Has anyone figured what is the purpose of Daylight Savings Time? I mean beside screwing with everyone's head. It's dark when I wake & don't want to get out of bed. It's light when I have supper & make plans to stay in for the evening. Now I am starting to have breakfast at 11 o'clock & dinner at 8 or 9 o'clock. Just leave the damn clocks alone & stop screwing with everyone's biological clocks!
I have a new toy. A friend gave me a stand-up 3 wheel scooter that needed some work. We found a dealer & got the scooter running. Now I am a terror on 3 wheels in the trailer park. The women think it's cute & the guys want to check it out. I am a rock star around here.
We also made plans for next year. Since we are officially snow birds we have to make plans for our next migration. The park had their annual sign up for next year so now we have our plans for the 2011-2012 season.
Time is running short & there are people we want to see before we leave. We made plans & met with a group of postal workers at the Wing House. Good food, good drinks, & good friends... who could ask for more? We had a blast & know that these friends are for real & we will see them again next year. Next week we get together with a group of postal retirees & look forward to seeing others who have survived the Post Office.
St Patricks Day is a big deal here in the park. There is a parade, games, food, & of course green beer. We helped out with the games & participated in the parade. I even decorated my scooter with all things green for the parade. I was like an Irish Shriner zig zagging though the parade. All in all it was a lot of fun.
This week we are going to slow down & spend quality time with each other. Just ride our bikes & maybe play tourist. So until there is more to write we will be enjoying ourselves from our home in Largo because.....
Home is where we park it,
Frank & Mary
Monday, March 21, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
11/10 Gotta Blog More Often
Things have been crazy lately, more so than usual. I am going to have to blog more often just to keep up. Well let's start & see how far I get.
The Strawberry Festival was great. We spent the day with our good friends Alice & Larry enjoying the sights, sounds, & smells at the fair grounds. Mary didn't enjoy the smells so much since she was still feeling a bit queasy. She did manage to eat a good part of a strawberry shortcake & the sight of racing pigs always makes her feel better. Then there was the Chris Young concert. She doesn't care that he is the same age as her baby she still does a minor swoon when she sees him. He did put on a good concert & we had awesome seats, just 3 rows from the stage. Perfect weather made it a perfect day.
It was a good thing we just had a good day because the next day we had our taxes done & picked up the truck from the shop. This is the first time in 20 years that we have had to pay the IRS. Not so much that we have to eat cat food but the timing was perfect with the bill for the truck. It's that time of year that we get the truck serviced before hitting the road. The truck is 8 years old so I wasn't surprised that there were a few things over & above normal maintenance. It was time to see if our extended service plan really works. Well we got our moneys worth out of it this time. After all was said & done the plan paid 80% of the bill & we were extremely happy.
The election for the trailer park association is now over & Mary is the new vice-president. That means a new reign of terror begins. It may be going to her head, she is making me call her "Madam Vice-president" at home now! The association is actually in charge of activities in the park & people want to see the fun brought back. Things have stagnated some but Prez Norma & Vice-prez Mary have some great ideas & support to liven up things come next snow-bird season. With me now calling bingo I don't know if I can stand any more excitement.
There is more but I will save it for the next blog. Maybe tomorrow. We'll see. Until then goodnight from our home on wheels in Largo because .....
Home is where we park it,
Frank & Mary
The Strawberry Festival was great. We spent the day with our good friends Alice & Larry enjoying the sights, sounds, & smells at the fair grounds. Mary didn't enjoy the smells so much since she was still feeling a bit queasy. She did manage to eat a good part of a strawberry shortcake & the sight of racing pigs always makes her feel better. Then there was the Chris Young concert. She doesn't care that he is the same age as her baby she still does a minor swoon when she sees him. He did put on a good concert & we had awesome seats, just 3 rows from the stage. Perfect weather made it a perfect day.
It was a good thing we just had a good day because the next day we had our taxes done & picked up the truck from the shop. This is the first time in 20 years that we have had to pay the IRS. Not so much that we have to eat cat food but the timing was perfect with the bill for the truck. It's that time of year that we get the truck serviced before hitting the road. The truck is 8 years old so I wasn't surprised that there were a few things over & above normal maintenance. It was time to see if our extended service plan really works. Well we got our moneys worth out of it this time. After all was said & done the plan paid 80% of the bill & we were extremely happy.
The election for the trailer park association is now over & Mary is the new vice-president. That means a new reign of terror begins. It may be going to her head, she is making me call her "Madam Vice-president" at home now! The association is actually in charge of activities in the park & people want to see the fun brought back. Things have stagnated some but Prez Norma & Vice-prez Mary have some great ideas & support to liven up things come next snow-bird season. With me now calling bingo I don't know if I can stand any more excitement.
There is more but I will save it for the next blog. Maybe tomorrow. We'll see. Until then goodnight from our home on wheels in Largo because .....
Home is where we park it,
Frank & Mary
Monday, March 7, 2011
11/9 Found Time For.....
I know that I always complain about the missing free time that I was "promised" when I retired. But we seem to find time for things both good & not so good. We have found time to help our little old lady friends move, volunteer at school, campaign for Mary's vice-presidency, & call Bingo. While all this was going on we also managed to find time to get sick. Mary started with an upset stomach that had her up all night losing her dinner & freezing. I continued with symptoms of the other end the next day. We have to get well for the Strawberry Festival this week.
Like I said we had time for Bingo. At Bingo Mary was walking around the hall "kissing hands & shaking babies" as I like to put it. The campaign is going strong & looks like to be going well. Before Bingo I was doing my own campaigning. I was chatting up the Bingo players before my calling debut, begging for compassion. Well I did survive. It was a rough start but the players were helpful & understanding. Bingo must go on so they must be tolerant. Afterward many of the players came up to me & said that I did a good job & were glad that I had stepped up as a caller. I was just glad that I could help out.
Well we are going to try to eat a little something & hope to feel better for the Strawberry Festival. Mary is looking forward to strawberry shortcake & the Chris Young concert. I am looking forward to all the other foods that we only get to eat at fairs & festivals.
Under the weather in our home in Largo because....
Home is where we park it,
Frank & Mary
Like I said we had time for Bingo. At Bingo Mary was walking around the hall "kissing hands & shaking babies" as I like to put it. The campaign is going strong & looks like to be going well. Before Bingo I was doing my own campaigning. I was chatting up the Bingo players before my calling debut, begging for compassion. Well I did survive. It was a rough start but the players were helpful & understanding. Bingo must go on so they must be tolerant. Afterward many of the players came up to me & said that I did a good job & were glad that I had stepped up as a caller. I was just glad that I could help out.
Well we are going to try to eat a little something & hope to feel better for the Strawberry Festival. Mary is looking forward to strawberry shortcake & the Chris Young concert. I am looking forward to all the other foods that we only get to eat at fairs & festivals.
Under the weather in our home in Largo because....
Home is where we park it,
Frank & Mary
Saturday, February 26, 2011
11/8 Just Me Talkin'
There doesn't seem to be anything exciting going on lately. We are staying busy & things are taking some interesting turns. Two of our little-old-lady friends have moved from the park into a mobile home that is much better suited for them. We have helped them move & brought a lot of their plants to the new place to make it feel more like home. Some of their relatives came down from Chicago to help & we all have been getting along & just having a good time. We will be doing a little more landscaping & potting some plants before we leave FL & hope to get all the moving done before their kin folk return to Chicago.
That was the busy part. Now on to the interesting part. This will mean more to those of you who knew Mary from working at the Post Office. Mary is a take charge, speak her mind, kick-ass type that just about everyone likes. She always has the best intentions & people sense that in her outspoken manner. Well take all that & you will understand how she got talked into running for vice-president of the resident's association. She & her running-mate, future president Norma, have some ideas to keep the association alive & even rejuvenate it. The association has been run successfully by the same people for years but has gotten stale & stagnant. Residents seem to want some younger blood as well as see the need for new people to step up as some of our residents age & are no longer able to fill these positions. So we are the "young blood" in the community now.
Did I say WE? Yes I did! Now what could that mean? Well I know I have mentioned that Mary has become addicted to her Friday night Bingo, & you now know that some of the residents that ran things in the park are no longer able to.....so what does that mean? That means that Frank,yes me, is going to be the new Bingo caller. Yes before is now B4. I don't know what made me volunteer & some of the serious Bingo players might want to string me up if I don't call just the right way but it will be my contribution to the residents of the park. Hopefully Bingo will go on without a hitch & the Friday night festivities will continue.
On another note. If you followed us this summer you know that we spent a good part of it in Maine. You may also remember that Mary was single handedly trying to eat every lobster in New England. Well it has been reported that the year 2010 broke all records for lobster harvested. Well done Mary! I am so proud of her.
I am going to call it a night & go to bed in our home in Largo because....
Home is where we park it,
Frank & Mary
That was the busy part. Now on to the interesting part. This will mean more to those of you who knew Mary from working at the Post Office. Mary is a take charge, speak her mind, kick-ass type that just about everyone likes. She always has the best intentions & people sense that in her outspoken manner. Well take all that & you will understand how she got talked into running for vice-president of the resident's association. She & her running-mate, future president Norma, have some ideas to keep the association alive & even rejuvenate it. The association has been run successfully by the same people for years but has gotten stale & stagnant. Residents seem to want some younger blood as well as see the need for new people to step up as some of our residents age & are no longer able to fill these positions. So we are the "young blood" in the community now.
Did I say WE? Yes I did! Now what could that mean? Well I know I have mentioned that Mary has become addicted to her Friday night Bingo, & you now know that some of the residents that ran things in the park are no longer able to.....so what does that mean? That means that Frank,yes me, is going to be the new Bingo caller. Yes before is now B4. I don't know what made me volunteer & some of the serious Bingo players might want to string me up if I don't call just the right way but it will be my contribution to the residents of the park. Hopefully Bingo will go on without a hitch & the Friday night festivities will continue.
On another note. If you followed us this summer you know that we spent a good part of it in Maine. You may also remember that Mary was single handedly trying to eat every lobster in New England. Well it has been reported that the year 2010 broke all records for lobster harvested. Well done Mary! I am so proud of her.
I am going to call it a night & go to bed in our home in Largo because....
Home is where we park it,
Frank & Mary
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
11/7 More Campfire Stories
First I have to say that we had a wonderful day with our granddaughter. Build-a-Bear is a fantastic place for kids to see their own stuffed animal become reality & have a hand in its creation. Needless to say the bear was stuffed, given a heart, bathed, clothed, & named. A birth certificate was created & voila a memory was created for us & our granddaughter.
Now for a story for the campfire. When something doesn't go exactly as planned & we survive I consider this fodder for the blog or stories around the campfire. Some call it "something to laugh about later". Well as I mentioned before we were helping our youngest son, Charlie, move back to Pinellas County. We borrowed a trailer from a friend & headed towards east FL to pick him up. Around Lakeland the trailer broke loose at about 60mph. After a panic filled move to the side of the road we got out to see the damage. The trailer did not break loose from the ball which is usually the weakest point in a tow vehicle/trailer hookup. No we have to be different. The trailer actually broke in half. The tongue separated from the rest of the trailer. That means that the only connection was the light wiring harness. Realizing that there was no reason for me to have been able to get to the side of the road gave me a "poop-in-my-pants" moment. Damn lucky is all I can say.
Is this the end of our story? Noooooo! While we were figuring out what to do next a mattress comes flying past us. The truck it flew out of turned in the median & came back for it. The poor guy couldn't get it because the idiots on the interstate wouldn't stop for the 20 seconds he needed. So Mary & I took it upon ourselves to stop traffic. One driver tried to drive around us which just ticked Mary off. She stepped in front of the driver & dared her to move. Literally seconds later traffic was moving.
My friend said he would come for his trailer & that we should go on. So on we went while Mary called for a U-Haul in Sanford. We picked up the rental, got Charlie & his stuff, & hit the road back. With all the excitement we still made the 250 mile round trip in only 6 hours!
Today we went to the state fair with friends. With "chamber of commerce weather" it was going to be a good day. As is custom at the fair we walked a lot, ate too much "not-good-for-you" food, & saw a couple of shows. We checked out the vendors & crafters but didn't find anything we couldn't live without. Almost 7 hours later we had had enough & headed home.
Today is only Tuesday & I don't know if we will survive the week since the rest of it is booked pretty full. Tonight will be an early night so this is good night from a very tired house in Largo FL because.....
Home is where we park it,
Frank & Mary
Now for a story for the campfire. When something doesn't go exactly as planned & we survive I consider this fodder for the blog or stories around the campfire. Some call it "something to laugh about later". Well as I mentioned before we were helping our youngest son, Charlie, move back to Pinellas County. We borrowed a trailer from a friend & headed towards east FL to pick him up. Around Lakeland the trailer broke loose at about 60mph. After a panic filled move to the side of the road we got out to see the damage. The trailer did not break loose from the ball which is usually the weakest point in a tow vehicle/trailer hookup. No we have to be different. The trailer actually broke in half. The tongue separated from the rest of the trailer. That means that the only connection was the light wiring harness. Realizing that there was no reason for me to have been able to get to the side of the road gave me a "poop-in-my-pants" moment. Damn lucky is all I can say.
Is this the end of our story? Noooooo! While we were figuring out what to do next a mattress comes flying past us. The truck it flew out of turned in the median & came back for it. The poor guy couldn't get it because the idiots on the interstate wouldn't stop for the 20 seconds he needed. So Mary & I took it upon ourselves to stop traffic. One driver tried to drive around us which just ticked Mary off. She stepped in front of the driver & dared her to move. Literally seconds later traffic was moving.
My friend said he would come for his trailer & that we should go on. So on we went while Mary called for a U-Haul in Sanford. We picked up the rental, got Charlie & his stuff, & hit the road back. With all the excitement we still made the 250 mile round trip in only 6 hours!
Today we went to the state fair with friends. With "chamber of commerce weather" it was going to be a good day. As is custom at the fair we walked a lot, ate too much "not-good-for-you" food, & saw a couple of shows. We checked out the vendors & crafters but didn't find anything we couldn't live without. Almost 7 hours later we had had enough & headed home.
Today is only Tuesday & I don't know if we will survive the week since the rest of it is booked pretty full. Tonight will be an early night so this is good night from a very tired house in Largo FL because.....
Home is where we park it,
Frank & Mary
Saturday, February 12, 2011
11/6 Busy Busy Busy
Once again I want to know where all my retirement "free time" went. The past 2 weeks we have volunteered at school, found time to get sick, get to the doctor, install new window shades, all in addition to cooking, cleaning, & laundry. Then just to make it interesting we volunteered for the elementary school Valentines Dance & the trailer park's variety show.
The school dance was fun. We picked up 40 or so pizzas, several trays of garlic knots, plus salad trays, dressing, & containers of dipping sauce. The truck still smells like an Italian wedding. We helped dish out food & then just enjoyed watching all the kids having fun. As usual Mary was the unofficial photographer with pics to be seen on Mary's FB page.
The variety show was another story. A bunch of seniors just out to have fun. There was singing, dancing, & comedy skits. We got roped into an old married couples version of the Newlywed game. There were embarrassing questions & even more embarrassing answers but at least we didn't have to sing or dance. Mary & I actually wound up winning the game with the tie-breaking question so I will say that it was fun. After the show there was refreshments & the opportunity to meet with our fans. They were quite surprised & amused at some of our answers. Again it was just about having some fun. More pics on FB.
This week the insanity continues. A granddaughter's birthday, helping our youngest move, the State Fair & who knows what else. I am going to need my rest so I will close for now from our busy, busy, home in Largo because......
Home is where we park it,
Frank & Mary
The school dance was fun. We picked up 40 or so pizzas, several trays of garlic knots, plus salad trays, dressing, & containers of dipping sauce. The truck still smells like an Italian wedding. We helped dish out food & then just enjoyed watching all the kids having fun. As usual Mary was the unofficial photographer with pics to be seen on Mary's FB page.
The variety show was another story. A bunch of seniors just out to have fun. There was singing, dancing, & comedy skits. We got roped into an old married couples version of the Newlywed game. There were embarrassing questions & even more embarrassing answers but at least we didn't have to sing or dance. Mary & I actually wound up winning the game with the tie-breaking question so I will say that it was fun. After the show there was refreshments & the opportunity to meet with our fans. They were quite surprised & amused at some of our answers. Again it was just about having some fun. More pics on FB.
This week the insanity continues. A granddaughter's birthday, helping our youngest move, the State Fair & who knows what else. I am going to need my rest so I will close for now from our busy, busy, home in Largo because......
Home is where we park it,
Frank & Mary
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
11/5 And Life Goes On...
First let me thank everyone for the kind thoughts on our loss. Foxy will be missed but we always have our memories. With that said life & blogging must go no. We are still volunteering at school & trying to get together with friends & family before our April 1st departure. Where is the time going? We have 2 months, 8 weeks, 58 days how ever we count it the time is coming & quickly.
The next weeks we will be heading up to Tarpon Springs, going to the State Fair, & the Strawberry Festival. That means Greek food, corn dogs, funnel cakes, & strawberry shortcake. Where ever we go we always seem to find good food. Not necessarily "good for you" food but good tasting food. The watch word will be moderation. We will also stay away from the scale for a while.
Well we are ready to hit the road with friends so I will be signing off now & locking up our home here in Largo because.....
Home is where we park it,
Frank & Mary
The next weeks we will be heading up to Tarpon Springs, going to the State Fair, & the Strawberry Festival. That means Greek food, corn dogs, funnel cakes, & strawberry shortcake. Where ever we go we always seem to find good food. Not necessarily "good for you" food but good tasting food. The watch word will be moderation. We will also stay away from the scale for a while.
Well we are ready to hit the road with friends so I will be signing off now & locking up our home here in Largo because.....
Home is where we park it,
Frank & Mary
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