Recouping Day

Yesterday I laid low. We went out to breakfast at Freedom Square Diner, and then headed home. My sneezing and sniffling has hung on. I stayed home from Rotary and Dee went back out to pick up some things we needed. Later in the day we took down the little Christmas village from on top of the fireplace and packed it away for another season. Then we watched a little television and did some reading as we listened to the wind howl outside. Quient eveing for us.

I'm feeling better this morning so we're planning to go to Monongahela and take my mother out for lunch for her birthday. should be fun.

Shucking Oysters and Singing Love Songs

Yesterday was filled with connecting with people. Dee went to work a McGinnis' and I went to the Chamber of Commerce "Power Hour" to network with various business leaders at lunch time. My friend Bruce went form the Bogmeisters because he's starting his own business and he thought it might be good to network there. Afterward we had lunch together at Freedom Square Diner.

I'm still sniffling and sneezing and so stayed low for the afternoon. Dee came home early from work because she had an idea. Ya, she had an idea about an appetizer for the special Men's Happy Hour at the grocery store, so they sent her home early because they wanted her to come back and make it and be there for the "Happy Hour." She was thrilled! Later I went to the happy hour because our main quartet was singing a couple of love songs for one of the cooks in the Cafe. (see photos)

The quartet was a big hit. The employees and the customers really seemed to enjoy it. Unfortunately for the store, there were not many men that showed up for the "men's happy hour." Still if gave our group great exposure and of course they're going back on Friday for the "Friday Chocolate Fondue night" for the women. At that occasion the women will be seated in the cafe area learning about fondue. (Whereas, last night the quartet roamed the store and sang is several key spots where people were gathered. They did more than the two songs requested and as I said the customers really like it.)

There was lots of food to sample, along with wines from the wine store a few doors down, Volant Winery. I even shucked an oyster! Afterward, the quartet plus two came back to our house for the Bogmeister Board meeting. It went well, then we broke out the snacks. One of the guys had purchased three kinds of cheese and oysters. Then I added my cheeses to the list and we had a veritable feast of really great cheeses and sauces. It was a great time around the table, trying the various cheese from all over the world. Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian. Yummm. They left about 10:20 p.m. It was a nice evening. Whew! Long day though especially with my allergies acting up.

The Home Show

On Sunday we went to church and Sunday school. I sat in on the 9-10th grade class. I just wanted to see what they do and how they go about it. It was a good class. The teacher tries for interaction with the kids as he teaches. They're doing the parable. They also have practice of encouraging daily devotions by giving the kids copies of the Upper Room devotional. Then they ask them which was their favorite from the prior week's readings and why. Usually they read that day's devotional aloud and then comment. Finally they close with prayer by one of the kids. All in 45 minutes.

After worship we got to talk with the Campbells and then went to have lunch with Kathy and Russ. We met them at the Walnut Grove Restaurant. They ha coupons for $5 off each meal. The food was excellent at the buffet. Afterward we went to the Home and Garden Show right up the road at the Four Points Sheraton and walked around looking at the various products and services offered.

I spoke with a fellow who does kitchens and explained I could feel a cold draft coming from the microwave in our kitchen. They said maybe a vent was stuck open to the outside. That I should play a radio near the microwave while it's open and then go outside and see if I could find the vent by using sound as my guide. I did that and found the vent. Everything looked good there. However, I decided to shelter the vent from the wind and see if that helped prevent cold air from going in and out of the vent when the microwave is not being used. I checked this morning and the microwave was not nearly as cold as it had been, but since the weather has gotten warmer too I don't know if that made a difference or not. But I think it will be a good fix.

On Monday Dee went to work, and I did some things around the house. Later when she got home we made some risotto for dinner with salmon. I'd seen the chef make risotto at the "Gourmet Getaway" and wanted to try it myself. It was good. Afterward, I went to Barbershop Chorus practice to get ready for our final week before Singing Valentines. It was a good practice. Since my new "free" business cards for the Chorus came in, I showed them what I selected for my design. It's black and gold with black and gold checkered pattern on one end. They look nice and I like them. GO STEELERS !

Later during the evening I started getting a tickle in my throat and ended up awakening several times sneezing and wheezing. I took some meds and they helped some, but still sniffling this morning.

The Barking Dog Alert

Yesterday while Dee worked a few hours, I did some re-arranging of the furniture in the basement. Later we did a little shopping at Costco and she wanted to see some baby items at Baby's R Us. We had lunch at the Jade Garden (Chinese) where she likes the scallops. It is a nice quiet place that we've been to before.

Later we went out again to Barnes and Nobel to look at some of their books and magazines. On the way home we decided to use the hot tub since it was still 50 degrees out. As we went onto the deck, Bonz thought he'd smelled the neighbor's cat and started looking for him in the corner by the deck trunk. We left him on the deck and went down to the hot tub. We'd just taken the cover off of it and settled into a nice hot bubbly when Bonz started barking loudly up on the deck. He wouldn't stop, so I got out of the hot tub and proceeded up the steps to the deck.

Lo and behold, there was a large raccoon perched on the top of the deck divider wall about 8 feet above Bonz looking down at him. He was positioned so that I couldn't walk by him with out the possibility that he would jump toward me, so I stayed on the steps and reached through the railing and called Bonz over to me. When he came, I took hold of his collar and he calmed down. Then Dee took hold of him while I went around to the front of the house and used the car garage opener to get back into the house. When I opened the house door to the deck, Bonz ran to me in the house. I then proceeded back around the house to the deck and Dee and I put the cover back on the hot tub and walked around the house to the front door together. Whew! So much for a restful night in the hot tub. LOL

Later, I check with my flash light and saw that the raccoon was still out there and he'd settled in for the night (so it appeared) still on top of the wall divider, but up against the house with his chin resting on the divider.

this morning I saw he was gone, so I let Bonz out, and he ran onto the deck sniffing around and looking for the critter, but to no avail.