After almost 450,000 votes, Budget Travel readers picked Ely, MN as the top small town vacation spot with almost 1/4 of the votes, over 100,000. Seems a bear cub on video camera had a lot to do with the results. Henderson NC, about 30 minutes from us came in 3 rd with around 70,000 votes. Yippie for small town vacations.
Posted in General
Smoky and Sabrina say:
“One of us got excited and jumped from the floor to the mantle of the fireplace, shoulder height, and knocked to round oriental balls on the floor and broke them in many pieces. We aren’t saying who did it. Sure made a mess. Fay and Bob aren’t very happy with us. This was our first try at big leaps. What were we thinking? At least we didn’t break the really expensive things on the shelf. We are sorry we broke the stuff.”
“Fay went and got us new dry and canned food. So far so good but we haven’t tried all of it yet. Fay says Smoky’s tummy is getting really fat so either he eats too much or he has worms or both. Tomorrow he gets a worm pill. He’s been tested but it’s not a perfect test. If Smoky has worms then Sabrina has to take a pill too.”
Posted in The cats tell all
Now that Bob has been retired awhile and we are in a new routine I thought you might like to know who does what around the house and yard. I think we have figured out a good balance that feels fair to both of us.
I do the cooking and Bob does the clean up, dishes, loads and unloads the dishwasher, sets the table. I’m a messy cook so I really appreciate that. We have been doing this for quite awhile. We both usually get groceries. Once a week we might have pizza, once a week maybe a fast food lunch, about half the time on days we swim it is Slimfast for lunch and about once a week go out for dinner. Bob is really easy to cook for. He likes almost everything and tries new things and compliments me often.
I do most of the laundry but Bob knows how and will fold clothes or put loads into the dryer. Changing the bed linen is a joint task.
Bob vacuums and I clean floors, sinks, dusting (although the last one rarely happens). I do have someone I can call to house clean if we get in a bind but we try not to have that happen. We have a carpet cleaner so Bob does that.
Bob takes out the trash each week and he is the one who usually takes the cars in for oil change, etc., gets gas, cleans cars. I have to say that the cars really don’t get very dirty here. I noticed when we moved there weren’t a lot of car washes and now I know why.
Bob mows the lawn and does trimming. Because our yard is so steep this is a hard task, especially when it has been so hot. I take care of the outdoor potted plants which lately means watering every day and take care of the 5 knockout roses, spray for bugs, deadhead flowers. True Green does the fertilizing, aerating, etc. We have a sprinkler system so watering is easy.
I do the routine maintenance on the spa and Bob takes care of emptying and filling it every few months.
The big new thing Bob does is pay the bills and keep up our Quicken bank accounts. There was quite a learning curve on the Quicken stuff with all the bank passwords but he has it down now and is doing a great job. I sure don’t miss doing that.
Doing our own cleaning and lawn work saves us quite a bit of money each month.
We equally pet and spoil Sabrina and Smoky. I am the one that gets woke up by Sabrina at 7 to feed them and do most of the litter box duty but Bob will do it if I remind him. She is quite the built in alarm clock. Smoky often comes to bed a little before 7 and then I have both of them pestering me.
Posted in General
Smoky and Sabrina say -
“What’s up with our cat food? Some of the dry stuff is good and some we don’t like at all. It’s all mixed together and we just eat the Science Diet we like and leave the other pellets or kick them out of our dish but there is less and less of the good stuff in our bowl each day. “
Fay says-
What’s a cats mother to do? I researched cat food and found cats really only eat meat and even a better commercial food like Science Diet has grain in it and really they say dry food is NOT good for your cat, but it’s so easy. So I tried the dry cat food that was the most highly recommended Core Wellness Brand which has no grain in it. I did as recommended and introduced it gradually, mixing 1/4 to 3/4 and then going up to all new food over a weeks time. I can’t believe they pick out the old food and leave the new food. They have all new food now and aren’t very happy. They still love there canned food treat at night and after vacations are done I think I will give them less dry and more canned, even though it costs more. Smoky is getting a pretty big tummy and he is only one year old so need to get him slimmed down. Maybe if they don’t like the food much they won’t eat as much which is good. There food is such a highlight of there day it really pains me to feed them something they don’t like. My hope is they get used to it. We have lost many cats to the diseases I read about that are caused by bad food so sure want to keep these two healthy and long lived.
Any advice will be appreciated.
Posted in The cats tell all
Greenville just made the list of the Wall Street Journals top 10 Best Markets for Single Family Real Estate Investment Properties. We are number 9.
The article says:
“Regions that rank highly for investment suitability are those where there is a low probability that home prices will fall further, says Local Market Monitor President Ingo Winzer. They are places where income is growing moderately; where employment is relatively stable because of a large percentage of jobs in health care, education or government; and where a relatively small share of jobs is in construction or financial services, which have been volatile. (Job losses in government and education tend to come later in an economic cycle, so some areas could be hit harder in coming months.)
The report, which excludes towns with fewer than 200,000 residents, focuses on price-appreciation potential instead of rental income, since falling home prices usually result in higher vacancy rates in apartment buildings and lower rents overall, Mr. Winzer says.
Good markets for conservative investors are those that already have stabilized and should yield average returns.”
Thanks Brenda H.
Posted in General, Our Community
Bob and I just registered for our Life Long Learning classes and trips at Furman. They start in mid September. Here is a peak at what we are taking. These classes are 8-10 weeks. We are really looking forward to the classes. I have missed them over the summer. The cost a whopping $50 each and the one time ones are almost free.
Civil War Potpourri
Aside from reviewing some of the great battles of the war, we will uncover some
very important but somewhat overlooked personalities and examine some of the more enduring myths that came from the epic conflict. In a segment entitled “Blunders, Bumbling, Bustles and Booze,” we’ll take a look at the many mistakes and mishaps that occurred and examine the role of women and “John Barleycorn” during the internal strife of the 19th Century that shaped modern
America. All agendas, causes and baggage should be left in the parking lot adjacent to the classroom. Bring an open mind and sense of humor into the class.
Behind the News
During this eight-week course, learn how the news you read in the paper or see on TV is produced. We will spend the frst four weeks at the studios of WYFF on Rutherford Street, where we will hear from the news director and one of the anchors, as well as tour the set where the newscast originates. The next four weeks will be spent at The Greenville News at Main and Broad Streets, downtown. The frst day will involve a fair amount of walking through the offces, pressroom and some stairs. We will talk with the editors, feature writers, and the publisher.
Grave Decisions: Burial and Environmental Costs
When it comes to burials we are in a sea of change. For most of us, our only real
experience with the funeral industry is when a loved one dies. Then we may !nd ourselves under BOTH time and emotional pressures. It is not a time for extensive research. Yet, there are many options. Most are unaware of
the environmental issues, costs and even the many types of burials available. We’ll discuss it all. We’ll have two speakers and a field trip. The Memorial Reef burial was founded with a Greenville connection and the first natural burial in the country originated right here in the Upstate.
These next ones are one time 2 hour fieldtrips.
How to Have a Lush, Low Maintenance Garden
City Scape Winery Learn how to make your own wine and taste a
few of the locally made wines
International Center for Automotive Research (CUICAR)—Greenville – The anchor for the new Millennium Campus, this facility incorporates several automotive related operations.Furman University’s Antiques and Art
Chinese Dumpling Party
Courtyard Marriott Hotel and Nantucket Grill
Plus lots of fun things with Newcomers. One we are especially looking forward to at the end of September is an overnight trip and staying at the YMCA camp by Pretty Place. There are all kinds of activities planned at the camp. Also in November going to see one of the first hockey games of our new hockey team. Big birthday party for our Newcomers group. We turn 40 in October.
Such is the life of us retired folk.
Posted in General, Our Community
This August has 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays, 5 Tuesdays, all in one month. It happens once in 823 years. I kinda figured you were just waiting around to know this information!!
This will not happen again until the year 3010.
Enjoy the month! Thanks Brenda H.
Posted in General
I think Sabrina is our fourth tuxedo cat. The others were male and had longer fur. Unfortunately they all died pretty young, before 8 years, of various different diseases. I thought I would look up a little info on the tuxedo cat since there are so many of them and obviously they have won my heart. I don’t know how much of the following I believe but it is fun and interesting, if you are a cat lover. I do have to say Sabrina is smart but also very independent.
Photo Credit: © Randy Wallace
People who have agreed to serve TCs as food providers and toy throwers are more attractive than the average humans.Dogs are afraid of TCs.
People who win lotteries are statistically more likely to live with TCs.
Plants grown in houses where TCs reside are healthier and generally 20-50% larger than plants in non-TC households.
In recognition of their formal attire, tuxedo cats are the only felines admitted to performances of the metropolitan opera.The musical style known as ‘The Blues’ is widely acknowledged as the being inspired by the nighttime serenades of lovesick tuxies.
William Shakespeare owned a tuxedo cat, as did Beethoven and Sir Isaac Newton.
In the original “Lassie” stories, Lassie was a tuxedo cat. The role was re-cast as a Collie after no TC willing to accept the role could be found. They all refused the role as ‘undignified’ and ‘demeaning.’
“Tuxedo Cat” is the most googled term on the Internet after “Paris Hilton” and “Free P*rn.”Franny’s Note: In deference to various “spam blockers,” the inserted asterisk is mine. While I did not verify the claim of “most googled term,” I did find out one interesting fact. Under search results, “Tuxedo Cats” garnered 377,000 results, while “Paris Hilton” yielded 71,200,000 results. I take this as a vivid testimony to the discerning selectivity of tuxedo cats and their fans; proof that TCs are not hungry for fame.
Over 70% of all the cats pictured in Egyptian royal tombs are tuxedo cats.The first cat in the new world was a Tuxedo cat named Asgerd who accompanied (some literature indicates she led) early Viking expeditions to the North American continent.
A TC named Buster flew 17 combat missions over Europe with the US Eighth Air Force during WW II. He was shot down in January 1944 and spent the remainder of the war in a German Prisoner of War camp, where he was credited with improving the standard of living through his diligent rodent control efforts.
The largest inheritance ever left to a cat (over $6.3 million) was left to a tuxedo cat named Sparky in 1998.
A TC earned an Olympic silver medal in the 1960 winter Olympics as a member of the Swiss four man (three man and one cat) bobsled team.Franny’s Note: The award is still under dispute after a protest was filed by the Alaskan team, which consisted of three men and a Malamute dog. They claimed that the TCs raised tail created a favorable windspeed factor, which gave an unfair advantage to the Swiss team.
A TC named Roderick is the only feline ever to climb Mt. Everest.NASA is making plans to allow a tuxedo cat to be the first pet on the Moon, with studies indicating that TCs are also well suited for the Mars missions.
Tuxedo cats can, in an emergency, drive a car.When a full moon occurs on the vernal or diurnal equinox, TCs can become invisible.
As kittens, tuxies will open their eyes 24 hours before regular cats.
Tuxedos are the best swimmers in the feline family, but they will shun forever any who human who puts them in the water.
Tuxedo cats can add single digit numbers and perform simple integrations.
TCs can see infrared light.
Franny’s Note: I hope you enjoyed Dr. Magrathea’s highly interesting and unusual facts about these highly beautiful cats we call “Tuxedos.” If you haven’t already figured it out, you will be able to see Magrathea’s photo in a brand new 2008 Tuxedo Cats Picture Gallery.
All material used here © Magrathea and Randy Wallace
Posted in General
Just wanted to let you know that Sabrina is still very much enjoying playing in her little box with all the wrapping paper. It’s hard to explain how much she can play with it and what a mess she can make. The box keeps her and us quite entertained. She gets quite protective of it when Smoky takes an interest.
Posted in General
You already heard in 24 hours we saw Caesars Head, Pretty Place and Hollywild. After a good nights sleep the seven visitors had a relaxing breakfast and we headed out again. On Thursday we took everyone up to Caesars Head again and then on to Sliding Rock Waterfall. It was busy with about a 45 minute wait for each slide. I watched all the clothes, towels etc. and people got 3 slides down the falls. It was a hot day and the cold water felt good too them. We stopped at a grocery store and got sandwiches and stopped at a picnic table by a little stream and had lunch. One car full of people went on to another waterfall. Then back home for a little rest and then to downtown Greenville for some live outdoor Beach Boy type music and dancing at Larkins on the Lake and then to a fun little bar for more food and live rock and roll music food and more dancing. A very fun day and night.
Friday we headed out to Chimney Rock. Debby, Abby and I took the elevator and the others hiked the 315 ft of steps to the top for an incredible view.
After that lunch in Chimney Rock and then home but had to make a stop to show off our Dixie Republic, pro South store. All our northern visitors get to visit this very unique southern store. Just about everyone makes a purchase of some sort. We were pooped. Drank a few beers and had pizza and lots of good conversation. Debby, Abby, April and Carly had to decide how early they wanted to leave to drive back to MN and after a long discussion they decided they wanted to go water tubing on the Green River. Good decision.
Saturday everyone left for the Green River. Fay stayed at home because one trip last week down the river was plenty of water for her. Dinner that night was and dinner at the little restaurant in Travelers Rest. They had a FANTASTIC time.
On Sunday Megan got up very early because she had decided the day before to do a triathlon with her girlfriend from Clemson. Obviously she is quite fit if she could just decide to do it and actually finish it. An amazing young woman. We took Amanda to the airport and got home in time to see Megan and Jer off for Orlando.
Thanks Nelson family for making the Choban family part of your vacation. You are welcome back anytime.
Posted in General
