So what’s going on?
After the crumby neighbors finally got kicked out, the new owners have been tearing out that interior of that house and remodeling it. There’s also been outside work on the septic system and removing an old dead oak tree, but that’s there.
Here? I’ve been doing some major pruning, battling fleas, chasing my daughter around and trying to figure out how to schedule our lives to accommodate her growing educational needs.(We are homeschooling.)
And trying to stay dry. Today the lake at the end of the street reached a level I’ve never seen before, not even after the three hurricanes in 2004 or the weird July of 2008. Close to overflowing the bank on the far side. Hopefully the pumping station will lower the level overnight.
But that can only happen if the rain stops! Today we tied a record: 22 days in September with rain. The old record has stood since 1892(!) and it will be broken tomorrow, quite possibly before the sun comes up.
We’ve also been sweating like fiends as the AC in the main part of the house stopped working a couple of months ago. We’ve got a couple of wall units, one for the bedroom wing and one for the main living areas, and it has not been pleasant since the one stopped working. I tried a few things to fix it, but so far nothing has worked. I’ve got a couple of other things to try, but it is murder getting it in and out of the wall, and frankly I haven’t had the energy to try again. (Needless to say we don’t have the money to buy a new one.)
I’ve also found a chess club I can play at. I can play online any time, but I grew up actually moving pieces with my hands, and that’s still what I find most satisfying. (I also visualize future moves better with a 3-D representation in front of me, rather than one that’s 2-D.) That’s made me rather happy in recent weeks, even if it is a 45 minute drive one way. (The old club from the Orlando area is all but completely defunct now.)
Kim continues to work. She’s a bit bummed now as a combination of events have resulted in all of her friends in the office being elsewhere now – the last of them transferred to the Philly office for a year just last Friday. Hopefully that won’t be too hard. She’s also has another organization she participates in, but that’s rapping up at the end of the year. Kim is clearly ready for something <i>new</i> for her energies. (I mean away from the home. Besides, health and financial issues mean no more children.)
The little one continues to grow in all ways. Although we miss having a baby or a toddler, she’s more interesting and more entertaining now. Also more trouble, but even that’s funny sometimes. The enthusiasm of youth! Nothing like having an entire universe in front of you and having pretty much all of it be new. I could go into particulars, but I won’t.
So, what about the rest of ya?
Ambiance 
amba12 said,
September 30, 2014 at 12:02 am
So good to hear from you! Coincidentally (or not), a friend called last night as I was frantically last-minute packing for the drive to Florida, warning me that there was something seriously wrong with Florida’s weather. She wasn’t sure if it was the same part I was going to or not. I don’t have TV braying at me all the time so I was supposed to look it up on the Internet, but I much prefer getting my news from a friend. Thank you. So it’s all true.
So now I’m sitting in a motel in Frederick, MD, having chosen, with my friend Chris, an alternate route from New York to Chapel Hill that bypasses the dreaded BalWash (or WashBal if you are going the other way.
After a few days in NC we will be heading your way, as my parents arrive in Fort Myers Beach the 7th. I am not sure yet exactly when we will come through, at what speed, and whether we will need snorkels.
I had an extremely frantic, overscheduled 3 months in and out of New York. Just now, I sat up at the computer for a couple of hours, appearing to work, but in fact dead asleep.
Icepick said,
September 30, 2014 at 9:15 pm
The weather has been peculiar. We’ve had several fronts just stall right over the peninsula in September, the last one being the worst. I just keeps raining.
It’s been so bad the doors on our house have swollen up more than usual. Some of this could perhaps be attributed to the lack of AC in part of the house, but one of the doors affected is an interior door that is two feet from the working AC unit.
But it looks like they’re forecasting 0% chance of rain for Sunday and Monday. If that holds up it’ll be your best bet to drive through.
And if you stop in Orlando, let us know and we’ll meet you somewhere.
wj said,
October 5, 2014 at 1:18 pm
We, in contrast, continue to be in a serious drought, with lake levels down where they haven’t been since the reservoirs were first built. No relief in sight (rain this winter, yes; but not enough to get things back up to what we fondly believe is normal). Combined with an ever growing population, all of whom seem to think they should be able to have lawns, just like on the East Coast . . . even though they are living in a desert.
On top of which, we are having a heat wave. As in, setting records for the date the last couple of days. Really, really glad we put in double-pane windows a few years back! Combined with solar power, we can keep the house at a livable temperature. All we have to do is refrain from going out during the afternoon. What makes it seem particularly odd is that, overall, we had a rather cool summer. Anybody who says the climate isn’t changing is not paying attention.
Donna B said,
October 10, 2014 at 1:50 am
“The little one continues to grow in all ways. Although we miss having a baby or a toddler, she’s more interesting and more entertaining now. Also more trouble, but even that’s funny sometimes. The enthusiasm of youth! Nothing like having an entire universe in front of you and having pretty much all of it be new.”
With children, just about the time you get the hang of dealing with (and appreciating) one stage, they are well on their way to another. I was a young parent with children barely a year apart and probably didn’t appreciate these changes as much as I should have. There were definitely days (weeks? months?) that I barely managed to keep them fed and somewhat clean.
As a grandparent, the growth and change seems to happen much more quickly because it may be 3 or 4 months between seeing them. I’m constantly thinking… wait… wait for me. I don’t want to miss anything… don’t grow up so freakin’ fast!
At the same time, I’d be horrified if they weren’t growing up at that rate.
amba12 said,
October 11, 2014 at 12:25 pm
So sorry it took me so long to approve this comment! It was all queued up yesterday but I failed to hit the button.
amba12 said,
October 11, 2014 at 12:26 pm
(And why it doesn’t recognize you all by itself is a mystery.)