Thursday Think it Through

[Harmony]

Lucylee, I didn't see any snarky comments. You must have already deleted something....

And I gotta say, if I had that much time to work on a planner, stickers and drawings and colored markers, etc. etc., then I wouldn't have time to actually DO anything. But I'm sure it would be more fun...

I like pens too! I have a collection and I always go hunting for my favorite, the Pen tel RSVP one. My favorite timer is a really old fashioned one that has a dial to turn and goes tick tick tick brrrring! at the end!

So I did the dreaded chore I've been threatening to do. How many times did I mention I needed to check my ballot and figure out who to vote for? We only have 2 more days for early voting so this was becoming urgent. Took me all day on and off to figure it out. Multiple phone calls and texts back and forth with Sister-in-law who was doing the same thing... and her calls to her kids, one's a teacher so that was for school board info and one is involved in environmental group because of his charter boat and issues with our water, so that was good to know too.

Then I had to explain it all to DH who just wants me to figure it out and tell him who to vote for. So I had quite a conversation about it all and we figured out the ones I just couldn't decide upon. I just can't see going to vote when it's all a guessing game.

While I was at all that DGS called and I asked him if he'd registered yet...no... but he was doing something else very adult and I said if you're old enough to do that you're old enough to vote. So I called his county and found out where he should go to register (too late for the primary but in time for the regular) so he intends to vote then. Nice to see him doing the adult thing already.

Got dailies done. Not much else. Washed a LOL. It's still in the washer.

Nancy, sometimes it's just better not to upgrade. People want to change things. When we sold the old house, she said she was putting in a new kitchen (probably bathrooms too). They bought the house purely on location as she worked about 1/4 mile away. I have not had the courage to drive by and see what looks different. I know they were going to build a pool too.

Time for bed.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Home. And reconnected to the internet.

It would have been easier to disconnect if dh had been disconnected as well. I forgot my cell phone at home so didn't have it for the 7 hours in the car (3.5 hours each way.) Worse, the WiFi in the lodge was email only and super simple webpages without graphics. FB wouldn't load. So I was almost fully disconnected.

BUT we were physically close enough to the main road that cell service and data worked. So dh could connect. He shared it with me a few times (I needed to cancel an appointment tomorrow and couldn't get through at the lodge) and he played the news each morning. But I was aware he could look up things I couldn't.

We won't go back there again. Location was perfect, our cabin had no road noise (although we could hear the highway elsewhere on the property from time to time.) Lake was clear and warm to swim in. The dock and swim platforms had super easy ladders to use. You had to take a water taxi to the place so I was on the water every day. Food was superb.
But we didn't have a full nights' sleep once. Every night, mice woke us up, sometimes multiple times a night. The first night, we were up for 2 hours until I figure out if we left the light on it would hide. So we slept with the light on. They said they put in traps but they didn't (I couldn't find them, even after pulling out the fridge) so the second night the mice were back 2x. The third and fourth nights, dh was up to empty and reset the traps in the night.

Even without the mice, we will not return. It cost the same a cruise per day but the little touches were missing. Like room being cleaned daily (necessary due to mouse droppings on the dresser and counter), chips and cracks in the sink, regular towels - nothing special, just soap dispensers on the wall, no conditioner or other luxury touches, no decaf tea anywhere on the property, no lit fireplaces (it went down to the low 50's overnight 2 nights so a warm fire in the lodge when we arrived for breakfast isn't out of line), only 5 entrees and only 2 I liked but the last night they ran out of that item so I had to settle for steak. It was very good (I had already had it 2 nights before) but the lamb I missed out on was the best I had ever had. Oh, and the dining room was noisy, no table cloths (which cut noise) and people showing up to eat $75 dinners in ripped t-shirts and shorts. The food was worth the $75 but the atmosphere screamed Family Roadside Diner.

On the drive home we stopped in at 3 other resorts. One was on the highway and too noisy. The next one is total luxury (jacuzzi, sauna, 50" tv, fireplace AND hot tub on a private deck for each villa), pool, spa, tennis courts, dock with canoes, live piano music in the dining room at lunch - all for less than I paid this week. But it isn't isolated and may get highway noise. It is for a different sort of holiday.

The last one is isolated (20 miles from a tiny town) and not fancy and I'll have to cook for us because there's no restaurant nearby, but walking around, I realized I didn't want to leave. Each cabin gets its own deck and dock with a canoe. There's a little beach (for dsg) and it is dead quiet. And it is much more affordable so we could stay there as an extended family since they have 3 and 4 bedroom cabins. I'm thinking of booking in there for myself next June while dh is in Africa. It will get me away from the city noise which was the goal and ds and/or dd could come up for part of the time.

It was a lovely drive home as the weather was perfect and we explored an area of the province we'd never been to. The last place was so off the beaten path, we just continued on lessor roads rather than backtracking to the proper highway home. We stopped for an early dinner in MF's town because we like the schnitzel place there.

Interestingly, it is now past 11 and I'm still up. The past 4 nights we were in bed by 9:30 at the latest but yawning at 8:30 and asking each other if it was time for bed yet. The energy of the city as well as the computer screen, must be keeping me up.

[Harriet]

Was sorry to read it wasn't as nice as you'd hoped, Kathryn. So much does sound really good, but the drawbacks are disappointing, especially if the cost is not so different from a cruise. Glad you had some fun, and also found a prospect for a future time.

[lucylee]

Yes, Harmony, I deleted quickly. It was about our local newspaper. I should just be thankful we still HAVE a local paper and that it is as good as it is. But I deleted b/c (1) you never know who might be lurking in our village... could be the local person who actually is a friend and I would never want to hurt this person's feelings and (2) if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all, right?

I am feeling SOOOO accomplished tonight, y'all!
[x] s2s
[x] change sheets
[x] clean bathrooms
[x] upload photos
[x] cooked supper and s/s kitchen
[x] picked up dgrands' toys, straightened up "baby" room
[x] organized floor area of master bedroom closet which had been OMM for a while
* just a small space but still, an improvement
[x] found phone number so dh could call The Man
-- dh discovered (while poisoning fire ants) that actually, there is a very good reason our water bill was over $100 this month... aside from the hard-to-fix drip in my tub, we have a HUGE leak outdoors at the main line/shutoff valve? Whatever. Sooo... plumber will be here bright and early tomorrow and I suppose I'll be without water for a large part of the day.
[x] walked one mile outdoors
* Woo Hoo for me. I had such high hopes that THIS MONTH would be better, and so far, I have logged less than half as many exercise days for August as I did for July. It seems the harder I try, the worse I do.
[x] talked to ddil on phone, checking plans for bday party dgs is going to this Sunday
* yes, dgd is going too -- relief, no Nana-duty for me then
[x] talked to elderly lady (95) re: newspaper article in local weekly paper
[x] in addition to the sheets, two more loads of laundry washed and put away or hanging to dry

I love that Pentel pen, too, Harmony -- fine point. Must be fine point. Good for you on being an informed voter. Too many times, I fear people just mark a ballot, and I have been guilty of voting when I really don't know which candidate would be best. We should all do like you did today or just leave it blank and let those who have taken time to find out about the candidates do the choosing.

Tomorrow for me...
-- The Man will awaken us early (for us!) He said he would be here around 8:00 or 8:30. I hope I am not needed for anything until it is time to pay him.
-- I have to go to the drug store and get some refills for dmom, and might deliver those to her, along with some other misc items... but more likely, I will wait until Saturday to see her -- but I do want to go to the drug store tomorrow.
-- Also, will be keeping dgd while ds gets new tires -- and dgs if it runs into school dismissal time.

[Harriet]

Brrrrrring - there is a very pleasant one of those, Harmony!

Nancy, I didn't see that you had put up a link, and at first thought comments about your house were just happy thoughts about what you'd been saying "looking" good. But finally there were just too many comments so I went back and found your link. I am so impressed. The absolute neat-as-a-pin condition is just great. Such a success.

TaDas today include:
microwave deep-cleaned
washer twins cleaned
3 loads of laundry
2 sets of sheets in a perfect, pretty stack
casserole in fridge for Saturday
an hour of Desk Day
plants watered

also a perfect day of checking off 24 healthy habits

Tomorrow:
Cleaning front bathroom
welcoming a friend of HRH's
Errand Day after they leave

I've got to narrow my reading down - now that my book on sleep has arrived I keep forgetting which book I've left in which room and I'm starting to use silly things for bookmarks, so I know I'm past my book limit.