***Welcome To The New Cruise Countdown Club***

I haven't been to the pool. Kinda got into a problem with a "friend" and I don't want to run into her there. Lets just say she is not a friend anymore.

I have to get the bus in Rockford. It is free parking in their secure lot.

Nothing is flooded here or even around here, thank goodness. But one of the Wed night gals had several inches or water in her basement. She lives pretty far from here.

I got the rest of the grass cut this morning, way in the back it was still pretty wet but I got thru it.

I have never had a pedicure!

There was a polka band in the park a couple of towns away tonight. I met several friends and had a fun night polka-ing. Two guys were there, one I used to get hay from when I had horses and now we go to the same church. The other one I knew from line dancing 20+ years ago. He is a good dancer. This was the same friends that were there last year. It was a fun night.

Sharon

Sharon, I am so sorry to hear about this lady who has upset you so. What happened that has set you off that you do not want to see her? It is too bad that you have to change what you loved doing that you cannot do anymore.

That sounds real good that you were able to go out dancing and met friends that you have not seen for a long while. Plus around here the temps were mild and even in the day it only got into the 70's. Today temps in the 70's and 60's. Guess what is the next day for rain is?

I see all of the places that are in flood zones. Too bad about your friend with having water in her place. I think you told me that your place is up on a hill so no worries about getting flooded.

So is Rockford about 1/2 hour from where you live? It is good that they have a secure lot to park in. So what time will you be back at the lot once you return? Enjoy and have a great time.

Kathy

I am finally packed, but my mind is still running through all the things that I need to pack and mentally checking them off. I plan on leaving an hour earlier than I need to be there. I changed to Rockford because it is an hour later than the pick up in Janesville and we get back an hour earlier than Janesville. So I can be home before they get up there. Supposed to get back around 7 or 8 pm on the 22nd, Saturday. Still means I have to get up around 5 am, which is not easy but then again sometimes I can't sleep the night before anyway.

I will tell you about the "friend" when I get back, don't want to go into it right now.

I got a 30% off coupon from Kohl's so that meant I had to go look. I ended up buying several things, a pair of bermuda's a couple of tops and a swimming suit top. So many things were on sale! I spent $40 + dollars and saved $112. Sounds impressive doesn't it.

Okay I'm taking my tablet with so maybe I'll get to post to you while I'm gone.

Sharon

Sharon, I know what you mean about getting up so early. As I hate to do that as well. But the good news since you have both seats to your self you can kick back and sleep some on the bus. Then tonight after touring, you will have no problem sleeping tonight.

I thought you had told me she is not your friend anymore. So lets just call her your not friend. I would think that you should know when she goes to the pool. So you should go at a time when she will not be there. If by chance she would end up there when you are there, then just do not say anything to her at all. There is no use pretending to like her when you do not.

You always find such good deals at Kohl's. I know for myself, I never let those coupons go by once I get them as well.

That was a good move going to Rockford rather than Wisconsin. Saving time is the way to go. This really sounds like a good trip that you are going on. Plus I would think that they will just keep you all at 1 hotel.

Enjoy and have a great time away.

Kathy

Sharon, up your way we have been getting a lot of rain the past 2 days. Much flooding along the Fox River. I am sure your place is just fine, but you may come home to some standing water in some places on your property.

We won again in boccie on Wednesday. A very close game and Bill carried us to the win. We only have 5 weeks left to play and we have to win them all to get back into a winning position.

Kathy

Still on the bus, traveling through Indiana. The plan is to stop at the Ohare oasis for dinner and then arrive back in Rockford about 7 pm. There was wifi in Canada but no service to connect for anyones phones or devices.

Sawalot of fun things, the hotels ranged from poor the first night (Quality Inn), better the next 3 nights (Holiday Inn, Niagra Falls) to excellent (Best Western, MI). Will be glad to get home to my own bed though.

My neighbor checked my house and texted me that there was some water in the basement but it was draining. I was thinking I haven't heard the sump pump run since I got the new furnace. Hope they didn't unplug it or something. There shouldn't have been any water come in.

Will post more tomorrow, congrats on the bocce win !

Sharon

Sharon, so if you are going through Indiana, you will be going right by us on your way to O'Hara. Sorry to hear about a bad hotel night. Glad to hear that the other nights were mush better. I hope you did not run into bad weather. We have gotten much rain over the past few days and more expected tomorrow.

That does not sound right about your basement. I'll bet those guys disconnected the pump when they were working down there. If that was the case you have every right to be upset.

Welcome back home later on.

Kathy

Yes, I don't know who to call about the water in the basement. It looks like it is coming from the well holding tank. I mop it up and its right back again. Then the pump doesn't run but every ten minutes the water drains down the drain real noisy. So not sure if I call the well guy or the plumber guy. Think I might start with the well guy.

Thought by getting all new stuff that I wouldn't have a problem, didn't think about those two things. I hate trying to figure out stuff by myself, I never know what to do or who to call.

It's good to be home, was going to cut grass but it started raining real hard so didn't do it today. Looks like might not be able to do it tomorrow either if it doesn't dry up.

I had two really big zucchini's when I got back, I like them smaller but maybe I can use some of one and give the other one away.

We only had rain one day on the trip and that was in Toronto. We went to an area they were redoing with all small shops and a brewery. We got out to look and it started pouring. I had my poncho from the falls boat trip and some people had umbrella's but lots had nothing and got really wet. Toronto has an underground pedway like Chicago does.

Sharon

Sharon, it sounds like your pump is going. So just call the plumber and he will give you an estimate on a new pump. We replaced our's last year. They are only guaranteed for so long.

Well I am glad to hear that you had a nice time on you adventure. You only had 1 day of rain, not too bad. We had far more rain than you did. Yesterday late afternoon it started pouring around hear as well. Today temps in the 70's and no rain in the forecast until Thursday. I thought it was going to rain today. So unless we get a pop up shower later on, no rain.

So it sounds like you spend a lot of time on the bus. But at least you had both seats to yourself so you could spread out and sleep and relax. I am sure the bus had bathrooms as well on it.

Kathy

Funny you should bring up the bathroom on the bus. It is really, really hard to go to the bathroom on a moving bus! But thank goodness there is one there for when you drink too much coffee or water and can't wait for the next scheduled stop.

I had the well guy come out, he looked at it and then he checked the sump pump and said, it's not the well it's the pump but we don't work on pumps so you'll have to call a plumber, that will be $85.00. I thought that was a pretty steep price to pay for telling me to call someone else. So I called the people that put in the furnace, a/c and water heater. They said they don't work on sump pumps either but they would check with one of their guys who might know how to do it. So I called Bill's son Tom. He said he would come over after he got the rest of his work done for the day. He did come over and I had an extra pump so he put it in and it started pumping water outside like you wouldn't believe! I think it has finally stopped running so much but boy it sure ran a long time. I was afraid when the a/c kicked on it might burn out everything but it didn't.

They are predicting rain for Wednesday again, hope they are wrong, you can get your game in and I can get some more grass cut. I cut today but there are so many places that are just too wet.

Sharon

Sharon, I agree with you 100% about the well guy. Once you were on the phone with him and told him you think there is something wrong with your sump pump, he should have told you right then that he does not work on sump pumps. That was real expensive for him to charge you like he did.

Plus you are lucky that you had an extra one. I do not know of many people who keep an extra sump pump around. I would have thought that your pits were over flowing with water in them, and that is why the new pump ran for so long. But at least you are all good to go now.

I just checked the weather and around here we do not have any rain in the forecast until Thursday.

I remember when our cruise ended in Vancouver. We took a super shuttle from Vancouver to Seattle, and it was a 4 hour bus trip and they had a bathroom in the back, and it was very dark for me. But at least they had 1. So what was the longest time you spent on the bus?

Kathy

Probably the longest on the bus was going up to Canada and coming back. We only stopped for breaks, one in the morning and one at night and lunch and dinner. The other days even though we were on the bus it was only for short periods of time, getting to the next featured stop.

The basement is all dry again. Bill always was proactive, if something could wear out he had a duplicate available to install. Now I will also get another sump pump for the "just in case" it happens again.

Got some more grass cut again today, now there is just one more acre (about) to cut but I can't get in there because where the opening is, it's full of water. It will need at least several days to go down and dry up a bit before I can go in.

Feels good to be back at zumba, although my legs are pretty sore from the squats again. It doesn't take long to lose the ground you have gained.

I heard the rain is coming tomorrow, hope they are wrong!

About that "friend", she stopped talking to me one day, when I texted her to find out why she said she didn't like what I said about her. I text back and tried to find out what she was talking about since I didn't remember ever saying anything about her. After several tries, I text her daughter but she wouldn't tell me either. Then they both started putting stuff on facebook about backstabbers and people that talk behind your back. Well after 3 weeks she texts me she want to talk she doesn't like holding a grudge. I told her it was too late, I had moved on, good luck. So that's the story, never did find out what she was mad about, guess it was a secret.

Sharon

Sharon, for us when we were coming back from Vancouver we only stopped once and that was crossing from Canada into the US for the boarder crossing.

Glad to hear that the basement is all dried up and that you will have a new pump in as well as a back-up.

For us around here there is a 30% chance at 7 for an isolated thunderstorm. So I guess we shall have to just wait and see. Temps in the 80's today. The best chance of rain is tomorrow.

We did have a lot of rain while you were gone. So it does not surprise me that you still have standing water on your property.

That is too bad about that lady. I would not let it keep you from going to the pool. You must know around the time that she goes, and you can just go another time when she will not be there.

Kathy

Well just got home and its raining pretty good, that's all we need is more rain!

Went to zumba and then to breakfast, while we were eating the gal that used to teach Forever Fit came in and came over and gave me a big hug. She and her husband had moved to Tennessee or Kentucky about 2 1/2 years ago, he is a minister and got transferred. They were up here visiting for a few days. She is really a nice person and it was good to see her. She has of course started an exercise class where they live and was glad to hear that we were still exercising also. She knew Bill was sick when she left so she asked me how he was doing. I told her he had passed away and then my tears started. I still cannot talk about it without that happening. I don't know that I ever will be able to. She said if she lost her husband she would probably have tears for 20 years when she talked about him.

So looks like I won't get the rest of the grass cut for quite some time now with the rain tonight.

Hope you got your game in, it didn't start here until about 9 o'clock I think.

Sharon

Sharon, it must have rained once I was asleep as we got all of our games in and I was home by 9 and it haven't started raining yet. I do not see any rain for the rest of today around here. So we won big time last night 16-3. This was a very good team and was just 1 place ahead of us. So we will move up at least 1 depending on how the other's ahead of us did.

The way the game is supposed to be played is in the center of the court. I do not like playing that way nor can most of the players play that way. Bill does not play any other way except in the center of the court, and thus is why we win when Bill plays as the rest cannot compete with his style of playing.

Perhaps sometime in the next week you will get a chance to cut the grass. I do not see any rain until next Friday around here. But as we all know all to well, that could change.

It was nice to see your former instructor once again. It sounds like they are in a good place and happy. Time is the greatest healer. There is nothing written down on how long a person will greave. It is a healing process and there is nothing wrong with grieving. It is an expression of honor and loss for the deceased. We all go through this process in our own individual ways.

Kathy

Congratulations again for the big win! I have never played that game so not familiar at all with how its played. But anything that gets you out to move and socialize is a good thing.

I don't know how long it rained last night as I went to bed right away too, about 10:30. It was coming down pretty good though. This morning it looked like it was going to rain again but then the sun came out. Tomorrow looks to be a nice day, might try to ride my bike.

Tomorrow is WW, am up .6 so far from 2 weeks ago, last week was on vac. Maybe if I eat well today it will be gone by then.

I made some zucchini the other night, homegrown, sliced it up, fried it in a little olive oil and put about 1/2 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes in it. It was really good and hardly any calories at all! Think I will make that for dinner again tonight, and maybe a little chicken.

What has Bill been up to, seems he is always staying busy with something.

One more day of work for you and then the weekend!

Sharon

Sharon, Bill has a somewhat rain gauge in our pond. When he sees that the pond needs water, and when he hears it is going to rain, he lets it go and sees how much rain we will get. So I guess you got more rain than we did, as the pond level did not change much.

So we are in 4th place, and each week we are moving up. Now this coming week we play the team that is in 2nd place, and I can tell you that they are very sore losers. So Bill said don't expect any hand shakes or hugs next Wednesday, as we are going to hand them their second loss.

So we both are co-captains of the bocce league. So Bill goes over there every Wednesday morning to get the courts ready. The way it is supposed to be. Each team hosts and is in charge every week. So for instance team 1 hosts week 1, and so on and so fourth.

He says that he has created a monster. By doing what he does, each team does not show up early as they know that Bill has already done their job. Then on top of that, he raised the pot for the awards for the various places and now people like the team we are playing on Wednesday, start yelling at each other as they are so jacked up. No one should ever be yelling at one another.

So he does that and he is a board member of 2 theater guilds. So he is always going to board meetings. He is assistant VP of conventions for the United Retires Group and now is also the Regional Director For The Midwest Region as well. So yes he does stay busy. I have been getting on him to do our front porch as the paint has pealed off, and he has another product that when he puts it down it will be set. So he needs to power wash it first and then put it down. But with the heat the way it has been he does not go out much, rather stays in the cool.

I almost seriously hurt myself the other night. As I bought a used bike from a garage sale for myself. My SIL brought it over Wednesday night and left it at our back gate. Once I got home from bocce I rode it in the alley and almost fell over and I would have really hurt myself. Bill will have to adjust the seat down more as my feet cannot touch the ground.

Kathy

Wow, he is keeping busy, just as I thought he would be doing, good for him!!

Yes sometimes when you think you are helping people they come to expect it and then you have to keep doing it, like setting up the bocce stuff.

I always think about what would happen if I fell while riding my bike too. I do wear a helmet and try to be very careful but things happen so quick sometimes. My bike is the right size but that bar that comes down seem to be very high, I have almost caught my foot while trying to get off it. Glad you didn't get hurt!

Went to the dance place tonight, another single gal who used to teach line dancing came and then the other 3 couples we used to dance with. It was fun but it was also lonely when they all got up and did couples dances. Couldn't help but cry on the way home, missing Bill.

Finally Saturday, going to sleep in a while tomorrow morning, at least that's what I'm telling myself tonight. I did lose .6 today at WW, but I'm going to have some ice cream before I go to bed, or my stomach will start growling.

Sharon

Sharon, good for you loosing .6, as last week you were up .6. Always good to loose rather than gain. But of course last week you were on vacation and not doing your regular routine, so a good reason why the gain.

So Labor Day weekend we will go to Saugatuck. Then in September we will go to LAS for the convention for 1 week. You already know that we always go away on those 2 holidays. But a different place for the convention each year. Last year it was in Seattle.

The bike was not adjusted properly, and I should not have attempted to ride it. So yes, very luck that I did not hurt myself. But now Bill has adjusted the seat down and perhaps I will get a better seat to sit on.

Most often I do not sleep in and rest. But today I did just like you did as well. It does feel good to be off the treadmill and just relax.

Well at least you had some good company last night at the dance place. Yes, there will always be moments of sadness and it is perfectly alright to have sad moments. You are just honoring the great memories that you both had.

Kathy

That should be a fun trip to LAS, I haven't been there for over 10 years now, but enjoyed it when Bill and I went.

I finally was able to get all the grass cut, the last part dried up enough that I could get in there and mow, it was getting pretty long.

Went up to a meat market i buy some really good beef filets and scallops at this afternoon. They were having a Customer Appreciation day so when you bought something you got a ticket for lunch, a brat, chips and drink. They have really good brats, the ones they were giving for lunch was just plain, but I bought 4 of the Green pepper, cheddar cheese ones.

My pet sitter called this evening, they are going somewhere on Mon thru Wed and wanted me to watch her dog. I like having her here she is no trouble so of course I said yes. Maybe if I get a dog smell in my yard some of the critters will leave.

Might go to the movies tomorrow if nothing else to do comes up.

Yes, it did feel good to just lay there this morning, last night I had cramps in my feet and toes, don't know what that's about.

Sharon

Sharon, Bill and our foot Dr have been getting on me to wear something other than just taking off my shoes and walking around bare foot. This has been a major problem with me and have the very same symptoms as you. So when I go to see him he adjusts my foot inserts. So yesterday I went to a local shoe store around here and bought some sandals for plantar facilities and they really feel very nice. Of course going into the hot tub at night really helps to sleep sound every night.

That is good that you were finally able to finish cutting the grass. I would think that with this dry weather many of the flooded zones will have those flooded waters go completely down. Also that sounds like a great plan having the dog around and getting his sent around so the critters will stay away.

The nice thing about LAS is that the organization that Bill belongs to pays for everything for us. So we pay up front and then he submits it for reimbursement.

I also went to a local meat market yesterday and bought steaks, they have the best. They also do the very same thing as your market was doing. It is a nice way to show customer appreciation.

Bill has a board meeting this afternoon for a theater guild that we both belong to. So I really do not know what I will be doing this afternoon.

Kathy

It's always nice when you can get some shoes that feel really good to wear. So many of mine are alright for a while but then the pinch my toes. The last few pair I bought seems to be working pretty well.

I didn't have anything I especially wanted to do today so I went to the movies and saw one with Charlene Therezon in it. Called Atomic Blonde. She had it all over Wonder Woman! It was a toss up between that one and the War of the Planet of the Apes.

Are you going to fix your steaks tonight? I'm not sure I am, after eating the popcorn at the show not too hungry but maybe I will be a little later. I haven't gotten any more zucchini yet, and they were so good fixed with the fire roasted diced tomatoes.

Well another week starts tomorrow and the last day of the month. Time is flying by it seems and yet it seems to be going slow too.

That is nice when the organization picks up the tab, you can just go and enjoy!

Sharon

Sharon, I agree that time is passing by so quickly. Where did this month go to. Tomorrow is August already, and soon it will be Labor Day weekend and the last official holiday of the summer. Bill goes back to work in like 3 weeks.

Another day in the 80's and no rain forecast around here until Thursday.

Bill told the foot Dr that I am without shoes some 15 hours a day. When we went to SEA I was hurting real bad. As I needed my shoe inserts to be adjusted. Now I can tell the difference and the reason that I bought these sandals. The older we get our feet swell and most often we need to up size our shoes.

That was good that you were able to get out yesterday and go to a show. I have not heard of either of those shows. But then we have not been to a show ever. So the reason why. When we travel we have bought the pay preview shows on the hotel TV. But have not actually gone to a show.

Actually I did the steaks on Saturday, the very same day that I bought them. Bill had a theater guild board meeting yesterday afternoon, that lasted way longer than it should have. So I went over to my # 2 daughters house and I had to fix her computer as it was on the fritz.

Yes, agreed about the organization picking up the tab. Well get this the hotel we are staying at is the very same hotel where OJ held up that guy getting his personal stuff back.

Kathy

I think I could use some inserts, my right knee and left hip are really bothering me today. I wore a knee brace (stretchy one) to zumba this morning. I was having that problem of swelling feet last year when I did all the walks. But this year I did not join that group and have not been walking much.

I'm impressed you could fix your daughter's computer, the sound went out on my computer and my 10 year old fax machine stopped working. I think I had them both plugged in during a storm and they got to much of a jolt. I use my tablet to hear things on fb.

Is Bill going to be a crossing guard again?

I have my pet sitter's dog here for 3 days. They were going up to Milwaukee to ride the ferry across lake Michigan. She has a relative there and were going to stay at a B&B. T by eir dog is missing them tonight. She usually goes with them.

Sharon

Sharon, I can tell you that inserts are most important. But you have to actually go to a foot Dr as they make a mold of your foot and then order them based on the mold. They have helped me out a whole lot and have put me in less pain.

Temps today in the 80's and a slight chance of rain later on this afternoon. But it looks like the rain will track way south of us.

It is good that you have the dog for a few day this week. I was not aware of a ferry in Milwaukee that took you across the lake.

I am the IT person at work and I am constantly fixing computers at work. My daughter does nothing to keep her computer in good working order and she is always relying on me to fix it.

Yes, Bill has less than a month when the kids go back to school. He has a permanent corner about 5 minutes from our house. I can see him as he is only 1 block from my work. Of course on Labor Day weekend he will only work the morning and take off the afternoon as we will hit the road early to go to Saugatuck.

Kathy