October 2010 Archives

Awake: 6:52am      Temp 40     sleep 7+04     drizzle...cold...sunshine      Nicktown.

This morning we skipped the KK meeting altogether due to: "more house work." After breakfast, we were getting ready to leave when my 1st Cousin Cyril pulled into our driveway. He was in the area & wanted to have a quick tour of our BIG Build.

The construction workers were quite busy, but we stayed away from the trusses they were working on. I gave CY a rather quick .50 cent tour...this time, only because we had travel plans ourselves this morning. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger would say: CY will be back!

Then we motored to Duncansville to visit J & O Fireplace. We had already picked out the fireplace we wanted...but did not make any other arrangements so we spent some good time with Joe & have mucho info now. This one pictured....could be the one? Or it could be this other wonderful looking selection? Don't know do ya?            Next, we visited Jill again; this was our 3rd scheduled meeting with Jill.

Kathy & Jill fine tuned cabinet dimensions & placement with respect to appliances & cabinet color with respect to floor & molding. They continued further discussion regarding the granite countertops & where & how to go about making the selection. Yikes?! Dinner: Minestrone soup with toast.

Lights out: 11:28pm

Awake: 6:12am      Temp 54      sleep 6+41       sunny...windy       overnight @ Nicktown. We cut our KK meeting short this morning due to: "house work."

After breakfast, we had a talk with our builder, Bernie, regarding roofing shingles. He reminded us that very soon, they will be ready to start shingling the roof. So, after having a good talk with Gary & Rosemary about geo-thermo & shingles, K & I motored to Ebensburg; made a quick stop @ the West End Market & then, spent some time @ the "Long Barn" selecting the style & color shingle for our home. Next we grocery shopped @ Wal-Mart & then returned to Nicktown. Later, after the construction team had left for the day, K & I checked out the progress on the hex; it appears to be very close to being finished. Back inside our motorhome, Zack called & talked with Kathy, making up for Tuesday's lost chit-chat.

Early evening, my ole buddy, Charlie, called from Spangler; he was in town for a few days visiting his mother. He & his sister visited our BIG Build earlier this afternoon, but, of course, we had gone shopping. Charlie will be driving back to Cleveland this evening.

Mid evening, Nick Skyped & brought us up-to-date on their BIG MOVE...which is scheduled for Saturday. He told us if everyone who volunteered to help would show up, the process wouldn't take very long.

Dinner: Tuna steak, fried noodles, broccoli, & a mixed salad.

Lights out:11:48pm.

Awake: 6:45am       Temp 49       sleep 6+51      sunny      overnight @ Nicktown.

After our KK meeting, we both returned to our motorhome & had breakfast.

About an hr later, Joddi had invited Kathy to join her & several other women who bowl in Indiana, Pa on Wednesdays. So, Kathy was picked up by Janet & they picked up Joddi on the way to Indiana.

Meanwhile, I was free for the morning & some of the afternoon. So I spent some time on my computer- & off & on outside watching the construction team add plywood onto the wings of the roof.This was taken during the guy's lunch. Look closely & you can see that the left wing is not yet complete.                                                    Later, after the work day, the left wing was finished.








Kathy returned @ 3:30, having had a fun time. She enjoyed the other 10 women who bowled & was satisfied with her scores (for 3 games) after several years of not bowling. Eight of the women (incl. Kathy, Janet, & Joddi) went to Dingbats in the Indiana Mall for lunch. I think this might be the start of a new social activity for Kathy.

Dinner: Minestrone soup with toast.

Lights out:11:31pm.

Awake: 6:20am      Temp 53     sleep 6+17     hazy....sunny      overnight @ Nicktown.

We skipped our KK meeting this morning due to: much to do. Before breakfast, I intended to get after the Gate Valve & get that problem solved.

1st I took the suitcases & other things out of one of our basement storage cabinet to easily access the panel of fuses. Both fuses were good. Next, I called the Newell Corp & asked for technician Whitey; we compared our wiring colors for the Gate Motor & I realized that there had been a change on the wiring. Whitey then gave me the colors to match his wiring setup. I thanked him a lot & got out my soldering kit; only (2) wires needed to be changed & re-soldered. Next the test; "Bingo!" We're back in business. Then Kathy did another load of laundry & another test...which passed as well. I am happy. 

Around 2:40pm, Melissa & her boys arrived @ our place for another thrilling episode & adventure of: "what else can we find in the Dumpster!" However, in lieu of dashing directly over to the mystery Dumpster full of treasures, their timing was especially good for another exceptional risky venture: a tour of the main floor of our house.

The boys had seen & thoroughly checked out the basement before but not the main floor. The construction team was on break so we had a good (15) min to ourselves. Kathy did a good job of touring Melissa around both wings & the hex & I did my best to keep an eye on the boys so they wouldn't get hurt in any way.

When the construction team returned to the main floor, we by-passed the dumpster &, again, perused the basement area. After the boys collected quite a few bent & rusty nails, a few big screws & small pieces of Styrofoam, & several ladybugs, they really were ready to have me be the treasure chest finder in that dumpster. So, it was I, who once again, fished out more goodies (junk) then one could ever imagine.




The boys were allowed to sit & have one leg in the dumpster; that way they could just about see everything worth asking for.
The sad part about this treasure hunting is: Melissa put her foot down & now they are not permitted to take any more treasures back to their home unless they are worthy of having...like a box of wooden blocks. Melissa intends to sand the corners & then allow the boys to play with them. Poor Nathan, he was in tears that he couldn't take a treasure back home. How can I possibly get rid of this stuff if she sticks to her policy?










 
Another fun day, regardless! Oh, by the way, Gregory is now walking. He is sooo cute & such a nice guy. We waved to the Footes as they headed back to their Castle.

Shortly after they left, my cousin Florentz drove in so we gave him a tour of the main floor. After looking things over, he told us that the construction business has changed a lot since his building time, but he thinks they are doing a good job.

Dinner: Pulled pork in Rendezvous bar-b-q- sauce, rice, salad, & bread.

Late evening Zack called while driving back to his rental house; Kathy & I both talked with him on individual phones for a short time & then we kept getting disconnected. Zack then called our cell phone & I told Kathy that I would talk 1st & then let her talk. 1 hr 4 min later, I finished the call & Kathy was sound asleep. It was well worth the talk time as Zack figured out what I was having trouble doing: posting photos on my blog.

Turned out my camera was not the culprit after all; because we have our own web site, I was creating trouble by posting too many photos beyond our web site's limit. So Zack simply showed me how to open another folder to handle more photos & "Bingo" it's working like a charm. Thank you very, very much, Zack. He said he would call his mother another day.

Lights out: 11:54pm.

Awake: 6:36am     Temp 60     sleep 6+43      overcast....rain      Nicktown.

I skipped the KK meeting & Kathy stayed for about (20) min this morning. I wanted to call Newell in reference to my failure with the dumping system...but the time zone had me waiting. So I ate my breakfast & then called Newell & talked with Tommy about my failed electric dump Drain Master. I thought I would start 1st by checking the fuses....which Tommy gladly agreed on the location & numbers. However, the rain diverted my plans today.

About 10:14am, a good sized boom truck with trailer pulled into our driveway from 84 Lumber. They wasted no time in untying the loaded trailer. After positioning the truck & lowering the outriggers, the unloading of the trusses began. Unfortunately light rain began about 10:56am as I was walking in our field. The rain stayed relatively steady for hrs, not ferocious but heavy enough to be somewhat dangerous for the builders & the crane operator.

At 2:42pm, a load of plywood from...I believe, 84 Lumber, showed up on our driveway & then asked for directions as to where to off-load his load.     Then we had (2) unloading operations going @ the same time. Unloading the plywood....                                 and the roof trusses. About 11:00 am, Kathy motored to the church hall to help the ladies out with the funeral luncheon.

Back @ the high trusses & Plywood area, even the boss contractor got to higher places during this rainy day Mid afternoon, my buddy John visited & we toured the BIG BUILD a little in the rain.....& also in the almost dry basement.                         Here is the final truss network over the hex. When they finished up, the boom truck driver went on his way, as well as the plywood hauler.Then the construction team moved the 2X2's, 2X4's, 2X6's, etc out of the garage & back to the front of the house for easier availability.

Then they covered all of the wood & misc things up for the night. What a day it was & I heard no complaints what-so-ever. Bernie definitely has a great team.

Dinner: Tomato soup & a mixed salad.

Lights out: 12:03am.

Awake: 7:00am Temp 53 sleep 7+33 partly sunny overnight @ Nicktown. Kathy did (2) laundry loads early this morning. While she was doing that easy & soft cushion chore, I got out the new gate valve that Newell sent over a month ago & proceeded to get ready to replace the old (4) yr, gate valve with the new one.

A few months ago, while dumping the gray water, the old valve started opening less than half way each time & I don't want that thing to fail completely, especially now. So after dumping the soapy wash water from the system, the gray water lines were reasonably clean & I got busy disconnecting the old gate valve..... & replacing it with a new valve. Next I copied the re-wiring exactly as the Newell technician specified. All was going well until I tested the system & then: IT DIDN'T WORK! Yikes.

Meanwhile, Kathy & I had planned on cutting each other's hair today & when I sheepishly admitted my failure; she was very, very disappointed. I was going to start trouble-shooting but the time was ticking & we had another most important engagement coming up fast, so I changed my mind & we did cut each other's hair with only minutes to spare. After a quick change of clothes, we were en-route to Gary & Rosemary's home.

As we approached their spotless white house, we eyed their Halloween decorations on their porch...but wait a minute; they also have their Christmas lights up....already; Wow! 1st of all, Gary wanted me to see his (7) yr old Sears tractor with the bent steering mechanism; he's been having trouble getting a replacement part from Sears as they have sent him the wrong (opposite part) (3) times! That would be frustrating.

Then to help cheer him up, we had somewhat of a surprise for Gary: (5) rather large boxes of remnants from the 2X2's, 2X4's & 2X6's of our house building. Each box was packed tight with care. They will come in handy when starting their Pot Belly Stove. Yes, there are (5). 

Next, we spent some good time relaxing with wine on the porch just kibitzing & catching up on each other's retired life style.

Dinner by Rosemary: Boneless pork chops, homegrown beans, homemade applesauce, muffins, rice & a veggie tray; all very delicious.....especially the chocolate cake for dessert.  Ahem, & I didn't complain about the ..... ice cream. 

After the table was cleared, we played (2) rounds of: Diminishing Bridge, one of my favorite games. However, during the 1st round, I nearly divorced my love for this outrageous & annoying bunch of crooked card tossing stuff.

Good thing I worked hard to keep my cool as the 2nd round of Diminishing Bridge went much better...only because my opponent, Rosemary, sort of encouraged me to: "quit focusing on the dump valve thing & concentrate on the card game." Thus, she & I tied for 1st place on that round.

Thanks guys, for the splendid meal & a fun, fun time.

Back in our motor home, we called my sister, Mary Jo; she was busy studying for her mid year child CPR test & would rather call at a later time & talk longer. That was fine with us.

Lights out: 11:53pm.

Awake: 6:28am     Temp 39     sleep 6+18     mostly sunny     overnight @ Nicktown.

After the KK meeting & our breakfast, K & I drove over to the church hall & got prepped on our jobs for this afternoon. Today is the "Wine Fest" & we are volunteers from 12:30 pm until 4:00pm.

There were (5) wine vendors from what they call: "Groundhog Wine Trail in Northern PA" for today's wine tasting event. Kathy was the runner, bringing purchased wine from the vintners for people who chose not to carry their goods around with them but rather have it stored for later pickup. I was the organizer, keeping track of these bottles behind the bar & giving them to the people after proper identification. Kathy got to exercise her legs & socialize & I got to exercise my math & jaws so we were both happy.

I can't tell you how many bottles of wine passed thru our security station during our (3.5) hrs....so I won't. But, Kathy came up with the idea of leaving (15) min early (which was fine with our replacements) to attend the 4:00pm vigil Mass @ the Prince of Peace Church in Barnesboro. After Mass, we changed clothes & returned to the wine tasting event as partakers rather than workers.

The plan worked great; we had tickets & when entering the church hall again, we couldn't believe how the crowd quadrupled + in size. It was difficult to walk around...but people were very friendly & happy...& most patient. Yes, there were a lot of Nicktowners present as well as many, many more from other towns, near & far.

After making the rounds several times to all (5) vendors, we relaxed & socialized with a few people we know who live out-of-state but frequent Nicktown often.  I had no idea what a success this wine fest has been. I'll definitely look forward to next year's extravaganza.

Back in our motorhome, we called my sister, Mary Jo, & left a message. Then we started a movie: "Murder on the Orient Express." With Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Ingrid Berman, Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, etc. Kathy was worn out but managed to watch about (44) min before bedtime.

Lights out: 11:27pm.

Awake: 6:15am     Temp 36      sleep 6+56      mostly sunny, but cold winds @ Nicktown.

Construction crew arrived @ 6:52am. After our KK meeting, Kathy, Debbie & I exercised for 1.5 hrs. Debbie was on the ball & found out that there was no school today due to a teacher's conference so she tipped us off. Thanks Deb.

After breakfast, Kathy & I talked with Bernie about the opportunity to have an enlarged Pantry; he was thinking ahead of us as he left a space open for that very reason.

Mid afternoon, I went around the premises picking up remnants of wood: 2x4's & 2x6'es etc that could no longer be used by the builders & carefully packed them in large boxes.

Meanwhile, Kathy motored to Ebensburg for a few groceries & a few more large boxes. By the time we finished packing the remnants, we had (5) rather heavy boxes.

Before the workers left for the day, they all got together & cleaned up the entire area in front of the house; here is a before shot. It doesn't look too messy from this angle due to blockage by the motorhome.... here is after the cleanup photo.                                                       All clean in prep for Monday's BIG truck & crane.
 
Dinner: a bowl of Clam chowder, leftover tuna & noodle & a mixed salad.

Late evening: we continue watching: "Gladiator" with Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, Richard Harris, etc. Impressive tale from the days of the Roman Empire, with Crowe as a dedicated soldier who refuses to transfer his loyalty to the new emperor Commodus (Phoenix) and suffers the consequences, winding up a gladiator in the Roman Coliseum. Crowe wins Academy Award & best picture, Costume Design, Sound & Visual Effects. 2000. The movie surprised us; if you haven't seen this award winning movie, don't pass it up.

Lights out: 12:09am.

Awake: 6:16am   Temp 50   sleep 6+16    windy...cool but mostly sunny     Nicktown.

After our KK meeting, Barry visited & toured down & around our BIG Build. Afterwards, I spent another hr scrutinizing my digital camera. Here we see the builders putting up the walls. The home builders spent an extra hr today prepping for the Monday roof trusses. The higher 2x4's is were the hex will be. After the workers left for the day, Kathy & I did some serious looking @ our projected pantry on the main floor & suddenly realized that...it could be made bigger & more convenient with little effort. Tomorrow we will talk with Bernie about this idea.

Dinner: Steak Pizzaiola Burgers; very, very good.

Evening movie: "Gladiator." We watched about 1/4th.

Lights out: 11:19pm.

Awake: 6:36am       Temp 37      sleep 6+24      sunny       overnight @ Nicktown.

Kathy & I skipped the KK meeting this morning & hung out in our motorhome most of the day.
I forgot to mention about the disturbing phone call for me that we had from Melissa last night around 9ish! She told us that in going back to the archives of my Blog, some of the pictures do not match up with the day's posting. This was my 1st clue that something went amiss on my Sony camera & I think I know what has been happening.

During the last (175) photos I have shot, occasionally when I pulled up the photo to be on the day's blog, I would have a double opportunity: choose the old photo number or the new photo number. Naturally I would always choose the new number. What I didn't know was: I was pushing an archive number out & replacing it with the same number as my new photo number. All of this was due to the 9999 photo number that wouldn't turn over to 10,000. I don't know how many journal day pictures have been switched since this was a minor shock just to listen to Melissa's archiving experience.

I will admit that after (5) yrs of owning my Sony camera, there is still a lot of info I've passed up reading. So today, I read the pages... pushed the buttons & learned things that could have avoided this problem. It's under control now but to peruse the archive photos & make corrections....well, we will see?

A few days ago, Kathy also had a few minor glitches on her Apple Computer but today our son, Nick, cleared one of them up pronto. The other glitch was corrected by a phone call to the Apple experts.

Late afternoon, we took a break from our computers & the Sony User's Guide to witness the workers progress. Yes, they are starting to raise the walls. They worked an extra hr today....getting ready for Monday's scheduled roof truss.

Dinner: crab cakes, tilapia fish, pepper slices & cauliflower.

Lights out: 12:00 midnight.

Awake: 6:53am Temp 42 sleep 6+59 fog...then sunny overnight @ Nicktown. After breakfast, Kathy motored to Barnesboro for groceries.

              During her absence, Long Barn delivered a good sized load of 2X4's. And we had a visitor (John) who was curious about the progress on the BIG BUILD. We toured the basement floor & eyeballed what progress we could see on the main floor. John asked if I knew much about relatively new Honda motorcycles, then he continued to describe his bike's problem. I asked if he had the owner's manual because sometimes that is a good source of info. He did not.

I let him know that I would have gone to see what I could do on his bike right now, but our grandkids are expected to visit with us today & I'd be in BIG trouble if I wasn't here for them.

He said his good friend is a pretty good fixer with bikes so he'll probably take it over to him today & have it checked out. I did suggest before John left, that he might try to get the owner's manual from the seller.

       Shortly after John left, (3) excited kids popped out of a mini-van with shovels in hand. Obviously they were properly prepared to get muddy & wet; when they settled in the lower mud road area, the mud was mostly dry. Hmm, I couldn't help thinking of another idea; there were a lot of unusable pieces of Styrofoam lying around, so I suggested they try Styrofoam sledding off the steep top-soil mountains. Nathan goes first. After numerous attempts & disappointments, I talked the boys into using the Styrofoam like flying airplanes, throwing them into the wind. Yes, fly it like that airplane up[ there, after all, it is quite windy today I told them. However, after more numerous attempts & disappointments, they decided to find their own entertainment...which turned out to be muddy water after all...& they used their Styrofoam pieces as boats. The boats were great; no matter how much they tried to sink them, they would always re-surface.

Later, all the boys, even Gregory, were looking around the basement for things they could keep as souvenirs. Nathan got lucky & found a clip of nails from a nail gun; all of a sudden his popularity ballooned!

Matthew & Andrew were like instant shysters, bartering for this & giving that, etc. Hey, this souvenir idea led us directly to a treasure chest called: "The Dumpster." Yes sir folks, step right up. Every thing is free; your wish is my command. Young man, I believe you would like a wonderful, one of a kind. box....yes sir, here you are.              you requested a tube of sub-floor adhesive .........I am at your service.                  These boys & this boy were sure having a grand ole time....but Mother Melissa was not looking forward to having that bundle of "stuff" in their home. This box & it's contents were divided into 3 sections: left to right: Matthew's, Andrew's & Nathan's. Fortunately Kathy & Melissa made a deal with the boys; each could take home only two of their treasures; the rest will be kept under our motor home until their next visit. Before Melissa & the boys leave, they have their healthy snack time in the yard. If you look closely to Matthew's right hand, he's holding onto one of his new treasures.                                                  We sure had fun today

Dinner: Tuna Salad & a mixed salad.

Lights out: 12:12am.

Awake: 6:26am     Temp 39      sleep 6+09      overcast...rain      overnight @ Nicktown.

After breakfast, with the help of Pam in Alaska, I filled out the application for renewal on our Suzuki auto; then took the application to our nearby Notary for verification & next, the post office.
Rain began about 3:05pm. The house builders put the plywood down on the main floor of the (2) wings & covered them before the rain came. However, the hex has not been finished yet. Called my buddy Ray in Ocean Park, WA & we chatted for a good (40) min. Sometimes I get the impression that Ray is having more fun than I. He flies airplanes you know. Oh, they are remote controlled but still, that's got to be fun. Their motors are battery powered & brush-less.

Dinner: Fillet steak, fried noodles, salad, & bread.

Lights out: 11:54pm.

Awake: 7:24am      Temp 46       sleep 7+14       sunny      overnight @ Nicktown.

Our morning was spent almost like real seniors: in peaceful relaxation & dignity. Then about 1:10pm, in came the Foote family. We walked & toured them around the basement floor where most of the room studs were in place. This was the 1st time Kevin saw our home building project & he had many questions.

From here, we drove in separate cars & met about 3/4th of a mile down the road at the "Corn Maze," across from the Barr Ridge Dairy Farm. This year's theme was "The Wizard of Oz."

After we got our punch & check sheets, we proceeded to the maze where Matthew took the lead. The weather was perfect & the boys were excited.....for the 1st (45) min or so; we were doing great & covered a lot of the trails finding Dorothy right quick; ...but Nathan, who was holding my finger, was slowing down the pace. His interest was more in corn then finding the Cowardly Lion. It was a bit much for this young guy (age 3+), walking / running around all those tall corn stalks, unable to see very well, etc. He picked the right guy to help him out....his dad & up on his shoulders he went with a big smile.

But soon after, the (3) younger Foote guys had their fill of the maze & were eager to play with the trucks in the large "corn box" just outside the maze.

We had 2 more characters to find & Matthew announced he would try to find one more. So off Kevin, Kathy, Matthew & I went. In about 5 minutes we found one of the missing characters & Matthew announced: "That's enough for me. I want to play in the corn box," so off he & Kevin went.

Kathy & I continued on our own for a short (10) min or so; Kathy found the Tinman's Heart just before I did. Then we joined the Footes in the corn box. We all had a fun time regardless of going around in circles so much. Nathan looked a lot happier in the corn box than he did holding those ears of corn. guess who? We said our goodbyes to the Foote family & weather permitting, we'll see them on Tuesday.

Dinner: Alaska Salmon, rice with golden raisins, 4-bean salad & steamed veggies. Lights out: 12:17am.

Awake: 6:46am     Temp 41     sleep 6+36     sunny & cool     overnight @ Nicktown.

After the KK meeting, I called & talked with my aviation buddy, Barry; who just had arthroscopic surgery on his knee Friday a week ago. We've been missing him @ our KK. We didn't talk too long as he had other things to do but he is getting around & expects to return to the KK starting Monday.

Mid afternoon, our near neighbor, Chuck, was walking around with a young man whom he wanted me to meet. I finally met the youngest son of Chuck & Shirley's (10) children. Greg is married & living in State College, PA. It took awhile but I think I have finally met all of Chuck's children.

K & I attended 6:00pm vigil Mass @ Nicktown. Afterward, we went to the Nicktown Bar where we joined John & (2) of his brothers; Tom, who lives in Nicktown & Mel, who lives in Tennessee with his girl friend, Linda. We've heard of Tom, but never met him; we met Mel about (4) yrs ago & just met his girlfriend tonight. We all had a beer & got to know each other a little better. Mel's motorhome had some mechanical work to be done yet tonight so our small party was rather short but sweet. We enjoyed seeing Mel again & meeting his girlfriend & Tom.

Dinner: leftover stuffed peppers.

We finished watching: "Yankee Doodle Dandy" with James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Irene Manning, Rosemary DeCamp, Richard Whorf, Jeanne Cagney, etc. Cagney wraps up film in neat little package all his own with dynamic recreation of George M. Cohan's life and times; he deservedly won Oscar for rare song-and-dance performance, as did music directors Ray Heindorf and Heinz Roemheld. 1942. Great production. Based on a true story.

Lights out: 12:31am.     

Awake: 6:09am     Temp 41      sleep 6+23     partly sunny     overnight @ Nicktown.

House construction crew arrived about 7:00 am, in the dark. Last evening, a barking seal moved into our Motor home! This morning, since Kathy was really barking, I convinced her to skip the KK meeting, NOT wanting to spread unwanted germs.

Today the workers were getting ready to lay the trusses on the main floor. Mid afternoon K & I motored to Ebensburg for groceries @ West End Market & Wal-Mart & to pick up some cough medicine. After our return & the groceries were stashed away, we meandered our way to the basement floor & checked on the house progress. This is looking North. And this is looking South. Here is a bird's eye view of the trusses across the south wing & north wing. Compare this photo with today's 1st, 3rd,& 4th photo & you can see how much progress these guys made today. Dinner: New England clam chowder, crab cakes, rice, & a mixed salad.

Nick called from his condo; Jerry was quite active & noisy, so the call was pretty short. Nick is still interested in purchasing a house on 7th St.

Melissa called to confirmed our going to the corn maze on Sunday.

Movie: "Yankee Doodle Dandy." We watch ½.

Lights out: 12:10am.

Awake: 6:15am     Temp 48      sleep 6+21      morning rain     overnight @ Nicktown.

Early afternoon, I took my Buick Riviera out of storage & drove it around for (5) miles to get some of the cobwebs out. Before winter sets in, I might do it again.

The house construction crew decided to move the heavy trusses & 2x6 lumber closer to the main floor for easier availability. And before they leave the workplace, they cover the trusses & lumber in case it rains. Early dinner: filled peppers.

After dinner, K & I joined the crowd that assembled @ the middle school in Northern Cambria for a discussion of the sewer system coming to Nicktown early next yr.

Anyone whose home is within (150) ft of the main line, must connect to the system. Our home is approximately (380) ft from the main line so we are not obligated to connect. We were @ the meeting for over (2) hrs.

Lights out: 11:46pm.

Awake: 6:50am d      Temp 39       sleep 7+10       sunny       overnight @ Nicktown.

Aha, I like a "good morning" signal that shines thru the trees. The blue tarp is keeping the Trusses dry.




This morning we skipped the KK meeting; I am expecting Larry, from Ebensburg to give me some ideas about having our well water all underground in lieu of having (2) pump houses above ground. He showed up mid morning & assured me that this change-over would be fairly easy to do...with the exception of digging down to the water lines & replacing them with larger piping. An excavator will be required he told me.

Noon time, K & I checked on the BIG DIG progress. The workers are nearly finished studding the basement outside walls.






Next, we both agreed to take a walk for exercise.......down Luther road. We planned for a mere (1) hr walk & this is the turn around spot: And here is the entrance to our home (2.4) miles later. When Kathy wanted to do another check on the house project, I suggested that we take a better look via a birds eye view; "but I've never climbed up on the roof of our motorhome before" she said. "Ok me lady, I'll show you how I do it & then you do it," I told her. To my surprise, she made it look easy.

Later, we attended 6:00 pm Mass &, afterward, Theresa, Kathy & I patronized the Nicktown Bar. Chris joined us a little later.

Dinner: Special Salad.

Lights out: 11:54pm.

Awake: 5:45am   Temp 53    sleep 5+32    early morning rain...then mostly sunny   overnight @ Nicktown. Workers arrived around 7:00am.

After our KK meeting & breakfast, we talked with Bernie about man doors in the basement & windows on the main floor. Shortly after noontime, 84 Lumber Company brought in a load of trusses. Later in the day, the Long Barn Inc delivered a heavy load of 2x6's. @ 2:10pm, Melissa & her boys paid us a visit. We had talked with the Foote family about doing the Corn Maze today; however since the heavy rain earlier this morning, we doubted if the maze field would be dry enough to enjoy the challenge. Just then, Melissa spotted something: "hey, what's that.... it looks like a mud-puddle". Quick guys get your shovels!" So...in lieu of running around in a corn field getting wet & muddy, the boys got their shovels out & started getting wetter & muddier by building small stone structures filled with muddy water? The bigger guys, Matthew & Andrew, quickly tired of that project & asked if they could go over to the other top-soil mountain, which was just fine.

They began making a slide on that mountain a few weeks ago & wanted to continue. I wasn't there as I offered to look after Gregory & Nathan so Kathy & Melissa could join the big guys.

However, I understand that the slide is made by Matthew digging dirt from one place & throwing it on a path while Andrew slides down on his butt over & over again, scooting the dirt farther down the hill & elongating the slide.

This mountain happens to be close to a Quad-runner trail & while Matthew & Andrew were working away, Chad (a near neighbor) & 2 of his children came riding by on their Quads. Chad offered to give both boys a ride with him which they eagerly accepted. With Andrew sitting forward & Matthew between Andrew & Chad, Chad let Matthew have control of the machine. Pretty exciting! Now the guys are really anxious for us to get our Quads out of storage. Matthew already has plans to take Gregory for a ride on our BIG one.

Later, the big guys returned to continue the initial building project...but slowly tired of that once more. Then Melissa called the boys to have their healthy snack time. She carries a lot of required things in her back pack anytime they walk or travel.

After snack time, we all watched Bernie level out our front yard.... way before the topsoil will be brought in. Bernie has a lot of talent & runs this machine like a pro. Once again the afternoon passed too quickly & it was time to say our goodbyes & thank them for the pleasurable visit.

Dinner: Beef-vegetable stew with an English muffin.

@ 8:00pm, I attended the Holy Name meeting @ the church hall for a hr; a short meeting....Father was absent.

Lights out:11:40pm.

Awake: 6:02am     Temp 57      sleep 6+34     sunny     overnight @ Nicktown.

After breakfast, Kathy started a load of laundry & then went to the big cities of Barnesboro & Spangler.

Meanwhile, our Teddy heater blew a fuse a few days ago when we wanted more heat in our living room. So I crawled into the basement, found the motor, lubricated the armature sleeves, both ends, with some good grease, & used a screwdriver to rotate the fan on the armature so it would loosen up. Next I replaced the fuse & then switched on the Teddy heater motor. Zap, went another fuse.

Hmm, maybe my Delo Grease EP was too thick & not penetrating enough. Krumenacker Hardware here I come. Herm suggested the "Blaster" which breaks loose faster. He told me they have been selling a lot of it. Ok, so I repeated the process ... & this time, I sprayed the armature sleeve ends close to the motor, replaced the fuse, waited a few minutes, turned the armature using the screwdriver to rotate the fan which seemed to be turning a lot more freely, & then threw the switch. Bingo! Teddy was back in business.Whew!

Dinner: Sesame seed encrusted Tuna, acorn squash stuffed with northern spy apple slices, mixed bowl of vegetables, & rice with golden raisins.

Heavy rain started @ 6:45pm & messed up our watching the political programs scheduled for tonight. Then something even better replaced our political programs: Zack!  He called us & gave us an update of his trip to Boston. When I asked about the computers talking with each other, he told us that most of the computers were NOT talking so good. His company computer was just as sour as the other competitors.

Then he told us about the engagement party that he & Katie are hosting for themselves. It's destined to be quite a gathering as they have already invited over (60) friends.

Lights out: 12:13am.      

 

Awake: 6:31am      Temp 46      sleep 7+09      sunny       overnight @ Nicktown.

After our coffee, K & I exercised in the community center for (1.5) hrs. Mid morning, we drove over to the church hall & had breakfast. During our meal, we socialized with my 1st cousin Florentz & one of his boys, Cyrus & his children; plus a few other people.

Back in our motorhome, my brother Don called: he & Josie were planning on visiting us this afternoon ...but I had to turn this gracious opportunity down due to the plans we made months ago.

Next, we motored (28) miles to Blue Spruce Park near Indiana, PA & joined our daughter, Melissa, Kevin & their family + dozens of others to do the annual walk, "Step Out For Diabetes." This is Blue Spruce Lake And here is where the crowd gathers. Find Melissa on the left holding Gregory & look for the nearest red hat; that would be Matthew & this is his team.Only his hat can be seen however. Gregory complained when his mom disturbed his cozy bed, but it was time to start the walk. This was our 3rd walk to raise money to cure diabetes & the usual crowd was much smaller then before. Plus the bag lunch that we usually were given, was changed to: potato chips, pretzels, a power bar, water & apples. But at least we had some food.

The walk for us was (2.1) miles. Nathan held my hand most of the time. After the finish, we sat around & munched on our goodies; however the Foote family couldn't hang around too long as Matthew was committed to his swimming lesson @ 5:00pm today. That was our clue to say our goodbyes & motor back to Nicktown.

Later, my sister, Corinne, called from Pittsburgh & cheerfully updated us on her new job & lifestyle. What a wonderful change for my sister. Just hearing her stories that she is getting to know such nice people makes us feel that it was truly meant to be.

Dinner: Chili with chips.

We finished the movie: "55 Days in Peking" with Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, David Niven, Flora Robson, John Ireland, etc. Stars provide most of the interest in confusing historical account of Boxer Rebellion in 1900's China. 1963. Interesting & somewhat based on a true story.
Lights out: 11:28pm.

Awake: 6:30am      Temp 48      sleep 6+56      sunny      overnight @ Nicktown.

After our breakfast, we motored to Indiana, PA to be with Melissa & our grandchildren; Kevin will join us later. We were running late so Melissa & the boys walked to Philadelphia Ave & saved a viewing space for us.

We parked our Toyota @ the Foote Castle & walked the ½ mile to where we thought the Footes would be. And there they were.....waiting patiently for us & for the parade to begin. And here come the marchers: IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) HOMECOMMING 2010. I've never seen anyone do a stunt like this in a parade...you've got to have trust in your buddies. Already the Shriners were having a good time. There were many floats on long trailers. & a lot of schools in the area participated in this special parade with their marching bands. The boys were kept busy gathering up tossed candy & colorful necklaces; look closely @ Nathan, Andrew, & Matthew for those treasures. Even Gregory was alert & watching everything he could possibly see. On Philadelphia Ave, the parade lasted a good hr; then it reversed course & went down another street. This parade was great!

They say the IUP College this summer is all booked up. We believe it; as we walked from our car to the parade, there were college kids everywhere. And, all through town, there were a lot of policemen as well.

Next, we walked down a side street, past a student housing area where the men in blue were loitering; maybe for a good cause. Then to the Oak Grove where Melissa gave her boys their healthy snacks. Next, we visited the nearby Kidz Karnival; where they could get their faces painted, make macaroni necklaces, decorate their personal bags with stickers, etc. And with a little help from Gramma....the 3 bigger boys are content. Then we continued walking toward the Indiana Hawks football field....but 1st, we sat & listened to the band & singers practice before playing their music to the dedicated football fans. They really sounded good! We marched on the sidewalk with the band playing until they were crossing the street. That's where Melissa reversed direction. She invited us into the student cafeteria for an afternoon meal. K & I were hungry so we didn't resist for a minute. The place was big & well designed.

Most of the food was cafeteria style but there were also stations where you could get a freshly made hamburger or have an omelet made to your specifications or make your own stir fry, etc.

We both had a terrific mixed salad & I had almost (2) hamburgers with all the trimmings while Kathy had scrambled eggs, pasta & stuffed pepper & later, some good choices of Ice cream.

What a meal. The table had never been quieter. Kevin finally caught up with us while we were finishing our lunch. From here, we walked to Hawk Field & caught the half time show featuring the IUP band .... & saw the football players run to & back from their locker room. From here, K & I walked to the Saint Thomas More University Catholic church & attended the 4:00pm Mass. The music by the choir & cantor was wonderful!

Then we walked back to our Toyota; (3.45) total walk miles today) & spent some more time with the boys before returning to Nicktown.

Late movie: "55 Days in Peking." We watched ½.

Lights out: 11:22pm.

Awake: 6:06am      Temp 42      sleep 6+50      sunny       overnight @ Nicktown.

I was putting my clothes on in the dark, not wanting to wake Kathy up when Don, the foreman from Bassett drove past our motorhome. At 6:32am, not quite daylight, a concrete truck from Marion Center pulled into our circular drive & got positioned close to the basement floor. A little later, the concrete was sliding down the chute onto the insulated foam & covering the geo thermal tubes.The Bassett boys were definitely ready. Before we left to join our KK members, we took a peek to see how far they have gotten since I took the 1st photo. Wow! They work fast! Ha...ha. Gotcha! They put 33 + yards of concrete on that floor; using 4 trucks. It took awhile.

Meanwhile, Kathy along with some of the other ladies, dished out a small plate of apple crisp to each of us, showing our appreciation for John's donation of these delicious Northern Spy apples.

After the KK meeting, K & I linked up with a number of our members & attended the 9:30am Children's Mass.

Back @ the BIG DIG, we talked with our builder, Bernie, & he gave us some help on reading the house ....window plans.Then we gave Bernie the paper work of all the windows that we have marked to be ordered from Matt in State College, PA. Our next look @ the basement floor was delightful: it is finished & Don is putting a sealant on it. Don asked for 2010 quarters to set in the wet cement, but all we could find in our coin chest were (3) 2010, shiny pennies. I even called the bank in Northern Cambria to see if they had any 20l0 quarters, no luck. So Don, set! (l) penny in the workshop floor & (2) pennies in the large garage floor.

Dinner: a piece of eggplant parmesan, flounder fish, rice, & salad.

Mid evening, Melissa called: we discussed the weekend activities; IUP Homecoming on Sat. & Walk for Diabetes on Sun. We settled on a meeting time at the Foote Castle on Sat so that we could walk downtown with the Footes to be in position to watch the BIG PARADE.

Lights out: 11:34pm.

Awake: 6:05am       Temp 46     sleep 6+03     partly sunny...  windy overnight @ Nicktown.

After our KK meeting & back in our motorhome, Katrina called en route to her school this morning. She had a question about buying a set of tires for her Subaru. Since she scraped the sidewall on one tire, that tire developed a bubble & she's been advised to replace all (4) tires.

I'm pretty sure she has all wheel drive. If her car was brand new & that happened, she could easily use the spare & buy a new tire ASAP; but her car is coming up on (2) yrs of age & she has put some miles on those tires.

Her question: should she buy Michelins or Bridgestone? The price was fairly close she told us. All that I could say was that I have used Michelins since the early sixty's & have never been disappointed.

After breakfast, K & I sat down @ our table & one by one, using the schematic diagram of our house plans, checked all of the windows & their placements & only had one area that didn't seem to be right.

Later, our KK club member, John, brought over a bag of Northern spy apples & Kathy got right after the peeling & cutting...which ended in producing a large 9 x13 Pyrex dish of "apple crisp."

Next, K & I took a walk for exercise around the town for (1.4) miles. On the return trip, I was looking down toward the ground & noticed a piece of metal in the solid earth. I dug the item out, cleaned it up & it turned out to be a (10) carat gold ring. Here is Pedometer sitting on the golden ring. After our walk, we checked on today's progress & fiound Bernie & some of his crew setting the forms for the elevator footing. Due to the cool weather & heavy rain these last few days, our concrete pouring for the basement was pushed back to Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. We were not happy about that but we are not the only ones building in the area.

Just Before we left, Bernie stopped us & said that he almost forgot to tell us the good news. He made a few phone calls earlier today & an opening came up so we can expect concrete trucks tomorrow. Whew!

@ 6:45pm, K & I met with high school classmates: Barry, Ernie, Janet, & Kitty @ the Nicktown Hotel & enjoyed a pizza & beer with some good ole updating & reminiscing of our teenage yrs. It was good to again see Ernie who is still living in Chicago. Unfortunately, he recently lost his wife &,in need of diversion, he decided to make a quick visit to see his mother, siblings & other people around Nicktown.

@ 9:00pm, we called our RV friends Grace & Gary in Landenberg, PA & they updated us on their RV travels & other activities such as a volunteer job of rebuilding a friend's RV. Gary & Grace are the young couple who 1st got us interested in a home that sort of looked like an airplane.

They have had a very busy summer....just like we have had.. Interesting isn't it: we retire & then get busier than when we were working a job.

Lights out: 11:10pm.

Awake: 5:47am     Temp 43      sleep 5+54      fog then light drizzle     overnight @ Nicktown.

After our KK meeting, K & I visited the local Krumenacker Hardware store, looking for another small ceramic heater that we had for about (4) yrs that quit working earlier this yr.

I bought that heater @ the Krumenacker store but it was a rebuilt & greatly reduced in price. I called the Pelonis Company in Malvern, Pennsylvania but they don't have the parts to repair & their factory is well, read the latest from Google:

BUFFALO, N.Y.-A federal district judge here has ordered Del-Rain Corp. in Niagara Falls, N.Y., to cease selling or promoting Pelonis space heaters. The court also ordered Del-Rain to pay Malvern, Pa.-based Pelonis USA Ltd. more than $4 million for breach of contract and legal fees.

Del-Rain has filed a notice of appeal and obtained a restraining order in a New York state court to stay the order. A hearing on that order is scheduled for Nov. 6. At issue is who owns rights to the Pelonis name. The conflict dates back a dozen or more years through a chain of events, including closed and bankrupt companies. Del-Rain actually was the plaintiff beginning in 1994.

Anyway, that rebuilt box heater was GREAT! So I started my ceramic heater search by looking @ some of the ones available in the hardware store. I asked Herm what he thought about the available subjects; he shook his head a little & told me that they haven't displayed their winter products yet, but to follow him & he would show me a few that are a little higher rated.

Oh my gosh! In the basket was a brand-new, never been used, Pelonis ceramic heater. Bingo! We have our ceramic heater once more. In lieu of warming the entire room or for that matter, the motorhome by using a lot of amps, we can warm up a comfortable area & use a lot less amps.

After breakfast, we took a tour of our house project & found that all of the geo tubing has been finished in the basement. There are (3) zones in the basement: auto parking, entertainment, & workshop. Mid evening, neighbor & buddy, Barry called: he is setting up a rendezvous @ the Nicktown bar for tomorrow evening for some of our classmates we haven't seen in awhile. K & I definitely approved of this invitation.

Dinner: Beef vegetable stew....very good on a cold night.

Late evening, Melissa called; she updated us on the boys & their activities. We haven't talked to or visited them for awhile & she told us the boys don't ask about us any more!

Whoa, that's not good! Well, we have a solution that might work temporarily; we will visit them & join in their activities this Saturday & Sunday, but we do want to continue watching & paying attention to our home without wheels.

Lights out: 12:02am.

Awake: 6:11am     Temp 43     sleep 5+54     overcast & drizzle       overnight @ Nicktown.

During our KK meeting, I asked John if I could borrow a socket wrench to remove Al's spark plug from his Big Bear Quad-runner. "I'll phone you when I get back to the motorhome & give you the socket size I need," I told him.

John had the right size, a deep socket 18 millimeters but his torque wrench was too small so he went back to his car & found an extension so I could use my ½ inch torque wrench.

We removed the plug, cleaned up the tip with fine sandpaper & checked the spark by turning the engine over while John held a screwdriver a short distance from a healthy metal ground. No spark, nothing! We tried several ways to get a spark with no results. "That spark plug is no good!" he said. "I'll take my car & the plug & buy a new one," he insisted.

About (20) min later, & a new spark plug. We turned the Big Bear ignition key & vroom. After a little adjusting of the idle, the Bear was back in business. That was a 1st time for me experiencing a bad plug Spark Plug. I applaud John for the helping with the diagnosis, the tools & getting another plug. It wasn't long after John left that Al came over, looked his quad over, ran the engine, thanked me &, with a big smile, rode off into the sunset....oops, rode over to his home.

Next, we, along with about 50 other people, participated in the prayers, singing, procession & benediction marking the close of 40 hours devotion at our church. It's been many years since we've done that.

Dinner: Leftover eggplant parmesan, garlic toast, & salad.

Evening movie: "Swing Time" with Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Victor Moore, Helen Broderick, Eric Blore, Betty Furness etc. One of the best Astaire-Rogers films, with stars as dance team whose romance is hampered by Fred's engagement to girl back home (Furness). 1936. I really don't go for musical movies but we had this one recorded &, by golly, it did turn out to be the BEST Astaire-Rogers film.

Lights out: 11:53pm.

Awake: 6:42am     Temp 44      sleep 7+03     light rain most of day...cold wind overnight @ Nicktown.

After our KK meeting, Kathy made a breakfast of: Steel cut Irish oats with chopped pecans, chopped walnuts & golden raisins....with milk. A hot breakfast for a change was well received by both of us.

REA energy Services, the guys who are doing our Geo Thermal heating & cooling project, must have arrived sometime during our KK meeting. So after breakfast, we changed into our winter clothes, put on our grubbiest shoes, grabbed our umbrellas & walked on the temporary muddy road to the basement area & introduced ourselves to the REA guys.

They had just started fastening down the geo tubes on the foam. It was so cold, windy & rainy that these guys really were not dressed for the job. Bernie visited the work site twice but the REA guys had already left. Dinner: Chili with Doritos Corn chips; the right meal for the weather.

We finished watching: "Phantom of the Opera" with Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Snitz Edwards, etc. Classic melodrama with Chaney as the vengeful composer who lives in the catacombs under the Paris Opera House, and kidnaps young Philbin as his singing protégée. Famous unmasking scene still packs a jolt, and the Bal Masque is especially impressive in two-color Technicolor. One of Chaney's finest hours. 1925.

Just when Kathy told me she does not like to read movies, we watched the 1925 version & it kept us awake & on guard to the finish. This movie has been made over by other actors & directors (6X) but this silent 1925 version was rated the best.

Interesting to compare this first rendering with the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical version.

Lights out: 12:17am.

Awake: 7:01am     Temp 46     sleep 7+00     partly sunny     overnight @ Nicktown.

After our coffee, K & I exercised @ the community center for (1.2) hrs & then returned to our home on wheels for breakfast.

Next, around 11:50am, we drove to the church hall & joined the celebrating crowd of local people who were honoring & thanking Donna for her (60 +) years of being our dedicated church organist, daily, week-ends, & special occasions; and she is not retiring yet.

There were several tables of cookies, cakes, & other sweets one could munch on during the activity. We stayed & talked to a number of people who we don't get to see very often & then, @ 1:00pm, we went to the open house at the volunteer fire department, including the blessing of their new fire truck by Father Job.

They too, had a large table of sweets for munching as well as one plate of carrots & celery; ah, something healthy snuck in there. This volunteer fire department goes way back to the (40)'s & their good reputation is well noticed.

Next, we attended the opening of the 40 hours exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at church.  After our church attendance, we were about to get into our car when we saw Debra, our workout partner. Her parents were unloading their truck of furniture & Debbie asked if we would like to have a tour of her condo. We both found it to be a very nice & roomy condo; much bigger than we expected.

Meanwhile, across the street @ the Fatima Shrine, people were gathering & there seemed to be a lot of dogs. It was Father Job blessing the animals in honor of the feast of St. Francis.

I had realized it earlier & now confirmed that I goofed; I didn't bring my camera!

Dinner: Crab Cakes with mango, ginger chutney, left over eggplant casserole, & garlic bread.

Movie for tonight: "Phantom of the opera."  We watch ½.

Lights out: 11:39pm.

 

Awake: 7:36am Temp 42 sleep 6+46 partly cloudy overnight @ Nicktown.

After our morning coffee, we motored to Johnstown & visited Lowe's Hardware & checked on their garage door prices, windows, doors, granite, etc. Basically to compare @ both stores, also @ Home Depot, their cost vs. what we might be paying @ other stores.

(2) hrs later, we finished comparing in both stores, & found out from Lowe's that we would be better off to purchase windows directly from the Pella store rather than from Lowe's.

Home Depot however, had some interesting discounts & free things on granite counter tops depending on when those items go on sale. From here, we continued down the road to Conzatti's Italian Market on Scalp Ave. They were out of sweet Italian sausage but Kathy found some great corned beef & a breast of chicken. Next, we stopped @ Wal-Mart to refurbish our freezer & refrigerator & then back to Nicktown.

Later, we attended the vigil Mass in Nicktown & then returned to our motorhome.

Dinner: Rubin sandwich with lots of corn beef & homemade thousand island dressing + potatoes chips.

Tonight's movie: "Wild Strawberries" with Ingmar Bergman, Victor Sjostrom, Ingrid Thulin, Bibi Andersson, Gunnar Bjornstrand, etc. Elderly Stockholm professor reviews the disappointments of his life, while traveling by car to receive an honorary degree. Superb use of flashbacks and brilliant performance by Sjostrom make this Bergman classic an emotional powerhouse. 1957. I found this story quite engaging....however my humble mate frankly does not like to read movies.

Lights out: 12:01am.

Awake: 6:08am       Temp 52      sleep 6+10       partly sunny       overnight @ Nicktown.

After attending the KK meeting, we accompanied several of our KK members to the children's 9:30 Mass. It's always interesting to see the school children read & sing during their special Mass.

Back @ our motorhome, we witnessed the guys from Bassett, cementing the side walls with block that steps the downgrade slope....in prep for tar, & then brick. Zack called while driving to the dentist in Seattle; his car has a built in microphone & speaker so he can easily keep his hands on the wheel.

He took the time to explain his (6) day business trip to Boston & return. It was all about languages that different computers use; so he & his boss will be in a large room with other computer gurus & attempt to learn or understand the languages of their computers that may have an advantage for Zack's company. Hey, that's the best I could understand.

Next, Kathy had wanted to do more walking than what we do now, so off she went with our pedometer while I continued the trouble shooting on Al's Big Bear Quad. Al did buy a replacement air filter so that was an easy fix. The old filter nearly crumpled when I removed it. And here is the new replacement filter. Next I attempted to change out the starter solenoid...but the replacement did not match up with what was already there. I made a call to Al's house but no body was home, & so I left a message. The starter Solenoid can be seen by looking for the cleanest item....middle top.  

My next project was: our Stir-Crazy popcorn popper which quit working. I figured it was a kaput sensor ...& so it was, but it took (2) tries to find a good sensor that was workable.

During our time in Alaska, I purchase at least (6) or more sensors from an appliance store in the event I might need more in the future. The last time I went to buy a few more, he wouldn't sell just the sensors; he thought I was in the business of commercial repairing, taking his repair business away.

Years ago, nearly all of our kids had their own pre-owned Stir-Crazy popcorn popper....due to buying used ones that had bad sensors @ the thrift stores. Long since, I'm sure they have purchased the latest style of corn popper.

Oh yes, when Kathy returned, the pedometer read: (3.1) miles. She felt good about that walk.

Dinner: clam chowder, leftover eggplant parmesan with sour dough bread.

Tonight's movie with popcorn: "Ship of Fools" with Vivien Leigh, Oskar Werner, Simone Signoret, Jose Ferrer, Lee Marvin, Jose Greco, George Segal, Elizabeth Ashley, etc. Grand Hotel at sea in pre-WW2 days. Superb cast including Leigh, in her last film, as disillusioned divorcee, Werner and Signoret as illicit lovers, Marvin as punchy baseball player. 1965. Great story....don't pass it up.
Lights out: 12:50am.

Awake: 6:04am     Temp 55     sleep 5+30      light to heavy rain...started during the night & continued most of day until 3:10pm      overnight @ Nicktown.

Using our Suzuki & umbrellas, we joined the KK members for (1.5) hrs. After that, we stayed indoors all day...save for a short walk to scrutinize the BIG DIG area. Here is a snapshot after the rain subsided. Just a few muddy areas on the temporary, back of the basement, construction road. Kathy divided her time today into reading, computer usage, & needle pointing. My time was consumed by: computer, x-word puzzle, & reading.

Dinner: leftover pasta with sausage, bread, grapes & a mixed/bean salad.

We finished watching: "Holiday in Mexico" with Walter Pidgeon, IIona Massey, Roddy McDowall, Jose Iturbi, etc. Engaging, well-cast musical comedy of daughter of ambassador falling for noted musician. 1946. I was drawn in 1st, by the colorization of this movie, & 2nd, by the casual & well mannered father & how he handled his teenage daughter. Obviously, my mate was not as impressed with what I found so interesting, although she was impressed with the father's parenting technique, it still took (3) nights to finish this story.

Lights out: 12:02am.