Saturday, December 14, 2019

Down the Road

Last night, post graduation, my son-in-law and daughter and I went out to my son-in law's restaurant-one of the best steak houses in the country (with all that implies).  We fully intended to splurge, getting all the courses. Smoked salmon on crostini  and mini lamb chops for appetizers, steak/steak/grilled scallops for dinner, roasted Brussels sprouts and lobster couscous for sides, A VERY expensive bottle of wine, and both key lime pie and creme brulee for daughter and I to share. It's ten am the next day and I need nothing more than juice and a half of a English muffin. Still mainly sated in the extreme.

To amplify this luxurious experience, my son-in-law's boss refused to allow us to be charged for any of it.  That's right. The owner paid for our four hundred dollar meal. Completely unexpected by all of us, truly (I might have expected a small discount due to daughter's getting her masters but nothing like this). We forcibly  got the guy who was our waiter to take a full tip, making him ring up our food at a penny so we could card it and he would have a record. Experiences like this,  plus the fact that he works four days a week and makes a good full time income is why my son-in-law is one of those people who enjoys the restaurant business and his employer especially (barring the evening hours). And like I say, still sated. 

My SIL and DD have two beagles and foster the same. I started this Christmas village for SIL because he loves Snoopy


Every year I add a piece

This year's gift was the tree with figures.


This was on top of what has been a short but fun trip to spend time with DD and SIL. Yesterday was spent graduating and partying, but the rest of the time has mainly be spent enjoying the Christmas decorations, thinking about baking, watching holiday movies, helping my daughter clear out stuff to make room for the plethora of wedding gifts and enjoying the weather which today at least is about thirty degrees warmer than in Denver (although closeness to the sun probably only feels 20 degrees warmer).  We both needed this since this one year I will probably not make it down for Christmas. 

hit a rest stop near the mountaisn and saw a sign for a new to me road trip!


It goes without saying that this will most likely be the only year that will happen. While we haven't spoken in depth about moving, we did have many wine infused discussions last night about which location would be best for me, should I get a senior specific place (possibly subsidized but probably not in this area), what do I need in a two bedroom place and so on. 
Sample pricing and offering for one senior apartment in the area (amenities including a beauty salone, a business center, a gathering space, a movie room,  a wellness studio and a game room)


sample two bedroom plan from the above locatio n.


 Lots for both of us to research these winter months! Not to mention things like what will happen to my gals group and will I begin another one? What kind of options socially and church wise will I find since I wont be living whether I was before (the answer is so very many-they even offer Olli classes at the large senior center near by), will I leave all my furniture behind and start over (probably), what choices will my sister and son make and so more. So much to think about and write about!

As an aside, I forgot to mention that in order to ease DD's mind and not to have to tell her where I am while I'm driving, I downloaded a tracker app. This one is called life 360 but I am sure there are others. You create a circle of family members or others, and when you enable the map, you're movements can be seen. So when SIL asked daughter "Where is she now", she could look on the map and see that I was in (for example) Wichita Falls. While some folks may not like this, I figure it eases my family's mind (although they know I have been traveling the road for years, out of the car I am not always as stable as I was especially in bad weather).

The pink is my daughter and the blue myself. Obviously we are together now, but the map shows where each of us are at any given time.


Meanwhile, I just realized that when I get home it will be one week till Christmas! Good think I'm not really making anything this year, because none of it would be done if I was (the blanket is not a Christmas specific thing). Heck, I'm thinking if I get three kinds of cookies (wedding rings, brown sugar shortbread and decorated sugar) finished, I will call it good. Definitely a less is more Christmas this year. Which is all okay.

The Monday before I hit the road, the gals did happy hour and a senior ride bus to see the city lights-the zoo, the botanic gardens, city hall, and more than one home or HOA display. In fact, I'm not sure that some of them were not the best.  Enjoy, and happy weekend!












22 comments:

  1. Oh, my gosh, those Christmas lights are beautiful!

    You've got an exciting year ahead of you and lots of hard choices, too.

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    1. Yes. I was trying to find a decision making master list online but no such look so far..I may have to create my own.

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    2. I'd make your own and use online and book lists as input. I kept a running list in a word document for our big move and just added to it whenever I would think of or read about something important to be sure to do.

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    3. Good idea. Something to add to my list.

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  2. You've got lots to think about and do in 2020. The Snoopy Christmas village is so cute. The Christmas lights displays are super. Very nice indeed!

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    1. It is I really have fun picking out a different piece each year...

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  3. Beautiful lights!!! What a meal, I think I would have been full the next day as well.

    God bless.

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  4. Oh the light show was amazing! Congrats to your daughter and good luck in all of the research and decisions to be made.

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    1. Thanks. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

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  5. I am impressed by anyone who can make a living with a restaurant ... it's a tough business. Good for you on the tip!

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    1. He's fortunate to work in a high end restaurant . At some point in the future he wants more daytime hours and is looking at the wine business.

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  6. Rent can be so expensive, but that one you spotlighted in the post seemed like a pretty good deal - especially if a person could take possession by Jan 1st.

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    1. Yea I wont mbe moving until the summer but it was good to get an idea of what is out there.

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  7. The lights are so lovely. With my husband being so sick, I am feeling a little cut off from holiday fun.

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  8. Oh goodness, what fun! Love the outline of THE meal. YUM.

    I had a Christmas Village and every year Mr. Ralph and I would pick out another piece to add. Wish I would have kept it for the grandkids! Although there is not one square inch of space to put it!

    Research on!

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    1. I put only a few pieces out rather than the whole thing this year.

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  9. Those are goo pictures of Christmas light. That app sounds handy.

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  10. Those lights are beautiful! My cousin lives in Denver and posts pictures of them every year. I like that App,very convenient and a great safety feature.

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  11. Change and excitement are in the air for you. What a wonderful gift of the meal, and the Snoopy Christmas village is cute. That app is a nice safety feature.

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  12. what restaurant does your SIL work at? I live in Dallas. Sounds so good.

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