Englewood Reporting In

It's been a little more than a week since the last post, so here is a report on what we have been doing.

First, let me assure you that the weather has finally warmed up again.  We have had three gloriously warm and sunny days and it is supposed to continue indefinitely.  The temp may drop a wee bit but it should stay sunny and warm now through the end of our visit - that is the end of March.

We went shopping a few days ago and bought a cheap bar-b-q.  It is working fine.  We actually went looking for a new bicycle seat for my bike so that I could make usse of it.  They had seats at WalMart two days previously but when we went back to finally buy one - you've got it; all gone!  We'll try to look again later in our time here.

We have finally had another technician come and look at our TV set up which has been sporadic in its reliability.  All is fixed!  He had to do some rewiring.  The person who did the original set up tried to use wiring that was already in place.  Not good!  Now we have our TV back to normal.  Last night we watched "Joyful Noise" with Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah.  Fun movie!

Our landlords, Peggy and Bud, have been upset about our TV situation.  That was why they took us out New Year's Eve.  They also had us in to their new place for supper this past week.  We had a wonderful roast beef dinner.  Very enjoyable evening.  They have a nice home which will be even nicer once they have it set up they way they want it.  Right now they are still in the moving in process.

Our visitors start arriving this coming Saturday - February 2nd.  Gary will be with us for almost two weeks.  We are planning on a car trip over to Fort Lauderdale while he is here and we have bought tickets to go see a play at the Lemon Bay Playhouse - "The Inspector Calls" by J.B. Priestly.  Then Jen, John Luke, and Kalen visit for almost a week.  Then Bob's youngest sister Karen visits in early-March for a week, and then Barb and Dave King drop in in late-March.  Looking forward to all the visits and visitors.

Otherwise we have been reading, computing, walking - with and without Jack, bicycling, watering the gardens, and sitting in the sun!  What a wonderfully exhausting time!

Two (cold) days in paradise

Thursday, 2013 01 17

Cool day.  

I neglected my bike ride until it got overcast enough that I could use the excuse of impending rain.

Spent a quite a lot of time working with / studying Python (programming language).

We drove to Walmart to look at bicycle seats for BJ.  They have one that only costs $20, that might be prostate-friendly.  Probably should have bought it; we'll be back.

Liver & onions at the Spinnaker Cafe.

Took Jack for a very short walk after supper.  Windy, overcast, cold, threatening rain.  I guess we got only a couple of drops.

Catching a cold... ?   Took echinecia at bedtime.

Friday, 2013 01 18

Awake, getting breakfast ready before 6 AM.  (BJ snores.  Don't tell him I told you.)

Turned heat on for a short time this morning.  Sitting here eating my oatmeal in long pants and a sweater.  No wonder I thought I might catch a cold.  A real drag after the week of great weather we've just had.

6:20 AM, BJ is getting up.  Maybe.

Biked for 2+ hours today, wandered around David, Gulfstream, Albatross, Jennifer...  Wound up in Placida.  Decided against the Cape Haze Road; thought I would be biking into the wind all the way home, whereas on the bike trail there would be some shelter.  I was getting pretty tired before I got home, muscles were thinking about cramping; glad I had the cell with me: (Bob, come get me... I can't walk...)  Made it home under my own power.

The birds are back.  Lots of robins and others, so many in the bushes that when you bike by, you scare them, and they (big animals in those bushes...) scare you.

rg

What's been happening?

We have been keeping busy and enjoying our time in a very warm Florida.  We have had much warmer weather for early-January than we did last year.  No frost this year!  And for the past five days, temps have been 25/26C or higher with lots of sunshine.  The weather forecast indicates that it is to stay that warm for the next couple of weeks.  Very little chance of rain.

We have had several good meals out since our last posting.  We've been to Beef O'Brady's and had very good fajitas.  We went to one of the newest restaurants in town, The Chowder House, and had a very good lunch this past Tuesday.  Rob had New England White Chowder - very creamy, tasty.  I had fish bites, off the Children's menu.  Small pieces of battered haddock with onion rings, cole slaw, and tartar sauce.  Way too much for any child.  More than I wanted.  Very good! 

Tonight (January 11th) we went for supper, again, at Nicola's Italian Kitchen.  Very busy.  We had about a 15 minute wait before a table was available.  Rob had spaghetti and meatballs - two huge meatballs - and I had chicken parmagiana.  Again, very good.  Too full to have dessert.  Fortunately, we then had our evening walk with Jack to help settle our supper.

Last Sunday (January 6th) we went to see The Hobbitt (3D).  Really enjoyed the movie but I can't say that 3D made it any more enjoyable.  Was not prepared for the ending - left you with a cliff hanger so we have to wait until the next installment comes out.

Been doing a lot of reading and sitting out in the sun.  Rob has been doing a lot of bicycling - pretty much every other day.  Only went for a short ride today (almost one hour) because it was too hot.  And this was before Noon!

Our schedule of visitors is now sorted out.  Gary arrives in about 3 weeks.  Jen, John Luke, and Kalen come next, followed by sister Karen.  And then Dave and Barb check in in late-March before time arrives for us to journey home.  More to follow...

New Year's Eve in Englewood

We went with Peggy & Bud to a Chinese Buffet up in Venice, "Hibachi Grill Buffet".  Very good food, great variety, reasonable prices.  I had 'red bean ice cream' for the first time; looks like strawberry, tastes different - I liked it.

Then we went to "The White Elephant", restaurant / bar on Englewood Beach Rd.  We had intended to go to Flounders, but it was wall to wall people overflowing into the parking lot, with loud (good) music.  

We (BJ & I) ran out of steam, and declined the offer to go to yet a third place.  Peggy thought we were giving up awfully early; we told her it was later for us than last year, so she was happy.

rg