We are getting a nice treat of Wisconsin weather.   It was cool today, but sunny.  And each day this week should be warmer.   This is good!

Chris had a long weekend at her Insurance Women’s conference, and it sounds like it was a good time.   I made it down to see Mom on Friday and spent a little time with her.  Made it home Saturday afternoon and had a chance to get some things done around the house.  As long as the yard has still been dry I pulled the run about out of the boathouse and moved it to the garage.   Moved some dock stands over from my neighbors, who are donating them to us!   And scraped them down a little, and tonight wire brushed them down.  I will put a quick coat of paint on them before putting them in the water,  which I would like to start on this week!   Some of my old ones have rusted through the joints and are being retired.  So have some work to do to integrate the different pieces.  But it will work.  The water is very low yet,  a good time to be getting some of this done.

Put new spark plugs in the focus,  I thought it was time for a change after 160,000 miles.   But the thermastat housing seems to be cracked again.   I think this will be the 4th.  Ford used a plastic housing, the original went 6 years or so but the replacements have not been so good.   But the rest of the car has been good to us so we will try again.

Had a chance to brew some beer this weekend.  Good friend Mark lets me brew with him.   we made a rye blond dopplebock, and have it on 3 different yeasts right now.   I can’t wait!

A good day in South Florida.   It was a nice day, around 80.   A little cloudy,  and just had a quick shower, so  a little more humid than the other days.  but very comfortable.   So we made it to church this morning, did a little cleaning in the condo,  and just spent time relaxing.  Our last day here so ate some of the left overs in the refrigerator, and made some  hamburgers down by the pool for supper.   And just spent some time with some of the neighbors outside.  The wind is cooling down with the evening so we all came in.

The trip down was eventful as usual lately.  After New Years Delta screwed up our flights home and we had to stay another day.  March Airtran had plane problems and we missed our flight to West Palm and had to fly into Fort Lauderdale, picked up by our guests Bev and Wally.

And this time when I checked in Wednesday night.  Chris’s boarding passes with seat assignments printed out but I only got one boarding pass with ‘seat request’ rather than a seat assignment.  We got to the airport early Thursday afternoon to try and sort it out.  At the ticketing desk they told us only the gate could give the seat assignment.  The gate said they could only assign the seats while we were boarding, but don’t worry she checked and everyone’s seat she had assigned.  Well Chris boarded along with most of the people, and we found out Delta is leaving 8-10 seats un assigned on their flights.   While they were calling out seats I was one of the last two, and guess what,  the last 2 were oversold and could not get on.   I explained my wife was already on, and they could not figure out how that happened.  Another gate person tried to offer $400 for someone to get off, but that did not work.  They said when over booked they should board by the order people bought tickets.  But they had already boarded (because they did not realize they had too many people)  and they can’t convince me  that if Chris had her seat assigned, and we booked together,  that I was one of the last to book.  But they already screwed up.  I told them to go ask Chris if she wanted to go ahead,  but she did not and came off the plane Non to Happy!  but that got the other guy of us two on the plane with his buddies.   We had some discussion with the gate personnel.  We were too late to get any flight to West Palm.  Which was unfortunate, since we were at the airport early enough and if we had known could have gotten another flight earlier out of Appleton.   But I told the gate person (not the original but another who was anxious to try work something out for us so we did not have to lose a day of vacation)    that we could go into Fort Lauderdale.  She got us on the next flight out (which was their last flight to Minneapolis), and it turns out she overbooked that flight to make it happen.  But I learned that even at that point they could have sold another 6 seats on the flight.    I am convinced that if some one purchases a business class flight at that point they will get a seat assignment.

But she got us to Minneapolis and then on a flight to Fort Lauderdale.   And we are lucky enough to have a good friend Audrey who was willing to pick us up in Fort Lauderdale at 11:30 pm instead of 10:30 in West Palm.  And they did book us in First Class to Fort Lauderdale.  We did not know they still served dinners on china in First Class, which was pretty good.  And I drank LOTS of wine.  So we made it!  And it has been relaxing.  The picture is lunch Saturday with neighbors Al and Vivian and Ron and Verna.

We are now checked in for our flights tomorrow afternoon, and will see where our journey takes us!   Making plans for our next trip down,  in May to close up the condo for the year.   But that will be awhile.  In between we will have some reminders of winter in Wisconsin I am sure,  and Chris will be going to New Mexico to visit John and Marie.

So keep Wisconsin warm for our return,  hope everyone has had a great weekend!

Just to say Happy St Patrick’s Day!

It seems like it has been a long week already, and although I could have used it I did not make it out to celebrate today.   It’s certainly not like in the old days when I got out early afternoon.      But we are saving our celebrating for the next few days.  Tomorrow night we fly to Florida and will have a relaxing few days.

The weather here has sure been great, a reminder of what nice weather can be like.  But this is Wisconsin,  they are talking snow for Saturday!  Yes much too early to think it would last.   But it has been a good run.

I hope all are having a great time, and that you have a great weekend!

Not much to say tonight,  not in a writing mood!  But I am overdue for an update just so everyone knows I have not forgot!

The good news is Mom is doing well.   We had a little scare when she went into the hospital on Sunday with trouble breathing.  Fluid had built up in her, congestive heart failure.  But they put her on an IV diuretic and watched her and she was doing well on Monday.  And Tuesday she got to go home.   Not many results from the tests and she will see the doctor in about a week and get more news.   She is to drink less fluids and watch her sodium.

So she came through well, Skip spent a lot of time at the hospital, mostly waiting for some news and a chance to check her out.  In St Lukes form it sounds like that took 1/2 a day.   but we all have to say she received much better care than we were used to when Dad was there.   One nurse said Aurora has worked on that,  I think she was lucky enough to be on a heart floor with less patients.  And we think they gave her something to pump up her adrenelin,  because she is talking non stop!  Not sure what that is about but she is feeling good which is the important thing.

Otherwise not much new.  I am still working lot’s of hours.   Last Saturday volunteered at the Hops and Props beer festival at the EAA, and that was fun.  And looking forward to our yearly gathering with our cousins on Saturday night in Milwaukee.

So the temperatures in Wisconsin have been good, although we are stuck in an eternal fog.  But they say come Monday we could see the sun again.  For now I heard some flood warnings go up, I think the frost is quickly starting to come out of the ground.

Take care, take time to enjoy!

I am behind in updates.   It seems we keep busy, I am not always sure with what.   We both have been putting in some extra work hours, and that shortens what is left of the day.    Last Friday we worked at St Rapheals fish fry, and will be doing that again this Friday.  They do a very nice job.  Last week the leader in the kitchen thought we did about 1000 dinners, and he has a pretty good feel after a number of years.  And they managed to never have anything run out at the serving window.  Usually at some point the kitchen runs short of perch, or shrimp or fries – something that gets a rush faster than it can get fried.   We did run out of baked haddock in the last hour,  there were a lot of people choosing  not fried food!   Also ran out of baked potatoes near the end.   So this Friday should be interesting,   usually the amount of dinners served grows each week.

And we made it to Milwaukee last Saturday and visited with Mom.   She is doing well going into her 90th year.  And she treated us, as usual, to a great brunch on Sunday morning.  And yesterday I was back to Milwaukee, stock club night.  So had a chance to have a great beer with Allan Miller at the Sugar Maple bar,  60 American Micro Brews on tap.  Only time for one quick one as I arrived in town for the meeting.  I fantasize about living within walking distance of that bar.  And had a chance to talk with Mom for awhile before bed.  And then up early this morning to get to work and back to the fun.

So now about my bedtime after my 4:30 start to the day.  But have a nice weekend to look forward to.  As I said Fish Fry tomorrow.  then on Saturday night I am volunteering with my Society of Oshkosh Brewers (SOB’s) at the Hops and Props at EAA museum.  the classiest beer festival I have ever been at.  Great beers, 5 bands,  food, in a great environment.  It will be a good night.  And Sunday morning doing brunch with some of the neighbors.

Add on to that the best weather of the year.  We should extend the weekend into Monday!   Hope you all are enjoying yourself, and have some good weather.  Life is short don’t miss it.