Shul, Opera, Party....wonderful but not restful Shabbat

Yesterday was a busy, fun day.  Mark had agreed to read haftarah at shul Saturday morning, and we thought that would work because the opera, Tannhauser by Wagner, would start at 1 p.m.  Imagine our suprise when Mark glanced at the tickets in his pocket during shul and saw it started at noon! We got to shul at 10:30, just as the Torah service started, he read, and then as soon as the Torah was put away at about 11:30, we ran slipped the door to the opera.  We didn't really know much about it, but we enjoyed it more than Otello from a few weeks ago.  It's not going to be my favorite, but it was fascinating. One interesting thing was watching Maestro James Levine conducting from his wheelchair. 

The opera ran until nearly 5 p.m., so we strolled around Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) for awhile and then drove over to the Contemporary Resort for the DVC Member Halloween party.  This was the BEST bargain we ever got from Disney.  It cost only $15 per person.  For that we got a bag with candy in it as we entered, great decorations and theming in the big ballroom, two kinds of fun drinks and three fun desserts, face painting, games for kids, a DJ who got everybody up dancing, and photo ops with both Chip and Dale and Daisy and Donald in special Halloween themed outfits.  When you got your picture with the ducks, they gave you a professionally developed and printed copy for each person.  We stayed from 7 to 8:30, collected our picture, and then went to the Contempo Cafe for salmon dinners.  We didn't get home until about 11 p.m., but we still got that extra hour of sleep since the clocks went back for the end of Daylight Savings Time during the wee hours.

Today we are heading to Disney Springs again for the movie The Martian.  Then we will pick up a few things at Publix before settling in for TV watching the rest of the day. 

Busy week. What else is new?

I don't know where to start.  It's been so busy this week.  Our day at Food and Wine on Monday was fabulous.  We ate at Greece and the Dominican Republic, and Mark had a sushi roll at Japan.  Everything was scrumptious and filling.  We had planned to stay just long enough to eat lunch, but we were having so much fun that we were there about six hours.  The weather was breezy and the place was far less crowded than on a Sunday.

Spicy grouper on rice, Yucca souffle, Caramel flan, beer, and rum cocktail from Dominican Republic

Drinking beer in his new shirt.

Spicy tuna and salmon sushi roll from Japan.

Veggie moussaka with Gardein sausage crumbles, spannokopita, Greek salad in a cone, a red and a white wine.

Free cocktail.  I'll take it thank you. 

Tuesday I was on a treadmill, similar to last week. Mark went to water aerobics by himself (the last time for three weeks) while I had a mani/pedi. Then I led the Cove Singers rehearsal while Mark waited for the AC repairman to come (fixed it easily for no charge), and then I went to the Guys and Dolls rehearsal.  All good but busy.

Wednesday was HUGE!  Mark had to be at the hospital at 6 a.m. to have his heart monitor installed.  They were running behind, what else is new at a hospital, so the 8 a.m. appointment became 10 a.m.  We had a late brunch at Denny's, did some shopping, and made a successful stop at the endocrinologist's office to have blood work orders changed.  Then we went home and napped!  In the evening we went to the synagogue choir rehearsal where MORE new members showed up.  It was an awesome rehearsal.

Mark's chest is blistered and red-looking under his plastic bandage.  It can come off Saturday afternoon, but it looks like that's going to HURT.  Meanwhile, he's not even sure the machine next to the bed that is supposed to send the data off to the doctor every night is working.  Hopefully, he will call the company for some tech support soon.

Yesterday we had our primary care doctor's appointments.  We go every six months.  My blood work was all great!  My weight was down about four pounds from six months ago, so she was happy with that.  At home I was 273.6 and in her office a few hours later with clothes I was 277.5.  She was okay with everything.  In fact staying the same for a year, essentially up and down the same five pounds, was totally okay with her.  She thought that was better than large swings up and down.  She's probably right. 

She looked at Mark's chest and agreed it's going to hurt when it comes off!  LOL! 

He even called the surgeon's office and was told to leave it alone, take it off Saturday afternoon, and yes, it's going to hurt.  Everyone is so helpful!  LOL

We both got our flu shots, so that was good.

I actually had my Welcome to Medicare physical.  Physically nothing was different.  They didn't even do an EKG, which every physical I ever had up north always did.  The only difference was a lot of odd and fairly stupid questions that were clearly assessing my mental acuity.  I passed.  Here are some sample questions:
What is the date?
Where are you right now?
What floor are we on?
Copy this picture.  It was two intersecting pentagons.
Write a complete sentence using good grammar and punctuation.
Count from 5-50 by fives.
She pointed to my bag of medications and asked me what it was.
And more of the same. 

I passed with only one wrong answer!  We do not have a working carbon monoxide detector in our house.

This morning we are heading to the Cove.  I will do water aerobics, but Mark will watch.  He might take a walk later. His plan is to write down what we are doing in the pool as the lady calls it so that we could do it ourselves when she's not there.  We'll have lunch there and then work in the library as always from 1-4 before coming home for Shabbat dinner and TV.  

Second Food and Wine Festival Day

This morning I weighed 275.6, a gain of a pound since the middle of the week, but down about .4 since last Monday's report.  Essentially, I maintained my weight this week.  Eating lunch at two or three kiosks today might not be too bad because of all the walking.  We ate there last Sunday, and it did not cause me to gain anything.

First we are going to a Coffee Talk in the ballroom on winter landscaping and grass care followed by water aerobics.  Then we will make a stop in Celebration to get new orders for blood work for Mark from the endocrinologist's office before getting to the Food and Wine Festival.  After all that, lunch will be late, maybe around 2 p.m., but we are also hoping it's far less crowded than last time on a Sunday.

Last time we ate vegan Korean barbecue, Italian cheese ravioli and cannoli, and Irish cheeses.  Everything was amazing!

Day off

We have been so busy lately that we are very pleased just to stay home today and RELAX!!!  Even retirees need a day off now and then.

Our gator day was fun, although the last few times we have been there, the rules keep changing.  This time they had taken out the gator tank from its location of years.  A new one, bigger and nicer, is being created.  The gators are still form Gatorland, so Mark and I wore our Gatorland t-shirts and hats for the first time.  The girl showed us Lemon Tart, a three year old female who was delightful.  We had a lovely time, but now you have to give them a donation of at least $5.  Then you can take all the pictures you want on your camera.  Last time it was free.  All the times before that cost $10-20 and NO pictures allowed on your camera.  All in all, this is not a bad donation for the right to take all the pictures you want.  I actually gave them $10 because the girl was so good and we took A LOT of pictures!

Susie and Ed will now go up on our powder room wall!

Me and Lemon Tart.

The Gatorland girl Laura did a great presentation.  She said Lemon Tart was her favorite gator to work with because she liked to "cuddle."

I got to cuddle Lemon Tart, too.

Thursday was a complete treadmill kind of day.  We had early morning, fasting blood draws.  I hosted 7 ladies for Mah Jongg in my house for about three hours while Mark shopped.  Then we had fun at the Trail's End buffet and hayride.  Unfortunately, I ate way too much at the buffet and went up four pounds in one day.  I gained four pounds in eight days on the cruise; I lost those four pounds in 13 days at home; I regained the four pounds back in one day.  Yeah, love my body.

Yesterday was another ridiculous treadmill day.  I left at 8:45 for a 9 a.m. rehearsal.  It ended at 10:30 and I went to water aerobics, although 10 minutes late.  Then we ate a picnic lunch by the pool before working in the library 1-3.  We stopped at Publix for things we forgot, ran home, showered and changed, made salad, set the table, tidies up the house, and got up to the Palms by 5:30.  We met six new people who seemed to enjoy Shabbat dinner at our house.  Mark led a full kiddush when we got back home, and we had some desserts back up at the Palms.  I was so tired by the time we got home at 9 p.m. that I left half the mess still on the dining room table to clean up today.

THAT'S why we need the day off today.

Oh, best part!  Our AC died yesterday afternoon, so the house was hot while we were cooking.  Fortunately, the ceiling fan over the dining room table plus the lower outside temperatures after the sun went down kept the house reasonable.  The guests did not complain.  The repairman is coming on Tuesday, so we are hoping it doesn't get too hot in here between now and then.

Gator Day

Today has been in the making for quite a few months.  After the morning's water aerobics, we will meet friends, the Goldbergs and the Sterns, at Denny's for lunch, followed by the airboat ride and pictures with them holding a baby gator.  Then I can put them up on my powder room wall.

This morning I was 274.5, so I was excited to be within half a pound of the weight on Oct. 2 when we left for the cruise.  I can control myself at Denny's, so today should be another good day.  Now tomorrow is another story.  Tomorrow night will be dinner at the Trail's End Buffet with the Disney Fan Club and then the hayride through the RV part of Fort Wilderness to see the Halloween lights.  We did it last year, and it was spectacular.  I have usually NOT controlled myself very well at that buffet, or any buffet really.  We shall see how tomorrow night goes.

There will be pictures of my friends holding the baby gator posted here later!

Felt like work

This morning I have been on a busman's holiday, meaning I have spent the last two hours working on music for three different groups that I am in:  SOJC Choir, Cove Singers, and Guys and Dolls.  Wow!
Yeah, that's what I do for fun now, but it's what I used to do for pay.  That's why it's a busman's holiday! Today, I have 2-4 p.m. rehearsal for the Cove Singers and a 6-8:30 p.m. rehearsal tonight for Guys and Dolls.  For SOJC I recorded nine different parts of a new song, solo plus four parts for the verse and four parts for the chorus, and emailed the files out to everyone in the group.  They don't rehearse again until next Wednesday, so this gives them time to listen to their part in advance.  Fun times.

The Service America guy was here this morning, too.  He fixed the garbage disposal and the ice maker.  I am SO happy to have both of those up and running.  I HATE not having a garbage disposal.  That was the worst!

Now that my work is done and the repairman is gone, I think it's time to relax, make some lunch, maybe watch some TV until about 1:30 when I head to the Cove for the 2 o'clock rehearsal.

Busy Solivita life, but this time at least everything was on the calendar!  LOL

Down two

My weight this morning is 276, so that's down two for the week.  That's a great week!  I had gained four on the cruise, so now half of that is gone.  Also, two pounds lost per week is considered the safe amount to lose.  I admit that I did not try that hard.  I did water aerobics twice during the week and walked a lot yesterday at Epcot. I also ate at three food kiosks yesterday and brought a chocolate cupcake home for a bedtime snack because it was National Chocolate Cupcake Day.  Yum.

Today I will be going to water aerobics and eating all my meals at home.  That's a recipe for more success!  I have three ladies joining me this afternoon at 1 for Mah Jongg, and then Mark and I will go to the book talk on Last of the Mohicans.  We should be able to finish the final 40 minutes on audiobooks today before 4 p.m.  Tonight, I will sit in my chair and watch a lot of TV.  LOL!

What are you doing today?