Oct 13 - at last, ready to go

The day went like clockwork:

-- trip into Orlando
-- half hour at the Kidney Stone Clinic
-- back to NSB
-- organize and pack
-- provide solicited and unsolicited advice to the guys working on the guest bath
-- dinner with Norm and Patti at the relocated Flip Flops

This Kidney Stone Clinic is quite the operation. Organized, efficient, friendly ... but still doesn't make me want to have a kidney stone ! If you have to go, however, this is the way to do it.

We have an unbelievable amount of stuff in the car. Unbelievably little that is. Abby could very well have the entire back seat to herself. The only reason that she may not is that it's very convenient to have the cooler within reach for cold drinks & pre-made sandwiches (we make sandwiches for the first day then Subway for the second day).

I gave both the M5 a little TLC yesterday:

The X5 got a thorough windshield cleaning, outside and in. I also applied RainX, which really makes a difference in the rain in terms of water shedding. In fact, it sheds water so well that it stays more visible without the wipers going than with. I also cleaned up the hubs on the X5 which were so dirty that it was hard to see that they were a silver color ... and gave the outside a rinse and vacuumed the inside. I did not bother washing the car itself since we're driving into messy weather and it would make no difference.

The M5 got a wash & dry and looks quite spiffy sitting in the garage. I pumped up the tires to storage pressure -- 50 pounds -- and will have to reduce the pressure before driving it again. With those tires pumped up for storage, we took the X5 to dinner. Since we're gone less than four weeks, I did not bother with fuel stabilizer.

The plumbing rough-in has been completed and the cement board work started. The one fellow (don't know his name) will be back this morning to finish the cement board and start tiling. He is the one who tiled the entire floor and the kitchen backsplash. He does good work. The only concern that I have is that they re-install the toilet in a timely fashion since the hose drips.

We booked the flight part of a dive trip, going to Bonaire via Aruba in April. We've been to Bonaire several times but never Aruba so we're spending a couple of nights in Aruba and will see the island. We'll be gone April 6th to 16th ... Lisa, our house-looking-after lady, will look after Abby during that time living here in the house.

Dinner was great at Flip Flops. It has relocated from Flagler into the Publix mall area, facing 3rd and visible to the traffic. Clancy's Cantina, on the other hand, has relocated from inside the Publix mall to Flagler. I say "inside the mall" but it's a strip mall. Clancy's was not visible from the street and apparently has more business in its new location. Interestingly enough -- it's a small town after all -- the wife of the plumber who was in yesterday works at Clancy's. Matt Clancy, who is our neighbor, is not exactly a handy-man. He has long had open areas to his attic, for example, and about a year ago one of the upper windows in the house was broken ... it's been taped ever since. The plumber commented that he'll have to kid Matt about that ... that's good because being neighbors we really cannot say anything. Besides, we never see the guy. He works afternoons and evenings seven days a week. Oh the joys of owning your own business.

It's 5:30 ... Sandy is up. I have to make my lunch, have a shower, get the last stuff into the car, turn this computer off, adjust the thermostat, leave a note for the workmen, yadda yadda yadda. Unless we have travel troubles, knock on wood, we'll be in Beckley WV tonight ...

Onward !