getting more things put away and organized. 

Oh, and Jim called "The Antenna Guys" who put up one of the neighbor's TV antenna, across the street, when we were here in the spring. He's going to be here early Thursday morning, (before Linda has to go to the doctor), and talk to Jim, and then, if Jim agrees, he'll probably put up the antenna that same day, even though Jim and Linda won't be here. 

Then, he'll come back another day, and finish the installation. (Any inside stuff that needs to be done). 

Speaking of the doctor, Linda is getting very nervous about going on Thursday. Again, it's the fear of the unknown. Not knowing what the diagnosis will be and what will actually have to be done to fix her problem. :-(  I know that she wants to get all of this taken care of as soon as possible, but at the same time she's worrying about getting the house ready before she has any procedures. 

Hopefully, soon, questions will be answered and everything will get taken care of.

Did you know that there are about 24,000 species of butterflies?

Woof!!!

When They're Ready They Don't Mess Around

DeBary, FL'

73 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm and a chance of rain. High of 97F. Winds from the WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

When Jim and Linda decide to go shopping for things for the house, they don't mess around!! ;-)

They took CLT and left here around 11:00 yesterday morning and headed over to the Target store in Orange City, which is just a few miles from here.

But wait!!! Let me back up a few hours!!! :-)

Before Linda even got up, Jim was on the computer researching TVs and microwaves, trying to find the best units for the money and also reading the many reviews that they had. He then went to the sale adds for this week and researched where the products that he was looking for were on sale as well as available in the stores. So, by the time Linda woke up, he had determined that Target had the items he thought they should  look at.

Well, the research paid off and after about an hour and a half or so, they came back with CLT's pickup bed full of items, like a TV, a microwave, a kitchen clock, a few small waste baskets, a milk crate type basket to put under the kitchen counter to put small items in and even some groceries that they picked up at the Winn Dixie Grocery store that they stopped at on the way back here!!  ;-)

After getting everything in the house and the groceries put away, Jim got the microwave set up on the kitchen counter and then tackled the TV. Getting the TV out of the box was the hardest part and soon he had it set up on the cabinet in the living room.

Now, there is no antenna or cable hookup yet, but they were able to watch a DVD and a VHS tape on the DVD/VHS recorder/player that they removed from Emrys before they traded him off for Bobbie T. ;-)

Today, I think Linda is planning on doing laundry. And, they still need to do a lot of reorganizing because it seems like everything they need, they have to hunt for. Just yesterday, when Jim was looking for batteries for the remote controls, he looked and looked before he finally found the box that they were in. And, it's been like that with many things. :-(

Jim and Linda are still struggling to cope with the high humidity and high temperatures down here in Florida. Everyone says that they'll get somewhat used to it as time goes by, but that doesn't really help right now when they need to get some things done.

Oh, I almost forgot!!! Last night for dinner, Linda heated up some leftovers in her brand new microwave oven!! ;-)  She says that it works great!!!!

Did you know that due to Florida's proximity to the equator, the state receives more than a hundred times the UV exposure that Maine does?

Woof!!!

More Stuff To Put Away and Ashley's Birthday Party

DeBary, FL.

71 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm and a chance of rain in the afternoon. High of 97F. Winds from the SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Jim was up early, drinking coffee and playing around with the computer. I think he's enjoying the large space to move around in and the Barcalounger recliner that he bought before we left here in April.  :-)

One thing on his "to do" list for yesterday was to go to the Post Office and let them know we were back here again, so he took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed over there around 9:00.  Then, on the way back, he stopped at an auto parts store and picked up some of that "Stable" gas treatment stuff to put in Bobbie T's tank so the gasoline won't gum everything up while she's sitting over there in the storage lot.

Just before lunch, Jim and Linda went over to the storage lot and got some more stuff out of Bobbie T. It was really getting hot by that time, so by the time they returned, they were pretty beat. :-(

Neither Jim or Linda had much ambition after that, so they just worked on organizing some of the things that were brought in from Bobbie T. on Friday. They've still got a lot to do, but they're making some progress.

For dinner, they decided to go to Burger King to grab a sandwich. After eating they went across the street and bought a few items at the CVS store before coming back here to the house. Then, around 10:00 they headed to bed.


Sunday, September 1, 2013

Yesterday morning, Jim and Linda did some rearranging of cabinets and put away some more of the things they had brought in from Bobbie T. Then, around  11:30 they got ready and headed over to Marv and Inez's house,  (Lindsey's parents), in Deland for a birthday dinner for Ashley. (Laura and Lindsey's oldest daughter). Ashley's birthday is actually today, but Sunday worked out better for everyone to come.

 Anna, (Laura and Lindsey's youngest daughter), drove down for the weekend from Jacksonville, and 2 of Lindsey's brothers and one of the brother's family were there too.

Inez made delicious tacos and Laura brought a birthday cake. From what I can tell, everyone had a great time. ;-)

About 3:00 CLT brought Jim and Linda back here to the house and then they both took naps. After their naps, they continued to put things away and reorganizing until Laura and Anna stopped by later in the evening. Then they all sat around and talked until about 9:00.

Around 10:00 Jim and Linda started getting tired, so they headed off to bed.

Today the plan is to go to a few stores in the area and see about buying a microwave and a TV for the house.

Did you know that on this date in 1956 - Elvis Presley shared his success with his family by purchasing his mother a pink Cadillac?

Happy Birthday, Ashley!!!!!!! ;-)

Woof!!!