FRIDAY SIGHTS ALONG WITH HITS, BUT MOSTLY MISSED, ACCOMPLISHMENTS

First Friday off for many to come, and I was fortunate enough to have to wait for the "Glass Man" to come replace shattered glass by our front door.  Ray was told he would be here in the morning.  Gotta love that time frame.  I don't love waiting for people to show up mostly because of my lack of hearing.  I need to make sure I am on the main level (not in my room getting ready, cleaning, still sleeping!), so I can hear the door bell ring.  I also don't love waiting, just because I have things to do and places to go on my day off.
In this post, I thought I would write about what I saw on this gorgeous spring day while I was up and about (I am still mad I forgot to look at the full Pink moon last night, but I left myself a note to check the moon out tonight!).  "A beautiful day in the neighborhood".

This is the shattered double pane window before repair (no idea  how it shattered)

This is what the Glass Man was going to make the other window look like once done.

Unfortunately, the window frames are different these days.  The Glass Man has to order custom glass since the framing he installed was nicely decorative in style with curly cut ins (not straight edge), but it didn't match.  He took the shattered glass out and left us with single pane window and some broken edges (we don't have small children, so it shouldn't be a problem).  We will wait for his call to schedule another day to wait for him in the morning.

But today was still going to be a day that things were getting done, or maybe not, so while I waited patiently for the shenanigans of the window to be taken care of, I made a cake (called "Wacky Cake").  Carly and her boyfriend are coming to the lake house tomorrow for dinner (she will be home for 24 hours and has twelve days of graduate school left), and I thought I would make something chocolate.  It's a Pinterest recipe and anyone's guess of how it will taste, because it is wacky.  When I am at Costco later today, I will get a back up dessert in case wacky means yucky.

Looks chocolaty delicious!  http://pinterest.com/pin/203717583116968402/

While the cake was baking, I watered some newly planted plants.  After calling our landscaper last year from May to September trying to get him to replace some dead plants that were under a lifetime warranty, Ray called and within eight business days, we had new plants.  This guy even told me during our last phone conversation, before I gave up, that I should never have had to call him so many times.  So annoying.

Never had this kind of plant before (Camelia), and it should be pretty!  This is newly planted (I will remove tag at some point)

These were planted in 2010.  The back tree is called a  "Smoke Tree" and really does look smoky in May.

Bees pollinating everywhere!

Nandina berries

Bored of azaleas we had the landscaper move these to the side of the house.  We didn't want to kill them off, but we didn't like seeing the flowers die, brown and then drop to ugly after the flowering season.  They pop against red roses.

Dripping hearts.

Love the bleeding heart perennial.  Then there's the For Sale sign in neighbor's yard.  Soon to be in ours (next spring).

Pretty grass!  For now.  Until a drought hits, and we don't water it.

Once the walk and watering done and with the cake baked, I hit the road to get things done.  First stop, WalMart.  I suffer through this store for cleaning supplies and less expensive grocery items.  Seems like today would be the day that things would be incompletely accomplished.  The one flavored water Ray drinks was not to be found.  After loading my car up with I never know what I have ended up buying "stuff", I saw a stupid man push his shopping cart across the parking lot towards the shopping cart holder thingy.  He missed.  It crashed.  Fortunately not into either car that was parked next to the cart holder.  Would have been a cool trick if the cart had made it though.  Not so cool if it had scratched up a car.  

Next stupid man (why are the stupid men off work today?) was found in Target.  He was done with his shopping cart and lazily left it horizontal between the automatic doors.  While I was walking through one set of doors, he was walking out and left his cart right there in front of me.  Gee, I guess I will push it out of my way so I can get through the next set of doors.  Yes, I did call him a stupid man under my breath.  The carts are all lined up no more that twenty feet from where he lazily left it haphazardly in between the doors.  Stupid man.  Not that women aren't stupid.  I just hadn't encountered any as of that point.  Target was a little bit successful.  I forget what I went in there for (oh, looking for the water that WalMart didn't have since I didn't want to go into an actual grocery store today), but I did come out with more "stuff".  

Bed Bath and Beyond has a dishware set that is on my daughter's best friend's bridal registry.  I was picking her up this gift for her upcoming bridal shower.  Or so I thought.  My store doesn't carry the avocado color anymore.  The customer service representative put my order into the computer, so essentially she did what I could have been doing from my couch at home.  The computer kept spitting back the information though.  Finally after twenty minutes or so of standing there telling her my name and address and email address and phone number and what my favorite color is (not really), the order was taken for this dishware set.  I left the store with a receipt, and it should be shipped to me.  Again, another thing that was sort of accomplished.

Dress Barn is really the only woman's clothing store I have within fifteen minutes of my house.  I have Kohl's, also, but the stuff there is getting to look too maternal to me.  Other stores are at the mall south of here (twenty plus minutes plus walking a mall indoors today isn't what I wanted to do) or in some of the plazas near this mall.  I have been successful in the past with buying dresses for Carly's graduation last year and the Key West wedding this year, so I decided to give it a try for another graduation dress.  Usually the store is empty, and the sales reps have pounced on me (yes, pounced).  I didn't want pouncing today, but I was ready for it.  Not today.  Not on the day that things weren't really getting done quickly.  I had to ask for a dressing room door to be open and wait for that to happen.  I stood in line buying a dress (successful again, and this I think I can use for graduation and another wedding, so bingo!) behind someone returning many items and another woman buying things but still shopping (you know the one's that send someone else they are shopping with to leave the line to run back for things).  Twenty minutes later (I didn't have a watch today, but I think everything took twenty minutes or longer), I was done.

Here is my cute flouncy dress, and yes, my laundry room walls are bright orange.

I like to be happy when I do laundry :)

Finally home again, I made the icing for the wacky cake.  Ray came home, and we made the trip to Costco for steaks (dinner tomorrow).  My back up dessert is brownie brittle (guess it would be good over ice cream, but I don't like it, so I really have to like the Wacky Cake now).  Chatted with neighbors about Panama, yay.  And rather than eating dinner, since that would be accomplishing something, we are going straight to Sweet Frog for frozen yogurt dessert.  Then I will feel the day was super successful!  Few more pictures below of things I saw today and thought about--most thoughts these days are of my daughter moving home and her new life/career.  Then of course, I think about Panama.

Wind hit this tree hard two summers ago.  I said it has to come down (the main trunk is severely damaged).  Ray says yearly now "look at how my tree is growing and thriving".  I tell Ray, dramatically, this is the reason our house won't sell next spring.

Hostas getting red to pop up!

Our empty living room (furniture is with Carly).  This room will be her storage room until her next move to who knows where.

Boxes I keep bringing home from work for Carly to pack up from school!

MIDNIGHT AT McDONALD'S

I have written it many times in this blog, and I am now beginning to realize I may not be telling the complete truth about my visits to McDonald's.  I told Ray last night that in the past month, we have frequented McDonald's four times (even if for just a yogurt parfait, soda or breakfast sandwich, I think I need to retract the statement that I never go there)!  That's three times more than I think I have been there in the past six years (that time was in Coronado, Panama for breakfast in October before we discovered the Cafe in Machetazo).  What does McDonald's have to do with Panama?  Well, this is how I know I am in still in sync with Ray.  After having left a party in Vienna, Virginia last night (about an hour north of our house) and within ten minutes of being home, I said to Ray "if Sweet Frog were open, I would so love to get some frozen yogurt".  He was thinking something pretty much along the same lines, only he was thinking about McDonald's french fries.  At 11:45 pm, we pulled into the drive through so he could get fries, and I had to have a hot caramel sundae, no nuts, double the caramel.  He ordered a sundae as well for dipping his french fries into the ice cream.  We sat under the parking light and our talk turned to the day, the party and Panama. We talked about the comments made and the questions asked at the party (we were chatting separately a lot). I made the comment that at that moment it will be a great memory when we stop at Coronado's McDonald's in Panama (which I now know we will do again, who am I kidding), and I will think back to sitting in the car under that bright light at midnight with him dipping fries into ice cream.  (And yes, I am aware that back in the day, we wouldn't be under a bright light in a parked car doing of all things...eating!).

We were at a birthday party last night for one of our Lake Anna house co-owners.  We don't see many of the people that were at the party often, and of course, talk turned to our retirement in Panama.  One year ago at this same party, we were just touching the surface telling these friends our thoughts and dreams.  It is now one year closer to reality, we have visited the country twice, these friends have seen our pictures on facebook, so it was normal that there were more questions, random at best, asked of us. Some of those questions were the following:

Are you still planning on moving to Panama and when?  Yes. 2015 perhaps sooner.
Where will you live and what do houses cost? We will rent somewhere maybe in El Valle or beach area.  The housing prices are going back up like in the US, and where we want to live the supply isn't so high.
What happens to the house there, if you bought it, if you don't want to live there anymore?  You would sell it like you would here.
After all that you did to get your car (we went to Sweden for it), it seems like a waste.  Why not take the car with you?  Is Ray getting rid of his, too?  We planned three years ago to buy a car overseas.  We had a wonderful vacation driving the car around and having it shipped here (and we saved 7% on the cost of the car doing this and the trip--flight and hotel--was free.  We had no idea Panama would happen.  Shipping a car is too expensive,  we need to make sure there are service centers that can repair the car easily, and yes, Ray will sell his car, also. We will make money off the cars, so we can buy one once in Panama.
Is there crime?  Will you have security?  Yes, and yes.  Just like I won't drive into Anacostia or some streets in DC at night, I won't be hanging around Colon, Panama or walking the beach alone at night.
Are you just going to give your stuff away here?  You just bought x, y and z and now you won't take it with you?  We are going to sell as much as we can, convey stuff with the house, give to our daughter and again, make some money selling things, so we can buy once in Panama.  We are taking suitcases, maybe a box or two on the plane, because things here won't hold up well in the tropical heat of Panama.

The best thing said to me was from a friend I see perhaps three times a year.  When hugging good-bye, he said, "I am so proud of you guys.  Way to go."  Super supportive and super comforting.

THE ANGELS ARE CRYING

If I believe what I was told when I was younger, then the angels are super sad right now!  It is pouring here!  The sump pump (a basin in the floor of the basement used to capture water so the basement doesn't flood) is active once again!  Some thunder, no real lightning, but our area is under a tornado watch.  So much has happened in the last six days (they have been saving up to have one big cry, I suppose--a culmination of the weekly events), and while I don't think I can even draw a parallel to Panama with any of it,  it has been a sad, sad week.  Just now Massachusetts officials have re-opened mass transit and have withdrawn the "lock down" in Watertown due to the terrorist bomber that is still on the loose.  Where is he!  Then there was the fertilizer explosion that occurred two nights ago near Waco, Texas (many people still missing with 12 dead), but that story has been lost among the all day coverage of the Boston shoot out and lock down.  No matter political views, I am not sure why no one is discussing the fact that the drive for increased gun control reform was blocked by the Senate this week.  At some point, past political disagreements always come into discussion when there has been a national tragedy.  This was another disturbingly sad event (to many but not all Americans) that happened this week.  I will leave that topic alone.

And then before all of  this happened, I attended the funeral of Ray's grandmother.  The recent tragic events have brought the nation together once more, and funerals certainly do the same thing with families.  Ray and I drove to Tazewell, Virginia on Sunday.  We stopped three times on the way.  The drive is approximately six or less hours depending on stops along the way (perhaps you would want to visit the Natural Bridge?), weather, speed, road conditions, traffic and more.  Our first stop was at McDonald's for bathroom break and breakfast.  I haven't been to a McDonald's in forever, or since our breakfast in Coronado, Panama that is.  This time I had a yogurt parfait.  Tiny but delicious!  I was saving up for a big lunch or some country cookin' for dinner!  We made our way to Bluefield, which is in West Virginia and Virginia for lunch at a Subway, and there was a rest area stop along the way. I think I can safely say I was in Virginia, since I was right next door to Bluefield College which is in Virginia (I had to look it up).  What I forgot to look up or take a picture of was a large, white sign that stated there is a "Big Sign Project" going on there.  Wish I knew what that was about--I really do need to get more of an exciting life here!  Best part of the drive was that the convertible top was down!  Sunny and gorgeous all day.  And Ray had us listening to my Ipod (big smile here)!  We arrived to Ray's mom's house at around 1:30.  Her house is the "go to" house.  Everyone goes to Cora's house (or Mamaw's house).  I counted at one point in time 14 people inside her family room/kitchen area (about 18 x 12 ft) with eight or more relatives and friends outside.  No need to go into details about a funeral or the events that transpired over the 24 hours we were there (oh, there was an awesome dinner made by the next door neighbor of chicken and dumplings!), but I will say that I now know what I am going to do once in Panama.  I told everyone there that I will change names so no one can come after me for money, and I will write a book about Ray's family in Tazewell!  It will keep me busy for a good while.  The family tree is crazy.  I learned today that there is a smartphone app in Iceland where a person can "bump" phones to make sure they aren't related to each other to prevent "kissing cousin syndrome" (since so many people in the country of 320,000 are distantly related to each other in Iceland).  I think they need to market this app in Tazewell, too.  Just sayin'.  I  learn and discover a few additional things about the family when visiting with Ray's mom.  This trip just added to the collection of stories I can tell my daughter and write about in my book. And while listening to the Pastor during the service (I heard about 20% of it since we sat in the very back--on purpose though behind Ray's wonderful aunt and uncle), I did take away two things that he said to us (and had Ray fill me in on what I missed on the drive home). The first is that death is like a graduation from high school or college of sorts.  You flip your tassel to the other side and celebrate moving forward with everyone being happy for you and in a celebratory mood--go ahead and mourn the death of a loved one for a short period of time but then start a celebration and know that that loved one has now moved on to another chapter filled with great happiness and pleasure.  I am not an overly deeply religious person, but I really like this thought. The second is that "life is uncertain, but death is not".  So true, and this is again why I am going to live it to its fullest with us going to Panama soon.  Let living be uncertain.  It does scare me a bit.  It makes me nervous.  But this is what life is about---the unknown.  Who knew that one week ago I would be going to a funeral in a few short days, or there would be bombs set off at the Boston Marathon or that two days later a fertilizer plant would explode.  We can't predict life.  We just have to live it the best we can and play the cards we are dealt the best way we know.
Okay, so somehow Grandma Bessie Mae's funeral did end up relating to Panama somehow.  Now to come up with a title for that book.

(The second suspect at 7:30 pm has been found hiding in a covered up boat in someone's backyard in Watertown, MA--authorities are moving in to capture him, but he may have explosives attached to him).

HI HO, HI HO, IT'S OFF TO TAZEWELL WE GO

Okay, let's get geography out of the way first.  When I met Ray, I had never heard of this county called Tazewell.  I was pretty well versed in how to get up and down the east coast of Virginia, since I went to college in pretty much the the most southeastern point of the state (Norfolk is where Old Dominion University is, and I spent a lot of time at Virginia Beach which is an easy drive from the school).  But I didn't know a thing about the western part of the state.  Tazewell County has a population of 50,000.  I believe it is true coal mining country.  Ray's mom's side of the family (and it's a huge family) were born, raised and still live in Tazewell.  Ray's mom did move to "Northern Virginia" when she married, but a little less than twenty years ago, she remarried and returned to home.  This past Thursday, her stepmom (Ray's grandmother) passed away.  Tomorrow we will drive the 325 miles (making it a fun road trip with my car and the top down--the car's top, not mine!)  in less than six hours to be with family for the services on Monday.  We return home Monday night late, because guess who doesn't get paid any funeral leave.  That would be me, of course.  I could take more time off, but without pay?  Uh.  No.  Having to use my accrued time off?  Not for this trip.  We will take a longer trip another time.  When planned.  Ray gets three days paid leave.  He is going to use two of those days.  And yes, I am bitter.  Remind me again, why I chose this career path almost thirty years ago?

Tazewell is in yellow, we live in the green zone about three counties counting down from the top.

I think of cows, rolling pastures, and coal mining when I think of Tazewell.

Which brings me to Panama, of course.  We will be visiting with most of Ray's mom's family tomorrow.  Funerals always bring families together.  We don't expect many of Ray's family to travel to Panama (his one aunt and uncle said they will visit us though).  His mom doesn't fly.  She doesn't even like driving to visit us here anymore, because it is so hectic. When I think about Tazewell and Ray's family, I realize they are more along the lines of the Panamanians in that many family members live together in small spaces, most have not left or gone far (and if they do, they come back), some work but don't have careers, many are on disability or welfare, but overall, they are happy to be there.  It's not a life Ray and I would choose, but it's living.  That's all anyone can ask for is to live another day doing what they are happiest doing.  And where they are happiest doing it.  We think and hope Panama, wherever we may settle in the country, will be where we are happiest living life to its fullest.

LET THE GAMES AND PAPER PROCESSING BEGIN

Yesterday, Ray received a return email  from our attorney in Panama with the infamous list of all the paperwork necessary for obtaining the Pensionado VISA.  The Easter holiday makes for a bit of delay in getting answers back plus we will have to pay her something soon, I suppose, if we are going to call her our attorney. Yes, she replied that it is pretty early still to start VISA process but she will be around in January (after Martyr's Day holiday) when we think our next a trip to Panama will be.  But since the process is apparently so overwhelming, we will absorb and digest it all first, and then take baby steps.  First thing first, I sent an email to our financial planner asking if he will be able to write a letter to the Panamanian government guaranteeing us a "pension for life".  This will be interesting.  Then there are a few more questions I have floating around:

How long does an FBI background check take?  Do we start now?
Can we start getting the letters written out to us now from the bank and from our pension company and then get them apostiled within a few months of our trip to Panama?
Do we really give up our marriage license?  I know our passport is taken and then returned, but do they take our original marriage license?  One website states that it is kept, and we have to pay to retrieve it after it is approved.  But I know Ray and I mailed away for copies, so this isn't really trouble.
Do we (and we know to ask attorney, but I should list all my questions now when thinking about them) snail mail our attorney the stack of letters and papers or FAX them to her?  Does she then have time to go through papers getting them translated into Spanish?
Do we plan on being in Panama City for seven business days even though our attorney told us to give her five business days to run around?  Will seven be enough in case we need a roll over day or two?  (Let's say power goes out, or the employees are out sick or on strike.)

Ugh.  How great it will be when this is done.  What an accomplishment it will be!  When the papers are sent off and all systems are a go.  For now, it will be an unknown angst.  What do we do first.  When do we start.  What I do know though is that spring will soon show up here.  It is very warm in Panama right now, and here, we are just now getting into the sixty degree range.  Next week it will be in the seventies.  We are starting to see some sunshine.  Blue skies.  Time to spring clean.  Time to think about being outside rather than the "what's, when's and how's" of all this Panamanian paperwork.  Our grass here in Stafford had to be mowed (great job, Pablo)!  The lake house lawn needed to be mowed.  Sticks were picked up.  Leaves were raked, again.  Shrubs were removed.  Gutters were cleaned.  Kayaks were brought out and actually used (!). Bluebirds have shown up.  All signs of another new season.  Ray and I just need to take deep breaths.  The fresh air and being outside will help us with this, and knowing us, it will all get done quickly and efficiently whenever we are told we can start it all.

CHATTER IN THE OFFICE

While waiting for patients to arrive late this afternoon, the other hygienists and I chatted about the usual things that girls chat about--losing weight, exercising (or lack of), and our BMI (Body Mass Index) scores.  (We had to get away from talking about plaque and cavities for a minute!)  One hygienist has lost 37 pounds and counting while exercising daily.  Her BMI is telling her to lose a little bit more (she will and is continuously looking fabulous).  Since I was curious and had a few minutes, I checked mine. Luckily,  the calculator doesn't ask about activity level (just height and weight), so I am all good.  Or "normal".  Another hygienist, looking over my shoulder, asked me to put her height and weight into the blank spaces.  She looks normal, but the BMI says otherwise--"overweight".  She also exercises by attending Zumba classes and walking on the treadmill.  But, like she said, "it's the beer".  :)
The best thing I took from these few minutes of judging ourselves and seeing what a computer calculator tells us is the phrase spoken by the "overweight" hygienist that drinks beer.  She said,  "I am only quitting drinking when I quit working here".  Gotta love it.  I used to feel this same way.  Burn out, tired and stressed.  But  even though there looks to be an end in sight for me,  I will continue to toast all of my drinks to Panama and retirement.