January 2011 Archives

Awake: 6:33am    Temp 29    sleep 6+32     flurries & heavy snow     overnight @ Nicktown.

After our KK meeting, we attended the Children's Mass @ 9:30am & then returned to our motorhome. Kathy had her breakfast before the KK meeting so she was ready to be a pick-up girl & joined the bowling crowd in Indiana. The Geo-guys came early this morning so I paid them a visit; shortly after that, 84-Lumber drove their big truck into our circular drive....loaded with wallboard. I was most interested in how they would unload these heavy wallboards into the house. My answer came quickly as the truck driver maneuvered their big rig to the backside of our house.

The driver of the truck was now a driver of the lift & that small red wagon was used to distribute the wallboard bundles throughout the rooms on both floors. Here you see a bundle headed toward the main floor...with the French door open & the small red wagon waiting.                     About an hr later, the Cunningham boys brought their bull dozer in..... .....to remove the snow & some top-soil in prep for tomorrow's well drilling. By removing the snow, they had hoped that the ground would freeze overnight so the drilling rig would not have problems maneuvering. Before this time, with all the snow covering the ground, the temperature was still about (32) degrees...making it rather soft for the heavy well rig. Here we see the field that will soon be planted with wells....starting on Thursday, tomorrow. I thought this tractor trailer looked kind of strange as they backed out of our circular driveway...you can see right through the trailer. Dinner: Chicken Parmesan with shell pasta, broccoli, mixed salad & toast.

Evening movie: "Patterns" with Van Heflin, Everett Sloane, Ed Begley, Beatrice Straight, Elizabeth Wilson. Trenchant, masterfully acted drama of greed and abuse of power in corporate America, about an all-powerful company head (Sloane) who makes life miserable for humanistic underling Begley. 1956. Great story......definitely add this to your list.

Lights out: 11:24pm.

Awake: 6:20am      Temp 33      sleep 6+49      flurries & cloudy      overnight @ Nicktown.

After our KK meeting, K & I motored to Barnesboro for our exercise. We spent over (2) hrs there getting aquainted with the entire high tech workout machines & we liked their setup a lot.

Back @ our motorhome, the well driller from Summerset arrived; Brian & his side kick Mike, walked around the perimeter to where the (8) wells are to be drilled for the Geo-thermo. Brian asked me if the bulldozer fellows could have the marked area in the field clean of snow & topsoil tomorrow, then he would have his driller equipment & team up here mid morning on Thursday. I let him know that I would inform Bernie the builder & call him later today.

Shortly after Brian & Mike left,I began prepping for getting some pure water into the motorhome's tank. It's been a while since I filled our pure water tank & it won't be filled today either; I wasn't satisfied with the color of our water, so I ran the well dry & will try again another day.

I got in touch with Bernie the builder & he assured me that the bulldozer guys would be able to clean the snow off as well as the topsoil tomorrow. Then I called Brian the driller & passed that message on to him.  

Dinner: Veal Marsala, spinach salad, & brown rice. After dinner, aside from our regular political programs, we watched the President's State of the Union address.                                      That is  all I will say about that.
Lights out: 12:01am.

Awake: 7:32am       Temp 09      sleep 7+02     sunny to overcast     overnight @ Nicktown.

We skipped the KK meeting & motored to Barnesboro & the X-Treme fitness facility; paid our fee for (1) month & slowly began getting in shape again. Around 11:58am, we returned to Nicktown. Entering our circular drive, we could see the 84-Lumber truck parked close to our house.                          I don't know how many bundles of insulation they had .... but later, another truck, the same size, pulled in also loaded with insulation, probably transporting the Batts. I've learned that Batts are made to fit between the studs in the walls or between the joists of ceilings. And these Batts are usually made of fiber glass or rock wool Fiber glass which is manufactured from sand and recycled glass; the rock wool is made from basaltic rock and recycled material from steel mill wastes. Loose-fill insulation, usually made of fiber glass, rock wool or cellulose, is blown into the attic or walls. Here the guys are getting ready to blow the rock wool into the wall through a small hole.                        This is what it looks like when finished & ready for wallboard.                                      REA....the Geo guys, arrived early.                                & they continued working on the Geo system Dinner: leftover chili with corn chips.

Lights out: 11:31pm.

Awake: 6:26am       Temp 7       sleep 6+14      mostly cloudy       overnight @ Nicktown.

Something different for breakfast; Kathy made "hot Irish steel cut oats" to help us get warmed up.
Later, we decided to do some 1st cousin visiting; Bernie, in Kirsch town, has been in a powered wheelchair for about (4) yrs now. He looks good & has put on some lbs since we saw him last.

We spent a good 1 & ½ hrs talking with Bernie. He sometimes has trouble conversing & remembering & has nearly a constant pain in his legs, but he sure does not complain. We enjoyed seeing him again & will try & keep in touch.

                 Next, we visited 1st cousin Richard @ Haida Care Center in Hastings. Richard has been in this care center for over (3) yrs. He is 87 yrs old & seems to have little wrong other than general weakness, esp. in his legs & difficulty with balance so he also uses a wheelchair.

Richard keeps up on the outside world as best he can; he has a terrific memory, very good hearing & vision, & a wonderful sense of humor. We will try to visit him more often as well.

Back in our motorhome, for the 1st time in my live, I watched an entire football game; "the Steelers vs. New York Jets." Wow! Kathy has been a sports fan all of her life...so anything I didn't understand, she had the answer.

Dinner: that special & most delicious Rubin Sandwich.

Late evening, we talked with Melissa. She, Kevin & the boys will be marching for the "Right for Life" in downtown D.C. tomorrow. We wished them well.

Later evening, we watched the movie: "Morocco" with Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich, Adolphe Menjou, Francis McDonald, Eve Southern, etc. Dietrich is alluring and exotic in her first Hollywood film, as a cabaret singer (improbably stuck in Morocco) who must choose between wealthy Menjou and Foreign Legionnaire Cooper. 1930. Unless you are a fan of Cooper and or Dietrich, don't even think of watching this movie.

Lights out: 12:30am.

Awake: 6:15am       Temp 01       sleep 5+47      sunny      overnight @ Nicktown.

After our KK meeting, K & I motored to Barnesboro to check out the new X-Treme fitness facility. Kathy is already familiar with the owner, Ernie, because she was taking Physical Therapy for over a month @ the X-CEL across town which he also owns.

We were introduced to one of the certified fitness trainers, Vikkie & she acquainted us & another couple with the new equipment that are state of the art in workout facilities.

K & I had been exercising @ the community center but, with the school children's exercise schedule, the facility is closed to us during the day so we have a tough time being consistent. After some complimentary veggies & fruit, K & I signed up for a trial period of (1) month starting Monday.

                         Back @ our motorhome, Nick Skyped us for (1) hr (7) min. Kathy asked him if his architectural plans are finished yet to which Nick replied: "they just came in (3) days ago." He then proceeded to show & tell us each room & what the builders could do to make their home more updated, family orientated & comfortable. He held the architects drawings up on his computer screen for us to see & absorb. Unfortunately our cameras didn't focus as clearly as we expected. Hey, what's this   ...through the woods & over the hills....to grandma's house we go? Later we attended the 6:00pm vigil Mass in Nicktown & then we joined my brother Don & his wife Josie for beer & pizza @ the Nicktown bar.

Regrettably, my brother thought we would finish Mass @ 5:30pm when, in fact, we didn't start Mass until 6:00pm. They waited patiently for our arrival @ 7:00pm.
Regardless, we enjoyed lots of good talk along with our pizza & beer. We left the bar close to 9:00pm.

Late movie: "On Dangerous Ground" with Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan, Ward Bond, Charles Kemper, etc. Effective mood-piece with hardened city cop Ryan softened by blind-girl Lupino, whose brother is involved in rural manhunt. 1952. The last (20) min is the best.

Lights out:12:21am.

Awake: 6:14am     Temp 23     sleep 7+02      lots of snow & wind     overnight @ Nicktown.

Bernie, the builder, drove his truck with a snow blade attached & made fast work of clearing Saint Paul Street & our circular drive; in addition, he cleared the deep snow close to our Suzuki. Sometime later, 84-Lumber again drove in with a different set of workers who were stapling netting across the outside wall studs; They had about 1/2 of the house to finish stapling & the next step will be blowing in the fiberglass insulating material like this sample photo.                       Down in the basement, Jason was working on the Geo system.

Meanwhile Kathy was on the computer searching for more info on a fireplace for the basement. She did talk with Joe from J & O Fireplace & they agreed on a smaller fireplace for the basement. Later, we both scrutinized a catalog that focused exclusively on entry doors, & after that, I believe we have a decision made.

Then Kathy settled down with a novel & I challenged myself with my X-word puzzle book.

Dinner: Leftover Salmon loaf with brown rice & a broccoli cauliflower salad.

Evening movie: "So Big" with Jane Wyman, Sterling Hayden, Nancy Olson, Steve Forrest, Martha Hyer, etc. Superficial but engrossing Edna Feber/soaper saga about teacher who brings up son to be self-sufficient. 1953. Good story.

Lights out: 12:18am.

Awake: 6:13am       Temp 26      sleep 6+31       mostly cloudy      overnight @ Nicktown.

Cousin Florentz joined our KK meeting this morning; always nice to have him visit us seniors.

After breakfast, Kathy & I visited our house; in the basement we have the REA guys building the Geo-thermo system & on the main floor, the 84-Lumber guys are spraying the outside walls with polyurethane. They were moving along fairly fast so there is a good chance they will finish up today; as a matter of fact, there they go.                          Dinner: Broccoli, cauliflower pepper soup with toast; delicious!

Mid evening, I went on my computer & started looking @ some of the high tech units that Bernie passed on to me from Matt.

Lights out: 11:12pm.

Awake: 5:45am      Temp 37      sleep 6+14      rain/snow mix      overnight @ Nicktown.

After our KK meeting & breakfast, Kathy got picked up & joined her bowling gals in Indiana. Meanwhile, my 1st cousin Florentz visited to have a tour of our house progress.

                  About the same time, the UPS driver backed into our circular drive..... .......with a large box; it was our (2) kitchen sinks that Kathy ordered last week. So we walked over to the house with the UPS guy & Bernie opened the big box to find everything in good shape.

Then I toured Florentz on the main & basement floors. We invited Florentz for dinner tonight but he wanted to get a few things done this afternoon so he will be back later. Meanwhile, I called my brother & we gabbed for a spell. We are trying to rendezvous sometime soon. He was also curious about our house progress.

Later, Bernie came by & brought some papers regarding prices for the high-tech electronic items we may consider having. He also told me that 84-Lumber would be arriving tomorrow to start the insulation process.

Kathy arrived a few min later with a cheery smile; her bowling was improved she told me.

Later, Florentz arrived for dinner & we started with a little wine & led up to a wonderful Chili Mac dinner, with a lot of good talk & laughs along the way.

Afterward, K & I watched our usual political programs.

Lights out: 11:42pm.

Awake: 7:45am       Temp 30       sleep 8+22       sunny       overnight @ Nicktown.

Wow! Over (8) hrs of sleep for me; I woke up groggy & lazy but I wasn't sick or hurting, just moving slowly. As the day progressed, I was back to normal.

We've been putting off some paperwork that needs to be done, so in lieu of the KK meeting this morning, we both settled down with our coffee cups & got to work. Actually, there was more paper shuffling & phone calls for Kathy then myself.

Later, Kathy met the bookmobile in Nicktown, & then motored to the Barnesboro library to make copies of our paperwork.

Meanwhile, our temperature in Nicktown was rising; so it's time to rid our motorhome of those icicles. I had to be very careful so as to not dent or mar the coach.

Using my shovel, I also did a lot of moving & throwing the ice & snow away from our entry & where we park our Suzuki. @ 48 degrees, even my water works thawed out so I gave the motor home's pure water tank another top-off.

Bernie visited mid afternoon & told me that the inspector did pass the mechanical phase. Next on the house will be the insulation; that's when they spray the outside walls with polyurethane;                    Dinner: Salmon loaf, rice pilaf & a mixed salad.

                   Lights out: 11:31pm.

Awake: 6:15am      Temp 14      sleep 6+39      mostly cloudy      overnight @ Nicktown.

We skipped the KK meeting to visit Bernie the builder to discuss some decision making issues.

After that, we had our breakfast & left Nicktown @ 10:10am & motored to Indiana, PA for grocery shopping @ Wal-Mart & then to visit the Foote family.

When we arrived @ the Castle, only Melissa & Gregory were in the house. Kevin also had gone grocery shopping @ Wal-Mart with the (3) older boys (we were tipped off by Melissa) & we did look casually for them when in the store but no find. So Gregory had at least (15) min alone with Kathy & me before the rest of the gang showed up.

Matthew went downstairs with Kathy to assist her in getting our laundry started since he knows the right amount of detergent to use & the best sequence of buttons to push.

Shortly after that, Nathan asked me to read one of his favorite books; soon I had Gregory, then Andrew & sometimes Matthew listening & seeing the pictures in the story book. Many of these library books have been read to the boys umpteen times, so they know what's happening & what comes next; but they sure enjoy a good story.

Upon Andrew's request Kathy went to the 3rd floor with him to see the many Lego vehicles he had made. They were followed shortly by Matthew & Nathan who also have an array of Lego creations.

Around 2:00pm, the Foote family had their midday dinner. Since we ate our usual big breakfast a few hrs ago, we didn't need to eat again but we did enjoy a bean & cheese Tortilla. Just after finishing my Tortilla, Nathan was trying to get a police jacket on so I gave him a helping hand. He looked so good, I asked him if he would show me his teeth...and he did. After that, Matthew, Andrew & Nathan all wanted me upstairs on the 3rd floor to see what they had been doing & making. Wow! Just look @ what these guys can do with their time: trucks, cars, airplane, vans, & fire trucks; you name it & they're in the parking arena. This is how they do it: Andrew finds the appropriate Lego pieces & follows the printed instruction pages that Nick & Eriko had given them for Christmas (what a perfect gift!); then Andrew gives the finished product to Matthew; he takes it all apart & puts it all back together again. The pieces are sometimes difficult to find amongst the thousands of Legos they have in (6) drawers & other containers, but they patiently & casually seek & find the parts to make the things you see here. Meanwhile, Kathy was downstairs playing with Gregory in between laundry load changes &, when Andrew ventured downstairs & got busy putting 100 piece Thomas puzzles together, he enlisted Kathy's help to find edge pieces.

When I returned to the main floor, Gregory wanted my attention & he grabbed a book for us to read; in looking for a spot to sit down, I thought I'd give him a ride around the living room 1st, & there was Melissa with a camera. It was soon snack time for the boys & Kathy read 4 books to them while they ate. They weren't finished listening yet, so Melissa took over while Kathy finished doing our laundry.

Just before I started carrying the laundry bags out to the Suzuki, Matthew asked me if I had a one dollar bill. "No I don't...but I do have a five dollar bill." I told him. Could I have it please?

I kind of figured he was going to make a paper airplane with it....but instead, he made a beautiful origami Dove. Then he proceeded to give us a week's worth of his origami creations &, of course, my (5) dollar bill.

We thanked the Foote family for the use of their washer & dryer ....it would have taken me a few days worth of going outside to do the water works to accomplish what Kathy did this afternoon; plus, it's cold outside.

The afternoon passed quickly & it was soon time for us to return to our home on wheels, arriving @ 5:25pm. It was another fun visit with the Foote family.

Dinner: Leftovers: a little pork veggie stir fry & Italian tuna casserole.

Lights out: 11:23pm.

Awake: 7:45am       Temp 20      sleep 7+25       snow flurries with sunshine      overnight @ Nicktown.

Early afternoon, K & I walked around the outside of our house & inside perusing both floors. The sunshine coming through the windows made our visit most comfortable....on the main floor.    The basement remained chilly. In the basement hex, the builders are making the soffit. Dinner: Leftover pork veggie stir fry with toast & rice. 
 
We finished watching the movie: "Gandhi" with Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Martin Sheen, etc. Sweeping account of the life and times of Mohandas K. Gandhi, who rose from a position of simple lawyer to become a nation's leader and a worldwide symbol of peace and understanding. Kingsley gives an unforgettable performance in the lead. Eight Oscars including Best Picture. 1982. Wow! Gandhi was amazing; don't miss this one for sure 1982.

Lights out: 11:36pm.

Awake: 6:04am     Temp 21      sleep 6+08     blowing snow     overnight @ Nicktown.

After my breakfast, I spent nearly (2) hrs getting pure water from our well & filling the motor homes's tank. 1st I run the well water onto the snow....watching the iron color slowly disappear, when the water color matched the snow color, I attached my portable water filter to the hose & fed it into the motorhome's tank. I purposely left a loose hose connection so that water leaks into a cup...making sure the water going into our tank is snowwhite. Due to freezing temps, I had to hustle & coil my 45 ft hose up before it turned into a stiff piece of rubber ...+ the portable water filters needed to be back into the basement ASAP also. Hey, this is why we headed south, south west from Nicktown all of these years during the winter.

Mid afternoon, Kathy made us another special sandwich: the famous Rubin, oh so good.

Then K & I attended 6:00pm vigil Mass &, afterward, met Theresa @ the Nicktown bar for (1) beer each. Tonight we were somewhat distracted (in an exciting way) due to the Pittsburgh Steelers winning the football game against Baltimore.

Back in our motorhome, with popcorn, we began watching the movie: "Gandhi." We watched 1/3.

Lights out: 12:20am.

Awake: 6:11am Temp 17 sleep 6+22 flurries all day with some sun overnight @ Nicktown.

We skipped the KK meeting to attend a 9:00am meeting @ our house with the high tech guys: Matt & Rick. Bernie set this meeting up so we could perhaps start to understand the Cat-5 usage & other coax cables, camera wiring, TV, music in rooms, etc., & how these wires should run to a common control box that will make it easier to keep track of.                        Matt & Rick will get in touch with us later & give us a proposal. Our forwarded mail arrived from Alaska today so, early afternoon, we both started going thru the small mail bag. Kathy added some more Christmas cards to our collection so we do want you to know...we have received your card & we thank you very much. Mid afternoon, the dentist's receptionist returned my call & asked if I could come down now since the dentist has an opening; "I am on my way" I told her. I was in the chair for about (20) min; the dentist carefully sanded the rough spot on a tooth, & then had me try it out with a piece of Dento Tape. I liked this flossing string, so I asked where I could get some of this. "Just down the street @ Rite Aid or Watters Brothers Drug Store he told me & it's much stronger."

I feel for our motorhome; it is collecting way too much ice. If we had to leave town now, we would have to borrow the diesel burner that Bernie is using in our house. With the proper weather here in Nicktown, you can't trust what one may see from our windows; we would have invited her in for hot chocolate but ...we didn't have any. Dinner: Italian tuna casserole with Waldorf salad.

Evening movie: "The Rack" with Paul Newman, Wendell Corey, Walter Pidgeon,, Edmond O'Brien, Anne Francis, Lee Marvin, Cloris Leachman. Newman is pensively convincing as Korean War veteran...brainwashed as a P.O.W. ....now on trial for treason, with Pidgeon as his overbearing father and Francis his friend. 1956. This story was a sleeper; don't miss it.

Lights out: 11:56pm.

Awake: 6:20am     Temp 20     sleep 7+02      flurries most of day     overnight @ Nicktown.

After our KK meeting, K & I went next door to our house & greeted Joe, the fireplace man. He gave us the code restrictions & distances from here to there when selecting a place for a TV.

He was very concise with his data & Bernie took a few notes & later, measurements. Bernie won't be building a hearth soon though, we have to be sure of where we want the placement.

Here we see Joe leaving in his beautiful fireplace van. He designed the advertising paint scheme for one of his vans & sent it to the Mendota gas Fireplace co.for their perusal. They really liked it & told him that if he put the Mendota name on his van, they would pay for it. He agreed & when they found out he had 5 vans, they said they would pay for all of them to be painted the same showing the Mendota name. Ahh, Joe the successful salesman for the last 20 some years.              Back @ our motorhome, the UPS guy brought our EX-treme Air hand driers. Late afternoon, I called the dentist office & left a message about my (2) sharp teeth & asked for an appointment.

Dinner: leftover Italian sausage with peppers, onions & tomatoes.

Mid evening, Harold delivered an 8' strut for the garage door.

Evening movie: "Close to my Heart" with Ray Milland, Gene Tierney, Fay Bainter, Howard St. John. Superior soaper; Tierney; attaches herself to waif in Bainter's orphanage, but husband Milland won't allow adoption until child's background is traced. 1951. Good story...with some emotional moments.

Lights out: 11:49pm.

Awake: 6:22am      Temp 19      sleep 6+27      windy with snow      overnight @ Nicktown.

After our breakfast, we talked with Bernie, the builder; he told us that Joe, the fireplace man, will drive up from Duncansville & visit us @ 10:30 am tomorrow to discuss the main & basement fireplaces. He also told us that Matt will visit us @ 9:00am on Friday to discuss more high-tech equipment in detail &, later, propose a cost figure.

Bernie wanted to make sure the corner tub matched the planned space & had all the water outlets that it was designed for. @ our motorhome, Ray Skyped me for a good (30) min. We talked about their son, Nate & his new adventures into Mexico; some homebuilding stuff; & our wonderful winter weather here in PA.

Dinner: Italian tuna casserole with Tuscan herb toast.

Lights out: 11:18pm.

Awake: 6:52am Temp 22 sleep 6+54 evening snow overnight @ Nicktown.

Shortly after 11:00 am, a truck arrived in our circular drive; it is our corner bath, the guys help unload,                         check for any damage & then wrap it up for the time-being. Mid afternoon, Kathy ordered (2) X-treme Air hand dryers for the master bathroom & the basement bathroom.

Then after much searching for a reasonable price on sinks, using the Internet, Kathy ordered (2) sinks for the kitchen.

Dinner: Pork veggie stir-fry with brown rice & toast.

@ 8:00 pm, I attended the Holy Name meeting @ the church hall. There were (16) members in attendance not counting the officers or Father Job.

Lights out: 11:55pm.

Awake: 6:09 Temp 12 sleep 5+50 partly sunny overnight @ Nicktown. After breakfast, K & I visited with the builders; most of them were assembling the garage doors on the south wing, but we got Bob's attention & asked if he had the time to follow us & we would point out places & rooms that, according to Kevin, we need a few more cables & Cat-5 runs.                                    Bob took notes & said: "no problem."

Meanwhile, in the motorhome, Kathy was searching on the Internet for a respectable price on hand blowers.

Later in the day, I called Alaska & requested to have our mail forwarded.

Dinner: Italian Sausage with onions, peppers & tomatoes & toast.

Lights out: 11:58pm.

Awake: 6:59am      Temp 12       sleep 7+00       light snow      overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I did some volunteer work this morning for the church after the 10:30 am Mass. We ran a little later then expected but I called Kevin's cell phone to let him know we were minutes to being finished.

To my surprise, they were already @ our house & the boys were sledding down the "Topsoil Mountains." Here they are just about ready to: "shove off." Luckily my camera can handle the high speed shots...Andrew is holding on behind Matthew, you just can't see him.                      Here is Andrew doing a solo; just look @ that facial expression. Eventually the boys came into the basement of the house where the diesel burner was warming us up... & we needed that! Then the girls took care of the young boys while Kevin & I went throughout the house ...making notes to add more Cat 5 & coax, etc. After we were finished with that project, it was time for the Foote family to return to their Castle.

We look forward to seeing them more often once we get the OK from the proper authorities to move in & we are suitably organized.

K & I were invited to visit & see the Christmas decorations of one of our friends. They had a number of really neat Christmas trees filled with meaningful & memorable ornaments. Oops, wrong photo. Unfortunately, due to a few restrictions & tight security, the rest of the meaningful & memorable ornaments cannot be viewed. We sure enjoyed the evening with this young couple & seeing what we saw.

Back in our motorhome, I called my sister, Mary Jo in Lodi, CA. She is a grandma now (1st time) & had a renewed happy & peppy voice, especially when referring to her new grandson.

Dinner: Baked Pastina chicken casserole.

We finish watching: "Young Cassidy" with John Ford, Rod Taylor, Julie Christie, Maggie Smith, Flora Robson, etc. Taylor's best role ever as the earthly intellectual Sean O'Casey, set in 1910 Dublin; filled with rich atmosphere and fine supporting players. 1965.

This story & movie was....so..so.

Lights out: 12:19am.

Awake: 5:51am    Temp 20    sleep 5+11     snow, most of day    overnight @ Nicktown.

Kevin from the Foote Castle called us & asked if they could come over on Sunday around 1:30pm & tour our house project.  "Absolutely!  The only thing we planned to do on Sunday was to volunteer for the church; but we should be done around 1:00 pm," I told him.

Then I toured the house myself, looking closely @ the booths in the basement, termination wire area, desk location, switchboard location, mechanical room, phone booth, etc. Tomorrow, Kevin & I will be walking around...checking to make sure we have enough phone cables, coax cables, etc run before the workers start insulating & dry walling.

Kathy & I had a small (1/2 sandwich each), early dinner: the best Ruben sandwich I've ever tasted by anybody.

Next we attended the 6:00pm vigil Mass in Nicktown & afterward, John, Theresa, Kathy & I each had a beer & later, a small pizza. We had a fun social time for sure.

Late movie: "Young Cassidy.) We watched ¾.

Lights out: 11:59pm.                         

Awake: 5:46am        Temp 25      sleep 6+15       heavy snow      overnight @ Nicktown.

We left the KK meeting early & motored to Carrolltown for our app'ts with Dr. Lieb. It appears that we are both reasonably healthy.

Back @ our house, we visited Bernie & he gave us a piece of cardboard with about (16) items to focus on and/or make a decision on by Monday.

Ok, that was a warning; we don't want these guys to run out of work due to our laziness, so we drove down to the Blue Goose (2.5) miles & with our tape measure & permission, measured their booths: The length, width, height, etc. We have very similar booths in storage so hopefully we can be fairly close to these measurements. After our return, we went back to the house basement & measured the space available; we think our booths will fit just fine.

My buddy Ray Skyped us for a good (35) min. I had to cut him short but arranged to Skype again on Sunday.

Dinner: more leftovers of various leftover meals.

Lights out: 12:40am.

Awake: 6:20am      Temp 19      sleep 7+01      flurries all day      overnight @ Nicktown.

My 1st cousin Florentz joined us @ our KK this morning; always nice to have him visit. Afterward, Kathy motored to Barnesboro for her P.T.

During my breakfast, I noticed a different truck outside our window; it was the Penelec electric company. They will be connecting the proper leads to feed electricity directly to the house in lieu of having it taken from our motorhome campground units. For the time being, we will have (2) individual meters running. Here they are installing the new meter. Late morning, I started filling the motorhome's pure water tank. About the same time, Harold brought our (3) garage doors from Lowe's & the construction team placed them inside the basement. Shortly after that, Kathy returned from her P.T. just in time to see the tractor trailer bring our guest bathtub to the house. Again, Adam & Ryan were right there to help load it into the house, inspect it for any damage & close it up for now. Then we visited Bernie & Bob regarding other ideas.

Dinner: Baked Pastina with chicken casserole.

Lights out: 11:31 pm.

Awake: 5:55am    Temp 25    sleep 6+22     flurries with sunshine     overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I skipped the KK meeting due to a busy planned schedule. After breakfast, I motored to Barnesboro for the 3rd visit to the dentist. This time, it was a short stay (25) min & now: "I can show you my teeth."

Back @ our motorhome, we got ready to pick up our "man door" @ Lowe's in Johnstown. But before we did so, we loaded up on groceries @ Conzatti's & the Market Basket.

@ Lowe's, we discovered that our "man door" was too big to carry on top of our Suzuki. So we had (2) choices: drive back to Nicktown & borrow Bernie's truck...which he offered before we left...or rent the Lowe's truck for ($20) + fuel usage. We selected Lowe's truck. We had (75) min to do the round trip to avoid getting an extra charge. Fortunately the roads were clear & traffic was minimal. When we arrived, Ryan & Adam scurried out of the basement & quickly took that "man door" inside. We hopped back in the truck & headed back to Lowe's, arriving there with (12) min left when we parked.

Dinner: more leftovers from yesterday's leftovers.

Mid evening, we talked with both Melissa & Kevin; with Melissa, about Kathy babysitting for the boys next week & with Kevin, more high tech wiring for the house.

Lights out: 11:19pm.

Awake: 6:17am       Temp 31       sleep 6+58       mostly sunny      overnight @ Nicktown.

K & I left Nicktown @ 7:30am to get our blood work done @ Minors Hospital in prep for our semi annual check-up later this week.

Then we joined the KK meeting &, afterward, we motored to Barnesboro for Kathy's P.T. & my 2nd visit to the dentist.

Later @ home, we visited Bernie & his workers. Walking thru the basement, we could easily see that REA, our Geo-Thermo guys, dropped off some of the equipment.                   That's not all folks; feast your eyes on some more of this apparatus. So far, these blue & black wires are some of the phone wires, coax cables & CAT 5 wires that will, hopefully, get our phones, TV's, computers & music into the rooms of our house. Dinner: Clam chowder, Italian sausage with peppers & onions, & baked Pastina chicken casserole; all leftovers.

Lights out: 11:33pm.

Awake: 6:16am     Temp 23     sleep 6+48     mostly sunny     overnight @ Nicktown.

After our KK meeting, K & I visited the workers in the house. Bernie told us that the inspectors just finished checking the electrical wiring & we passed. So now they can prepare to bring in the 400amps directly to our house.

After breakfast, Kathy motored to Ebensburg for grocery shopping @ West End Market & Wal-Mart; and spent some time @ the nearby thrift store.

Meanwhile I spent a few hrs on the computer & cleaned up our Eureka vacuum cleaner.

Dinner: minestrone with Tuscan herb bread.

Lights out: 11:19pm.

 

Awake: 8:00am     Temp 37      sleep 6+49     mostly sunny     overnight @ Nicktown.

                When I woke up this morning, this warning was flashing above our dash: Temp went from 53 yesterday to 37 today. K & I attended 9:00am Sunday Mass & then early afternoon, we self toured our house....admiring the progress the builders are making.

                           Here is one location that holds a lot of powerful ideas. Yes, this is contractor Bernie's desk. Looks like a very expensive piece of furniture.

Dinner: Pork chops with spicey sweet potatoes & apples.

Evening movie: "Crossroads" with William Powell, Hedy Lamarr, Claire Trevor, Basil Rathbone, Margaret Wycherly, etc. Smooth, clever tale of respected diplomat Powell, who was once a victim of amnesia; he is accused by an extortionist of having a previous identity as a sly petty crook, causing much grief for him and his new wife. 1942. Good story.

Lights out: 11:28pm

Awake: 7:50am     Temp 53     sleep 7+04     light rain     overnight @ Nicktown.

"Happy New Year" folks! K & I attended the 9:00am New Year's Day in Nicktown &, afterward, attended the Koffee Klub meeting @ our community center & then returned to our motorhome for the rest of the day.

Kathy monitored Face Book on her Apple computer to find out if our kids were keeping their airline schedules, etc. I spent some time on my computer & checked some spending numbers.  

Dinner: Ratatouille.

Evening movie: "Convicts 4" with Ben Gazzara, Stuart Whitman, Ray Walston, Vincent Price, Rod Steiger, Broderick Crawford, Sammy Davis, Jr., etc. Gazzara gives sincere portrayal as long-term prisoner who becomes professional artist. Oddball supporting cast. 1962. Different kind of prison story.

Lights out: 1:13am.   

Awake: 5:55am       Temp 45      sleep 5+49      partly sunny      overnight @ Nicktown.

We must visit the Foote Family today for (2) good reasons: for Andrew's 5th birthday & to spend more time with Nick & family before they leave for Seattle tomorrow morning.

We skipped the KK meeting & started our journey toward the Foote Castle. 1st of all, I wanted to have prints made of our family photo yesterday & 2nd, I wanted to visit the State Liquor store & bring a bottle of wine for today's good cheer.

Well, the photo printing machine was very time consuming & the usual State Liquor store had moved to an out-of-the-way location due to new construction. That took even longer because many people were in line with bottles for New Years Eve. However, when we finally arrived at the castle, everyone was cheerful & having a good time. The boys had changed into their Ninja outfits & were going around scaring us peon seniors. While the Ninja guys were busy with us, Momoko was sharpening her teeth on some Legos. Meanwhile, back @ the dining room table, the crowd was gathering for Andrew's birthday party. There is not just (1) cake, but (3) for this gentleman. If you look closely, from top to bottom, you will see: Happy... Birthday... Andrew spelled out on the snowman cake. Just look @ that smile! Those tricky candles, they come back to life so easy...but I think windy Andrew has mastered the challenge. Then we were each served a slice of delicious made-by-Melissa ice cream cake. Later, after the boys finished their cake, Andrew with the help of Matthew, started opening the presents. This was a little chaotic & decent picture taking was challenging.                     However, this special sleek limousine was gramma's contribution.                       After the smoke cleared, I wondered what Nathan was thinking? Late evening dinner: Ham with Como bread, mixed salad & some wine.

We also included some political discussions, high tech small computer talk & the Kindle vs the Nook electronic books.

We again thanked Nick & Eriko for surprising us in such a wonderful fashion that made our Christmas better than we ever imagined. We wished Nick, Eriko, Jerry & Momoko a safe & comfortable flight back to Seattle.

Lights out: 12:46am.

Awake: 6:12am       Temp 27       sleep 6+14      overcast       overnight @ Nicktown.

After the KK meeting, Kathy went to Barnesboro for her Physical Therapy. Meanwhile, Katrina called from the Foote Castle; she was not feeling well, her voice was muted & her nose was stuffed up.

She wanted to know if we had any Nyquil & if we did, could we bring it when we came over today. I told her I would do what I could.

Later, Nick called: they need (1) pack of size (3) diapers & peppers & onions to make stir-fry.

To save shopping time & still get over to the Foote Castle for dinner, I called Kathy @ the P.T. building & asked if she could get these items in Barnesboro after her P.T. & then we could possibly make the Foote dinner meal time. She told me she will try.

By the time Kathy got finished with her P.T. & shopped for the required requests, & our driving time to Indiana, we missed having dinner @ the Foote Castle again. Notice the boys are now having a snack time. Later, Kathy let it be known to all that she would like a family picture today before the boys showers start. So, the living room was rearranged for this event. Kevin had (2) cameras, both on timers, (1) on a tripod & the other on a step. I had my camera timed & siting on the entrance bureau. We both took several shots & naturally selected the best shot for the group. So, welcome to the latest up-to-date Kathy & Monte Family photo.  After the boys were in bed, Kathy & I ate a few leftover slices of Kevin's homemade pizza, with a mixed salad & a small piece of Katie's homemade pumpkin pie for dessert. Then we sat around in the living room & chatted until some people were falling asleep. Zack & Katie & will be leaving for Seattle mid morning tomorrow & Katrina will be with them as far as Chicago, then she flies to Denver....so we said our goodbyes tonight with mucho, mucho thanks for surprising us & making our Christmas gathering a true family reunion.            And we do hope that Katrina gets better real soon; & of course, we said our goodnights to the rest of who might still be awake.

Lights out for us: 12:06am.

Awake: 6:02am      Temp 25      sleep 6+19      partly sunny       overnight @ Nicktown.

Today, I have invited the out-of-towners, our kids (those who could be free) over to Nicktown for a tour of our home building. Shortly after 9:30am, Nick, Zack, Katrina, Katie & Kevin arrived & we entered the house. This day was good for them to come as our high-tech sons can discuss some items of a high-tech nature with (2) other experts who Bernie the builder invited over.

One of the guys, Matt, deals with all sorts of electrical supplies, lighting, automation data com, video & electronics, etc & the other guy is from Scanlans electrical store which has some of the products. So with Nick, Zack & Kevin present, we had some interesting discussions. I'll be casually waiting for a catalogue on the features Matt & Scanlan had mentioned.

Kathy basically gave Katie & Katrina a grand tour of both floors while we guys were talking business. While we were inside the house walking around & gabbing, the excavator guys were starting to dig a trench from the electrical transformer to the north wing of our house. This will bring in electricity to our house without disturbing our motorhome's electricity.                           After our out-of-state kids left to return to the Foote Castle ...                              I went over & checked the trench with conduits. Next, we changed clothes, walked out the door & headed for the car... I stopped to listen to the compressor for the door closing ...but it didn't sound quite right. Within (5) seconds, it shut down & then started up again & ran about (5) seconds & shut down again. This scenario continued until I shut the compressor off.

I told Kathy to come back into the motorhome as we had a problem. I've been using a light bulb in the compressor area to keep that compartment from icing up during cold air. I didn't want to spend a lot of time trying to figure out why this is happening....so I called the Newell 24 hr-hotline. About (20) min later, Jim returned my call. I gave him all the characteristics of the compressor; after a few seconds, Jim told me that my compressor was acting the way it should act.

"You must have an air leak" he told me. "What you should do is run the engine, get the air pressure built up & then shut the engine off, go outside & listen for an air leak". Well, I did what Jim asked me to do & I heard no air leaking anywhere....but what I realized was: that (1) bulb trying to keep the compressor warm & keeping the compressor breathing lines open with moisture present, was not enough heat. So I put my Cadet heater into the compressor compartment & we waited for a good (30) min as I opened & closed the door several times for a test.
It seemed to be doing just fine so we motored to the Foote Castle & joined our kids for the rest of the afternoon & evening. Good thing I stopped & listened to that compressor before we left. Whew! The Cadet heater is mostly hiding both compressors. At the Foote Castle, we were late & missed dinner, but we still enjoyed the Foote Castle atmosphere. Bed time for the younger boys brought out the book reading. How many bodies can you see & who has the most popular book?                        Jerry hanging onto his Spiderman car while reading Apollo 13. Kathy gathered a few leftovers & made us a late dinner: sliced ham, bread & a mixed salad.

After the boys were in bed, Katrina suggested a different game for the adults: "Telephone Pictionary." I have to admit, this game was great; Kathy & I laughed so hard we were crying! Goodness gracious! And we were not alone. To describe it.....                                                 ...I am just too tired.
Lights out: 11:58pm.

Awake: 7:20am     Temp 18     sleep 6+59     overcast & windy      overnight @ Nicktown.

I was scheduled for a dentist appointment this afternoon but really didn't want to do it now that our kids are in town (so to speak); I would rather reschedule for another week. Being a little shy to make the call I asked Nurse Kathy to pinch hit for me; it was no big deal, the receptionist simply scheduled me for next week.

Then I talked with builder Bernie to let him know that our metal door is ready for pick up @ Lowe's. He was happy to hear that.

Kathy called Melissa & she related the latest scary ER visit; it appeared that Nathan was jumping up & down on the living room sofa & something went wrong with his landing & he took a big bite out of his tongue. The doctor didn't want to do any stitching but poor Nathan was in pain. Kathy asked Melissa if they were going to join the Don & Josie gathering this afternoon in Ebensburg & she said, yes.

We left Nicktown around 1:30pm & made a grocery stop @ the West End Market & Wal-Mart.

Don & Josie had their oldest daughter, Adrianne, & her husband, Les, in for a few days so we were the 2nd party to arrive @ the gathering. Behind us, came the Foote family, Nick & Eriko family, & Zack, Katrina & Katie. My sister, Corinne, has been staying @ Don & Josie's place for a few days during the holidays & will return to Pittsburgh later this evening.

I will start with the good people & work my way up to the better people. Downstairs in the social room, from left to right> Zack, me, Katie, Nick & my brother Don.                                 Melissa with Nathan, trying to comfort him.                                         Adrianne & Les; married 6 yrs.                                  Wow! This girl (Momoko) is ready to walk.                              Katrina soothing Nathan; he needed more love too. Then Josie started playing the player piano & all the singers & curious ones wrapped around the 1935 homestead music machine.                         After Josie, I played a few rolls & the singers wanted more .                        Then Matthew wanted to take a turn & he did really good. We ended up singing some Christmas Carols & patriotic songs. We snacked on peanuts, chips, & pretzels .... & mostly drank wine & beer. Before we left Josie brought out a tray of several different kinds of cookies, all made by Adrianne & her friend. This gathering was ever so nice. We were thankful to be around this area & experience this annual event of Don & Josie's.

From here, we followed our out-of-state kids who were following the Foote family back to their Castle for the evening. Showers were taken & the youngsters had snacks before heading for bed while we adults sat around & talked about the people we just visited. Such a nice brother, sisters & sister-in-law, etc I have.

Most of us were hungry for something healthy so Kathy made a huge salad & some fresh Tuscan herb bread which we all devoured in no time.

Zack talked Kathy, Katrina & me into playing a few rounds of the game: "Hecho." It was interesting to learn but we needed more experience. We left for Nicktown shortly before 11:00pm.

Lights out:11:43pm.

Awake: 5:53am    Temp 17    sleep 5+53     occasional sunshine    overnight @ Nicktown.

After the KK meeting & our breakfast, we motored to the Giant Eagle grocery store in Indiana, PA. Basically this is a new store for us & Melissa had (28) different items for us to pick up on our way to their house. I let Kathy get started on the list while I walked next door to Lowe's & purchased (2) Halogen-20 watt 12 volt bulbs.

When I returned to Giant Eagle, Kathy was not finding several items on the list & wanted me to call Melissa for help. After that call, several other calls were made back & forth to make sure we had the right product.

Melissa usually does this shopping with (4) active kids along & it takes about an hour; we had no kids & it took us over (2) hrs. Speaking of kids, all of our kids are very good @ playing games & entertaining younger kids; Melissa of course, does this several times a day....every day.

                Nick by far, is a natural at entertaining & being creative with young kid's. Katrina, she teaches 1st grade so she already has many ways to play & entertain small children. Now Zack has a style of his own; he's sort of a sleeper since he juggles very good & gets a lot of attention by doing so. But, like his brother, there is a lot of hidden talent that he brings out for the younger kids. So this afternoon @ the Foote Castle, there were only a few different activities happening. The ...........                                           which led Andrew to do this!                            And later, making cookies in the dining room. We missed seeing the morning activities with the young boys but tomorrow is another day.

Dinner: (2) Rotisserie chickens, mixed salad & Como bread.

Evening time was for us adults. Many subjects were covered. It was another fine visit with our family.

We left for our motorhome @ 10:15pm.

Lights out: 12:21am.

Awake: 6:28am      Temp 24       sleep 6+18      partly sunny      overnight @ Nicktown.

After attending 9:00am Mass & having our breakfast, we motored to the Foote Castle in Indiana, PA arriving shortly after noon.

It was obvious that the boys were having a good time....toys were everywhere, books were scattered & the sofa cushions were on the floor. Once the boys discovered our arrival, they gave us hugs with big smiles & wanted us to either see what they created on the 3rd floor or play a game or read them a book. Activity & happy noises (some might call it chaos) filled the house.

A chat with Nick brought me up to speed on the happenings of the night & morning. One thing for sure & above all else, the boys were patiently waiting to open the Christmas gifts that Nick, Eriko & Katrina had put under the tree. Finally, after dinner & after the dining room table was cleaned off, the long awaited presents were opened. These are thin, stretchy, foam shapers by "Creatology."

                               You mean: "I've waited almost all day for this? "                                            Ok, what should I do next?                       I hope Momoko finds a better present than Nathan & Matthew!                 That package was a little difficult to open; maybe this one will be easier. Nick scored a home run with Katrina by giving her a big box of Betty & Veronica comic books...in very good shape.                    Nick also gave the Foote family a huge game called: "Busy Town." After the boys bath, the Betty & Veronica comic books were most popular before bedtime. @ 5:50pm, another exciting surprise was revealed: Katie & Zack walked thru the Foote's back door after flying from Chicago to Pittsburgh & driving to Indiana. Now we had our whole family with us for Christmas; how wonderful!! Thanks to all of you; the travelers & the hosts.

Dinner for the adults: Meatless chili with Como bread.

After dinner & after the Foote boys were nestled in their bed, we adults had a sit down gab session until 10:30. Then we motored back to Nicktown.

Lights out: 12:00 midnight.

Awake: 8:03am      Temp 23       sleep 7+54      snowing      overnight @ Nicktown.

Merry Christmas to all of you out there somewhere. After a small breakfast, K & I motored to Indiana & joined the Foote family @ a church that was serving free meals to anyone who wanted to come, hoping to serve especially the poor & needy.

Melissa, Kevin & family helped serve hot meals @ this church last yr & Kathy wanted to serve with them this Christmas. We arrived about (20) min after the Foote family & already Melissa had herself & Matthew set up to serve coffee, juice & water. Unfortunately, there were not many customers & nothing for Kathy & me to do. I was reluctant to be involved in this project to begin with & felt guilty eating a dinner without doing any sizeable work to earn such a treat. Though about a half dozen or so families did come & eat, most of the tables were empty save for the Foote family & us. After the Foote boys ate a smidgeon of good food, (only Matthew ate well), they moved on to the playroom with a few other tots their age & the room was loaded with different toys & interesting things to do. K & I met Pastor Jim & he brought us up-to-date on his church & how slow & tough it is to increase his membership. Melissa did her best to look busy & help the few visitors with their drinks, etc., but she did admit that they will not do this again at this church next Christmas.

The present workers were quite capable of doing their jobs & didn't need or want any outside help.

From here, we motored to the Foote Castle to spend the remainder of the day with the Foote family. The Foote boys were so dressed up; I just had to have a photo. We were somewhat disappointed this Christmas that our family would be separated due to geographic locations. But, Kathy & Nick talked a few times on Skype & arranged for us to bring her Apple computer to the Foote house so we could at least see & talk on Christmas evening.

Meanwhile, around 4:00pm, we watched the Foote boys open their presents & start playing with said presents. Orchard Harvest game (very good). A few Lego kits; (very good). More Brio parts to construct more track layouts.(very good), etc. About 4:25pm, my sister Corinne arrived from Pittsburgh to join in the fun of Christmas. So we chatted with her, read books with the boys, played games & whiled away the evening, anxiously waiting for Skype time to see & talk with our West Coast Family. I think the target time was @ 8:00pm Eastern time. Kathy set up her Apple computer on the chest in the living room which is located just to the right of the front door. Kevin even made a cell phone call & Nick told him they were out walking & would be ready in about 20 min.

So, Kathy was at the computer waiting for the Skype call to come thru, when the front door opened & in walked Nick, Eriko with Momo, Jerry, & Katrina. What an exciting, memorable surprise!! We were not at all suspicious that they were coming in. Nick prided himself on never lying just not saying the full truth.                                        Eriko with Jerry & Matthew                                                       and our Katrina.                                                            and Jerry. We learned that the kids started planning this when they were in PA for my surprise birthday in Aug. & in 4 months none of our kids gave any hint, nor did Corinne & Don who also knew.

We don't know how our kids & my sibs learned the Art of Deception, but this kind of trick we could readily accept!

Zack, who was visiting with his fiancé's (Katie) family in the Chicago area, called earlier & we all took turns talking with him. He gave no indication of his siblings coming to PA.

The arrival of Nick & family & Katrina added a most joyous spirit to our Christmas. Now, at least (3) of our (4) kids were with us.

Nick & Kathy discussed how we would have to accept Zack not being here since he was now engaged & felt an obligation to be with his future in-laws. Nick did call Zack & suggested that we all Skype with him at Katie's but Nick reported that Zack was too tired.

Many thanks to Melissa & Kevin for once more hosting the family & subjecting themselves to the chaos & lack of sleep! Accept for Zack & Katie's absence, we had a perfect ending to an enjoyable day & went back to the MH counting our blessings.

Lights out: 12:17am.

Awake: 6:14am     Temp 22     sleep 5+55     overcast     overnight @ Nicktown.

After our KK meeting, Kathy delayed her breakfast & motored to Barnesboro for her P.T.

During her absence Melissa called & suggested a plan for Christmas day which I passed on to Kathy when she returned @ 12:05pm.

Early afternoon, I got the long hose out from our basement & filled the motorhome's pure water tank with (161) gallons. Next, I replaced the batteries in my Fluke meter which haven't been changed since purchased sometime early 2006.

Dinner: crab cakes, spinach salad, brown & wild rice pilaf. Later, Kathy & I attended the vigil 7:00pm Christmas Mass. The church was about ¾ full. However, all together there are (4) masses being said @ St. Nicholas church for Christmas.

Lights out: 12:09am.