Congress Passes Spending Bill

So I get to work tomorrow.

On the other hand, HRH and SLY have to be at the airport and half-past too damned early. But they will be in South Padre early enough to enjoy their first day. They are driving to the island from Corpus. That made me remember the drive from Plantation to Sunny Isle.

We had a great hotel, I told you about it earlier, but it was 20 miles from work. So CaDiva drove me to and from work every day. Every night, we would drive through Miami traffic (she is much gutsier than am I) but as we crested the rise in the road...it was all worth it. Just one, glorious expanse of blue water edged by white beach.

It caught our breath every time.

I hope HRH and SLY have something like it. I am waiting for the stories.

South Padre Bound

HRH is leaving tomorrow for South Padre Island on the Gulf of Mexico.

I left her an FB message to remind her we needed her agenda. We are, after all, her PEOPLE. I'm afraid we are still paying the price for being out of the house when she was flying in from her last business trip.

Oh, that was embarrassing. We were supposed to be tracking her flights to let her know what gate she needed to be at and we were out running errands.

We will redeem ourselves.

I'll fill you in as she gives us details.

First detail. Apparently she doesn't leave until Thursday. Back with breaking vacation news as we confirm or suspect facts.

Great weekend, but I'm ready to crash

CaDiva is making a pot roast, mashed potatoes and spinach. So, I'm going to check my tasks on the computer, see if congress has passed a CR and head upstairs to watch TV and fall asleep.

I'm seriously worried since Boehner resigned. Keep your fingers crossed.

I have been thinking about some of the other issues I haven't blogged about yet. I'm trying to imagine what would be most interesting. But, I hope to have something fun to read tomorrow.

Super Moon Lunar Eclipse - what a way to spend Sunday night

CaDiva and packed up the Highlander with a picnic and cameras and headed north. We found a rest stop north of Ames which looked likely. 

Of course, we overshot the primo eclipse watching spot. So we backed up, way up. This seriously freaked the housekeeping lady at the rest stop. She came out and asked me, "Are you looking for someone." I answered clueless, "Yeah, the full lunar eclipse." 

She was tickled finally, after she realized we weren't some troublemakers, because she wanted to see it too. As we sat in our parking place, popping out every ten minutes or so to snap pictures, we started to gather a crowd. One little girl was going to call her grandma, who lives way far away, but she can take pictures. Several were amazed at the pictures I was getting with my little Nikon.

CaDiva and I noshed and snapped and noshed some more. But here is what we ended up with.

Super Moon rising over Iowa

Just a little shadow off to one side.

And so it begins

Just a bit more

It is getting serious now

It is almost half now - and moving fast

It reminds me of an outhouse door now.

Just a bit more...getting hard to focus the camera at this point.

Oh, it took me about 20 shots to even get this one. I just couldn't hold the camera still.

And, an hour later, it was over.

Fortunately, CaDiva eventually stopped laughing at my attempt to take a selfie with a Nikon in a front seat. It wasn't pretty. 

Oh, what a day...

As I mentioned, HRH was off shopping or spending the day at a lake or something. If it was shopping, remember I need a new wallet. Lady Buxton. Can be a billfold since I no longer need something big enough to hold a checkbook. If it was a lake, well why the hell not. Did you see the day we we are having? Can you believe it is September 26th?  Cross your fingers for a long, slow autumn. I'm trying to talk CaDiva into a trip to the Great River Road next weekend.

As for today, on our way to The Mom's house, we found a bike. A lady's comfort bike. With a FREE BIKE sign taped to the seat. It was sitting with a boy's bike with a bent rear wheel. And a toddler's bike. And the lady's bike was seriously out of plum. Sort of made a sad story, if you think about it. But it was free and I got out of the Highlander and walked it home. CaDiva and I are going to see if it can be made right for a reasonable amount. Then she can force me to get my butt out on the bike. Because I won't have an excuse about falling down and not having anyone to help me get back up. Long story. Another blog entirely.

After that, we went to The Mom's house. We got her health insurance thing all handled, on-line. Smooth as silk. Thank you very much Social Security.gov. Then we ate at Taco John. Ok, no big to the rest of you, but The Mom never had a taco before. And at 108 lbs and holding, if the the lady wants a taco, she gets a taco. She was only able to eat one and a few of the faux-tater tots they call potato ole`s. But she liked the coffee. And she thinks she would try a taco again, but maybe a soft shell.

Then we went shopping. We didn't find the hose or iron tabs. But we did get BOGO for the Vitamin D. Note to me, she wants 2000 milligrams. It was even a real BOGO, not one of those pseudo-bogos where you buy one and get one half off. Seriously. On the other hand, it was Walgreen's. So you had to have a Walgreen's membership card. Well, of course we did...look who I'm married to. Right?

Don't tell The Mom, we even found her bullet-proof pantyhose at a second Walgreen's.

Anyway, after a stop at the grocery store for some nutrition drink (Serious Hy-Vee, we really want the enriched plus in chocolate back. That is 50 more calories and she liked the taste. She does not want the vanilla or strawberry even if she could put chocolate syrup in them. Please bring back the enriched plus.) Where was I? Oh yeah, well she was pretty tuckered by that point, so we took her home. Yes, she had the left over taco, which we tried to tell her wouldn't be good for dinner. But we talked her into buying some ham and Swiss pinwheels from the Hy-Vee deli.  So, hopefully she has already noshed on that tonight.

CaDiva and I went to see The Intern, Oh, without a doubt, best movie this year. Not only that but I got a special on my giant iced tea. Note to mid-westerners. If you ask me do I want my tea unsweetened or sweetened, I think you are asking me if you want to add sweetener to my tea. Which I do. But, if you want to sell me Sweet Tea, you have to offer me Sweet Tea. Sweet Tea is different than sweetened tea. Ask anyone who can use any of the versions of ya'll to explain the difference. None of which have anything to do with using capitals versus lower case.

Does anyone know lower case now? Is that a old thing?  I don't know. I mean small, except if you use an 8 Caliph font it is small and you can still capitalize it. Oh damn, off on a tangent again. Anyway, the movie...Best movie all year. I literally turned to CaDiva multiple times to say...this is such a good movie.

The theater was filled with our age-mates. And we were all laughing and gasping and crying out loud. I didn't cry. CaDiva did. I knew she would. But I didn't. Actually, she cried almost as much as DeNiro, although not as well as Hathaway. That might be  spoiler alert. Without a different doubt Nancy Meyers is our new Nora Ephron

Then, to top things all off, we walked out and there was Cousint. This is the second time we have been to the same movie, on the same day, same theater, one showing apart. We even bootleg the same way. Although she does Nestle` products, which I don't. But this is such a good day I'm not even going to tell you why.

Then we drove home and it is a super moon. I'm going to go out and get a picture.

Don't worry, you don't have to be impressed. It was way more impressive as a pale moon rising. I think one of the discovery channels said the moon used to appear like 10 times the size it is now. Dang, wouldn't that be a sight to behold. I think I might be getting ready to digress again. So I'll sign off now.

HRH is not available to play

The Mom said last night, HRH plans to spend her last Saturday before the long planned adventure to South Padre Island in Omaha, WITHOUT US!

Well two can play at that. I think CaDiva and I will take The Mom for tacos (which The Mom is pretty certain she has never eaten.) and then go see The Intern.

See, HRH, we can so have fun without you. Bring pictures.

HRH is headed south

Next week HRH is taking a vacation without either CaDiva or me. She is going to fly down to South Padre Island in the Gulf of Mexico. She is traveling with her friend SLY. They have known each other since their first jobs outside of high school.
We can't wait to hear the stories and see the pictures.

Can you name these sights?

 

Another early night I think

I am still trying to pick the best photos from CaDiva and my trip to DC. But I had a long day and really think I'll go to bed now.

Take care and see you soon.