Welcome August

I'm glad that July is over. 

Let's start with our nation's 250th birthday. It was bittersweet because Trump has been trying to undermine our  constitutional freedoms. 

July brought two heat waves with temperatures in the 100s. In one heat wave, we also had bad air days from Canadian wildfires (which Trump used as an excuse to impose new tariffs on Canada. Ugh.)

I had another bout of colitis. It lasted a few weeks; it's enervating, frustrating, and uncomfortable at best.

The worst of the month is that I was almost scammed. I was vulnerable because we had issues with our anti-virus protection on our computers. I don't want to write much about it; it's embarrassing and infuriating. I made mistakes and missed some red flags. The bottom line, I didn't send them any money, and they didn't gain access to my bank accounts or credit cards. 

On a more positive note, we got grab bars installed in our bathrooms and I got hearing aids. Annette took me up to Havre de Grace for an afternoon. We went on a perfect summer day, went to shops, an artist collective, and antique mall before we enjoyed lunch on the water. I hired a high school neighbor to walk Jace, so I didn't have to worry about him. It was relaxing and fun.

Connecticut and Back Again

We left here last Sunday morning--later than I preferred. The  main reason for the trip was to attend a memorial service for Jeff's sister Melissa. 

We decided to stay in Norwalk for two days and meet up with some friends for lunch and dinner. We had to stop at our favorite Asian Fusion restaurant. We had an early birthday dinner for our friend Cynthia there. It was delicious.

The next day we stopped by our old condominium and ran a few errands before lunch with friends Elaine and Marti. Monday night was dinner with our friend and ex-neighbor Diane.

The next morning I visited the birds at the New Canaan Nature Center: Phoenix, Archie, Tupelo, and Gus. I even asked Gus if he remembered me.

There was a fifth bird I didn't recognize. I couldn't get a picture--he seemed to be hiding in the dark. I figured he was a new arrival and was uncomfortable.  

Next, we picked up some Bridgewater Chocolate and our favorite bison grass vodka. It's hard to find in Maryland; when I can find it, it's about $10 more than in Connecticut. 

Wednesday was Melissa's memorial service. It was tough. She had said no one would come to her funeral. There were at least 50 people there. After the service, we had some of Melissa's favorite food and drink in the fellowship hall: Caesar salad, shrimp cocktail, cheeses, fruits, and  Mimosas. Our nephew's in-laws hosted us for dinner. 

We drove home Thursday--a good drive despite a crazy detour courtesy of Goggle maps. It was good to see Jace and return home. 

A Busy Week

In addition to Jeff's three therapy sessions, we both had eye exams, a financial meeting, and Jace had minor surgery and a teeth cleaning. We also ordered a new rug for our balcony. 

Our brother-in-law is coming to have dinner with us and stay overnight. Then we're all headed for Connecticut for a memorial service for Jeff's sister Melissa. It will be nice to see Jeff's family. But as everybody says, it's a shame it takes a funeral to bring us all together. 

While we are in Connecticut, we're going to meet friends for lunch and dinner. During our last visit, it was freezing with snow piles everywhere. This will be quite an improvement.

Could this be our last visit to Connecticut? 

A Catch-Up Post

It's been a busy ten days. Deep snow in Maryland and Connecticut complicated our lives. The highways were great driving to and from Connecticut (Wednesday and Saturday, respectively.) Getting out of the condo here and parking in Norwalk were our biggest challenges, thanks to ubiquitous snow piles and icy patches. 

We are no longer Norwalk property owners. I had a few things to do before we met with our attorney on Thursday. Despite a few glitches, everything worked out. After we signed the papers, I ran errands. Then, I got takeout from Little Kitchen, our favorite Chinese restaurant in the area. We enjoyed our favorites: Sauteed Sliced Chicken with Hot Peppers and Crispy Spinach and Dry Sauteed Shredded Beef Szechuan Style, as well a Bean Curd with Vegetables Country Style for Jen who graciously hosted us again. We already miss Little Kitchen.

We vegged on Friday, and I finished Badlands. On Saturday, we drove back. There had been talk of more snow, plus I couldn't wait to get home. 

This week has been a blur of medical appointments and paperwork. Today, I stocked up on food in case the predicted snow amounts to more than an inch. I also picked up a welcome mat and some baskets we've needed. Now, I can really focus on our new home.

Tuesday Topics

We got a lot of snow over Saturday and Sunday. The official total closest to us is 9 inches in Middle River. 

Unfortunately, our new condo management is very bad at snow removal. And their office is still closed. I know this is a rare heavy snow event in the Baltimore area, but damn, it's not like we're in Mississippi or somewhere else in the Deep South where cities don't even have snowplows.

The parking lot is decently plowed but needs more work. All the walkways need to be cleared. It's especially frustrating because Jeff and I are planning to drive to Connecticut tomorrow to finalize our condo sale and take care of some other business. There's no way I can get Jeff or anyone using a walker or cane to the car.

Thank goodness for our friendly and helpful neighbors. One couple on the first floor shoveled from their patio to the street and will widen that path. They lent me a cart to take our luggage downstairs through their unit. Two neighbors will help Jeff get into the car. I appreciate their help but am disappointed that I need to rely on them and not the management company that we are paying. 

On top of all that, there is the potential for another snow event next weekend. Jeff and I may have to cut our trip short. We'll see.

On To 2026!

The holidays are officially over. Jeff and I had the quiet Christmas I didn't know I needed. Quiet times continued through the week between, what Jezebel once called slug week. We celebrated New Year's Eve with our friends Annette and George with Annette's old fashions, sushi, cake, and champagne.

As far as I'm concerned, 2026 really starts tomorrow. 

In the morning I'm headed to the our new primary care doctor. Jeff's already seen him, and we both liked him. I've got other medical referrals that I have to prioritize this month. Jeff will probably start outpatient physical therapy this week. 

I want to get back to furniture shopping. Then I can unpack and put away more things. I need to organize the closets and change a few things in the kitchen. 

Hold on: one step at a time. First, I need to pack up the Christmas decorations. I started by washing the holiday napkins and towels and gathering Jace's Christmas toys. 

I'm going to give myself daily to-do lists--three things should do it. A list will keep me less easily distracted. At least I hope so. 

One thing I want to put on the list--hmm, maybe there should be four items--is exercise. A few weeks ago I did a few stretches and I was really stiff. I realized that I haven't been to a gym since August. It's been so cold lately that I'm not walking as long as usual with Jace. 

I started daily exercise: yoga, stretches, balancing exercises. I work with my body ball and small weights (we only have two and five pounds.) I already feel that it's making a difference. I want to get back to a gym routine, but want to avoid the January rush. That reminds me: we saw several gym commercials on TV on New Year's Eve, but no diet commercials. It must be because everyone's on Ozempic.

2025: Real Estate Edition

As I've been thinking about the past year, our biggest accomplishment was our move to Essex. I hadn't listed it as as a written goal, but Jeff and I agreed that we wanted to move by October. Moving day was October 3rd. 

Of course, I can't say that we've finished moving. Most of our clothes are still in boxes in our closet (thank God for a walk-in bedroom closet.) Boxes took over our dining room/library on day one and show few signs of retreating. We'll get there someday Our next focus is bureaus/drawers in the bedroom.

I've been thinking a lot about the whole moving process, our options, and the choice we made. First, I'm glad we didn't select Delaware. We would have been settling. The first place we really liked wasn't dog friendly and didn't have a good neighborhood to walk in. We didn't like the ownership/condominium status in the Milford condos we visited. We also looked into having a single family home built for us, but the builder was the defendant in a class action lawsuit. The allegations were disturbing.

We decided to look in Maryland. We seriously considered a unit we saw in Perryville, Maryland. It had three bedrooms, two baths, two balconies, a wonderful soaking tub, a walk-in shower, covered parking, indoor mailboxes, and a view of the Susquehanna River.

It was the town itself that was the problem. It was a little too isolated--about a half hour from medical facilities. After Jeff had been hospitalized in October, he said "Imagine if we were in Perryville." I would never have been able to rely on Annette and George. 

Then we headed down to the Baltimore area. We liked a a unit in this complex--Hopewell Pointe. We took a return trip to see it and the Perryville unit. We saw another four or five condos in the Baltimore area. 

This place was by far the best for us. I liked Essex from the first time we saw it September 2024. I like our location. Our street consists of two condominium complexes. The buildings are 20-25 years old--a far cry from Sheffield Ridge. 

We are half a mile from Old Eastern Road, near the pool, the boat slips, and the trails. Jace and I have been on all the trails and walked around the neighborhood as well. When it gets warmer, we'll walk down Old Eastern to a nearby park. We'll also get a chance to enjoy the pool; it closed in mid-September. It will be nicer to explore, in general. 

Here's to 2026.

Thankfuls

Another Thanksgiving Day--our first in our new home. 

So, I'll start with that. I'm thankful that we bought this condo and  moved here.

I'm thankful that we finally put our Norwalk condo on the market yesterday..

I'm thankful for my health. 

I'm thankful Jeff's hospital visit led to him getting physical and occupational therapy and nurse visits at home.

I'm thankful for friends.

I'm thankful for Jeff. 

Three Weeks and a Day

It's hard to believe. I feel like we've been here longer. 

Last Saturday we returned to Connecticut. We stayed with our friend Jen and her Westie Katie; it was great to visit with them. I also caught up with Cynthia.

I finished packing up the things we left in Connecticut,. hired my neighbor to clean, got a quote for carpet and hardwood floor cleaning, met with a realtor, reviewed a listing agreement, and managed to leave one of Jeff's canes at Jen's. 

It was so nice to come back here. To our new home home on Wednesday. Our new bedroom nightstands arrived--my brother Jim returned this weekend and obligingly assembled them for us. Our kitchen set arrived on Thursday. 

I returned to Schultz's Crabhouse for their famous sour beef and another time for their crabcake. We tried a new restaurant for Chinese takeout. We're slowly becoming familiar with people and the area. 

First Week in September

Has it only been a week?

Jeff and I bought a Sleep Number king bed on Monday. It's a splurge, but I think it will be well worth it. 

Tuesday, I drove Jeff to the dentist. It had been a while, but he had a good check-up. I took the opportunity to take Jace to Bruce Park for the last time. We also got our favorite crab cakes from  Bon Ton for the last time and a steak sandwich from Greenwich Prime, yes for the last time.

We went out to lunch with friends Elaine and Marti, not for the last time. At least, we'll try for another lunch.

The rest of the week was spent on shopping, cleaning, and not enough packing. 

There's so much more to do. 

Update

Once again, I've neglected this blog for too long. I wish I understood why.

We've been back from Delaware and Maryland for a week. We finally had a little luck. We found two places that we liked. We've been doing research since then, trying to get a better sense of both areas, considering what work we would want to do to the bathroom in one condo, etc. I've been going back and forth on which place I prefer. Our Baltimore realtor sent us listings of six other places. There's one that will work for us and I hope we can see it next week. I think we'll be returning Sunday or Monday.

We finally caught up with a friend we hadn't seen in months. We talked, listened to music, ate some munchies, and drank some wine. It was a relaxing afternoon.

I had volunteered to work at the Merwinsville Hotel last Sunday. Unfortunately, I had a bout of colitis and had to cancel. I ended up sleeping most of the afternoon. My sleeping patterns have been a mess lately. I'm waking up in the early mornings and having trouble falling asleep again. It's been frustrating, but I'll muddle through it.

More Catching Up with a Side of Miscellanea

It's been a lot. 

I'm not sure why I haven't been writing. I've barely journaled either. Keeping myself incommunicado. Keeping my thoughts to myself. But it's counterproductive. Journaling helps keep me grounded. At least, I journaled today; I need to get back into the habit.

Our trip to Delaware was...disappointing. I had hoped to find several good housing options for us. Instead, we found only one. Reviewing the condo documents, we discovered another problem. The place is just not dog-friendly. 

We need to look further. We've been invited again to visit friends in the Baltimore area and look from there. We just have to figure our a schedule--they're away now.

I brought up three large plastic boxes from our storage bin in the basemen, including two boxes of Halloween costumes, props, and accessories. I threw out some old make-up, but I packed up the rest for Goodwill. The bags are in the back seat of my car: I was afraid I would forget about them if I put them in the trunk. 

I set up some PT appointments for Jeff, but need to reschedule two of them. It's another week before he starts. Only Jace and I have medical appointments this week.

I went to the gym one day this week. I did back, chest, leg, and ab exercises. I exercised at home most other days. I went to the hotel gym once in Newark. Jace and I didn't do much walking around the hotel. I guess Jace didn't like the neighborhood. He did enjoy walking the green at UD. Jace was a big hit, especially with the ladies. As usual.

Had another expensive week with unexpected car repairs .I needed a headlight bulb replacement, a new battery, and windshield wiper blades. At least I don't have a car payment to worry about. 

Finally got into a bit of a cleaning mode today. The feeling doesn't last long, so I have to act on it. 

It's only a good start if I continue.

A Cold Vernal Equinox and Random Thoughts

Yesterday--the first day of spring was foggy, damp, raw, and cold. It felt like winter was giving us the finger. But I'm thankful that Jace and I got a nice afternoon outside on Wednesday.  

Jeff and I went out to lunch twice this week--which is very unusual. It was Sedona Tap House for St. Patrick's Day and Tengda Asian Bistro today with our friends Elaine and Marti. Jace wasn't happy with us for leaving him. He is spoiled.

Feeling overwhelmed--again--with all the things I have to do. Recently I've taken to worrying when I wake up to pee sometime in the early morning hours. Lately, I've been worrying about things related to moving. 

Our decluttering efforts have been going well. As Jeff reminds me, we're not downsizing--we'll be moving into a larger place. We still have too much stuff. We've been working on clearing out our storage bin. We still have three large storage boxes to go through. Two are of Halloween costumes. That surprised me: I thought we only had one. Oh well, easy enough to get rid of that stuff. 

Jeff's been on a low sodium diet for four years. We had to give up some of our go-to meals. I especially missed rotisserie chicken. Our regular store's chicken has 20 percent sodium. I recently discovered that Stew Leonard's chickens have only 4 percent sodium. Made my day. I bought two Stew's chickens yesterday. We had chicken for dinner and I'll be making broth tomorrow.

It's going to be a homebody this weekend. Cleaning, making broth, going through emails and paperwork. And I'll be starting out behind the eight ball because I left a few dishes in the sink. I better get a good night's sleep.

Last Weekend of the Year

Yesterday, Jeff and I had three friends, including a Westie, over for wine and cheese. Basically, we hung out and caught up on what we've been doing over the holiday. The big hit was a baked ricotta with candied fruit and chocolate from Trader Joe's. It tasted like a cheesecake.

I had way too much leftover food: especially cheese. Luckily, we like cheese. Today we finished a Tillamook strawberry cream cheese with bagels. Later we ate some Boursin cheese with crackers and stuffed clams casino. We finished the beef tenderloin from Christmas Eve with baked sweet potatoes and salad for dinner tonight. 

I did a few chores today. Tomorrow I have errands to run. Then another holiday. 

Lots to think about.

Wet Thanksgiving and Bleak Black Friday

I'm thankful for yesterday's rain (any rain recently) though it can complicate my walks with Jace. 

I'm thankful that I could have Thanksgiving here and not have to travel anywhere.

I'm thankful for the Whole Foods Turkey Breast Dinners. They're good, and reheating is much easier than cooking.

I'm thankful for our Thanksgiving with my brother Jim and our friend Cynthia.

I'm thankful for my health.

I'm thankful for Jeff and Jace.

***

Today was a lazy day. I woke up early. After I walked Jace, I journaled over coffee and played The New York Times games, and read. I had left all the dishes from yesterday, and cleaned them in stages over the day. (I still have some of the crystal to wash.)

Jeff and I grazed, then ate a late lunch of turkey leftovers on toasted cranberry English muffins. More turkey with salad later. 

A quiet day I didn't realize I needed.

Thursday Thoughts

Last Friday, we switched our Internet and TV providers. It was more complicated than the salespeople described. We had to move some furniture to allow for wiring (the salespeople said the tech only had to program the system.) Luckily, we had a great tech who helped me move furniture and disconnected the cable equipment. Jeff and I have a learning curve with the TV, but we'll save a lot of money. It's well worth it. 

On Saturday, I returned to the Merwinsville Hotel with Cynthia for their fall art show and sale. I only bought a few cards, though I was tempted by other things. I was happy to see the restored third floor ballroom and hope it will bring some writing inspiration.

This week's been busy. I feel like I've running the whole time. Jeff and I each had a doctor's appointment. I returned equipment to Cablevision, took a broken speaker and DVD player to be recycled, got quarters from the bank, went shopping for food, dogfood, beer and wine, socks, and a picture frame. Also, I cared for the birds. 

Yesterday was the exception: I was chilled and exhausted. I stayed home and concentrated on working through emails I've neglected and managed to sort the laundry. Back to running around today.

My father has been on my mind a lot lately. Today is his birthday; he would have been 100. Hard to believe that he's been gone for 14 years. 

I haven't made it to the gym since Sunday (which completed another three-visit week.) I'll see how I feel tomorrow. If all goes well, I can still make three visits this week. 

On Saturday, we're visiting a friend for her dog's birthday party. We haven't seen her for several months, and I'm really looking forward to that. 

With the exception of Game 2, the Mets have looked horrible in the LCS against the Dodgers. Just one example: tonight the Mets had the bases loaded and nobody out in the 6th inning and didn't score. They ended up losing 2-10. The Dodgers need only one more win to advance to the World Series. Unfortunately, they have no reason to think they won't close out the series tomorrow. 

Is there any Mets magic left?

Back Home

We returned home on Wednesday afternoon, after a week away in Dundalk, Maryland. I didn't really want to leave, but the ride down had been exhausting. So, I considered staying overnight somewhere on the way home (possibly in Newark, DE, my college town.) I also didn't want to be driving on Friday. Luckily, the return trip was fine except for hitting a lot of traffic as we entered Stamford. 

We had a wonderful time in Maryland. I've know Annette for about 40 years. This was the most time we've ever spent together. We had some delicious food from her favorite restaurants. We returned to the park where Jeff's great, great, (I think) uncle served as superintendent (I want to say Superintendo per Ralph Wiggins on the Simpsons.)

Annette showed us all around Dundalk, Baltimore, Frederick, and Essex. Oh, we went through other areas as well I can't remember them all now. What's important, is that Jeff and I can see ourselves living in the area. 

We went to see one condo because it had an open house. While it hit our main requirements, it would have been settling. At least, it gave us a point of reference. 

We're finally on the road to getting out of Connecticut. 

Baltimore Bound

In a few hours, Jeff, Jace, and I are hitting the road to visit some friends in Baltimore. We'll also see my cousin in Annapolis. Looking forward to this trip; it's been in the planning stages for a long time. I can't remember the last time we went away twice in one summer. 

Seven Positive Things

I've been thinking about easily I let things ruin my mood, even my day. So, I want to focus on positive things for this post, starting with last week.

1.    Jeff and I had a nice Valentine's dinner. I mentioned the menu here: filet mignon, scalloped potatoes, shitake mushrooms, creamed spinach, romesco sauce, with a vodka gimlet cocktail, and Faithful Hound wine. For dessert we had chocolate and mango ice creams with raspberries. 

2.    I had a nice lunch with my friends Elaine and Marti last Thursday. 

3.    Before our lunch, I went to the Greenwich library to check a reference in a book relating to Merwinsville that I missed before. I also got our favorite crab cakes from this place and found our favorite vodka in the liquor store next door.

4.    Yesterday Jeff and I had lunch with my brother Jim and his girlfriend Liz. We haven't seen Jim since Christmas Eve. I'm not sure when we last saw Liz. We went to Sedona Tap House, which is one of our favorite places. We hadn't been there in a while either, so it was especially nice. 

5.    On my morning walk with Jace on Friday, I felt a whiff of spring. The day was overcast and rather bleak. Patches of snow lay on the grass and snow was piled in the corners of parking lots. But the whiff was enough to make me happy.

6    The Mets have won their first spring training game (after losing yesterday.) I'm not sure what to make of the Mets this season. I'm tired of them breaking my heart. 

7.    The new Shogun mini-series starts on Tuesday; I'm really looking forward to watching it. 

Full disclosure: I wanted to make a list of ten positive things, but seven is as far as I could get. I'll be on the lookout for more positive things.

2024 So Far...

...sucks. Blunt, but true. The main thing is that our friend is in the hospital as I mentioned. It was worse than I realized: he was in intensive care. The weird thing is that we had just seen him for the first time in about a year two days before he was hospitalized.

Compared to that, everything else is a minor annoyance. I haven't been feeling well--I've been exhausted. I can't seem to get out of my way to accomplish anything. 

Even as I write this, I feel guilty for being so petty, when our friends are dealing with so much.