A Week's Worth

Saturday, September 20

Parents arrived. I'm thrilled. I'm extremely close to parents, and love it when they visit!! DH enjoys it too, because they do not need entertaining and he can keep his normal schedule.

Sunday, September 21

Realized what a shop-a-holic my mom is, and where I get it from...maybe it's the female hormones. We went to Target for a swimsuit because she needed a new one. Bought one there. Went on to Sears...she bought 5 (or was it 8) there, but only for $40!!! What a deal! I also bought 3 youngest nieces Christmas and birthday presents (all 3 have bdays in January). Then, we went swimming at home, drank a couple of drinks, relaxed, and ate some good food. Life is good.

Monday, September 22

Me and Dad trimmed the trees. Don't think DH was thrilled about it, but I think it looks much better. Mom enjoyed the spa-like setting and puppy sat.

Tuesday, September 23

I can't play this up in this post, but we went to Weeden Island nature Preserve! WOW!!! You get to walk through the mangroves up on a boardwalk. Saw lots of vegetation I cannot YET (soon will) identify. Many sand pines, live oaks, cabbage palms, saw palmettos, and of course, mangroves. Critters: raccoon snoozing in the middle of the day in the top of a cabbage palm, raccoon scavenging in the picnic area while we had lunch, a bald eagle, a turtle, a sea turtle, some cranebills, and lots of "hopping" fish.

Then we drug Dad to a couple of stores for more shopping. He's such a good sport.

Wednesday, September 24

Again, Dad was a good sport. We went to Siesta Beach in Sarasota. Beautiful beach. Saw pelicans, seagulls, miniature seagulls, some other weird birds, some toucan Sam looking birds not as brightly colored, but they definitely had the beak thing going on, a dolphin followed Mom down the beach in the shallow water...she thought it was a shark, kind of cool...that is was a dolphin and not a shark and that it followed her, though I'm sure it wasn't following HER. Saw a squid washed up on shore, many large Man-o-wars on the beach--HA, HA, die, die, well, they hurt. And picked up several nice shells and sand dollars for niece Ally. Took the scenic route home over the skyway, awesome!! Oh, found out at the end of the day that I forgot to lotion the backs of my legs...my legs never get sun...no matter how hard I try. Well, they did today, it was funny, normal body, bright red back of legs...my legs aren't a part of my body I like to enhance. I was not happy.

Thursday, September 25

Dad is tired of shopping and the beach. Great Dad that he is, he mowed the yard for me while me and Mom went shopping for my new work clothes. Oh, did I mention I got the new home at Metrohm? Accepted the offer on Monday, start work on Oct. 6. YIPPEE!! Thanks, Dad, Yard looks great!!

Me and Mom found a deal in JCPenney's. I bought a pair of pants and like 10 shirts for $194. I was happy. Finally, after a while, we went home.

Thursday night, we picked up the MIL from the airport. I'm tired!!

Friday, September 26

Vacation is reaching an end and I am a little sad. I took Mom, Dad, and MIL on the MacDill tour. Me and Mom hung out in the backyard the rest of the day. DH and Dad watched the bailout crisis on FOX (I hate FOX News, but I won't go there now). Not sure what MIL did.

Fence guy stopped by to tell me about replacing the fence. DH not happy.

We went to Landry's. Thinking it'd be busy cause it's Friday, an upscale restaurant on the water, I made reservations. Place was dead as a doornail (don't get that expression now that I ponder it...). Dinner was good. And we made it home in time for the great Debate. But I fell asleep--since no one would shut up long enough for me to watch.

Oh, Chance has had a full week of fun with the grandparents (after all they were his surrogate parents).

Saturday, September 27

We go through the usual routine when parents leave of figuring out how to place all of Mom's new treasures in the truck, most of them things I gave her. She and I have a habit of swapping stuff, usually yard art and plants...Dad has just learned to not say anything, DH IS learning.

I held back tears as I kissed and hugged them goodbye. Boohoo. Won't see them til Thanksgiving. Still hurts like I just moved out yesterday. Wish I could go home with them.

Me and MIL go shopping to help DH keep sanity. Fun day, lots of good buys. We ate at bd's...I highly recommend you find one. bd's.

Sunday, September 28

Me and MIL go out again shopping...this time JCPenney has 20% additional. I'm mad. I could have saved so much $$$ if I'd waited. I buy something and get one of those surveys and 15% reward for taking the survey. I rush home, take the survey, grab Wed's purchases, return to the store. Return the purchases, and rebuy with my two coupons...20% and 15%. DH is looking at me like...well, you can imagine. He thinks I'm nuts. I saved $71!!! Enough to pay for the first purchase I made in there earlier that day. Mom taught me well. Way to go Mom. We shop-a-holics are savvy!

Monday, September 29

Ok, I've not watched what I want to, had a nap, or read the newspaper in peace and quiet for a few days. I took Chance to get neutered. Everyone is making a big deal of it and I'm a little cranky over all I just mentioned for Monday. I drop him off and find a tailor to hem my pants. I hope when I have a child, she has legs that fit into the length of pants they make. I hate that EVERY stinkin' pair of pants I buy has to be hemmed--and SHORT kind is too short!!! I guess I need to learn to sew. Take drug test for job. Pick up pants on Thursday, just in time for new job!!

Come home, clean house, MIL talks about a lot ALL day.

Tuesday, September 30

I drop MIL off at airport, breathe a sigh of relief, and now understand DH much better. This past weekend has really brought him and me MUCH closer.