July 2008 Archives

Awake: 6:38am sleep 7+40 clear sky overnight @ Falls Church, Virginia.

K & I have breakfast @ the concierge lounge on floor (16), then pack our suitcases, load the Suzuki & check out of the Marriott in Fairview Park. Drive to the Westin (17) min, pick up Eriko & Jerry + their BIG suitcase & start driving to PA @ 9:35am. Eriko & Jerry woke up early with Nick, had breakfast, packed & were ready to go.

As we head away from the busy city traffic, even using our Lady Garmin, we made (2) wrong turns @ the intersection called: “seven corners.” Fortunately they were easily rectified; and while on I-495, we had our car washed by a fast moving heavy downpour; so much for that “clear sky” I reported earlier this morning. Jerry was entertaining as we were merely motoring along on I-66: talking into his microphone, singing + admiring his new toy school bus. When the rain subsided, Jerry was very alert to the heavy road repair equipment along I-66, pointing & telling us what he was seeing.

Basically we are reversing our course today except for (3) stops; a comfort stop shortly after exiting I-66; fuel stop @ Boyce, VA, 15.5 gal @ 3.859 per gallon; & lunch & groceries @ Costco in Winchester, VA. After Costco, Jerry took a (3.5) hr nap which was great because he started waking up when we were close to the Foote castle in Indiana, PA arriving @ 4:46pm.

Even before unloading the Suzuki, Jerry was busy checking out the toys of the Foote Boys. K & I stayed about ½ hr & then returned to our coach in Nicktown @ 6:10pm.

Dinner: tuna salad with whole grain bread.

Late DVR movie: “The Secret Garden.” We watch (48) min & will finish tomorrow.

Lights out: 11:35pm

Awake: 6:26am sleep 7+45 sunny overnight @ Falls Church, Virginia.

Nick’s phone call gets us out of bed; we don’t want to miss seeing the Foote family leave this morning. K & I dress fast, zip down to the lobby, look around & no Footes? Did we miss them! Then we call their room; Melissa was taking a shower & the boys were dressing themselves.

K & I decide to invite Nick & family to join us in the concierge lounge for breakfast; the Foote family brings their own food when traveling. Our breakfast of: scrambled eggs, oatmeal, cold cereals, yogurt, fruit, cheese, coffee, tea, milk, etc was good & Jerry was quite the gentleman.

When returning to the meeting place where the Footes usually eat breakfast, they were almost ready to begin. @ 9:00am, the Ford Van pulled away from the Marriott with open windows. We say our goodbyes, bon voyages & safe driving wishes. Kevin is working tomorrow so the mini reunion, bike riding & swimming, etc is over for now.

Meanwhile, Nick & Eriko are organized & check out of the Marriott. We help load their luggage into the Suzuki, & transport them to Nick’s business hotel, the Westin Hotel in Arlington, VA; a (20) min drive. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & part of Friday, Nick’s mini reunion & vacation will now transform into a business tour of: meetings here in D.C., Virginia, New York, Connecticut & possibly Pittsburgh, PA.

While the check in @ the Westin is taking place, Kathy & I talk with Andrew (a host with the most….info) who told us: there is nothing much to see & do in Arlington. He gives Kathy guides & pamphlets to….check out. Sure enough, she & I find nothing locally that would be of interest for us & little Jerry.

Without exaggeration, our best bet was to motor to Washington Harbor in Georgetown, a place where Jerry could perhaps run & play to his hearts content or so we hope. Using our Lady Garmin, the distance is a mere (6) miles, but how much slow traffic are we in for? Well, it wasn’t bad @ all, save for a few tie ups close to the Potomac River.

I drop the gang off near the kayak training area & backtrack to the metered parking spots. Not knowing how long we will be in this area, I use (4) quarters to give us an hr of time.

(50) mins later, I feed the meter for another hr; and then, (55) min later, another hr of time. We estimate this beautiful area of impressive architecture, to be suitable for the foreign ambassadors who have nearby residences during their frequent visits. Jerry was definitely having a good time, balancing himself on narrow edges of walkways, going under roped off areas that are off limits, etc. He kept his parents on guard most of the time.

Afternoon hunger led us to Tony & Joe’s restaurant where K & I share both a half of hamburger & a tuna salad sandwich; each very, very satisfying.

We took Jerry’s cues of getting tired seriously & headed back to the Westin Hotel; with Jerry sound asleep, Nick carries him into their room. K & I ride around the local area looking for a parking spot; Again, I feed the meter….for an hr. Then we hang out downstairs in the lobby & wait for Nick or Eriko to join us.

During our wait time, a pleasant young man working behind the counter of Starbucks in the hotel, brought us samples of a Mint Chocolate Latte & twisted our arms to have (2) of these awful things. Hmmm, (30) min later, we are faced with another temptation of: one Fresh Strawberry Latte & we both easily succumbed to this trickery. Now we know what they are up to….fortunately Nick appeared & took us on a tour of the Hotel’s swimming pool & workout area that got us out of harm’s way.

Guess who, once more, had to go out into the heat & humidity & feed the hungry parking meter….another few quarters! Anyway, Jerry is awake so we spend some time in their hotel room gabbing & enjoying Jerry’s singing & being a conversationalist. We say our goodbyes & wish Nick good luck on his sales ventures & plan on seeing Eriko & Jerry tomorrow morning about 9:30am.

Kathy sets our next destination for the nearest “Trader Joe’s” also about (6) miles. Rush hr traffic is almost living up to its name….with a few exceptions. We find the Trader & Kathy loads up with items she can’t find anywhere else.

Our dinner @ the concierge lounge was somewhat sparse due to the later hr, but still good enough. Back in our Marriott room, Kathy talks with Melissa about their return trip, which was uneventful & they arrived home @ 2:30pm.

Nick calls @ 9:55 pm; they walked to a nearby mall where they ate in a noodle restaurant & visited a toy store where they bought Jerry a play microphone & school bus.

Lights out: 10:58pm

Awake: 6:11am sleep 6+41 high thin clouds overnight @ Falls Church, Virginia.

Melissa calls around 8:00 am; they plan on going to Mass @ 10:00 am where, if they drive, it would be (1.2) miles. (We missed that one & don’t know why.) However if they walk & take the shortcut, it’s only (.8) miles. Meanwhile, the boys would like to give us a tour of the “running room” as they call it; actually it’s a big, beautiful, wide & long hallway with entrances to numerous meeting rooms. We agree to meet them in the running room shortly; before we leave our room, Nick calls & they will join us in the lobby soon.

Our tour by Matthew & Andrew included not only the “running room” but also, one floor down, a quick glance @ (2) workout rooms + an indoor & outdoor connected swimming pool. A good tour was given by these (2) youngsters who obviously spent some good times: swimming & running, jumping, cruising these wide & wonderful hallways when no serious meetings were being held in the adjacent rooms.

Back to the lobby, we meet up with Nick, Eriko & Jerry…. & spend a good deal of time together chatting & watching the boys interact with one other. Around 9:00am, Melissa & Kevin are doing their best to figure out the shortcut to the church but the front desk personal were of little help. Meanwhile, I ask the front desk about directions to an I-Hop for breakfast; the girl gave directions & also mentioned another popular breakfast spot: the “Silver Diner.” Thru the yrs, we know all about I-Hops but we don’t know this Silver Diner place + it’s a mere (1.3) miles.

En route to the Silver Diner we pass the Foote family on foot, searching for their shortcut.

Turns out the Silver Diner was an excellent choice: food was great & there were wall boxes in each booth that patrons could use to select rock & roll music & control the sound level in their booth. We didn’t need to feed quarters; the place was busy with lots of other people making selections. Jerry was delighted & demonstrated his singing voice & moving to the beat without any encouragement.

On our return to the Marriott Hotel, Jerry was showing signs of being sleepy; thus Eriko & Nick take their singing dancer to their room for some rest & relaxation. K & I use this idle time to scrutinize the huge Sunday newspaper.

Shortly after 12 noon, the Foote family return; they had walked so far in the heat & humidity but were unsure of being on course for the shortcut to church, so they backtracked, climbed into their big Ford Van & drove those (1.2) miles….making sure they would get there on time.

What should we do today, we query each other; here we are so close to D.C. where there is so much to see & do & we’re having difficulty with doing anything. Having (4) little people (4) years of age & under to think about & keep track of creates a different set of parameters. The Footes have been downtown D.C. over a dozen times in the past (2) yrs so the rest of us look toward them for ideas & answers. After some torturous meeting of the minds, a shaky plan was established which incorporates the Metrorail usage in lieu of auto; we drivers approved of that idea. Then there was the slight delay in getting all details firmly organized before finally, the Marriott shuttle bus zipped us all to the area Metrorail for boarding. Our destination: the National Mall; a (30-35) min ride.

As we exit from the underground tunnel, looking west, one can easily see the Washington Monument; and looking past the Monument, the Lincoln Memorial; as we walk toward more shade & tall trees along side of the Mall, we parallel one of the Smithsonian building, I’m not sure which one. And behind us to the east, the United States Capital Building. To the north, the White House, but that was difficult to see due to the tall National Mall trees.

Melissa selected an area of several tall trees giving us plenty of shade for our picnic lunch. We didn’t know she had planned enough food to feed all of us in that backpack she carried; i.e. home made pizza, grapes, pretzels, granola, etc. While we ate & gabbed, the young guys ran around chasing each other & literally got themselves hot & sweaty. Eriko was concerned that Jerry was a little too red faced & wanted to do something about it; Kevin suggested we walk across the National Mall & visit the air conditioned National Museum of Natural History Museum on the other side; another good idea.

This huge museum was PACKED with people, everywhere; but it was cool & most of all, so very interesting. The Foote family had been here before so they didn’t want to stay as long as the rest of us, especially after the cell phone call from Billie Anne & Jason came through with the opportunity of meeting @ the Marriott swimming pool. Nick & family & we continued to be fascinated with all the displays of true to life dinosaurs, wild animals of all sorts, insects, etc.

Around 5:00pm, Jerry was beginning to show signs of disinterest & that was the clue for us to find the Metro & return to our Marriott. Jerry was asleep shortly after the train started rolling down the tracks. En route, I made a call to notify the Marriott shuttle bus that we will be getting off @ the Dunn Loring-Merrifield stop & need a ride back to the hotel; that call saved us at least (20) mins waiting time.

Evening snack; we & Nick’s family have some chicken sticks, miniature pizzas, cheese, crackers & crudités in the concierge lounge on the 16th floor; then we join Jason, Billie Anne & the Foote family (who are all done swimming) down in the “running room.” Nick & family also join in the fun of: running, jumping, chasing, racing, etc. Did I mention: this hall is long, wide, tall & carpeted with soundproofing material!
Lights out: 10:42pm

Awake: 5:58am Temp 66 sleep 6+03 mostly sunny overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00am Mass & spend only (15) min @ the KK meeting. We brought verbal excuses with us for being absent for the remainder of this meeting as well as Monday & Tuesday of next week. Most of the present members accepted our story.

With suitcases packed & a lunch by Kathy in the cooler + a car seat for little Jerry when we rendezvous in Virginia, we leave Nicktown @ 10:30am. Traveling south on State road 553 to U.S. route 219 to Ebensburg & top off our Suzuki tank with (10.5) gallons @ $3.99 per gallon; then U.S. route 22 to Altoona & I-99 to Bedford ; U.S. route 30 to Breezewood; I-70 into West Virginia, then U.S. route 522 to Berkeley Springs, Virginia where we have a lunch break downtown @ their historical park. Busy place, only one classic bench in the shade of huge oak trees available.

From Berkeley Springs, we continue on U.S. 522 skirting Winchester, Virginia by going around the city on I-37 with a touch of I-81 North, then transitioning onto U.S. route 50/17 for about 20 some miles & swing a right onto U.S. route 17 to I-66 to Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, Virginia.

We arrive at the Marriott @ 4:40. Kathy types Catholic Church into Lady Garmin GPS & it gives us the closest location of (2.2) miles. So we conveniently attend the 5:00pm Vigil Mass @ Saint Ambrose in Annandale, VA. One item of interest: in this relatively new church, the distance between the pews was so tight that we had difficulty standing whenever the kneelers were down; in fact, we quickly learned what that noise was all about when everyone else stood up.

After Mass we check into the Marriott & then call the Foote family figuring they should be back from their (34) mile bike ride by now….no answer but we leave a message. Before long Melissa returns our call; they just arrived from their bike ride with Jason & Billie Anne (Kevin’s brother-in-law & sister). Mel & Kevin both report all went well & the boys loved it. Kevin had Andrew in a bike seat attached to the handlebars & a trail-a-bike for Matthew with his own peddles attached to the rear of Kevin’s bike frame. Melissa had Nathan in a bike seat attached to her handlebars. She asks if they can come up & visit us in our room. “Sure, come on up,” Kathy says.

The boys are excited to see us so we spend about (30) min with them before we have to leave & drive over to the Reagan International Airport to pick up Eriko, Nick & Jerry coming in from Seattle via Phoenix.

Since 911, many airports around the country do not allow much time for terminal parking & picking up incoming passengers; Reagan Int’l is no exception. This airport, however, has a viable solution I thought; a cell phone parking area away from the terminal for people who use cell phones to contact incoming passengers. It worked for us; I left a message for Nick to call us when they start walking toward the outside exit. Regardless of the late arrival, we were delighted with the system & happy to see their smiling faces. Little Jerry recognized us immediately & seemed quite content to take a ride to our hotel.

After Nick checks in, we join them in having a small late meal @ the Marriott dining room; K & I each have a mixed salad.
Lights out: 11:30pm

Awake: 5:58am Temp 65 sleep 5+42 mostly sunny overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00am Mass & then join the KK for (1.2) hrs. After that, we exercise for (1.9) hrs.
After our late breakfast @ 1:00pm, I weed whack & mow grass on the west side of our motorhome for (3) hrs total. Kathy felt guilty seeing me slave away outside in the heat & humidity & wanted to help….but I insisted she keep her cool & do inside things; in fact, to set her mind @ ease, I suggested that she do the dinner dishes for me tonight. “It’s a deal” she said.

She did one load of laundry & I wheeled (9) loads of cut grass over to the mulch pile in the woods.

Later, we get our suitcases out from the lower basement bays for travel tomorrow.

Dinner: leftover assortment of meals.

Early evening: Nick in Seattle Skypes us for a short confirmation of travel plans.

Late DVR movie: “Jezebel” with Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, George Brent, Margaret Lindsay, etc. Davis won her second Oscar as tempestuous Southern belle who goes too far to make fiancé’ Fonda jealous. 1938. Interesting customs our earlier ancestors insisted on having; I wish they could have continued this behavior in today’s style.

High temp=84 Lights out: 11:55pm

Awake: 6:13am Temp 64 sleep 6+45 sunny overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00 am Mass & then join the KK meeting for (1.2) hrs. In prep for my Rotary meeting, I skip breakfast. Having a little extra time this morning, I get our Eureka vacuum cleaner out & clean the inside of our Suzuki which it badly needed.

Pick up Pres Al, then Anne & arrive @ Rotary meeting @ 12:05pm. Guest speaker today was Deborah who talked about the Conemaugh Health Foundation; quite interesting.

Rotary lunch: meatloaf, sliced potatoes, coleslaw, buns + Donna B brought ice cream for dessert. Al & I return to Nicktown @ 2:00pm.

During my Rotary time, Kathy had a good friend visit: Terry D. Kathy relayed that they enjoyed a delightful couple hours of “girl” talk over a glass of wine & a tuna salad lunch.

About 2:30pm, Kathy starts mowing the inner circle of our circular driveway; I empty the bag when full, (2) bags fill the wheelbarrow. In between that activity, I weed whack the areas that are not so accessible for Kathy’s mowing.

@ 3:15, my 1st cousins Anna & Florentz pay us a visit; we take a break, go inside our M.H. & Kathy serves some healthy snacks & I pour the wine. Anna is doing much better these days & we snack, sip & yak until 5:00pm, then F & A have to leave.

K & I continue our mowing & weed whacking until 6:02pm. Then clean up, change clothing & join the mini high school reunion over @ the Nicktown Hotel. One classmate, Jim B, whom I haven’t seen since graduating in 1958, was in town. I expected about (6) classmates to show up but, to my surprise, we counted (10), not including their spouses. It was a fun evening…..catching up on each other’s past.

Dinner: pizza & wine @ the Nicktown Hotel.

Finish DVR movie: “Gunga Din” with Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Joan Fontaine, Sam Jaffe, etc. The Hollywood action-adventure yarn; vaguely based on Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem, about (3) soldier-comrades in 19th-century India battling the savage thuggee cult when they aren’t busy carousing & getting into trouble. Water boy Jaffe saves the day in rousing climax. 1939. This was Hollywood’s most expensive movie @ the time; costing over one million dollars. Shot in Lone Pine, California; amazing movie for the period.

Lights out: 12:16am

Awake: 6:20am Temp 57 sleep 6+52 sunny overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend the 8:30am Koffee Klub; Kathy leaves within (15) min for noodle making @ the church hall. Our KK meeting lasted for (1.3) hrs; afterward, I exercise for (1.8) hrs.

Before having a late breakfast, I Skype with my buddy Ray in Ocean Park for a good hr; I had made a deal with Ray for a Skype session @ noon time & I had to keep my word. Ray is doing great with his rebuilt knee; walks up & down stairs with the greatest of ease, weed whacks, mows the grass & is now back to his former exercising program.

Kathy returns @ 1:05 pm & she is worn out….but has enough energy to process (2) loads of laundry.

Our afternoon was relatively quiet as Kathy took a well deserved nap & I was the quiet one on our computer.

Later, we walk to church & attend the 6:00 pm Mass.

Dinner: sliced roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy & a mixed salad.

Late evening: continue watching DVR movie: “Gunga Din” but not for long. Kathy still not caught up on her lost sleep.

High temp=84 Lights out: 11:28pm

Awake: 5:40am Temp 57 sleep 5+48 sunny overnight @ Nicktown

K & I walk to church & attend 8:00am Mass & then join the KK meeting for an hr.

Back @ our motorhome, I check the nests & carnage from last night’s raid on yellow jackets & wasps & I have no guilt!

Read AARP bulletin & magazine; then some computer time.

Call my brother Don in Tyler, Texas; he & his wife Josie are visiting their Son Craig & family for a week & having a good time.

Call my 1st cousin Flossie; Anna is doing better physically.

Dinner: Pork chops with wild rice, cheesy cauliflower & fruit salad.

After dishes are cleaned up, I attend the Holy Name meeting @ 8:00pm in the social room @ the community center; (13) members attend. Afterwards, we drive to the church hall & help set up chairs & tables for tomorrows functions.

Back @ our coach, we begin watching: “Gunga Din” until somebody I live with lost interest for the night.
High temp=79 Lights out: 11:28pm

Awake: 5:48am Temp 58 sleep 6+15 sunny overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00am Mass & then join the KK meeting for a good hr. Afterward we exercise for (1.6) hrs.

When we finish breakfast, we motor to Al’s Tire Service in Barnesboro to have a slow leak (screw in tire) fixed on the Suzuki & to rotate all (4) tires. I wait & read my AARP magazine in the customers lounge while Kathy walks over to the local library. These guys had me in & out within (50) min, so I head toward the library looking for Kathy. I spot her & she spots me coming down Crawford Street; she’s an easy pick up & we head back to Nicktown.

While Kathy does some baking & preparing dinner, I do more weed whacking & hauling the tall grass over to the woods (4) loads using the wheelbarrow; after that, I run the Snapper mower over the whacked area to assure the grass cut is even.

Dinner: crispy parmesan-crusted chicken on summer lemon pasta.

Before darkness sets in, I set up the telescoping ladder on the passenger side of our motorhome. After dark, I shoot hornet & wasp spray on both a yellow jacket nest & a wasp nest up behind the awning; these critters moved in uninvited about (2) weeks ago & wouldn’t move out, so they asked for it.

Late evening: we finish watching: “Three Came Home” with Claudette Colbert, Patric Knowles, Florence Desmond, Sessue Hayakawa, Sylvia Andrew, etc. Stunning performances by Colbert & Hayakawa make this a must see. British & American families living on Borneo during WW2 are sent to prison camps by Japanese, but cultured officer Hayakawa takes an interest in authoress Colbert. 1950; based on a true story; this is an amazing account of desperate survival.

High temp=79 Lights out: 11:52 pm

Awake: 6:38am Temp 67 sleep 6+30 partly sunny overnight @ Nicktown.

Kathy makes a ham & veggie omelet with toast for our breakfast. Then she watches her political programs on TV while I clean up dishes & spend some time on our computer. Occasionally, depending on the issue, I join her in trying to understand our government’s direction in their attempts @ healing our economy, etc.

Gary C calls: we both share our items of interest with each other; many items are highly classified.

Corinne calls & gives us a rather good report on her retreat & Pittsburgh activities.

We call Mary Jo in Lodi, CA. She & Ed had a wonderful mini vacation together @ Lake Tahoe last week. It was the 1st time they vacationed together since 1986. Smoke from the CA fires reduced their visibility of beautiful Lake Tahoe however, but they made up for it in the beautiful casinos & hotel.

Traveling Katrina calls from Denver; she returned home safely after some (5000) thousand miles. Everything went better than she had imagined; seeing her close friends in Jackson Hole, WY & Laura in Bozeman; camping in Glacier Nat’l Park; spending time with Nick, Eriko & Jerry & staying with Zack & Katie in Seattle; attending the wedding of her good friend, Angie, in Portland with many of their high school friends; visiting other friends in Santa Rosa & Sacramento, CA; hiking in Utah with some of her Denver friends; & biking in Cresta Butte, CO with more of her Denver friends…PHEW!!
What a trip! She had no car problems what-so-ever & Lady Garmin was a good companion. We were thankful to learn that all went so well.

Start late DVR move: “Three Came Home.” We watch 1hr 4 min & will finish tomorrow.

Lights out: 11:33pm

Awake: 5:46am Temp 64 sleep 6+15 sunny overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00am Mass & then join the KK for (15) min. We were tipped off that our nomad friend, Theresa, was due in town today & might be attending the Koffee Klub meeting so we hung around as long as we could…without jeopardizing our: “will work for food” program; we wouldn’t want to be fired from the “almost perfect job!” She didn’t show up after all.

Then we motored directly to Wal-Mart & Martin’s for grocery items, arriving @ the Foote Castle @ 10:30.

Kevin has a list of jobs for both of us today: Kathy to paint the Moon Room wall & then remove the old carpet from the narrower stairway near the kitchen to the 1st landing.

My jobs: finish building the final support unit for the small swimming pool & tub; cut sheetrock to patch unfinished section of wall going up stairs to 1st landing; remove old ceiling light in Moon Room & replace with eloquent & modern ceiling light.

Needless to say, I didn’t get my posted jobs finished before quitting time (4:00pm); Kathy finished her painting & pulled up the old carpet as directed & also scrubbed those wooden steps with bleach water.

My support unit for the small pool & tub was rejected by supervisor Kevin and I approve of his decision. Last week, I used the last 2X4 Kevin had in the basement for building this support unit; unfortunately it was very warped but I, being an optimist, figured I could make it work; it was too rigid to twist. (60%) of the parts can be salvaged however.

The eloquent & modern light is up in the Moon Room & looking very good; and a support block is epoxied & ready for the sheetrock to be fastened in place.

Lunch by Melissa: homemade chili pizza with a mixed salad & a chocolate smoothie; yummo!

Leave around 4:00pm for M.H., take showers & walk to 6:00pm vigil Mass in Nicktown.

Skype with Nick, Eriko, & Jerry in Seattle; Jerry was very busy & involved with play dough. Nick has a busy work week planned; traveling to San Jose & San Francisco, Mon--Tue and meeting with out-of-down salesmen in Seattle on Thu & Fri.

Dinner: Popcorn while finishing: “Mutiny on the Bounty” with Charles Laughton, Clark Gable, Franchot Tone, Herbert Mundin, Eddie Quillan, Dudley Digges, etc. Storytelling @ its best, in this engrossing adaptation of the Nordhoff-Hall book about mutiny against tyrannical Captain Bligh (Laughton) on voyage to the South Seas. Whole cast is good, but Launghton is unforgettable. Oscar winner for Best Picture. 1935. Don’t miss this version of Mutiny, it outdoes them all.
Lights out: 12:03am

Awake: 5:44am Temp 57 sleep 6+11 sunny overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00 am Mass & then join the KK meeting for (1.2) hrs. After, we exercise for (1.3) hrs.

And after breakfast, we motor straight to the Foote Castle without a shopping stop; today is a play day with the young Foote boys @ Getty Heights Park. A (15) min bus ride & (20) min walk…depending on how many ants Andrew finds or dogs that introduce themselves to the boys.

The best part about this different park was: shade, lots of trees & shade. The playground equipment itself: high tech, but not as well done as plan A, the other park we favor. Andrew nearly fell asleep on the King’s protective swing chair; his subtle request for “more…faster” got weaker & weaker as the King swing kept Andrew more than relaxed. I didn’t time the champion swinger but it had to be (20) to (30) min easily. Returning to the Foote Castle was routine; we intend to return tomorrow….it's a work day.

Dinner: Tuna casserole with fruit & a mixed salad. Surprise: I’ve been invited to a “guys only” fireside chat @ Al’s backyard tonight at 8:00 pm; problem is, we just finished eating dinner @ 8:00 & I’ll be very late if I do the dishes before I go. Well, Kathy was kind enough to excuse me from washing dishes tonight, but now I owe her.

I found Al sitting by the fire ring, patiently waiting for the top-notch selected few to join him; I consider myself lucky to be included. The chosen spot for Al’s fire ring is pleasant & comfortable: somewhat in the forest but still a view of his immaculate manicured landscaping. (2) poles, both oil burners, like one would find in India or the far east, provide light for a folding table nearby. Within (15) min we are joined by Al’s other exclusive pals. It’s been decades since I’ve done something like this & I liked it. Al disappeared for a short time but we thought nothing of it; when he returned, he had a boxed pizza from the Nicktown Hotel. So the menu was: pizza & beer; very nice indeed.

Back to our M.H. @ 10:50; no movie tonight.

Lights out: 11:31pm

Awake: 5:55am Temp 59 sleep 5+35 sunny overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00am Mass & then join the KK meeting for an hr. No breakfast for me…Rotary day & it’s my turn to drive; pickup Pres Al @ 11:20am with only (1) stop before arriving @ the Cambria Hills Golf Club for our meeting. Today we had a guest speaker from Pittsburgh who talked about Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma. Most of us had no idea of how many young children are stricken with these diseases & die. The cure is yet to be found.

Test lunch from a new vendor: sliced ham, sliced potatoes, coleslaw & a cake that Donna B. baked. After (2) more stops, Al & I return to Nicktown @ 2:15.

Kathy brought Kevin’s weed whacker here yesterday to help clean up our immediate landscape area; now she volunteers to use it on the tall grass (still slightly damp) that clogged the mower yesterday. I must admit, this girl gave that weed whacker a good workout while I was on the opposite side of our M.H. doing other things; she doesn’t complain but emphasizes: “it better be a good movie tonight!”

Dinner: leftover power burger, leftover baked penne with tomatoes, basil & Italian sausage + fruit salad.

No “O’Reilly Factor” or nat’l news.

DVR movie: “Mutiny on the Bounty.” We both agree: (1 hr 24 min) now, the rest tomorrow).

Lights out: 11:37pm

Awake: 5:49am Temp 67 sleep 6+30 overcast—(3) hrs later, heavy rain overnight, Nicktown.

K & I join the KK meeting @ 8:30am for an hr & then exercise for (1.5) hrs. We had plans to visit the Foote grandchildren today & do an outside activity…but not since the heavy deluge. Kathy calls Melissa & suggests we pick another day, although Matthew was not so accepting & needed a little convincing, she had no problem with that.

After our late breakfast, we motor to Johnstown & pickup our Eureka Vacuum cleaner parts; there were no charges. We thanked Ernie for his good work & then called my cousin Rita who lives just up the road; soon to be (90) yrs young. She invites us to pay a visit. Rita has (11) children, grown of course, with (2) daughters visiting her now. Rita does look her age but her mind is still very sharp. After a good (1.5) hr gab session & a cheesecake smothered with cherry sauce, we continue on our way to Nicktown….just in time for a walk to 6:00pm Mass. Afterward, we spend some time talking with Florentz, Anna & John B. outside the church.

Evening time: watch: “The O’Reilly Factor” & more of Samantha Brown’s travel tours.

Dinner: Power burger, fried noodles, fruit salad & Bing Cherries.

Late evening: DVR movie: “Along Came Jones” with Gary Cooper, Loretta Young, William Demarest, Dan Duryea, etc. (3) stars are most ingratiating in very low-key, leisurely Western spoof, with Cooper (who also produced) mistaken for notorious outlaw Duryea. 1945. You’ll enjoy this if you’re a Loretta Young fan (which I am); nevertheless, Kathy was again happy the movie was short.
Lights out: 12:20am

Awake: 5:52am Temp 63 sleep 6+37 sunny overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00am Mass & then join the KK meeting. Kathy leaves after (20) min for her commitment today with the 3rd floor walls @ the Foote Castle. Meanwhile, the KK meeting continued for nearly an hr.

Without wheels, I walk to the Krumenacker Hardware store, purchase (3) water filters, walk back to our M. H., eat breakfast & then change the main & secondary filters in pump house # (2); then top off our pure water tank in the M. H.

Next, I begin mowing some tall grass west of our M. H. It takes a long time to do a little mowing since the tall grass is still wet. After a series of unclogging the lawnmower’s shoot, I’ll wait for drier times. Then I saunter down to the lower field looking for cut off tree stumps that haven’t been marked by a flag; (5) more flags I plant.

Back inside the M.H., I call Linda in Anchorage & have her forward our mail to Nicktown.
Kathy reports from Indiana, she is finished & on her way home.

We watch the Nat’s news & then the “O’Reilly Factor.”

Dinner: leftover baked penne with tomatoes, basil & Italian sausage + leftover beef stroganoff with cauliflower & fruit salad & Bing Cherries.

With the end of our rope of energy, we watch DRV movie: “Rope” with James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger, Cedric Hardwicke, etc. Two young men kill prep-school pal, just for the thrill of it & challenge themselves by inviting friends & family to their apartment afterward—with the body hidden on the premises. 1948. Interesting; Kathy was glad the movie was short.

High temp=81 Lights out: 11:41

Awake: 5:56am Temp 66 sleep 6+46 sunny overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00 am Mass & then join the KK meeting, which was sparse due to our self appointed Mayor declaring a fishing day for the fishermen. Since our meeting was short, K & I started our exercising a little earlier getting (1.6) hrs total.

Back @ our coach, Gary C. calls: his message indicated that he & Rosemary would be visiting Nicktown this afternoon regardless if we are in town or not; and would visit if we were.

With such distinguished guests arriving, we get right with the mowing program shortly after breakfast. Kathy the mower is like the Duracell Bunny, she just keeps on mowing (except for when the bag fills up); (9) trips to the forest to dump the spent grass is what we counted. We are finished with cutting the inside circle with thunder in all quads; then store the mower & wheelbarrow under our extended slide; once inside the MH, the weather system moved south & only a few drops were felt.

Unfortunately, with us being outside when Gary called again, he assumed that we were not home & decided not to tour Nicktown after all. Darn! Our loss for trying to make a good impression!

Later, Melissa calls: she asks Kathy for a favor. She would like the 3rd floor playroom walls painted with primer in preparation for a top coat of paint. Kathy agrees to do it tomorrow.

Ernie calls from Johnstown: our Eureka vacuum cleaner parts are in. Eureka!

Dinner: baked penne with tomatoes, basil & Italian sausage.

No movie tonight. We watch “O’Reilly Factor” & some of Samantha Brown’s travels.

Lights out: 11:15pm

Awake: 6:38am Temp 64 sleep 6+26 fog, then partly sunny overnight @ Nicktown.

Kathy makes her special sourdough pancakes with all the trimmings for breakfast… yummy.
And today is laundry day; (4) loads. While laundry is being attended, I spend some time & fix the “made in china” portable fan that Kevin picked out from the dumpster. The motor was seized up….big time; after taking sections apart, cleaning & oiling, it runs great & looks like new again.

Next I try to recharge a small (12) volt battery that would fit nicely onto our Snapper mower for the electric start. 1st attempt: 12 volt AC battery charger to no avail. 2nd attempt: (12) volt DC charge from motorhome source to no avail. Future attempt will be with caution; shielding the battery & zapping with a blast of (120 AC volts).

Late morning: grass was too wet for mowing; about 1:30pm, grass is dry enough for Kathy to mow more of the inside of our circular driveway. When the grass catcher fills, I empty the contents into the wheelbarrow; (2) bag loads & it’s taken to the forest & added to our mulch pile. I made 8 or 9 wheelbarrow trips to the mulch pile & then, the north section was too wet to continue mowing; 3hr+30 min of total mowing today.

Dinner: beef stroganoff with noodles, cauliflower & a fruit salad.

Finish watching DVR movie: “Week-end Marriage.”

I couldn't help but wonder what audiences in 1932 thought of this film, most particularly, married women. Would they have nodded in silent agreement that Loretta Young made the right decision in the end, or would they have been outraged that she was pigeon-holed in a certain domestic mold? I think the truth would be somewhere in the middle. Women are never as inflexible and stereotypical as presented in any film, modern or vintage. Every woman is an individual and makes her own decisions which are best for her.

Women in 1932, as today in 2008, know that not one decision is best for everyone. There are benefits to being a homemaker, a wife, and mother, and there are benefits to being a career girl. Women can combine both, but just in time factor alone certain things might very well be sacrificed, even inadvertently, and unfortunately one of the things that can be sacrificed is a marriage.

Quantity time is important, along with quality time. If a husband is feeling neglected because his wife seems to prefer a career over him then the marriage is in trouble. If she makes him know clearly and firmly that she values him more than any job or a paycheck then that marriage will most likely survive. It's all in the balance of what you wish to achieve, your priorities. In that respect Week-end Marriage's ending isn't necessarily a cop-out, but simply a decision by the wife to save what she values more than anything else, her man. Sometimes that does take some - horrors! - SACRIFICE. Author unknown.

Lights out: 11:10pm

Awake: 6:20am Temp 64 sleep 6+52 partly sunny overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00 am Mass & then skip the KK meeting; motor to Wal-Mart & Martin’s for groceries & arrive @ the Foote Castle @ 10:45am. Again….rain is forecast for the local area late afternoon or evening, so Kevin & I elect to continue work on the inside job: the 2nd floor bathroom, shower & small swimming pool tub.

Kevin takes the measurements; I cut & build more support structure for the swimming pool tub unit. We had to modify one section of last week’s work, but that was rectified in (45) min; otherwise, our support structure using 2X4’s is nearly finished. Dealing with cutting angles slowed the process considerably, but it’s better to be slow & do it right then to be quick & have to redo it again. I probably made close to a dozen trips from the basement to the 2nd floor checking on the precise fitting process. And, with Matthew always wanting to help, I had him deliver a few sections to Kevin for a fitting, then bring it back if it needed further trimming.

Kathy’s intended job was not ready for her to work on today so, basically, she babysat & played with the boys; a “job” she doesn’t mind at all.

Chef Melissa’s 1:30 pm lunch: Spaghetti, meat sauce & a mixed salad.

We leave @ 4:00pm; return to our coach, shower & walk to 6:00pm vigil Mass in Nicktown.

Small dinner: fruit salad & popcorn.

Finish watching movie: “Alice’s Restaurant” with Arlo Guthrie, Pat Quinn, James Broderick, Michael McClanathan, Geoff Outlaw, etc. Odd blend of satire, whimsy melodrama & social commentary, generally fun, with quizzically downbeat ending freeform lifestyle of group of friends. 1969. If you’re into the 60’s lifestyle, this flick is for you; if not….skip it. We should have.

Watch ½ of DVR movie: “Weekend Marriage.” Save the rest for the rest of the weekend.

Lights out: 12:12am

Awake: 5:39am Temp 63 sleep 5+12 fog, then overcast overnight @ Nicktown.

Ray & I text on Skype starting @ 6:30 as Kathy sleeps. Ray is looking forward to a
remote controlled model airplane demonstration in Ocean Park today as well as other activities. We, on the other hand, have nothing but a few fireworks evening time. K & I do attend 8:00 am Mass however & join the KK afterward & then, exercise for (1.6) hrs

After a late breakfast, I try mowing more grass….still too wet, but I do make (3) paths thru taller grass outside our circular drive: one path leading to the forest to build up a mulch structure, the other path leading to the electrical meter & circuit box.

It’s been awhile since I’ve run our generator so I test the start & shut down function from the galley control panel. The experts advise us to run the generator @ least once a month & load it down by using a bunch of amps. (20) min running & a max of (89) amps should be good enough. I also run the diesel aqua-hot for (15) min.

I do some afternoon reading from Kevin’s “Fine Home Building magazine.”

We watch the usual news & O’Reilly Factor.

Dinner: Tilapia fish, rice pilaf & fruit salad.

DVR movie: “Alice’s Restaurant.” We watch 58 min

Lights out: 11:28pm

Awake: 6:02 am Temp 61 sleep 6:14 intermittent rain, heavy @ times overnight @
Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00 am Mass & then join the KK for (1.2) hrs. Bill A. brought in a tart cherry pie made by his niece; all members present got a slice & it was scrumptious.

Al & I work out a plan for driving to Rotary today; he has (6) stops, I have (2). He will take his truck; included in those stops is Al’s lawn mower: running rough. We drop that off @ Ken’s Lawnmower repair en route to Rotary…to be picked up after Rotary.

Lunch @ Rotary: fried chicken, pasta, salad & a dessert of brownies & ice cream. Return to Nicktown @ 3:00pm. Al's mower was given a new heart (diaphragm...type of fuel pump.)

During my Rotary time, Nick Skyped Kathy twice & talked with Melissa; working on a plan for a rendezvous in Washington DC for later this month. Both Katrina & Zack are not available. Nick will be on a business trip to DC & will have Eriko & Jerry along. I make reservations @ the Marriot as well as Melissa & Nick. The Footes will drive their Ford Van & we will drive our Suzuki. We look forward to a get together.

Dinner: leftover stuffed peppers.

Watch “The O’Reilly Factor.”

Finish DVR movie: “The Young Lions” with Marion Brando, Montgomery Clift, Dean Martin, Hope Lange, Barbara Rush, Maximilian Schell, etc. One of the all-time best WW2 studies, adapted by Edward Anhalt from the Irwin Shaw novel. Martin & Clift play U.S. soldiers, Brando a confused Nazi officer. 1958. Exceptionally good story & well acted.

Lights out: 12:27am

Awake: 6:28am Temp 53 sleep 6+40 sunny overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend the KK meeting for (1.4) hrs & then exercise for (1.6) hrs. After a quick trip to our coach & a change of clothes, we motor to the Foote Castle for a play day with our grandchildren.
Melissa suggests that we take Matthew & Andrew to the same park we went to last week while she takes Nathan grocery shopping @ Giant Eagle, then she’ll also join us @ the park.

The boys were having another good time checking out all the rides & climbing the structures until…..an influx of slightly older kids showed up with their teenage monitors & they, in a casual manner, overpowered the activities. Timing was ok however, as Melissa & Nathan arrived shortly thereafter & the boys had their snack time before returning to their castle. We say our goodbyes for now & return to our coach.

Next, we get the Snapper lawnmower out & Kathy makes a few pie shape cuts on the inner circle to test the grass, wet or dry. The wheelbarrow can hold (2) full bags of cut grass, then I wheel it to the forest & start my mulch pile. Unfortunately the grass was too wet for any more mowing tonight.

Katrina calls from a pullover spot on I-5 adjacent to San Francisco, CA. Her destination wish is Las Vegas, NV tonight but her GPS reads she’ll arrive after 2:00 am @ that’s too late for her. She’s looking for hotel ideas; by coincidence her GPS has her going the same route to Vegas that we did last December, so we recommend the town of Barstow, CA which is a town of many hotels. Her trip is going well & she is seeing many of her friends.

Dinner: broccoli, cauliflower, ham & beans; all leftovers.

DVR movie: “The Young Lions.” We watch (46) min.

Lights out: 11:48pm

Awake: 5:40am Temp 58 sleep 5+53 2:25 am…heavy rain overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00 am Mass & then join the KK meeting for well over an hr. Hot Topic: AL & Donna’s 41 Anniversary + fun times when reminiscing Nicktown. Unfortunately Kathy had to report for noodle making & missed this special treat.

Later, Donna, the anniversary girl calls; she tells me Al will pick up our lawnmower from Ken since he’ll be in that part of town. “Mighty nice of Al,” I tell her.

Kathy returns from noodle making @ 1:05pm. She tells me all the noodles are made now for the dinner meals (over 180 #). Next they will start making noodles to sell in (1#) bags. She tells me, they can sell as many # as they can make, just depends on the stamina of the volunteers.

Al arrives with our Snapper mower; after unloading I thank him & begin mowing a section of grass around our circular driveway. The Snapper cuts well but the swath is small; also, with tall grass, the bag fills up fast. After taking (3) full bags over to the forest & dumping them, the mower runs out of gas. It’s just as well, this is going to wear Kathy out; now we could use a wheelbarrow.

Dinner: Italian sausage in tomato, meat spaghetti, sauce, mixed salad & fresh peach slices.

After dinner, we watch the O’Reilly Factor while I wash the dishes.

Later, DVR movie: finish watching: “The Sand Pebble” with Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Richard Crenna, Candice Bergen, Mako, etc. McQueen gives one of his finest performances as cynical sailor on U.S. gunboat cruising China’s Yangtze River in 1926. Movie produced 1966. Very entertaining; Kathy admits it’s a good movie.

High temp=70 Lights out: 11:48pm

Awake: 5:47am Temp 60 sleep 6+02 mostly cloudy overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00 am Mass & then join the KK for (1.3) hrs. Afterward, Kathy & I had just begun our exercise routine when Dave K motioned to me that Barry L needed some extra help taking the smaller tent down that was used during the 2nd Annual Car Show yesterday. With a total of (6) helpers, we were done in about (20) min. Then K & I continued our exercise for (1.5) hrs & returned to our coach @ 11:56 for a late breakfast.

Mid afternoon, Ken D the lawnmower man calls: “The Snapper is ready” he tells me. “Wonderful, I’ll try & work something out with Al K using his pickup for the mower pickup later this week” I tell him.

Dinner: Sword fish, broccoli, rice & a mixed salad.

DVR movie: “The Sand Pebble.” We watch the 1st hr & save the rest for tomorrow.

High temp=66 Lights out: 11:47pm

Awake: 6:31am Temp 62 sleep 6+53 sky overcast overnight @ Nicktown.

Gary C calls to wish Kathy a “Happy Birthday” & then, Gary & I update each other on our respective activities. At 9:00 am, we drive to the community center expecting to do some volunteer work; turns out, there was nothing to do. By some rare coincidence, our intended work had been done by other volunteers @ 6:30am. We were a little disappointed.

What to do with some free time? Idea! Take Kathy out for breakfast for her birthday @ the newly renovated “City Hotel” in Barnesboro, a (3.5) mile drive. What a surprise we had; some (50) yrs ago, this was the McCormick Place; new owners completely gutted, the inside, updated & renovated inside & outside with some great fashion statements. What a remarkable difference from the olden days. Our breakfast was very good & then Linda, the owner’s wife, showed us around to include a typical hotel room.

Later in the morning, Nick Skyped Kathy with “Birthday Wishes.” Then with Eriko & Jerry in the picture & sound, the Foote family arrives & also joins in with the audio & visual reunion. Our living room was filled with big ears & eyes. The Foote boys especially enjoyed seeing Jerry play with some of his toys. Nick, Eriko & Jerry plan on going to the beach today as forecasted temperatures are predicted in the 90’s.

When the Foote family arrived, they evidently brought rain with them; so we waited for the wave to pass thru before our walk to the community center. Today is the 2nd Annual Car Show plus a chicken BBQ lunch with beans, potatoes, coleslaw, buns, etc. Hotdogs & hamburgers also served for the small eaters + live music by PT Cruisers….and games for the kids.

(2) good sized tents & (1) smaller one help keep the performers & hungry crowd comfortable & dry when the predicted rain waves move on thru. Some (25) classic & oldie cars & trucks & tractors are parked on the playground for the crowd to peruse & choose a winner by their votes; 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place trophies will be given.

While the Foote family enjoyed the BB chicken lunch, K & I toured the car show which was quite surprising in itself…..having so many out-of-towners attend. Then we watched over the young Foote kids using the playground equipment so Melissa & Kevin could occasionally take a short break.

K & I ate later & shared a BBQ chicken lunch. As we begin to amble back to our motorhome with the Foote family, another wave of rain moved in fast; luckily both Melissa & I had umbrellas so we kept a few clothes somewhat dry en route. The Footes leave around 4:30.

Katrina called for Kathy’s birthday & left a message.

A good friend of Kathy’s: Mary Ann B from Memphis called during our Skype time with Nick & when the Foote family was visiting; timing was not good so Kathy returned the call for another birthday wish & probably a good hr of talk.

Dinner: Fruit salad.

Another surprise: a Skype call from Zack using his girlfriend’s computer which has a microphone & camera. It was wonderful seeing & talking with both of them. Zack introduced his new specs to us, which look very professional. We enjoy some (42) min of talk time with them.

Late evening, we finish watching: “Pressure Point” with Sidney Poitier, Bobby Darin, Peter Falk, Carl Benton Reid, Mary Munday, etc. Intelligent drama, with Poitier the prison psychiatrist trying to ferret out the problems of his Nazi patient (Darin). Based on a true case from Dr. Robert M. Lindner’s “The Fifty-Minute Hour.” 1962. Fascinating to say the least; I wasn’t aware of Bobby Darin’s amazing acting skills & some (13) motion pictures. To me, he was a true rock & roll singer of the late 50’s with about a dozen hit songs.

High temp=66 Lights out: 11:45pm

Awake: 5:32am Temp 65 sleep 5+58 cloudy overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00 am Mass & then drive directly to Wal-Mart in Indiana for grocery shopping & a quick stop @ Martin’s for cheese. This is Saturday, our “will work for food” day.

Due to a 70% chance of rain, TRW’s etc, Kevin & I elect to by-pass the idea of mixing & pouring concrete for his storage facility today. Instead, we concentrate our time indoors on the 2nd floor with the almost forgotten “newly in progress bathroom & swimming pool.” Kevin, the master engineer on this project, assigns me the duty of cutting & sawing. I feel our progress was good today; support structure on (2) walls plus (2) gate supports built where open space exists. Kevin did a very good job of studying & measuring out the board sizes needed.

Kathy got a “raise” today! After reading to the boys during their snack time, she began working in their playroom on the 3rd floor. She wire brushed a section of a wall that appeared to be mil dewed, but she did not find any wet spots or the cause of the current condition. Since she had already cleaned up the boys Brio trains & tracks & rolled up the rugs, she decided to proceed with removing the wall paper on 2 walls in preparation for the next decorating scheme.

We did break for lunch @ 1:30pm: meat balls, cheesy noodles, beef & potatoes, chicken; all tasty leftovers plus a fresh mixed salad. We return to our coach @ 4:40. Heavy rain began @ 5:25pm. Then K & I drive to attend 6:00pm vigil Mass.

Dinner: popcorn.

DVR movie: “Pressure Point.” We watch about 1/3 & plan a finish tomorrow.

High temp=76 Lights out: 11:38pm

Awake: 6:01am Temp 62 sleep 6+13 drizzle, morning hrs overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00 am Mass & then join the KK for (1.4) hrs. Janet L brings freshly baked cinnamon rolls to celebrate Kathy & Betty K’s birthdays (2) days early. Birthdays usually bring in the seldom seen members. Afterward, K & I exercise for (1.5) hrs.

Back in our coach, there is a message waiting for Kathy from Ken D, the lawnmower man. Kathy returns his call & informs me that Ken D has a 1986 yr Snapper mower available. Exciting news….we waste no time getting to North Spangler & Ken’s lawnmower shop. The mower looks good & starts right up on 1st pull. It kinda took me by surprise because I didn’t expect the mower to look so good & have the extra features: (6) speeds, electric start, easy bag removal & safety features. I suggested to Ken that if he would give us a new spark plug & replace the cracked flap on the back, he would have a deal; he agreed & will try & have it ready on Monday. Only thing left to do now is figure out how to get it delivered.

Dinner: left over crab cakes from Wal-Mart & salmon patties with rice & salad.

Zack calls from Seattle; 1st he was walking to get his car from the parking garage, then driving to pick up Katie @ their rental house & take her to the doctor. She’s had a temperature for about (3) days now & is tired of whatever is bugging her. We talk for about (20) min.

Watch DVR movie: “President’s Analyst” with James Coburn, Godfrey Cambridge, Severn Darden Joan Delaney, etc. Totally nutty, brilliantly maneuvered satire of many sacred cows, as Coburn is pursued by half the government when he quits title job. The ending is a beauty. 1967. Nutty, goofy, silly etc, but true satire. It could be your cup of tea, it sure wasn’t Kathy’s.

High temp=75 Lights out: 11:34pm

Awake: 5:42am Temp 62 sleep 6+27 rain…heavy @ times overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I attend 8:00am Mass & then join the KK for (1.5) hrs. Hot topic: distinguished guest, Tom H. bringing us up-to-date on atomic energy & submarines.

Rotary meeting today; Al is sworn in as President for the 2nd time. We drive separate cars as he will be delayed after the meeting.

Lunch @ Rotary by Donna B: Roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, salad & cake for dessert. Al’s 1st request as President: retain Donna as chief chef. (She is outgoing Pres).

Stop @ Sheetz for air in driver’s side front tire. Then K & I motor to Johnstown (30) miles, with our Eureka vacuum cleaner to visit Ernie @ Krisay’s repair shop. He checks the broken plastic canister, double checks the model & serial #, copies our address & will give us a call when the new parts come in.

As long as we are in the Johnstown area, we might as well make our trip worthwhile & visit Conzatti’s Deli to buy some of their delicious sweet Italian sausage & other items of good taste. We are back to Nicktown @ 4:45pm.

Dinner: stuffed pepper, salad & peaches. More heavy rain with thunder & lightening during our meal time.

We watch the O’Reilly Factor & then a DVR movie: “Female” with Ruth Chatterton, George Brent, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Philip Faversham, Ruth Donnelly, etc. Chatterton runs a major auto company with an iron hand…& tries to conduct her love life the same way…until independent minded Brent comes along. (The two stars were then married in real life.) Funny, fascinating role-reversal yarn with incredibly lavish set design. 1933. A short story (60 min) but quite good.
Lights out: 11:48pm