NO, YOU CANNOT GO HOME AGAIN!!!

Okay, so I said I would write about dating on the next blog.  As you can probably tell, there has not been much action – on the dating scene, that is!!  It seems my elder son’s family is ready for me to leave here, too.  One thing for sure is that I am so happy I didn’t have more children because there are none left to throw me out.  This ousting was a little gentler than the last time however, as they know I have to save money to be able to move.  Silly me, I thought we were like Castle and it was going swimmingly!  Shows what I know!  The good thing is that my sons can be good friends again.  The elder was angry at the younger for having thrown me out, but now they are even.

 I thought that living here, I would be able to work part time, take some vacations – perhaps back to Florida for the winter – and other places and things that “normal” retirees do.  Since that is now no longer possible I will have to work all of the time to be able to pay rent and live.  The rate of pay for those of us over 65 is not wonderful, so I am thinking that as long as I have to do that, it would be smarter to live in Florida (lonely or not) and be able to play golf occasionally!

Socializing is not high on my son’s list, so I would not be seeing him very often.  Anyway, I have a temporary job until about June, so I will be able to save some money – and all of my “stuff” is still in storage in Florida.  Perhaps someone wiser than I knew that this was not going to work out as I had hoped and everything I would need to set up housekeeping is still there!

It is definitely not a tragedy, but certainly something to think about!  Rowing is definitely out, though.  Too bad, too, because it is an extremely fun thing to do!

I will try to write a little more often to keep you entertained.

As, usual, thanks for checking.  Ricci

 

 

CAN YOU GO HOME AGAI?!?!?

It has been a while (obviously) since I have written anything, so for those of you who are the tiniest bit curious, I will catch you up.

Back in Florida, while Publix was very nice to me, I found that not only was the great, great weather not enough compensation, but I discovered I really hate to live alone. So, once again, I packed it up and put it in a storage unit in New Port Richey, FL. After spending a great weekend with my friend, Barb in Parrish, Fl, I headed for North Carolina for Thanksgiving, then to Charlotte for a short visit with a friend. After that, on to Ohio.

A friend in Richfield, Oh, whose father hurt himself and had to be placed in assisted living, needed someone to ready the house for sale. In exchange for rent, I readied the house and had a place to live for the WORST WINTER SINCE 1962!! The house had heat, electricity, indoor plumbing, an attached garage and was in a very nice neighborhood. They also provided me with a case wine (probably so I wouldn't whine). The dog, however, did not benefit from the wine, so she was rather in shock – especially one morning when she jumped off the deck and the snow was than she was tall!! I had to actually shovel the grass so she could take care of business. But, we did survive, and in May we moved to Bay Village, to Scotty's basement. It is not really as bad as it sounds! I have cable, a bed, a chair, my own bathroom and people to say good morning to. Actually, when I was out to dinner with my 14 year old granddaughter last week, she told me it was a lot more fun since I moved in!

Last summer, in order to enter the world of the living again, I joined a rowing club (8 in a boat) and rowed on the Cuyahoga River for the summer and fall. (Actually, I am quite bummed because next Wednesday is our last row for the year. It was so much fun that next summer I hope to row the 8 again and row the 4's. Everyone should try this! The only really difficult part was getting out of the boat like you are supposed to. When the coxsun says “one foot on the dock and up” - it takes a little more time. For one thing, if I have to put one foot on the dock with one in the boat, I could be there a week!! Therefore, I have to stand with both feet in the boat at step off. The other kids are quite nice about it, though, and make sure the boat does not float away while I am attempting my exit!!

 

I also sharpened my ice skates - and haven't even broken anything yet!! 

 

Job search and the return to dating is next on the agenda!!

 

IT TRULY IS A TEST!!

So, I went to Sarasota and took the pillows I had done.  Originally, my friend and her husband were going to babysit my dog so Charley and I could have a "date".  Then, coward that he obviously is, it was changed to the four of us going to the 1st Friday Art Walk in downtown Sarasota.  Well, that would have been okay!  However, by the time I arrived, it has been changed to just dinner with the four of us.  The way to start a first date is NOT to have your guest ride in the back seat, with the other male in the front with you!!  Somehow, that seems to be so cowardly.  Anyway, that's how we rode.  At dinner, he ordered a bottle of wine, explaining that they would be happy to cork it if we did not finish it.  Of course, big mouth me had to say - do you really think four people will not finish a bottle of wine?  That probably scared him.  But, when you have dinner with someone who is supposed to be a date, shouldn't he want to know SOMETHING about you?  As it turned out, he was like a filler for dinner with Jan and John so I would not feel like a fifth wheel, I guess.  (If he had paid any attention when he first met me, he would have realized that feeling like a "fifth wheel" never occurred to me!!). Oh well, maybe in another three years I'll have another "date".  Just filling you it and will let you know I anything else at all exciting happens! Thanks for checking.  Ricci

THREE YEARS!!!

Well, I know it has been a while, but aside from work, work, work, it has not been very exciting.  Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for my job at Publix (mostly because it means Gina and I can eat and I can play a little golf!!), but it is incredibly boring!!

Since you last heard from me, I have had to repair my car to the tune of $1300, but it is done and the car should run without incident until I have to get tires!  Good thing I returned the S2000!!   It was much cuter, but much more expensive to maintain.

Also, I volunteered at the golf tournament and that was quite fun to see the golfers, but I didn’t know anyone so it was a little isolated!  I would do it again, but only if I could carry the scoring sign for a group!  My own game continues to be fun, while not exactly par!!  But as long as I can still hit the ball, life is great!!

It still is difficult sometimes to believe Mike is gone!  The last three years, however, have given me time to put him on a pedestal, knock him off and get back to the reality of him. Definitely, he was the nicest man I ever knew and he gave me a great sense of self.  However, I don’t believe he ever even thought of what I would do if anything happened to him.  (Actually, he probably never thought of anything happening to himself).  He didn’t really like to face the unpleasant side of things or he liked to keep the scary parts hidden because he wanted to be perceived as very strong – and in some ways he really, really was.  Mike gave me a great sense of self and reminded me of my own capacity for love.

Hopefully, it will happen again before I am too old and wrinkled!!  

Next weekend, I am actually going on a double date.  I have met the man before and he seems to be a rather pleasant sort, so we’ll see.  Since I was never good at dating at the age you were supposed to be good, Heaven only knows how it will go!! (You know, Mike and I didn’t really “date”, so to speak, he came to the office, we met, sat in the kitchen and talked for three hours and were really never apart after that.  Well, everyone needs a little adventure in her life now and then, so I am definitely looking forward to it.

Both boys will be in Florida for the holidays, so I guess I will actually have to buy a Christmas tree this year!  Shawn and his family will be here for Thanksgiving, and Scotty and his family will be in Orlando for Christmas, so I won’t have to go as far to spend Christmas with them!!

My doctor wrote a book and included me in a chapter, so I thought perhaps it was time to start taking better care of myself, so I started exercising!  While I feel a lot better, it is a bitch to realize that, at this age, no matter how much you exercise it just does not snap back (which, of course, means that if there is ever another romance, it will have to be very, very dark!!)

But, back to my doctor.  The chapter in which he included me was about my having a great attitude about life, so it was a flattering and positive!

Perhaps, I’ll do better and blog more often.  I’ll try – anyway, I will tell you how my “date” goes. Oh yes, I do have a book review.  Mother's day weekend, I read the Fifty Shades of Gray trilogy.  I am not certain if I just have a part missing, or the author has extra parts, but I don't know of anybody who actually even thought about sex or the "gadgets" that often!  The whole actual story would have covered about a third of the first book!  It was educational, though.  There were things I never even thought about.  Have you ever noticed, though, that the heroine is always beautiful, tall, thin with beautiful hair?!?! Interesting!! 

As usual, thanks for checking.   Ricci

 

HAPPY 2013!! THE MAYANS WERE WRONG HOORAY!!

Okay, so the questions is “can you ever go home again?” My son, Scotty, was kind enough to provide me with a ticket to Ohio for Christmas. It was a lovely gesture and greatly appreciated. Of course, it is always great to see them, the children and my sisters! Remember, however, whose life this is!! The first thing to occur was getting to Chicago and 1:55 p.m. and having every flight to Ohio was cancelled. So, I called Scotty and explained that I was in Chicago, but there were no flights to Cleveland. He did not miss a beat (God love him); told me to get in line and call him if United could get me there, otherwise, he was on his way. I stood in line for almost three (yes, 3) hours, only to be told that they could get me a flight to Cleveland on the 23rd of December. Since it was only the 20th of December, I replied that I could walk to Cleveland in less time. Of course, they found no humor in my response!! Big surprise!! So, 7 hours later, Scotty arrived and we drove back to Ohio. Therefore, he drove around 1 hours that day!! Christmas was lovely; all the kids were there! Christmas Eve, we went to a party with the family of an ex-husband, and every one was very, very nice. I saw both of my sisters and that, of course, was nice, too. Actually, the sisters spent New Year’s Ever all together. A photo is enclosed :

Not bad, but we seem to be adding more chins! However, we are all still kicking!! When I went, I wasn’t sure if I needed to move back there! I think not!! Everyone is busy with their own life; I have no friends up there anymore. While it is nice being closer to my sisters, they also have their own lives and one lives in Columbus and one in Cuyahoga Falls. In addition, they also work full-time jobs, so it isn’t like we would be together on a regular basis. My son and daughter-in-law are so nice to provide me with my own room and even cable television. However, my room in is the basement where there is no light. And since it is a basement, it is cold. Therefore, I really caught up on sleep because it was dark and cold, so I could snuggle under comforters with my tv, fall asleep (of course, I put the timer on the tv) and just sleep until there was a noise.. When I grew up in Lakewood, I used to play ice hockey in jeans and a sweatshirt! My how things change!! Now I need a comforter to go outside! When I was younger, we walked everywhere – no matter the weather! Now, I would not go out to the car unless Scotty went out and warmed it up for me! So, I am afraid if I ever had to live there again – and it would have to be independently – they would find me frozen one day half way to my car! You just forget how miserably cold it is. Also, grey, grey, grey! The sun in an amazing thing. Also, I think that while Scotty finally thinks it would be nice to live near me again, it is really in the abstract. We don’t see each other that often, so when we do, it is always nice. However, I am certain he would find it a pain in the a-- if he thought he HAD to see me all of the time. So here I am for a while, seeking a normal job an to stay here for a while My resolution this year is to try to may sure whatever I say is something that would be okay if it was the last thing I spoke!! So Happy 2013!! Hope you all had a great Christmas and I will try to be more attentive to this blog. Once again, thanks for checking. Ricci .

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

So, here we are – another Christmas! Wow, they come and go so quickly!! I started to write a Thanksgiving note, but never quite got what I wanted to say, so I’ll try Christmas. I added a little color to my hair since my hair and face all seemed to becoming the same. So here it is!

It’s a little funky, but definitely not boring!!! I needed a little difference! To begin with, a Merry, Merry Christmas to all of you – and a very happy and healthy new year! Thanks so much for reading. Capping things off, the year in short, has gone this way – moved back to Florida from traveling, after being thrown out of my son’s house. Rented lovely 2/2 condo facing a little pond with a nice porch. Painted it the colors I like and have been living (or I really should say sleeping) there with my dog. Got a job as a cashier with Publix (grocery store) for “20 – 25” hours a week. On the bright side, my younger son and I started to have some reasonable pleasant conversations again – that is, unitl I expressed my disapproval at his behavior. Of course, I was right back where I was. I guess mothers are only supposed to express approval!! Anyway, we are now speaking again – which is a great thing because it is a terrible thing to not be communicating with your own kid!!!! The weather in Florida is great, to be sure; however, it definitely is not “home” at this time. It seems, I am either working at Publix or getting ready to work at Publix. Don’t get me wrong…I am grateful everyday of my life that I am able to work. But, other than resting from standing in one place so long, I am working to be able to be in this lovely condo – by myself. Life is too short to put myself in this spot for a very long time, so I will be figuring it out soon. Santa Claus sent me a beautiful Lancome cologne set, so now I just have to entice someone! You never know……… I will be in Cleveland for Christmas and New Year (courtesy of Scott and Shannon) and I will let you know what is going on after the first of the year. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Love, Ricci

Holy Crap!!!

Holy crap!! Here it is the first day of September already and I have none of my 17 projects finished – all in various stages of beginning, though!! You know, when I get up in the morning, I really think I am 30. After standing for 5, 6 or 7 hours, however, my wrinkly body sees fit to let me know how old I am. By the time I get home, take Gina out, change my clothes and have a glass of wine, I survey all of my lovely projects and sit down!! This was an excellent month for cashiering – I charge one guy for 33 cartons of pop instead of 3! His sense of humor was not quite intact! Another customer yelled at me because a product went up 10 cents in a week – I suggested she take it up with customer service, as it went up the same amount for the employees. The day before yesterday was the clincher, though. I absolutely hate the word “bitch” (mostly because there is no male word counterpart for it), but a customer actually used it on me. She was a nurse (probably Nurse Ratchett!!) who came into my speedy lane. Publix has a special this week of buy two pops, get two free. She had placed three on the belt and the three on the bottom of her basket matched. Anyway, I rang her up, bagged her groceries and took her money. She then called me a bitch because I did not place the cartons in the bottom of her cart – never mind the fact that she was about half my age. Just pray you never get her to take care of you!! Well, now it is the 7th of September and I have survived Labor Day, which was not easy. I worked so many hours that one night I actually went to bed at 8 p.m. and woke up at 7:00 a.m. While, luckily, I am very healthy, this is really a sucky, sucky job!! I have been so tired, it has thrown me into a depression – due to the fact that while I am working many, many hours, I don’t clear enough money to make a difference in my life. So, I have actually be considering leaving Florida – thinking that while it was “home” when Mike and I moved here together – it doesn’t feel like home now. However, I really, really, REALLY hate being cold, so it I left Florida, I don’t know where I would go. While all of my family, except the son who discarded me, lives in Ohio, I just don’t think I could survive a whole winter up there. Therefore, the ideal solution would be for them to move closer to me! (Fat Chance). Anyway, Gina and I have been discussing it on the porch at happy hour and I think before I make a rash decision, I need to find another job! I was going to give you a history of my lovely condo, so let's start now. First the photos of when I first moved in ---

That is the living room. Next

Dining room and kitchn

Well, that is what they looked like before I moved it. However, "poop brown" just doesn't do much for me, so, of course, that had to be changed!

Living room now!!

Dining room and kitchen Well, I thought I could show you the bedroom, too. However, I guess I did not take a photo of it after I painted it - or it was in the camera, which somehow got water in it and no longer works, so I guess that will come later. Anyway, I live in a lovely, lovely apartment, with a lovely view and have it looking pretty much like me, so I will show you later - as I have several pieces of furniture to paint to complete it. Also, a few more window treatments to make. So, hopefully, I will find a job that enables me to do all of that. Certainly, my sense of humor will return and this will become a FUN blog. Thanks for checking. Ricci