It's a Monday!

Good Morning 

Mood: Resting

Music listening to: To Be Real

     It's a Monday! How are you doing? I started the day of at 5:00am caring for Chris. Elise is deep in her cave again this morning, so she will not be hitting the floor early today. Smile! Any plans for today?

     The coffee is good and I will have a donut or two to go along with it. I love donuts, I should have been a cop, eh? Chris and I are going to take it slow and easy today.

     The Thanksgiving weekend went well, better than I expected. Now we must get back to the norm. We are going to use one of our perks on Thursday and stay at the DDC overnight. Cha Ching! we hope so.

     I will post the last part of our Florence trip sometime today. Well, I had better get busy and check on Chris. We hope that your weekend was a good one.
Later.....Jessie and Elise

Tiger, Marcie, Jet have a good day.

Loraine, what are you up to?

Jane and John, have a good day.

Shoo and Stu, what is new?

Rosie, what is new in Aussie Land?

Olivia, have a good one.

TGIF!! Burp,Burp,Burp! Ahhhhh!

Good Morning 

Mood: Stuffed

Music listening to: Shake Your Groove Thang!

     TGIF!! Are you still with us? I started the day off at 5:00am caring for Chris. Elise is so deep in her cave this morning I am hearing echos. Smile!

     Elise is not alone counting those zzzz's this morning. Ann, Eddie, Johnny, Zack, Lampchop, Buttercup and the neighbor's dog are all deep, deep in slumber. It is just not right that Chris and I are the only ones up and about. Any plans for today?

     Our Thanksgiving meal was great even though we did not start to dig in until around 4:30pm or so. Zack did a great job of cooking the bird, and it was moist and delicious. Way to go Zack!

       We were joined by Susan and Kathy. as well. Bobby joined us for the feast along with Chris gazing at all of the fixing's. The vino was plentiful and the were very good too!

       We did run into a bit of a snag though. The kitchen sink stopped up of all things to happen. We tried to plunge it but that did not work at all. So Eddie and Zack venture out at around 7:00pm to purchase a snake for the sinks. 

        They were caught up in the lines for an early Black Friday. Some of the stores here got an early jump on it and it was Black Thursday Night. We got the drain taken care of and it started to drain nicely. What a way to spent your turkey day, eh?

        I will be running out to the DDC this morning sometime to pick up my after Turkey Day perks that are being offered just for today. Later this evening we are all going to sit in the bleachers of the U of A stadium to watch our Wildcats play our in state rival the Sun Devils. It should be a very good football game. Go Cats! John will be here this evening to care for Chris.

      Well, I had better put on a fresh pot of coffee and get this day started. Have a good TGIF and stay safe, happy and healthy.
Later.........Jessie and Elise



Tiger,Marcie, Jet have a good day.

Loraine, did you make it to your car? Did you make it home OK? I know how you felt for sure.

Shoo and Stu, have a good one.

Ross and Denise, always good to hear from you. Enjoy the weekend.

Flo and John, how are you doing?

Olivia, what is new in the GA?

Monna, how is everyone?

Marcia, how are you doing?

Bobby, are you ready for some football?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Good Morning

Mood: Cautious

Music listening to: Lampchop barking.

     Happy Thanksgiving! I started the day off at 4:10am caring for Chris. Elise is deep in her cave this morning. Angelica will be here this morning to care for Chris. Bobby will be here this afternoon to care for Chris.

    The coffee is good and hot this morning and I am enjoying a danish along with it. We went to see the movie "Lincoln" and it is very good and the makeup work is remarkable. Sally Fields plays Mary, Lincolns wife. She is excellent. A very good movie.

    Today's events are starting off late as usual, but I have done my part and I am going to sit back and relax and observe. The cooking of the gobbler was to start at 7:00am and it now 7:45am.

    We hope that your day of thanks is a blessed one. Enjoy!..........Jessie and Elise

Herman, good to hear from you this morning. Happy Thanksgiving.

Good Afternoon!!

Afternoon!

How is your day going so far? Things are going OK here in Tucson. Bobby is here caring for Chris and I just returned from Walgreen's having some posters made from a few of our Florence pictures. It is getting pretty cloudy here and we just might get some rain today or tomorrow. My nurse supervisor visit was a good one and Chris enjoyed the attention. Well, here is a bit more about our Firenze trip.
Enjoy!

20 Oct 12

Our last day in Florence.

We got up early this morning and we slept very well. Thanks to Chianti and Limencello!! We are pretty much packed up to go home. Fernanda will be taking us to the airport tomorrow morning very early. She is a treasure!

We got dressed and we left for a fair that Fernanda told us about at the Firenze Center. There is also a street fair on the corner of our B&B on Via Finiguerra. We looked around there for a short while and then we headed of the Firenze Center.

It was sort of a Home and Garden Show. Lot's of interesting furniture, clothes, cashmere sweaters for only $20 euros. Lot's of food vendor as well. I bought two cannelloni. One was chocolate and the other was caramel. Elise took a bite and they were way too sweet for her.

We found some earrings we liked and we bought them. One for each of us. We returned to our B&B to find Fernanda there. She was worried about the drain in the sink in the bathroom.  The couple that was in the room next to the kitchen (Sun Room) left a lot of hair in the sink and the shower causing it to drain very slowly. Oh, the joys of owning a B&B, eh?

We went to the Cafe L' Angolo for lunch. We each had a panini with ham and cheese, and of course a nice cold birra. We bought two more panini's go for dinner and we chowed down on them with the birra we had left in the fridge back at the B&B. 

It was about 6:10pm when we were eating our dinner. Elise sort of left the panini's in the toaster a little too long and they started to burn but they were still good way to close out our last night in Italia. It is now 8:00pm lights out!

Hump Day!

Good Morning  

Mood: Loo-less!

Music listening to: How Deep Is Your Love by the Bee-Gees

      It's a Hump Day! How are you? I started the day off at 4:40am caring for Chris. Elise is deep in her cave this morning and she is not making a sound. So she will not be putting feet to the floor anytime soon. Any plans for today?

     I am happy to say that I have been loo-less during the night. The electrolytes did the job. As a precaution I will continue to down some today. WooHoo! The coffee is nice and hot this morning and I will have a turnover that Elise got for me to go along with it.

     I have a a busy day today. I will get the extra bedrooms ready for our Thanksgiving company. Chris and I will be visited by my nurse supervisor at 11:00am so I have to get ready for that. We will also set up the dining room table for tomorrows feast of thanks.

     Elise and I may go to the movies this afternoon after Bobby arrives to care for Chris. It is going to be a busy day. We have not heard anymore about our tickets for Fridays football game. It is said that no news is good news but I have a feeling that this is not going to happen. If not we will watch it on TV. Also on Friday morning I will be running out to the DDC to pick up my perks. Yes! We are going to stay out at the DDC on the 29th of November, one of our perks. We will hit the buffet for sure while we are there. Cha Ching!

     Well, I had better get to it. Have a good Hump Day and be careful out there.
Later..........Jessie and Elise

Tiger,Marcie, Jet wake up sisters.

Loraine, wake up that is enough sleep.

Shoo and Stu, have a great day.

Olivia, how are things in GA?

Flo and John, how are you?

Fernanda, what is new in Firenze?

Monna, how are you? Give our best to all.

Jerome and Kesha, what is new in Lawrenceville?

Mary and Bob, have a good day.

Rosie , how are you?

Good Night!

Janelle,Kim,Lindsay,Dena. Our granddaughters are in the middle. Kim and Lindsay.

Good Night!  

Well, the day is almost over. How was yours? I am caring for Chris this evening and Elise is on her computer this evening.

Elise prepared beans and cornbread for dinner,one of my favorite meals. Within an hour I was back skipping to the (Loo). I have come to the conclusion that I have picked up a stomach virus somewhere. So now I am taking fluids with electrolytes to get myself and my system back on track.

I didn't get the two extra bedrooms ready for our Thanksgiving stay overs, but I will get it done tomorrow after my nurse supervisors pays Chris and I a visit at 11:00am.

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner, and I am looking forward to seeing the U of A and ASU play football live on Friday evening. I hope that all of the kinks have been worked out and we don't get a surprise and cannot go to watch the game.

I am also looking forward to seeing and listening to the "Tucson Women's Chorus" sing on Saturday night as well. Elise is a member of the chorus and she enjoys it. Well, I had better check on Chris. Have a good day and sleep well. The above pic is of our granddaughter and family. Her name is Lindsay.
Cheers.........Jessie and Elise

Tiger, Marcie, Jet sleep well.

Jane and John, have a good time in Sedona.

Shoo and Stu, stay safe.

Flo and John, have a good night.

Loraine, sleep well.

Good Afternoon

Good Afternoon,

Well, I got my errands taken care of this morning while Angelica was here. I am still not feeling my best and my stomach is still acting up.

Elise out playing bridge and grocery shopping. Well, here is a bit more about our trip to Florence. Enjoy!

19 Oct 12

It is 10:00am and we are up raring to go. We are having to wait to use the bathroom, it is a pain but we are getting used to it. The guy in the Moon room never seems to be here, but the couple in the Sun room seem to live in the bathroom. If it isn't the shower it is the Bidet'. Smile!

The men are sweeping the streets again. They have a machine with a large sweeper on it and a vacuum cleaner on it that gets up all of the the is on the street.

Last night around 2:30am we were rudely awakened by loud voices that broke our sleep. Two men and two women were talking and laughing and playing Latin music very loud. We looked out of our windows at them. We have no screens on our windows, as a matter of fact nobody does. 

The guys and the gals were drunk. The girls were American and the guys were showing off for whatever reason, smile! We kept waiting for one of our neighbors to wake up and call out the window to complain, but they did not. Next all of a sudden an Arab guy came over and got into the guys face and gave them a hard time. The Arab guy was one of the local drug dealers who sets up shop across the street. One of the American girls decided it was time for them to move along. A good idea on their part. It was almost like the the drug guys are policing their area.

We are walking the streets that we have not ventured on and we did not get lost. Also this morning we went to wash clothes and that took over an hour due to we had to wait for a vacant dryer. After we washed  we went on a walk and Elise stopped and picked up a Belgium Waffle. She is really breaking her diet big time. 

The waffle was say too sweet and I took a bite and yes it was. We continued to explore and we stopped to have a panini, of course we did. It had pepperoni and cheese, so good.

We stopped at a park by the Arno and we bought two birras and we sat at a table  in the shade of the trees. We watched the river flow by. It was so peaceful. We then walked home, and we did not get lost, smile!

We got back to our B&B to chill for a bit before we went out for dinner. We went to a the"Il Profeta" that was suggested by Fernanda. We hit the trattoria and it did not open until 7:00pm, so we walked around the shops nearby. 

Wen returned to the trattoria and we went in. The owner asked us if we had reservations and we said no we did not. So we had to name drop, don't you know. We gave her the card that Fernanda gave us and she found us a table. We chose to eat outside on the street so we could people watch. We made the right choice.

We had crostini with tomatoes and Olive oil (gratis). It was to die for. Then we had crostini with mozzarella (delicious). I ordered a T-Bone steak with fried potatoes. When it came out I thought I was in Texas. It was huge! I eat every bit if it, yes I did. We shared a half bottle of Chianti Classico that was so good we ordered a second half bottle.

Elise ordered Spaghetti with Lobster. She was blown away when they brought it out. We were looking for lobster mixed in the spaghetti. We were wrong. Elise got a whole lobster that was stuffed with spaghetti. She devoured it completely. I had to sample so and it was like  you had died and went to heaven. Wow!

We ordered two Limoncello's for dessert. Wen were stuff and we thought that we would have to call a cab to get us back the B&B, it was only two blocks away. Then we got a surprise. We were served "Tiramisu" on the house and we knew right then and there we were heaven bound. It was a wonderful evening.

While we were enjoying our meal a couple decided to join us at a table next to us. They reminded us of Janice and Frank back in Tucson. They had only been married for a couple of months. They were from Memphis, Tennessee.. We talked them and they were very entertaining.  It made us wish we could see Janice and Frank more than we do now. Wow, it could not be a better evening.  Our waiter was very (cute) says Elise. He was a student in the school of Architecture. He learned to speak English by just being a waiter, Cool! Our bill came to $135.00 euros and well worth it. Thank you Fernanda for guiding us there. We slowly made it back to our B&B and it was game over.

Tricky Tuesday!

Bench dedicated to Elise's Dad at the High School in Douglas, AZ

Good Morning  

Mood: Under The Weather

Music listening to: Smooth Criminal by MJ

     It's a Tricky Tuesday!! How are you doing? I started the day off several times this morning. I was playing the tune (Skip, skip to the Loo), smile! I don't know why all of a sudden this tune started but it was not pleasant to say the least.

     Elise is in her cave this morning but I am sure that she will be up and about very soon. I hope that she doesn't join me in skipping to the Loo! Any plans for today?

      The coffee is good this morning, and I don't have any appetite at all as of yet. Angelica will be here this morning to care for Chris. I have a few errands that I need to take care of this morning. After those are done I will begin to get the extra bedrooms ready for our Turkey Day visitors.

      I will post more about our Vegas and Florence trip sometime today. Hopefully! We had a very nice visit yesterday from Lindsay our granddaughter. We have not seen her since she was 18 years old. She used to care for Chris.

      She has grown into a very beautiful young lady with a lot of class, style and grace. It was a pleasure to see her and we wish her continued success in all that she does.

      Well, I had better get another cup of coffee to get me motivated to move forward. Have a great day. We are going to the U of A/ASU football game on Friday. Go Cats!
Later.........Jessie and Elise

Tiger,Marcie, Jet have a good one.

Loraine, how are you?

Rosie, in Aussie Land what is new?

Jane and John, be careful.

Shoo and Stu, get busy.

Dena, it was a pleasure to see you guys yesterday. Have fun in Mexico.

Flo and John, how are you?

Liz, what is new?

Ross and Denise, how are things?

Shirlene, how are you?

Sis, in GA what is new?

Bobby, how is your day going?

Monday Afternoon!

Good Afternoon,

Mood: Tired

Music listening to: Beat It by MJ

     This is a true Monday for sure. Things started off great and then it all tanked. We took delivery of Chris's new washer/dryer this morning at around 8:00am. We were elated.

     Well, the plug for the dryer was not the correct one. So we had to call the electrician to come out and replace it.

     He did that and with my help we got the washer/dryer installed in it's closet. Next the dryer hose did not fit the on the wall outlet so the electrician had to go to get a additional part to make it fit.That did the trick, woohoo now Chris doesn't have to beat his clothes on a rock, smile.

     All of this threw me way behind on my errands that I needed to get done. I finally was able to get them done. Next I sent a fax to my office and they called to say that all they received was blank pages. So I had to redo that.Now if this is not a true Monday I don't know what is, eh?

     I need a drink a stiff double right now. We hope that your day has been way better. We had a fantastic evening out last night with Paula,Marty,Shoo and Stu. The food was great and the vino rosso hit the spot. Yes, it did.
Thanks guys for a great time.
Later.........Jessie and Elise

Tiger,Marcie, Jet have a good day.

Loraine, how are you?

Jane and John, everyone said hello and to let you know that you were missed last night.

Evening!!

Good Evening!

Mood: Relaxed to the Max!

    How are you doing? Well, Elise and I are back from a fantastic visit with our dearest friend Sheila who resides in Douglas, Arizona.

    Sheila is one of the sweetest beings on this planet. If you ever get the chance to meet her you will see just what I am talking about.

     She is a wonderful host, and her cooking skills are beyond reproach. Her heart is bigger than the Grand Canyon and see believes in helping out as much as she can especially for students.

     We delivered a replica of her families cabin that we have had the pleasure of spending many weekend at. It was made by one of good friend of Bobby's who is very talented and his attention to detail is awesome to say the least. Sheila loved it!

     Elise and I are going out for dinner this evening at "Zemans" we will be joined by Paula, Marty, Stu and Shoo. We will be eating well and throwing back some good vino rosso for sure. I am on my way already. Elise just gave me a nice shot of Dewyers Scotch. Yeah!

    Well, I had better get myself ready for our evening out. We hope that your weekend was a good one?
Later.......Jessie and Elise

Tiger, Marcie,Jet sleep well.

Loraine, how are you?

Bobby, what is new?

Paula, Marty, Shoo and Stu, we will see you this evening at Z's.

Flo and John, how were those rice krispy treat?

Shirlene, so good to hear from you.

Ross and Denise, have a great up coming week.

Sheila and the Pugs

Puggies

Cabin replica

What's Up?

What's up?

Well, here is a bit more about our trip to Florence, Italy. Enjoy!

18 Oct 12

It is 9:30am and we are up and ready to go. We are going to Siena this morning by bus. I forgot to mention that yesterday on the 17th a woman got hurt some way on the street, (we didn't see what happened) but the ambulance came and got her. 

We have a bird's eye view from up here in our room. This morning a lady started screaming bloody murder. We could not tell what was going on, but the shop keepers came out of the stores to see everything from the street. We can see the street view pretty good from two stories up. Smile!

We headed for the bus station and we picked up our tickets for Siena. It cost each of us $7.80 euros one way. It was a very nice bus and you could see everything out of the windows. It took about and hour to get to Siena and the views were great. Lots of vineyards to look at for sure.

We arrived in Siena and what a difference in scenery. Siena is up on a hill and the views are great. We walked around for a short while and then it was time for some lunch. It was about 12:35pm and we stopped at a trattoria. Elise ordered a pizza with mushrooms and prosciutto. Elise said that it was very good and it almost rivaled the pizza back in Florence at the corner trattoria. I had tortellini with spinach and ham in a cream sauce. We shared some beans with Italian sausages. Elise thought that the sausage was delicious. I was a little reluctant about it because I was thinking is this cat, rabbit or maybe horse? Whatever it was it was very good.  We got it all down with good glass of red. for For dessert we both had a cup of espresso that was so concentrated it was like drinking two cans of Red Bull in succession! Yikes! We woke up very fast, smile!

After our lunch we walked around the narrow streets of Old Siena. It was very cool. We loved it. We bought two tickets for our return trip to Florence. We found our bus stop and we barely made it on due to so many people getting on. It was so crowded that we did not get to sit together. We got back to Florence at around 5:40pm.

We stopped at a grocery store on the way to our B&B to pick up some apples, and some milk. Someone in the B&B had drunk up what we had in the fridge. We are back in our room tired but very happy.

We venture out later to give Bobby a call to see how things were going. We had to leave a message for Bobby to check our blog and make a comment on it about how things were going. Later we heard from Bobby and all was well. He informed us that he had won his singles tennis tournament. Yahoo for Bob.

Later in the evening Elise was talking to Fernanda who is here cleaning. She cleans everyday. She was born in Roma but her husband lives here in Florence, so see moved here. She has one son who has kids and her Mom lives here with them because she's not in good health. Elise communicates with Fernanda by knowing some Spanish and Fernanda knowing some English! They use lots of hand gestures and movements. My Italian worked out better than I thought it would.

For dinner we had leftovers and fruit. We also shared a nice cold birra. We are taking it easy this evening. Elise is reading a book from Fernanda's library. It is titled " If The War Goes On" by Hermann Hesse. It was published in 1946. He has some excellent things to say. Elise is going to buy a copy of this book when we get back home. A very nice day in Firenze.

Narrow streets of Siena

Elise striking a pose in Siena

Bell Tower in Siena

Me striking a pose in a Siena piazza

Piazza

Piazza

Piazza