5-6 Feeling Better ?

Getting Better.

I stayed up until 4:00 am to finish reading the book Just One Look. Even though I had read it before I still enjoyed reading it. This morning when I got up Larry was at the computer so I knew he was feeling a bit better. Later in the morning we loaded Flo into the car and headed to town. We had finished reading the books we checked out of the library and we wanted to return them along with the Mad Men series DVDs. While at the library we checked out a William Kent Krueger book called The Devil's Bed. It's not a Cork O'Connor story but we decided to read it to see if we like it. We only need to read three more of the Cork O'Connor books to finish up the series. The next one in the series was checked out so we put it on hold. We did find it on audio book so we checked that out. After visiting the library we went home.

Since I didn't get to bed until 4:00 am I did not get much sleep so in the afternoon I went back to bed. While I was sleeping Larry converted the audio book we checked out from CD's to computer files so we could listen to it via a mp3 player or our tablet. The other day a friend of ours suggested we might like books written by Tony Hillerman. Larry found one on the library e-book site, he checked it out and completed reading it on the Kindle the very same day. When you checkout an e-book you can keep it for up to two weeks. I have never read a book via the Kindle and since the book sounded like something I would like I decided to give it a go. I will let you know what I think.

We were going to go to Killeen to dance with the Killeen Kickers but decided to pass on it because Larry still isn't feeling 100%. During the evening we streamed a movie on Amazon called The Racing Scene. It was a 1969 movie narrated by James Garner about a year of his racing team. It was a good movie. Afterwards we watched the rest of an American Masters episode about Johnny Carson, it was very good. We had a nice day.  

5-5 Doing Weekly Chores

Mowing the Yard

Larry woke up early this morning feeling lousy. I think he caught what I've had for over a week. We hung around the house most of the day. I read and did a little housework. After lunch I loaded Flo into the car and headed to HEB to do our weekly grocery shopping. When I got back Larry was surprised that I was back so soon, I was gone about an hour and usually we're gone for a couple of hours. I put the groceries away and then I mowed the lawn. Larry had been sleeping on the couch all day and there was no way he could help, I told him that was ok. Today I mowed the front and back yard. When I finished the front yard I trimmed the edges with the weedeater then I blew off the trimmings. Next I mowed the front half of the backyard. Our back yard is quite large so we normally mow the front half separately from the back half. It took me an hour and half to do this. When I finished I relaxed the rest of the day and read some more.

Watching television

In the evening we watched a few PBS shows: Overheard and an hour of Stories of the Mind. Overheard was an interview with Henry Louis Gates Jr. about his new documentary serious Black America After MLK. The first half hour of Stories of the Mind was about how people overcome depression. The other half hour was on how three veterans overcome their challenges when they are reintegrating in their civilian lives. The two episodes of Stories of the Mind were very good. The rest of the evening we watched some YouTube videos and I read. Hopefully Larry will be feeling better tomorrow. 

5-4 Taking It Easy

Taking it easy

I haven't been feeling that great for about a week. I think it's allergies. I've been coughing, sneezing, scratchy throat and blowing my nose. It's not that bad during the day but in the evening the coughing starts. Today we spent most of day at home reading. Flo started to whine to go somewhere. Larry decided to take her to Yettie Polk Park so she could go swimming in Nolan Creek. I loaded her into the car and off we went. When we got to the park Flo was all excited. While I was walking her Larry read a book on his Kindle. Flo did some exploring while I looked for a place for her to get into the creek. She got so excited she didn't wait for me to find the place. I had to hold her back to get the leash off. The creek was a little calmer today but where she got in there was some current. She tried to swim against the current but she couldn't go anywhere. She just hung there swimming without going anywhere. She wasn't in any trouble she looked like she was having fun. She swam for a little while and then we headed back to the car. We were at the park for about a half hour. We had a nice visit at Yettie Polk Park. In the afternoon I worked out for a half hour with Just Dance. I also finished reading another Cork O'Connor book. 

On Wednesday nights we usually go to Georgetown to dance with the Shirts 'n' Skirts but we decided to stay home. We read and I worked a little bit on my puzzle. I finished the Cork O'Connor book that we checked out from the library and I started another book. This book is written by Harlan Coben. He writes a series about Myron Boliar, which is how we were introduced to him. I already read a couple more of his novels, Hold Tight and Miracle Cure and liked them. Tonight I started reading Just One Look and so far I like it. I think I already read this one but I don't remember it. We had a relaxing day.

5-3 The Joy's of Being a Homeowner

Smoked Pork Roast

Last week when we did our weekly grocery shopping we picked up a pork roast so today Larry decided to smoke it. He didn't realize that we had picked up one that had a bone in it. So he was surprised when he was preparing it for the smoking to see a bone in it. That was ok now Flo will have a bone to eat. While he was preparing the roast I decided I would go back to bed for about an hour. When I woke up the roast was smoking away on the grill. The first pork roast took 7 hours to smoke so we figured we would be around the house all day.

Larry smiling for me

Larry digging out the leaves

Larry spraying the small stuff out of the gutter

When we built the house we didn't have gutters installed because we knew they can be a pain but after a few rain storms and watching how the water ran off the roof Larry decided we needed them in a few places. They actually work really well until spring when our oak trees drop all their leaves. The first spring they clogged up and were overflowing so Larry got on the roof and cleaned them out. The downspout was so clogged with leaves and other stuff he had to push a hose through it and flush it until the stuff came out, it was a pain so he went to the internet and found some strainers for gutters that helped prevent this from happening. The last couple of times it rained hard Larry noticed that gutters were overflowing but he wanted to wait to clean them until the leaves had stopped falling. Today while we were hanging around the house smoking the roast he decided to clean the gutters. While he was doing this I mowed the back of lot. It took about an hour. Larry said it was still a mess cleaning the gutters but at least the uprights weren't clogged. This is one of the joys of being a homeowner, home maintenance.

The roast was done in 5.5 hours instead of the 7 hours. Larry likes smoking pork better than beef brisket because it doesn't take as long. Beef brisket has to slow cook for a very long time so that it gets tender. Larry sliced the roast up, the bone was actually not very large. Once the bone was cooled off I gave it Flo. She was one happy dog.

In the evening The City of Temple was having a Transportation Capital Improvement meeting that Larry and I decided to attend. We had never attended this type of meeting so we weren't sure what to expect. Well, only three concerned citizens showed up and seven government employees were there. It was a very informative meeting. Nicole Torralva, Public Works Director conducted the meeting and there were employees from other departments such as, engineering, legal, and planning. Her staff handed out the presentation on paper and asked if we wanted them to stand and show the slides or if we wanted them to sit down and do it one on one. We said lets do it informal. Nicole explained projects that they were working on, projects that were completed and projects that were in the future. As Nicole was going over the projects she would stop and address questions and concerns. Larry and the other gentleman both asked questions. If she couldn't answer the question one of the others would be very helpful in answering it. It was only an hour long and we left well informed. One of the cool parts of living in a smaller town is you can actually talk to the people in charge of getting things done. On the way home we stopped by Freddy's and shared a Turtle sundae for dessert. When we got home we read for the rest of the evening.   

5-2 Keeping Dry

Rainy Monday Morning

It rained all morning but by noon the rain was gone. It was quite cool this morning, somewhere in the 50's. The rest of the week is suppose to be beautiful. While it was raining Larry finished replacing the master cylinder on the boat trailer and I cleaned the house. Then I finished reading the Cork O'Connor book I started a couple of days ago. It was a good book.

Removing the old master cylinder

Pieces from the old master cylinder assembly

The new master cylinder assembly

Our friends from Gatesville, Larry and Patrica met us at our house to go square dancing at Sun City. Our A lessons have been moved to Monday's so this is that last time we will be able to dance with the Sundancers until the lessons are over. This week's workshop was on wheel around and reverse wheel around. The dance started out with seven squares and a few dancers sitting. Brad called seven tips. We left before the last tip was over so we don't know how many A dancers there were. We know they had enough for a square. We had a great time.   

Suzy and Larry dancing to Brad's calling

Cherry and Bob doing the Irish jig

Adam and Ruth Ann round dancing in between square dancing tips

Steve, Sherri, DeAnn and Rick having a great time

Brad calling the dance

Sherri and Steve having fun doing the Irish jig

5-1 A New Month

Started the month out with friends

During the morning we hung around the house, I read while Larry watched some things on YouTube. In the afternoon we went to Allemande Hall to dance with the TIPS Club. The dance was called Bubba and Bubbet. A half hour before the dance we had a Advance Workshop where we reviewed the moves we have been introduced to. We had a square plus two other couples. When the dance came around there was one couple that was not taking A lessons so the dance was plus and mainstream moves. During the dance we discussed changing the TIPS dances to every first and third Thursday instead of Sundays. We'll start this next month. Our Advance lessons have been moved to Mondays and we're going to have them every week instead of every other week. This should help us through the moves a lot faster. We were invited to go to Jason Deli for dinner but we declined and went home. We had fun dancing with our friends. When we got home Flo met us at the door.   

Betsy and Dalbert promenading home with Ken and Kathy

The two Larrys visiting during the dance

LuAnn and Greg promenading home

Dale Smith calling the dance

In the evening we watched our weekly shows Call the Mid-Wife and Grantchester. It was the season finale of Grantchester. For the rest of the night we read. This was a great beginning to a new month.

4-30 Saturdays are fun!!!!

Having Fun

Last night while we were at the dance a rain storm came through. There was lightning and the lights flickered a little but the dance went on. The rain storm was fierce but inside it was fine. By the time the dance ended the rain had almost stopped. The rain continued all through the night and into the early morning. When we woke up this morning the rain was gone.

Last month when we attended Market Days in Belton we were walking by a booth when a piece of paper flew in front of us and caught our eye. We stopped to see what was going on. It was a booth setup to adopt a turtle, these are plastic turtles that float. For the last nine years there has been a Belton Kiwanis Turtle Festival, it's a way to raise money for the local non-profit organizations in Belton. During the festival they have the ultimate turtle race where they release the adopted turtles into Nolan Creek, each turtle has a number on it and the first one to float downstream to a designated point wins. It cost $5 dollars to adopt a turtle. You don't have to be present to claim the prize. Well, today was the day. We loaded Flo into the car and headed to Belton to watch the race which starts at Yettie Polk Park. It was suppose to start at 3:00. We left the house around 2:00 and we stopped by Ace Hardware to pick up an item Larry needed for fixing the brakes on the boat trailer. While we were waiting for the race to start we walked around the park. Flo was with us. There were booths setup to sell different things, live singing, a petting zoo, pony rides and a train for kids. The event was obviously geared towards children and they were a lot of them. Well, 3:00 came and went there was no turtle race. We asked a couple of workers and they said they couldn't have the race because the water was too high. They are going to reschedule the race and let people know when it will be. They hope to have it in a couple of weeks. We enjoyed walking around and watching the kids swimming in the creek, riding around on the train and playing other games. Flo got a lot of attention from people so she had fun. 

Enjoying Nolan Creek

The petting zoo

At the library the other day we checked out the DVD's for the first season of Mad Men. Tonight we watched the first two episode and discovered we didn't really didn't like it. For the rest of the evening we read.